Blog Post #9

Colombian cartels bribed U.S. Agents with women and guns

While our government agencies are working hard in Columbia trying to cut down on the crime and drugs, some of them are taking bribes from the gangs and cartels. Not just money, but also parties with prostitutes and weapons. Many of these scandals went unnoticed, unreported, or were not properly prosecuted. These scandals were happening around the same time as the Secret Service prostitution scandal, and is a major problem for the integrity and the name of our country.

I believe that the author was leaning toward the side of the people, that the agents that took part in the allegations were wrong to do so and should be fired. This topic relates to our class because this is our national government and the agencies that work for it.

Blog #8

Are the gun laws in New Jersey too strict?

24 year-old Steffon Josey-Davis was pulled over two years ago on a New Jersey highway. Steffon said that he was going under the speed limit when he was pulled over. When the officer asked for his license and registration, he reached for the glove compartment to get it. When he opened the compartment, he realized he had left his legally owned pistol that he uses for his job as an armored car security officer. He hands the gun over to the officer, showing him a receipt and credentials that he legally owned the gun. The officer told him that he could come and collect his gun on Monday. When he arrived at the police station, he was then arrested for illegal possession of a fire arm, a second-degree felony in the state of New Jersey. Steffon told the officers that he was expecting the permit to carry the gun later that week, and he had only bought the gun a month earlier. Now he can no longer apply for a job, he was sentenced to 1 year probation after pleading guilty and his entire life is ruined. 

This connects to our class in the fact that it is out 2nd amendment rights to be able to carry a gun. I believe that New Jersey is too strict of a state when it comes to gun control laws. He showed legal ownership over the gun, there was no good reason that he was pulled over in the first place, and he was expecting his carry permit later in the week. I believe that the author of the article was leaning more towards the side of Steffon in the fact that he was arrested unfairly and that his entire career and his life is ruined because of it. 

Blog Post #7

Maybe they had a Little too Much to Drink 

2 Secret Service agents were reassigned after they crashed into a barricade at the White House last week. The reason for the collision? Driving while intoxicated. It appears that the agents attended a party while they were on duty, and no one at the end of the party decided to breathalyze any of the party goers before the left for home. The two agents then got into the car, drove for a little bit before crashing into a gate at the white house. The two are currently under investigation and they're employment may be terminated if they get enough evidence.

The article is related to our class because it has multiple checks and balances in place. Senate had some say, house had some, the president even got some of the action. As for the article, I find the author was straight up the middle, he didn't appear to have a side and just stated all of the information he was supplied with to write the article. 

Blog #6

Bringing the Clinton scandal back into reality

Years after the sex scandal between former president Bill Clinton and his White House secretary Monica Lewensky will now be remembered forever in the presidential portrait collection. When artist Nelson Shanks was assigned to capture president Clinton, he added a secret reference to the scandal. Just to the left of where Clinton is standing, there is a hint of blue next to the shadow. This is referencing Monica, and the shadow is the pressure that Clinton had while in office while also preforming the scandal.

This applies to our course in the fact that it is our former president, and he created one of the biggest scandal in history. As for the authors side, I feel he was sided towards the artist.