"Mr. Obama’s Historic Move on Cuba"

Sarah Gleason, 2W, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/opinion/a-new-beginning-with-cuba.html

1. The editorial’s central claim in this piece is that Obama has made the right decision in opening up the prospect of having more open relations with Cuba because doing so would be beneficial to both sides.

2. The editorial acknowledges the fact that establishing normal democratic relations between the United States and Cuba will not come easy because of the countries’ complicated history and long-lasting distrust of each other. However, the editorial argues that this is exactly why proposing better relations with Cuba was the right idea. The change has to start somewhere, and this proposition will spark a debate in Congress to begin getting towards that change.

3. I agree with the editorial’s claim. Opening up and improving our relationship with Cuba will likely prove to be both historical and beneficial. This kind of change would not only be significant politically by tearing down years of mistrust and sometimes active animosity between the two countries, but it could lead to be mutually beneficial as well. Not only could American business benefit the Cuban economy, but a growth of trust between the two countries would make Cuba one less thing to worry about. Goodness knows America does not need any more enemies with the current state foreign affairs in places like the Middle East are going.

The Rampancy of Internet Piracy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkkFT1bRCT0 ( everything you need to know about torrents)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/sunday-review/internet-pirates-will-always-win.html (actual article)

Tristan Cilley

2W

The editorial’s central claim is that Torrenting and piracy are bad and should be looked at like a giant game of whack a mole, for example if anything were to happen to the source of torrents like the pirate bay then the internet would just do what it does best a create a new site to feed the demands. Also gives examples of piracy and perspectives on it.

EVIDENCE:

“In the arcade version of Whac-A-Mole, the game eventually ends — often when the player loses. In the piracy arms-race version, there doesn’t seem to be a conclusion. Sooner or later, the people who still believe they can hit the moles with their slow mallets might realize that their time would be better spent playing an entirely different game.”

In my opinion I think that torrenting is getting a bad reputation from piracy and is actually a very valid and useful tool for electronic distribution. There is nothing inherently illegal about torrenting. The problem is Piracy, and the fact that there is not an obvious way to stop it for the same reason stated in the article above. Some people justify their illegal downloading habits by saying that the people they are stealing from won’t miss the money because they are rich anyway. Also many of these people know that there is an extremely low chance that they will get caught and have to face repercussions. The only solutions that have been produced have been overpowered and blunt. The equivalent of threading a needle with a sledgehammer,  (aka doing more harm than good). Overall, torrenting is good, piracy is bad, and there is no clear solution for the growing problem.

Congress's Double-Edged Marijuanna Stance

Henry Jones
Period 2 White
Article link
"Congress’s Double-Edged Marijuana Stance." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

Central Claim:
The editorials central claim is that congress has been moving forward on the road to legalize marijuana passing a law that essentially legalized weed medically on a federal level, only applying to states with medical marijuana already. However, when a recreational marijuana was voted into law by referendum, passed by a large majority of D.C. residents. The senate voted to veto the law. The politicians need to stick with one direction on the marijuana legalization movement, for or against.
Significant Piece of Evidence:
The author quoted the law that passed pro-legalization, and statistics and quotes from the legalization law that was vetoed. 
Opinion:
I agree with the claim, It doesn't make sense that they should pass only one of these laws. Congress should pick a side and stick with it, however slow or fast they need to move towards or away from legalization at A rate. Standing still on this issue just doesn't make sense.

Empty Threats Vs. Real Immigration Reform

Even Laukli, 5B, http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-congress-shutdown-2-0-20141205-story.html

1. What is the editorial's central claim?

   The editorial makes the point that now that the government is majorly republican the authors make the point that republicans have to start legislating, not holding the government hostage. The main argument is around Obamas new decision to let 4 million immigrants have temporary jobs in the US because it is cheaper than trying to deport them. 

2. What is a significant piece of evidence used to support the argument? 

   The editorial uses the evidence that Ted Cruz a republican is threatening another government shutdown. The authors seem a bit more liberal and the editorial seems mostly against the republican party. 

3. What is your opinion of the claim? Add your voice. 

   I agree that there is a problem with our government but I do not think that it is only a republican problem. The real problem is the two party system and the gridlock that is a problem with our system. The reason that a government shutdown is even possible is because of the two party system. 

“India, wise up and clear the air”
Amanda Dettmann
Period 3
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-climate-carbon-india-edit-1213-20141212-story.html?dssReturn&z=04096

1. What is the editorial’s central claim?
    Since India is a fairly large country, its decisions on production and the environment are critical to the rest of the world. India needs to agree to fight greenhouse gases in order to save the environment. The problem is India and other developing countries say they have the right to pollute; since these countries have recently industrially advanced, they argue that the rest of the world has been industrialized and polluting over a period of 200 years. These countries argue that they have the right to catch up, but the author disagrees. Every citizen in the world has the duty to respect the earth and take care of the environment. To decrease global warming, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced. If India commits to using non-fossil-fuel power like China has, the air will be much cleaner. The Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to use solar and wind power and cap China’s emissions. The author agrees that China is headed in the right direction and has taken a huge step forward by admitting to all its environmental problems. China has already bought green energy companies, which will provoke India to join in and help keep air clean. Debates will occur in Lima, Peru, this week for other countries to try and convince India to reduce emissions.

2. What is a significant piece of evidence used to support the argument?
    The pollution in New Delhi, India, is worse than that of Beijing according to a World Health Organization study in 2014. Although China and the United States are the top producers of carbon emissions from coal, cars, and factories, India still ranks as the filthiest country. India must reduce fossil fuels and gases from factories in order to reduce the amount of pollution that is emitted into the atmosphere. Environmental consequences have already occurred, but they are sure to increase if India doesn’t think about changing its ways. A clean earth is more important than economic growth for factories, especially in the long term.

3. What is your opinion of the claim? Add your voice.
    I agree that India has to rethink their factory system emissions and how many chemicals they add to the atmosphere each year. India does not have the right to keep increasing emissions even though it has industrialized later than other countries. We need to realize that every time we pollute, we are risking future harm to the environment. We are potentially affecting climate change and hurting wildlife. India needs to stop producing so many greenhouse gases because these gases affect the rest of the world, especially since India is such a large country. Also, India is spreading morally wrong messages to its people. India believes that money is more important than saving the earth. We cannot put a price on how important our land and planet is. India will be sorry in the future if it doesn’t reassess environmental standards. Once you hurt the earth, undoing the damage is almost impossible. Each country is responsible for protecting our planet.

Rolling Stone and Rape on Campus

Eavan O’Neill

Ms. Tommaso

Ap Lang and Comp 5B: Editorial Blog Post

December 10, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/opinion/rolling-stone-and-rape-on-campus.html?_r=0

This editorial was written by the Editorial Board at the New York Times. I believe there are two central claims to this editorial. Rolling Stone did major damage to the reputation of the University of Virginia when it published a 9,000 word article on an alleged 2012 rape of a student at UVA, and the school’s resistance to help this “poor girl.” The article spread nation-wide and caused much uproar at from students and families at UVA and other top Universities. Rolling Stone later came out to say they have received new information regarding the rape, and shouldn’t have published the article before delving deeper into the story. The Editorial Board stated that in reporting such an intense article on an sensitive subject, Rolling Stone should have taken more care with all of the factors and details of the story before publishing it. The Editorial Board also stated that they believe sexual assaults on college campuses are getting out of hand and overlooked. The board claims that “the lack of clarity on what is happening on campuses isn’t helping anyone, least of all victims who, after the Rolling Stone report, may unfortunately face more doubters.”

The Editorial Board at the NY Times using a piece of evidence stated by Vice President Joe Biden Jr. in the editorial. VP Biden stated, “one in five of every one of those young women who is dropped off for that first day of school, before they finish school, will be assaulted in her college years.” He got that statistic from a 2007 study conducted for the Department of Justice, which found that nearly 20 percent of women reported experiencing a completed or attempted sexual assault since entering college.

In my opinion, Rolling Stone should not have published such a insulting and harsh article before collecting all the right facts and making sure they interviewed or spoke to all sources about the alleged assault. I also believe that rape and sexual assault on college and university campuses is not treated with the proper amount of gravity. We do not recognize the staggering number of women who will be and have been raped at their school. Recognizing these issues and dealing with them properly is still a work in progress for many schools. I hope this topic/issue becomes  more widely known as a major problem our country is facing. 

Let’s Ban Tips

Victoria Messina

5B

The Boston Globe Opinion (link)

The central claim of this article is that tipping is an old tradition that should be gotten rid of. In restaurants waiters and waitresses should be payed normal wages and tipping should be eliminated.  

When tipping is in the picture, workers do not work for the benefit of the restaurant or the costumers pleasure, but so that they can make money. Tipping also promotes discrimination of costumers, if you judge that someone has more money you are going to give them better service. Restaurants who have implemented the "no tips" way have actually done better when they paid workers the normal amount. 

I agree with the points that the author has, however I think that tipping is a large part of the way we run our restaurants. Tipping allows people who would normally be making $60-80 a night make about $200. I agree that people should stop speculating weather a person will leave a good tip or not but I think if someone wants the most tips they can get they will treat everyone the same in hopes to receive the most they can. 

What Is a True Threat on Facebook?

Heather Clark

2W

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/opinion/what-is-a-true-threat-on-facebook.html

The central claim of this editorial is where can court systems draw the line between threats and freedom of speech on the internet. The court system has issues with identifying what is considered a threat on the internet. The government is having issues controlling what is being said on the internet, and regulating the differences between a threat and just posting an opinion. The author argues that you can’t decide legally what a person’s true intentions of their words actually is.

A significant piece of evidence that the author uses to support their argument is the court case involving Anthony Elonis. Elonis threatened his wife on Facebook after she left him and took their children with her. The lawyer of Elonis argued that the prosecutors have no evidence of his clients intentions of the Facebook posts. This court case supports the author’s argument because it shows how the court system can’t tell the difference between threats and freedom of speech.

My opinion on the claim is that the government should make regulations that clearly state the difference between a threat and an opinion or idea. The government however can’t control and regulate the whole internet, so they may need to find a way to filter through controversial posts and investigate the intent behind the post.

Emma Glessner, "Why 2014 Is a Big Deal"

Emma Glessner, 4W

Friedman, Thomas L. "Why 2014 Is a Big Deal." Editorial. New York Times 13 Dec. 2014: 9. Print.

Why 2014 Is a Big Deal (Link)

1. In this editorial, Friedman claims that the year of 2014 could have marked the end of our climate change debate. However, new technology, such as solar panels and Apple apps, have made this impossible. In addition, Friedman discusses the negative effects of fracking which in turn have majorly hurt the environment. Later on, he suggests that the United States should be focusing on improving our economy and infrastructure rather than spending money on fracking, cars, and advanced technology. He explicitly says, the United States needs to raise the gasoline tax in order to rebuild the economy and infrastructure. 

2. To support his argument about the environment, Friedman writes about the process of fracking. It has recently become a cheap way to obtain natural gas from the earth. However, if we exceed our limit before 2050, the average temperature will rise by two degrees Celsius resulting in weather extremes, rapid ice melt, and high sea levels. Despite the environmental effects, the price of gasoline has decreased because of the surplus of gas. Car owners are very happy about this, and those who do not own a vehicle are purchasing S.U.V.’s and trucks. As a result, more cars simply produce more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

To support the claim about raising the gasoline tax, Friedman and Verleger (an energy economist) say the “clear solution” is to set a price of $3.50 a gallon for gasoline (hypothetical example), and then tax any price below $3.50. Thus, the income from taxing would help to rebuild the roads and our economy. 

3. I think Friedman discusses a few valid points regarding our economy and climate, and I agree that technology affects our environment. I never connected low gas prices to more carbon dioxide emissions, but I understand how decreased gas prices can negatively effect the atmosphere. Also, the “clear solution” to have a set price per gallon is a very smart and creative idea. However, I believe people will be angry about a higher, set price, and I think individuals care more about how much they spend on gas rather than rebuilding our roads. 

Turbulence in Ferguson Could Lead to Greater Understanding

Mari Cooper

4W

12/15/14

Central Claim:

Alan Caron believes that the Ferguson tragedy was one that brought up continuous racial issues. He states it “has revealed all the deeply rooted racial prejudices that exist in America today.” On top of this, unlike other police brutality accidents, this one has no proof. Instead, we are focusing on our own personal beliefs and assumptions because that’s the only thing we have. Caron brings up the fact that we don’t know whether it was an attack on an innocent man, or a brutal attack on the police officer. The eye witnesses and physical evidence supports both of these claims, therefore, there’s no way anyone can say for sure what happened. He also makes a stab at how certain people handle these types of debates, especially T.V. news channels. He believes that “commentary on both sides has become overheated, over-simplified and inflammatory.”

Evidence:

The first pieces of evidence that Caron uses is when he states that the Ferguson tragedy personal standings is based solely on one’s personal experience with the police force. He backs this up with statistics from the Washington Post’s poll: “85 percent of blacks and 60 percent of Hispanics oppose the recent grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, while 58 percent of whites approve of that decision.” The rest of Caron’s piece focuses heavily on the fact that this tragedy is even more so a tragedy because of the lack of proof. He resurfaces the Rodney King attack and how that brought the same kind of turmoil to our country. However, this attack was recorded on video and King lived to tell the tale. Neither of these things exist in the Ferguson case. At least King was able to speak his side of the story and inspire people. Caron states that even thought the Ferguson tragedy was horrible in itself, “an even greater tragedy will be in not learning from them and advancing ourselves.”

Opinion:

I agree with everything that Caron says. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in this case, no one can prove that their opinion is right. Caron says that he’s been listening to a lot of people stating their opinion and thinking that they know exactly what happened as well as being completely close minded toward the other side of the story. This is why, in this particular situation, opinion may not get us very far. I also agree that this tragedy is extra horrible because, unlike other similar events, we will not be able to learn or grow as a country because their is no proof, and people’s opinions are so strong.

Emma Egan Illegal Chokeholds and Eric Garner

      For my editorial piece, I chose the article It Wasn’t Just the Chokehold by the New York Times Editorial Board. This article explored the death of Eric Garner due to police brutality and a banned chokehold July 17th of this year. Although this event is not current, it has gotten quite the uproar due to the Ferguson protests all around the United States. This article sheds a bit of logic to the situation and peaceful protests around New York. Many US citizens are extremely aggravated with the homicide of Garner, but the author shows that it was not fully the cops fault that the man died. He then explains how obesity affects a persons capability to breath, and how the same situation happened to another obese man with autism, although in that case the police tried to help him to breath again. The author in no way excuses the police officer of murdering Eric Garner, but helps others to understand exactly what happened that caused his death. There wasn’t much of a bias in this article, which shocked me for an editorial. This makes some sense to me because all of the other articles I’ve read on the subject have been extremely radical, which sets this piece apart. Overall, this piece gave me more insight on the Garner homicide than I had gotten from any other article I’ve read and helped me to understand exactly what people are protesting for. 

Electronic Cigarettes

What is the editorial’s central claim?

This editorial states electronic cigarettes should be regulated. There are many ideas and rules stated in this editorial that would make our environment balanced and respectable considering the rules are followed. There are positive aspects of these devices as well as negative aspects. For instance, some users say that these devices have helped them with quitting and they allow them to inhale nicotine vapor without ingesting tar and other cancer-causing substances. On the other hand, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine and other dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde. This editorial demonstrates a way that everyone can be happy if the regulations are enforced. It is also mentions the latest status of teenagers regarding electronic cigarettes.

What is a significant piece of evidence used to support the argument?

The European Parliament voted to ban the advertising of electronic cigarettes. Not only to ban them, but to limit the amount of nicotine in each device (20 milligrams per milliliter). The United States needs to take this idea into consideration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently did a study and found out that the e-cigarette industry is targeting children and young adults. These devices are available in flavors like “french vanilla” and “banana cream” which is attracting children as young as junior high. It was also stated that one maker recently used Santa Clause in one of it’s advertisements. E-cigarettes are a growing industry and people who have never smoked before are becoming more and more interested in them. Along with the banning of advertising and limitations of nicotine in each device, their packaging must include a warning label warning the customer about the addictiveness and toxicity. Not only this, but the packaging must be childproof. This rules will go into effect in 2016. Comparing these regulations in Europe to the United States, only 26 states are known to have banned the sale of e-cigarettes to people younger than 18. 

What is your opinion of the claim? Add your voice.

I agree with this claim and the idea of it being balanced because if the United States bans electronic cigarettes all together, that wouldn’t necessarily stop people from using these devices. The marketing restrictions will make children less likely to use them. E-cigarettes are harmful to everyone although they can be a good substitute for people who smoke tobacco cigarettes. I believe that before we, the United States, make a law that bans electronic cigarettes all together, there should be experiments to increase our knowledge and understanding about them considering they have not been around for long and we don’t know of any long-term, harmful effects. 

Obama Must Push For Reforms in Police Work

Christina Dressel
Ms. Tommaso
Ap Lang and Comp 5B: Editorial Blog Post
December 4 2014

    This editorial was published in the Boston Globe on December 3, 2014, regarding the events in the past week in Ferguson, Missouri starting with the death of Michael Brown. It states that President Obama should take measures to decrease the degree of racism in police work. It was found that 85% of African-Americans and 61% of Hispanics disapproved of the grand jury’s final decision of the Michael Brown case, and only 35% of white Americans disapproved. The author of this editorial suggests that one way to solve the problem of racism in police work is for president Obama to give out a commission intent on reforming police training and raising awareness of the negative stereotyping of black people in police encounters. Obama stated that he would regulate the use of military-style equipment used by the police and push for more body cameras to get a more accurate picture of incidents such as Michael Brown’s. The editorial also states that in the 1900s, the Kerner Commission under Lyndon Johnson was formed to improve police protection in ghettos in Boston while refraining from excessive force (this was during a time of discrimination and riots.) It was found that after these changes were implemented, the police departments in Boston and around the nation greatly improved.
    I sometimes feel as though this country goes a little overboard with the issue of racism-not every police incident involving multiple races should automatically be considered discrimination. I do believe that any measure taken to improve the justice system is worthwhile, I feel like the technical aspects such as the regulation of weapons and the implementation of cameras would be more effective than the awareness aspect. Awareness in general is difficult to enforce, and would probably not be very effective in spur-of-the-moment crimes.

Link: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2014/12/03/obama-must-push-for-reforms-nation-police-departments/wzAKSgitDb0DCwnaiXVzBO/story.html
`   

1.

Ethan Merrill

2W

Link:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/14/opinion/randazza-google-right-to-privacy/

MLA Citation: Randazza, Marc. "We Need a 'right to Be Forgotten' Online." CNN. Cable News Network, Apr.-May 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.

2.

The central claim of this editorial by Marc Randazza is that everyone needs has a right to be forgotten online. Randazza argues that everyone should be able to remove search results about themselves if the information is outdated or does not reflect who they are. This EU ruling says that privacy is a basic right and by permanently keeping search results, google is violating that right. The writer claims that the internet has perpetuated a society which holds mistakes to be forever.

3.

Randazza supports his claim with ethos, and comparisons. In the text, Randazza compares the storage of all of this information to the dossiers kept on individuals during the totalitarian regimes of the Cold War. Also, the author explains that in Europe, the EU cares about human rights, whereas in the U.S. real rights are only truly given to corporations. Indirectly, the statement is referring to the Citizens United ruling which gave U.S. corporations unlimited spending power in politics by saying that money is speech. Finally, the most significant piece of evidence used to support that claim is the example of a Spanish man who wanted one of his search results removed. This is the man who created the court case, so he is central to this issue. This spanish person, when googled had a record of him defaulting on loans, or something similar, on google. He argued that this no longer reflected his current self.

4.

Before reading this article, I was very much on the side of Google, by not wanting to give European the right to be forgotten. After reading the article, I can see the other side of the argument, and I have shifted more towards center, however my viewpoint has not changed. I think that Google should not be responsible for taking down individual seach results because they are only indexing them, not hosting them. Asking Google to take down results is like taking away the street names, it would be a lot more difficult to find addresses, but they would still be there. So this law should really go after the people hosting the information AKA the addresses, not Google, which provides the street signs. Also this ruling is the first way to censor the internet  

Why the U.S. Should End the Death Penalty

Andrea Hincks-2W

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-the-us-should-ditch-the-death-penalty/2014/07/26/fd42167a-143f-11e4-9285-4243a40ddc97_story.html

Central Claim: The central claim of this article is that the death penalty should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Also, to some, the criminal justice system has not applied the ultimate punishment fairly. They believe this because of the racial disparities and people who have mental disorders being unfairly sentenced to death. All in all, it is saying that the death penalty in America is wrong.

Significant Piece of Evidence: The execution of Clayton Lockett. In Oklahoma, Lockett was sentenced to death by lethal injection. The first injection failed to work, and he ended up being in excruciating pain, causing him to start clenching his teeth and trying to speak. Supervisors of this execution then tried to call it off, but it was too late and Lockett ended up suffering from a heart attack and dying.

Opinion: I believe that in most cases that the death penalty is wrong. Other than when someone commits a federal crime, such as first or second degree murder, I do not believe capital punishment should be used. Due the the mistakes that have been made in many cases recently, I see why more and more people believe that the death penalty is going against the US Constitution when saying that it is cruel and unusual punishment. People being killed due to anything but murder is wrong, and even when they have killed someone, it is not right for them to suffer and die due to any other reason than the injection that is administered. Because the justice system has become so carless with the actual injection and who is convicted and sentenced to death, I more so believe it is wrong but in some cases understand why it is being used.

Barrage of Negative, Inaccurate Ads Turns Off Voters

Erik Salmon
2W
Link: Here

2. This article argues that elections have been hurt in the past and will continue to be hurt as a result of negative, inaccurate ads that turn off voters. The author argues that Americans need to demand honesty in political campaigns as they experience in everyday life. Published on November 5th, 2014, this article was issued during the heat of Maine's elections. This editorial claims that "we are being saturated with political commercials filled with blatant lies, scandalous accusations and profoundly absurd claims" approved by the candidates.

3. The author effectively uses significant pieces of evidence to defend his claim. For example, he states that "there are 208 million eligible American voters. Less than 75 percent of us register to vote. Only 45 percent actually cast a ballot, which means a small portion of eligible votes often chooses our elected officials." This fact is actually pretty amazing when one understands that over half of America does not vote on our future leaders. Instead of paying attention to the political campaigns, many of us will "fast forward through the commercials or watch HBO or Netflix."

4. I couldn't agree more with this editorial. I have definitely noticed an increase in negative ads over the past couple of years, especially Maine's most recent election. I won't forget the commercial about Angus King. "Angus King is the King of Spending and the King of Mismanagement." I cannot deny nor confirm this accusation, but it most definitely paints the picture that the author is trying to convey. Inaccurate ads can mislead voters and ultimately change their opinions for worse. Advertisement needs to tell the truth, not promote propaganda.

Hope and Anger at the Garner Protests

Danielle Laverdiere
Ms. Tommaso
AP Lang & Comp: 5B

1. The central claim of this article was that police brutality has become overbearing to racial minorities throughout our country. The author questions whether or not the federal government, which has has a clear responsibility to enforce civil right laws, should be taking the lead in these police investigations instead of local authorities. He strongly believes that racial prejudice has become a major problem in our country and that federal investigations and interactions are necessary in order to recreate trust between racial minorities and the police.

2. One significant piece of evidence used is a recent Cleveland Police Department investigation in which the police officer charged with shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was holding a toy gun, was found to be mentally unstable. The Department had not done a background check before hiring him, therefore giving him life or death power over thousands of people. At this same police department, police officers were seen to have a casual view of deadly force. Back in 2013, some officers actually shot at a victim who had been held captive in a house as he escaped. Because of incidences like these, the author mentions of how riots have been erupting all over the country to protest police abuse and the need for federal intervention.


3. My opinion is that police brutality has gotten out of hand. Police brutality is gaining more attention than ever, and I believe that police departments need to be investigated by federal authorities to do background checks on their officers as well as to enforce stricter discipline. Stricter laws need to be written about what police officers can and cannot do. For example, when a police officer strangles a man to death for selling cigarettes on live video, the police officer should be able to be charged for that offense. In the Eric Garner case, the police officer was found as not guilty because of the laws surrounding protecting police officers. With laws that say that police have the right to kill people, police officers can get away with anything. Something needs to be done about the vagueness of these laws in order to protect the citizens that the police are supposedly protecting. Police officers who use their power in hazardous ways need to be put in their place. However, the media has began to just publicize these stories because they sell, so in a way many of these stories have been blown out of proportion with readers' opinions previously being swayed prior to the trials.

Works Cited:

Staples, Brent. "Hope and Anger at the Garner Protests." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Dec. 2014. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.

Editorial Link:

Jen Dubois

Period 3 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html?_r=0

This editorials central claim is that America is said to be free of racial discrimination when in reality it is still a huge problem. The authors says that the white police force look at black men as all the same, “demonic” human beings. He also states that when a grand-jury makes a mistake in the peoples eyes, the situation will get worse. 

This argument is mixed with personal opinion and also hard evidence. The author uses Ann Petry and her quotes from her book “The Street” as evidence to back up his claim if racial discrimination. The author also uses quotes from President Obama’s speech on Monday night to enforce the idea of the divide between races, even in 2014. 

I agree with the claim that there still is racial discrimination within our country, but I disagree to an extent. I do not believe that America is still at the same point as it was in the 60’s. Racial discrimination is not something that is hear all of the time now, because much has changed, but when something does occur, it is paid attention too. I think that is what is happening right now. Americans are saying that we have come this far, but what more can be done if white police officers are still being wrongfully accused? 

Victor Wakelin
Period 3
http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2014/11/19/yarmouth-tackle-future-route-1-overpass/217385

The central claim of the editorial is that there is a very large debate over whether the Route 1 bridge crossing over Main Street should be kept or removed. This article does not favor one side over the other, but instead expresses the opinions of people on both sides of the argument. While there aren’t many people who think the bridge should be removed, according to the article, those people are fighting hard against the majority, saying that the town would benefit, mainly economically, if Route 1 intersected at ground level with Main Street. Those people say that bringing Route 1 traffic to Main Street level would attract more customers to our local businesses. The majority of people, however, say that removing the bridge would severely hurt the town in many ways. Their main point is that removing the bridge would detract from Yarmouth’s “small town feeling” and culture as there would be increased and faster traffic crossing Main Street from Route 1. 

The evidence from both sides of this argument comes from the residents and business owners of Yarmouth, along with the town’s councilors and directors. A couple significant quotes regarding the issue comes from town manager Nat Tupper. He spoke about the feelings of people on both sides of the issue. On one side, he said that “people who want the bridge to come down say it will ‘provide a calming, slow (traffic) flow’ through Yarmouth and would make the town more cohesive.” On the other hand, he said that “People are afraid that instead of making Route 1 more like Main Street, it would make Main Street more like Route 1.” 

My opinion is that bringing Route 1 traffic down to Main Street level would dramatically hurt the culture of our town. Instead of being able to ignore the traffic going overhead, we would have to deal with a massive number of cars crossing Main Street. Plus, having no bridge would basically bisect Main Street and the entire town, making it much more complicated to get from one side to the other. One of the great things about Yarmouth is that we have a beautiful Main Street with homes, businesses, and public buildings that can easily be accessed without having to deal with city-like traffic from a major highway. It is something that our town is lucky to have, and something that makes our town unique. Removing this bridge and allowing fast, busy traffic to flow right across our Main Street would make our town much less attractive, not to mention unsafe for all the pedestrians that use the street on a daily basis. Plus, it would make Yarmouth feel more like a city than a small town. I don’t think it would make sense to remove something that would make our town feel less like a small town and community. We are fortunate that we live in a town that actually feels like a town, with a great downtown and great culture. It would be very unfortunate if all of that disappeared with the removal of a single bridge. 

Nico Whitlock

Ms. Lewis

AP Language and Composition 5W: Editorial Blog Post

December 3 2014

Published to the Washington Post near the end of 2012, this editorial argues that video games desensitize youth and allow them to “self-meditate” and translate the experiences they have in video games into the real world. Ron Moten argues that these “glorified” actions in violent games, which are “progressively growing more violent,” lead youth to reenact the experiences they have in video games into their real lives. Along with mentions of massacres and school shootings such as Newtown, the Moten mentions powerful experiences he has had with youths in juvenile detention facilities. A particular powerful story involved a well known game called “Grand Theft Auto” and its effect on a youth. Moten recalled that one young man said to him that before playing video games “he would have never gotten into a stolen car” but the game “put him ‘in a zone’ to do what he had to do to survive.” This young man would soon die after talking to Moten and murdering several.

I agree to a certain extend with this point of view. Violent video games undoubtedly desensitize people, especially youths because our brains are still developing. I know eight year olds that play “Call of Duty.” It’s just not something that’s alright. Whether the gamer realizes it or not, games reward for killing, which has an effect on the subconscious. Granted, we don’t know all that much about our subconscious, but it certainly affected by both being desensitized and rewarded for killing. After desensitization, murder has an entirely different meaning. Video games, especially violent ones, are practically irresistible and decidedly addicting to youths and contribute to an increase in violence.

Works Cited

Moten, Ron. "Violence on the Screen, Violence in the Streets." Editorial. Washington Post 29 Dec. 2012: n. pag. Marvel. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

Promiscuous College Come-Ons

Emma Scott
4W
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-promiscuous-college-come-ons.html?_r=0

The editorial’s central claim is that the college process is impersonal.  Many ambitious students will apply to 15 or more schools at once when supplemental essays are not required meaning that they may not have a passion for all the schools receiving their application.  Colleges do all they can to sell themselves, their low acceptance rates, their brands.

A significant piece of evidence used to support the argument is Bruni’s connection to Swarthmore College.  Contrary to last year, the school no longer requires applicants to write two 500-word essays in addition to the Common Application.  The reasoning for eliminating these supplements was simply to raise Swarthmores rank among other top schools by widening the group of applicants therefore lowering their acceptance rate.

I agree with Frank Bruni’s argument that by eliminating supplemental essays unique to each college, accepted students are not necessarily getting the right fit.  Although, I agree that requiring additional essays to the Common Application can put busier students at a disadvantage; a student from a low-income family who works ten or more hours a week is less likely to apply to schools which require more writing due to lack of time in his or her busy schedule.

Classroom Breakfasts: a Good Idea, Overdue

Charlie O’Halloran

4W

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/opinion/classroom-breakfasts-a-good-idea-overdue.html?_r=0

The central claim of the editorial is the author supporting Bill de Blasio’s idea to require all public schools to serve free breakfast in the classroom, instead of the cafeteria before school. Supporters of this change think it is needed because so few eligible children take advantage of free cafeteria breakfasts and no child should be learning on an empty stomach.

There wasn’t much evidence in this editorial, it was almost all opinion. The best evidence it had was comparing New York (where de Blasio is running for mayor) to other towns who have this breakfast in the classroom program, like Newark and Los Angeles. The author feels New York has no reason to fall behind a city like Newark that is poor but still has a model breakfast program.

I think breakfast in the classrooms is a bad idea because even though I 100% agree that every kid needs to eat, I think the “free meal” program at schools is a better system. I think every school needs to have a free meal program for kids whose families struggle with money, and the school should make an effort to make sure every family who needs this is getting it. If a student wants to eat in class that’s fine but taking time to eat takes away time and there could be so many parent complaints, such as the food being too unhealthy. I also personally don’t like to eat in the morning and I know a lot of people who balance their meals differently, but if a kid doesn’t want to eat in the morning they’ll probably just be judged or forced to eat, which is so unfair. Bill de Blasio argues barely anyone takes advantage of the free breakfast program, (which judging from our school I don’t think is really true) I feel like if a kid knows there’s breakfast at school they need to be the one to take advantage of it. If it’s a hard family situation and they get to school late or really close to the beginning of the day, I feel the cafeteria needs to stay open and the teacher needs to understand and excuse them.

Channing Pooley: Protests Are Not the Solution to Problems

1.)

Channing Pooley

4W

Link: http://search.proquest.com.ursus-proxy-10.ursus.maine.edu/newsstand/docview/1628687119/9E1552D3F3E8446DPQ/15?accountid=17222

Citation: "Protests Are Not the Solution to Problems." Nation Multimedia Group, 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

2.)The editorial of Protests are not the solution to Problems was written by a citizen in Bangkok, Thailand. The editorial’s central claim is that injustices are solved through the federal government and protests are an unnecessary and dangerous way to get attention. Believing that protests often end in violence, arson or murder, the author claims that demonstrations aren’t needed when a democracy has courts to resolve the injustices. 

3.)The argument is supported by a few ideas about current protests and past protests as well as other controversial topics. Addressing the riots in Ferguson, Missouri and relating them to protests which occurred in Bangkok a few years ago, the author contrasts them to public forums in Rome saying that they are not peaceful but rather “mobs with an agenda, either whining for what they want or burning cities for it.” Also  involving the idea that segregation in the United States could have been ended by appealing to the federal courts and that it was ultimately ended by the federal government and not the demonstrators. 

4.)I disagree with the claim that protests are unnecessary, but I agree that they shouldn’t be violent. I believe that protests are a useful way to bring attention towards a topic that may otherwise not get the attention it may deserve. However, I do think there is a limit to which the protests can be taken to, they should remain peaceful and should not impede the lives of those around them.