On Sunday California Governor Jerry Brown signed the nation's first, "Yes means Yes" bill into law.  This historic legislation forces colleges to adopt a policy of unambiguous, affirmative consent by students to engage in sexual activity.  Basically a person must be conscious and voluntarily agree to engage in said activities.

Previously laws required potential victims to say "no"... however more assaults were happening because if victims were unconscious they could not say "no".  With the amount of assaults happening on college campuses across the country, California lawmakers hope that other states will follow its lead in protecting 
potential victims by changing the standard of consent.

Thoughts? 

This past week, Gina Raimondo's photo was removed from La Salle Academy's Wall of Notables.  La Salle, a Roman Catholic High School, has stated that it was disappointed in the Democrat's view on abortion.  Last Thursday Raimondo claimed that she would, "fight any attempt to restrict the right of women to make their own reproductive heath care decisions."  Following this statement her photo was removed.

The official view of the Church is far from Raimondo's position.  Bishop Thomas Tobin, Rhode Island's highest ranking Catholic cleric, issued a statement saying, "It is always disappointing when a Catholic candidate for poltical office abandons the teaching of the Church on the dignity of human life for the sake of self-serving political gain."

Is this what Raimondo was doing?  Has she abandoned the teachings of the Church as the Bishop claims, or does she simply disagree with a certain teaching of her Church?

Thoughts? 

For the second time in a week, an intruder jumped the fence of the White House.  This time however the intruder, Omar Gonzalez got passed the first line of defense and actually made his way to the building.  He was carrying a knife on him but also had more than 800 rounds of ammunition in a nearby parked car.

Gonzalez is a former soldier, serving two tours of duty in Iraq with the Army.  His motives are unknown at this point and this was not his first time getting in trouble in the D.C. area.  Earlier this year he was arrested carrying a hatchet and a shotgun.  Gonzalez represented a real threat to the White House and the First Family.

President Obama said that he grateful for all those who put their lives on the line protecting himself and his family. Gonzalez faces up to ten years in prison and so far has refused a psych evaluation.

Was this a failure for the secret service or a success?  The President is the most well protected person in the World... but can he be protected at all times?

Thoughts? 

Since 1930 it has been a tradition at Oneida High School in Tennessee to begin each home football game with a prayer.   However beginning this season, based in large part on legal advice, the school has decided to stop this particular tradition for fear of violating the First Amendment.  Instead of the prayer, the school has optioned to observe a moment of silence.  The school's cheerleaders however had different ideas.

At the September 12 home game, during the moment of silence the Oneida High School cheerleaders joined hands and loudly recited the Lord's Prayer.  The crowd, once it realized what was happening, happily joined in the recitation.

Now a public debate has ensued concerning whether or not the girls violated the First Amendment.  As representatives of a Public High School they are, at least in theory, representatives of the local government.  The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is intended to avoid any government body endorsing one faith over another.  In 2000 the United States Supreme Court ruled that even student-led, student-initiated displays of prayer at public schools is a violation of the First Amendment.

Should schools be allowed to pray in this way?

Thoughts? 

In just a few short weeks Apple will release its much anticipated Apple Watch.  This Smart Watch will include many of the same apps customers can already get on their iPhones and iPads, but with this newest gadget, Apple has changed the game.

For the first time the technology will be part of the user... a literal extension of the user; it will always be there. New technology often results in unintended consequences.  For example, according to TIME magazine no one anticipated that the iPhone (and other Smart Phones) would create a constant connective pull, "Do I have email? What's happening on Twitter?  Could I get away with playing Angry Birds at this meeting?"  
Likewise we never would have guessed that the convenience of text messaging would result in thousands of deaths in car accidents due to texting while driving.  We are now also seeing a higher level of breast cancer in young women due to radiation from cell phones!

So some questions:
Where does our desire for connectivity end?  Google Glass?  This new watch?  
What are the unforeseen consequences of this new connectivity?  
Are we more or less free due to our constant connectivity?

Thoughts?

Yesterday, what began as a peaceful demonstration by a small Christian group on the campus of Rhode Island College in Providence, quickly turned contentious as students began to gather in protest of the group and its message.  The breaking point came when a member of the group told a RIC student that she was going to Hell because she was Jewish and a lesbian.

The group had signs which read, "Sin Awareness Day" and "Evolution is a Lie".  As the group went through all the things which would lead to eternal punishment in Hell, more and more students arrived eventually starting a, "Get off our campus" chant.  Campus police and the Vice President of Student Affairs Scott Kane eventually arrived on the scene to ensure the incident did not turn violent.

Vice President Kane reminded the students that this group was exercising their First Amendment rights and would be allowed to do so, so long as they did not promote or take part in any form of harassment or violence.

These situations are often tests on how strongly we actually value our constitutional rights.  While the message of this group is extremely ignorant and offensive to me, I also greatly value the rights given to us by the Constitution and believe this group has the right to express themselves.  Freedom of Speech does not only apply to those with whom you agree... it applies to everyone.

Thoughts? 

On Wednesday evening President Obama addressed the nation concerning the threats currently facing the United States and the world.  As we come to the 13th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we still live in a world heavily defined by that fateful day.  Following those attacks the already unstable area of the Middle East became even more unstable... the reasons for that are multiple and complicated.  The group known as ISIS (or ISIL) was created, in large part, due to that instability.

ISIS has murdered two American journalists, taken over huge portions of land in Syria and Iraq, forced thousands of women into marriage, and kidnapped an unknown amount of people.  They threaten Muslims, Jews, Christians, and other religious groups, and European countries along with Arab countries are now asking for help in ending this threat.

President Obama has laid out a plan to face the ISIS threat with what he called, "a broad coalition of partners."  The United states will not face this threat alone, however we will also not send in ground troops to get into yet another war in Iraq.  Some criticize this plan saying it is not enough to stop the growing movement that is ISIS, others feel that there is wisdom in not sending in full combat troops.  The United States will conduct air raids and train Iraqi troops to face the threat themselves. 

The President called on congress to act together, as one body in dealing with this ISIS... acting together is something the current congress has not been especially good at.

Is the current plan the best way to deal with this growing threat?

Thoughts?

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline website 30% of all women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetimes.  Many of these cases go unreported or unpunished.  

Yesterday the Ray Rice case took yet another dramatic turn as TMZ obtained previously unseen video footage from inside the elevator where the incident took place.  The images are disturbing to say the least:  Rice strikes his wife in the face, she then falls hitting her head on the side of the elevator rendering her unconscious.  Rice makes no effort to help her until the doors open fearing someone will see the aftermath of what he had just done.

Rice was given only a two game suspension by the NFL and community service by the District Attorney's office.  The NFL has claimed that they had not seen the tape before issuing its ruling.  Once the video was released however the Ravens cut Rice from their roster and he was suspended indefinitely from the NFL.  His likeness has been removed from all Ravens products, websites, social media, and advertising.  Nike has voided Rice's endorsement contract.  Rice's college, Rutgers University, has likewise removed all Rice related memorabilia from their campus, and the popular Madden 2015 football game has removed Rice from all un-shipped games.

Many claim that the NFL is now just trying to save face... that these moves should have been done before the tape was released... that this is just too little too late.

NFL players have taken to social media to blast Rice claiming that he has no place in the game.  Many commented that domestic violence is much bigger than Rice or the NFL, that domestic violence is a scourge on our society and has no place in the modern civilized world.

Thoughts? 

For more information on receiving help for victims of domestic violence please visit That National Domestic Violence Hotline Website. 

This past weekend a report in "The Mail" claimed that business man Russell Edwards and molecular biologist Dr. Jari Louhalainen have positively identified the notorious serial killer known only, until now, by his pseudonym "Jack the Ripper."

Using a shawl stained with the blood of one the Ripper's victims scientists were able to extract not only the DNA of of Catherine Eddowes (the victim) but a second DNA sample as well.  That sample was analyzed against DNA samples of decedents of the known suspects from the Ripper killings and a positive match was found... that of Aaron Kosminski.  Kosminski was a polish immigrant fleeing Russian persecution with his family when they arrived in the White Chapel sections of London in 1881.  While he was never arrested due to a lack of physical evidence, he was a prime suspect in the murders.  Later in life he was committed to an asylum where he died in 1919. 

The results of DNA testing have not yet been researched and checked by the academic community resulting in many people not yet comfortable with claiming that this is conclusively the Ripper.  However once these results are placed under the scrutiny of the experts we may finally be able to put to rest one of the greatest mysteries of the modern age.