Police Brutality, Mental Illness and 'The Memphis Model'

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/police_brutality_mental_illness_and_the_memphis_model_20131023

I read the article, “Police Brutality, Mental Illness and ‘The Memphis Model’”, originally found on the www.truthdig.com website.  The article explains a couple situations where concerned family members called the New York Police Department, requesting the NYPD to go and check on a relative of theirs who is known to have some form of mental illness.  In one specific case, a woman called 911 requesting assistance with her husband as she was out of the country on vacation and her husband was acting as though he had missed taking his prescribed medicine.  She informed the 911 operator that her husband would not hurt anyone however when the police went to check on him, they ended up shooting him dead.   The author explains how the term “The Memphis Model”  fits this situation.  This terminology was coined back in ’87 when a retired police officer “…responded to a man who was harming himself and threatening others, with a knife” and the police ended up killing the man.  Felt part of this had a policy claim as it is stating how things need to be changed to avoid similar deaths from happening like this again was also a causal argument as it listed out situations where if things were handled differently (different “causes”), some of these may not have occurred.  

U.S. Promises Russia Snowden Will Have a Fair Trial

As some of you may have heard, Edward Snowden leaked some covert information from the NSA, who are understandably upset that someone accessed and used their personal files unlawfully and unethically. The fallout from this leak has reached far and wide, as countries such as Mexico and Germany have voiced anger at the NSA for accessing their files unlawfully and unethically. The NSA claims it was just using information from private phone calls and emails to try to strengthen international ties, just like how when you are in a relationship its okay to access your partner's phone and email records to bring you closer together. In the context of this article, however, Russia has not yet decided to turn Snowden over to the US justice system based on the ethical grounds that he will not receive a fair trial, citing evidence regarding how the US has treated so called "enemies of the state" in the past, especially in international waters. They believe he will be tortured or killed before he stands trial, and that any trial he receives will likely be a sham. To counter these assertions, a US attorney general has issued a letter to Russian diplomats promising not to kill or torture Snowden. Fair warning, Russia: he didn't promise not to do kill and torture him.

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/us_promises_russia_snowden_will_have_a_fair_trial_20130726

Kimchi recommended for UNESCO list

UNESCO will register kimchi as a cultural heritage, the Korean government said. Kimchi is the staple Korean side-dish that made of fermented vegitable normally cabbage. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) issued a recommendation to list "Kimjang; Making and Sharing Kimchi’’ as an intangible cultural heritage asset. "The Subsidiary Body has highly evaluated kimchi and the culture of making the dish because it found them an essential part in maintaining the cohesiveness of Korean communities,’’ said a CHA official. The government proposed kimchi for UNESCO registration in March 2012. Finally Kimchi, the culture and tradition of Korea, can be registered as a cultural heritage.


http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/10/386_144858.html

The Case For Layaway

In “The Case For Layaway” by Kevin Drum, Drum is writing a response to an article written by Alex Tabarrok stating that todays layaway plans do not make sense. Drum’s spins a story how families who lack means and the ability to pay for new school clothes use layaway and can hopefully pay it off before school starts. He reveals that this is a scenario that has happened to him as a child. He also suggests that from a purely economical standpoint layaway does not make sense and that one should save money earn interest then buy the products you want or need. Drum counters this and Tabarrok’s argument by saying that in the real world layaway makes perfect sense for those who do not have large amounts of savings and actually commits these individuals to paying off whatever is on layaway by making payments. He even uses evidence to support this point of view by saying that the average interest rate for a savings account is two percent and over a four-month period the interest on a $300 product is roughly one dollar. So in theory saving and earning interest is a good idea however in the real world it makes more sense for families to use layaway to purchase goods. This was a perfect example of a claim and counter claim backed up by evidence and a real world example.

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/case-layaway

Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel wins new trial in 1975 murder of Martha Moxley

     Today (October 23, 2013), Fox News reported on an event first covered by the Associated Press and NBC staff reporter Daniel Arkin.  There is no overt argument being made here but there is an implied slant that functions as the warrant in the Fox version.  The implication is that the wealthy and connected Michael Skakel being allowed a new trial is an abomination to the justice system because he has already been sentenced to incarceration.  I consider this an argument by moral dilemma because it highlights the myriad of evidence against Skakel and questions his ability to demand a new trial in the face of that data.  At core it is also a logos argument that builds upon evidence and the ethos of court participants and officials to support its claims. In essence,  Connecticut Judge Thomas Bishop, ruled that Skakel’s  former trial attorney  Michael Sherman “failed to adequately represent him,” when he was tried for murdering his neighbor 15 year old neighbor Martha Moxley with a golf club in 1975. In 2002, Skakel, now 52 and a cousin to the Kennedy clan through Bobby’s widow Ethel; was found guilty of killing Martha in a fit of jealousy exacerbated by drug abuse.  Skakel’s new attorney Hubert Santos, hopes to get the convicted murderer released on bail right away, while State Attorney John Smriga says that the state will file a motion against the decision to grant the appeal.  Although Santos has declared that his new client is innocent, in his rebuttal Martha’s brother John Moxley argues that it was the convicted man’s own words that landed him behind bars.  On the other hand, Judge Thomas has maintained that there were significant failures in Sherman’s handling of the case, and that the defense failed to pursue other leads, challenge eyewitness accounts, or pick competent jurors.  The state counters that in fact Sherman did all of those things. Among the state’s evidence are three confessions by the perpetrator and over a dozen statements he ostensibly made through the years; which point to he alone being the killer. In comparing the two accounts of the same piece of information – those of Fox and NBC,  it is interesting to note that NBC ends its essay with facts while Fox ends their take with  Skakel’s declaration of innocence juxtaposed on the fact that he was denied bail again last year. The latter version has a decidedly more judgmental tone.  

 http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/23/21100925-judge-orders-new-trial-for-kennedy-nephew-michael-skakel-convicted-of-1975-teen-girl-slay?lite 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/23/kennedy-cousin-skakel-wins-new-trial-in-175-killing/               

More Victims of Online Abuse Reach Out to Parents

This PBS news article posted by the Associated Press releases a promising report on the improvement of the very disturbing online bullying trend that has been responsible for the anguish, and in some cases, self-harm and suicide, of too many tweens, teens, and college students throughout our nation. PBS claims that more and more targets of online bullying are reaching out to parents and siblings for help much earlier to help intervene before things get worse. I appreciate the even mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence in this piece, pulling in their readership with both logos and pathos for a nice balance that is easy to digest. The author discusses specific cases of online bullying and elaborates on the differences between fates of victims who asked for help from their schools and families compared to those who kept the horrors to themselves. Some students who were once victims of abuse are now becoming leaders in their communities, mentoring other students who have suffered through the same types of treatment. The quantitative data shows that the amount of students ages 14-24 that have had a brush with an online bullying situation has decreased by 7% since 2011, not a highly significant number, but hopefully it will continue to improve. 7% more of the students who were bullied have gone to parents for help and 12% more are reaching out to brothers and sisters. There has also been a significant increase in the past two years in awareness of students that online bullying is a major issue that needs to be constantly monitored and addressed. The numbers are not impressive (yet) but the interviews that this article provides with various students leaves me feeling hopeful. It is a positive piece that understands its intended audience: primarily parents of school-aged children and teens, as well as students who may be witnessing this kind of online behavior among their peers.


For more: More Victims of Online Abuse Reach Out to Parents

Japan will replace Saudi Arabia?

I watched a news commentary talk show on Ifeng TV. The topic they analyzed yesterday is the possibility that Japan will replace Saudi Arabia as a member of the Security Council. The guest they invited thinks Japan won’t take the opportunity.

In the introduction part, the host introduces the background information first. Saudi Arabia rejects seats on U.N. Security Council and then Japan tries to get the opportunity. I think this part is necessary to let all the audience knows what they are talking about.

And then he states the claim that Japan won’t be selected as a member of U.N Security Council no matter seeing from the subjective view or objective view. In this part, he notices the audience that he would talk this topic in two parts and it makes his argument organized and clear.

From the subjective view, the first reason is Japan is so busy dealing with their domestic affairs so Japanese may save some energy to take care of their own country. And the second reason is that this position is not as powerful as Permanent members of the U.N Security Council which Japan really wants to be so it is not very attractive to Japan.

For the objective conditions, there is an important reason. China and South Korea are all Security Council members and Japan is too close to them. Conventionally, all members in Asia cannot be concentrated in East Asia and U.N. needs some opinions from Arab countries.

Maybe because the duration control of the show, he didn’t give a conclusion which I think is the only shortage of the whole argument. He followed the traditional argue structure and divided his body part into two main part by two different views and it makes his argument clear and more convincible. Overall, he did a good job in this show.

Parent accuses Texas high school football coach of bullying after 91-0 blowout game

This article by Fox News has been the topic of debate for many shows that focus on sports. There was a high school football game in Texas this past weekend, and one team rolled over the other 91-0. One of the parents of a boy on the losing team took the initiative and filed a complaint. His claim was that the team that won bullied their team. His warrant was running up the score is bullying the opposing team. The rebuttal was immediate, the coach of the winning team claimed that his starters were out of the game in the first quarter, and his backups were out around halftime. He did not know what to do when his third strings were scoring points against the first team. The losing coach supported the team saying that they were nothing but class. They were the Texas state champions, who beat every team by a large amount. Most of the claims in this article are value claims, with a few policy claims scattered in. The parents complaint was an obvious value claim. Another strong value claim is, "Buchanan said his school, winner of four state titles since 1998, and district are very supportive of the football program. The same, he said, cannot be said of Western Hills."(fox) The author brings up many policy claims when he discusses the University Interscholastic League. For example "The University Interscholastic League, the governing body for high school sports in Texas, only has a mercy rule for six-man football that ends a game when one team gets ahead by 45 points by halftime or later. There is no mercy rule for 11-man football, though coaches can agree to end a game early, UIL spokeswoman Kate Hector said. Buchanan said he wasn't aware of that option." To me most of this article is a causal argument, because the 91 points caused the arguments.


  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/22/parent-accuses-texas-high-school-football-coach-bullying-after-1-0-blowout-game/

"Parent Accuses Texas High School Football Coach of Bullying after 91-0 Blowout Game." Fox

           News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

Bullying Complaint After Lopsided Football Score

This article follows a father who filed a complaint against a school for bullying, after his sons team lost to them 91-0. The article quotes the members of both sides of the issues, and the mediators, the superintendents. The father describes his conversation with his son, in a very similar way one would council a teenager after being bullied. He is making a value claim, that bullying comes in many forms, and the opposing school did not let up late after having a large lead. The argument is directed at the coaching staff of Aledo, the father's son played for Forth Worth. The claim is one of many possible changes to the school system involving the act of bullying, attempting to create policy changes to prevent it from happening. The response to the claim by the coach of the winning team, was that he tried and his "players were better then their players". He makes a good counter argument to the claim. The superintendents of the school districts are looking into whether there is probable cause to investigate, and whether their is substantial enough evidence to reprimand the winning team.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/10/21/parent-files-bullying-complaint-after-lopsided-football-score/