Lookalike Weapons

I recently read ABC News’s article written by Dan Sewell and Mark Gillispie called “Ohio Deaths Renew Calls for Lookalike Guns Action”. The article highlights cases where young people wielding lookalike air a pellet guns have been mistakenly slain by police officers assuming the weapons to be real. The author has thoroughly done their research listing past cases and questions the effectiveness of laws created to prevent such occurrences. The law stating the toys must be brightly painted is questioned by the author even providing a quote from a sheriff stating the juveniles will most likely paint over these distinguishing markings. The author then argues that criminals could to the reverse to real weapons leading police to believe that they are in no real danger. The author describes creating firmer cleverer laws regarding distinguishing these toy gun between real weapons might help reduce the deaths involving misconceptions of this nature. I agree with the author in saying that firmer new laws might help this issue but I also the police actions were responding to seemingly real threat and that their actions where just for us non telepathic humans.

Realignment

With realignment happening about every 30 years and the last one being in 1968 I am sure the United States of America will see another major realignment in our near future. With issues such as gay marriage, marijuana and healthcare bubbling to the surface, we are slowly building up to an earthquake of realignment.

Many of the main ingredients for realignment are already prevalent: Increased voter turnout for smaller legislature due to greater exposure to the public on many of these issues, dramatic changes such as many of the states legalizing gay marriage and marijuana for recreational use.

All it should take now is for some dramatic event to occur to push voters into booths and legislators to change their way of legislating. This should be in the near future, and I’m excited for it.

Jimmy John's non-compete agreement

I read HuffingtonPost’s article on Jimmy John’s non-compete policy signed by all levels of staff. The agreement entails that an employee is forbidden to work at a competing restaurant for 2 years after termination, by which their definition of ‘competing restaurant’ is “any business that derives 10 percent or more of its revenue from the sale of sandwiches, and that resides within 3 miles of a Jimmy John's location.”

I personally find non-compete agreements such as this to be detrimental to both parties. Harmful to the employer by causing uproar like with this article and making potential employees do a double take. Experience gained from a job at Jimmy John’s would in turn be useless after termination under such an agreement.

Whether or not Jimmy John’s will be able to actually enforce this contract is still in question. The contract is extremely broad especially stemming from the broadness in the definition of “sandwich” which could be anything from burgers to quesadillas.

“Jimmy John's Noncompete Agreement, All Mapped Out” Article written by Dave Jamieson

Texas mom gets questioned for letting child play alone

I read an article on CNN about a mother getting harassed for letting her six year old child play outside on his own. The Texas mom, Kari Anne Roy, had received a knock on her door after neighbors alerted the officials that her child was unattended. A few days later, CPS was at her door and started questioning her children. Luckily for Roy, the Texas police closed the case without filing any charges.

          I personally believe giving children this kind of freedom early on can be beneficial to their maturing. Granted the parent must be aware of their area and not simply neglecting to pay attention to their child. Helicopter parents do not give their child the opportunity to be independent, potentially letting them grow up to be dependent high maintenance individuals.