Owatonna, MN Correspondent- With the recent terrorist attacks in the New York City area taking more lives and damaging more property, the question must be asked: Is terrorism here to stay? To answer that, we must ask two other questions. The first is why are terrorists attacking us? The second is can either side prevail in this new type of guerilla warfare? Continue reading
Society
Should Ryan Lochte be stripped of his medals and banned from future competitions for his behavior at the Rio Olympics? Why or why not?
Sheffield, Jamaica Correspondent-“With whom much is given, much is expected”. When you’re in a position as Ryan Lochte, with a great deal to lose, you have to be careful.
Be mindful, those athletes involved are all humans, and imperfect ones at that, but that does not exclude their juvenile and irresponsible behavior. Continue reading
How can Transportation Infrastructure Tax Dollars be Equitably Apportioned between Urban and Rural Transportation Needs?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-America’s transportation infrastructure, which is managed by the DOT (Department of Transportation) and administered in a number of capacities by a series of support programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes a number of tax funded and grant programs that apportion monies between urban and rural transportation needs. Continue reading
Comments On The “New” Blair Witch
From Our Gastonia, NC Correspondent:
Back in 1999, a blockbuster horror movie filled theaters nationwide and had millions of mostly teen and early-20s moviegoers scared out of their hoodies (or into them) and seeing the flick over and over. Continue reading
Has religion become just another big business? Is it time to end religious institutions’ tax-exempt status?
Sheffield, Jamaica Correspondent-I’m a highly religious individual. In fact, I’m so devout that I’ve dedicated my entire life to a course of preaching, so that people can enjoy the hope and happiness I have. Getting to know God is wonderful! Since we received everything from God, I believe that we should give freely. That includes those so called religious leaders, of which the majority are spreading false doctrines to swindle people of the hard earned cash. In fact, some religious leaders profess that they are able to provide miraculous healing (for money), to rid individuals of their ailments. What garbage! If they had the power to heal, why are so many individuals dying from cancer? Continue reading
Should Video-Gamers Be Considered Athletes?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Video gamers are absolutely not athletes. A partial definition of the word athlete, from the Encarta Dictionary, is “somebody with the abilities to participate in physical exercise.” (emphasis is mine) Sitting on a sofa or at a desk, manipulating a joystick or computer keyboard, can in no way be construed as physical exercise. It’s unlikely one’s heart rate increases when playing a video game. A gamer’s respiration doesn’t increase. They likely do not break a sweat or experience oxygen-deprived muscle aches due to the buildup of excess lactic acid. Metabolism is certainly not elevated noticeably in those who play video games. Continue reading
Following the tragic alligator attack of a 2 year old at Walt Disney World, multiple alligators were euthanized as part of the search effort. Was this really necessary? In addition, the media has called into question Disney’s liability for the tragedy for lack of signs warning of alligators. While a tragedy, are additional signs necessary and does this set a precedent for signage at golf courses, lakes, etc? Are signs necessary to warn of snakes, spiders, etc?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent-Euthanizing many alligators in search of the alligator that snatched the child was necessary on one level, but unnecessary on another. The human desire to see justice done, to understand why, to place blame, and to right a wrong dictate that the offending alligator needed to be found. Since more than one alligator was in the vicinity and presumably hiding in the water, which made it nearly impossible to identify the culprit, multiple alligators had to be killed. Continue reading
Philadelphia became the first major city to pass a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks. Is this really in the best health interests of the people or is this another government tax and spend overreach? Will this realistically curb consumption of sodas?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-“Sin” taxes are nothing new. Every time a municipal, state or federal government needs to raise some fast cash, it slaps new taxes on things we feel guilty for using anyway, such as alcohol or tobacco. The voices against such increases are muted because no one wants to be seen as championing an unhealthy lifestyle choice, even though most of us down a highball to calm our nerves after contemplating what the new taxes will cost us. Continue reading
Should parents of child who climbed in gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing Harambe to be killed, be held criminally responsible for the child’s behavior in the death of a critically endangered species?
Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL June 13, 2016
Myrtle Beach Correspondent-Let me start by saying I’m not a parent so you can take my opinion with a grain of salt. That being said this is probably not a case of a “bad mother” more-so a case of “bad-judgment” or lack of common sense.
It is said that the small boy had expressed his desires to get close to the gorilla and even expressed his desires to enter the enclosure. So… why didn’t she place the child in a stroller and strap him in? Why didn’t she decide to leave? Why didn’t she decide to carry the boy? Well, I’m not her I can’t say why these things didn’t happen. All I can say is anyone with common sense would have done any of them. Continue reading
How far is too far with respect to court cases and cell phone data (ex. Records, texts, pictures, content)? Should cell phone data be limited to certain types of cases?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent- Cell phone data and court cases appear to be linked in the world of instantaneous reporting of almost every event taking place across the country. Strong visuals and video activity as well as texts, phone conversations, records and other content can reveal considerable evidence, but whether a court case should be solely based on cell phone data is another question. Continue reading
Thinking Outside The Boxe 