WIP
During our last class, my group and I discussed going to the HUB and surveying people on the Westboro Baptist Church. We would ask them about their general knowledge of the group (What they do, their general beliefs, etc.) and then their personal opinions about the group and also the topic of first amendment rights
The questions would look something like this:
1) What do you know about the Westboro Baptist Church
2) Do you agree or disagree with their beliefs and/or actions? Why or why not
3) Do you think that the First Amendment should protect people such as the WBC?
4) Should the actions of the WBC be considered hate crimes?
Also, our group worked out an introduction for our video. We chose to explain what the WBC is and what they do complete with various images and quotes. From there we will delve into the various themes of First Amendment Rights, public views, and other precedents for this particular issue.
Read MoreTurkey with a side of Assault and Battery
So, if you’ve been keeping up with the celebrity world you have definitely heard of the massive altercation between Halle Berry’s ex Gabriel Audry and her fiancee Olivier Martinez. If you haven’t heard the story; here’s the rundown. Gabriel Audry was dropping off his and Halle Berry’s daughter Nahla at her house on Thanksgiving morning. While at the house Audry and Martinez exchanged words which escalated into a physical altercation. Both men came out of the fight harmed; Martinez has a broken hand and Audry has a broken rib, multiple contusions to the face and a possible head injury. To further complicate matters Gabriel Audry was arrested and a restraining order was placed on him which prohibits him from being less than 100 feet from Berry, Martinez and his daughter as well.
If you’re wondering where exactly the tension from the two men comes from you can look back at all the legal drama between all of the people involved. Halle Berry and Gabriel Audry had their daughter in 2008 and separated in 2010. It was also announced that year that Halle Berry was dating Olivier Martinez and this year thy announced their engagement. Since they separated Berry and Audry have been involved in a high profile custody battle. Berry has claimed that Audry uses racial epithets around their daughter as well as physically harms the child. Also, the two have disagreed over Berry’s desire to permanently relocate to France with her fiancee and child. The physical altercation between the two men occurred shortly after Berry’s request to move to France was denied.
The one thing that makes this story very sad is the involvement of Nahla. She is 4 1/2 years old and a complete innocent in this situation. The altercation between her father and future stepfather occurred at her home while she was there; she must have heard or seen something. Also one has to wonder if the adults in her life are dragging her into the situation. Is her dad bad-mouthing her mom when she’s with him? Is her mom doing the same thing? I think that all of the adults in this situation need to re-examine how this affects the child and make a decision from there instead of long, tiring months of legal battles
Read MoreCopyright Questions
Here are my questions about copyright law…
1) Is there really a legitimate way to regulate fair use? No one can accurately pinpoint when and where an idea was conceived
2) Can copyright laws ever be alleviated?
Read MoreLove is Respect
So this post is a little bit of a downer. It has to do with soccer player Hope Solo and her new husband Jerramy Stevens. Their recent nuptials may seem like cause for celebration but this may not be the case. The couple, who have been together for just over 2 months, have been in court for the investigation that Stevens may have abused his then- fiancee at a party earlier this week. The arrests and charges didn’t stop the couple from tying the knot soon after Stevens release from jail. However, the media attention from this story have revealed some shocking things about the past of Jerramy Stevens. He has a long and detailed history of violence. His rap sheet includes the rape of a college freshman, assaults, drug use, and DUIs.
What’s important to remember is Hope Solo in this whole situation. Here we have a woman
who is not only marrying a man who she has been dating for 2 months but one who also has a daunting history of violence and who may have hurt her also. Another scary aspect of this is how friends of the couple reacted to their wedding. Not only are they ecstatic for the couple but there is seemingly a lack of concern for the woman who may be in an abusive relationship.
It seems likely that given Stevens’ past history with the legal system that this investigation would be a no-brainer. It also doesn’t seem far-fetched that he may have been violent towards Solo. Hopefully in time the truth can be revealed and if Hope Solo is in fact in a dangerous relationship she can find safety and someone to help her.
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The Makings of a Public Controversy
An issue becomes a “public controversy” depending on how much people react to it. Nothing becomes controversial without people and their differing opinions and an issue doesn’t become public without a multitude of people with opinions pertaining to the topic. Determining if an issue is public has a lot to do with the media. Media plays an integral part in the lives of everyday people. Just watching the morning news, one can find out all of the hot topics currently circulating in the world. For this reason, the media is probably the biggest way an issue becomes a “public controversy”. Another way of determining what makes an issue “public” is how people react to them. Public controversy usually merit a certain level of outrage among people. The last component of a public controversy is its staying power. Most of these issues are things that someone remembers over a long period power of time. For instance, when I grow older I will still remember the issues of gay marriage, healthcare and so on.
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