Stage 8

   This post has several good points. I believe the TSA is going too far by strip searching small children and patting them down. Full body scans have been implemented also, but to be honest I would rather have my privacy invaded by a full body scan than having some stranger put their hands on my body. Its hard to say whether the full body scans are necessary but the TSA have already performed enough unnecessary procedures to cause humiliation for travelers.
   I like Chris's comment saying how hard it is to get certain powers back once they are granted to the government, I agree strongly with this. If you give them the authority to see whats under your clothes then eventually they could try to gain the authority to monitor whats in your home, just like they would monitor your phone calls to make sure you aren't a terrorist. I think my colleague makes a good point when he says that the terrorists have succeeded because the TSA is so terrified of airports being attacked that they are willing to take away our rights. I agree, the TSA has gone too far.

Stage 7

  On November 30, 2010 the Senate passed a food safety bill that would help keep unsafe foods from reaching markets and restaurants and give the Food and Drug Administration more authority to regulate several more aspects of food safety. Due to people becoming sick over the past few years from tainted foods, such as eggs, spinach, and peanut butter, food makers along with consumer advocates were compelled to demand the government to play a larger role in the food safety system. 
  In 2008, tainted peanut butter products sickened over 20,000 people and killed nine people. With this bill passed, legislation would be able to raise the food safety standards at food manufacturing companies, and would "grant the F.D.A. new powers to recall tainted foods, increase inspections, demand accountability from food companies and oversee farming." Also the F.D.A would have more control over imported food regulations.
  I'm glad that legislation is making more of an effort to protect us from the foods we eat because we can't all grow our own food, so we have to rely on companies to take care of us by taking care of our food and we should be able to trust the people who handle our food to not kill us.

Stage Six

   My colleague, Johnny Albarran, has several good points on his feelings towards the Arizona immigration law that has recently been established. This law requires all immigrants to carry their alien registration papers at all times, because law enforcement can question anyone they suspect to be in the United States illegally.
     First, I believe he is right about how this law increases the risk for law enforcement officials to suspect people of being here illegally based on appearance, that's just wrong. It is also a waste of time for law enforcement to harass the public since authorities are not adequately trained to suspect people beyond appearance.
     My colleague also mentioned that the law also targets the employers of illegal immigrants. I think this is a good idea because employers should not be hiring illegally to save money on labor, and if there are less employers hiring illegal immigrants, then there could be less people immigrating illegally. Johnny believes that law enforcement should focus on preventing further immigration rather producing suspicions on those who already reside here, and I strongly agree with him on this idea.
    Johnny Albarran has a good argument against the risk of racial profiling that can occur through the enforcement of this law that has caused much controversy, and other states that are concerned with illegal immigration should carefully implement a better approach to resolve illegal immigration issues than Arizona legislation.

Eric Holder's Position on the possible passing of Proposition 19

This commentary by Marcus Wohlson is about the Califrnia Attorney General Eric Holder's position on what will happen if marijuana becomes legalized in November. Holder states in a letter that even if marijuana is legalized in California, it is still illegal according to federal law and that the federal laws will be "vigorously enforced" against recreational use. Holder believes that the passing of Prop. 19 would undermine efforts in targeting the trafficking of marijuana, which is often distributed with other drugs, and would put California communities at higher risk from these dangers. Advocates of the legalization of marijuana argue that marijuana will become a "new industry" and that it's "taxable new income" and will attract many tourists.
   Many people are also skeptical about Holder's claim to prosecute distributors and recreational users because the federal government doesn't have the resources to constantly patrol the streets of California and find every user of the drug. Less than one percent of suspects in marijuana related arrests nationwide in 2008 were made by federal law enforcement, DEA could only be able to focus its time on larger targets.
   Although many pot dispensaries in California were raided by federal agents during the Bush administration, the marijuana industry was minimally affected and continued to grow. Advocates of Prop. 19  also argue that Eric Holder and the federal government could "put our tax dollars to better use," instead of spending so much time and resources on "continuing an endless cycle with little positive effect."
  So even if Proposition 19 is passed, Holder will not sit idly by because he believes that the Controlled Substances Act Should strictly be enforced in every single state in the country "even if such activities are permitted under state law."

Eric Holder to Prosecute Distribution, Possession If Prop. 19 Passes

My Critique of a NYTimes Columnist

    I read in the "Opinionator," a commentary on the ground zero mosque by Dick Cavett. It is titled, "Real Americans, Please Stand Up." Mr. Cavett expresses how shocked and ashamed he is by how some Americans act in opposition to the ground zero mosque, mainly the people who supported a burning of the Quran. Although these people have the right to burn the Quran, they do not have the right to deny muslims of their freedom of religion, nor deny their right to private property. He Argues using examples of how white, Christian Ku Klux Klan members lynched blacks in the South and yet there were Christian churches near those operations. He also mentions how people ignore the fact that most Muslims were against the actions taken by the Muslim radicals on 9/11. And many people who suffered from the tragedy aren't against the building of the center, they just aren't being heard over the loud protests of the  center. Cavett expresses his confusion of how many Americans claim to be tolerant of other religions and expressions and yet "simultaneously maintain that you have nothing against members of any religion but are willing to penalize members of this one?" I agree with his position on the issue because he believes that it is un-American to oppress the rights of Muslims building a religious community center near ground zero, because many Muslim Americans (who were innocent victims) also died on 9/11. I understand that people have a right to protest, but I also understand that it is wrong to persecute people based on their religion or race, which is what I think Dick Cavett is saying in this column.

To Dream of Legal Status

      Recently, Democrats have decided to create a bill to give illegal immigrants who were brought into the U.S. by their parents, legal status after they attend college or serve in a branch of the military for a minimum of two years. Although the bill isn't likely to pass right away, immigrant student groups are mobilizing to have their dreams of a legitimate future become a reality. This "Dream Act" will benefit the immigrant student groups across the country, and Democrats will gain the much needed support from the Latino community in the mid-term elections.
      I think this is a very interesting subject that some people can closely relate with. This issue concerns citizens as well as illegal immigrants, and I believe illegal immigrants deserve a chance to have the rights and privileges that we have and enjoy the fruits of their labor like any other hard-working American. The details on this subject can be found in the NY Times in an article titled, "Democrats Reach Out to Hispanics on Immigration Bill."