Yours Truly, Ally

Can free speech turn violent? Apparently so. Hayden Williams, a conservative activist, was assaulted by an unidentified suspect on the campus of the University of California at Berkley. Williams claims that the individual accused him of promoting "aggression" and "violence" because of his political beliefs. Perhaps it's just me, but I find that many liberals (not all) commonly correlate being conservative to violence and aggression. If anything, the confrontation between Williams and the assailant contradicts the liberals' supposed beliefs. As an outspoken conservative, I would never phantom thinking about hurting someone, especially physically, because his or her political ideologies didn't match mine. Personally, I have many friends who are liberal, but neither of us allows it to affect our friendship (as it should always be). If liberals promote this idea of "equality for all," wouldn't it be contradictory of them to harm another p...

Can a student, more specifically, a sixth-grader, be arrested for refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance? Apparently so. A sixth-grader at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland Fla., is facing misdemeanor charges after refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, telling substitute teacher Ana Alvarez he believes the American flag and national anthem is so-called "racist" against black people. Officials later reported that the confrontation between the Florida student and Alvarez escalated into what was described as "disruptive behavior." An 11-year-old student in Florida is facing charges after refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and creating a disturbance in the classroom, police say. Retrieved from USA TODAY. This poses the question: can a teacher legally require a student to salute the flag or recite the pledge? In actuality, the Supreme Court ruled in 1943 in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette  that schools cannot r...

The U.S. Constitution is one of the most important, if not the MOST important document in United States history. The Constitution protects our individual freedoms and its fundamental principles that govern our nation. Most importantly, the Constitution limits the power of the government and establishes a system of checks and balances. So, what are some ways the Constitution impact YOU as a citizen? 1. As citizens, you are granted the right to vote (as long as you're 18 and over) Personally, I feel as if many individuals, especially those who are my age, show a lack of care for taking part in politics. Especially during the past election season, many students did not vote simply because they "did not care" to or "have the time" to vote; however, those who I spoke to were first to complain about why they did not like a particular candidate. Simply put, if you did not vote, do not complain. Countries ruled under a dictatorship, or some other extremist authoritar...

The Japanese government is going to test, or in other words "hack," the security of smart devices and appliances of the people of Japan; devices include, but are not limited to "connected" thermostats Wi-Fi security cameras. Over 200 million devices is estimated to be tested ahead of the 2020 Olympics. This poses the question: should the government be able to do such a thing? Although the Japanese government's intent is for the safety of individuals, I find much controversy surrounding the Japanese government's decision. According to a Popular Mechanics article, chances are if you have any smart device, it is most likely extremely  hackable . Starting this month, Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology will send employees to attempt to "gain access to citizens' most vulnerable electronics." The government hackers are said to notify users and internet service providers about the vulnerability. Image retr...