Yours Truly, Ally

The First Amendment is perhaps one of the most crucially  essential  rights we have as U.S. citizens. Benedict Spinoza's Tractatus-Theologico Politicus  suggests that a society where the government censors speech, is correlated to higher rates of violence. On the other hand, a society where citizens are granted the right to say whatever he or she fancies en ables the government to better monitor potentially dangerous groups.  Let's take the Covington Catholic High School example for instance—the young men involved have faced immense backlash on the basis of their devotion to Christianity, their support for President Donald Trump, and the color of their skin.  The young men, who were in Washington to participate in the March For Life, stood outside the Lincoln Memorial for their school bus. However, the mainstream media, CNN in particular, claim that these boys surrounded and terrorized Native American activist Nathan Phillips, but as well all know, or...

I'm pro-life and I believe in the dignity of EVERY human life. All life matters. Now, before you burn me at the stake, allow me to explain my reasoning. It's quite simple. So sit down, judge me (if you want), and listen. In my opinion, life begins at conception, which makes abortion equivalent to murder. Supporting abortion is supporting taking the life of another human. Yes, women AND MEN should have the right to their own body, but when you factor in the life of another human, the sole opinion of the female isn't the only opinion that matters. Former President Ronald Reagan during a 1980 Presidential Debate in Baltimore, Maryland. Image retrieved from Pinterest.  Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro destroys the argument that a fetus isn't considered a human life during a Sep. 2017 Q&A event at the University of California Berkley. "Why exactly do you think a first-trimester fetus has moral value?" said one student during the event.  ...

One of the strongest beliefs of the Democratic Party, or at least in my opinion, is the ideal of equality on all front. Simply put, Democrats believe in equal opportunity regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. However, in relatively recent news, Democrats seem to act in contradiction to their supposed "beliefs," especially with the #MeToo movement. Rather than promoting "equality for all," modern-day feminism seems more like a threat to masculinity (especially if you're a white male). Democrats treated unsubstantiated allegations about Judge Brett Kavanaugh (now an Associate Justice for the Supreme Court) as the "ultimate" truth, which was in my opinion, was the Democrats tactic to prevent Kavanaugh from serving on the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh angrily denied (as he should) all allegations of sexual misconduct that Christine Blasey Ford made towards the Supreme Court nominee. First of all, it seems rather convenient that Ford ch...

When you think of the Supreme Court, how do you picture it? Perhaps for some, it might comical to picture it as a so-called cult: people dressing in black robes for some discreet, ominous meeting. Yah, seems "cult-like" to me. And if you actually thought that, you're most definitely wrong (and might need to revisit your middle school history class). The Supreme Court of the United States (or SCOTUS) is without a doubt the most unique —not to mention most powerful —court system.  But, how familiar are you with its role in our nation? "The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." These words, as found in Article III of the U.S. Constitution, established the Supreme Court, as well as granted Congress the power to create inferior federal courts. This power was established in the SCOTUS during the Supreme Court case: Marbury v. Madison in ...

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...