I See Now Trump!

The L.A. Times has written an article on the recent events, announcements, and blast given by Donald Trump. Donald Trump is smart. I totally get what this plan of action is. After his victorious triumph in getting the release of President Obama's birth certificate, Donald Trump has boasted and ranted to the media. Of course he's announcing his intentions for presidency. Of course Sarah Palin applauds his relentless efforts to receive the "questionable"document, but encourages followers to focus on more important issues.
Are Trump's recent activities fueled by racism?  Deval Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts, says that he is unsure if racism has anything to do with it, but questions the if American people are buying into this. Veteran Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer says that Trumps latest Obama investigation, regarding his grades and legitimacy of graduation from Harvard, are just flat out racist. If so, this adds fuel to my suspicion.
So let's break this down. Trump rally's under the Republican Party to fight for the birth certificate. Trump receives support from Palin and other republican states. Trump challenges college legitimacy and uses basketball comments with an underlying racism. Sounds like this is turning into an early catapult strategy for the republican presidential race.
For those who have never seen the show "Survivor," they use the catapult strategy on a constant basis.  There are a jury of peers who were voted out of the game, and they vote on who, out of the final 3, will receives the million dollars. It's based on relationships and most of the time, the one with the most power will carry the most hated person to the final 3 with them. Why? The most hated will most likely not receive a vote from anyone. The same thing is happening with Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Trump, with his witch hunts and closet racism, will be the perfect candidate for this strategy. He will continue to stir the waters and make enemies; literally starting from the top. With a television show and celebrity status, he is guaranteed to be heard. Just when he's upset half of the country and it looks like there's no hope for republican nominees, a savior will rise. Someone with LEGITIMATE arguments, few enemies, and poise will become the new face of the party. Perhaps Palin...again? Who knows?

Book Smart, Maybe...Gun Smart, Probably Not

Jeff is absolutely right on this No Guns on Campus issue. Not a good idea! I would have like to see a source on the debate, but the general information is more than enough. If we allowed students to carry weapons, there would be more casualties than imaginable. Have you ever driven in your car and wished you could shoot someones tires out, because they cut you off? I have. Human nature, as proven in the past, is not prepared to control natural instinct of confrontation. Give a student, the most stressed individual in the United States, a weapon and you open doors to violence. Not only would you have afternoon duals in the quad between two class rivals, but the number of innocent bystanders would jump dramatically. Especially in institutions that are supposed to be safe, i.e. school or church. I cannot speak for police officers, but I was military police and we STRESSED the  justifications of deadly force and rules of engagement. A firearm is the last thing you use and only if absolutely necessary. Will the common student elect to stop a threat and be sure to look past their target for innocent bystanders? Probably not. 

Money Talks

Campaign finances has been a controversial subject for a while. In a recent Los Angeles Times article, the debate continues over an Arizona law that attempts to 'level the playing field' with campaign funding for public candidates. The Supreme Court Justice is now involved and are expected to object to public funding to be provided to candidates who do not raise private funding for their campaign. The main issue is the infringement on constitutional rights that excludes this issue as being a state affair. Since Republicans outnumber Democrats in The Supreme Court, it is obvious why the Arizona law will get rejected. Privately funded candidates are usually members of the GOP, so leveling the playing field would work against them. 

Our constitution was founded and written on a number of basic truths that still stand true today. I can't deny that. Just look up The Virgina Dynasty and notice the similarities. However, the world and America have changed significantly since the time of our fore-fathers and now is the time for these issues need to be addressed. Advertisers pay approximately 2.5 million dollars for a 30 second commercial in hope of reaching 90 million people during the Super Bowl in 2011. Money talks, especially to the American public, and some base their vote purely on what they've seen on tv, not on research.

Perhaps the Arizona law had its flaws and may not be the best way to go about the issue. Progress still needs to be made to allow for a larger selection of candidates for the American public to choose from. We need to change the way people perceive politics and increase involvement from the public for our future democracy.