Gunning Down Elections

After the recent shooting in Colorado, many activists are jumping to arms against the second amendment. Despite these massive pleas though, hardly anything is being done to regulate gun laws. Many politicians consider the topic to be untouchable. One strong word against the right to bear arms could cause thousands of gun owners to vote against you. It's a touchy subject.
      That's not to say nothing should be done to fix gun laws. Access to guns is too easy. With a simple click on the internet, thousands of rounds can be sent to your house. There should be more checks and balances. Around 40% of gun sales have had no background checks. Guns shouldn't be taken away, but they should be harder to get. Maybe people should have to take classes to receive guns, such as new drivers do.
     Making guns illegal is not a solution though. If someone really wants a gun, they will get one. If guns were made illegal, then only outlaws would have guns, which is far from ideal. Guns also keep the government from turning the nation into a dictatorship. Although extreme, guns allow citizens to fight back in worst case scenarios.
    There is no question that something needs to be done to the gun laws. No one should be able to gun down 100 people on a whim. The hard question is what should be done? Answers will not come if lawmakers fear being voted out of office for encroaching on the subject. Open-mindedness is needed to find a solution.

Commentary: Southern Hospitality

          In the editorial Southern Hospitality, the author Ogechi E. discusses the apparent attack on the first amendment due to the reactions at the NAACP national convention. Ogechi brings up many valid points such as the idea that we are wrongly persecuting people for expressing their opinion. If the audience at the national convention did not showcase how they feel towards Romney's ideas, then the Republican candidate (or anyone else for that matter) would not know how the American people feel. The attack on the vocal opinion of people is a direct attack on not only the first amendment, but on the voice of the people. 

        We must express our opinions if we are to be heard and we can't do that through quiet observance. Yes, by all means give someone a chance but if that chance is wasted then you have the right to vocalize your opinion.  Romney also should have known the audience he was talking to better, so he could appeal to them and not get booed of stage, although it may have been a lost cause to begin with due to the large backing of Obama in the NAACP. Romney should be able to hold up to criticism like any other politician should. If he has the nerve to run for president, he should have tough enough skin to withstand a booing crowd. So let them boo, because he can take it. Like Ogechi said, it's not like they are threatening to kill him, just trying to kill the ideas of the campaign.

    

       

Affording College Education

     It can seem at many times Romney is incredibly out of touch. His riches have sheltered him from the world of the common man and the hardship that they must overcome. One of these challenges is getting a college education so as to survive in this falling economy. As difficult as it already is to pay for and succeed in college, Romney wants to do nothing to help the poor, brilliant students and possibly deprive them of financial aid.
      Romney is harkening back to medieval times with these ideas and policies. With his idea to cut spending on higher education he is in turn creating a society that is similar to serfdom during the dark ages. Yes, people still have more freedom than those of that time period, but they will be forced into different social classes just because of their parents wealth. A brilliant student who could create the next big technology or cure cancer is being held back because his parents are poor. You can't succeed in this country if you aren't given a chance and Romney loading the dice towards the wealthy.
     How can we be a government for the people when we can't help the people? That's against the people. Obama on the other hand is creating new policies to help students get out of their huge debt from college. In times like this where our economy is dropping and the U.S. as a nation is falling off the horse, we need bright stars to guide us to keep our top spot in the world. If we drop the ball on education then we won't be able to fuel our economy in the future, instead relying on employees from other countries to run the high-end jobs. Soon, the U.S. will not be a world power and will become a second tier country.
     Cheaper loans and more opportunities for students is the route the U.S. needs to take to maintain its position as a world power.