Tornado Watch and Midterm

I woke up extremely early this morning to get ready for work. By 4:00, I was out of my bed and downstairs ironing my clothes for work. I usually check the weather forecast every morning before I leave the house so that I could get an idea of how to dress. For some reason, this morning I just looked in the area  that says right now forgetting to look in the area that says today. Right then, the weather said cloudy so I thought that I didn't really have anything to worry about. I figured that clouds won't hurt. When I got outside at about 7:00 a.m., the sun wasn't out and the ground was a little wet. When I was halfway to Union Station, it started raining and all I could think about is my flat ironed hair getting messed up. I immediately reached into my bag for my trusty ole' umbrella. By the time I got to Union Station, it wasn't raining anymore. When I got to Virginia, the weather didn't look as bad as it did in Washington, DC. I thought that was a blessing for me because I wanted to walk to work that day. I got to work on time and promptly started my work load. Later on in the day, at about 12 noon, I heard my project manager talking about a tornado watch. Tornado watch? When did this happen? Why don't I know about this? What am I supposed to do in the event that a tornado really comes? Luckily, I didn't have to leave work because I brought my own lunch. I did have to leave early however because my Critical Issues in American Law Enforcement midterm was today. Good thing I called a cab because by the time I got downstairs, it was raining cats and dogs. All I could think about was the fact that my pants weren't hemmed. What's wrong with me?

Thankfully, I was able to get to school on time. When i got there, everyone had note cards and study sheets out preparing for the exam. Me on the other hand didn't even bring my notes. All I could think about at the time was the fact that I was unprepared. Nonetheless, the professor distributed the exam. At first glance, it looked like it was going to be hard but it turned out to be a piece of cake. I was extremely happy because this particular professor only gives a midterm, a final and one research paper. That's a whole lot to base a semester grade upon huh? Therefore, I was happy because I knew that I aced the midterm. I have one more in class midterm and also an essay midterm to be turned in online. My semester goal is a 4.0 and I'm going to make it happen!

Legalization of Marijuana

Do you think that marijuana should be legalized in the United States? Only 45% of Americans support the outright legalization of marijuana. The bad thing is that whether or not marijuana is legalized, there will never be a drug free America. Reality is that there are not much things left to be prohibited. The United States government prevents farmers from growing hemp which is the name of the soft, durable fibre that is cultivated from the plants of the Cannabis (marijuana). But if you are familiar with the Constitution of the United States, you would know that no where in the constitution gives permission to ban cannabis. I think that what the United States government is most worried about is the fact that they don't receive taxes from the sale of marijuana.

Medical marijuana however, goes back millenniums. 75% of Americans support medical access to marijuana. 73% support decriminalization for marijuana (1 ounce or less). Women used marijuana long ago for menstrual cramps, pain, anxiety, etc. Marijuana is one of the only drugs that have medical uses. Schedule 1 drugs are highly addictive, have no medical use and have a high potential for abuse. Fifteen states have laws for the use of medical marijuana as a form of medicine. Some of the basic disease types that can use medical marijuana are cancer, Aids, glaucoma, and epilepsy. In 1972, the government was sued for the use of medical marijuana. In 2010, a medical marijuana bill was signed to prohibit the use of marijuana as a medicine in New Jersey. I think however that it is extremely unfair for some states to be able to use medical marijuana while others can't. In California, any excuse can be used to used to obtain marijuana as a medicine. Someone can go into the doctor with a toothache and receive a prescription for medical marijuana.

Personally, it's not concern to me whether or no marijuana is legalized. I have never smoked marijuana and I never plan to do it. The legalization of marijuana is both beneficial and detrimental. Like I mentioned before, it is definitely profitable for the government because they will be able to collect revenues for the growth and sale of marijuana. It will however be damaging to the everyday retailers who use the monies they receive from the sale of marijuana as means of survival. I feel like this will cause a safety and survival issue because these retailers will be forced to get a "real" job. Some will be successful and others won't be. Unsuccessful retailers will then possibly turn to violence to get what they need. When people think about the legalization of marijuana, they never really think about the big picture. They usually want it legalized so that they can smoke it all day and all night. It is predicted that by the year 2021, 60% of Americans will support the legalization of marijuana. Let's see how that goes! Until then, ummm, say no to drugs?

Sexual Harassment

Extra Extra, read all about it!! Are you aware of what sexual harassment is or the danger of it? Do you know what to do in the event that you are being sexually harassed? Sexual harassment can be defined as intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Therefore, day to day intimidations on the street or at a workplace can be considered to be sexual harassment whether it is by the opposite or same sex. No one, and I repeat NO ONE should take sexual harassment lightly because it can descend into sexual assault.

Today I was pleased to meet Mrs. Marty Langelan, former director of the DC Rape Crisis Center, President of the National Woman's Party, and an economist with the Federal Government.  She has also published extensively with her most notable being BACK OFF: HOW TO CONFRONT SEXUAL HARASSERS. Mrs. Langelan spoke about sexual harassment primarily being a human rights issue and gender exclusion being a prominent problem, especially with children. There are four major modes/types of harassment. The first one is Mr./Mrs. Friendly. A good example of this may be a co-worker who comes to your work station everyday rubbing your shoulders and telling you how beautiful you are. Not to mention if you're the only person he/she is doing this to. The second mode is dominant harassment. This may be the person that hangs out on the corner of the street that harasses you everyday. This person is usually unemployed with all the free time in the world. The third type is strategic/territorial harassment. This type of coercion is done tactically. It is usually planned out and executed in stages. The fourth mode are your predators. These are the people who pry on you. They usually never give up no matter what. They do not care if you are 2 or 82 years of age. Predators are very persistent people who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Growing up as kids, we were taught failure tactics that rarely or almost never worked. Once of these failure tacts were pretending to ignore it. You would either look down at your shoes or stare randomly at anything that is not in the harasser's direction. Another failure tactic was the F-Y response (and it doesn't stand for fiscal year). This response is a very aggressive one that usually drop jaws, especially if it comes out of adolescent's mouth. However, this tactic never solves the problem. In most cases, the situation just escalated into something even bigger than it started out to be.  The last failure tactic was the run away response. This was a quick and easy way to avoid the situation. But, you running away today does not guarantee you clearance tomorrow.

An all-purpose statement that can be used in the event that you feel like you are being sexually harassed is, "Stop harassing women/children/men. I don't like it; no one likes it. SHOW SOME RESPECT!" Another way to deal with sexual harassment is by using the A-B-C problem. This is where you tell the person what they are doing wrong specifically. When you do (A), The effect is (B), I want (C) from now on. These are two ways to combat sexual harassment. So remember, if you feel like you are being sexually harassed, don't stop, drop and roll! Use these response kits and you will have one less person sexually harassing you!

Gun Violence

Do you think the gun laws of the United States should get any stricter? I definitely support gun laws, but to a certain extent. If they get any more rigid, I'm afraid that the lives of law abiding citizens will be put in jeopardy. Stringent gun laws will not reduce gun crimes or gun accidents. It will only cause an increase in illegal gun possession because if people can't obtain a firearm legally especially if they are law aiding citizens, then they will be forced obtain it illegally. In some states, citizens are not allowed to purchase licensed firearms which I think is absurd. Take for example a family that lives in the middle of a registered sex offender and a murder who served time in a federal penitentiary. How safe will a family with two young children be with nothing to defend themselves with in case of an emergency.

Today, I met Glen Caroline, director of the National Rifle Association's Grassroots Division. The Association was founded in 1871. It currently has approximately 4 million dues paying members and it is rated as a very effective organization. The National Rifle Association is the oldest civil rights organization in the United States. The NRA works to protect the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and promote firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety and the promotion of hunting and self-defense in the United States. Political activity by the NRA is based upon the principle that gun ownership is a civil liberty protected by the Second Amendment. Caroline voiced that there are already thousands and thousands of existing gun control laws and there is no need for any more. He also said that gun are used for self-defense over 2.5 million times a year which is 3-5 times more than they are used to commit crime. Some of the National Rifle Association's solutions to reducing gun crime are to enforce existing laws, instant check of citizens, and work on the right-to-carry.  Their main solution to reducing gun accidents is education. The NRA is a very important organization that can aid with the prevention of gun crimes and gun accidents.

Today was a very productive day. I was able to learn tons of information about gun laws as they pertain to the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. If you are interested in learning more about the National Rifle Association, their website is www.nra.org and to specifically learn about Glen Caroline's division, log on to www.nraila.org.

After attending this seminar, I had the rest of the day off surprisingly. My friends and I went back to the Superior Court to do some more snooping but was sadly disappointed when we got to the courtroom and no one was there. We had gotten their too late! But don't worry, we will be there for the closing arguments so that I can tell you guys about it. See you tomorrow!

Exhausted

Tired, worn out, fatigued, zonked, enervated and drained are some of the words that can be used to describe the way that I felt this morning when I woke up at 6 to get ready for work. I rolled over and immediately said to myself, "10 more minutes". Then I found myself contemplating whether or not I could make it all the way to Virginia. I then decided that I wasn't going to go to avoid falling asleep while at work. Since I decided not to go, I thought that I would get back in bed and go to sleep until around 12 or 1 o'clock. Nope, not at all! I couldn't fall asleep. Due to the fact that I already called my supervisor, I couldn't change my mind about going to work. 

I could not fall asleep, no matter how hard I tried and it baffled me as to why. After numerous attempts, it was understood that I wasn't going to get any sleep. I then decided that I was going to the Superior Court to follow up on the murder trial that I'd been following for the past 2 weeks because this had became my only free day for the entire week. I got to the courtroom and luckily one of the co-defendants were on the stand testifying. He is the only co-defendant of four who decided that he wanted to give testimony. The other three waived their right. I was extremely shocked when the defendant repeated some of the things that the District Attorney said to him, none at which she denied. The defendant was doing a better job at defending himself against the District Attorney than his lawyer was. At one point, the DA even started to shout at the defendant. The judge immediately instructed her to tone her voice down while cross examining the defendant. For the most part, the defendant was calm and relaxed while testifying.

Since I started following up this case 2 weeks ago, I have been able to meet and talk to three of the four defense attorneys. I was also able to talk to and meet the judge appointed to that particular case. It is so funny that even the marshals assigned to the case knows my name which is mostly because I check too much electronic devices in with them. I forgot to mention that due to the fact that this is a high profile case, civilians may not enter the courtroom with electronic devices and they must be fully searched before entering. Closing arguments are next week and then that's it, case closed. I do hope that sentencing is sometime soon (not during Spring Break) because I would love to attend the sentencing of a murder.

Chill

Today is one of the days that I label as "Chill". Why u might wonder? Well its because I did nothing but "chill" out. I started my day at about 8 o'clock because I had a hair appointment at 9:15. I got to Union Station and the Metro was delayed. Just my luck! I got to the hairdresser at around 9:30. I figured that it wouldn't take long because all I was getting was a wash and press. I left the hair salon at around 12:00 noon and walked over to the beauty supply store. I bought some sheen for my hair, a shower cap, and a mesh wrap. I got to the counter, hand my card to the cashier and he swiped it. After he swiped it and it had been approved, he asked me for my ID. I almost got upset because that makes absolutely no sense. I kindly took the card out of his hand and left with my products. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was EXTRA windy today and I was not prepared. Later when I got home, I cooked dinner for my roommate and I. Now, Im about to get ready to party with the girls. See ya!!

70 Degree Weather

Coat? Nope! Gloves? Nope! Boots? Negative! Today was by far one of the warmest days that I've seen in DC since I got here on January 15th. Every day since then has been filled with cold winds and iced over streets. In my books, today went down in history. I was able to leave the house at 7am wearing ballet flats and a short sleeve shirt. When I got to work, I still couldn't believe it so I said that I will see how the weather looks when I leave work. I left work at 2:30 thinking that it would be cold, but when I went outside, it still felt like spring. I almost forgot to mention that I found $20 when I was reloading my card at the Metro Station. I looked around and asked the closest person to machine but no one knew who it belonged to. So I just thought that it was meant for me; maybe I needed to be rewarded in some way. 

Later in the afternoon, my Justice Seminar class visited the Supreme Court where we were able to meet Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who is now 77 years old. Justice Ginsburg is the second female Justice after Sandra Day O'Connor and also the first Jewish female Justice. Currently, she is the oldest Justice on the bench.

Today was a short, but well enjoyed day. It would be nice if the weather stays in the 70s for the rest of the winter season, but hey, not all dreams come true. On the bright side, it's going to be in the 50s for the rest of the weekend. I will definitely accept that!

Misfortune

Whenever I'm extra early, something always seem to go wrong. This morning started a little later, 10:30 to be exact. We were instructed to meet our professor at the Supreme Court for a tour. When I heard court, I automatically thought that it was located in Judiciary Square where both the District and the Superior Courts are. I got to Judiciary Square and there was no Supreme Court to be found. I immediately called one of my classmates (which I should have done in the first place). She then said that it's located in Capitol Hill. I felt so silly standing down at Judiciary Square when I found out. The reason being that I LIVE IN CAPITOL HILL. It was then too late for me to make it back to the Supreme Court in time. Therefore, I missed out on a wonderful opportunity.

Later in the afternoon however, I was able to meet District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton who has been a judge there for 9 years. I was able to view a sentencing of two people. Unfortunately none of them were sentenced to time in prison because obviously Judge Walton has a heart. He, himself said that both defendants deserves to be incarcerated. I was a little disappointed with the sentencing, but I'm sure that my court watches at the Superior Court will make up for it. For the past two weeks, I've been observing a homicide case from 2008 that involves 4 co-defendants. They all pled not guilty and has been going through a rough trial from since January 31st. So far, it has been exceptionally interesting; the cross examinations, the witnesses, the evidence, etc. I was even able to network with all the defense attorneys along with Judge Motley, the presiding judge on this trial. I also started viewing another homicide case that dates back to 2005. This one is a little less different because there is only one defendant, therefore making it less exciting. Nonetheless, today was extremely thrilling because one of the witnesses decided that he was going to plead the 5th on the stand while being cross examined by the prosecutor. Another interesting event was that the defendant had a cellphone on him during the trial. That's not even the funny part. The funny part is that it rung in the middle of cross examinations. Poor guy got it taken away from him and was handcuffed for the rest of the trial.

Though today was not one of my most eventful days, it was definitely one of my most enjoyable because I was able to sit, relax, enjoy a day of justice making.

Longest Day Ever

Today felt like one of the longest days ever. I left the house without eating because I overslept. Luckily when I got to Union Station, the Metro was just pulling up. As I got to Tenleytown, the American University shuttle was parked outside. I was extremely happy because I didn't want to walk to class, though it was literally 5 minutes or less away. I got to the auditorium and there was over 50 students patiently waiting. This was a very important day especially for the Journalism majors. Today was the day that they were able to meet Bob Schieffer. Many of you might not know him by his name, but when you see him, you will automatically say, "That's the guy that does the CBS Evening News"! Bob Schieffer has been working for CBS since 1969 and has been one of the few broadcast or print journalists to have covered all four of the major Washington national assignments. Cool huh?

Now! For all of my Justice makers, I have a treat for you. I was also able to meet Cynthia Jones. If you don't go to American University's Washington College of Law, then you probably don't know who she is. However, Miss Jones is a phenomenal person. Currently she is a professor at AU's College of Law. She is the former Director of the Public Defender Service in Washington, DC and also the former Deputy Director of the Pretrial Agency. She said that she became a lawyer to be the voice of people who can't help themselves. She made sure that her clients, whether innocent or guilty got the best treatment possible. I enjoyed the seminar with her because I got to hear about real life case that she dealt with.

After the seminar, I made my way down to the Superior Court to continue viewing the murder trial that I began attending last week. I got in at the end of the cross examination of one of the witnesses. Following the murder trial, I went to the Howard University area so that I could go to the hair store. Surprisingly, while I was in the hair store, I saw my best friend who attends Howard University. We didn't even plan to meet there. How does the saying go? I believe it is, "Great minds think alike"! We then talked for a bit then I was on my way. When I got to the Judiciary Square station, one stop away from my stop, the train decides to malfunction. Everyone then had to get off and wait for another train. Though I was exceedingly upset, I tried to calm myself down by calling a friend. Some guys a the station then heard my accent and tried to talk to me. They approached me and said, "Do you know the name of that Serani song"? I said, "No". Then one of them asked, "Aren't you from Jamaica". I replied, "Uhh NO"! Fortunately, the Metro came in the nick of time. I got to where I was going; stopped at the overpriced corner store to buy a bottle of juice and the rest is history!

Chocolate City

I never thought that I would ever live in Washington, DC. This is the place where I got my first job, actually used public transportation, where canned food costs $3.00 at the corner store, where bills are signed, presidents were assassinated, panhandling isn't a fulltime job, and last but not least, where President Barack Obama lives. Who ever thought that this is where I would live?

Living in Washington, DC for the past month has taught me so much. Though it has only been 31 days, I feel like its been so much longer. Thus far, I've learned time management. DC is very small, therefore, its either you're on time or it makes no sense to go at all. I also learned how to use the Metro. The Metro in Washington, DC is fast, convenient and dependable. The only problem is that people from DC, Maryland and Virginia ride it, especially during rush hours. Unfortunately, I always end up riding it during rush hour either to go to class or to my internship. This is both the worst and the most expensive time to use the Metro. I say that it's the worst because the train gets overcrowded, people start pushing and I never get a seat. During this time, I always get lost when transferring.

Aside from all my Metro complications, Washington, DC is a very beautiful city with tons of national and historic sites. There is always something to do when in Washington, DC.

Did you guys know that:

The White House was originally called the President's House or the President's Palace. One day a Baltimore reporter called it the "white house" in a newspaper posting and the name caught on. President Theodore Roosevelt made this the official name in 1901.

Just as the Supreme Court didn't get a permanent home until 1932, the government did not provide an official residence for the Vice President until 1974.

The National Gallery of Art is home to the Ginevra de Benci, the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere.

The Library of Congress, the biggest library in the United States, contains 535 mines of bookshelves. In the Reading Room alone, there are 45,000 reference books.

The District of Columbia was named after the great explorer Christopher Columbus.