Marijuana Retail Sales

Marijuana is one of the most controversial issues. I don’t know if that’s always been the case, but for the past few years its been heavily talked about. In the article entitled Why Legal Weed is Working in Colorado, written Alex Altman, the recent retail sales of marijuana are discussed. As of January 1st, Colorado “became the only state in the world to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana...” According to the article, nothing alarming has happened yet and the revenue on just the first day was $1 million. That is pretty impressive. 

When discussions of legalizing marijuana in Colorado were still happening, the mayor and the democratic governor both opposed it. However, they set aside their own views and did what the people wanted. I think that’s very admirable. Government officials, after all, are meant to represent the people. By setting aside their own beliefs, the governor and the mayor did the right thing. I don’t know if I would have been able to do the same.

The truth about marijuana is that it’s less harmful than most other substances. However, I still don’t think I would be okay with it becoming legal. That’s just my personal opinion. I’ve never understood the point of doing drugs, smoking, or drinking. And so, staying neutral and making a decision based on the wants/needs of the people would have been hard for me to do, if I had been the governor or mayor. 

The way the article is written really surprised me. It made it sound like the whole process for legalizing the sale of marijuana was very peaceful. Besides the mention of the governor and mayor not agreeing, there wasn’t anything else that implied that there were a lot of arguments or tensions during the process. I find that to be very surprising given the issue that was being resolved. I would have expected there to be a very distinct divide between the people who approved and the ones who did not, and for them to have been extremely set in their ways and unwilling to compromise. It seems like everything that is ever an issue that the government has to fix becomes this drawn out legal battle, like healthcare, gay rights, and abortion. So, the fact that this article makes it seem like the marijuana issue was solved rather easily is very intriguing. Maybe the rest of the issues we come across can be solved this way if the government tries hard enough.

Rapists Legally Allowed to See "Their Child" ?

          In the article entitled Child custody right for rapists? Most states have them, written by Ed Payne and Ted Rowlands, I discovered that a lot of states give custody rights to men who are fathers to children with women they raped. I had no idea that this happened. I’d like to say that my opinion on this matter is made with a clear head, but it’s not possible. I can’t imagine why men who have committed such terrible actions should have any sort of contact with the victim or their child. Honestly, it’s not even okay for them to call the baby theirs. 

When a man stoops to such a low level of morality and humanity, and forcibly takes a woman for his own pleasure, they should never be allowed near women again, let alone a child. Perhaps that makes me sound harsh. I understand that people make mistakes in life and that they don’t necessarily define them. However, in the case of rape, that’s not a mistake. A man is fully aware that the act he is committing is not legal, is not okay, and is not acceptable. There is absolutely no excuse for taking advantage of another human being in such a horrible and disgusting way.

I think that the custody rights states offer these men should not exist. In fact, I have no idea why they do. I don’t understand what the reasoning behind their existence is. Laws are created to protect citizens. By having laws that give rapists the right to see the child, it puts the mother and the child in danger. Therefore, it is not a good law. I think it’s important to pass a law that takes away the rights from these men. Shawna Prewitt, a woman interviewed for this article, said that had she known that the rapist would have these rights, she’s not sure that she would have decided to keep her child.

I hope that I am never in this situation. I think it is a horrible situation to be in. I cannot imagine how terrible and scary it must be for women to know that the abuser who disrupted their lives so tremendously, has a right to step back in. The government really needs to do some thinking and realize the consequences that the creation of these laws has. They need to make sure they take everything into consideration and hopefully see that giving rapists these rights is not the right thing to do.  

Gas Production Less Expensive, But We Pay More

Taxes screw us over yet again. The new year has begun, and in the article entitled Gas Prices Will Fall in 2014. But You May Pay More at the Pump Anyway, written by Brad Tuttle, it states that in fact, prices for gas will be lower. Perhaps the lowest they’ve been in awhile. However, just because the U.S. has now become more dependent on its own crude oil doesn’t mean that the state governments are willing to give consumers a break.

As it turns out, even though the production of gasoline will be less pricey, the amount that we pay might actually end up being more. States are the ones that are making this happen. In Pennsylvania the gas tax has increased by 9.5 cents as of January 1st. Apparently, these taxes are being increased/introduced “in order to upgrade, build, or simply maintain roads and infrastructure.” Part of me says that it’s fair. That if we are driving on these roads, then we should be able to help out in making sure they’re nice roads. However, it just seems like every expense that comes up is paid off with money that we have to give up. Is there no other way to come up with revenue? I’m not saying that gas should be free, or even that there shouldn’t be taxes. But, if the production of gas costs less, then why should we pay more? Use the money that is no longer being used to produce gas, and pay off whatever road repairs that come up.

It’s just not okay for every expense to be thrown back in our faces. It’s almost like every time that something is more expensive and we have to pay for it, the government is waving the benefits of living in America in our face. Just because we get benefits doesn’t make it okay for us to have to pay for everything. Again, I’m not saying we should never pay taxes. I just don’t think that every time there is something to be paid, the consumer should be the one to cover the cost. I’m young though, so when I’m older maybe I’ll understand this more. I just wish the government wouldn’t make us the ones responsible for everything/ Where do they come in? They have a job too. The reason all of the original colonies decided to go to war with Britain was because they were being taxed unfairly. 

Fees aren't Taxes? Right.......

       Great, the government has decided to charge us more for flying. But it's okay, because they're user fees and not taxes. They're not the same thing. Right? Wrong. They're just calling them user fees in order to make us feel like they're better, but in reality, the purpose of user fees is to raise revenue. Isn't that what taxes are? Nice try, government.
       In the article entitled Why Politicians Keep Jacking Up Taxes on Travelers, by Brad Tuttle, he discusses the increase that is to come on fees paid at airlines. Politicians believe that this is the best alternative to raise revenue instead of having to create new taxes. However, just because new taxes aren't created doesn't mean that the "fees" aren't taxes or that we're better off. They're still making citizens pay more, but have a thin argument to defend it.
       I find it interesting that politicians think that we are going to be tricked by calling them fees. It's almost a little insulting that they think we're that stupid. And I also don't understand why they constantly have to add fees to everything to "raise revenue." Why do we have to increase revenue all the time? As far as I'm concerned the government isn't handing out benefits left and right. So where is the money going? Why do the citizens have to pay more in order to fund whatever sort of spending the government is doing? It's so unfair. I know that I'm only seventeen, and so my knowledge of government programs and all of that is limited. But I don't think that there has been any sort of upgrade in what the government provides for us. And if that's the case, then it doesn't make sense to have to increase the revenue. It does make sense that the government is probably using money to pay for unnecessary things and now needs more money, and where else would they get it from than from us?
        Regardless of what the situation is, I do not like this. I think the government should find a better way to get money. One that doesn't involve taking ours. It's not okay for them to decide what to do and where to spend and then use us as funding. And by the way government, calling taxes something else doesn't make them not taxes.

Who Would Choose A Doll Over An iPod

In an article on Time.com titled The Hottest Holiday Toy Is not What You Think, Brad Tuttle talks about how the greatest source of income this holiday season is no longer toys. For awhile now our society has been getting more and more tech savvy. This happens to also extend to children. They’re no longer sitting and circling all the toys they want in a Toys ‘R Us catalogue like they used to. 

I remember when I was younger every holiday season there was a specific toy that I wanted to own. The most expensive one that I ever got was a doll called Amazing Amanda. I’m pretty sure my parents payed almost $100 for it. Now, paying that much money for a doll seems so outrageous. But, at that time the doll was very advanced in technology because it could recognize voices and her face expressed different emotions. After that doll though, I started asking for gadgets instead. First I asked for an iPod, then a digital camera, a laptop, a cellphone, and so on. Like this article states, kids today are more fascinated with being connected to the internet or involved on magical adventures in their video games. It wouldn’t make sense for them to pick plastic  toys that they have to pretend are alive when they can fight a battle virtually or connect to Twitter or Facebook.

Recent statistics show that the second greatest source of revenue on holidays is in fact electronics. The first one is gift cards. This makes me wonder whether this is how things will be from now on. I know that with fashion it’s sort of a cycle and that styles that were in ten years ago become popular again in the future, so is it possible that could happen with what kids ask for on Christmas? My best guess is that won’t be the case. Our society is constantly pushing for more and more technology. There are apps for everything, internet connection basically everywhere, even teachers use social media for assignments, so it wouldn’t make sense that we’d regress. And so, perhaps the days of the “hottest new toy” are in fact over forever. Now the market is practically monopolized by Apple products and gift cards. 

I would never have imagined that at the short age of 17 I’d have a preconceived idea or memory of Christmas, but our society changes in such a short amount of time that some of my younger relatives won’t ever understand the concept of paying $100 for a doll.

Well Played, Amazon

        In the article entitled Better Add Extra Box of Printer Paper to Your Cart, Because Amazon Just Made It Harder to Get Free Shipping, written by Brad Tuttle, the new business strategy that Amazon is employing is described. I think it’s a very smart move that is being made. At first I thought, how stupid to increase the minimum price for free shipping, but once I read further I changed my mind.

        The thing that makes this a smart move is that by increasing the minimum price, customers could potentially be influenced to sign up for Amazon Prime, which costs $79 per year and gives you unlimited streaming access to 41,000 movies and TV shows as well as access to 350,000 books, and unlimited two-day free shipping. Sure there are many perks to signing up for Amazon Prime, but you have to pay an annual fee. However, like the article states, if people sign up for it then they will also feel as though they should get their money’s worth and will buy more items online, in turn giving Amazon an even bigger profit. So, this is kind of brilliant on their part. Whether the consumers are getting just as much from the deal depends on the individual. If the consumer doesn’t shop online very often then it shouldn’t be that big of a deal paying for shipping if they buy something that is less than $35 and don’t qualify for free shipping. If the consumer buys online all the time but rarely for less than $35 then it doesn’t make sense to get the membership. And if the consumer buys online a lot but usually for less than $25 then maybe it’s best to upgrade to Amazon Prime.

        Regardless of what the case is, Amazon is likely to come out the winner in this affair. Chances are that consumers will keep buying anyway, and might even upgrade. I think that this is honestly a very smart move on Amazon’s part. Even if consumers complain about the change, they will have to buy things online, and if they have used Amazon for a long time, they will most likely stick with it.  I know this is true because I went through something similar with the DART. The prices increased, and it was really annoying, but I had to ride it anyway. I had no other choice, and my options were to continue paying for the individual tickets or to buy a monthly pass. Either way, the DART still got money from me. 

Seriously Government, Get it Together!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two weeks then it is not news that the United States government is shut down. That is a whole other issue though, what Brad Tuttle talks about in his article Three Parts of the U.S. Being Hammered Economically by the Shutdown is how the shutdown has affected certain areas economically. 

The first place mentioned is Southern Utah. Utah is the home to many national parks and monuments, which happen to be funded by federal money. Due to the government shut down these parks and monuments have been closed and off-limits to tourists. For a state like Utah, who makes most of it’s money from tourists visiting these parks, this shutdown has been extremely inconvenient and problematic. 

The other two areas mentioned in the article are Fayetteville, North Carolina, a military town, and Greater Washington, D.C. I find this to be extremely infuriating. First of all, the reason the government shutdown was because people in Congress couldn’t come to an agreement and decided to be stubborn and immature. Thanks to their inability to settle affairs with maturity and levelheadedness, many citizens are suffering the consequences. This is extremely unfair and pathetic.

It’s no secret that other countries judge us constantly. It’s natural to compare your country to others and see what’s better and worse in which one. This shutdown is not making America look good. We always seem to become involved in affairs in other countries, acting like a big brother, trying to help out and bring peace and whatnot, but when our government can’t even come to an agreement on something so simple, that doesn’t speak well about us. No one is going to take a country seriously when they can’t even solve their own problems without throwing a tantrum.

I believe that this shutdown is embarrassing, unnecessary, but also incredibly unfair to the citizens of the United States. Most American work hard for most of their life and they actively contribute to society. So how is it fair that the government can’t even return the favor? It’s not fair for people to lose their source of income because the of the government’s incompetence. It’s not fair for people to be at their wits end simply because certain people are too selfish and stubborn to approve health care for everyone. It’s not fair for people to lose money because people in the government are so selfish and greedy. I may be an American citizen, but at the moment, that’s not something I take pride in.