Current Event for the Week of 11/30/07

PR pageant officials probe pepper spray

According to Yahoo.com, a beauty pageant contestant's gowns and make-up were covered in pepper spray in the 2008 Miss Universe Pageant. Pageant officials try to find the culprit.

Read the article here.

Who do you think did this to the contestant? Do you think it was one of her competitors? Did Rivera have too much experience to be in the competition in the first place?

CURRENT EVENT FOR THE WEEK OF 11/16/07

In this article, a teacher from Nebraska was charged with kidnapping and Child abuse. She flew her 13 year old student ( who was an illegal immigrant ) back to Mexico, to get away from the investigation of their relationship; back in Lexington. It was said that he might have been older than 13, even 16 years old... which would cancel the stagetory rape charges.



Read the article here.

So what do you think? Should she be charged with rape? Can anything else be done to determine the age of the student? Was the boy a victim, or do you think he left the U.S. willingly? Do you think U.S. officials should allow him to testify against Kelsey Peterson; and then stay in the U.S. and not be punished for his illegal residency?

Current Event for 11/ 12/07
Substitute Teacher's Lessons Enrage Parents
By Daniella Guzman

HOUSTON -- Parents said they were terrified when they found out what a substitute teacher has been teaching their fifth-grade children, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.
“…she shouldn't be learning that at school," said the unidentified student's mother.
The student said that the teacher said she was teaching them about health.
'“…the hormones in the food will kill you," said the student.
…the teacher told the class there is rat poison in toothpaste.
Read the entire article here
Do you think that the teacher has the right to tell the children the things that she did? Do you agree with the parents and see why they are upset? Do you think that “Sister Jessica” should be fired?

Current Event for 11/9/07

'Dog' Chapman Sorry for Using N-Word

Duane "Dog" Chapman, the star of A&E's reality show Dog the Bounty Hunter, had his show canceled after a recorded phone conversation between him and his son was posted on the Internet. In the phone conversation, "Dog" repeatedly used the the N-word. As a result, A&E cancelled his TV show.

Read the details of the story here.

Do you think Chapman should be held professionally responsible for racial slurs he uses in his private life? Why or why not? What other professions would also be held to this type of standard? Is it good for some professions to have their private lives be "open books" to the community? Post your comments!!!

Current Event for the week of 11-2

Arguments about hate crime legislation -- pro and con

The laws are fair. A hate crime is more serious than a conventional crime because it abuses more than the immediate victim. When a criminal act is based on a factors such as a victim's race, gender, sexual orientation or religion, it takes on some of the characteristics of a terrorist act. The victim and the perpetrator are typically strangers.

Read the full article here.

Do you think that hate crimes have sufficent punishments? If not, what can we do to better them?