http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/dogs-teargassed-in-turkey_n_3397027.html?utm_hp_ref=world
As horrible as it is that dogs are being teargassed in Turkey, it is more important to focus on the police brutality that is happening in Turkey at the moment. What is your opinion on the amount of police force in Turkey? Is it justified?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/nsa-whistleblowers_n_3398618.html
This is a really eye opening article on the government and the amount of surveillance that they have on the people of America. Is this amount of surveillance too much? Are we becoming an Orwellian society?

I think people have more to think about before they come out other than their school's opinion, but a school will never be this welcoming unless students start coming out in the first place. The action of people coming out will cause school and students to be more welcoming of gay students. At Tam, I think we have a rather welcoming environment for gay students and it can only improve. This school is a great model for other schools and I hope others will follow in its path.

It was a really stupid comment to make, but I don't think it should result in a $75,000 fine. The only justification I see for the fine is the fact that sports players are now looked up to a lot and are publicized all the time. Just like a politician would be criticized a lot if they indirectly offended a certain group of people, a sports player will be criticized as well. However, a $75,000 fine is excessive in this situation, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the comment was uncalled for and unnecessary

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/robert-bales-plead-guilty_n_3356200.html?utm_hp_ref=world
Considering he was "crazed and broken," is his sentence justified? What does this say about the conditions of soldiers who are in the war?

This is probably one of my favorite videos, mainly because it is so eye opening and gives people a different perspective on school that they probably haven't considered yet. Sir Ken Robinson is the speaker, and he has some other really interesting videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

The fact that this has become a problem shows exactly how ADHD has become a ridiculously over-diagnosed condition and these medications have been created to force these people to conform to the school system and be exactly the same as everyone else. It is seen as a bad thing that people lose focus quickly and can't sit still in class, and we sedate these people to make them sit still and learn the same way as everyone else, when they could be doing something in which they can actually take advantage of their different way of learning. I completely support the schools tightening the distribution of the medications and the diagnosis of ADHD because, not only will it stop people from getting wrongly diagnosed, but it will stop these students from using the drugs for other reasons. I personally don't consider it cheating that the students are using the drugs to stay more focused for tests, I just think it is stupid and dangerous for peoples' health. I really don't think that the main focus of this article should be about what defines cheating, I think it should be about what defines ADHD and why have we begun to over-diagnose it so much. If people can so easily fake a condition in order to get drugs for a different reason until it becomes a problem, there is obviously something wrong with the system that has been overlooked by society.

I have talked to friends who think it's stupid that the rules are a lot more strict this year and people have been talking about how they are so disappointed that it's going to be hard to be able to get drunk and stuff like that. I think these are pretty stupid things to be disappointed about and I think it's completely necessary that these precautions are taken. It's not worth having another tragedy so that teenagers can go get drunk and do stupid things. Regardless of the strictness of the event, it can still be just as fun as it ever was and people shouldn't worry about anything dangerous happening.

I am stuck in between feeling whether or not this is fair of the NY Times to portray him like this. The first instance when I felt they were being harsh to him was when they said he was "shoving the bills into a back pocket." They subtly made the reader think that he was a greedy man who only cared about money. After reading the whole article, I don't really feel comfortable about him being in the park, simply because he has the potential to have a temper tantrum at any time. However, I do think the writer was a bit harsh on him and could have had a bit more sympathy.

This shooting basically restarted the uproar about gun control; however, I don't want this to be about gun control, but rather the punishment that people should get for actions such as these. Should he be executed? Or should the court accept his plea bargain? http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/colo-theater-shooting-suspect-offers-guilty-plea-18824703#.UVOEUauY6-M

I don't think it's a good idea to have a gun in a classroom, however, the article says that only one person is chosen to have the gun, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a teacher. I personally would feel a lot safer having someone like Ralph or a different person on campus with a gun that had training and could easily prevent bad things from happening on campus. Gun control has become almost irrelevant in the modern world. People who want to get their hands on guns will. With the technology that we have today, like 3D printing, people can easily manufacture and buy guns. If there is a chance that these people will come onto our campus, I would want some sort of immediate protection such as someone with a gun who is already on campus and can respond in a matter of seconds.