Medical Marijuana Considered in CT

According to William Weir’s article in the Hartford Courant, the General Assembly’s judiciary committee passed a bill on April 5 allowing patients with specific medical conditions to grow marijuana.

This bill passed 34-10 and now the Senate will review it. The article states that a patient must have cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or some “debilitating medical condition” to be eligible to grow a limit of four marijunana plants. With a signed certification from their doctor, a patient could not get in trouble with the law when it comes to possessing this drug.

You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.courant.com/health/connecticut/hc-weir-medical-marijuana-0406-20110405,0,7390437.story

Many positive arguments have been made about legalizing marijuana. For one, it is said that it could improve the economy if it is regulated because the government would have control over the distribution. Since they would be selling it as opposed to drug dealers on the down-low, they would make a profit. In addition, since patients who need medical marijuana can’t get in trouble for possession, the state would save money because there would be less people put in jail for using the drug.

College students have many differing opinions about the legalization of marijuana. Here at CCSU, we have a club called NORML which stands for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Many students have been hoping for a change in legislation when it comes to marijuana, and legalizing medical marijuana would be a step in the right direction. Sophomore Jen Glifort thinks that marijuana should be legalized.

“It isn’t addictive, like many painkillers,” said Glifort.

Colleen Cordner also agrees that this drug should be legal.

“I think legalizing it would lessen the allure for a high number of people. Also, considering the fact that alchohol and cigarettes are both legal, I think pot is in roughly the same category and should be legalized in a controlled manner in the same way,” said Cordner.

CCSU alum Alan Kagan thinks that marijuana is not as dangerous as some other substances.

“More crimes and accidents SEEM to happen due to high alcohol levels or use of other drugs. Not that marijuana is much safer, but it does not lead to as many problems as underage drinking or heavier drug use,” said Kagan.

Some people, like Jess Dean, believe that only medical marijuana should be legalized.

“Recreational [marijuana] should not be legal but the penalty should be lessened because it’s dumb to have a lot of people in jail for that,” said Dean.

There are also people on campus who are opposed to legalizing marijuana altogether. CCSU student Samson Hampton doesn’t think that the positives of legalization outweigh the negatives.

“It’s not the pot that’s the problem. It’s the dumb, dangerous stuff people do while they’re high. It’s the bad choices people make,” said Hampton.

It seems like the issue of legalizing marijuana will always cause differences in opinion and will bring up even more issues. If you ask me, the fact that legalizing medical marijuana is currently a possibility and some states (like Massachusetts) have already decriminalized possessing it for personal use, complete legalization will happen at some point.

No Jobs/Health

So I spent most of spring break job searching, and of course there's barely anything in my field. Unfortunately the jobs I really want are 1.5 to 2 hours away, some in CT and some in NJ...not my desired destination. However, I don't want a job I like in CT or I'll never move away! So I'll find something, hopefully. I'm not qualified for most of them since I don't have 1-3 years of experience because I'm just graduating...but I'm applying anyway. Can't hurt, right? Worst case scenario is I find a clerical job somewhere in Hartford and try to volunteer or get some kind of experience at a newspaper, even if I'm not paid for it. Then when I job search in Boston I'll have some experience to add to my resume. This week I'm having my resume checked by the career dept at school, then I'm applying to all of these places. Fingers crossed!

In other news, I've been trying to eat healthy. Today is the first day of week two. I want to lose some weight before summer even though everyone tells me I don't need to. I really do, I'm the only one who really sees my belly, haha. And it can't hurt to eat better. I'm excited and hope that I see results. My boyfriend is doing the same so we can push each other to eat right and exercise! The best healthy snack ever is carrots and hummus. Gonna go eat some now!

The Death Penalty

Today, I read an article called “Victims’ Family Members Want Capital Punishment Repealed” on Courant.com. This immediately caught my eye because the death penalty has always been a controversial issue that I’m interested in. I am a believer in the death penalty, even though so many people disagree with it. I understand that it’s cruel, but so is purposely taking a life. I think that getting a lethal injection is less pain that many victims have endured. It wasn’t fair that they were murdered and I think the only retribution is to sentence those murderers to death. I know it’s unethical for the justice system to play God, but looking at our history, people have been killed for crimes less than murder. Of course that wasn’t right, but it just seems logical to me that if someone rapes and murders a child then they don’t deserve their life. We all know that the justice system can be wrong at times, but it takes a lot of factors and evidence for someone to actually get the death penalty. And in some cases, like the Cheshire murders, we know that Steven Hayes knowingly committed a heinous crime. For that he was given the punishment of losing his life as well. How could we allow him to live?

I bring up the Cheshire murders because people who have lost loved ones to someone’s cruelty, like William Petit, will be affected by the article I mentioned above. According to the article, over two dozen families (76 people) of murder victims signed a letter asking for the death penalty to be repealed. Their reasons include that the money we spend to put criminals on death row and execute them would be better spent on victims’ services, that life is sacred, and that the excessive appeals for criminals will only cause victims’ families more pain. The opponents of the death penalty also argued that most families of murder victims will never actually see the murderer receive lethal injection because the appeal process takes so long.

I understand the points that the families brought up on why the death penalty should be repealed, but I also think that it’s unfair for them to try to represent every family of a murder victim. Just because they don’t like the death penalty doesn’t mean that it doesn’t bring solace to others whose loved ones were slain. Petit believes that the death penalty is a just punishment for his family’s murderers. Of course, he shouldn’t represent every victim’s family either. However, it should be taken into account that each case is different and that the death penalty helps some people heal and feel that there is such a thing as justice.

             If the death penalty is repealed at some point, I think this will change the face of the justice system as well as cause uproar in our society.

Montclair Weekend

I went to visit my old school, Montclair State University this past weekend. I had such a great time, and it was soooo good to see everyone again! It almost didn't feel real because it's been a year since I've visited. There have been so many changes made to the campus, it's just not the same. I still like to think of it as my school sometimes, but it really isn't anymore. Especially since I've been at Central for longer than I was at Montclair. But there are so many memories, good and bad, that are still at that school and it's nice to reflect and reminisce. I had a wild, crazy, amazing freshman year there and I met some of the most amazing friends at that school. I'll never forget them! I mostly got to see everyone I wanted to, so that worked out well. Went to bed at like 4 am every night so I am really wiped right now...needless to say I'm going to bed early tonight. I still feel a little guilty about spending money on the bus, but I'll be getting it back in a week or so, thankfully. And it was definitely worth it. I can't wait until I get a car and can visit Montclair whenever I want! It's only a 2 1/2 hour drive, not really that bad. And with a GPS there's kind of less of a chance that I'll get lost. Anyway, I just wanted to update because I haven't written in a while. Goodnight world, and please leave me comments whenever!!

Shocker: The News is Depressing

So, I'm not going to go into detail but I read an article in my journalism class about a girl who was called a "feral child." Basically, her mother left her in a basement alone for 7 years with no human interaction, sunlight, nurturing, schooling or anything and as a result she can't interact with people and has a hard time handling day-to-day activities like tying her shoes, eating, walking, etc. This article made me want to vomit, and the worst part is that this woman had 2 kids!! Besides this girl! Like, I'm sorry, could you just not handle the 3rd kid that you chose to have? Maybe don't have kids then. I don't want to discuss this in detail because I might cry, like I almost did in class reading this article. But this is yet another reason why 1- reading the news ruins my day, and 2- there are some sick and pathetic excuses for human beings in this world. I hope the girl's mother rots in prison for the rest of her life. Just thought I'd share that. If you have time to read the entire article, which is really long but very well-written, visit this link: http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article750838.ece

Don't worry, it kind of has a happy ending, thankfully a nice couple adopted her and attempted to give her the love and nurturing she should've received in the first 7 years of her life.

Cheshire Killings

So, I know I’m very far behind, but I’ve been reading up on news lately. I’ve decided that it’s super lame of me to be a Communication major and a Journalism minor and never watch or read the news. It’s not that I don’t like to be informed…I find that other people tell me the important stuff. It’s that I don’t find a lot of stuff in the newspaper interesting, and the news can also be really depressing. If you’re a Comm major, you’ve most likely heard the term “mean world syndrome” a million times. Basically, it means that the more we hear about bad things happening in the world through the media, the more we believe that the world is a horrible, violent place. I’ve always been the kind of person to think bad things don’t happen that often, and that people watch too much CSI or Law & Order. This is partially true, but some truly awful things do happen everyday. It’s depressing to hear about, but I guess it’s good to be informed about it so that we can prepare ourselves.
        (hey, i’ve discovered paragraphs!) Anyway, last week I made a pact with myself that in between my Facebook and Twitter stalking, I will read news articles that interest me and become a more educated pupil! As a result, I’ve started reading up on the Cheshire home invasion. I know I just said that I don’t like depressing stories, but consider me a masochist. It’s people like this, that hurt people for their own gain, that really make me feel like this world is messed up. I really don’t want to be cynical, but how can I not be? Anyway, I heard about the case a while back, but I never really read into the details. I was pretty much ready to vomit when I read that, allegedly, the “suspects” (which, I get that you need to be technical in the news, but come on, we know they did it) tied the daughters up, put pillow cases on their heads and lit the house on fire…not to mention one of the daughters and the mother were raped. For what? So those men could steal some of their money and valuables? That is so disgusting, I don’t even understand how people like this walk our earth. I literally feel sick to my stomach thinking that there are a lot of messed up people like this…like a good percentage. I probably went to school with someone who would commit a crime like this. There has to be a lot of them out there if things like this keep happening. We probably just overlook the John Wayne Gacys and Jeffrey Dahmers of this world and call them “troubled.”
          Sooo, the question becomes…what do we do about these people? I am completely for the death penalty. Hayes, one of the men convicted of the Cheshire killings, has already been convicted on 16 counts and will atleast serve life in jail, according to HartfordCourant.com. I agree with what William Petit, the only survivor in the family of 4, said about the death penalty. The Hartford Courant’s article Jury Finds Steven Hayes Guilty, Now Must Decide If He Lives Or Dies stated, “In a May 31, 2009, opinion piece in The Courant in support of the death penalty, Petit called the ultimate punishment “the appropriate societal response to the brutal and willful act of capital felony murder.”

He said he supports execution “because it is just and because it prevents murderers from ever harming again. By intentionally, unlawfully taking the life of another, a murderer breaks a sacrosanct law of society and forfeits his own right to live.”’

          I don’t know if agreeing with this makes me some kind of heartless person who doesn’t appreciate human life, or whatever people on the other side would say, but frankly, I don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be open to hear why people are against the death penalty. But in the end, how I feel is how I feel. And I feel that if you commit such heinous and disgusting crimes on another human being, knowingly and willingly, then you have no regard for human life, and therefore must be punished for that in the same way. An eye for an eye. Also, I think many people who disagree with the death penalty don’t have a full grasp on the law. I’m no expert, but I have taken some criminal justice classes. There are certain crimes that must be committed in order for someone to receive the death penalty, and aggravating/mitigating factors are weighed. It’s not like, boom, you killed someone, you die. To be considered for the death penalty for murder, you must kill a police officer or someone under the age of 16 I believe. Then other aggravating factors are looked at in addition, like if you rape and kill someone, or if you slaughter them in a completely heinous way. It varies from state to state, but overall, to get the death penalty you have to be a pretty nasty person. And to be honest, some people just deserve it…life in prison isn’t always enough. It may be more expensive to execute someone, which is what Hayes’ attorney wanted to argue, but who cares? I’ll pay a few extra taxes (not that I pay serious taxes yet…) if it means that these disgusting men will truly pay for what they did. Any thoughts?

(written 10/17/10)

The Mp3 Experiment

So I guess in this blog I’m not only supposed to rant about my over-emotional feelings, but actually talk about real life issues and events. Some interesting things happen to me…some worth writing about and some not…but The Mp3 Experiment is definitely one of those notable experiences. Randomly my boyfriend, Greg and two of his friends (another couple) asked me if I wanted to go to the Mp3 Experiment on October 2nd. I had no idea what it was, but I agreed to go anyway because it piqued my interest. What it is is an event that is put on by Improv Everywhere each year. This was the 7th experiement. Each person who decided to go to NYC for the event was told to bring several items including 2 pieces of computer paper (each one with a single letter on it, one a consonant and one a vowel); a wrapped gift, can be something in your house that you don’t want anymore but think someone else would like; a marker, a roll of toilet paper and of course, an mp3 player. Before the event we had to sync up our clocks to a clock on the website, and download an mp3 and put it on our mp3 player without listening to it. On the day of the event, we were all supposed to be in a mapped out section of the city near Grand Central Station, and at exactly 6 pm we were supposed to play the mp3 so that everyone would be listening at the same time. The instructions told us to start in a retail store, so me, Greg, Jess and Cole started in a Halloween store. There were about 15 other people there who were also part of the experiment. We were all giggling, excited to all be part of something so big…it was like our own inside joke. The mp3 told us to do all kinds of awkward things in the store like pick up an item and dance with it, straighten up the store, look at items on the shelves adoringly, etc. Needless to say, the sales people thought we were crazy. They kept trying to ask us if we needed help with anything, I was honestly a little worried they were going to throw us out. Then, the mp3 told us to walk outside of the store and walk down the street. It told us that we had to freeze in place at the same time, which was hilarious. People walking on the street were so freaked out to see hundreds of people everywhere just not moving. In NYC! The place where people are always moving. Plus, it gave us a chance to look around and see exactly how many people were part of this thing, which was also pretty incredible. We played other jokes on the people, like following strangers around and high-fiving them. However, the couple that we followed were less than thrilled…the guy actually flipped on us a little and yelled, “Are you guys following us????” Angering New Yorkers is pretty frightening. Eventually we all met up in a park and saw the other hundreds of people that were also playing along. We played games together…with our letters we had to form words with strangers, then sentences. We exchanged gifts, took turns drawing the continents of the world and wrapped each other up in toilet paper because we were supposed to be mummies. It was all a little silly, but it was fun! It was also really funny to see how people react to having their quiet chess game in the park interrupted by a bunch of kids jumping up and down with headphones on. I saw quite a lot of video and pictures being taken, I might have to see if I’m on YouTube! Overall, it was a fun day and it was exciting to see how many people chose to participate in this experiment. It’s also one of those things everyone wants to do…I think all of us have wondered what people would do if we did something really random in public…like break out into song as if life is a musical (which I’m told Improv Everywhere actually did one year). So yeah, it was a good time. The whole thing took about an hour, so we all went out to eat and then caught a train back home. My only regret is not being able to stay in the city for longer! I love NYC, hopefully I’ll go back soon. Anyone can be involved in these experiements, it’s completely free except for any transportation you need to get there…just find out when the next experiment is on the Improv Everywhere website and go!

(written 10/17/10)