ENOUGH

If you have never seen the movie "Enough" starring Jennifer Lopez, it is about a woman, Slim, who meets the perfect guy or what she thinks is the perfect guy; they fall in love, get married, and have a beautiful daughter together. A few years later she finds out her husband is sleeping with other women when she gets a call from a current mistress looking for him. When Slim threatens to leave her husband he starts abusing her and threatens her, using their daughter to make her stay. Slim then plans her escape to leave and take her daughter with her. She escapes but with her husband nearly killing her in the process.Throughout the rest of the movie the husband tracks down Slim and his daughter causing them to take up different identities and change their appearance constantly. Slim eventually has 'enough' and learns how to defend herself with the help of a trainer. She later traps him in his own home and with her training manages to kill her estranged husband so that her and her daughter will finally be safe. When her husband is finally out of the picture, Slim and her daughter can live a happy life.

This movie depicts the justice issue of domestic violence. In this movie, Slim was threatened and beaten by her husband and almost killed her on more than one occasion. She had to take up a different identity for herself and her daughter because she feared for her life. Many women deal with domestic violence and feel that they cannot escape because of the fear that their spouse will come after them and abuse them more leaving them to be stuck in a relationship. In the movie Slim went to the police and got a restraining order but that still did not help. She asked the cops what was she supposed to do when he came after her? Throw the paper at him? This is a problem with restraining orders because even if a woman, or a man, gets one there is still the chance that a person could violate it and come and harm them. This movie ended with the victim overcoming her abuser but in many cases this does not happen which makes domestic violence a terrible justice issue among others.

PURE COCAINE

Drug enforcement is one of the biggest issues in America today. Should we legalize drugs? Should we reduce the punishment? It seems that drugs have been on the topic of discussion a lot lately in the past couple of years. This song by Yo Gotti is about the drug cocaine mostly with small mention to marijuana. The song talks about the sell, benefits, and process of doing and selling drugs. It would seem in this song that there is nothing wrong with cocaine which would raise brows on most occasions. But I see the song just like any other controversial song or TV show, just because the artist talks about it does not make it true or make someone feel the need to try it. A portion of the song also talks about making a "run" for drugs and how the person is dressed in a suit with a bible beside him and driving slower like an old lady to prevent from getting pulled over; if he does get pulled over the suite and bible may prevent an authority figure from stereotyping him and searching the vehicle. The "War on Drugs" will never end and I think that the more people discuss ways to improve legislation on different types of drugs there will be an extreme change in the justice system.

 

*There is no official video for the song, but here is the Youtube link for the song. It is just a constant picture in the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGXMPvE1Hd4&feature=related

 

[Chorus]
Pure cocaine, pure cocaine [x2]
All I ever served out in these streets is pure cocaine
[Chorus x2]

[Yo gotti]

Remember me coca'ina you like my best friend,
When I was down and fucked up you got my ass in
Far as I remember my nigga my life is full of pain,
I posted up in the snow I stood out in the rain
I laid that white on the table I watch em catch a drain,
I knew right then right there that I would never live the same
I'm like a bird myself nigga wrap me up and move me,
I got a stamp in the middle the whole hood approve me
But you can't break me down (down) you gotta sell me whole (whole),
It's a drought on real niggas you already know
I'm that ether nigga that fish scale,
You that oil base homie you don't cook well
I'm yo gotti the king and I got that young cash,
New money in a muthafuckin dufflebag
All hundreds in a sour creme ruffles bag,
Young money bitch I keep a couple hundred stashed

[Chorus x2]

[Gucci Mane]
Coca'ina heavily cooking dope excessively,
Heavy risk activity my god given ability
Hid the bricks in the 6 wait 'til they get low to???,
Shawtys start a lotta problems let her start it off wit bricks
Gucci mane the dope boy point me where the jays at,
Heres a 50 slab watch my'74 to payday
Shawty want some hardball baby want some powder,
I'm so high I see stone mountain
Gucci got da birds I aint talkin bout da falcons,
Gucci slangin birds also known as a dragon
Hundred pounds of midgrade stash that in my magnum,
Roll it to the country then them country boys I tax them
Gucci mane bastard cook dat dope faster,
Make that dope stretch like a 80 inch plasma
Coke skank dope skank smokin on my airplane,
80 in the air man bricks over here mane

[Young Cash]
Yeah, I never thought I would be ridin dirty on i-10 just reup and flip again,
Rent a car from enterprise license proof of insurance
Speed limit 65 so I'm goin 62,
Both hands on the steering wheel drivin like a old lady do
Crackers pull me over they aint got shit gotta let me dip,
Purple haze is all I smoke but she couldn't make it on this trip
Usaully keep a pistol too one in the chamber clip full,
Not today on i-10 it's nothing but me and redbull
Collared shirt brown slacks lookin like a business man,
Bible on the passenger side yeah I'm a christian man
Yeah I pray to god let me get these bricks back lord,
Please don't let these crackers try to search this lil ol' honda accord.
Shit I'm wide awake, I aint sleepy so I aint gon swerve
Told you I like the traffic when it rain I call em thunderbirds
I'm the only one touch the work so I know it's all good,
Cause I don't move nothing but, nothin but, nothin but

Suicide Guest Speaker

The guest speaker talked about something that no one really likes to talk or think about, well at least I don't. Suicide is death. Death is sometimes suicide. I really liked the speaker in that she was pretty broad in her topic and gave us some of the signs, signals and ways to help people that were thinking about suicide. I never thought about how someone could be happy when they have decided to commit suicide. But it does make sense that once they have made the decision they feel a lot better. However, you would think that if one sat and pondered about committing it, they would chicken out? I don't know, I have never thought about it. Another thing I found amazing was when she talked about survivors who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge. All of the survivors said that going down they wished the hadn't of done that. So one can only assume that the people who did accomplish suicide on the way down to their death were thinking the same thing. So in that split second when you want to back down you cant. Suicide... there aren't enough words to explain it. 

My brother and I were talking about this last weekend because our cousin just came to us and said that she thought about doing it. We were shocked of course but she said that it was a while ago and she is better now. When my bother and I were talking I was telling him how this 20year old kid died because he was on the top of a tower recording a football practice in high winds at some university I heard about on the news. The tower collapsed and the kid died. I told him that I couldn't imagine dying at this age, I am not ready to die and for some freak incident like that to happen to someone that is my age you can never be too safe. Whats going to happen is going to happen, but I would never, never, think about ending my life because times are bad. I do understand that some people feel depressed and don't have people to go to like me, and I cant fault them for that; but I always say that if things are as BAD AS THEY CAN BE today, then you can be sure that tomorrow will be better. Don't tell me that people have mental or emotional issues and its not that easy because I know the facts, we just had the speaker. I am only saying that I can see no reason what so ever to take your own life... crazy topic... gets you thinking.

TRICK OR TREAT... OR THE POLICE??

Police in Mecklenburg County visit sex offenders a night early this year. The county has made it a habit to go door to door and visit registered sex offenders on Halloween night to "raise awareness" from what they say. They have decided to do it a night early this year because Halloween falls on a Sunday and said it would be more of a surprise. Although a lot of registered sex offenders are allowed to hand out candy on Halloween the visits make sure that the offenders are following the terms of their parole and that their contact and address information is correct.

Although I think that this strategy is a good one to protect people, I think that it may be a bit speculatory to only check on the sex offenders around Halloween. What about all the other days of the year? Sex offenders are expecting police around the Halloween season every year and can easily prepare. I guess it is better safe than sorry. This particular news station actually rode around with a policeman and got statements from sex offenders. If I were them I would not want to be recorded for the nightly news. I am assuming they had to get permission but the sex offenders did not seem too excited to be on the news. Overall however I guess it is an okay strategy to keep children safe, I just think it is a bit strange to do it everyday on Halloween.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/25580822/detail.html

"BLACKOUT IN A CAN"

A new, but fairly popular alcoholic drink has been dubbed "blackout in a can". Four Loko is an alcoholic energy drink that blends caffeine and liquor. If you haven't heard of it, or even tried it yet, it is fairly new and has been over the news all day today on various news stations. It is currently being evaluated by the FDA for safeness. The producers of Four Loko said that it sells its products to people of age and people have been mixing caffeine and alcohol in products for years and have been fine. One can of Four Loko is equivalent to six beers! So if you drink two cans then you have basically just drank a 12-pack by yourself. The product grew attention when college students in Washington state went to the hospital and the hospital though that they had been a victim of a date rape drug but later found out that the students were only drinking Four Loko. The drink has hospitalized 12 students and nearly killed one. Many Universities as well as some states are looking at banning the product. This shows that the copy cat effect is not only suitable for individuals but for states and institutions as well. Because I can bet that if one University or state bans this drink, there will surely be those that follow.

My opinion on the situation? The can clearly notes that the drink is 12% alcohol which is a lot more than most canned drinks with the average wine cooler having only 4-6% alcohol content. If you are old enough to drink I think that you should be able to judge how much you can handle. However, a specialist that was interviewed said that the mix of caffeine and alcohol makes it hard to judge how much you can handle and slows your reaction time (like every other alcoholic beverage). I say the students should take it as a learning experience. Personally I've tried it once, yes I'm 21, and it had a disgusting taste and I never want to try the stuff again. For those of you that do, and are 21, it comes in nine flavors, so pick your poison (literally). But please be careful! It packs a mighty punch and will probably leave you with one heck of a hangover in the morning if you don't watch it.

COPYCAT FILM

People will try almost anything and after watching this copy cat film, I know this for a fact. The things that not only children imitate but adults as well is ridiculous. As a society we should be able to tell the difference from what happens in a movie or on TV from what happens, or should happen, in reality. The guy that said he went on a killing spree and did it just like they did in the movie had to of had some sort of mental problem because one would think that you can understand in a movie a person is not really getting killed. I mean if a person would do that just because they think its okay to cut someone down the chest has a problem from distinguishing fact from fiction. The woman who gathered the girls to stage a bank robbery like that in "Set It Off" was actually kind of funny. I think it is because no one got hurt and it is just so ironic. I think that if one of the girls had not told her friend about the idea they may have gotten away with it. But more heinous crimes should not be blamed on movie producers. Their job is to provide us with entertainment and if some people can not distinguish what should happen and what is just fictional then it is the individuals fault and not the entertainment industry. If movie producers stop giving us horror and action films on the base that they don't want people to copy them, then America would produce an uproar about how its not fair. Yes, movie stars are sometimes depicted as being cool when they are actually doing violent things but it is all in the plot of the movie and most importantly of all fiction. The film was an eye opener of how crazy people can be, but no one can control the acts of a select few in society.

Kids Will Be Kids... Adults Will Be Dumb...

I grew up with two brothers, so I was around guys all the time and was a big "tomboy". We would always act out different things we saw on television although most of them were just like fighting like Power Rangers or Ninja Turtles or something of that sort. I even tried to jump off of the monkey bars with an umbrella like Mary Poppins, like a lot of kids, but fortunately did not end up getting hurt. One of my most memorable memories from my childhood however was not done by me although I got to witness it. My brothers and I liked to play with fire and gasoline, terrible I know. We never caught anything major on fire, although now that I look back we could have done some serious damage. I remember a Tom and Jerry episode where Tom lit a ring of fire around Jerry and my brothers and I had been watching it one morning. So during the week when my parents were at work we had gone out to our little "houses" we had built in the woods behind our house. My brother got mad at my oldest brother for some reason and decided to pour gasoline around his "house and set it on fire. Thank goodness my brother was not in the house (and he knew he was not in there) because we just sat there and kind of laughed knowing that our older brother would be really mad when he came outside to see his house area was ablaze. We eventually put the fire out but we always joke about it and say "we could have caused a huge fire because of all the trees and dead leaves around!" I just think it is crazy that he got the idea from Tom and Jerry, which was a pretty violent show if you think about it. The incident could have turned out a lot worse and I can only imagine (and now I really don't have to since we read stories in class) how many kids tried to mock cartoon shows and movie scenes that were purely fictional. I guess children don't understand the relationship fully between fiction and reality.;

There may be an excuse for children, but when adults try and copy things they see on TV, like Jackass and Wildboys, it is just plain stupidity. An instance that I remember that turned out to almost end in a trip to the ER for a guy I knew. It was wild when it happened but now we laugh when we think about it. Basically he had seen on TV where a guy lit his shot on fire and drank it and he thought he could do the same. I don't know the logistics of how to drink a flaming shot, but when he did it, it did not go down like it did in the movies. Instead he threw the shot back and his entire mouth had blue flames coming out of it! He jumped around yelling and screaming but made his way to the sink where he was able to put it out. Amazingly he didn't have any burns but it was still dumb. If people try things like this I can envision the people who think it would be cool to do all the other stuff that they see on different media sources; maybe even kill.