Person Of The Month- Black History

Who: Oprah Winfrey
What: A powerful female role model and philanthropist
Where: born in Kosciusko, Mississippi
When: Born on January 29, 1954
Why: Oprah managed to overcome hardship in her childhood to become on of the most successful and well-known women in America. She uses her wealth to better communities all over the world instead of using it for selfish purposes. She first launched her career as a TV news anchor, but she was seen in the broader national spotlight when she was cast in The Color Purple film. She soon got her own TV show that would become one of the most popular talk shows in America, she now has her own TV channel and has touched many people all across the world.

Current Event- Drug War Cons

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-rosenfeld/prohibition-repeal-drug-war_b_4392354.html
Who: Derek Rosenfeld
What: The drug war is beginning to look like Prohibition of the 20's
Where: U.S.
Why: The extreme regulation of drugs in America seems to be playing out like a second prohibition in America's history. Prohibition of alcohol didn't work because it led to huge increases in organized crime, corruption and violence. The Drug War seems to be paralleling the prohibition of alcohol. Illegal drug cartels are the ones making all the money and the majority of our prisons are people on drug charges, causing our government to lose more money. This cycle is just going to continue if we don't learn from our pasts mistakes and stop with the extreme regulation of drugs in America.

Person of the Week- Audrey Hepburn

Who: Audrey Hepburn

What: She was an actress, fashion icon, and philanthropist

When: 1950's and 1960's

Why: I would want to be Audrey Hepburn because I believe she was a very influential person in the mid 1900's and made a great role model. She was both an amazing actress and humanitarian. I find her to be a very respectable woman as she decided to devote a large amount of her life to UNICEF instead of just enjoying her fame and fortune. I truly respect her selflessness and desire to give back.

Current Event Death Penalty

Who:Edward Lee Elmore
What: A man was falsely accused and on Death Row
Where: Maryland
When:1984
Why:A man in Maryland was falsely accused of murder and rape in 1984 and was put on Death Row. In 1992 he found a book on DNA testing and requested that his DNA be tested for evidence. Then a year later he was cleared. Now DNA testing is used, but he is sure that he isn't the only one who was falsely put on Death Row. He says this just proves that the Capital Punishment in the U.S. is broken.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/07/opinion/bloodsworth-death-penalty/

Current Event Death Penalty

Who: James Beasley
What: Sentenced to death
Where: Ohio
When: March 2013
Why: James Beasley lured men on Craigslist by saying he was hiring them to work on his cattle farm when he was really just trying to kill them. He was charged with 26 counts of aggravated murder and kidnapping. The jurors decided it was only right to sentence him to death.

5th Amendment Current Event

Teacher Punished for Educating Students of Their Rights

Who: John Dryden
Where: Illinois
When: May 31, 2013
What: A history teacher at a high school was punished for making his students aware of their 5th amendment rights.
Why: A high school history teacher told his students about their right not to be forced to incriminate themselves before they were taking a school drug survey. The school superintendent punished the teacher by docking him a day's pay and issuing a formal reprimand. The teacher was just trying to educate his students and he ended up getting a petitioned signed by 6,000 people on Facebook. He and many others did not believe he should be punished for making others aware of their rights.

Fourth Amendment Current Event

Supreme Court Ruling Regarding Cell Phone Searches

Who: The Supreme Court
Where:Washington D.C.
What: The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the unwarranted search of cell phones as unconstitutional.
Why: Police were searching the phones of people without warrants or evidence. The justices agreed that a cell phone gives the police access to an endless amount of information about the person. And this information should be allowed to be kept private unless the individual has substantial evidence against them. The justices in the Supreme Court believe it would go against everything the fourth amendment stands for if they allowed the unwarranted search of all phones because it would eliminate the privacy of the individuals in our Country.