Comment On Fellow Classmate's Blog

  In Jessie Ellis’ blog, ¡Effects and Affects of TheAmerican Government!, the article, Body Cameras, discusses the issue of required recording of actions and interactions by police officers with civilians and with each other. While Ellis argues for the use of body cameras, and while I agree with the argument made, both sides of the issue aren’t covered.  For instance, it would require a large amount of tax-payer money to equip officers across the nation with high definition cameras that record constantly. There would need to be large buildings of servers to record the data, federal departments to sort through all the footage, and federal programs to legislate the storage, use and misuse of such sensitive information. As mentioned by Ellis, there are also moments when recording would be inappropriate, such as the informing of family of the death of a family member, or during the testimony of a rape victim, which, by recording, might discourage them from speaking out. On the other hand, knowing that what they say will be heard by others might encourage people to use their voice to speak up against injustice and be a solution to civil and criminal problems.

  

  I’m for the required use of body cameras by police officers, for many of the reasons stated, such as reestablishing trust between police officers and civilians, and reminding both police officers and civilians that, badge or no badge, people are people, and should be treated kindly, fairly, and as oneself would want to be treated. We should be working with each other, not against each other. Police officers are supposed to keep the peace and protect civilians, not treat them violently and as inferior. Civilians should remember that police officers are meant to help, and instead of jumping on the bandwagon of distrust for public officials, citizens should work together to establish a healthy coexistence between groups, despite any and all differences, and all the while focusing on the similarities shared. Besides, nowadays, kids across America are making YouTube videos, teenagers are taking selfies, and twenty-something year olds are adventuring around with GoPros. If citizens are recording videos for personal enjoyment and recreation. I think police officers can do it for the sake of professionalism and taking a step towards keeping the peace.

Eat Healthy, America!

  If food was free, what would you eat? Would you choose organic or GMO? With pesticides and herbicides, or without? If you eat meat, grassfed beef, or hormone grown cattle? When it comes to food, we live in a country of many options, but when most are different brands of similar toxins, how easy is it really to make the right choice? It's as easy as one makes it, and there is good food out there, but one has to search for it. I think it's important to make that search as easy as it can possibly be.
  Most eat McDonald's, not because of the quality, but because of the affordability, and how it tastes. But when the affordability is due to mass production and lack of quality, and the taste comes from an added blend of chemical concoctions, its hurting your body more than its helping your wallet.  On a related note, a recent study conducted by the Connecticut College showed that Oreos are as addictive as cocaine and morphine. While cocaine and morphine are strictly regulated narcotics, Oreos are in children's lunchboxes nationwide. Low quality food is viewed as the standard, and organic, non-GMO food, which should be the standard, is considered of the top class of culinary consumables. Millions of families across America eat genetically modified foods, with little to no information about the negative effects, but they are still affected by them. This is wrong, it is peddling poison to the people, and it has to stop.
  I call for a reform of food policies, as well as the promotion of education when it comes to foods and the companies that supply them. Organic foods should be the go to, fruits and vegetables should be plentiful, and people should know what they're getting in the food they're provided with. Processed foods should kept to a minimum, genetically-modified crops should be avoided, and local farms should be favored over large-scale, corporate-controlled agriculture. With money of purchases going to local farmers rather than corporations, more money would be put back into the economy rather than be collected by a large company. With an increased availability of organically produced food, prices will go down, and it will become more economically affordable for the people of America, and the world, to eat healthily. Instead of looking to science funded by corporations to develop and provide us with food, we should look to the food that is present on our planet, the food that has been here for thousands of years, the food that has been provided to us and for us.