Shocking LA Airport Shooting:
Part 1 of "The Right of the People"
by Reed and Jillian
Part 1 of "The Right of the People"
by Reed and Jillian
On December 15th, 1791, the Second Amendment of the North Carolina Constitution was created. The Constitution states:
“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; and, as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they shall not be maintained, and the military shall be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Nothing herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that practice.” “The right of the people to keep and bear arms” is now coming out as a major issue globally, continentally, and even locally. Currently, there has been much debate surrounding official gun laws, restrictions, and enacting new ones. This series, “The Right of the People,” will surround this fast-growing issue of gun control and gun rights, as of 2013. Does the second amendment give rights to people to carry concealed weapons, carry them into public venues, or does it say quite the opposite? Different states have varying degrees of laws and regulations surrounding weapons, particularly handguns because many places have differing views on the interpretation of the 2nd amendment. Some enforce strong and comprehensive restrictions and regulations, while other states gun laws are very limited and permissive. Ciancia was a resident of Los Angeles, moving there just after his mother died of a serious illness. He lived there for just over a year, before making multiple suicidal remarks to his family. Concerned, Ciancia’s older brother asked for police to check on him. Unfortunately, Ciancia had already left for the airport. |
In the past, Ciancia had made remarks regarding that officers misused their searching privileges and engaged in “deemed inappropriate” action. Before he left, Ciancia wrote a note stating that he wanted to “instill fear in (the TSA officials’) traitorous minds.” He then strapped the note to his body and departed for the airport, gunning, quite literally, for these officers.
After arriving at the airport, Ciancia killed one TSA official, Gerardo Hernandez, the first TSA official to be killed in the line of work since 2001, when the TSA was first created. The officials and civilians shot, but not killed, were still critically wounded, and were sent to the hospital after Ciancia was shot twice, then sedated and taken by police. He was released from the hospital on November 19th. He now faces two judgements: the death penalty, or life in prison without a parole. He is currently in custody by the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Ciancia, while in the hospital, later admitted to officials that it was a one-man crime. Other indications of his motive, besides his general unhappiness and possible suicidal thoughts, as well as displeasure for the TSA, are unknown. After being questioned, Ciancia’s roommates said that there was nothing unusual about him, with no change in behavior or anything to indicate he was planning this act of crime. This was not the same response from his close family. Ciancia caused the death of a TSA officer and injury of multiple others, because of access to guns. Will more regulations be placed in LA because of this shocking event? Only time will tell. Later in “The Right of the People,” Sparks Middle School and their recent shooting will be investigated. |
Kimrey Represents Youth in Battle for Voting Rights
By Reed and Jillian
By Reed and Jillian
The history of and laws around voting in North Carolina has been a topic for discussion for decades. Many teenagers and young adults are unaware that a precious right was taken away on September 1st of this year. Past history shows that North Carolina has been oppressing different peoples for many different reasons, and this is still a problem today.
In the recent months, youths, ages 16 to 17, have been deprived of the privilege of pre-registering to vote. This has roused debate, and ignited a fire in the eyes of 12 year-old Madison Kimrey, a local NC resident. Madison is a youth activist with a popular global blog, “Functional Human Being.” She has been a voice for many young people in North Carolina robbed of this privilege by recent laws passed by the legislature and supported by Governor Pat McCrory. Kimrey has faced much at a young age, from being called a “prop” for the liberals by her own Governor, to being denied the right to speak with him. In response to the challenges of to being taken seriously as a young person speaking of politics, she says, “It's always difficult no matter what your field is. I know kids who excel in many other fields and they face the same thing. I can't force people to take me seriously. I just have to be myself.” Kimrey has always been fascinated with NC politics; she says, “I've always paid attention to the news, and have had an opinion on what I read and hear. What sparked an interest in getting active, and in showing me that my being active could make a real difference was when some friends faced discrimination by a children's museum down in Florida. My best friend lives there, and when we went to attend the demonstration, there were all kinds of people there, and I saw what a difference all that support made personally to the family who was facing injustice. Then I came back to NC, and attended my first Moral Monday. I saw what was going on in my state, and I saw that by protesting and speaking out, everyone could make a difference together.” Kimrey’s dedication to voting rights goes far beyond the thoughts of most her age. |
Kimrey also comments that our voting history as a state definitely impacts her as well as other young people around her: “We had poll taxes and literacy requirements to vote at one time here in NC. These measures were put in place to keep African Americans from voting. I think this is related to my issue of pre-registration because this was an opportunity teenagers had, but then was taken away. I think all the young people should be asking questions about this. Why would anyone want to do away with an opportunity that encouraged young people to vote? Why was it one of the very first parts of the new law to go into effect? Why was it put into effect during what is the start of the school year for many kids? It sure seems to me like some people in our current government doesn't like young people voting. Why is that?”
Kimrey states plainly, “If I were Governor, and people in my state wanted a voter ID law, I would ask myself how I could implement such a thing without causing voters to be disenfranchised. I understand those who think we need to show ID, but I also understand those who have problems with this. That should be the Governor's job, to look at both sides and figure out how to best help all the people he or she represents.” Some people view that voting should be limited to only those who know the topic well enough to make an educated guess. Kimrey claims that “Just because someone might not know a lot about all the laws and topics, doesn't mean they aren't going to be affected by the outcome of the election.” This includes 18-year-olds, who may not be able to vote anymore due to the lack of pre-registering. Whether or not 18-year-olds can make educated choices is still up to debate. If you’d like to learn more about Madison Kimrey, you can go to her blog at http://functionalhumanbeing.blogspot.com/ |
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