"Obama's Proposal for Free Community College: Reconnecting Education with Aspiration"

By: John Hope Bryant

Source: Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hope-bryant/obamas-proposal-for-free-_b_6533436.html

In President Barrack Obama's recent State of the Union Address that he gave to Congress and the American people on January 20, 2015, he mentioned free tuition to community colleges. He reignited the dream that the American Dream CAN be achieved through hard work and dedication, despite one's socioeconomic background. President Obama's 60-billion dollar plan to give everyone two year's of tuition free college is good news for those who come from poor backgrounds. In 10 year's the Federal Government would spend $60 billion dollars, with the Government paying 75% of it and the State's paying 25%. Tuition has long been a huge factor in who can graduate, and who can't. 

This is an important piece of legislation because everyone should have a chance to go to college. For so long, people from poor area's have not been able to attend college because they simply cannot afford it. In a country with 30% high school drop out rate, we have to make sure every student gets to college, so that one day, earning a College Degree would be seen as the norm. Free tuition would mean that many more kids will join attend college, and one day make something of themselves. More people will be living the American Dream like they deserve to. 

Gatsby Quote

"The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." (Fitzgerald, 104)

      This quote was a comparison made by Nick Carraway between Gatsby's and Jesus's similarities in the sense that they both made names for themselves. This quote is not exactly important, and does not serve as a main theme in the story. He was young once, like Jesus, but managed to achieve his dreams and the American Dream through hard work and dedication despite the many obstacles that the world threw in his way. Jay Gatsby made his persona; his wealth, appearance, and personality, so that he could eventually win back Daisy's love. This is important because Gatsby did all of this for one girl, the girl that he loved. His whole life, his motivations, and everything he did was built upon the love and devotion he had for one woman.

Los Angeles Party

My party will take place in Los Angeles, California, the entertainment capital of the World. My guests will include top politicians, businessmen, celebrities and wealthy individuals who will be flown in from around the world with Bombardier Global Express private jets. Upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, guests will be transported to the luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel in Downtown via a fleet of black Jaguar XJ's where they will spend the night. The next day, at approximately 6 pm, the guests will be chauffeured to the iconic Hollywood hotel, Chateau Marmont, where a party will be held in its sprawling outdoor patio. Entertainment will include a live DJ, a dance floor, access to the pool and hot tub, and free drinks at the iconic Chateau Marmont bar, Bar Marmont. Food will be catered by a collaboration team including world renowned celebrity chefs, Austrian-American Wolfgang Puck and Spanish Ferran Adria. Guests will be served hors d'oeuvres and the finest bottled Champagne by tuxedo clad waiters. Once the hors d'oeuvres have finished, dinner will be served at a buffet type table including dishes like Sushi, and ginger sides. There is no specific theme to the party, but the whole patio will be lit up by fires rather than lights. The party officially concludes at around 2 am, at which point guests will be transported back to the Ritz-Carlton in Downtown. The next two days guests are free to choose which activity's around the city they wish to partake in, all expenses paid, when finally being flown back home.

First time warning shots are fired from an aircraft

"For first time, helicopter fires on suspected smuggling boat"

By: Tony Perry

Source: Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln--panga-helo-20150119-story.html

A panga boat believed to be smuggling bales of marijuana just off the coast of Santa Catalina Island was fired upon by a Customs and Border Protection Blackhawk helicopter. The boat was initially spotted by a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft just 24 miles off the La Jolla coast. Shortly thereafter the boat was being pursued by both Coast Guard and Custom and Border Protection aircraft and interceptor boats. Around 11 P.M. a Customs and Border Protection helicopter arrived on the scene and flew close to the panga boat. Law enforcement agents repeatedly asked the panga boat to stop, but to no avail. Finally the Blackhawk helicopter fired warning shots across the bow of the boat, stopping the boat. This incident marks the first time warning shots have been fired from an aircraft. Three men were arrested and transferred to Border Patrol. The panga boat was also seized by officials. 

This is a somewhat important event because it marks the very first time warning shots have been fired from an aircraft in an attempt to stop suspects. The Customs and Border Protection Blackhawk helicopter managed to stop the boat in a safe manner in which no one was hurt. The boat refused to stop after repeated requests and law enforcement individuals handled it well.

Slain Muslim Officer is proud to be Muslim

"Charlie Hebdo: Slain Muslim was proud to be policeman, says brother"

By: Patrick J. McDonnell

Source: Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-france-slain-policeman-20150111-story.html

             On the eve of the Charlie Hebdo massacred, the nation of France is still mourning, along with the world. During the search for the suspects of this heinous crime, the victims are often overlooked. Forty two year old, Ahmed Merabet was an eight year veteran of the Parisian police force. While responding to the scene where the two suspects were reported, Ahmed was wounded, and then shortly fatally shot in the head by one of the assailants. Ahmed was a devout Algerian Muslim. On the site of his slaying, a makeshift monument was made featuring candles, flowers, and handwritten tributes. Ahmed's brother, Malek Merabet, called the suspects "false Muslims". He also added that he was proud of his brother, who he said proudly represented the police force, and the integral values of the nation. He concluded his speech calling for peace, saying that violence will not bring back the dead, and solve the problems gripping France. 

   The Charlie Hebdo attacks was a tragedy that not only affected France, but the whole world. The entire world came together to defend the basic human right of free speech. This tragedy must always serve as an example that freedom of speech cannot be stopped, and the victims of this unfortunate attack will never be forgotten in the hearts of the French people. 

Organized Crime during the Roaring 20's

     On the dawn of the era forever known by history as the Roaring 20's, the United States Congress passed the 18th Amendment, also known as Prohibition. This historic piece of legislation, passed on November 18, 1918, banned the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages. Passed with the good intention of strengthening America's moral fiber, and lowering crime, the Eighteenth Amendment did the contrary, spawning a new wave of gangsters who would dominate the American crime world. One of those said gangsters was the infamous Al Capone, whose headquarters and home were found in the fifth floor suite of the Lexington hotel. He is forever known as America's most infamous gangster, and was nicknamed "Scarface". Fellow gangster Charlie "Lucky" Luciano used this new form of legislation to his advantage as well, and with his associate, Meyer Lansky, rose the ranks of the Italian mafia and eventually formed the National Crime Syndicate. Countless other names and stories all culminated to form the vast mosaic filled with the rich history of Organized Crime in the United States. All these gangsters, albeit rivals, were alike in many ways. From bribing local to federal politicians, to forming international alliances to transport a wider variety of alcohol throughout America, these gangsters used a law hated by the masses to turn a profit and fund their luxurious tastes.
 The Roaring 20's was a time of luxury, opulence, excess, and sin. Fueled by greed, American gangsters took a law that was meant to better America and its people, and turned it into their driving force to make a profit. Crime rose rapidly, and America's streets were a war-zone between rival bootlegging gangs. Prohibition was repealed by Congress on December 5, 1933. By that time, organized crime had become involved in the illegal narcotics trade as well.

Sources:

http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/organized_crime1_final.html

http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone.html