KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL!!

In response to my second post of my blog, I agree that it is very hard for the law of banning texting while driving to really be enforced. How would police officers know and really have proof that people are actually texting while driving? As Kendall Baxter commented on my last post that, police officers state that drivers are more discreet now. This is very true, they can never really tell whose texting or not, being that people dont hold their phones where they could be seen. Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo stated, " I think the law is largely symbolic. The whole purpose of the law is to bring awareness to the fact that people need to pay attention while they are driving." This law is only being enforced to provide people with safety and protection on the road. Why not obey it? Therefore, there are alternatives or solutions to help decrease the rates due to texting while driving, or even talking on the phone while driving. Bluetooth is one alternative for talking while driving. Why not use it? Now there is a more advanced device brought about called the, FDIHandsfree or FDI voice. In using this device you can, send and receive emails, text messages, make phone calls, and more, all without using your hands. These both are great alternatives that can help reduce crashes and save lives. So I say, think twice before picking up the phone and talking or texting while driving. It's your life in danger.

Hero or Accomplice? 14 year-old charged on total of 44 counts.

Many people were curious as to what happened to the bus driver driving the bus that day, well Lucille Boddy, did speak out in an exclusive interview on WAPT news. The bus driver reported that she had pulled over the bus on a separate occasion to tell the kids to stop picking at her. She also feels that the teen should not be tried as an adult and that she should just seek medical attention. I do disagree with the statement of the teen being unaware of what she was doing. Although it is obvious to all that she acted out of fear, in the video she repeatedly said that she doesn't mind going to jail. She expects to be punished, she knew what she was doing was wrong. The bus driver still drives buses in the area. She was never suspended nor fired. I am sure she will testify at the trial, but to my knowledge nothing else has been done to the bus driver.

KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL!!

In response to my first blog, I agree with the both of you. It is ridiculous Tamara, and laws would be extremely helpful, Owen. Therefore, there is a law that was taken into effect on July 1st to ban texting while driving. This law was enforced to decrease the hazard of accidents and deaths. According to CBS, 30 states, including the District of Columbia partake in this law and banned texting while driving . Although, according to CBS again, the ban is not being very effective. To be honest with you Owen, no I don't think there is a way that police officers could actually enforce this law. I think that everyone should obey the law and not text while driving out of spite just because there is a law banning this. Many are putting their lives at stake when not obeying this law. According to an article on texting while driving, 5,870 people died in car crashes in 2008 due to texting while driving, compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Also, according to the same article, adults outnumbered teenagers in texting while driving, 47 percent adults and 34 percent teenagers. This article shows the many statistics of texting while driving. There are many alternatives and ways to avoid the deaths and accidents that occur, only if people will use them. What is one way you think that can help decrease the rates of deaths due to texting while driving?

The Danger of Elderly Drivers

An Elderly Driver.

egmcartech.com

What's as dangerous, if not more, than a sixteen year old driver?

Answer: An elderly driver.

Although what age is considered elderly varies from person to person, elderly drivers pose a risk to the safety of all other drivers. According the the article, "When to Put the Brakes on Elderly Drivers," elderly drivers experience slowed responses due to a declination of vision, hearing loss, and muscle strength. They also may experience drowsiness due to medication, which is as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, and both is punishable by a DUI.

In 2007, USA Today, a reputable and national American daily newspaper, posted an article about older, dangerous drivers called, "Older, Dangerous Drivers A Growing Problem." In the beginning of this article, Robert Davis and Anthony DeBarros recall the account of an elderly driver, Elizabeth Grimes, and the tragedy of this driver hitting a seventeen year old that was on her way to school. Davis and DeBarros explain that a neighbor saw the signs of Grimes's unsafe driving state, but did nothing about it. They further explain that most elderly drivers cling to the independence of driving, even though it conflicts with other drivers' safety.

In order to be fair and safe, elderly drivers should have to have an annual driver's exam to test their motorist skills. This would be beneficial for everyone because it keeps safe and competent elderly drivers on the road and it increases the safety for all drivers. In the following video, the Patriot Ledger, a local newspaper, interviews an elderly driver, Elsa Grimm. In this video, Grimm states that, "We live in our cars, but everything depends on safety." She claims to be a safe driver and doesn't believe all elderly are unsafe drivers.

A YouTube Video. Interview with Elsa Grimm.

In the next YouTube video, WPBF talks about how some elderly drivers "just lose control" or commonly mistake the gas pedal for the brake pedal. This video supports my view that annual driving tests for those over seventy can efficiently "weed out" the unsafe drivers while keeping capable drivers on the road.

Too Old to Driver?

Hero or Accomplice? 14 year-old charged on total of 44 counts.

Bullying. Everyone has been bullied by another, whether it be physical or verbal, while others have been the bully. There have also been others on both sides of that fence. For the past year, a 14-year-old teen girl has been struggling with getting prepared for a trial for bringing a gun on the school bus. In the article by a WAPT reporter, "Athlete Disarms Girl on School Bus" it gives us a brief overview of this teen's story. If you would also view the video to get a more vivid image of what happened, Caught On Tape: Girl Pulls Gun On Bus.
As stated in the article and video, she is being charged with 22 counts of kidnapping and 22 counts of aggravated assault. Should she be tried as an adult? I strongly disagree that she should for the simple fact that she is fourteen and that she acted out of fear. In no way do I condone any kind of violence, but I do not believe she should be tried in this way. To my knowledge as well as witnesses on the bus and other school officials, she had reported to the bus drivers that several students had been picking on her, but the cries went ignored. The main bully in this case is the "hero" Kaleb, the football star that tackled the young woman. Kaleb was allegedly verbally abusing the young lady, while his younger sisters attributed to more physical bullying. Being that I am from Yazoo City, I have family members that attend that school and ride that same bus (the little girl jumping over the seat is a relative of mine). So should Mr. Kaleb be considered a true hero? Or an accessory to the crime?
My opinion is very biased on the entire case. I am eternally grateful that he was able to risk his life to save those of others, however, he was also the "mastermind" behind the entire plot. If he know he is guilty of such bullying accusations, he should not have accepted all the glory he had been given. He should have come clean. But he knew better. A senior football star bullying a fourteen year old girl, looks great on a college transcript eh? If you knew you were the main contributor to such a crime, would that not eat away at your conscience? It would definitely eat away at mine knowing that I put 22 people in danger, 23 if you include the young girl with the gun. Some kids have a low tolerance to being picked on and if complaints went ignored, something drastic was bound to happen one way or another.
As a criminal justice major, I am very intact with the law and fair punishment. I do believe she should receive a harsh punishment, yet not the same as an adult. If you listen closely in the video she says she's tired of being picked on and that she doesn't give a damn anymore. All she wanted was to be left alone. She went about it the right way at first and when that didn't work, she chose a more elusive scapegoat which eventually caused her her freedom.
If parents are not even letting their children testify on their behalf, not letting them make statements, or having anything to do with that day, should the young lady be charged with ALL 22 counts of aggravated assault and ALL 22 counts of kidnapping? If more parents truly gave a damn about the situation then they would have their children saying and doing things to make sure she is not released from jail because she is a threat to society. If it is true she was being bullied, in which I strongly believed she was, Kaleb and his sisters should deal with the guilt that they are the driving causes of the madness.
The young lady on trial happens to be a relative of mine. Kaleb happens to be a former playmate of mine. In no way am I taking sides because I was not on the bus, and the fact that I know both parties personally does not shape my opinion in any way. If I were just reading the article for the first time about two completely different teens, I can guarantee my opinion will be the same.
It is situations like these that drive kids to kill and cause harm to others. In this case, this is no regular hate crime. They weren't picking on her because she's gay or her parent's are gay. Hell her parent's aren't even involved in her life. They weren't picking on her because of where she is from. They weren't picking on her because she is black or because of her religion. They all lived lived along the same dirt road. They all went to the same school. They all wore uniforms to school. So what was the purpose in all of this? There isn't one. Just senseless mistakes and wrongdoing towards many.

During an interview with a mother that heard the chaos due to a call made to her by her 10-year-old daughter, the mother tells the interviewer that her children witnessed Kaleb and his sisters picking on the young girl on multiple occasions. It has been a year since this incident happened, and to date this woman is the only parent that allowed her children to stand up for the fearful young lady. The only mother that agreed to tell her kid's side of the story. In no way did she jeopardize her kid's lives. She simply took matters into her own hands to give statements for the simple fact that what she believes in and her morals in that right is right and wrong is wrong. You don't pick on someone because you never know how far you will push them. The 14-year-old could have committed suicide in front of all 22 of her "victims", scarring them for life. Leaving on their conscience that they could have prevented it in any kind of way, directly or indirectly.

So in conclusion, I do not feel the young lady should be charged as an adult, but she shall be punished severely. Weapons nor violence is ever the answer to anything. Kaleb is not to be considered an actual hero, but the guy that saved the day. There's a difference. A hero doesn't provoke situations and then take credit for saving the day. Kaleb, in my opinion, just happened to be there at the right place and time. He too acted out of fear. He knew the gun was for him and his sisters and he had no choice but to protect them. Fear makes people do crazy things. She should not be tried on all 22 counts of aggravated assault and kidnapping, in my opinion. She could be looking at a minimum of 36 years in prison if tried as an adult. Knowing the Mississippi justice system, she will be given the maximum sentence. The Mississippi system has a habit of giving unjust punishments, such as the the trial of the Scott Sister's back in 1993. Punished? Yes. As an adult? No.

KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL!!

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When the luxury of texting was brought about it was something everyone had and wanted to learn to do. I wouldn't know what I would do without it. It really comes in handy at times. Texting has made communication so much more conveniant and easier with its many different abbreviations. Be honest, it was the best thing anyone could have ever thought of, we all love it.

However, by it being so much more time consuming, this started people to text while driving without knowing the many dangers. This is the cause of the many accidents and deaths that occur today. According to International Business Times, 16,000 were killed in the US between the years of 2001 and 2007, all due to texting while driving, according to federal data. (http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/66405/20100928/texting-while-driving-road-accidents-in-us-texting-and-driving-road-accidents.html)

Many people put themselves, along with others at risk when texting while driving. People also feel the need that the message received is much more important than their lives, as well as others. Well they are wrong, it is a serious distraction. Texting while driving impairs your ability of being alert and focused on the many things around you. For this reason, you should wait until you have reached your destination or even put you phone on silent to avoid the urge of looking at the message.

So, the next time you are on the road think about the many people lives you are putting at stake. Keep your hands on the wheel and off the phone. Is the message so much more important than your life and others?