Gov. Paterson Under Legal Trouble

Just a while ago, Gov. Paterson of New York stated in a speech to the public that he was going to withdraw from campaigning for New York's governor. He acknowledged that he would not be fit for reelection considering everything that has been going on with him concerning some legal issues he may be faced with. Gov. Paterson was charged with violating the State Code of Ethics as well as two parts of the Public Officers Law by accepting 5 free tickets to the first game of the World Series without intending to reimburse the Yankees. To add to his problems, he may also be faced with a criminal charge of lying under oath about the issue.

I understand why this issue is such a big deal, but I don't understand why the world is beginning to pass judgment on who he is as a person and a governor. Yes, he is a public official who is supposed to uphold the law at all times, but he is human and if anyone else had done it, it wouldn't be such a huge issue. The fact that he lied under oath is pretty bad but it isn't like he paid off a hit-man to kill someone. I am not trying to justify what he did in any manner. What he did was wrong and he should be punished for it, but I just feel as though the world is being a little too harsh on him right now.

Killer Whale Kills Trainer

Earlier Wednesday afternoon a killer whale, named Tilikum, attacked a trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at a SeaWorld theme park in Orlando, Florida. Many tourists were stunned as they watched the 12,000 pound orca drag the trainer down to her death. A spectator recalled that the whales were a little hostile before the attack occurred. In addition, that same whale was the cause of two deaths before this incident.
I am personally interested in seeing what will happen in the future of this story. I believe that many lawsuits and controversies will arise from this incident. First of all, the killer whale shouldn't have been allowed around people considering that it was responsible for two previous deaths. Obviously, this was a very dangerous whale that should have removed from the public a long time ago after it murdered its first victim. I believe that this will be a vital point in upcoming cases and lawsuits that may arise against SeaWorld. This was a very tragic incident and I offer my condolences to the family of the victim.

Missionaries Released

A group of eight American missionaries were recently released from a prison in Haiti after trying to bring Haitian children across the borders away from the earthquake stricken region. Their intent was to rescue orphaned children and bring them to Dominican Republic. However, it is against the law to take children away, out of the country, without proper documentation. Because the missionaries violated the law, they were arrested and held for nearly three weeks. However, recently a judge offered consent for their release because some children that were not orphaned by the earthquake were actually granted permission by their parents to leave with the missionaries in hopes that they could provide a better life for their children.

This event raises a bigger argument over justice and morality. Is it ever right to break the law for a good purpose? Are there ever times and situations where a person can be exempt from the law? I personally believe that there are times that the law should be set aside, especially when the matter involves a person's life. The missionaries had good intentions and meant no harm to the children. I understand why that law is in place, but I don't understand why the were held as prisoners for trying to rescue children. There is a bigger picture that I think was overlooked when these people of God were arrested and detained in jail in Haiti.

Introduction

Well....My name is Deanna and I am a freshman in the College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. I plan to double major in accountancy and finance. I would love to be a financial analyst one day. I have many plans for my future and I will put all my effort into reaching my goals.