Congress' Education Proposals

Like most of America, I typically don’t have much praise for Congress. However, in the last several days Congress may actually be getting something correct on the domestic front. Both the House and the Senate have set in motion Bills that will aid thousands, perhaps millions, of Americans seeking higher education.

According to the Associated Press, over the last 10 years, interest rates on student loans have risen considerably. And just within the last 2 years, interest rates on student loans have increased so dramatically that the amount that some borrowers will (eventually) have to pay back has doubled. In short, the gift of education has become increasingly less affordable for many across the country.

The major focus of the House Bill is to cap the monthly payments for low income borrowers; a practice that has been adopted in other industrialized nations like Great Britain. Hopefully this will also ebb the number of people who don’t pursue degrees due to the fear of high monthly payments, a reality that has been cited as a cause for the loss of interest in low paying (but necessary) service jobs.

The Senate Bill, which was approved unanimously (95-0), targets the actual student loan industry. The Bill bans gifts by loan companies, like Sallie Mae, to public institutions; a move that should prevent specific loan companies from getting preferential treatment on lender lists. That move should help keep the focus on the best interests of each individual student as opposed to focusing on the financial benefit to a school from a particular lender. Also, the Senate Bill aims to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) clearer and concise, hopefully leading to fewer costly student mistakes on the application.

During the last few Congresses, and certainly during this current President’s administration, there has been far too little emphasis on domestic issues such as Education, Health Care, Housing and Urban Development. So it is nice to finally see a very significant Bill be brought to the table that actually benefits those of us who live here in this country—a concept that seems to have been lost since the start of our “global war on terror.”

I will have to do further research to better understand the specifics of these proposed legislative moves and all of their ramifications, but I am least glad to see that the legislative branch of our government actually remembered us for a change.

This legislation, along with a recent bolster to the Pell Grant, are certainly positive steps toward helping many people attain that great and powerful gift of education.

-Maelstrom

Vick Indictment

For several months now a storm has been brewing over the head of Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick. The storm of allegations, which included hosting, participating and promoting dog fights on property he owns, seemed to die down. But the storm dramatically worsened this week when he was indicted by federal investigators on those allegations.

And the details in those charges are absolutely horrendous:

Reports of killing dogs that lost prize fights—which likely translates to losses of tens of thousands of dollars—by wetting down a dog and then electrocuting it, slamming another dog on the concrete to kill it, hanging another, and several other unthinkably inhumane dog killings. Investigators even uncovered a “rape stand,” used to hold unwilling female dogs in place to mate with males.

I mean, this ain’t lookin good!

The indictment of Vick comes at a very interesting time in the history of the National Football League (NFL), the league that Vick plays in. The new Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, has been on a mission to clean up the image of the league. He recently took the very drastic step to suspend 2 players for off-the-field activities. Pacman Jones of the Tennessee Titans—suspended for the season, and Tank Johnson of the Chicago Bears—suspended for part of the season, got the attention of the media for skirmishes with the law, but neither was indicted for their actions. In the case of Tank Johnson, he was not only suspended by the league for part of next season, but was also released from his team only to have all criminal charges brought against him dropped.

So the question is, with such a low standard for league suspension (i.e. no indictment, just repeated bad behavior can lead to suspension), how can the Commissioner not suspend Michael Vick now that a Federal Indictment has been leveled against him?

And don’t be fooled by many of the sports reporters that keep saying that Vick is a “first time offender,” and that the league’s zero tolerance posture is meant for repeat offenders (which is oxymoronical in nature). This is not Vick’s first run-in with the law; he has a checkered past, going back several years. His most recent skirmish with the law came earlier this year when he was caught with marijuana in a decoy water bottle at an airport.

As for Vick and potential prison time specifically, if the Feds have taken the time to indict him, and indeed have all the corroborating evidence and eye-witness testimony that it sounds like they have, I think he could actually serve time in the slammer; the most significant charge being brought against him being a Conspiracy charge. That charge means that even if Vick wasn’t present for any of the activities or didn’t participate in any of the activities, he could still serve time for merely agreeing to hide evidence or carry out these activities (etc.).

I hope the allegations aren’t true, because they are outrageously unthinkable. However, whether Vick is convicted or not, I don’t see how he can avoid being suspended for at least a portion of the upcoming NFL season.

-Maelstrom

"A Grave Miscarriage of Justice"

A couple weeks ago, a further injustice was perpetrated against a young prison inmate by the Georgia State judicial system. Genarlow Wilson was convicted of child molestation for having consensual oral sex with a 15 year old girl at a New Year’s Eve party 3 years ago. Under Georgia state law, Wilson, 17 years old at the time, was committing a crime since the girl was not the legal age of consent, 16. He has been in prison serving a 10 year minimum sentence ever since.

As many people have pointed out, including some of the jurors that actually found Wilson guilty but have since expressed their regret, the law was never intended to be imputed in this fashion. The law was designed to protect children from adult sexual predators; not to jail teenagers for engaging in sexual activities. Since the ruling against Wilson, the law has actually be rewritten so that incidents like the one involving him won’t happen again.

But Wilson remains in prison.

Why?

Because a very cruel State Attorney General (Thurbert Baker) disagrees with the Judge who recently said, “The fact that Genarlow Wilson has spent two years in prison for what is now classified as a misdemeanor, and without assistance from this Court, will spend eight more years in prison, is a grave miscarriage of justice.”

So here’s just how silly this ruling against Wilson is: In the state of Georgia, until this case, it was a misdemeanor for a 17 year old to have intercourse with a 15 year old (with a maximum 1 year jail sentence and no sex offender status ascribed). But the same 17 year old (as Wilson was) can be convicted of felony aggravated assault for performing oral sex with a 15 year old (10 year minimum prison sentence, 1 year probation and required sex offender registration). In fact, until 1998, it was a felony for husband and wife to engage in oral sex in Georgia, punishable with up to 20 years in prison.

And this is how unbelievably heartless the State Attorney General and the Prosecuting Attorney (Eddie Barker) are: The crime that Wilson committed, which has landed him in prison for 10 years, would now only be a misdemeanor with a maximum 1-year sentence and no sex offender registry. But even though the state law has been changed, these to characters think that Genarlow needs to serve out his sentence, or plead guilty.

I should point out that the young lady involved in this case has repeatedly stated that the sex acts committed were totally consensual. But again the law steps in and fogs the situation. Since she was only 15 at the time, she couldn’t consent to have sex, legally.

It is in instances like these that I believe jurors, prosecutors and state attorneys should use responsible, reasonable discretion and consider the actual case over the law (i.e. uphold the spirit of the law, not the letter, since Mr. Baker has derogatorily claimed to have the duty to “uphold state law”). And assertions that by making an exception in this case, the flood gate of appeals will open for others with similar cases is a moot point at best. This instance is egregious, obvious, and I’d imagine that it is highly unlikely many other cases like this exist; and if they do, they should really be re-evaluated.

It is time for Baker and Barker to get off their high horses and do the right thing. Release Genarlow Wilson from prison, no strings attached.

That, Mr Baker, would be upholding the spirit of the law. That would be justice!

-Maelstrom

PS: There is a July 20 hearing for this case...this time I hope they get it right!