1.) Conflating Terrorism and Drugs
There is a little known provision in the 2006 Patriot Act that established a new crime, known as narco-terrorism, committed by violent offenders who had one and in terrorism and the other in the drug trade. Russell Hanks, a U.S. diplomat, called the legislative action "the manipulation of weak-minded people, in weak countries, in order to pad arrest records." One investigator said that narco-terrorism had become an "expedient way for the Drug Enforcement Administration to justify its existence." [1]
These cases. when brought to trial, rely almost exclusively on evidence gleaned from sting operations and has fueled skepticism among counter-terrorism and national-security officials about the extent to which terrorists engage in the drug trade.
2.) Black Lives Matter and the Free Speech "Fallacy"
"A movement rooted in the rejection of police violence diversified, launching campaigns to combat a broad range of perceived injustices, from gender inequality toe the minimum wage to housing and education policy." "As the movement began to branch out from purely honoring the victims of police brutality to raising awareness about perceived injustices in all sorts of social systems, that name [Black Lives Matter] attracted new groups of allies." St. Louis law professor Justin Hansford says it was "the emphasis on gender, identity and social inequality [that] helps explain why Black Lives Matter's agendas are spreading to college campuses." [2]
Success has created a new set of challenges and charges. Wesleyan University's student government slashed funding for the school newspaper after it published a column critical of Black Lives Matter. At Smith College, a group associated with Black Lives Matter barred members of the media from attending unless they pledged solidarity. [3]
There is a broader dimension to what one Time reporter calls the "fallacy of 'free speech'." "The campus revolts just keep coming, as students go to ever greater lengths to defend their rights not to be upset." This has gone to school administrators' labeling texts with 'trigger warnings' to help students "avoid having to read about difficult topics like racism or rape." [4]
3;) Education Won't Cure Inequality
"First of all, education has not proven to be the poverty cure-all that many hoped it would be. In face, the United States has already increased educational attainment levels substantially over the past four decades, but poverty rates and inequality have not noticeably fallen." "The share of poor Americans with high school and college degrees has risen steadily. But poverty rates have increased throughout the nation." "Graduation rates for U.S. college students remain fairly low; a vast increase in the number of students entering college would probably send those rates even lower." [5]
4.) Work-Life Balance
"Work-life balance is a perpetually hot topic, with 40% of full-time Americans workers logging more than 50 work hours, according to a 2014 Gallup poll." "People who work 11-hour days or longer are 67% more likely to develop heart disease than those who work seven or eight hours a day." [6]
5.) Gun Rights Trump Gun Control
A November 2015 Washington Post-ABC News poll found that only 46% think that new gun laws to reduce gun violence are more important than protecting gun rights -- down from 52 % in 2013. But upwards of 85% support expanding background checks for the four in ten gun sales that occur online or at gun shows.
Since Sandy Hook, six states: Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, New York, Washington and Oregon have expanded background checks. [7]
6.) Young Boy Fatally Shot
The 6-year-old killed by what are called "city marshals" in Marksville, Louisiana was hit by five bullets, mostly in the head. After the boy's father stepped out of the car, a total of 18 bullets were fired. The father was standing with his arms upraised, caught by the released video.
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