#wayag68

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Out of context press quote #11

I like us too

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Quick question- if you could compare your debate skills to a weapon, which would you choose, and why? 

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Giving Kids a Shot?

How Firearm Education Will Keep Our Children Safe. By Jackelyn Briseno Arceo and TyYonna Kitchen

At first glance, SB #1.05.03 looks like just another bill on school curriculum requirements and additions that we think are necessary to educate our children. However, when looking closely, the bill addresses a more controversial issue. According to the bill, children would be required to learn about firearms starting in the third grade and throughout high school. When taking into consideration the yearly deaths and accidents involving firearms, it will become evident why this bill is a necessary step forward, not just in educating our children but protecting them. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, firearms accounted for 600 unintentional deaths in the United States in 2011. Teaching children that guns are dangerous when not handled properly and are definitely not toys would, without a doubt, help decrease this number and reduce the risk of accidents further on in the person’s life. With firearms becoming many parents’ choice in protection, these weapons are not always stored properly which can pose a threat to the whole family. If a child were to get a hold of a gun without knowing what it does, the results could be dire. This bill is the only way to ensure that all children in our state become aware of the dangers and uses of firearms if they happen to come upon one. I imagine the issue with this bill to be whether or not it’s wise to give children access and the ability to use guns at such a young age. We believe sooner or later, these children will come into contact with a firearm and it’s critical that they know what to do (or not to do) with it and how to handle it properly. As stated in the bill, children would also be under the care of trained professionals who are qualified to teach such courses. This would ensure their safety when handling the weapons as they would be under close supervision. Teaching children about the dangers of the improper use of firearms will give them an advantage and the ability to potentially protect themselves from the threats of the violent world we live in. These courses could mean the difference between life and death when placed into a dangerous situation. This bill would not only educate our youth on how to deal with the threats posed by firearm misuse but ensure that they are fully aware of what firearms can do and the consequences of treating them like toys.

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The Boogeyman is Back!

Lobbyist Bill 1.02.05 bringing your nightmares to the worldly plane?

By Millie Chittenden

   The "heaven sent initiative", anticipated to be one of this year's most controversial bills, should not, in my opinion, be passed, as the idea of demons and devils and other such unsavoury and quite bluntly, dangerous creatures, should not have such easy and free access to our realm of existence.     It is stated in this bill (lobbyist bill 1.02.05) that the creation of "hell ports" will regulate and thusly make safer the entering of aforementioned demons and entities from the vast region below.  I personally have never had an encounter with any of the sort, and am not looking forward to any encounters with these kind, which I fear will happen if this bill is passed.     By allowing these creatures free access to our state, we are also allowing them to creep into our closets and to hide under our beds and frighten us: the Boogeyman is back, everyone!     We already have enough paranormal activity occurring in our state, why add in demons as well? Massachusetts has a rumored "Dover Demon", with a disproportional melon-shaped head with glowing green or orange eyes on a small body with spindly arms and legs. Several sightings have been reported of this creature on many a late night. And I know I do not want to run into any of Washington's potential "Dover Demons" if this bil is passed.     TyYonna Kitchen, a devoted press member states that she believes, " Yeah no I don't think so."     So please. Think of the greater good and vote no to the heaven sent initiative. Save nightmares from becoming real!

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More Patricks at the End of the Rainbow?

Forced names for March 17th babies By Maya Wharton

               There are some really impressive pieces of legislation being presented during this session. A real head turner is the St. Patrick’s Day memorial written by Savanna O’Mahoney. For those who aren’t familiar with this fireball, the bill is proposing that from now on everyone born in America on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, will be named Patrick.                Some of the opposition is related to parental rights. Though not as glamorous as the issue of child vaccinations, taking away the right of naming one’s child is a huge breach of freedom. Lobbyist and proponent of this memorial Savanna O’Mahoney has a simple solution for this issue. “The fact that the first name is Patrick does not stop the parents from giving their child whatever middle name they want,” said O’Mahoney. “The parents can still call their child by whatever they want, the only thing that changes is the name on their birth certificate.”                Another point of attack is that the memorial does not include any specification on gender, which is throwing many delegates like House Representative Grace Sanwald for a loop. “Gender identity is already a problem for many girls and boys across the nation.” Sanwald was on the same committee as this memorial and has some unique insights. Making the word cruel a common term when describing this imposition put upon St. Patty’s Day little girls and boys. Feminists counter that equal naming is an equal rights issue and that newborn boys and girls should be treated the same and all have access to the name Patrick. Many people of Irish descent are offended by this idea because Patrick is a traditional Irish name. St. Patrick’s day itself has become somewhat of an embarrassment to the Irish people. “This would make St Patrick’s day an even bigger mockery of the Irish culture,” said Sanwald. So would the Irish see this as America mocking their culture? Is it fair to take Patrick away from them? The opposition says no. Lobbyist O’Mahoney says that by naming all March 17th babies Patrick, America is honoring the Irish tradition and would not be offended.                “Lots of people have traditional Irish names,” said O’Mahoney, “and I do not believe that they would find it offensive due to the fact that they too have people named Patrick.”               Names can be a very sacred label for some families and many in the opposition are putting emphasis on this fact. “A name is a person’s identity and that’s something that follows one around for their whole life,” said Sanwald. “There are people whose cultures and names are really important to them and to who they are.” Lobbyist O’Mahoney begs to differ, “I feel that this needs to be put into place in the United States because we are known as a melting pot and I feel like we need to celebrate all cultures and this is just the first step.”         Will parents allow their children’s names to be taken out of their control? Will little girls named Patrick be bullied or is naming equality a step in the right direction? Will the Irish people be offended or honored by this bill? These are all questions that will hopefully be answered later this week on the Senate floor.                        

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Battle of the Bills

The Quest to be the Next HB40 By Grace Stallings

     House Bill 40, now an infamous term at YAG, a bill that swept through the rooms of Olympia with an unprecedented reaction last session. It was the bill that everyone was talking about and paying attention to. The request to impeach Obama captivated the program’s attention in ways unlike any other bill while exposing parts of parliamentary procedure never seen before. There are several factors that contribute to a bill being the most talked about. Including: the spread of conversation on said topic, publicity on the subject or item in question, media coverage on the relations of the topic, large amounts of controversy, and political shenanigans.       This year, many of the bills are about controversial topics. Some of the topics have been covered extensively in media; but many have not had significant coverage as of yet. Here are some bills that may become hot topics this year at Youth Legislature: Lobbyist Bill #1.02.05 - Heaven Sent Initiative Senator Bill #1.05.01 - Ban on Homework Senate Bill #1.09.02 - Lowering Congresses Pay Senator Bill #1.09.03 - Lowering Legal Voting Age Lobbyist Executive Bill #1.09.06 - All People Born on St. Patrick's Day Shall be Named Patrick Page Bill #2.08.09 - Requirement for students to be called by preferred name and pronouns by teachers House Representative Bill #2.09.06 - Declaring War on ISIS Assistant Attorney General Bill #2.09.07 - Instating a Superbowl Celebration Day Page Bill #2.10.06 - Taking away daylight savings time Cherberg Senator Bill #3.11.01 - Taking away the death penalty O'Brien Representative Bill #3.12.01 - Adding metal detectors to schools 8th Grade Delegate Proposal #4.00.04 - Banning the use of Springboard 8th Grade Delegate Proposal #4.00.21 - HIV/STD testing offered at schools Page Proposal #4.00.41 - Elimination of standardized testing Page Proposal #4.00.45 - 7 letter English alphabet 8th Grade Delegate Proposal #5.00.04 - Housing and Food for Unicorns 8th Grade Delegate Proposal #6.00.13 - Not allowing a student to continue to the next grade if they did not pass the standardized test      These bills cover a wide array of topics, a few are more aimed to be joke bills, but many of the bills are discussing serious topics that have a wide influence on our world today. The next four days will reveal which one may become the next HB40.

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Out of context press quote #8

You can never avoid my sass