Happy Spring Break and Easter everyone! I kinda wish I still had Spring Break. I always looked forward to a family trip or going home for a week or two. What’s everyone doing to survive the break? Going somewhere tropical? Wanna stuff me into your luggage? Im small and I wont take up too much space, I promise!
Hot Topics in the news this week:
- Billy Ray Harris This is such a sweet story and if you haven’t read it, you totally should. A lady gave Harris some spare change from her wallet. That spare change also included an engagement ring. I wish I had some spare diamonds lying around! The lady and her husband set up a fund for him and raised $185,000! Isnt that incredible? Harris was also on the Today Show and he was reunited with his family that he hadnt seen in over 15 years. This good deed is the perfect example of how doing the right thing pays off in the end.
- Amanda Knox: I am SO interested in this case. I think they need to leave the poor girl alone. Didn’t she go through enough? I followed this case and I really do believe her to be innocent. Italy needs to let it go. In case you missed it, the Italian Courts are wanting a retrial. Here’s the catch though – they can’t make her return to Italy. So, if there is a retrial she will be in the US while it is happening. From what I’ve read they won’t even arrest her. The other thing I find interesting is that they DID convict someone and he is now in jail for 16 years. It just seems like Italian Supreme Court is grasping for straws. At first I was confused because in the States you can’t be tried twice for the same crime (double jeopardy) . In Italy, there is a 3 strikes law, so she can be tried 3 times for the same crime. What drives me nuts is that they haven’t given a reason as to why she is being retried – is there new evidence? was there a clerical error? They have given us nothing.
- More On Amanda Knox: These points explain the situation a little more. I can think of so many other things that our department of State could be focusing on besides a trial that has already been squashed.
-The move potentially pits a U.S. constitutional ban on double jeopardy, or being tried twice for the same offense after an acquittal, against international extradition agreements, experts said.
-The issue hinges on whether a lower court decision overturning her conviction amounted to an acquittal, they said.
-If Knox is retried after she was acquitted, that would violate her constitutional rights, said Christopher Blakesley, a law professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas who specializes in international criminal law. On the other hand, the United States entered into an extradition treaty and, in doing so, accepted Italy’s criminal justice system, he added.
-The Italian government could ask for extradition once the Italian courts have reached a final decision, Dalla Vedova said. If it does, the U.S. Department of State would then have to decide whether to act on the request. If the State Department chooses to comply, it would then deploy the U.S. Attorney’s Office to a U.S. court to seek Knox’s extradition.
-What is unpredictable is how such a case would play out in front of a U.S. judge who would have to weigh the U.S. constitutional protection against double jeopardy with the 1984 bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and Italy. The treaty contains a provision that attempts to protect against double jeopardy, but it is not clear whether that provision would bar extradition in Knox’s case.
- New Zealand Baby Left In Car: If you click on the article you’ll see a picture of a baby and a note that says “My mum’s in doing the shopping, call her if I need anything.” How do you feel about running inside to just grab a few tomatoes while your infant is strapped in your car? Do you run into your house when you forget your cell phone and your kids are in the car? What if you’re at the gas station and need to run inside to pay? Do you take the extra 10 seconds to unstrap your baby to run in? Sure, it’s inconvenient, but to me I think it’s better than your entire life being ruined if your car was stolen. I have left my kids in the car twice. I don’t like admitting it, but it was at a dry cleaners and my car was maybe 10 feet away and I could hear and see my kids. Even though I was THAT close, I still have guilt over it because what if? There was a similar story in San Jose early this week. A woman was running in and out of her house and someone stole her car. With her baby inside. They didnt realize a baby was in the car and ended up abandoning the car. Baby was unharmed, thank God!
- Writing, Wishing: This isnt necessarily in the news, but this blog post is beautifully written regarding social media and children. I go back and forth on posting pics in this blog and posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram. It makes me really nervous, to be honest. I do still post, but I feel like I need to cut back. There are some people who post way too often (and some that prb think I do too haha), but then there are others that cross the line. Do you really need to post pictures of your kids going potty? Or of them naked all the time? Sure, it’s cute, but is anything private anymore? Where do we draw the line? Even aside from there being creepy people in the world, I never thought about my kids being in their 30’s and these pictures still being accessible. Maybe BG doesn’t want her future boss knowing she put on 12 pair of underwear over her jeans because she was so excited about potty training. I guess it’s time for me to start thinking about the future and how what I do today greatly effects my kids tomorrow.
- Victoria Secret {Bright Young Things} Victoria Secrets has a new line of lingerie. A tween line. This makes me really sad. I feel like this line is sexualizing young girls. Instead of empowering our young girls of the future, VS is encouraging them to wear underwear that say “call me” or “cutie”. I’d be embarrassed if I was doing my daughter’s laundry and I saw underwear like this. While this bugs me, I have to say I do think parents are freaking out and going a little overboard. What tween just goes out and shops on their own? If they do and you give them $20 for the mall, tell them they aren’t allowed to shop in their. Simple as that. You don’t HAVE to bring your daughter into Victoria Secret or Abercrombie. Just be the parent and adult in this situation. 🙂 I enjoyed reading the “More Than Just ‘Bright Young Things'” article too. It’s a different perspective that I appreciated.
Alison says
Thank you, ladies, for featuring my post!
Ashley says
Oh, you’re very welcome. Even though it’s not in the news, I think social media and how we use it is extremely important. More parents need to start thinking about it! Thank you for writing on the topic. There’s no way I could have written as eloquently as you.