Saturday, May 12, 2007

Sunday Forum

Sunday Forum:
Is the government doing enough to enforce environmental laws and regulations?

I do not believe that the government of Guam is doing enough to enforce environmental laws and regulations. There is no funding to pay the individuals who enforce environmental rules or to maintain public places. This gives others the opportunity to break environmental rules with no punishment. It is evident by the amount of environmental pollution that the government and the citizens of Guam are not doing all they should to protect our land and surroundings.



Kimberly Castro166 S. David Gorton Street
Talofofo,Guam 96915

Letter to a Leader

To: Congresswoman Madeline Bordallo May 09, 2007
Fr: Kimberly M. Castro

Dear Congresswoman,

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. My name is Kimberly Castro and I am writing to you in regards to the treatment of the soldiers in the Guam Army Reserves and National Guard who have served time in Iraq. With all due respect, I believe these soldiers are not receiving the benefits they should be entitled to – such as: their retirement money should they decide to retire after their tour of duty. Medical care should be afforded to these civilian warriors. Although they are not contracted under active duty, once activated to a war zone they are considered active duty soldiers. They receive active duty pay and benefits. However, once their tour of duty is over. They are sent home and once again labeled as reservist or guardsmen, who are not given the benefits they deserve for fighting for our freedom. I feel that this issue should be addressed. Thank you once again for your time.

Sincerely,
Kimberly Castro

Pursuit of Happiness (3)

The Pursuit of Happiness is a true story about a struggling salesman, Chris Gardener. He takes custody of his son Christopher after his wife leaves him. Chris goes up for an internship as a stockbroker and hangs on to his dream of giving his son a good life. For weeks they were homeless and went days without food but never lost their hope. In the end Chris’s hard work and faith got him the job. He came to be a millionaire and was able to give his son the life he had always promised him. I think this movie shows that if you believe you can do it, you can. Even if everyone around doubts you, like everybody doubted Chris, all that matters is that you don’t doubt yourself.
This movie also shows that even if you are a good hardworking person, the world does not slow down for anybody. Anyone can become homeless overnight but the thing that matters is how you deal with it. Another thing I liked about this movie is that it showed Chris not only overcoming his bad times but also breaking down. It shows us that when times get hard it is okay to cry. Its okay to admit that it is hard and that you feel pain. For example, in the restroom at the train station Chris played with his son until he fell asleep. Then when his son was sleeping in his arms, he cried. I really liked how he had his doubts but never let his son see that part of him. It reminded me that no matter how strong people may seem, everybody has pain.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Interview Q's with Officer Barry Flores

1. Do you believe that exposure to danger causes police officers to have a pessimistic outlook on human behavior?
I don't believe that exposure to danger causes police officers to have a pessimistic outlook on human behavior. It has made me more aware and cautious that certain stressful situations tend to make an individual(s) react differently. In this line of work, an officer should always try to remain non-bias. Every situation should be dealt with case by case. One case cannot justify a pessimistic reasoning for all others.

2) Have you ever experienced what is populary known as "Police Stress" - 'the emotional pressure produced by the nature of police work such as public apathy, exposure to criminals, or injury to fellow officers?
True, but this is a common element that all police officers are exposed to. Prior to applying to any law enforcement agency, the applicant does not fully understand what is expected of him/her. The so called "stress factors" within the police department are numerous. more so, than any other profession that I've been a part of. The large majority of the public and criminals respect officers, the badge and what the badge represents. As for a fellow officer being injured, I am sure all officers feel something, but each officer copes with it in his/her way. "Police Stress" encompasses a wide range of concerns. This type of profession exposes officers to situations like no other job on earth. Officers see, record in writing, testify to the most heinous crimes imaginable. The work hours are long, the shortage of officers are constant, overtime pay outs are dependant on agency funds available, spouses and children pray for the safe return of their loved one when he/she leaves for work each time, etc., etc., etc. The list can go on and on....

3)Alexander Smith conducted a series of studies on the influence of education on attitudes of police officers. He found that the more college education an officer has attained, the less dogmatic their attitudes were and the higher/better their job performance. Do you believe this to be true? Besides adding more to your 'to do list', how has your college education affected your performance at work?
Any individual, policemen or any other profession, have already been raised through their years with insight and an attitude. Learning something else within a classroon or book only alters an attitude, that I feel is temporary. In short, speaking from experience, attending college for a degree only adds to the so called "police stress" that you asked about in question number 2. Even after receiving a college degree, there is no guarantee of a promotion towards rank. School like anything else, is done for self improvement. The only thing school adds, is to the already high level of stress.

4) Police Attitude is said to stem from two sources. The first is the Socialization Model which states that police officers learn their attitudes and values from socializing experiences, such as education and experience on the job. The second is the Predispositional Model which states that the attitudes and values of police officers are developed prior to entry into the law enforcement profession? Which theory do you agree with?
Like I mentioned, a person's attitude is shaped from his/her upbringing not from training.

5. As briefly as possible, describe a typical day of work.
My typical day begins at 7am. though my regular starting time is 8am. Being that I am attending college, I start work earlier than usual to make up for my time at school. I also skip my lunch hour to also compensate for time away. My day starts by doing write up of interviews conducted on the previous day(s). In between these write-ups, I schedule appointments. I deal with reading case files over and over to see if all investigations were completed. I can go on and on, but there is a lot. I am also a member of the Crisis/Hostage Negotion Team. When off from my regular daily duties at 6pm, I am an on-call investigaor to be activated for any crucial case(s) at any time of need.

6) Is it difficult to seperate your occupation from your family/home life?
I've learned to keep both separate, though, at times they conflict. This takes some juggling and patience from the wife and family before a system is down pat.



7) Do you feel that the general public is non - supportive when working with police?
The general public is very cooperative when dealing with the police. Sometimes, of course, there are those unwilling individuals or those individuals who tend to watch a lot of "Law and Order" or some other law enforcement series.

8) In what ways do media images distort the true nature of policing? What is a common misconception about police officers?
Media will always print and say anything that helps to sell the product. They try to be careful of what they say. There's is always the First Amendment "Freedom of Speech". Investigators are very selective on what they pesent to the media without providing too much details. The media, will not jeopardize their relations with the police department by printing damaging material. It would not be worth ruining communications just on a one-time story.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Open Activity - Ten Lies.

1. My Father is a junior in college.

2. My great-grandfather was the Master Carver of Guam.

3. Two of my family members committed suicide in the same year.

4. I've seen a dead body on the road while driving.

*5. I have never been to the mainland.

*6. I own three dogs.

*7. I love to swim.

8. I can name most parts of my car engine.

9. I've attended four high schools.

10. I graduated a year early from high school.

11. My father works at DYA.

12. My mother can speak Chamorro fluently.

13. I have 37 first-cousins on my dad's side.

*14. I've known my best friend for five years.

15. My auntie Karen was stabbed to death by her husband whom she was separated from at the age of 33.

16. Alcoholism runs in my grandfathers family.

17. My biological grandfather is a convicted pedophile.

*18. I graduated at the top of my class.

*19. My dad pays all my bills.

*20. I've never been pulled over by the cops.

*21. I am excellent cook.

*22. I am the youngest in my family.

*23. I have one brother and two sisters.

24. My stepbrother is a doctor.

25. I only drink water.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Chapter 18 Vocabulary & Outline

"Comparative Criminal Justice"

Vocabulary.

01. Synnomie - The sharing of values to the point of harmonious accommodation of divergent views.

02. Anomie - A "normlessness", or lack of attachment felt by some people toward their society.

03. Transnational crime - Offenses in which the planning and execution of the crime involve more than one country.

04. Hijacking- The unauthorized seizure of a land vehicle, aircraft, or other conveyance while it is in transit.

05. Trafficking in humans - The smuggling of women and children form their home countries, usually for purposes of sexual exploitation.

06. Corruption - A term referring to bribery or extortion, through misuse of official position, either for personal gain or through threats of harm or legal action to force payment.

07. War crimes - Violations of law committed in excess of the brutality of the war itself.

08. Genocide - Intentionally destroying an ethnic, racial, national, or religious group in a systematic manner.

Outline.

The Risk of Crime Around The World.
`It is difficult to compare crime rates in different nations because of various methodological problems.
`The world crime surveys conducted by the United Nations have found that theft is the most common crime. Assault is the most frequently committed violent crime.
`Victimization surveys have found that crimes is not often reported to police and that victims and offenders share many of the same characteristics.
`Countries with low crime rates appear to have developed strong social control through family systems and religious tradition, practice, and belief.

Transnational Crime.
`Greater ease of travel and communication has made the commission of crime much easier.
`Among the most significant types of international crime are hijacking, trafficking in humans, corruption, and war crimes.

Transnational Law Enforcement.
`The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) assists member law enforcement agencies requiring information about crimes or criminals of a transnational nature.
`Europol shares information about drug trafficking among member countries of the European Union.
`Effects are being made to professionalize law enforcement agencies around the world.
`Efforts to establish an international criminal court have been hampered by differences of opinion among nations.
`There are four families of law: civil, common, Islamic, socialist.
`Although there are international differences in the punishment of criminals, basic standards of treatment should apply everywhere. These have been codified by the United Nations in the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
`The forcible abduction of a fugitive from one country to be brought to justice in another raises legal and ethical problems. Similar problems arise when fugitives are lured to other countries.

Chapter 17 Vocabulary & Outline

"Juvenile Justice"

Vocabulary.
01. Delinquency - A criminal act committed by a person under the age of the majority.

02. Status offenses - Undesirable behaviors that are unlawful only for juveniles, including habitual truancy, curfew violations, repeated running away, and ungovernability or incorrigibility in failing to respond to the reasonable requests of parents.

03.Parens patriae - (the state acts as a parent) The view that juvenile law violations are a sign that parents cannot or will not take care of their child adequately and that it is up to the state to step in and act in his or her best interests, thus preventing future misbehavior.

04. Double jeopardy - A constitutional provision that a person cannot be criminally prosecuted twice for the same crime.

05. Detention center - A short-term secure facility that holds juveniles awaiting adjudication, disposition, or placement in an institution.

06. Shelter - A short-term nonsecure facility that operates like a detention center but within a physically unrestricted environment.

07. Reception/diagnostic center - A short- term facility that screens sentenced juveniles for assignment to an appropriate level of custody.

08. Training school - A long-term secure facility for adjudicated juveniles.

09. Ranch, forestry camp, or farm - A long-term nonsecure setting for adjudicated juveniles.

10. Group home - Long-term nonsecure facilities that allow juveniles to attend school and employment in the community.

Outline.

Juvenile Justice Versus Criminal Justice.
`The philosophy that the state should not act in the best interests of children who receive improper care and treatment at home is known as paren patriae.
`In recent years controversy has arisen over the legal treatment of juveniles, and there is much disagreement over the proper goals of the juvenile justice system.

The Nature and Extent of Delinquency
`The most commonly used indicator of delinquency is the rate of juvenile arrests. Most of these arrests are for property crimes, although the proportion of juveniles arrested for those crimes has decreased in the last two decades.
`Younger juveniles are arrested significantly less often than older juveniles, and the majority of those arrested are male.
`Self-reports show that delinquency is extremely common and that relatively few delinquents are caught. They also reveal that offense rates do not differ greatly by race or social class.

Foundations of Juvenile Justice
`When the first juvenile court was established in 1899, the emphasis of the juvenile justice process changed from deterrence and incapacitation to rehabilitation.
`Objections to the parens patriae philosophy centered on the lack of legal counsel and basic due process protections, as well as the failure of the state to reform delinquents.
`In the 1960s, these concerns were addressed through various modifications of the juvenile justice system.

The Law And Procedure of Juvenile Justice
`In Kent v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that a juvenile must receive a hearing before being referred to criminal court for trial as an adult.
`The Supreme Court has ruled that juvenile offenders and their parents must be notified of the charges early and in writing and that juveniles have a right to counsel and the right of protection against self-incrimination.
`During the adjudicatory stage of a delinquency proceeding the charges must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
`The Supreme Court has ruled that juveniles have the same protection against double jeopardy as adults.
`In ruling on preventive detention, the Court has placed the protection of the community above the needs of the child.
`Searches of students in public schools are justified when there are "reasonable grounds" that evidence will be found of violations of law or school rules.
`Offenders over the age of sixteen who commit capital crimes are subject to the death penalty.

Juveniles in The System: Police, Courts, Corrections
`Police generally have five alternatives in deciding how to handle a juvenile: (1) warn and release, (2) refer to juvenile court, (3) refer to a social welfare agency, (4) refer to another police department, or (5) refer to criminal court for prosecution as an adult.
`Recent statistics show that fewer juveniles are released and more are being sent to court; an increasing number are being tried as adults.
`An increasing number of delinquents are being placed in institutions or other residential facilities for juveniles.
`Recent legislation reflects the national trend toward punitive treatment of juveniles in a manner similar to the treatment of adults.

The Outlook for Juvenile Justice
`The typical juvenile delinquent is a male serving time for a property crime, is a regular user of drugs and alcohol, has not finished the ninth grade, and comes from a single-parent home.
`To reduce the number of serious delinquents, action must be taken to address the conditions in which they live.