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How Free is America?

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Many Americans agree that the U.S. prison system is a flawed one. Unfortunately, very little opportunity for reform exists for inmates. Although some prisons have started providing classes and opportunities to own and take care of shelter animals, these institutions are few and far between. Private, for-profit prisons are even worse, most times demonstrating “problems with their policies and procedures, training, health care complaint process, emergency medical response and physician case reviews.”  But what can we do about it?  Reports by Associated Press to the situation have stated that California is now banning privately-owned prisons and taking steps to minimize the amount of immigrants being held in state jails. Democratic governor Gavin Newsom said that the over incarceration “‘does not reflect our values’”. The press then goes on to explain that California, Illinois, and a couple other states have passed laws like this in an attempt to decrease the amount of in
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A Cockadoodledoo For Rights

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Every community has a culture; some list of attributes that make a place a home for its residents.  But what happens when that culture is threatened? Maurice wasn’t looking for fame, but the lawsuit against him brought the clash between townsfolk and city dwellers to the front of mainstream media.  An interesting fact about Maurice: he’s actually a rooster. No one could have predicted that the lawsuit filed against this innocent feathered-friend could become so much more than a noise complaint. All was fine in Maurice’s chicken coop, until a “pair of vacationing retirees arrived next door.” When does the noise complaint stop and the battle of lifestyles begin? What were the reactions of the townspeople? Why were locals so upset by the lawsuit against this local rooster? These are just a few questions touched upon by Meagan Flynn, a writer for the Washington Post , in her article, “Judge rules for rooster in lawsuit pitting city against country”. This is one of the quotes that
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Family History

My grandfather’s side of the family are from England. In grade school, I was asked to do a project on my family history, and I chose to write about the German side of my family, thinking my English history couldn’t be at all interesting. I was very wrong. My great great great great grandfather was an Englishman named Peter Hales. Every day he went to work in the mines. Back then, working in mines was even more dangerous than it is today what with noxious gases and collapsing ceilings. Despite this, men would line up for the near-deadly job of drilling into the ceiling for the extra 5 cents a day. Peter’s goal was to get his family to the New World. Although he was unable to do this in his lifetime, his savings allowed his son, also named Peter, to travel to New England with his wife and infant son, who was, get this, also named Peter. When Peter II arrived in America, the revolutionary war was just starting to brew. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and was blown to bits
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