George Bush Doesn't Care About [Kanye West]

When President George W. Bush mentions Kanye West in his forthcoming book, "Decision Points," he's not singing the praises of the Chicago rapper who slammed him on a telethon for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, a week after numerous gulf coast cities were destroyed by the devastating storm and its aftermath.
Bush expressed his frustration with the "Runaway" singer in an interview with the "Today Show"'s Matt Lauer to air Monday on NBC's "Matt Lauer Reports. "When Lauer asked Bush if he remembered the comments Kanye made about him, President Obama's predecessor offered a matter-of-fact response.
"Yes, I do. He called me a racist," Bush told Lauer. Lauer clarified that Kanye did not literally call Bush a racist but instead said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." But Bush maintained his stance. "That's - 'he's a racist,'" Bush said. "And I didn't appreciate it then. I don't appreciate it now. It's one thing to say, 'I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business.' It's another thing to say, 'This man's a racist.' I resent it, it's not true, and it was one of the most disgusting moments in my Presidency."
Lauer quoted an excerpt from the book on the matter: "I faced a lot of criticism as President. I didn't like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all time low."
Bush said he still feels the same way and added that Kanye's comments upset him because it was not reflective of his work. "My record was strong I felt when it came to race relations and giving people a chance. And--it was a disgusting moment," Bush said. Lauer asked Bush if he was concerned that some might be upset that he has placed so much emphasis on being angry about someone criticizing his responsiveness to the hurricane victims as opposed to being saddened by the impact of "watching the misery in Louisiana." Bush said no. "I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well," he said. "There's a lot of tough moments in the book. And it was a disgusting moment, pure and simple."


Kanye West made this very public remark on a telethon with Michael Myers a few years back when President Bush was president and it caused a lot of uproar and criticism. I actually thought it was funny and its just another way of express his right to freedom of speech. I understand how former President Bush could be upset by these remarks but I wonder does he really need to talk about it in his book? Isn't there more important things that he should be worried about like how he was responsible for pointless war in Iraq or how our economy is ruined or how the U.S. is in such tremendous debt because of his mistakes? I'm curious to know what do you guys think about President Bush's new book and Kanye's West remark. Just for your viewing pleasure I have posted the video that initially caused all this drama! Chao!                          

Parker: Legal pot a 'good stimulus bill'

Kathleen Parker is an American syndicated columnist that has worked for many new publications. She seems to agree with many other supporters of  Proposition 19 that marijuana should be legalized and would make a great stimulus bill. She believes that people no longer need to be punished for possessing a small amount of marijuana, and as a result of this stimulus bill being put into place it would boost the economy by allowing the U.S. to make money off of a new industry and also provide jobs for the people. She states that there are far worse things that are legalized that have a harmful effect on people such as tobacco and alcohol, then marijuana. What do you guys think do you think that marijuana should be legalized or do you think by legalizing marijuana it would cause more harm than good?

Toy gun leads to Florida boy's expulsion

In Broward County, Florida there is a no zero tolerance policy for guns in school. So, when Samuel Burgos brought a gun to school last November in Broward County, Florida, the zero tolerance policy kicked in, and Samuel was suspended and then expelled. A just punishment? Did he deserve it?  Well, here's more. The gun wasn't real. It was a toy gun that never left his book bag. And Samuel -- he was 7 years old at the time.
Samuel, now 8, has been out of school for almost a year. His parents have home-schooled him since he was expelled for bringing a clear plastic, spring-action toy gun to school, which fired plastic beads.
"He has been deprived of an education. My son made a mistake, and they kept him out a year," said Samuel's mother, Karen Burgos. And it may be longer than that before Samuel is permitted to rejoin his classmates. A hearing will be held this month as his family fights his expulsion. Because the school board's order has not yet been finalized, his punishment could be extended into next year. And it may be longer than that before Samuel is permitted to rejoin his classmates. A hearing will be held this month as his family fights his expulsion. Because the school board's order has not yet been finalized, his punishment could be extended into next year. "We said this is not an option, this is unacceptable," Samuel's father said. "I cannot, as a concerned parent, send my child, to a correctional school at 7 years old, who committed a mistake."
Zero tolerance policies, such as this one in Florida, exist in some form in all 50 states, according to the Education Commission of the States. In the post-Columbine world, schools have taken a hard line in increasing safety by increasing punishments. But the laws are constantly evolving, according to experts, so that the less serious, often petty cases of misconduct are not handled the same as the serious ones.

I understand the zero tolerance for guns, but come on a seven year old with a toy gun? I personally think it is ridiculous to expel a seven year old for a mistake and then try to put him in an alternative school. It is just unfair for him to be expelled and then have to keep that on his record for the rest of his life. What do you guys think do you think his punishment was fair?