Weekly Discussion

Alejandro Aguirre

March 9, 2014

SOC 122 – M/W 3:30 PM

Kubal

 

Weekly Discussion

 

      In Democracy Now’s story, Are Any Plastics Safe? Industry Tries to Hide Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Bottles, Containers, there are a number of things covered with respect to the harm the BPA chemical has to its consumers and the harm of its concealment from them. It was discussed that 3 billion dollars a year is spent in health costs because of BPA consumption. Products that comprise of this chemical are in plastics (i.e. sippy cups, bottles, etc.). It was also clarified that this chemical mimics the female hormone, estrogen. Too much or too little consumption of this chemical can establish a disease, especially if it is during childhood. A shocking piece of information unveiled by the story is how out of 80 thousand types of chemicals circulating the U.S., only a small fraction have been tested for safety. What made matters worse were the biased studies that proclaimed BPA safe for consumption.

 

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/4/are_any_plastics_safe_industry_tries

 

      The injustices of the recent release of a former black panther was discussed in Democracy Now’s story, Exclusive: Freed Ex-Black Panther Marshal “Eddie” Conway on 44 Years in Prison & FBI Surveillance. After nearly a 44-year (33 years and 11 months) sentence, it was mentioned that Conway did not receive a fair trial nor did he have counsel at the time of his conviction. He was convicted of killing an officer, but was actually only within the vicinity of the actual culprit. This was taken into account for his prosecution. It was also discussed that the judge told the jury to ignore the regulatory burden of proof of the convicted (“beyond reasonable doubt”) and to just rely on instinct for the appeal. Conway claimed that he was 1 of 200 people who may have been wrongly convicted of a crime and sentenced for it. What may have been the cause for all of this injustice against Conway and others is COINTELPRO, which painted the Black Panthers as purely violent, for them not to have fair trials, and to be assassinated.

 

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/5/exclusive_freed_ex_black_panther_marshall