The Counter Girl At McDonald's Who Spilled One Too Many Sodas Is Disciplined Harder Than This...

The 3 police officers who are responsible for the 50-shot slaying of New York native Sean Bell are currently active NYPD officers on "modified duty." Yesterday, The Daily News reported that Officers Cooper, Isnora, and Oliver were hit with disciplinary charges from their employer. The NYPD officers were each "accused of firing their weapons outside of NYPD departmental guidelines (charges that could result in their being fired)."

These insubordination-like charges were filed approximately a year and a half after the incident that provoked them occurred. This brings a new meaning to the term "the slow wheels of justice" (if you can call departmental disciplinary charges "justice," when there is an unjust and inexplicable lost of life). [SIDEBAR #1: The NYPD brought these administration charges at this particular time because the statue of limitations for them to do so is about to run out in a few days. Most likely, filing these charges may protect the city and the department in any future lawsuits. In a court of law, such paperwork makes them look less guilty of standing idly by. SMH @ all the reluctant, fake olive branches full of thorns.]

[SIDEBAR Part Deux: The unemployment line and more than a few prisons are cluttered with people who have done a lot less! This is not just about "punishment" for the officers involved. New departmental guidelines and training should also be implemented. There are no deterrents in place to prevent this type of situation from consistently occurring.]

Circular Logic- This Doesn't Fly!

The new American Passport is comprised of an electronic chip and a wireless antennae. The American Government has reasoned that in the shadow of the 9/11 tragedy, tracking devices should be inserted into all passports in order to avoid counterfeiting by terrorists who hail from overseas. The irony is that the American Government Printing Office (The GPO), has hired foreign companies to manufacture these sensitive devices and place them into passport sleeves. The sleeves are then shipped to America where data is added. Some deem this to be a threat to national security.

Certain members of congress are opposed to this outsourcing, stating that it makes America extremely vulnerable to terrorists abroad (the very problem that the passport chips are supposed to alleviate). The Government's rebuttal is that the companies they have hired, have all been inspected. The GPO feels that these companies are safe. However, the Washington Times reports that one of the contracted companies has already fell victim to Chinese espionage. Still, the GPO further justifies its position by saying that America doesn't have the technology to produce the new passports on their homeland.

In conjunction with the safety risks, outsourcing such a lucrative job during an economic downturn seems to be perilous to American Citizens. The easy solution to this simmering debate, would be to train American workers to manufacture these passports. This would increase safety, and infuse revenue into the American economy- a simple win-win.