In 1985 it became a crime in Texas to "make unauthorized use of protected computer systems or data files on computers or to make intentionally harmful use of such computer or data files." This is a general rule. The Texas Computer Crime law identifies specific instances of violations including using a computer or gaining access to a computer "without the effective consent of the owner of the computer and the actor knows that there exists a computer security system intended to prevent him (or her) from making use of that computer (or data)." Other specific violations are listed on the Web document.


















Penalities and Sentencing Guidelines for Cocaine

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 established the 100-to-1 quantity ratio between powder and crack cocaine. "It takes one hundred times as much powder cocaine to trigger the same mandatory penalties as for a given amount of crack. For example, a person convicted of sellig 500 grams of powder cocain is subject to the same five-year minimum sentence as a person selling 5 grams of crack cocaine. In 1987, the Sentencing Commission used the same 100-to-1 quantity ratio in setting drug penalties under the sentencing guidelines. The sentencing guidelines set sentences for all possible drug quantities using the same 100-to-1 quantity ratio.























Japanese Internment

According to this site the Japanese were interred during World War II because they competed with farmers and special interest groups in California. Prior to World War II, the United States had a long history of discriminating against Japanese and Chinese immigrants. This discrimination was aimed largely at denying land ownership to Japanese and Chinese immigrants. Despite these efforts, Japanese immigrants were very successful at farming, particularly in California. As a result of the internment, farms owned by Japanese-Americans were sold for a few cents on the dollar. After World War II, Japanese internees were repaid only a fraction of the value of their farms.

Joseph O'Dell's claim seems credible because all the evidence against him is circumstancial. His claim is suspicious because of the blood found on his clothes, because the car tracks found near the victim matched the tread on his tires, and because the jailhouse informant testified. The information at this site could be verified by looking up the newspaper articles and court transcripts on the case. To verify it more thoroughly, one could investigate all the original witnessess in the case and question the motives that each would have for the testimoy they present.

"It is generally believed that smoking crack cocaine tends to create more dependency than snorting powder cocaine. Congress considered crack cocaine as extraordinarily addictive, characterizing it in such terms as 'intesely addictive' and 'quite possibly the most addictive drug on Earth.' Members also believed that crack cocaine caused crime to go up; they felt there was a higher correlation between crack and the commission of other crimes. They also considered they physiological effects to be especially perilous. Also, young people were especially prone to crack cocaine use because the drug could be obtained relatively easily. Finally, Congress believed that crack cocaine's purity and potency, relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, transportation, disposal, and consumption were leading to widespread use."

"Congress acknowledge[s] the limited research concerning those factors most frequently cited as distinguishing powder cocaine from crack cocaine. Research does not quantify how much more 'addictive' smoking crack cocaine is than snorting powder cocaine. There is some research confirming in part and rebutting in part the perception that distribution and use of crack cocaine has resulted in increased criminal activity. Data is also not definitive concerning the impact of crack cocaine use and sales on crime. Also, neither powder cocaine nor crack cocaine are physiologically addictive; however, both are psychologically addictive. A comparison of the relative addictive qualities of the two forms of cocaine indicates that there is a greater likelihood of addiction resulting from casual use of crack than from casual use of powder cocaine."

Juveniles, unemployed or underemployed people, the illiterate, women, and impoverished people are particularly likely to be involved in drug distribution.

These people tend to be involved in the more visible roles associated with drug distribution and occupy roles such as lookout, steerers, and runners and also participate in the purchase of firearms.

The Mediascope study suggessts that there are three primary effects on children who watch media violence. They (1) learn aggressive attitudes and behavior; (2) experience emotional desensitization toward real world violence; and (3) develop an increased fear of being victims of violence, resulting in self-protective behavior and mistrust of others.

Sutherland and Cressey maintained that impersonal forms of media such as films and TV have little impact on the gensis of deviant behavior. Their idea receives no support from the Mediascope analysis. If the Mediascope analysis is accurate, one would have to recommend that Sutherland and Cressey rethink their theory in light of this evidence. We must also consider that Sutherland and Cressey advanced their theory in 1978. Media violence may not have been as widespread as it is today. Perhaps if they had written their theory in the 1990's, they would have thought differently about the affects of impersonal forms of media. BR>