By Musa Kamara (PO’22) In a typical court proceeding, several different types of witnesses can be called upon to testify on behalf of the defense, plaintiff, or prosecution. When these witnesses are called to the stand to testify, their testimony can be regarded as evidence, defined as anything that can help a judge or jury better ascertain the truth in a certain case and thus the outcome...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) The rise of streamed music consumption—that is, the consumption of music that does not need to be downloaded—represents a significant milestone in the history of music. Streaming services have made listening to music easier than ever before and have facilitated a rise in music industry revenues, revenues that had suffered as CD sales declined in the 2000s. Take, for...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution conveys three major provisions, one of which is perhaps one of the most recognizable constitutional tenets in popular culture. The Amendment guarantees protection from excessive bail, protection from fines, and – most notably– protection from cruel and unusual punishment. The idea of cruel and unusual punishment...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) 2019 has thus far seen the emergence of an ever-growing field of candidates hoping to challenge President Donald Trump. Among the field are individuals with a variety of personalities, ideologies, and levels of visibility; senators, representatives, governors, and mayors all run alongside one another. One of the more well-known figures in the Democratic camp is Kamala...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) Before, during, and most likely after his tenure as President of the United States, Donald Trump has not hesitated and will not hesitate to make his opinions known, via his personal Twitter account @realDonaldTrump. Trump’s usage of Twitter as a president is not unusual: President Barack Obama notably utilized Twitter as a key component of his campaign strategy and as...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) The American anti-vaccination (anti-vax) movement found its roots when British anti-vaccinationist William Tebb visited the United States in 1879. Following Tebb’s visit, anti-vax groups in California, Illinois, and Wisconsin began to form and have continued to develop to this day. In 1998, another British anti-vaccinationist, Andrew Wakefield, published a study that...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) On February 19, the Supreme Court refused to hear a defamation suit filed by Kathy McKee, an actress active in the 1970s who appeared in The Bill Cosby Show, Saturday Night Live, and Sanford and Son. The suit McKee filed was particularly notable in that it was filed against Bill Cosby, a prominent public figure of the last fifty years who was convicted of numerous sex...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) Not even two full months into 2019, Virginia’s political sphere has seen its most prominent Democratic leaders plunged into the national spotlight, receiving scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats alike. In recent history, Virginia has been classified as a swing state as a result of the relatively small margins of victory for the Democratic party in each of the last...
