The New York Knicks started the season off 1-0.  They played against the Milwaukee Bucks and beat them 90-83. What started out as a blow out turned into a close game for the knicks by half time. The Knicks led the Bucks 56-31 by halftime. They seemed to do no wrong during the first half. However during the third quarter, the knicks lead was cut to 74-64.  The Bucks exposed the inner defense of the knicks by attacking the boards. The Defense started slacking off and soon enough the Bucks tied the game 80-80. KNicks Veterans Carmelo Anthony and  Tyson Chandler both made crucial plays to secure the win during the last 2 minutes of the game.  Anthony hit 2 back to back shots along with a dunk by Chandler assisted by Prigioni. The knicks hung on to win the game 90-83. What should have been an easy game turned out to be a hard game.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/sports/basketball/knicks-show-promise-and-flaws-in-debut.html?ref=sports

In the past decade, smoking cigarettes has become a tough habit to keep if you live in New York. Aside from the numerous bans of smoking in certain public places, and the ever increasing tobacco-tax, now the City Council has decided (35 to 10) that the smoking age should be raised to 21. The Council approved it because of beliefs that raising the age will discourage teens from picking up the habit in the first place. New York is not the first place to do this, as the article sites numerous other states and counties that have raised the ages to 19 or 21.

Despite the raising of the age, a 16 year old from Manhattan thinks that this will have little affect on discouraging teens from smoking. She describes how she started smoking at the age of 13, and half of her friends in school smoke. Obviously,  someones age won’t inhibit them from ‘bumming’ a cigarette off of a friend or stranger. Personally, I think it’s ridiculous that, as a 19 year old, I can vote for our president, die in a war, go to prison, and fill my body with whatever sugary and fatty foods i like. However, 35 people who I didn’t vote for are telling me I can’t smoke because they care about my health and well-being.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/nyregion/new-york-approves-law-to-raise-tobacco-purchasing-age-to-21.html?ref=nyregion

David Tang

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey was a long time proponent in the fight against legalizing same sex marriage. He decided the fight against the cause was to be abandoned because the “signals from the court and the march of history were against him”. He decided not to appeal to a ruling that allowed the weddings and therefore there were no longer any obstacles to prevent the legalization of gay marriages in New Jersey. This makes New Jersey the 14^th state to allow gay couples to wed. Perhaps Christie didn’t want to stop fighting against gay marriages, but he was forced because the state supreme court didn’t grant the governor’s request to block same-sex marriages during his appeal.

It was an unanimous decision by the justices that his appeal had no chances of success. It was by this decision, Christie was forced out of the legal contending of same-sex marriages and it would be a waste of effort to combat. Many criticize Christie for abandoning his principles, however, his staff argues that he never digressed; it is the activist judges that forced him into his decision. This may hurt Christie’s potential for a presidential nomination in 2016. The National conservative groups criticized the activist judiciary but for Mr. Christie, they said he was “throwing in the towel”. To paraphrase Brian Brown, The president of the National Organization for Marriage, he states “a leader is to walk a principled path no matter how difficult, Christie fails this test abandoning votes and the institution of society: marriage between a man and woman”.  Christie’s aides stay by the governor’s side stating, “Even if he lost on the marriage issues…[he] could still promote himself as the kind of politician voters embrace, because they know where he stands, even if they do not agree with him”.

Just 4 months ago, it seems that same-sex marriage wasn’t going to pass and the governor had won. The gay rights groups were attempting to override his veto but were short of votes. In September, it was Mary C. Jacobson of the State Superior Court who stated that gay marriages must comply with the US Supreme Court in June that guaranteed same-sex married couples the same benefits as heterosexuals. A Rutgers Eagleton poll found that a majority of its respondents, including a majority whom support Christie, didn’t want him to pursue his appeal. If Christie were to try to cast himself as a presidential candidate who could win some democratic votes, continuing his opposition again same-sex marriages would have been detrimental. His democratic opponent, State Senator Barbara Buono plans to use his unchanging stance of blocking the rights of same-sex couples in her campaign.

This article is very influential to all of the United States. It is obvious that same-sex marriage is continuing to have a snowball effect, in which more and more states will continue to see that same-sex marriages should be allowed the same privileges and rights as heterosexual couples. The politics of gay rights is changing with more supporters for gay rights. Governor Christie, a long time proponent against same-sex marriages, had no choice but to give up his fight with all the support against him. Although his stance did not change, the unanimous decision of the State Supreme Court forced him to throw in the towel. Interpreting the article, one may predict that the march of history is continuing down the path for equal rights for gay couples. It is only a matter of time before they attain those rights. There is even an inside scoop of what the presidential nomination of 2016 may look like, with Barabara Buono attacking Governor Christie for his stance on the issue. It is until that nomination until we will see his rebute against Barabara Buono.

Works Cited

Zernike, Kate, and Marc Santora. “As Gays Wed in New Jersey, Christie Ends Court Fight.” New York Times. N.p., 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.