You might be able to complete the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs, but that doesn’t mean you’ll outrun the Federal Aviation Administration’s ability to enforce laws and regulation!

In February of 2017, NPR reported that the FAA would be investigating Harrison Ford for flying his plane over a jetliner that had been waiting to takeoff – a violation of FAA safety procedures.  The incident occurred as a result of Ford landing on the wrong runway.  While he may have played a rebel-with-a-cause pilot that got away with everything in Star Wars while acting in the roll of Han Solo, in real life Mr. Ford is as subject to the law and FAA procedures as much as any other pilot.

————————–
Questions:

1) What’s a story you recall where a celebrity had a run-in with the law?

2) Did you think the person received special treatment or harsher treatment because they were celebrities?

3) Sometimes, people may be ‘made an example by a court – after they are found legally responsible for a crime and when their punishment is being decided, a judge may decide to ‘send a message to the community’ that a type of crime will not only be illegal, but punished harshly.  Then, the give the person the biggest punishment possible (there may still be limits to what the punishment can be based on the laws around the crime being punished).  Sometimes this can happen to famous people.  What do you think: Why is it far or unfair to let a person’s fame influence the size (scope and intesnsity) of their punishment?

Be sure to provide full explanations for your answers. For more details, you can read the article this piece was sourced from here:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/15/515328041/faa-investigating-after-harrison-ford-flies-over-jetliner-awaiting-takeoff

Viewed over 11 million times, one Indiana law enforcement officer’s fun video about a commonly ignored law has gone Viral.  Indiana’s State Police Sgt. John Perrine was getting frustrated after witnessing numerous drivers failing to signal before turning or changing lanes, and decided to do something about it.

Rather than just spending time issuing ticket after ticket in hopes of word getting out, Sgt. Perrine created a surprising video discussing the ‘amazing technological advances and fantastic benefits’ of using turn signal technologies (the lights used by drivers to let people know if they are going to change lanes, so the people behind them don’t speed up and create an accident).  The amusing video is a friendly reminder to use your turn signal, but also that officers are people who like to have fun at work when they can just like the rest of us!

There’s more to the story than an officer being creative while on the job: Sgt. Perrine is a Public Information Officer in his region, meaning one of his duties is to serve as a communication point in the community. Police departments throughout the country – including Nevada – have officers like Sgt. Perrine in place to help build relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

———
Questions:

1:  Research and report : What is something fun or interesting that police officers that have done in your community?

2: Why do you think it is important or unimportant for officers to engage with the community (do things other than ‘official policing stuff’) ? 

3: What is something that you don’t think police officers already do in your community that you would like them to, and why would you want them to do that?    

Be sure to provide full explanations for your answers. For more details, you can view the original video that inspired this article here:
https://www.facebook.com/1702864376662853/videos/1873561542926468/