America is known to have a problem with obesity. As such, there have been efforts made to promote healthy living, one of which was a regulation on the size of certain sugary drinks that could be sold in New York. This was controversial not only because of the question of if the Board of Health was overstepping its boundaries, but also because it only limited certain businesses and beverages. Although the ban was an admirable step at attacking obesity, I believe it was a step that went over the jurisdiction of the city’s authority.

Obesity may be a public health threat, but it is one that cannot be dealt with through direct limits on the public’s behavior. As Judge Pigott of the New York State Court of Appeals wrote, the Board of Health had “exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority” through the regulation. The Board of Health is responsible for protecting, improving, and promoting the health, productivity, and well being of all New Yorkers, but this only goes insofar before infringing upon personal freedoms. Judge Pigott wrote that the proposal’s reach into the everyday lives of the public was to the extent that it should be addressed by the City Council instead. Adding on to this debate, similar businesses were treated in an unequal manner, which hints at discrimination between them. While fast-food franchises, delis, and movie theaters were affected, convenience stores and supermarkets were not. The American Beverage Association stated that it “would have created an uneven playing field…and limited New Yorkers’ freedom of choice.” Thus while the intentions were good, the regulation was not the solution.

When Hurricane Sandy happened in 2012, I was still in high school and had an average commute of an hour and a half by train. The most memorable thing for me about that time is that my school, as well as many others, was closed for a week. Subway stations and homes were flooded, phone and electric lines were knocked down, and New York was in need of repair. However, in the little corner of Elmhurst where I live, after a night of strong winds and rain, the neighborhood was again serene.

I remember venturing out of my house to meet with several friends who lived in my neighborhood the day after the hurricane hit. We met up in front of my house and walked around several blocks to see if there had been any destruction in the area. The most exciting thing we saw was a fallen tree. Besides this and several branches on the streets, we could barely tell that anything had occurred the night before and I assumed that life would go back to normal the next day. Then I turned the television on and saw the extent of devastation on the news. Some areas were missing power for days, and others were uninhabitable. Some schools became temporary shelters for those who could not live in their own homes. Later some friends would tell me about how they had to go stay with relatives while repairing their own homes. For me at that time though, it was hard to comprehend the bizarre juxtaposition between my barely touched neighborhood and the other hard hit neighborhoods.

Homelessness is a fact of all big cities. New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and hosts a very visible homeless population. However, despite my over nineteen years as a resident of the city, I have had very few personal encounters with the homeless beyond the occasional donation of change or food. What I do see of the homeless on a day to day basis has had the largest impact on my opinions of them. What I normally see fits into three general categories. The first and most common is comprised of the people who walk through the subway carts telling the story of how they fell on hard times and would appreciate any help. I do not mind this category much, and it is usually the one that I try to help out. The next category is one that does irritate me, if just because of the way they make my environment feel dirty. These are the homeless who usually give the entire group a bad rep. They may be unkempt, intoxicated, or performing unseemly acts. Lastly is the category of homeless who are more seen than heard. They may sit on the side of the street, like a fixture that does not intrude on the tranquility of its surroundings. What I have seen from these three groups of homeless has helped me create an attitude towards them that, while still negative, has been tempered to be more understanding towards them as a whole. This has especially been done through the homeless who tell their stories, allowing me to gain perspective and be more tolerant towards those I may pass by and see.

Recently the number of events causing tensions between the police and public has been increasing and inciting public outcry. There have been claims of police abusing their authority and discriminating against people on the streets. Videos of police arresting people have gone viral, with people commenting on whether or not it was justified and if too much force was used. Although general opinions towards police have declined, I personally have not had any overtly negative experiences with them.

I can count the number of interactions I have with the police in my whole life on two hands, but my parents interact with them on a more regular basis during their workday in the hospital. My mom is a nurse working in the emergency room and deals with all sorts of people over the course of a day. All sorts of incidents may occur with either patients or relations of patients which may require police intervention. On one occasion, a boyfriend of a woman seeking treatment threatened her. He said if anything went wrong or his girlfriend was not helped, it would be my mom’s fault and he would “get her” for it. My mom took it and calmly went to the hospital police right after to report the incident. They took this incident seriously and immediately went to have a talk with him, which led to him apologizing to my mom. There have been other incidents as well, in which patients have gotten violent and the hospital police had helped to restrain them. Overall, the hospital police my mom has encountered are generally helpful and willing to act.