Daily Archives: October 6, 2014

Robots Will Soon be our Chauffeurs

Up until quite recently, humans were necessary to drive an automobile. There was no way around it. Now, however, companies such as Google and Tesla Auto have been investing money in self-driving cars. Cars that don’t need a human driver. Cars that never make human mistakes, such as going through a light or driving over the speed limit. These cars were first created by Google a few years back, but recently, the company has found ways to make them much cheaper. The cars are likely to come into our lives in the not-so-distant future, but many people have mixed opinions on them.

Some people would love having cars like these, as they no longer have to drive. My parents say that it’s tiring to drive all day, from home to work, back again, and then to all the afternoon activities. They say that they would much rather sit in the back and read a book, or have a conversation. A lot of adults feel the same way. They would much rather spend time with their family, or catch up on reading a good book while in the back of the car.

Another reason for autonomous cars is that driving is very stressful. The driver must always be paying attention to his speed, the road, the cars around him, the signs, and more. If they make a mistake, they could get themselves or the people around them killed. Self-driving cars take away that stress.

The flip side to that coin, however, is that many people don’t want to put their lives in the hands of a robot. If the robot messes up, they could die. It is hard to develop a trust with something that has no feelings. I, personally, would rather take the responsibility upon myself, instead of giving it to a machine. While these cars may be programmed to never go over the speed limit, or to slow down while turning, they are not fool-proof. Neither are humans, really, but I would feel much more comfortable if I drove myself.

These cars can also take away some of the fun in driving. I, while having no experience driving, think that it looks quite fun. It’s exciting to control such a powerful machine, and to have so much responsibility. I’m sure there are kids who feel the same way. Others, however, might be too lazy to learn to drive, and would embrace the opportunity to never have to learn at all.

Finally, many argue that these autonomous cars would enable many, who previously could not drive, to be transported. Such people would include the blind and elderly. These people would not be able to drive a vehicle, making transportation difficult for them. They could take a train, but they would still have to get to the train station, which would either require walking or a vehicle. With a self-driving car, they now have the freedom to go wherever they want, as the car has a GPS that writes directions for it. An elderly or blind person would just tell their car where to go, and would be able to get there.

Overall, I think that these cars are beneficial for many people, but I personally would still want a regular one. These cars would give more time to adults to read or spend time with their children, and previously immobile people the freedom to go wherever they want. They also take away the stress of driving. The self-driving vehicles, do, however, scare many people, as it is hard to feel comfortable when giving your life to a robot. I am one of those people, who would almost never entrust a machine with such a responsibility. I would want to control my own car, and get to experience the joy of driving. My opinion on driving may change once I actually try it, but for now, I would not want an autonomous car. In the future, when they are introduced into society, I would probably not buy one. Others will have to make the same choice, to get one or not, sooner than they think.

~Yasin

Being Part of the Secret Service Doesn’t Mean Keeping Secrets…

Two weeks ago, an intruder with a knife entered the White House and managed to get into the East Room. This has stirred up some concern about whether or not the former U.S. Secret Service Director, Julia Pierson, is doing her job of protecting the president. The ultimate reason why Pierson had to resign from her job was not because an intruder breached the White House. It wasn’t because an agent reportedly passed out drunk in a hotel hallway in March, raising second thoughts about her success at bringing the agency’s unacceptable behavior in line. It was not because of recent reports that it took the White House four days in 2011 to realize gunshots had actually been fired at the president’s residence. The reason she lost President Obama’s trust is because he found out bad news just minutes before it appeared in the media. There’s more. The agency made up false statements about the September 19th incident, which also crushed Obama’s trust in her leadership. When that happens, it’s close to impossible for most leaders to recover. The end of their career often comes quickly – it definitely did for Julia Pierson.

Just a few days ago, after news that the intruder had gotten much farther into the White House than it seemed originally, Julia Pierson gave a disinterested, unconvincing performance in front of lawmakers on Tuesday. Certainty about her position in the Secret Service quickly died out. Pierson – who read the agency’s inaccurate statement that the intruder was just inside the White House and unarmed – still allowed them to publish that version. Also, during a trip to Atlanta, a security contractor with a gun and a criminal record was just inches away from Barack Obama in an elevator. Everything about that is wrong. The security lapse should have been referred to an investigative unit, but the agency failed to do so. To make matters worse, Pierson did not share it with the White House. All of these serious mistakes are what the White House officials called the “decisive factor” of Obama’s withering confidence in Julia Pierson.

In my opinion, it is in the president’s best interest that Julia Pierson resigned because there have been many examples of her poor performance in ensuring he is protected. Pierson’s lack of attention towards detail and her attempts to cover up mistakes clearly show that she values her position and reputation more than keeping the president out of danger. During a time when there is so much precaution about threats to the United States both from domestic and foreign terrorism, it is essential that our leader is protected. Since Pierson was not truthful or reliable, she cannot be trusted with protecting our president’s life. What I’d like to know is, what changes will her replacement make so they don’t repeat the same mistakes? How will the Secret Service ensure that everyone from Pierson’s position to the president’s bodyguards is accountable for doing their job well? After all, the well-being of our country depends on it.

~Shreya