"Senators To Pentagon: Add Nondiscrimination Protections For Gays, Lesbians Now"
A letter sent to the defense secretary signed by 22 democratic and one republican senator asking that action be taken to add nondiscrimination protections for gays and lesbians. The letter strongly urged defense secretary Carter to update the equal employment opportunity in all service branches to“prevent discrimination, harassment, or intimidation of service members based on sexual orientation.”
This relates to our government class because it discusses the federal government's rules and regulations, it also discusses advancements in political equality. I completely support this potential protection. I think it's past time for these measures to be taken but i feel they should expand it to cover LGBTQ+ instead of just gays and lesbians.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Blog Post #13
"Rand Paul Blames 'Lack of Fathers' for Baltimore Protests"
Republican Senator Rand Paul made a statement on the protests of Freddie Gray's death, saying the "lack of fathers" was to blame. He mentioned he had come through the city on a train and was thankful they didn't stop. The 2016 candidate grouped the looting and protesting together describing it as moral issues of "thuggery and thievery". The article also provided links to statistics showing that the stereotype of black fathers being absent is just that, a stereotype. He also stated that he fully supported the Baltimore police.
This relates to our government class because it discusses the 2016 presidential campaign, and how the candidates opinions effect their campaigns. I had planned on looking for statistics to fight the "absent father" stereotype, but was pleasantly surprised to see the article provided them. Since the beginning of his campaign, I haven't been a fan of Rand Paul, his environmental policies are lacking and he seems to have no concern over unequal pay or the rising college prices, despite targeting the American youth in his campaign. I think the statement he made was very racist, and that a candidate in 2015 should know better than to mindlessly trust stereotypes. I think this will definitely hurt his campaign and cause loss of support from the African American community and from those supportive of racial equality.
Republican Senator Rand Paul made a statement on the protests of Freddie Gray's death, saying the "lack of fathers" was to blame. He mentioned he had come through the city on a train and was thankful they didn't stop. The 2016 candidate grouped the looting and protesting together describing it as moral issues of "thuggery and thievery". The article also provided links to statistics showing that the stereotype of black fathers being absent is just that, a stereotype. He also stated that he fully supported the Baltimore police.
This relates to our government class because it discusses the 2016 presidential campaign, and how the candidates opinions effect their campaigns. I had planned on looking for statistics to fight the "absent father" stereotype, but was pleasantly surprised to see the article provided them. Since the beginning of his campaign, I haven't been a fan of Rand Paul, his environmental policies are lacking and he seems to have no concern over unequal pay or the rising college prices, despite targeting the American youth in his campaign. I think the statement he made was very racist, and that a candidate in 2015 should know better than to mindlessly trust stereotypes. I think this will definitely hurt his campaign and cause loss of support from the African American community and from those supportive of racial equality.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Blog Post #12
"Senate Makes History by Confirming Loretta Lynch as U.S. Attorney General"
As prior Attorney General Eric Holder resigns, Loretta Lynch has been confirmed the new Attorney General. Lynch is the first African-American woman to hold this position. This was only achieved by extensive delay due to GOP. The Republican party has many criticisms against Lynch, mostly focusing on her views on immigration. She was confirmed 56 to 43, in addition to all Democrats 10 republicans gave her their vote. Ted Cruz was the only one to not vote but was one of her harshest critics, declaring her unfit for the job. Senator Claire McCaskill made a comment on GOP's response to Lynch saying "What my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are saying is, it doesn't matter if you're qualified... We have a new test: You must disagree with the president who nominates you" and added that "It is beyond depressing".
This relates to our Government class because it discusses executive positions, political party relations, and is a win for minority and women's advancement in politics. I'm very happy Lynch was elected, I think even if you don't agree with her policies, you'd have to agree that this was important to racial/gender equality. I have high hopes and am looking forward to her time in office.
As prior Attorney General Eric Holder resigns, Loretta Lynch has been confirmed the new Attorney General. Lynch is the first African-American woman to hold this position. This was only achieved by extensive delay due to GOP. The Republican party has many criticisms against Lynch, mostly focusing on her views on immigration. She was confirmed 56 to 43, in addition to all Democrats 10 republicans gave her their vote. Ted Cruz was the only one to not vote but was one of her harshest critics, declaring her unfit for the job. Senator Claire McCaskill made a comment on GOP's response to Lynch saying "What my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are saying is, it doesn't matter if you're qualified... We have a new test: You must disagree with the president who nominates you" and added that "It is beyond depressing".
This relates to our Government class because it discusses executive positions, political party relations, and is a win for minority and women's advancement in politics. I'm very happy Lynch was elected, I think even if you don't agree with her policies, you'd have to agree that this was important to racial/gender equality. I have high hopes and am looking forward to her time in office.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Blog Post #11
Chris Christie on 2016: "My wife and I have not made this decision yet"
The infamous Chris Christie has made a statement in an interview with the Today show that he's considering running in the 2016 election. He stated that "It is absolutely the truth that Mary Pat and I have not made this decision yet." He's considering the impact it would have on his marriage and children, along with the fact that he doesn't know if it's the best position for him. If he were to run, it would obviously be difficult for him considering his "traffic scandal". He also made a statement on Clinton saying that she needed to "earn" the Democratic nomination because people are very critical of them.
This relates to our Government class because it discusses the executive branch, the process of running for president, and the effect of the media. I think running for president would not be in Christie's favor. If the email scandal was so detrimental to the progression of Clinton's campaign, then the traffic scandal would be devastating for Christie. I honestly don't know if he would've been an effective leader for our nation but either way, he'd never make it because of all the negative publicity.
The infamous Chris Christie has made a statement in an interview with the Today show that he's considering running in the 2016 election. He stated that "It is absolutely the truth that Mary Pat and I have not made this decision yet." He's considering the impact it would have on his marriage and children, along with the fact that he doesn't know if it's the best position for him. If he were to run, it would obviously be difficult for him considering his "traffic scandal". He also made a statement on Clinton saying that she needed to "earn" the Democratic nomination because people are very critical of them.
This relates to our Government class because it discusses the executive branch, the process of running for president, and the effect of the media. I think running for president would not be in Christie's favor. If the email scandal was so detrimental to the progression of Clinton's campaign, then the traffic scandal would be devastating for Christie. I honestly don't know if he would've been an effective leader for our nation but either way, he'd never make it because of all the negative publicity.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Blog Post #10
"Video Shows Officer Michael Slager Shooting Unarmed Black Man In the Back In South Carolina"
Tuesday morning in Charleston, SC officer Michael Slagger shot and killed Walter Scott. A passerby recorded the whole event on his phone. Slagger shot Scott eight times in the back as he attempted to run from the officer. It isn't clear if he died immediately or not as no one checked his pulse or attempted CPR despite the officers claims of checking (the video shows contradicts many of the things the officer reported). The confrontation began when Wilson was pulled over for a busted tail light, Scott then fled by foot because of family court related warrants and was chased into a lot where he was then tasered and shot. The cop claimed he "felt threatened" to justify his actions.
This relates to Government because it discusses the corruption of our legal system and our local and federal governments response to the continuing discrimination of the African-American community. This was obviously a discriminatory act. It's sad how often events very similar to this happen and that the word of the police officer isn't being taken in this case only because there's a video proving he completely lied about what happened. Nearly everything the officer reported happening is contradicted in the video such as his claims of performing CPR and firing because he "feared for his life" when Scott supposedly stole his taser from him. In addition to him lying in his report, he planted what appears to be the taser or possibly a gun beside Scotts body, it still has not been confirmed which it was. Police Brutality and discrimination is inexcusable and measures need to be taken ro prevent this needless discriminatory violence. There are more black citizens in Canada than in Missouri alone only one black person was killed by police last year in Canada, if they can have such low rates why can't we? African Americans are 3x more likely to be killed by police than whites are. There's a problem with these statistics and something needs to change
source:x
Tuesday morning in Charleston, SC officer Michael Slagger shot and killed Walter Scott. A passerby recorded the whole event on his phone. Slagger shot Scott eight times in the back as he attempted to run from the officer. It isn't clear if he died immediately or not as no one checked his pulse or attempted CPR despite the officers claims of checking (the video shows contradicts many of the things the officer reported). The confrontation began when Wilson was pulled over for a busted tail light, Scott then fled by foot because of family court related warrants and was chased into a lot where he was then tasered and shot. The cop claimed he "felt threatened" to justify his actions.
This relates to Government because it discusses the corruption of our legal system and our local and federal governments response to the continuing discrimination of the African-American community. This was obviously a discriminatory act. It's sad how often events very similar to this happen and that the word of the police officer isn't being taken in this case only because there's a video proving he completely lied about what happened. Nearly everything the officer reported happening is contradicted in the video such as his claims of performing CPR and firing because he "feared for his life" when Scott supposedly stole his taser from him. In addition to him lying in his report, he planted what appears to be the taser or possibly a gun beside Scotts body, it still has not been confirmed which it was. Police Brutality and discrimination is inexcusable and measures need to be taken ro prevent this needless discriminatory violence. There are more black citizens in Canada than in Missouri alone only one black person was killed by police last year in Canada, if they can have such low rates why can't we? African Americans are 3x more likely to be killed by police than whites are. There's a problem with these statistics and something needs to change
source:x
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Blog Post #9
"Family Wants Action After 25-Year-Old in Maserati Shot, Killed by Police"
On March 24th in Cobb County, Georgia, new father Nicholas Thomas was shot and killed by local police officers. The police reported that they "feared for their lives" which lead them to open fire on Thomas, the man they were trying to serve a traffic warrant on. Police reported that they went to arrest Thomas but he tried to run them over, so their only option was to kill him. An interview with the salesclerk of the tire shop the incident took place in front of says differently. She reported that "The car was not moving when they began to shoot at him. The car had been stopped, he hit the curb and could not go any further" and when asked "So no point in making any aggressive moves?" she replied "None, none at all, they immediately opened fire on him".
This relates to our government class because it shows the continuing discrimination against African-Americans and our local and federal government's response (or lack of) to it. I think it's very obvious that this was an act of discrimination, especially considering the sales persons report.. The officers reported that they "feared for their lives" because they thought that Thomas was going to hit them with his vehicle. This was obviously said to make Thomas appear to be the criminal in the situation. If what the police officers had said was true, why were the bullet holes all on the side of the car, with not one in the front window? The officers reported that he was driving towards them, so wouldn't they have shot from the front? Every 28 hours, a P.O.C. is killed by police officers, I think it's ridiculous that people still hold on to the claims that racial bias has nothing to do with these shootings. But as always, even with undeniable evidence, the officers won't be charged for their crimes and the media along with a large majority of the public will continue to insist racism ended with slavery.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-scene-shooting-cobb-county/nkddF/
On March 24th in Cobb County, Georgia, new father Nicholas Thomas was shot and killed by local police officers. The police reported that they "feared for their lives" which lead them to open fire on Thomas, the man they were trying to serve a traffic warrant on. Police reported that they went to arrest Thomas but he tried to run them over, so their only option was to kill him. An interview with the salesclerk of the tire shop the incident took place in front of says differently. She reported that "The car was not moving when they began to shoot at him. The car had been stopped, he hit the curb and could not go any further" and when asked "So no point in making any aggressive moves?" she replied "None, none at all, they immediately opened fire on him".
This relates to our government class because it shows the continuing discrimination against African-Americans and our local and federal government's response (or lack of) to it. I think it's very obvious that this was an act of discrimination, especially considering the sales persons report.. The officers reported that they "feared for their lives" because they thought that Thomas was going to hit them with his vehicle. This was obviously said to make Thomas appear to be the criminal in the situation. If what the police officers had said was true, why were the bullet holes all on the side of the car, with not one in the front window? The officers reported that he was driving towards them, so wouldn't they have shot from the front? Every 28 hours, a P.O.C. is killed by police officers, I think it's ridiculous that people still hold on to the claims that racial bias has nothing to do with these shootings. But as always, even with undeniable evidence, the officers won't be charged for their crimes and the media along with a large majority of the public will continue to insist racism ended with slavery.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-scene-shooting-cobb-county/nkddF/
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Blog Post #8
"Obama: Maybe it's Time for Mandatory Voting"
When asked how to offset the influence of big money in politics, Obama suggested making voting mandatory. He explained that a majority of non-voters are American youth, uneducated, and or minorities. He suggested that this "would counteract money more than anything". Aside from the impact it would have on big money in politics, our country has one of the lowest voter turn outs, less then 27%. The article mentions it could have cons but doesn't really specify.
This relates to government because it involves executive powers and our right to vote (or not vote). I don't know if our government actually has the power to make voting mandatory because it isn't really specified in any amendments. I also think that it's not really too far-fetched, there would be many benefits like a stronger voice for minorities and youth, and more political involvement from everyday citizens. Only 37% of eligible voters actually vote every year and i think we would have a much different turn out if all eligible voters participated, so I would have to say i agree with this idea.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/politics/obama-mandatory-voting/index.html
When asked how to offset the influence of big money in politics, Obama suggested making voting mandatory. He explained that a majority of non-voters are American youth, uneducated, and or minorities. He suggested that this "would counteract money more than anything". Aside from the impact it would have on big money in politics, our country has one of the lowest voter turn outs, less then 27%. The article mentions it could have cons but doesn't really specify.
This relates to government because it involves executive powers and our right to vote (or not vote). I don't know if our government actually has the power to make voting mandatory because it isn't really specified in any amendments. I also think that it's not really too far-fetched, there would be many benefits like a stronger voice for minorities and youth, and more political involvement from everyday citizens. Only 37% of eligible voters actually vote every year and i think we would have a much different turn out if all eligible voters participated, so I would have to say i agree with this idea.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/19/politics/obama-mandatory-voting/index.html
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Blog Post #7
"Alaska Republican's Solution for Homelessness: Wolves"
Alaskan Republican Representative Don Young has been known to make very "innovative" ideas for solving government issues, such as his claim that domestic violence would be lowered if people simply "drank alone". It is though he made this statement to ridicule his colleagues who had made efforts to protect the grey wolves and to ridicule the Interior Department that makes decisions that would effect specific states without consulting said state first.
This relates to our government class because it shows an example of someone practicing their freedom of speech. Personally, I think the comment was very insensitive and unnecessary. I think the points he was trying to make could've been made in a more professional matter and this whole conference wouldn't be news damaging his reputation, but no matter what he said, he is protected by the first amendment.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/politics/don-young-proposes-wolves-end-homlesessness/index.html
Alaskan Republican Representative Don Young has been known to make very "innovative" ideas for solving government issues, such as his claim that domestic violence would be lowered if people simply "drank alone". It is though he made this statement to ridicule his colleagues who had made efforts to protect the grey wolves and to ridicule the Interior Department that makes decisions that would effect specific states without consulting said state first.
This relates to our government class because it shows an example of someone practicing their freedom of speech. Personally, I think the comment was very insensitive and unnecessary. I think the points he was trying to make could've been made in a more professional matter and this whole conference wouldn't be news damaging his reputation, but no matter what he said, he is protected by the first amendment.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/politics/don-young-proposes-wolves-end-homlesessness/index.html
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Blog Post #6
This article discusses the recent evidence of the shocking racial bias in the police force of Ferguson, Missouri. One of the worst, most reoccurring examples was the excessive use of force, strictly based on race, not actions. In 2012, a 32 year-old African American male was approached by a police officer who accused him of being a pedophile and demanded his social security number and ID, he was then held at gunpoint after he did not allow the officer to search his car. He was given eight charges which were obviously made up such as a citation for "making false statements" when he said his name was Mike instead of his formal name Michael. The man then lost his job because of these charges. African Americans were also given 95% of minor traffic tickets such as "failure to comply" and "manner of walking in roadway" (a suspected source of income for the county). Another shocking piece of evidence was the highly offensive emails sent between officials using extremely racist language and jokes implying African Americans are all criminals and "can't hold a steady job for more than four years". Overall, less than 8% of Ferguson police officers were African American and accounted for 90% of officers use of force.
This relates to our class because it shows the flaws in our system and incorporates American History to show that racism is still very present in our country. I'm not surprised at the statistics, I feel that the racial bias was pretty obvious after the shooting of Michael Brown and the responses to the protests. I hope that in the not-so distant future more measures will be taken to ensure the equal treatment of all minorities to caucasians
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/04/politics/ferguson-justice-report-shocking/index.html
This relates to our class because it shows the flaws in our system and incorporates American History to show that racism is still very present in our country. I'm not surprised at the statistics, I feel that the racial bias was pretty obvious after the shooting of Michael Brown and the responses to the protests. I hope that in the not-so distant future more measures will be taken to ensure the equal treatment of all minorities to caucasians
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/04/politics/ferguson-justice-report-shocking/index.html
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Blog Post #5
"Hillary Clinton: Equal pay, problem-solving would be top priorities"
This article discusses Hilary Clintons recent statements regarding her plans if she were to become president in the 2016 election. Her main focuses involve equal pay between the genders and joining the two parties together in order to accomplish more for our nation. Regarding her statements on equal pay she refers to Patricia Arquette's speech at the oscars on Gender equality and says "In so many ways, our economy still seems to be operating like its 1955,". She gave her opinion on the two competitive parties by stating "I'd like to bring people from right and left, red, blue, get them into a nice, warm, purple space where everybody is talking and where we're actually trying to solve problems. That would be my objective,".
This relates to our class because it is a good example of the competing parties and the damage it is doing to our progress as a country as Hilary explained. I completely agree with both statements made, I think the two party system has turned our government into a competition and I think it's ridiculous that there still isn't economic equality between the sexes. I also think she should've discussed the wage gap between races in addition to gender, while the gender gap is finally being at least acknowledged, the racial wage gap is being completely ignored.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-equal-pay-problem-solving-would-be-top-priorities/
This article discusses Hilary Clintons recent statements regarding her plans if she were to become president in the 2016 election. Her main focuses involve equal pay between the genders and joining the two parties together in order to accomplish more for our nation. Regarding her statements on equal pay she refers to Patricia Arquette's speech at the oscars on Gender equality and says "In so many ways, our economy still seems to be operating like its 1955,". She gave her opinion on the two competitive parties by stating "I'd like to bring people from right and left, red, blue, get them into a nice, warm, purple space where everybody is talking and where we're actually trying to solve problems. That would be my objective,".
This relates to our class because it is a good example of the competing parties and the damage it is doing to our progress as a country as Hilary explained. I completely agree with both statements made, I think the two party system has turned our government into a competition and I think it's ridiculous that there still isn't economic equality between the sexes. I also think she should've discussed the wage gap between races in addition to gender, while the gender gap is finally being at least acknowledged, the racial wage gap is being completely ignored.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-equal-pay-problem-solving-would-be-top-priorities/
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Blog post #4
"President Barack Obama: 'YOLO man"
In collaboration with Buzzfeed, President Barack Obama created a video "doing things everyone does but doesn't talk about". The video was to promote to promote his "signature health law", Obama Care. He practiced funny faces in the mirror and tried pronouncing oddly spelled words the way they appear such as Wednesday and February. He also pretended to shoot baskets and when caught deadpanned, "Can I live?". He also used the famous phrase "Thanks Obama" when dropping his coffee and trying to dunk a cookie in milk that wouldn't fit in the glass. The "relatable" video was an attempt to connect with Americas youth. Several days after the video, Obama made a statement "My advice to a future president is increasingly try to bypass the traditional venues that create divisions and try to find new venues within this new media that are quirkier, less predictable,"
This relates to our government class because we've discussed politicians self promotion tactics, though they're usually in the form of campaigning. Personally, i think this video was a smart move. I think many politicians are scared of appearing unprofessional and this video is definitely a breakthrough. It's a very smart tactic to reach for the youth because most politicians don't, leaving them very open to anything directed towards them.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/12/politics/obama-selfies-video-buzzfeed/index.html
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Blog Post #3
Federal judge: Alabama judges must issue gay marriage licenses
The Alabama chief justice continues to decline the Supreme Court's mission to legalize same-sex marriage for his personal belief that marriage should continue to be based off of traditional or biblical standards. The chief justice has ordered the lower courts of Alabama to not follow the federal court's overturning the ban on same-sex marriage. This is difficult for the lower level judges because they are being told by the federal court to allow gay marriage and being told by the Alabama chief justice to not.
This is related to our government class because it involves the different levels of court and discusses flaws in the judicial system along with discussing controversial political topics (same-sex marriage, abortion, etc.) that we often discuss in class. I think it's awful that even though the ban has been overturned same-sex couples are still unable to be married because of a person's opinions that are only influential because they have political/judicial power. I don't understand how this doesn't count as separation of church and state but I think it's great that we're making progress
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/12/politics/alabama-gay-marriage-licenses/index.html
Blog Post #2
Abortion Poses Challenge for GOP in 2016
The article starts by discussing the tens of thousands of "pro-life" activists who gather to Washington, D.C. every year for the "march for life". Just a day before this Republican leaders had "spiked one of social conservatives' biggest priorities", a bill that bans abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy. Other officials are concerned about this bill because they feel they should focus on less controversial issues first so they don't lose any support for the presidential election in 2016. As said by Republican Rep Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania "I would prefer that our party spent less time focusing on these very contentious social issues, because that distracts us from broader economic messages where I think we have much greater appeal to the larger public,"
This relates to out Government class because it discusses parties and their platforms. I personally don't agree with this bill at all, I think that women should have the right to their own bodies and people who wouldn't ever need an abortion(men) should not make laws about abortion, but that's not really what the article is about. I don't think it was smart for the GOP to be taking action on such a controversial issue before the presidential election. This definitely will affect the amount of people fully supporting the party.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/23/politics/gop-abortion-vote-2016/index.html
The article starts by discussing the tens of thousands of "pro-life" activists who gather to Washington, D.C. every year for the "march for life". Just a day before this Republican leaders had "spiked one of social conservatives' biggest priorities", a bill that bans abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy. Other officials are concerned about this bill because they feel they should focus on less controversial issues first so they don't lose any support for the presidential election in 2016. As said by Republican Rep Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania "I would prefer that our party spent less time focusing on these very contentious social issues, because that distracts us from broader economic messages where I think we have much greater appeal to the larger public,"
This relates to out Government class because it discusses parties and their platforms. I personally don't agree with this bill at all, I think that women should have the right to their own bodies and people who wouldn't ever need an abortion(men) should not make laws about abortion, but that's not really what the article is about. I don't think it was smart for the GOP to be taking action on such a controversial issue before the presidential election. This definitely will affect the amount of people fully supporting the party.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/23/politics/gop-abortion-vote-2016/index.html
Blog Post #1
The Three Slayings of Michael Brown
“The Three Slayings of Michael Brown” discusses the controversial topic of the shooting of unarmed black males,specifically Michael Brown. The article is written by a man who is very knowledgable on the subject and discusses it humanly yet still on a political level. He talks about the treatment of Michael Brown by officials before and after his murder. He explains how he was essentially “killed three times”. The first time was his physical murder, the second time was when police officials started “a loud, long, and vicious blame the victim campaign. They held press conferences, leaked documents, and orchestrated a well-oiled press campaign to depict Brown as having gang ties, smoked dope, dealt dope, had an arrest record, was a school troublemaker, and engaged in every kind of deviant behavior. They capped that by waving pictures to the national press that purported to show Brown robbing a convenience store moments before he was gunned down.” The third killing of Brown was when Darren Wilson was not indicted.
This relates to our government class because it involves corruption, something we have discussed before. I think the article made great points and was very well written. I completely agree with the author. Racism has, and will continue to be a controversial topic, Some think that racism has completely ended. Statistics and everyday life show that racism still continues to be a problem.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)