This article talks about why women should vote for Hillary Clinton. It states that Hillary has gotten a lot of votes from women, but have failed to gain the votes of many white millennial women who seem to favor Bernie Sanders. They state that women should vote for her not only because she is a girl, but because of self-interest. It even states that with a woman in office, they will produce three times more feminist bills than their male counterparts. This would provide some good advantages for women.
Many times we see the topic of equal pay come up in debates and in our society. Statistics show that in general, men are being payed more than women for doing the same job or even less work. I feel that with Clinton as president it would bring forward more opportunities for women to gain more rights like this too. I also think that if Clinton were to get elected it would show the world that men are not superior, and she would set a role model for many women and children around the nation and the world.
I disagree that women should vote for Clinton simply due to their mutual gender. Clinton has proven herself to be a liar, a manipulator, and someone who only looks out for themselves. That is NOT the type of person we want as our leader. It is true that Clinton may propose more feminist bills than a male president would, but that pales in comparison to the damage she would do. She would only look out for herself and her Super PAC supporters. And Curtiss, I'm sorry, but those "statistics" are outdated and simply wrong. It's true that in the past women were discriminated against in the workplace, but the amount of discrimination they face in the same area is now slim to none. They have full protection under both Constitutional and state laws. And yes, women tend to make less money. But this is more due to the fact that they are likely to opt for lower-paying careers (hair-dressers, teachers, etc.) than males are. And while there still may be a few underlying problems that are occurring, these are things that any other president with a good heart and rational conscience could handle. And Curtiss, women have already been, and currently are, presidents in other countries. The world already knows that women can be presidents.
I hate to have the unpopular opinion, but Hillary Clinton is a monster that would be almost as destructive to this country in office as Donald Trump.
This is an article about how Senator John McCain, thinks that our fight against ISIS will turn into the next Veitnam war. McCain was a former Naval-Piolt and served over five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. This is a very close topic of his and I'm sure that it was a rough way to live for over five years. This is a serious matter to McCain and he wrote a letter to the Obama Administration about this, warning them of what might happen in the future. I think that this could be true. We are fighting against ISIS because of their threats against us and our allies. However, I feel that if we send troops into Iraq, Syria, or wherever they are, that is when we are fighting other people's wars. I guess I would rather see another WWII approach by the U.S. than another Vietnam.
I think that this information is coming from a former Naval-Pilot and we should listen to him. He is obviously more informed of this situation than most and if it were up to me I would follow his advice and take action the way he would.
It is kind of scary how similar both wars are right now and how they could even be more so. Though one major difference is with ISIS, they have about the whole world against ISIS or at least pretty close. While in Vietnam it was not as much so. I'm not saying it will not be similar to Vietnam, I'm saying that ISIS has a major disadvantage right now compared to Vietnam.
The author maintains the position that the opening of America to Latin countries is a positive thing. While those who argue that the President Obama shouldn’t visit a country like Cuba because of human rights abuses, Susan Segal, the president of Americas Society, argues that by “engaging in a raport” with Cuba would be more beneficial than trade sanctions which only hurt ordinary Cubans. She points to how US influence led to a “peaceful breakthrough”between rebels and the COlombian government. I agree with her position. Sanctions disenfranchise the poorest citizens and hurt American business. Furthermore, the United States has friendly relations with Russia and Saudi Arabia, two countries where there are flagrant human rights abuses. The former policy towards Cuba was outdated and leftover from the Cold War.
This is the article Mrs. Frase posted. These “religious freedom” bills are, in my opinion, an excuse to openly discriminate against members of the LGBT community. It is disturbing to see the amount of support for them as well. While I believe a church shouldn’t be forced to host a same sex marriage ceremony, the idea that businesses should be allowed to not serve customers who are LGBT is frightening and reminiscent of segregation. It’s as if LGBT Americans are second class citizens. It is also is in violation of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. Religious freedom laws are unconstitutional and need to be sharply curtailed.
I know this feels like discrimination against the LBGT community but I also feel sympathy for the religious community. I feel like being forced to do something against their will is discomforting. I know the LBGT community does have the right to get married but I fell like it should just force government official to marry so the LBGT can get federal benifets.
I personally feel like churches should not have to marry anyone who they do not want to, not just LBGT people. If need be go to a different church or have the government marry them like Franklyn said. I also think that small businesses should not have to serve anyone they do not want to either. Large businesses, such as Walmart, should not be allowed to do this, but I do not see the harm in letting small mom and pop stores do this.
This article, as provided by Mrs. Frase, discusses the anti-gay legislation being passed in several states throughout the country. These laws enables individuals to refuse to provide service to gays if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.
As an openly gay male, this sort of legislation has made me outraged, to say the least. After so much fighting and suffering from my community, the news of last summer's Supreme Court ruling, which provided for nationwide marriage equality, was more than uplifting. Hearing the news brought me to tears. It was not just a huge milestone for both the LGBT community; it was a turning point for society as a whole. Hearing the news about the recent anti-gay bills, especially for people like me who are so passionate about the LGBT movement, has felt like a slap in the face to myself and the other members of my community. Not only is the legislation discriminatory, it clearly violates the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment, in my opinion, is violated by these laws, and I think that the issue should be brought before the Supreme Court and squashed. It causes for public embarrassment and harassment of a specific group and is a step back in the scope of progressivism. These laws are an obvious attempt to make a certain group inferior to the rest of society and create a class divide.
However, after talking with Mrs. Frase, I have begun to see why the issue is not being so easily thwarted. If we allow for gays to get married and request services from religious people, are we not discriminating against those who are religious? Forcing one group to put up with another could be viewed as discrimination. Does the First Amendment protect religious people and give this movement the foundation it needs to become national policy? It's not clear yet, but I don't think so. Nowhere in most major religious texts, such as the Bible, does it specifically instruct their followers to discriminate against gays in workplaces or shops. Inferred powers derived from followers should not be provided by the government to those followers. Simply saying, "I think God wouldn't want me to," is not enough.
At the end of the day, there is a gray area in this argument. I can see points from both sides, but I still side wholeheartedly with the LGBT community. I think that the laws are crap, and I am shocked and disgusted with the amount of states that have enacted them. Hopefully the Supreme Court strikes down on these discriminatory acts soon.
Go to gotquestions.org and look up "What does the Bible say about gay marriage/same sex marriage?" While it does not say discriminate gays in workplaces and shops, it does give some incite to why many Christians do not believe in same sex marriage.
In reply to Curtiss: I believe that McCain may be a jokester from time to time but he seems to have something with his idea on ISIS. Younger people are becoming more politically active than ever, and with this we see a polarization with the people. ISIS is going to be like Vietnam how people feel completely opposite about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/sanders-over-the-edge.html?ref=opinion&_r=0 This article is about how Sanders does not have realistic ideologies to carry out his economic policies. This article is strongly against Bernie's ideas on stopping the big corporations."Yet going on about big banks is pretty much all Mr. Sanders has done. On the rare occasions on which he was asked for more detail, he didn’t seem to have anything more to offer." It has a condescending tone to the article, so the person writing this must lean more conservatives. The author points out that Sanders has no way to correctly carry out any of his economic policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/sanders-over-the-edge.html?ref=opinion&_r=0 In reply to Alexis:
As well as I like Sanders, his claims are pretty bogus. His plans for free college are great, but we cant afford them either. Despite how the article sounds, theyre correct about him. If he had more reasonable ideals and plans for America, then more people would be supportive.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with that sentiment Hannah. I feel, given Sanders's track record as a senator, touting that he is a very practical legislator which has allowed him to get many a number of bills passed in his time in Congress. Along with his stances on civil rights and LGBT rights, both of which he has consistently advocated for decades. These things, along with many other reasons lead me to believe that Bernie is a candidate that can truly stay true to his word and keep his promises.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with that sentiment Hannah. I feel, given Sanders's track record as a senator, touting that he is a very practical legislator which has allowed him to get many a number of bills passed in his time in Congress. Along with his stances on civil rights and LGBT rights, both of which he has consistently advocated for decades. These things, along with many other reasons lead me to believe that Bernie is a candidate that can truly stay true to his word and keep his promises.
I have to disagree with that sentiment. I feel, along with many others that Sanders can deliver on his promises Given his touted record as a practical legislator that has passe more bills than any other senator, and his long time advocacy for civil and LGBT rights just to name a few. Sanders knows how to work, and ensure that it benefits the people.
This article is about the shootings and deaths of two soldiers at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas. These two men were shot at 9;40 this morning by one of their brothers. No actual details have been released as to why they were shot or what the connection was between them and the shooter. In my opinion, this may have been able to be prevented. If he was mentally unstable and we had been told about it, he could have been kept from joining. Also, with this being a training facility for enlistees, why wasn't he being watched closer? There are a lot of preventions for this type of thing, but my regards go to their family and his as well for having to watch him go through all of this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/pope-francis-divorced-but-not-from-the-church.html?ribbon-ad-idx=8&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article this article is about the pope and his new exhortation about divorce. He goes on to say that the church should be open minded to divorce and all family situations. He doesn't give any real rules about how the church should act he just encourages them to be more accepting to different family's that want to be a catholic. I think this is a good idea, Pope Francis definitely is more of a progressive pope in terms of modern society and i think that its a good thing for both people and the church. It keeps people coming to church as they are not scared by their old fashioned guidelines that would exclude some people in todays world.
This article is about how the House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said Friday that the Obama administration has turned over documents related to the "Fast and Furious" operation. The operation that's being named "gun-walking" operation, allowed roughly 2,000 guns into Mexico with the goal of tracking them to Mexican drug cartels. Two guns found at the scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's fatal shooting were linked to the operation. Guns from the operation have also been linked to an unknown number of Mexican civilians' deaths.
This article is about Bill Clinton and how he almost wants a apologize for his response, when he was attack by Black Lives Matter protesters. protesters shouted that "black youth are not super predators," taking issue with a phrase then-first lady Hillary Clinton used in a 1996 speech about violent crime committed by young people. They also heckled Bill Clinton for the 1994 crime bill he signed into law as president that cracked down on gangs but also put more non-violent offenders in prison for longer stays. which led to Clinton shouting "You are defending the people who killed the lives you say matter,".
This article is about the Pope's view in marriage and the church. The issue at hand was if the expectations of marriage that the church was imposing were unrealistic or not. The Pope said that the church is too strict when it comes to marriage and should be more merciful towards divorced couples that would like to enter communion. He also has the same stance on same sex marriage as the church but thinks the church should try to understand different family situations. I think it's a step in the right direction that the pope is addressing how outdated and strict the church's views on marriage is. I like that he's encouraging people to be more open minded.
I think this really is a step in the right direction. Times are definitely changing, so views should change with them. I’ve also heard that the Bible says things like not to wear clothing with mixed fabrics or something, which I’m not sure is true, but if it is no one really follows that rule anymore. It’s too difficult to even find clothes like that these days, and as things change the way we live changes too, and marriage is just like that. It’s a changing concept that people have gradually to learn to accept.
I never realized how ironic it is for Trump, a businessman, to have such costly outrageous plan; the whole "wall" idea. Plus Trump seems to only be focusing on the negatives of immigration, kind of pointing the finger per say, so that people have something to blame. When in reality it helps the economy (or so told by this article) to have immigrants. They can fill in the jobs that americans don't want to do but still has to be done for about everyone's benefit. It is incredibly silly for Trump to ignore these things and even more benefits that come from immigration, if he's trying to go for a more regulated immigration, he is failing massively on that.
It's also crazy to think that an enormous percentage of Trump's employees were immigrants, and he didn't have a problem paying them as little as possible for their hard work while he was profiting from it. America is supposed to be a place of refuge, a safe place for people to come and start a new life. Immigrants play a huge role in our culture and economy and I pray to God that Trump isn't stupid enough to not realize that.
I'm not exactly sure what my views on capital punishment are but I think I lean towards it being a little barbaric. Some people can't be rehabilitated and I understand that but I think that there's a fine line between justice and revenge. Also in the end I think forcing someone to spend the rest of their life incarcerated is the worst punishment. Many prisoners who are sentenced to life commit suicide and a lot of the time the victims of the crime committed will say they wish they wouldn't have gotten off so easy.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/opinions/death-penalty-numbers-shetty/index.html This article is about how more people have been executed this past year than ever before in countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. One thing I’m not sure they considered is the rise in population, of course the number of people killed each year because of the death penalty would increase if the population itself is increasing. But if we looked more at percentages and they were still rising, then there’s definitely an issue. I think there should be a death penalty, but only for extremely serious crimes like murder and rape, that have tons of evidence. There shouldn’t be a single missing piece or piece that doesn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be a single doubt in anyone’s mind in order for someone’s life to be taken. But in this article, it says people were executed for such minor things like having drugs, and they were tortured into giving a confession, and I think there’s definitely a huge problem with that.
The death penalty is such a touchy and debatable subject. I think you're absolutely right that there should be a 100% guarantee that the person committed an awful crime like murder or rape. The executions for possession of drugs are ridiculous. Contrary to the death penalty as a whole though, I remember that last year when Mr. Weddendorf was playing devil's advocate (like he always does) he brought up the point that the executioner who injects the lethal shot a murderer now too?
I agree with you Alyssa. The death penalty should only be issued for serious crimes because in the end, it’s someone’s life you're taking and I think that is a serious matter. Everyone should be completely sure that the person being executed is absolutely guilty and deserving of the punishment for crimes such as murder or rape. I don't think people should be tortured though or be punished with the death penalty for minor crimes such as having drugs.
This article is about Apple rejecting the FBI’s request to gain access to a terrorist’s phone involved in the San Bernardino shooting. The FBI also wanted access to a convicted drug dealer’s phone but eventually backed off. Apple’s reason for rejecting the FBI’s request was that they didn't want this process to become a routine. This article says that users are now more vulnerable to government access and criminal hacking. The FBI has already found a company that can access the terrorist’s phone without permission from Apple and will most likely not disclose this vulnerability. I see where Apple is coming from and I think in some ways this could be a violation of privacy but the Justice Department has argued that “the data is authorized to search by warrant” so I think it could go both ways.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/zika-is-coming.html?ref=opinion&_r=0 This article is about the oncoming outbreak of Zika in the US. Something I learned from this article is that poor neighborhoods are more susceptible to the virus because of conditions like living next to garbage, stagnant water, or ditches, being overpopulated, and having torn screens on their windows. Apparently in the southern United States, where the biggest threat of spreading is, it's already 80 degrees in the afternoons and there are already mosquitoes. I kind of wish we had warmer weather but not if it means being bitten by a mosquito that carries the zika virus.
Oh my! A few days ago, actually I read up on the Zika virus! It was on the Buzzfeed's snapchat story and I was curious. It posed the question of "How does Zika virus spread?" So I looked it up, and I learned about it. It can be passed in many different ways which is one major concern with the virus and a few months ago a farmer in Florida found a load of them nesting in his pool! It's crazy stuff but very interesting to learn about! I wasn't aware that poor neighborhoods were more susceptible! That's insane!
With the presidential race still continuing, on the Democratic side, people are starting to look toward the new york primary. With a sizable chunk of 237 (I think) delegates, it really could help turn the tide in either candidate's favor. It also seems to be really heated given the background of each candidate when it comes to this state. Hillary Clinton was a senator representing the state, so it seems that New York is her home territory. Bernie Sanders was born in Brooklyn, and has some home history with the state, although he is better known in Vermont. This is going to be interesting to watch, a battleground that can really change some perceptions about both candidates.
http://nyti.ms/1TRav6O Mrs. Clinton, a former secretary of state, is the most experienced in foreign affairs among the candidates and is strongly supported by much of the Democratic Party ... Immediate it's easily to tell the editor supports Hilary Clinton . And he actually has a point she does have more experience which will make her a better fit for that job .., the presidency ... Who knows ? But the point of the article is how foreign policy and the fight on terrorism is going to continue . Obviously foreign policy is extremely important because it drives American economy and it should be a high concern in the policyi cal platform. The fight of terrorism also needs to be terminated and a good negotiator is needed to come to peace with rebellious forces around the world that threaten the us and neighbor countries ... But that is easier said than done .
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/why-apples-stand-against-the-fbi-hurts-its-own-customers.html This is an article about the aftermath of the whole apple vs the government case. The writer of this article seems to very against Apple so I doubt it would have matter what Apple choose to do the article would have still been negative. In this article he says that because Apple refuse to help they hurt their costumer privacy because a little company was able to make a hack. In reality this company probably already existed before this even so I doubt it will take Apple long to patch their loophole in their coding. I still believe that Apple made the right decision in refusing to help the government because at this rate the government is less concerned with the safety of the majority but rather more concerned of gaining more power.
http://nyti.ms/1S8vFgC This is the saddest thing to see spinned around the media . Former speaker of the house has admitted guilty to moleating high school boys while being a high school wresting coach. Honestly it's disgusting ... Both the act and the fact that he will receive limited punishment of his actions . The stature of limitations will allow the charges to be obsolete and he will be charged aprons 6 months for hiding the fact that he was doing this . I think that sometimes that stature of limitations shouldn't be a thing because it gets people get away with so many things . Yes the victim can speak out but like the boys in this scenerio there voices were kept shut due to power . In this instance the former speaker of the house overs used his power , not just when he was speaker of the house but also when he was a coach . I think that there has been an increase in the amount of attention to this types of cases such as the guy from subway and his actions and hopefully something happens to resolve or help the victims of these situations.
This article is about how Sanders and Clinton need to stop making jabs at each other and to start focusing on the issues at hand. I certainly agree, especially when the jabs start to offend other people not in the running. One thing that Clinton said was that Sanders, “prioritized gun manufacturers’ rights over the parents of the children killed at Sandy Hook.” In my opinion, she should have never connected these two things. It is not the gun manufactures' fault, or even the gun's themselves, that incidents such as these occur. The reason why these happen is because of the people holding the gun. Something, in one way or another, has made them go off the deep end and caused them to do this. Gun control can not stop this. They will result to other methods such as knives, and after that, rocks or sticks. Einstein once said, "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins122873.html (I know this cite isn't all that reliable, but I've heard of him saying that before so I'm still using it.)
I thought this was an interesting article to write a blog about after some of the court cases we've discussed this week. This article goes through and highlights the different opinions many southerners have about religious freedom bills. One mane focus is on the North Carolina bill about people having to use the same gender bathroom as the gender on their birth certificate. I want to say first that I am one of the biggest LGBT supporters, and they deserve every right that straight people do, because sexuality plays no role in how many rights you should have. And the government shouldn't be able to tell you how to be, or punish you for not fitting into their mold. However, every person was born a certain reason, and while with somethings that birth gender can be ignored, in situations like which bathroom to use, it should be the gender you were born with. Just like in the hospital, you have to use your birth gender, they can't help you if they think you're a male when you were born a female and have female issues, and vice versa. It isn't discriminatory, its for the safety of everyone involved.
This article is about the possibility, and as the primaries go on likelihood, of a contested Republican convention, and who would most likely win the nomination in such an event. The possibilities and rumors of Kasich or Paul Ryan winning the nomination at the convention seem to good to be true for the establishment Republicans, and they probably are. More likely Ted Cruz would win in a contested convention because the mass majority of delegates that will make up the votes of a candidate trying to win the majority will be locally elected and not tied to what interests the RNC in Washington. After the first round of voting when most become untethered to the obligations of their electorate many will side with the candidate that appeals to them, and based upon the demographics of those who are Republican delegates, Ted Cruz is likely that man.
This article is about a new form of polling being used in politics at the University of Chicago to more correctly gauge voters on where they stand on issues. The quadratic voting system as it is called is used to keep the subjects of the polls from only taking extreme positions on every issue and forces them to really judge what they view as extremely important. No longer can voters be strong on every issue one way or another, they are forced to be moderate on some things if they want to get their view across on many different issues. This allows the polling to more accurately show what really is drawing specific groups of voters to vote for the candidate they are choosing, and can allow us to more accurately show why a candidate like Donald Trump is doing so well.
Sanders is applying the same point that Obama had made during his presidential campaign. Obama wanted to relate to the people. He claimed that he has been where they are and knows how they feel, while someone like John McCain and Hillary Clinton have had higher privileges. Someone who can be endorsed through millions and millions of dollars from super PACs is not someone who can relate to today's society. The people want someone like Bernie because he wants what's good for the people, not himself.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-cohen-why-women-should-elect-women-20160406-story.html
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about why women should vote for Hillary Clinton. It states that Hillary has gotten a lot of votes from women, but have failed to gain the votes of many white millennial women who seem to favor Bernie Sanders. They state that women should vote for her not only because she is a girl, but because of self-interest. It even states that with a woman in office, they will produce three times more feminist bills than their male counterparts. This would provide some good advantages for women.
Many times we see the topic of equal pay come up in debates and in our society. Statistics show that in general, men are being payed more than women for doing the same job or even less work. I feel that with Clinton as president it would bring forward more opportunities for women to gain more rights like this too. I also think that if Clinton were to get elected it would show the world that men are not superior, and she would set a role model for many women and children around the nation and the world.
DeleteI disagree that women should vote for Clinton simply due to their mutual gender. Clinton has proven herself to be a liar, a manipulator, and someone who only looks out for themselves. That is NOT the type of person we want as our leader. It is true that Clinton may propose more feminist bills than a male president would, but that pales in comparison to the damage she would do. She would only look out for herself and her Super PAC supporters. And Curtiss, I'm sorry, but those "statistics" are outdated and simply wrong. It's true that in the past women were discriminated against in the workplace, but the amount of discrimination they face in the same area is now slim to none. They have full protection under both Constitutional and state laws. And yes, women tend to make less money. But this is more due to the fact that they are likely to opt for lower-paying careers (hair-dressers, teachers, etc.) than males are. And while there still may be a few underlying problems that are occurring, these are things that any other president with a good heart and rational conscience could handle. And Curtiss, women have already been, and currently are, presidents in other countries. The world already knows that women can be presidents.
DeleteI hate to have the unpopular opinion, but Hillary Clinton is a monster that would be almost as destructive to this country in office as Donald Trump.
vote for bernie 2k16
Deletehttp://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/politics/john-mccain-vietnam-war-isis/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis is an article about how Senator John McCain, thinks that our fight against ISIS will turn into the next Veitnam war. McCain was a former Naval-Piolt and served over five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. This is a very close topic of his and I'm sure that it was a rough way to live for over five years. This is a serious matter to McCain and he wrote a letter to the Obama Administration about this, warning them of what might happen in the future. I think that this could be true. We are fighting against ISIS because of their threats against us and our allies. However, I feel that if we send troops into Iraq, Syria, or wherever they are, that is when we are fighting other people's wars. I guess I would rather see another WWII approach by the U.S. than another Vietnam.
I think that this information is coming from a former Naval-Pilot and we should listen to him. He is obviously more informed of this situation than most and if it were up to me I would follow his advice and take action the way he would.
DeleteIt is kind of scary how similar both wars are right now and how they could even be more so. Though one major difference is with ISIS, they have about the whole world against ISIS or at least pretty close. While in Vietnam it was not as much so. I'm not saying it will not be similar to Vietnam, I'm saying that ISIS has a major disadvantage right now compared to Vietnam.
Deletehttp://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/us/religious-freedom-laws-why-now/index.html
ReplyDeleteInteresting read about states enacting religious freedom laws as a means to curtail SCOTUS's Gay rights ruling last summer.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/18/opinions/obama-cuba-argentina-visits-segal/index.html
ReplyDeleteThe author maintains the position that the opening of America to Latin countries is a positive thing. While those who argue that the President Obama shouldn’t visit a country like Cuba because of human rights abuses, Susan Segal, the president of Americas Society, argues that by “engaging in a raport” with Cuba would be more beneficial than trade sanctions which only hurt ordinary Cubans. She points to how US influence led to a “peaceful breakthrough”between rebels and the COlombian government. I agree with her position. Sanctions disenfranchise the poorest citizens and hurt American business. Furthermore, the United States has friendly relations with Russia and Saudi Arabia, two countries where there are flagrant human rights abuses. The former policy towards Cuba was outdated and leftover from the Cold War.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/us/religious-freedom-laws-why-now/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis is the article Mrs. Frase posted. These “religious freedom” bills are, in my opinion, an excuse to openly discriminate against members of the LGBT community. It is disturbing to see the amount of support for them as well. While I believe a church shouldn’t be forced to host a same sex marriage ceremony, the idea that businesses should be allowed to not serve customers who are LGBT is frightening and reminiscent of segregation. It’s as if LGBT Americans are second class citizens. It is also is in violation of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. Religious freedom laws are unconstitutional and need to be sharply curtailed.
I know this feels like discrimination against the LBGT community but I also feel sympathy for the religious community. I feel like being forced to do something against their will is discomforting. I know the LBGT community does have the right to get married but I fell like it should just force government official to marry so the LBGT can get federal benifets.
DeleteI personally feel like churches should not have to marry anyone who they do not want to, not just LBGT people. If need be go to a different church or have the government marry them like Franklyn said. I also think that small businesses should not have to serve anyone they do not want to either. Large businesses, such as Walmart, should not be allowed to do this, but I do not see the harm in letting small mom and pop stores do this.
Deletehttp://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/us/religious-freedom-laws-why-now/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis article, as provided by Mrs. Frase, discusses the anti-gay legislation being passed in several states throughout the country. These laws enables individuals to refuse to provide service to gays if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.
As an openly gay male, this sort of legislation has made me outraged, to say the least. After so much fighting and suffering from my community, the news of last summer's Supreme Court ruling, which provided for nationwide marriage equality, was more than uplifting. Hearing the news brought me to tears. It was not just a huge milestone for both the LGBT community; it was a turning point for society as a whole. Hearing the news about the recent anti-gay bills, especially for people like me who are so passionate about the LGBT movement, has felt like a slap in the face to myself and the other members of my community. Not only is the legislation discriminatory, it clearly violates the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment, in my opinion, is violated by these laws, and I think that the issue should be brought before the Supreme Court and squashed. It causes for public embarrassment and harassment of a specific group and is a step back in the scope of progressivism. These laws are an obvious attempt to make a certain group inferior to the rest of society and create a class divide.
However, after talking with Mrs. Frase, I have begun to see why the issue is not being so easily thwarted. If we allow for gays to get married and request services from religious people, are we not discriminating against those who are religious? Forcing one group to put up with another could be viewed as discrimination. Does the First Amendment protect religious people and give this movement the foundation it needs to become national policy? It's not clear yet, but I don't think so. Nowhere in most major religious texts, such as the Bible, does it specifically instruct their followers to discriminate against gays in workplaces or shops. Inferred powers derived from followers should not be provided by the government to those followers. Simply saying, "I think God wouldn't want me to," is not enough.
At the end of the day, there is a gray area in this argument. I can see points from both sides, but I still side wholeheartedly with the LGBT community. I think that the laws are crap, and I am shocked and disgusted with the amount of states that have enacted them. Hopefully the Supreme Court strikes down on these discriminatory acts soon.
Go to gotquestions.org and look up "What does the Bible say about gay marriage/same sex marriage?" While it does not say discriminate gays in workplaces and shops, it does give some incite to why many Christians do not believe in same sex marriage.
DeleteIn reply to Curtiss:
ReplyDeleteI believe that McCain may be a jokester from time to time but he seems to have something with his idea on ISIS. Younger people are becoming more politically active than ever, and with this we see a polarization with the people. ISIS is going to be like Vietnam how people feel completely opposite about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/sanders-over-the-edge.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
ReplyDeleteThis article is about how Sanders does not have realistic ideologies to carry out his economic policies. This article is strongly against Bernie's ideas on stopping the big corporations."Yet going on about big banks is pretty much all Mr. Sanders has done. On the rare occasions on which he was asked for more detail, he didn’t seem to have anything more to offer." It has a condescending tone to the article, so the person writing this must lean more conservatives. The author points out that Sanders has no way to correctly carry out any of his economic policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/sanders-over-the-edge.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
DeleteIn reply to Alexis:
As well as I like Sanders, his claims are pretty bogus. His plans for free college are great, but we cant afford them either. Despite how the article sounds, theyre correct about him. If he had more reasonable ideals and plans for America, then more people would be supportive.
I'll have to respectfully disagree with that sentiment Hannah. I feel, given Sanders's track record as a senator, touting that he is a very practical legislator which has allowed him to get many a number of bills passed in his time in Congress. Along with his stances on civil rights and LGBT rights, both of which he has consistently advocated for decades. These things, along with many other reasons lead me to believe that Bernie is a candidate that can truly stay true to his word and keep his promises.
DeleteI'll have to respectfully disagree with that sentiment Hannah. I feel, given Sanders's track record as a senator, touting that he is a very practical legislator which has allowed him to get many a number of bills passed in his time in Congress. Along with his stances on civil rights and LGBT rights, both of which he has consistently advocated for decades. These things, along with many other reasons lead me to believe that Bernie is a candidate that can truly stay true to his word and keep his promises.
DeleteI have to disagree with that sentiment. I feel, along with many others that Sanders can deliver on his promises Given his touted record as a practical legislator that has passe more bills than any other senator, and his long time advocacy for civil and LGBT rights just to name a few. Sanders knows how to work, and ensure that it benefits the people.
Deletehttp://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/us/texas-lackland-shooting/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the shootings and deaths of two soldiers at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas. These two men were shot at 9;40 this morning by one of their brothers. No actual details have been released as to why they were shot or what the connection was between them and the shooter. In my opinion, this may have been able to be prevented. If he was mentally unstable and we had been told about it, he could have been kept from joining. Also, with this being a training facility for enlistees, why wasn't he being watched closer? There are a lot of preventions for this type of thing, but my regards go to their family and his as well for having to watch him go through all of this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/pope-francis-divorced-but-not-from-the-church.html?ribbon-ad-idx=8&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article
ReplyDeletethis article is about the pope and his new exhortation about divorce. He goes on to say that the church should be open minded to divorce and all family situations. He doesn't give any real rules about how the church should act he just encourages them to be more accepting to different family's that want to be a catholic. I think this is a good idea, Pope Francis definitely is more of a progressive pope in terms of modern society and i think that its a good thing for both people and the church. It keeps people coming to church as they are not scared by their old fashioned guidelines that would exclude some people in todays world.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/politics/obama-administration-turns-over-fast-and-furious-documents/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about how the House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said Friday that the Obama administration has turned over documents related to the "Fast and Furious" operation. The operation that's being named "gun-walking" operation, allowed roughly 2,000 guns into Mexico with the goal of tracking them to Mexican drug cartels. Two guns found at the scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's fatal shooting were linked to the operation. Guns from the operation have also been linked to an unknown number of Mexican civilians' deaths.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/politics/bill-clinton-black-lives-matter/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about Bill Clinton and how he almost wants a apologize for his response, when he was attack by Black Lives Matter protesters. protesters shouted that "black youth are not super predators," taking issue with a phrase then-first lady Hillary Clinton used in a 1996 speech about violent crime committed by young people. They also heckled Bill Clinton for the 1994 crime bill he signed into law as president that cracked down on gangs but also put more non-violent offenders in prison for longer stays. which led to Clinton shouting "You are defending the people who killed the lives you say matter,".
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/pope-francis-divorced-but-not-from-the-church.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the Pope's view in marriage and the church. The issue at hand was if the expectations of marriage that the church was imposing were unrealistic or not. The Pope said that the church is too strict when it comes to marriage and should be more merciful towards divorced couples that would like to enter communion. He also has the same stance on same sex marriage as the church but thinks the church should try to understand different family situations. I think it's a step in the right direction that the pope is addressing how outdated and strict the church's views on marriage is. I like that he's encouraging people to be more open minded.
I think this really is a step in the right direction. Times are definitely changing, so views should change with them. I’ve also heard that the Bible says things like not to wear clothing with mixed fabrics or something, which I’m not sure is true, but if it is no one really follows that rule anymore. It’s too difficult to even find clothes like that these days, and as things change the way we live changes too, and marriage is just like that. It’s a changing concept that people have gradually to learn to accept.
Deletehttp://www.cnn.com/2016/04/07/opinions/trump-protectionism-khanna/index.html
ReplyDeleteI never realized how ironic it is for Trump, a businessman, to have such costly outrageous plan; the whole "wall" idea. Plus Trump seems to only be focusing on the negatives of immigration, kind of pointing the finger per say, so that people have something to blame. When in reality it helps the economy (or so told by this article) to have immigrants. They can fill in the jobs that americans don't want to do but still has to be done for about everyone's benefit. It is incredibly silly for Trump to ignore these things and even more benefits that come from immigration, if he's trying to go for a more regulated immigration, he is failing massively on that.
It's also crazy to think that an enormous percentage of Trump's employees were immigrants, and he didn't have a problem paying them as little as possible for their hard work while he was profiting from it. America is supposed to be a place of refuge, a safe place for people to come and start a new life. Immigrants play a huge role in our culture and economy and I pray to God that Trump isn't stupid enough to not realize that.
DeleteI'm not exactly sure what my views on capital punishment are but I think I lean towards it being a little barbaric. Some people can't be rehabilitated and I understand that but I think that there's a fine line between justice and revenge. Also in the end I think forcing someone to spend the rest of their life incarcerated is the worst punishment. Many prisoners who are sentenced to life commit suicide and a lot of the time the victims of the crime committed will say they wish they wouldn't have gotten off so easy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/opinions/death-penalty-numbers-shetty/index.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about how more people have been executed this past year than ever before in countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. One thing I’m not sure they considered is the rise in population, of course the number of people killed each year because of the death penalty would increase if the population itself is increasing. But if we looked more at percentages and they were still rising, then there’s definitely an issue. I think there should be a death penalty, but only for extremely serious crimes like murder and rape, that have tons of evidence. There shouldn’t be a single missing piece or piece that doesn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be a single doubt in anyone’s mind in order for someone’s life to be taken. But in this article, it says people were executed for such minor things like having drugs, and they were tortured into giving a confession, and I think there’s definitely a huge problem with that.
The death penalty is such a touchy and debatable subject. I think you're absolutely right that there should be a 100% guarantee that the person committed an awful crime like murder or rape. The executions for possession of drugs are ridiculous. Contrary to the death penalty as a whole though, I remember that last year when Mr. Weddendorf was playing devil's advocate (like he always does) he brought up the point that the executioner who injects the lethal shot a murderer now too?
DeleteI agree with you Alyssa. The death penalty should only be issued for serious crimes because in the end, it’s someone’s life you're taking and I think that is a serious matter. Everyone should be completely sure that the person being executed is absolutely guilty and deserving of the punishment for crimes such as murder or rape. I don't think people should be tortured though or be punished with the death penalty for minor crimes such as having drugs.
Deletehttp://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/why-apples-stand-against-the-fbi-hurts-its-own-customers.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about Apple rejecting the FBI’s request to gain access to a terrorist’s phone involved in the San Bernardino shooting. The FBI also wanted access to a convicted drug dealer’s phone but eventually backed off. Apple’s reason for rejecting the FBI’s request was that they didn't want this process to become a routine. This article says that users are now more vulnerable to government access and criminal hacking. The FBI has already found a company that can access the terrorist’s phone without permission from Apple and will most likely not disclose this vulnerability. I see where Apple is coming from and I think in some ways this could be a violation of privacy but the Justice Department has argued that “the data is authorized to search by warrant” so I think it could go both ways.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/zika-is-coming.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the oncoming outbreak of Zika in the US. Something I learned from this article is that poor neighborhoods are more susceptible to the virus because of conditions like living next to garbage, stagnant water, or ditches, being overpopulated, and having torn screens on their windows. Apparently in the southern United States, where the biggest threat of spreading is, it's already 80 degrees in the afternoons and there are already mosquitoes. I kind of wish we had warmer weather but not if it means being bitten by a mosquito that carries the zika virus.
Oh my! A few days ago, actually I read up on the Zika virus! It was on the Buzzfeed's snapchat story and I was curious. It posed the question of "How does Zika virus spread?" So I looked it up, and I learned about it. It can be passed in many different ways which is one major concern with the virus and a few months ago a farmer in Florida found a load of them nesting in his pool! It's crazy stuff but very interesting to learn about! I wasn't aware that poor neighborhoods were more susceptible! That's insane!
Deletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/in-the-new-york-primary-democrats-should-stick-to-issues.html?ref=opinion
ReplyDeleteWith the presidential race still continuing, on the Democratic side, people are starting to look toward the new york primary. With a sizable chunk of 237 (I think) delegates, it really could help turn the tide in either candidate's favor. It also seems to be really heated given the background of each candidate when it comes to this state. Hillary Clinton was a senator representing the state, so it seems that New York is her home territory. Bernie Sanders was born in Brooklyn, and has some home history with the state, although he is better known in Vermont. This is going to be interesting to watch, a battleground that can really change some perceptions about both candidates.
http://nyti.ms/1TRav6O
ReplyDeleteMrs. Clinton, a former secretary of state, is the most experienced in foreign affairs among the candidates and is strongly supported by much of the Democratic Party ... Immediate it's easily to tell the editor supports Hilary Clinton . And he actually has a point she does have more experience which will make her a better fit for that job .., the presidency ... Who knows ? But the point of the article is how foreign policy and the fight on terrorism is going to continue . Obviously foreign policy is extremely important because it drives American economy and it should be a high concern in the policyi cal platform. The fight of terrorism also needs to be terminated and a good negotiator is needed to come to peace with rebellious forces around the world that threaten the us and neighbor countries ... But that is easier said than done .
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/why-apples-stand-against-the-fbi-hurts-its-own-customers.html
ReplyDeleteThis is an article about the aftermath of the whole apple vs the government case. The writer of this article seems to very against Apple so I doubt it would have matter what Apple choose to do the article would have still been negative. In this article he says that because Apple refuse to help they hurt their costumer privacy because a little company was able to make a hack. In reality this company probably already existed before this even so I doubt it will take Apple long to patch their loophole in their coding. I still believe that Apple made the right decision in refusing to help the government because at this rate the government is less concerned with the safety of the majority but rather more concerned of gaining more power.
http://nyti.ms/1S8vFgC
ReplyDeleteThis is the saddest thing to see spinned around the media . Former speaker of the house has admitted guilty to moleating high school boys while being a high school wresting coach. Honestly it's disgusting ... Both the act and the fact that he will receive limited punishment of his actions . The stature of limitations will allow the charges to be obsolete and he will be charged aprons 6 months for hiding the fact that he was doing this . I think that sometimes that stature of limitations shouldn't be a thing because it gets people get away with so many things . Yes the victim can speak out but like the boys in this scenerio there voices were kept shut due to power . In this instance the former speaker of the house overs used his power , not just when he was speaker of the house but also when he was a coach . I think that there has been an increase in the amount of attention to this types of cases such as the guy from subway
and his actions and hopefully something happens to resolve or help the victims of these situations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/opinion/in-the-new-york-primary-democrats-should-stick-to-issues.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
ReplyDeleteThis article is about how Sanders and Clinton need to stop making jabs at each other and to start focusing on the issues at hand. I certainly agree, especially when the jabs start to offend other people not in the running. One thing that Clinton said was that Sanders, “prioritized gun manufacturers’ rights over the parents of the children killed at Sandy Hook.” In my opinion, she should have never connected these two things. It is not the gun manufactures' fault, or even the gun's themselves, that incidents such as these occur. The reason why these happen is because of the people holding the gun. Something, in one way or another, has made them go off the deep end and caused them to do this. Gun control can not stop this. They will result to other methods such as knives, and after that, rocks or sticks. Einstein once said, "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins122873.html
(I know this cite isn't all that reliable, but I've heard of him saying that before so I'm still using it.)
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/us/southern-states-religious-freedom-bills-reaction/index.html
ReplyDeleteI thought this was an interesting article to write a blog about after some of the court cases we've discussed this week. This article goes through and highlights the different opinions many southerners have about religious freedom bills. One mane focus is on the North Carolina bill about people having to use the same gender bathroom as the gender on their birth certificate. I want to say first that I am one of the biggest LGBT supporters, and they deserve every right that straight people do, because sexuality plays no role in how many rights you should have. And the government shouldn't be able to tell you how to be, or punish you for not fitting into their mold. However, every person was born a certain reason, and while with somethings that birth gender can be ignored, in situations like which bathroom to use, it should be the gender you were born with. Just like in the hospital, you have to use your birth gender, they can't help you if they think you're a male when you were born a female and have female issues, and vice versa. It isn't discriminatory, its for the safety of everyone involved.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ted-cruz-not-paul-ryan-would-probably-win-a-contested-convention/
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the possibility, and as the primaries go on likelihood, of a contested Republican convention, and who would most likely win the nomination in such an event. The possibilities and rumors of Kasich or Paul Ryan winning the nomination at the convention seem to good to be true for the establishment Republicans, and they probably are. More likely Ted Cruz would win in a contested convention because the mass majority of delegates that will make up the votes of a candidate trying to win the majority will be locally elected and not tied to what interests the RNC in Washington. After the first round of voting when most become untethered to the obligations of their electorate many will side with the candidate that appeals to them, and based upon the demographics of those who are Republican delegates, Ted Cruz is likely that man.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-support-would-be-easier-to-explain-with-better-polling/
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a new form of polling being used in politics at the University of Chicago to more correctly gauge voters on where they stand on issues. The quadratic voting system as it is called is used to keep the subjects of the polls from only taking extreme positions on every issue and forces them to really judge what they view as extremely important. No longer can voters be strong on every issue one way or another, they are forced to be moderate on some things if they want to get their view across on many different issues. This allows the polling to more accurately show what really is drawing specific groups of voters to vote for the candidate they are choosing, and can allow us to more accurately show why a candidate like Donald Trump is doing so well.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/08/politics/bernie-sanders-bill-clinton-psychoanalyst/index.html
ReplyDeleteSanders is applying the same point that Obama had made during his presidential campaign. Obama wanted to relate to the people. He claimed that he has been where they are and knows how they feel, while someone like John McCain and Hillary Clinton have had higher privileges. Someone who can be endorsed through millions and millions of dollars from super PACs is not someone who can relate to today's society. The people want someone like Bernie because he wants what's good for the people, not himself.