Exactly What Was On That Bill? Pol106

Congress has a long tradition of tacking on multiple issues to high priority bills. Recently the flood relief bill passed with just under $2 billon going to the Midwest to help it recover from the massive flooding which has been occurring according to a June 18th article from CBS. However, the bill also brought in $52 billion to extend the GI college benefits and $165 billion going to the pentagon to aid the Iraqi and Afghanistan war effort. Many people are opposed to the war, yet by tacking it onto a flood relief bill it was sure to fly through congress. Looking at high profile bills it is easy to see that congress does this to decrease the amount of debate over bills. Both sides wanted flood relief and the democrats wanted to increase the GI bill and the republicans wanted to add enough budget money to the war so the next President can make immediate policy in the Middle-East. How can we let all these bills pass so easily? Simply put, congress negotiates and compromises. We civilians may not understand why they do this, but the truth we do see is that now everyone gets what they wanted and the flood relief money was not held up in debate for months. Overall I believe it was the right action to take. And let me state now, I did not comment on the war being funded because that is an issue that will take up far more posts than I can think of, but feel free to add your own opinion to whether the military and civilian budget money should be on the same bills.

Chicago case...who should clean up? Pol106

In a recent commotion in Chicago, the mother of an 8-year old boy was accused of being a “gang-banger” by the Chicago Police Supt Jody Weis. A lawsuit has been threatened against him if a retraction and apology are not given in due time. This brings up the question of how much of this issue is this woman’s fault? If she can not afford to live in a safer neighborhood, how can she be blamed for the unsafe actions that happen around her? I believe the question that should be asked is what is the city of Chicago doing to clean up these areas? And is it only the city’s job? Should there be more money spent on internal clean up of major cities in the United States or is the total burden thrown to the local and state governments? Chicago has always changed from being safe to threatening quickly. What does this mean for Chicagoans? Should we have our own personal city alert for how dangerous the streets are that day? If so, what would today be? A red or a green?

When Children Are in Danger, Is Death to Much? Pol 106

The Supreme Court recently handed down a decision that stated the death penalty could not be used on child rapist because there had been no one killed. Almost everyone of us can understand the horror and rage that occur when a child is abuse physically and especially mentally. However, Louisiana did have the death penalty as a punishment for child rapists. This is an issue I have a hard time with, because personally I fell little remorse for criminals who would hurt a child. But, the truth is the death penalty should not be used unless there has been another death at the individuals hands. I understand this and know it is right, but that does not make up for the fact that a child was hurt and defiled to the deepest degree. I believe that harsh punishments, longer jail times, and little or no early release should be allowed to child sex offenders. This is my opinion and I know it is very harsh, but when it comes to kids I do not think we can afford to be anything but harsh.

To Gun or Not To Gun Pol 106

The Supreme Court recently issued a ruling which stated the Washington DC handgun ban was too broad and denied the people their Second Amendment right to bare arms. With this ruling the law will be changed or become null and the area must come up with a licensing plan to allow guns into the hands of citizens again. In Chicago, Mayor Daley was very vocal in his disappointment in the ruling and the potential for a suite against Chicago to lift its own ban on weapons. Being a citizen who grew up in a town that completely disallowed the owning and possession of a fire arm, hidden or seen, I have found this debate foreign. I have only shot a rifle once in my life and have never seen an animal shot in reality. It is this ignorance that plays at my mind when I try and form an opinion on the issue. My extended family lives in rural areas where guns are a daily necessity and I find it interesting to hear their arguments for keeping the Second Amendment alive and kicking. They feel that it is their right to bare arms to protect themselves and since they know how to use them and have valid license for them all, I find no fault in their argument. It is the use of and acceptance of guns in densely populated areas that worry me. In a city there are seldom wild animals which need to be shot and often the guns purchased are for personal protection. However, of these guns, how many people carry them around without understanding just how damaging they can be? I’ve seen an 18 year old boy almost die in the emergency room from a bullet wound to the stomach because a man did not know how to use a gun and accidently shot him. It is cases like these that I believe are important to understand and accept the idea for a stricter licensing protocol which would keep guns out of the hands of untrained hands.

Home...or something like it

Finally I'm home and relaxing. One week of classes over and one current family emergency shoved off on someoneelses shoulders! Thank the lord for frequent flyer miles and my ability to handle my mother under stress. Our basement almost flooded if not for my quick thinking...yeah right it was when my dog came and got me to show me the over flowing drain that I cleared it out. Like I'd be that smart to begin with, please! My cat gained 0.1 pounds! Take that renal failure! In yo face! i believe my friends have discovered I am far from normal and have accepted that yes I do randomly break into song an dance when it rains. OK decompression over. Tine for real news. I have yet to find a summer job and I have already gotten to understand that my apartment will never be cool, no matter what form of cooling I use. And I have come to realize I can not live on lettuce and salmon alone so a shopping trip is in the works. Please send me requestes for dinner and when you are free to come over. I had Dick and Joyce for French Onion soup the other night and Robin for grilled salmon the next lunch. So please come one come all, but don't critic my cooking or I'll kick you out! Just kidding!

Should faith and community do the states work? POL106

The recent Faith and Community-based Initiative is an interesting idea which could cause many states to cut their budgets. The federal government gives out money to do public works, usually to the states to have them spread the money to where it is needed. However, this new movement would put federal money in the hands of the religious and community centers around the country to do public works through a far more direct route, cutting the state out of the equation completely.
As discussed in class the state counts and the money from the federal government for their yearly budgets and would feel that the federal government is taking libertes from them by cutting them out of that money to give it to the people. It is an issue which could vary well cause problems for states and the system as a whole. As we have been hearing, the states have always risen up against the federal government when their liberties were threatened, take the civil war or Texas as examples. This issue could cause another uprising, or it could bring local and state level government together to better use the money being given and cause a more effective movement toward better communities and states on the whole. No matter what the outcome, the fact that religious organizations are included will cause both help and harm to this cause. The phrase "Can't we all just get along?" comes to mind in these situations, and as history has shown us the answer is a resounding NO.

Which State is BEST? POL 106

There is much to discuss on the topic of same-sex marriages, from their moral stance to the tax benefits they could bring. Many of these issues bare different weight in different states. Due to the full faith and credit clause, is a document is legal in one state, it has to be upheld in another. This is an issue that could cause many court cases as the recent allowance of same-sex marriages in several states, and the continued ban on them in others. However, this is not the main issue as I see it. It is far more important to look at the other benefits of being married. Not only are there tax benefits, but there are personal and private issues which are impacted. A married man can visit his husband in the ICU, a non-marries man can not. A married woman can pick of her wife's biological children from day care with out previous consent, a non-married woman can not. Finally, a married man can be told details of his husband if he were in an accident, if he is not married he is left in the dark. By having one state allow these marriages and one state ban them, it draws the question, which state's laws are better and should supersede the other?
Over the past few years I have seen men watch from a hallway away as their loved one dies and they can not be with them. this is not saying the new privacy laws are bad, just that they are exclusive of many people in the country. I have seen same-sex parents both be able to pick their children up from daycare and I have seen the devastated look when one of the parents is not allowed to and must get verbal consent by phone just to take their child home. Whether you agree with same-sex relationships or not, these situations do pose the emotional toll that is required to induce change to laws and have true equality in the nation.

Factions...What they could do Pol106

It was an interesting discussion about how factions in the United States political system could cause mass mayhem and even destroy it. The points I found the most interesting were that 1. no matter what, Publius summarizes in Federalist #10, factions must be avoided and if not destroyed by those which hold the system dear. And 2. tyranny of the majority was of the utmost avoidance because of majority factions. What I understand from Publius' writing and our discussions is that factions are a bare-toothed phenomena that will continue to occur in a democracy. No matter what we as civilians nor what our representatives do, the special interest and political parties will continue to existe due simply to our separate minds and how different events and ideas can be interpreted.
Another interesting point brought up in a recent article in the Vidette is the idea of judicial tyranny, where the court system hands down a decision based not for the wishes of all people, but for those of some of them. The idea stems from the recent allowance of same-sex marriages around the nation in several states. Throughout the United States there are many pro-same-sex marriage and many who are firmly against it. Due to this tense atmosphere it is of no surprise that whatever the ruling, there will be forever an argument by those it did not favor.

Life as an adult, or something like it

Life has thrown me a hard hand the last few months, but I'm not known as a card shark for nothing. There are many things that I have done and am doing which attest to how well my parents raised me. I figure since it was just father's day I would pay homage to my dad in the form of thanking him for always being there for me. I know I have never been the easiest person to get along with, but then again I am his daughter, he should have seen this coming. Really, he is one of the greatest dads in the world, and he often gets a bad rap. Well, at least he enjoys watching me try and not laugh at his horrile jokes...don't tell him I said that.

Introductory Post Pol106

Politics in general have never been my forte, however I have always stood by those beliefs I hold strong. In this modern day it seems there is far more people who change their ideals to fit the current trends, than there are those of us who stand firm on issues and demand legislation to work around these ideals. It is this stance on issues that matter to current times that will allow the future existence and continuation of our nation.

The First Post on the new blog!

These next posts deal with the issues discussed in my political science class and will be titled as such so as not to confuse the readers of my life and my academic demands. True to myself, there will be both displayed on this blog site.