BR 10-31-13

1. Yes; the letter was being given to kids, and this could potentially hurt their feelings and lead to psychological problems if these letters would be enforced.

2. She does have the right as it is freedom of speech. She is voicing her opinion in a manner that does not cause physical harm to anybody.

Question for Drinking Age Debate

Pro: The argument of maturity has come to question about this issue in several cases. Do you think that people are mature enough to handle themselves with alcohol at the age of 18?

Cons: Are there any possible health conditions that can result of excessive drinking under the age of 21?

BR 10-30-13

1. Younger voters have become more Democrat-oriented in recent years.

2. Yes; younger people throughout the nation seem to be swinging in support of the Democratic Party.

3. The Democratic Party will win more elections, which will lead to a more liberal-minded society in the future.

Assignment 10-29-13

1.)
-Why is the Capitol Building being pushed off the cliff? Cartoon's message.
-What does the elephant on the top of the cliff represent? Use of images.
-What is the significance of the setting of the cartoon? Subject of the cartoon.
- What does the officer handcuffing the elephant represent? Use of images.
-Why is the elephant being arrested? Cartoon's message.

2.)
Let your eyes "float" over the cartoon.
Use the significance of the most emphasized images to follow the flow of the cartoon.
Determine who the cartoon is trying to target.
Understand the context of which the cartoon was created under.
Look for symbols or images that recur throughout politics.
Look for any other minor contributions the artist made to create humor or add to the situation.

3.)
Symbolism: cartoonists use symbols of smaller ideas to represent larger ideas and guide interpretations of the audience in this way.

Exaggeration: cartoonists exaggerate physical characteristics of things to make or emphasize a point.

Labeling: cartoonists sometimes label things in order to provide clarity of what is going on in the cartoon.

Analogy: cartoonists use comparisons of simple things and apply them to a more complex subject to help the audience understand the situation with more depth.

Irony: cartoonists use irony to provide humor to  a situation or to express their opinion of the issue at hand.

BR 10-29-13

1. Although I don't agree with the "fat test" and its methods, I do agree that it is legal. The military is a organization that has a right to decide who serves our country or who is most beneficial in service.

2. No; being fit is being able to perform work with efficiency. Just because someone is thin, does not mean that they are able to efficiently perform work. The same goes for larger people with the ability to perform this work.

3. I would create a more in-depth test, based more on the ability to perform work or physical activities, rather than the size of the individual.

Political Standpoint Quizzes

Based on your responses, YOU are a… Post-Modern

Along with 13% of the public

Overall, your political values are closest to those of an…Independent

You Are 35% Conservative, 65% Liberal

According to your answers, the political group that agrees with you most is...

CENTRIST

Economic Left/Right: 1.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.41

Based on the results of all five quizzes, I found that I was very moderate with a slight right lean. With that being said, I was very liberal on most social issues and somewhat conservative on economic issues. I can agree with what these surveys told me, as it only reinforced what I previously thought about my political standpoint. Compromise is the most important aspect of governing to me, and being moderate is the easiest way to go about compromise.

10-28-13

1. This article is demeaning to the Confederates. They talk about the Confederates as if they were not even U.S. citizens, while they were just as much a part of the United States as the Union was. Even though the morals of the South are considered unjust in today's society and the Union prevailed overall, doesn't mean that the Confederates were bad. There is always two sides to the argument.

2. I disagree with the author on many levels.

3. People associate the flag with slavery and racial tension, rather than a side in the Civil War. They use it as a symbol for racist pride almost, and the connotations have stuck with it.

Assignment on 5-2

Origins  (to 1800)

Antifederalists: Wanted individual rights and didn't want the National Government to have too much power. Opposed the ratification of the Constitution. Farmers and very rural people supported it some.

Federalists: Wanted the Constitution to be ratified. Wanted a loose government all around, but the Constitution to enforce rights

1800-1860

Democrats:  Voting rights for all white males, a huge increase in the number of elected offices around the country, and the spread of the spoils system. Small farmers, debtors, frontier pioneers, and slaveholders were the main ones.

Whigs: Opposed to the tenets of Jacksonian democracy and strongly supported a high tariff. Bankers, merchants, and industrialists were the main supporters.

1860-1932

Democrats: Opposed sectionalism and helped pushed the nation's party politics back toward the economic arena. Businesses were heavy supporters

Republicans: Rights for African Americans and farmers, laborers, and newly freed African Americans.

                                                                                                                                                          

1932-1968

Democrats: Restoring the nation's economic and social life. Southerners, farmers, and big-city political organizations support it

Republicans: Restoring the nation's economic and social life. Northerners and manufacturers supported it completely.

BR 10-22-13

1. Yes; it is a frivolous lawsuit. The man is obviously not permanently injured from the car crash, so he has no case. He wouldn't have had the ability to push a rock of that size with the disabilities he was claiming to have.
2. I do believe they should be charged with destruction of property. That landmark was a part of a national park, which means the government has a right to protect it against the actions of people like those men.

BR 10-21-13

1. Breaking away from our devices is difficult, because these devices have become so handy and make things so much easier in all walks of our lives. We have formed a type of dependency on such devices.

2. Surviving without any type of technological device would be difficult for me. I use my cell phone for all type of communication, acquiring helpful information, as well as keeping me entertained in times of boredom.

BR 10-17-13

1. The next step is no change in Congress. The workings of our Legislative Branch will most likely remain the same, especially on the basis of Obama Care.

BR 10-16-13

1. No; bullying is practically tradition  in adolescent years. The seriousness of the matter, especially with cyberbullying is not to be taken lightly, but charging the girls with a felony is too serious for girls of that age, an age at which they might not understand the consequences of their actions. Other repercussions should be taken to correct this though.

2. Misdemeanors are not as serious as felonies. Felonies deal with criminal cases with huge fines or very prolonged amounts of imprisonment, misdemeanors are usually punished with minimum to moderate fines and shorts periods of imprisonment.

3. Better parenting methods should be taken into consideration, but to fix this a new mindset must be initiated by the kids in the first place.  

People Who Made A Difference

Alice Paul
- She grew up in New Jersey.
- She was a very influential women's rights activist.

Margaret Sanger
- She was born in 1879.
- She was very big on pushing birth control. This is what she is best-known for.

Deganawidah "The Great Peacemaker"
- He was a spiritual healer.
- He helped start the Iroquios League.
- He was born in the 13th or 14th century.

Eva Perone
- She was born May 7, 1919.
- She moved to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 to become an actress.

Harriet Beecher Stowe
- She was an American-abolitionist and an author.
- Her mom passed when she was only 4 years old.

Jon Keynes
-Very socialistic in thoughts, gov't should give people money.
- Suffered from a series of heart attacks.

Frances Willard
- Best-known for her help in passing the 18th and 19th amendments.
- Spent most of her childhood in Wisconsin.

Eugene V. Debbs
- Born in 1855 in Indiana.
-Quit school at the age of 14 to become railroad hand.

Betty Williams
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976
- Co-founder of Community of Peace People

Emmeline Pankhurst
- She married Richard Pankhurst
- British Political Activist

Helena Rubinstein
- Specialized in health and medical research.
- Started the Helena Rubinstein Foundation.

Edward Jenner
- Went off to study surgery at the age of 14.
- Developed the word vaccine.
- Developed the Smallpox vaccine.

Delores Huerta
- Worked as an elementary school teacher.
- She is a labor leader and civil rights activist.

Tagore
- Born in 1841
- Made over 2500 works during the Renaissance.

Dorothy Hodgkin
- Her father was an archaeologist.
- She decided to take chemistry in school, rather than archaeology.
- Credited with X-ray crystallography.

BR 10-15-13

There's nothing we really can do about it. The janitor offered the kids a dollar to "rough up" a kid for swearing at her. She cleared all previous background checks and had all the specific requirements necessary to work there. This is just an act of misconduct and can't really be controlled with how our society works.

BR 10-14-13

The article speaks of the protests at the WWII memorial. People gathered at the memorial to protest the government shutdown. It differed in purpose. Prior protests were to gain worker's rights mostly.

BR 10-11-13

1. Forcing the states to pay for something that is the national government's responsibility is not right. The national government should take responsibility for what they're responsible for.

2. Great Smoky Mountains; I think they're beautiful and unique, and I've always enjoyed mountains and the crazy geologic landforms that are created.

BR 10-10-13

1. It says that our nation as a whole does not approve of what our Legislative Branch is doing. If someone would choose hemorrhoids or jury duty over Congress, there is a problem.

2. I would do the only thing I know how to do, give it time. The only way possible to rectify the situation would be giving it time.

BR 10-9-13

1. Yes, regulations on campaign contributions should have some regulations for a more equal chance on representation. The regulations on campaigns currently are sufficient on this matter. I can also see the other side of the argument on the basis of freedom of expression though.

2. Freedom of expression gives people the right to express support, money, thoughts, and feelings towards whatever cause they wish. Putting regulations on campaign contributions denies people this right in some regards. It is their money, and they have the right to do with it what they please, constitutionally speaking.

3. The only way spending of personal funds should be limited is when it deals with equality among the nation as a whole. The campaign contribution regulations are a good example of this.

4. Campaigns would be allowed to recieve as much money as they want from contributors. This might lead to the side with more money dominating over the side with less money, making elections somewhat unfair.

BR 10-8-13

     I disagree with changing the name of the Washington Redskins to the Washington Indians. Although it can be taken as a racial or politically incorrect terminology, it is not used prominently in today's society in this way. This slur isn't used to insult Indians or Native Americans nowadays. I will admit, though, that it is definitely politically incorrect.

Response to Grandson

Well, Joshua, the biggest difference I made in my life was being the father of your mother and the grandfather of you. The most important difference you can make in somebody's life is passing what you know and applying what you learn throughout different aspects of your life to teach them for the common good of society. So, you, are my greatest achievement overall.

BR 10-7-13

1. It shows that our nation needs stronger flight security, among minors anyway.
2. It doesn't surprise me. It's easy to assume that a 9-year-old child would just be with their parent, and it's hard to be suspicious of a child in the same way you would be about an adult.