Religious Symbols on Public Property

There is much debate surrounding the display of religious symbols on public property around Christmastime.  While I can see how people might not support the display of such symbols on public property, I think that we should still be able to display symbols that reflect the beliefs of many of our citizens.  Christmastime is supposed to be a festive time.  We should not have to hide our celebrations just because a few people do not participate in our celebration.  The same goes for Hanukkah decorations--people should feel free to display those on public property as well.  This is perfectly in line with the first amendment.  These public buildings would be doing nothing to "prohibit the free exercise of" religion.  The decorations would simply add to the enjoyment of a festive season for the vast majority of Americans.

Political Cartoon #3

1. Who drew the cartoon? Lisa Benson

2. Where was it published? townhall.com, 12/11/09

3. What issue does it deal with? Congressional spending and the national debt

4. What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon's message is that despite being "through the roof" in debt, Congress (especially Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, who are depicted in the cartoon) continues to borrow money.  The cartoon suggests that liberals in Congress disregard any kind of limit on the amount of debt we can go into.

5. Do you agree with the cartoon's message? I strongly agree with the cartoon's message.  So far, the Obama administration and Congress has been nothing short of irresponsible when it comes to the federal budget.  It is as if these lawmakers think we can keep spending money we don't have with no repercussions.  The spending has almost gotten to the point that not just my generation but many after mine will be fighting this debt.

Source: http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/LisaBenson

The health care reform bill is currently being debated in the Senate. As the bill stands now, I don't think it will be passed into law. There are too many people in America who strongly oppose government-run health care. This reform is seen by many people as a challenge to our capitalist society and values. While I personally don't think it is as socialist as people think, I am still against the idea of the government providing an option to compete against private sector companies. The price tag for the new plan is also a huge source of concern. We simply cannot afford to go deeper into debt.

Political Cartoon #2

1. Who drew the cartoon? Glenn Foden

2. Where was it published? 12/1/2009, townhall.com

3. What issue does it deal with? The cartoon deals with Tiger Woods' recent car accident and the ensuing media frenzy that it spawned.

4. What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon's message is that the media have been swarming Woods (like sharks) with questions about his mysterious accident.  It appears as though there is more to the accident than what Woods is putting out, and the media have been relentless in trying to figure out what that is.

5. Do you agree with the cartoon's message? Why? I agree with the cartoon's assertion that Woods is being swarmed by the media, but I'm not convinced that that is a bad thing.  It is the media's job to uncover stories.  On the other hand, however, if Woods was truly seeing a woman besides his wife but is very remorseful about it and would like to move on, I feel like he should be able to do so without dragging the affair out publicly. 

Source: http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/GlennFoden/2009/12/1

Herndon's Principal

I think a good principal is one who does very little and mainly lets his staff go about their jobs without interference.  Our last full-time principal spent too much time trying to assert his influence on the school, which really just got in the way of the students and teachers.  That is not to say, however, that the principal should seem to be absent.  I like the way that Mr. Cooper has taken to encouraging our school's students in their extra-curricular endeavors.  That is the job of the principal: to encourage all students to participate in their school; it is not to focus on a small minority of students and put up posters.  As long as our new principal knows to mainly not interfere with teachers teaching their classes, he will do a good job.

Political Cartoon #1

1. Who drew the cartoon? Nate Beeler

2. Where was it published? 11/12/09, townhall.com

3. What issue/event does the cartoon deal with? The cartoon offers commentary on the recent attack on Fort Hood in relation to our anti-terrorism efforts in the Middle East.

4. What is the cartoon's message? Beeler is pointing out the problem of focusing our fight on radical Islam in just one area of the world.  This cartoon shows that while we are busy fighting terrorism in the middle east, we have radical Islamic terrorists in our own country that are posing a threat to our security as evidenced by the Fort Hood tragedy.

5. Do you agree/disagree with the cartoon's message? I agree with the cartoon's message.  The middle east is not the only place where radical Islam exists.  Those outside of the Middle East who still subscribe to the same radical beliefs can be the most dangerous to our safety in America, for they are already in position to do us harm as we saw at Fort Hood.  While fighting terrorism in the Middle East is an important part of our national security, we must also do better at making sure there are no threats to this security already existing within our country.

Source: http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/NateBeeler/2009/11/1

Personal Response

As we are currently studying the relationship between media and government, I thought it would be appropriate to make my post on this topic.  I was especially interested in the topic of bias in media reporting.  I think it is a big problem that most television news is politically biased, and predominately towards the left.  CNBC is always in the tank for the democrats, and ABC news is not far off.  Then there is FOX news, which, despite its attempts to be centrist, continues to lean slightly conservative.  We need a news outlet in this country that delivers straight facts and lets us citizens decide what to make of them instead of feeding us the network's own agendas.

Analysis: Palin's high-risk, high-reward strategy/Current Event 6

Background:  Ever since Sarah Palin came up short in her bid for the vice presidency last fall, there has been speculation that she may run for president in 2012.  The former Alaska governor has continued to puzzle political strategists, however, with surprise moves like resigning as governor of Alaska.  Palin is not taking the usual road of a potential presidential campaign.

Summary:  Sarah Palin recently endorsed third party candidate Doug Hoffman instead of the Republican candidate in New York's congressional election.  This move is the latest in a series of surprise decisions from Palin, who many believe is gearing up for a presidential campaign in 2012.  Palin has received much criticism from political strategists for not reaching out to independent voters.

Analysis:  If Sarah Palin is positioning herself for a run at the White House, she is doing so very unconventionally.  She has failed to expand her base beyond conservative voters to independents.  This could hurt her if she does indeed decide to run.

Editorial:  I do not think Sarah Palin is positioning herself for a presidential campaign.  I think she is a rare politician who acts regardless of what the political fallout might be--she does what she thinks is right.  This may lead to a presidential campaign if enough supporters back her avant guard politics, but I don't think it's worth it to Palin to have to calculate her every move for a possibility of being president.

Source:  http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/28/sarah.palin/index.html

McDonnell vs. Deeds: Who Will Win?

Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds have both run exceptionally aggressive campaigns for governor. Deeds has tried to paint McDonnell as an extreme conservative, whereas McDonnell has attempted to portray Deeds as a two-talking big spending politician. So far, Virginians have sided with McDonnell, for he is consistently ahead in the polls. I believe that this lead will carry through election day and McDonnell will win the election.

Virginia has been steering Democratic in recent years, but this election will break that trend. Deeds simply does not seem like a confident leader. He tends to stutter, and, as the McDonnell campaign has aptly pointed out, often contradicts himself. McDonnell, on the other hand, is the perfect candidate for Republicans. He is from Fairfax County, which will take some votes from this predominately Democratic region. McDonnell's strong conservatism will also get many votes from the southern and western parts of the state. Obama's faltering approval ratings will prove to be the final factor that will tip the election to McDonnell and give executive leadership to the Republicans.

Hate crimes bill goes to Obama for signature/Current Event 5

Background: Minority rights groups, especially gay and lesbian rights groups, have been pushing for stronger hate crime punishments for a long time. President Bush vowed to veto any such legislation to pass Congress.

Summary: The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would make assault on someone based on his sexual orientation or gender identity a federal crime. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law. This represents another effort by President Obama to reach out to the gay community, who feel that they have not received as much attention from Obama as they had been promised in his campaign.

Analysis: This legislation appears to be an effort by the Democratic party to reach out to the gay community in an effort to ensure their votes. There are already hate crime laws on the books, so this new legislation simply strengthens what is already there.

Editorial: We should not make a distinction between regular crimes and "hate" crimes. There are laws to protect gays from violence--the same laws that protect everyone from violence. Hate crime laws come very close to criminalizing speech. We should have no laws in America that make people afraid to speak their minds.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/22/hate.crimes/index.html

Biggest Political Issue Facing Virginia

The biggest political issue facing Virginia is the transportation issue.  Our transportation system, especially here in Northern Virginia, is stressed everyday as it struggles to handle all the people that use it.  Many roads are in desperate need of repair, and public transportation lags behind the rest of the country.  Both candidates in the current gubernatorial race have stressed transportation in their campaigns.  The issue is sure to be a deciding factor for many Virginians who are currently undecided as to who they are going to vote for, for it affects all citizens.  Everyone in Virginia uses the state's roadways and railways, and everyone desires a faster way to get places.  Our transportation system affects all citizens, not just some interested groups, and that is why it is the biggest issue facing the State of Virginia.

Newlywed won't tolerate 'overt racism' by Louisiana official/Current Event 4

Background: Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Louisiana, recently refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple.  Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay had their request for a license denied by Bardwell because they were of different races.  Bardwell claims he is not a racist, and that he was concerned about discrimination that any children of the couple might face.

Summary: Humphrey and McKay, who did indeed get a marriage license from another justice of the peace, say they are considering legal action against Bardwell.  The Louisiana Governor is already calling for the dismissal of Bardwell, an action that Humphrey says she endorses.  Humphrey says she is glad to have the opportunity to "stand up to people who choose to live with hate in their lives".

Analysis: It looks like Humphrey will have an easy victory if she does go ahead with her lawsuit.  Bardwell seems to have underestimated how far our country has come since the days of segregation and discrimination in the South.

Editorial: I do not believe Bardwell's claim that he was worried for the couple's future children.  The children would not even be discriminated against anyways.  Someone as blatantly racist as Bardwell should not serve in public office, and I hope that Humphrey goes to the full extent of the law to punish Bardwell for his discrimination.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/17/mckay.folo/index.html

Obama Report Card

Health Care:  D+. Health care reform was supposed to be the trademark of Obama's presidency, and it doesn't look like a bill concerning it will be passing in Congress any time soon.  There has been passionate resistance to a public health care option, as evidenced by the angry town hall meetings across America on the subject.  Even supporters of this reform can see that all the efforts to bring about health care reform have failed so far.  This is not to say that they will continue to fail, but I think it will be very difficult for Obama to pass a health care reform bill capable of fulfilling all his campaign promises with such fiery resistance to such a prospect.

Economic Downturn: D-.  Spending money that we don't have will not revive the economy.  Obama's massive stimulus package has done nothing to curb unemployment, which is now nearing 10%.  He is simply leaving the next generation a massive debt to deal with.  The economy is cyclical and will revive eventually, but Obama is not helping by spending such massive amounts of money that have only a minor positive impact on the economy. 

War on Terror: C.  First off, Obama's attempt to change the name of the War on Terror to "Overseas Contingency Operation" is a needless, stupid political move.  We are in a war against terrorism, of all kinds, and should not be afraid to admit it.  I do not agree with Obama's decision to remove troops from Iraq--that nation is still not stable, and withdrawing now leaves a chaotic state that could easily turn into a breeding ground for terrorists.  Now that he has removed these troops, however, I fully agree with the decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.  We must win this war.  The potential for terrorist activity in the Middle East, particularity Afghanistan, is too high to cease military involvement there now.

Overall: D+.  So far, I have not seen any major improvements under the Obama administration.  I even think his handling of the economic downturn has made the situation worse in the long term.  It is still early in Obama's presidency, and I truly hope that he does great things for our country, but based on his campaign promises and progress so far I'm hard pressed to see this happening.

Arizona Sheriff Vows to Continue Immigration Sweeps Despite Federal Downgrade/Current Event 3

Background: The issue of illegal immigration seems to have taken a back seat to health care and the economy, among other things, with the Obama administration.  However, the issue is still greatly affecting our nation, especially in states that border Mexico.  Local law enforcement in these states has generally been given permission by the federal government to enforce federal immigration laws.

Summary: Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has long made illegal immigrants the main target of all his arrests.  He has assembled a large group of policemen whose sole job is the tracking of illegal immigrants.  However, his methods of making these arrests and the subsequent treatment of  the illegals have received much scrutiny for being too harsh.  To address law hard-line law enforcement officers like Arpaio, the Department of Homeland Security recently revised an immigration law enforcement policy, taking away Arpaio and other sheriffs' authority to make such arrests.  Arpaio has vowed to proceed with his illegal immigrant sweep planned for Friday despite this new federal mandate.

Analysis: Sheriff Arpaio seems motivated by more than a sheriff's usual desire to enforce laws in his crusade against illegal immigration.  The fact that Arpaio puts the vast majority of the resources of his office into tracking illegal immigrants shows that he has become somewhat of an ineffective sheriff.  It looks as if Arpaio has stepped outside of his state powers.

Editorial:  Sheriff Arpaio's war against illegal immigration is obviously based on his own racist tendencies.  The man has shown over and over the crazed renegade that he is.  The true problem lies with the residents of Maricopa County, who elect Arpaio over and over.  A man with no respect for the federal law is not fit to enforce his interpretation of state law.  While I agree with Arpaio in the sense that the federal government is not doing nearly enough to stop illegal immigration and enforce their laws, Arpaio has taken his own fight to too much of an extreme, and should be stripped of his office as Sheriff if he goes ahead with his raid this Friday.

Source:  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/12/arizona-sheriff-vows-continue-immigration-sweeps-despite-federal-downgrade/

Interest in Political Issue

One political issue that I am interested in is national security.  There was much backlash after 9/11 that the new government actions designed to protect us from further attacks were an infringement on personal rights.  The lengthy Patriot Act, which increased the power of the federal government to run surveillance over those in the country without prior notice, received much scrutiny for being a violation of privacy.

This issue interests me because it pertains to the safety of Americans.  Other political issues have the potential to greatly impact our lives, but they can only do so if our lives are safe.  Possibly having the federal government listen in on a harmless phone call is a small price to pay in order to avoid another catastrophe like that of 9/11.

Several who went to Pakistan with Zazi back in U.S./Current Event 2

Background: Afghan-born Colorado resident Najibullah Zazi was arrested September 20 on charges of misleading investigators when he was found to have lied about the ownership of handwriting found on bombmaking materials; the handwriting was found to be that of Zazi.  Investigators believe that Zazi is the ringleader of an al-Qaeda cell preparing to launch a terrorist attack in the United States.

Summary: Several men who are thought to have been conspiring with Zazi to execute a terrorist attack are now back in the United States.  These men, who travelled to Peshewar, Pakistan with Zazi in August (Peshewar is known to have a strong al-Qaeda presence), are currently under surveillence by the federal government.  Meanwhile, Zazi is on trial in New York, where he is pleading not guilty to conspiring with others to detonate explosives in the United States.

Analysis: The evidence against Zazi and his co-conspirators is staggering, but yet Zazi continues to deny any terrorist leanings.  Zazi must feel that he has some upper-hand on the prosecution in this case.  If Zazi is indeed involved in al-Qaeda, he will most likely have much support in attempting to win his case.

Editorial: Najibullah Zazi is unmistakably a terrorist.  I do not understand why our country treats non-citizens who have shown interest in harming citizens to many of the same rights as the citizens themselves.  Yes, we need to be careful not to step too far and arrest those who simply critique our government or values, but there is substantial evidence to conclude that Zazi and his co-conspirators were planning to kill many American citizens.  We cannot afford to let Zazi go free on some legal loophole in a civil trial.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/04/us.terror.probe/index.html

Political Party Alignment

I am most closely aligned with the Republican party. I am mostly concerned with social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage, both of which i am strongly against. I also support the War on Terror, which has kept us safe from attack for the past eight years. I am more moderate, however, on the death penalty. While I don't think parole or early release should be available for many of the crimes that they currently are available for, I do think that the death penalty is too extreme of a punishment.

Obama Resumes Health Care Push/Current Event 1

Background: President Obama's biggest agenda throughout his campaign and time in office has been health care reform.  He has encountered difficulty pushing through legislation that would allow for this in Congress, as well as open protest of this health care plan at town hall meetings across the country.

Summary: Despite spending the last week on the global stage at the U.N. General Assembly and the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, President Obama appears to be remaining focused on the issue that he has made most important to his presidency: health care reform.  He spoke on the topic at a dinner Saturday night, expressing his intentions to "get [legislation] done this year".  Obama even spoke candidly with foreign leaders at the U.N. General Assembly about his struggle to push through universal health care, which is common in most European countries.

Analysis: President Obama seems to be using every opportunity he has to rally support for his health care plan.  It is a smart move on his part, for his presidency will be judged mainly on this very issue.  Obama speaks very confidently and passionately about the issue, which only aids his goals.

Editorial: Despite President Obama's confidence, i do not believe his health care plan will succeed.  There is deep-seated opposition to this "socialized" health care in our country; enough that some moderate Democrats can be persuaded to vote against the policy.  Personally, I think universal health care is a mistake; it should not be up to the government to provide for its citizens.  We all need to take on more responsibility to provide for ourselves. When we cannot, we should appeal to service organizations, not the government, for aid.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/26/obama.health/index.html