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