God? Bless America...Please From Me Too

In my classmate A. Wyndham's blog American Pie, She describes the disturbing facts about issues Ameica is facing today. The aricle is called "God? Bless America...Please?" Wyndam writes about several problems including the environment, unwed boys and girls sleeping around, STDs, the National debt, abortion, and education to name a few. The article begins with how Christians have lost a firm sense of the title Christian. Just from reading the title, I already knew religion would be a basis of the article. Wyndham ends the article with a biblical quote from 2 Chroncles 7:14, Americans must "humble themselves, Pray and seek His Face and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and heal our land." I appreciate Wyndham's religious views and her taking advantage of her first ammendment rights. I admire her acknowledgement of God and the lack of him in our society. She mentioned that our forefather's are probably rolling around in their grave for us ignoring the knowledge that they tried to pass down to us. Wyndham talks about wanting her kids to grow up in a good place and I think she is teaching them good values. It is good to know that there are still good Christians in this world.

The Immigration Situation

At one point in time all of us had ancestors who migrated here from another country. People came to America to live a dream and make a better life for their families. This is still the goal for most immigrants today. Arizona tried to pass a controverial bill regarding immigration which did not pass.  Arizona's SB 1070 would authrize police to check the immigration status of anyone who is being investigated for another suspected crime. Immigrants would be required to carry their papers along with them everywhere they went. The problem with this law is that it would leave the door open for racial profiling. I am a U.S. citizen, so were my parents, and so were my grandparents, but my skin color is brown. If this law was passed, nothing would stop me from being discriminated against because of my skin color. I would be afraid of driving by a cop because I know he would be looking for a reason to pull me over and make sure I was legal. America is a melting pot with people of different colors and cultures. I understand that illegal immigration is a problem and that if people are living here they should pay taxes and contribute to society. If immigrants cause problems here they should be deported. I understand that Arizona was trying to find a solution to illegal immigration, however, this law was a bad solution and should have been given more thought before it came to the public's attention. We should focus on a reasonable way to deal with immigration in this country and try to think about why our ancestors came to America in the first place. It is a compliment to our country that people risk their lives to come here. No matter where we were born or what color our skin is, we are all humans, and need to learn to work together for the sake of our nation.

Marijuana Should be legal across the United States, Really

I was interested in my classmate Noree Vo's blog, America Today!!!!,  as soon as I read the title "Marijua Should Be Legal Across The United States". When reading the title I imagined I was going to hear reasons to legalize marijuana across the country. Legalizing medical marijuana is a whole diffent issue then legalizing it to all citizens of age.I agree that marijuna should be legal for medical purposes, as it has the ability to help people with several different medical conditions. I also agree with legalizing it to citizens over 18 years of age. Annual American deaths that are caused by drugs have tobacco as the leading cause followed by alcohol. After those two, other illegal drugs, caffeine, and asprin. Marijuana had no cases. I believe that the main reason for not legalizing it is because of the income it brings in on charges relating to possession. A reason listed in this blog to legalize marijuana is to reduce law enforcement. I don't see that helping any if we are just talking about legalizing it for medical reasons, but maybe if it's legal for everyone. Law enforcement or health are not the concern on this issue, it's money.

Tea Party Pooper

At first glance, the Tea Party appeared to be a positive for our country. Although extreme, they are a passionate group. These people are conservative and want to make sure the government does not have too much power. They say they are concerned with our rights according to the constitution.  At second glance, party seems like the wrong word to associate with these people. They are angry and pessimistic about every issue imaginable. They say they are not happy with Obama, health care, taxes, government spending, and on and on. I am confused on whether they want to become a third party or if they just want to push the Republican party more to the right. This party consists of predominantly white, middle aged males, with higher levels of education then the average American and higher incomes as well. Even though these members of the community claim to be fighting to prevent socialism, when asked in a poll, their main concern is with Economics. Oh, and don't forget they are in favor of Social Security and Medicare even though these are government programs. This seems to be a little selfish, they want what's best for their pocket books. Government, don't get involved in our lives, except when we benefit from it. The Tea Party claims that Obama favors the poor and ignores the middle and upper classes. But what more do they want? If we don't take care of the poor, our country will become just like a third world country; more crime, more homeless, and many many more sad stories of people who are not able to take care of themselves. So, until the Tea Party gets more organized and proves that their interests are not selfish, I am not going to R.S.V.P to this party.

"Sclerosis to blame for paralysis of government"

This article, found in the opinion section of the Houston Chronicle, begins with the local issue of the lack of funding for a much needed tunnel between New Jersey and New York. Governor Chris Chistie of New Jersey says this is a huge spending project which they can not afford. Critics argue that it is necessary in order for New Jersey to prosper in the future. This problem is just an example of the national problem we are all facing. When governments were much smaller, they could afford huge projects like the Interstate Highway System and the space program, and now that governments are larger, the funding is not available. The author of this article, David Brooks, says this is being called demosclerosis. Governments have become so entwined in arrangements that drain money from productive uses and direct it to unproductive ones. This doesn't allow for governments to prosper because they are struggling to meet their obligations. Some examples that are given are the benefits packages for New Jersey's state employees are 41 percent more expensive than those offered by the average Fortune 500 company and yet the much needed tunnel mentioned earlier can not be afforded. New York City has to strain to finance its schools but must support 10,000 former cops who have retired before age 50. California can't afford new water projects, but state cops often receive 90 percent of their salaries when they retire at 50. Public sector unions can use political power to increase demands for their products. I believe this article was intended to show taxpayers where their money is going and where it is needed. I think it is also intended to persuade public officials to stand up to the demands of unions and start directing money to where it benefits the entire state and not a select few. In this article Brooks gave several examples from different states to show this is a national problem. He listed facts to prove his points, so it is not just the opinion of one person. Although there are always two sides to every story, in this issue, I would have to agree with Brooks.

Feminist Conservatives

An article in the Houston Chronicle is titled "Oxymoron of 2010: feminist conservative." The author is Beverly McPhail, a Houston writer specializing in women's issues and a social worker. In this article, McPhail argues that successful women on the political right are mis-labeling themselves as "feminist conservatives." Some examples of these women are Sara Palin, Sharron Angle, and Christine O'Donnell. McPhail claims that "female conservative" would be a more accurate term because feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression which is not the agenda of female conservatives. Feminists are committed to long term goals of creating a world of complete equality, including sexism, racism, homophobia, classism,ect. McPhail believes that while female conservatives feel that the battle for women's equality has been won, feminists are still fighting and pointing out where the deck is still stacked against women. She also states that "Female conservatives seem to only identify with like-minded and somilarly positione women, while feminism has long included diverse women including women of color, poor single mothers, lesbins, and married female CEO's." She ends by asking female conservatives to stop calling themselves feminists because they are giving feminism a bad name. I think the author's intended audience are leftist Democrats who agree with her opinion against conservatives. McPhail has made valid points about feminism, however it seems that she only said the good facts about feminism and only the bad about conservatives. It seems to me that she is a feminist who was offended that these conservative women also used the same term to describe themselves. There is no reason that someone can't believe in equality while having conservative values.

"Lindsay Lohan Admits to Failing Drug Test"

According to Fox News, 24 year old actress Lindsay Lohan has admitted to failing another drug test. The article tells that this is a probation violation and should receive more jail time. She was sentenced to 3 months in jail in July and 3 months of rehab for violating probation from previous charges.  Her pior offenses were from drug charges and a DUI. She only ended up spending 2 weeks in jail and 23 days in a rehabilitaion treatment center. I find this article to be interesting because her celebrity status allows her to continue to break the law and get away with less punishment. She claims she has an addiction that she is fighting. I understand addictions, however, her sobriety never seems to be a priority. I think that it is sad and unfortunate that celebrities who break the law are allowed to be given special treatment. Every offense should be given equal punishment for everyone.