America's Black and Blue

**Warning – the video links in this post contain graphic footage.  Viewer discretion is advised.**

July isn’t even over yet and already it has been a month filled with violence, devastation and grief.  It was the day after we celebrated our nation’s independence when Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed by police outside of a convenience store.  Police were responding to reports of a man with a gun.  Bystanders captured the shooting on video which you can watch here: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/06/us/baton-rouge-shooting-alton-sterling/index.html

The very next day, another man, Philando Castile was shot 4 times during a traffic stop.  Castile has been pulled over for a broken taillight. The aftermath of the shooting was live streamed by Castile’s fiancée, who states in the video that Castile told the officers he had a weapon, which he was legally allowed to carry, and was reaching for his license when the officer began firing into the car.  Castile’s 4 year old daughter was in the backseat.  You can watch the video, which includes the officer, with his gun still trained on a dying Castile, here:  http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2016/07/07/philando-castile-police-shooting-minnesota-gringras-pkg-erin.cnn

This wasn’t the first time we've heard about shootings of unarmed, Black men.  You can read my posts and your fellow students’ thoughts on Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2012/04/justice-for-trayvon.html and here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2014/12/hands-up-dont-shoot.html  However, these two shootings, so close together, and with the accompanying video, set off a firestorm of protests around the country.  It was during one of these protests in downtown Dallas, that Micah Johnson, a 25 year old military veteran opened fire on police, killing 5 and injuring 7 others.

My thoughts on this issue are a jumbled mess.  I was raised to respect police officers.  I have friends and family members who are police officers.  I know that each day they put their lives on the line and are forced to make split-second decisions to save lives.  That being said, I also can’t ignore these videos or the countless other lives that have been taken unnecessarily by police officers.  I know that when I’ve been a car with my Black friends, we’ve been treated differently during traffic stops than when I’m alone, or with my White friends.  In some cases, our Constitutional rights have been violated.  I don’t have the answers, but my heart breaks at the thought of all this violence. 

So my question to you this week is, “How do you feel about these incidents?  What has been your experience with the police?  How do you think the country should start to heal?”  You must answer all questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, July 27^th, 2016.

Choose Your Own Adeventure!

I hope you all enjoyed a nice break.  It's always hard coming back to school after break. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and being surrounded by all the crazy, creative energy that is all of you. That being said, it's still hard to get back into the grind. So for our first blog post, I'll go easy on you.

This week we started our study of the Constitution and the freedoms that make us uniquely American. You can order your own free copy of the United States Constitution from: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=bookstore&page=freeCopy.cfm

A good portion of this class will be spent discussing current events and political issues that affect our everyday lives. For this post, I would like you to tell me at least one issue that you are interested in studying. To help you out, you can look over the blog posts that we've had in the past several years to get an idea of the type of things we've covered. Many of the topics are pretty controversial and I do my best to not censor the information available to you.

So my question to you this week is, "What is one issue that you are interested in studying in this class?" Answers are due no later than Wednesday, July 20th, 2016. I'm looking forward to a great quarter!

Your Thoughts and Feedback Are Appreciated!

Well another quarter has come and gone!  I have enjoyed getting to know all of you and hearing your opinions in class!  I wish all of you blessings and success in the future, and hope that you stay in touch.

So for our last blog post, I would like to get your thoughts and feedback on the class.  "What did you like or dislike about the class?  What could I do to make it better?"  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June , 15th 2016.  After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter.

Now Hiring - Part 2

You may have heard recently about the controversy surrounding President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in February, and ever since then there has been a vacancy on the court. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution states, “[The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint…Judges of the Supreme Court.”  The President has always nominated an individual for the Court, and the Senate rejects or confirms them after going through a lengthy confirmation hearing in which they interview the candidate about their background, choices, and legal opinions.  This process is designed to provide the “checks and balances” we have discussed in class.  Both the President and the Senate have important roles in choosing our next Supreme Court Justice.

By all accounts, President Obama’s nominee is qualified to serve.  Garland currently serves as the Chief Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals. According to the White House, Garland has a “distinguished career and impeccable credentials.” So what’s causing all the controversy?  There are 9 Supreme Court Justices – currently 4 of them are considered to be more liberal on issues, and the other 5 (before Scalia’s passing) are more moderate and conservative. Justice Scalia was by all accounts a more conservative justice – perhaps one of the most conservative on the bench.  With his passing, President Obama has the potential to nominate a more liberal justice, which will effectively shift the political leanings of the Court – giving the liberal justices a majority for the first time in years.

Republican Senators have said they will deny holding confirmation hearings for Garland.  Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell said he “agrees that this decision ought to be made by the net President, whoever is elected.” For his part, President Obama has said the Constitution is clear, it’s his responsibility to nominate someone, and he has done so.  

So my question to you this week is twofold, First, “Do you think the Senate should hold confirmation hearings for Merrick Garland, or should we wait until after the election for the incoming President to do so?”  Second, “If you sat on the Supreme Court, what is one issue that you would like to issue a ruling on – and what would be your opinion?”  You must answer both questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June 8th, 2016.  

Money, Money, Money

I’ve never really cared much about states legalizing marijuana for recreational use.  I visited Colorado shortly after the law passed, and I was surprised to find out how little had really changed, just because people could now legally buy marijuana for recreational use.  You can read about that trip, and your fellow students’ responses here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-mile-high-city-may-be-higher-than_8.html

What has struck me as interesting is what states like Colorado are doing with all the revenue they’re generating from legalizing marijuana.  Colorado first legalized the drug in January of 2014.  Within the first month, they had generated $46.9 million in total sales.  That’s right – million! Their cumulative revenue in 2014 was $76.2 million, by 2015 that number had jumped to $86.7 million.  Currently, Colorado imposes three types of tax on marijuana sales.  They have a regular 2.9% state sales tax, with an additional special marijuana sales tax of 10%.  Then there’s a 15% excise tax on wholesale transfers.  So what are they doing with all this revenue?

First, they’ve earmarked the revenue generated from the excise tax for school construction projects.  Aurora, Colorado’s third largest city is using the $1.5 million they’ve generated from marijuana taxes to support the homeless, through increased shelter beds, and vans for additional homeless outreach. It’s not just Colorado either.  In March, Los Angeles said they plan to use the revenue generated from their 15% tax on marijuana cultivation to also support homeless individuals – through housing, supportive services, mobile showers, vouchers and outreach. LA, which currently only allows marijuana cultivation for medicinal usage has said if they were able to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the revenue generated would be “significantly more.”

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of legalizing marijuana for recreational use?  Do you support or oppose these laws?  Do you think how states are using the revenue will change anyone’s minds?”  You must answer all questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, June 1, 2016.

Does It Matter If You're Black or White?

You may remember hearing about the “racist” Gap advertisement that was released last month.  Like some of you, I clicked on the headline to see the offending ad, only to discover I couldn’t really identify what was racist about it.  In the ad, a 12 year old Caucasian girl leans her arm on an 8 year old African-American girl, who also happens to be her adopted sister.  Both girls are part of a performance troupe and were featured along with several other children in the ad campaign, which ironically was designed in part to “encourage girls everywhere to be themselves.”  In case you didn’t see it, you can check out the offending ad here: http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/Business/HT_gap_kids_ad_pulled_mm_16046_v4x3_12x5_1600.jpg

Critics said the ad gives the message of passive racism.  They complain that the black girl appeared to be more of a “prop” than anything else.  The ad has drawn criticism from many black people who find it to be yet another offensive example of the ways in which black women and girls are belittled, undermined, and dehumanized in the media.

Others have argued that the reaction to the ad is a wild over-exaggeration.  For their part, Gap pulled the ad and apologized stating in part, “As a brand with a proud 46 year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we’ve offended.”

As I said, initially, I couldn’t identify what was racist about the ad.  After reading the comments, I started to get it.  I’m still not sure the ad is racist, but I do understand that it leads to a bigger conversation about the images of African Americans in this country. The reality is that there are so few positive, powerful representations of black women and especially black girls out there that, frankly, it’s unsurprising that the photo would touch a nerve.

Many of you will engage in freelance work for photography and graphic design throughout your careers.  In some instances, one image can make or break a career.  So my question to you this week is, “Do you think the Gap advertisement was racist? Should companies be responsible for encouraging positive representation and diversity in their campaigns?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, May 25^th 2016.

*Please note: You have two weeks to complete this blog.  There will be no new post next week while I’m out of town.

Periods for Pence!

I couldn’t let this quarter pass without blogging at least once about Indiana’s new abortion law recently signed by Governor Mike Pence.  The law bans abortions if they’re being performed because of the fetus’s race, gender, or fetal abnormalities, and punishes doctors if they perform abortions under these circumstances.  The law also requires the fetus to be buried or cremated after any abortion or miscarriage.

Governor Mike Pence said the new law “affirms the value of all human life.”  Supporters of the new law also say it protects people with disabilities from discrimination.  However, the law has caused much controversy, as both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood have sued citing the law as unconstitutional.  They say the law supports the government intruding on doctor/patient relationships, and that it demeans women.  The also says the required burial or cremation of the fetus is a costly requirement that doesn’t exist for the disposal of medical tissue for other types of operations.  In fact, many women miscarry during their normal menstrual cycle, and may even have no idea that their miscarrying.  It is this component of the law that has caused the social media movement “Periods for Pence” to arise.  The movement, which opposes the law, has hundreds of women calling or tweeting to the Governor’s office about their regular menstrual cycle; just to show what they feel is the absurdity of the law.  Regardless of how you feel about the law itself, the comments are pretty funny.  You can read a sampling of them here if you’re so inclined: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-06/periods-for-pence-highlights-womens-concern-over-indiana-abortion-bill

Abortion has already been a controversial issue – long before this newly signed piece of legislation which only seems to complicate matters.  I’m interested in knowing what you think, so my question to you this week is, “What do you think of Indiana’s new abortion law?  Do you think it upholds the value of human life, or infringes on a woman’s right to privacy?”  Answers are due no later than, Wednesday, May 11^th, 2016.