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You may have seen on the news this week that Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia died Saturday, February 13^th.  He was 79 years old, and the longest serving member of the current court, having been nominated by President Reagan in 1986.  Immediately (like, literally within seconds) of his death the focus became focused not on his legacy, but on who would be nominated to serve in his place.  I’ve never been a big fan of most of Justice Scalia’s opinions on the Court, but even I thought the immediate politicization of his death was kind of distasteful.

Nevertheless, since we will be studying the Supreme Court next week, I’ve decided to go ahead and blog about what it sure to be a hotly contested debate in the upcoming weeks.  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.

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.

Many outspoken conservatives are calling on President Obama to withhold his nomination, and allow the incoming President to nominate someone after the election.  Some Republican Senators have said they will take no action on confirming anyone President Obama nominates.  For his part, President Obama has said the Constitution is clear, it’s his responsibility to nominate someone, and he plans to do so.   

So my question to you this week is twofold, First, “Do you think President Obama should nominate someone for the Supreme Court, 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, February 24^th, 2016. 

Health vs. Wealth

My family never had health insurance growing up. In fact, I never had health insurance until I graduated from college, and got my first professional job. We only saw a doctor if we were really, really sick and even then we just went to a clinic. Now I work at a place that pays 100% of my health insurance costs, and I try never to forget just how fortunate I am.  Medical debt is one of the top causes of bankruptcy in America. People can work their entire lives, and then just like that – one medical crisis can put them into staggering debt.

So because of my experience, I supported the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as ObamaCare).  The Affordable Care Act prevents those with pre-existing medical conditions from being denied health insurance, eliminates co-pays for preventative care, and allows young adults to stay on their parents’ coverage until 26 years of age. 

The Affordable Care Act also mandates that people who don’t have insurance pay a fee called the individual shared responsibility payment.  When non-insured people get sick, they often visit the emergency room, and that drives up costs for the rest of us who DO have insurance.  The fee is a way to offset those costs – it makes people who don’t have insurance “share responsibility” for higher costs. Individuals who have health insurance will no longer have to indirectly pay for emergency visits from individuals who aren’t insured.

I never thought too much about this fee until I did my taxes last week.  That’s when I discovered that if I didn’t have health insurance for any month throughout the year, I would need to pay the fee.  The fee is determined either by person - $695/per person, or by income – 2.5% of your income.  The kicker is that you pay whichever fee is higher.  So a person making $50,000/year would pay $1,250 for not having health insurance for the entire year.  I don’t know about you, but 2.5% of my income seemed kind of high to me – until I saw that my health insurance costs for the year were over three times that amount!  All of a sudden, the fee didn’t seem that bad.

Still, the Affordable Care Act has not been without controversy. Republicans feel it hurts employers because it requires companies with over 50 employees to provide health insurance to their employees.  Opponents to the new law also feel it amounts to over-reaching by the federal government – essentially saying it is not the federal government’s job to mandate healthcare for all citizens - hence, the "socialist" label we discussed in class last week.

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of the Affordable Care Act?  Do you support or oppose it and why?”  You must answer both questions for full credit.  Whether you like it or not, this issue directly affects you – and one way or another you will soon be paying for healthcare costs, if you’re not already.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, February 17, 2016. 

Just for fun, check out this Jimmy Kimble video in which he goes to the street to find out if people support the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare (hint: they’re the same thing). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx2scvIFGjE

 

 

 

 

 

Who Runs the World?

Next month, we will celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th.  It's a day set aside to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women.  Those of you who know me, know that I am a big supporter of my fellow sisters.  It's disappointing to me when women hate on other women.  How can we ever expect better treatment from our male counterparts, if we constantly try and bring each other down?

Despite all of our achievements, women still lag behind men in several key areas:

• In 2012, women working full-time made an average of $37,791 annually, compared to $49,398 for men.
• Although women are now earning more Bachelor degree's than men, women with a four-year degree make an average of $930/week, while men with the same degree make an average of $1,199.
• only 4.6% of Fortune 500 companies have a female CEO.

We are also bombarded with society's expectations of how a woman should look, think and act.  Beauty advertisements tell us we are too wrinkly, our hair is too dull and lifeless, and our bodies are just too fat.  Television commercials say we should be focused on what detergent gets our whites cleaner, what diapers keep our kids cleaner, and what we should make for dinner tonight.  We are taught from a young age that we need to aspire to be someone else.  To hear more on this topic, stated in a better way than I could ever say it, check out this speech by activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc

So my question to you this week is two-fold.  First, ladies - I would like to know "How were you affected by society's standards for women growing up"  Guys - This isn't just a female issue.  You all have mothers, some have sisters, and many of you will have daughters one day.  So for the men, I would like to know "How you think men contribute to these standards for women?"  Second, it's possible that Hillary Clinton is running for President again in 2016.  In fact, we have two female candidates running for President in the next election.  So for everyone, I would like to know, "Do you think America can handle a female President?"  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, February 10, 2016.

Straight Outta Bloomington

It might surprise you to know that I’m a big rap fan.  You see, rap and I grew up together – we’re almost the same age.  Even though I grew up in Bloomington, somehow I could still relate to many of the lyrics I heard in rap songs.  I’m not sure if it was the poetry of rap or the beats, but somehow at a young age, I gravitated to the music – and I’ve been a fan ever since.  Which is why I was excited to finally watch “Straight Outta Compton,” after missing it in the theatres and waiting for what seemed like forever for it to come out on demand.

Even though I knew the general history of N.W.A., the movie really brought to light the repeated encounters they had with the police.  From being harassed for “literally just standing there” as Dr. Dre put it, to being censored about their controversial song, “F--- the Police,” N.W.A had long-standing issues and involvement with the police.  The timing of this movie can’t be coincidental - the story of five young men from South Central rapping about police brutality and hood unrest in 1988 still resonates today, in an era of Trayvon Martins, Michael Browns, and Sandra Blands.

It’s on your minds too – police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement was one of the top answers when I asked you what you were most interested in studying in class this quarter.  This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about the issue.  You can read one of my posts, along with links about the individual cases mentioned above, and your fellow students’ comments, here:  http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2015/11/every-life-matters.html

It seems we are regularly hearing, and in some cases actually seeing, police shooting, choking, or otherwise fatally injuring unarmed individuals, oftentimes minorities.  The “Black Lives Matter” activists highlight a long history of racial abuse and injustice towards minorities by the police.  As a result of their work, many cities are requiring police to wear body cameras, in addition to their dashboard cameras, to have a more accurate record of what transpires during these encounters. 

Another result of this movement has been the “opposition,” or those who support the police officers.  They argue that police officers put their lives on the line every day, and that many of the “victims,” were actually criminals which is why they encountered the police in the first place.

I’ll admit, I’m torn on these issues.  I was raised to respect police officers.  I have several friends and family members who are police officers.  I know they’re faced with split-second, life-changing decisions every day.  That being said, I also know that when I’ve been pulled over with my Black friends, we’ve been treated differently than we would be if I was alone in the car.  In many cases, I’ve witnessed our Constitutional rights being violated.  So, my question to you this week is, “What have been your experiences with the police?  Do you think the police often resort to violence when there are other, less volatile ways to accomplish peace?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016

Let's Vote!

It was fun reading all of your responses from last week and seeing all the things you're interested in. Police brutality,the environment, healthcare mandates, gun control - most of you were interested in something and that is all I ask. Many of you mentioned that you wanted to understand the differences in candidates and party platforms. Soon we will discuss political parties and what each party’s platform is in class.  As we move into election season (am I the only one excited?!?) it will be important for you to know which party and which candidate you most closely align with.  So with that being said, this week’s blog will be a little different. 

 

First, I would like you to take this quiz, which will ask you about your thoughts on certain topics, and then tell you which candidate most closely matches your own viewpoints.  It also allows you to tell it how important an issue is to you. You can access the quiz here:  https://www.isidewith.com/

 

My question to you this week is, “Which candidate’s viewpoints did the quiz match you up with?  Did that surprise you, or were you already planning to vote for that person?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, January 27th, 2016.

P.S.  If you or someone you know needs to register vote, you can register here:

https://indianavoters.in.gov/PublicSite/OVR/Introduction.aspx

Let your voice be heard!

Choose Your Own Adventure!

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, January 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!  When we started together, most of you seemed apathetic about politics, and now you are ready to go out and change the world!  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, December 16th, 2015.  After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter. I hope you all have a peaceful and warm holiday season!