The Bloody Birth of a New Libya

Last week, Muammar Gaddafi, the long-time dictator of Libya was killed. For those of you who don’t know, Gaddafi took over power in Libya after a bloodless coup in 1969. Gaddafi has always had an erratic relationship with the rest of the world. After the 1988 bombing of a Pam Am jet, which killed 270 people, Gaddafi became an enemy of the United States. In 2011, inspired by uprisings in other Arab countries, protesters began calling for his resignation and seeking to overthrow him. On October 20^th, protesters succeeded in overthrowing his regime, and capturing Gaddafi, who later died of his wounds.

When I saw the news about Gaddafi, I was shocked to see images of his bloodied body being drug through the streets. The images, which were first broadcast by the Arab news station Al-Jazeera, were then picked up by the major American networks. You can check out some of the news footage here, but be warned that viewer discretion is advised. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7385364n

Recently, I heard President Obama on the Tonight Show discuss why he decided to not release pictures of Osama Bin Laden’s body. He said in part, “You know, I think that there's a certain decorum with which you treat the dead even if it's somebody who has done terrible things." It made me think about the photographs of the people jumping out of the World Trade Center, and the people lying dead in the street in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. When is a photo good journalism, and when is it going too far?

This week in class, we will discuss the media, why they’re sometimes called the 4^th branch of government, and how a photograph can alter our perception of events.  So my question you this week is, “Do you think it is appropriate to show these kind of images when reporting the news? Why or why not?” Answers are due no later than Sunday, November 6^th, 2011.

Trick or Treat!

Some of you know that I'm a BIG Halloween fan.  It's in my top three favorite holidays, along with New Years Eve and 4th of July.  When you are a child, nothing beats running around the neighborhood in the dark getting bucketfuls of candy.  Ahhh....I miss those days.

So this week, in honor of Halloween, I'll go easy on you.  My questions to you this week is, "What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?  What are your plans this year for Halloween?"  My favorite Halloween costume was the year I went as a Jack-In-The-Box.  I remember I was really excited because my mom braided my hair in two pigtails and then dipped them in cornstarch, so they stuck straight out.  I begged to wear my hair like that to school for weeks afterward!  This year, I'm excited to pass out candy for the first time in my new home. 

Your answers are due no later than Sunday, October 30th, 2011.  Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Your Next President Could Be A Mormon

Recently the Mormon Church started an advertising campaign in nine U.S. markets, including Indianapolis. The advertisements, which include television, radio and billboards feature Mormons talking about their lives and faith. The ads are schedule to run into February, and are designed to show that Mormons are everyday people leading everyday lives. Although the Mormon Church officially supports no presidential candidate, many feel these ads have come at just the right time as there are currently two candidates of the Mormon faith running for President, Mitt Romney and Governor Jon Huntsman.


There has been a lot of controversy over a Mormon running for President. Last week, pastor Robert Jefferies called Romney’s faith a “cult”. Romney has also endured repeated questioning in interviews about his faith and his personal beliefs. Shows like Sister Wives, and reports of raids on polygamist compounds leave many Americans buying in to the stereotype and feeling that Mormons are just plain weird. It begs the question, “Is America ready for a Mormon President?”

Now I make no secret of my Christian faith. That being said, I strongly believe in the separation of church and state. I also have Mormon family members. They don’t have multiple wives, live in Utah or wear homemade clothes. My cousins all went to public school, listen to music, watch movies and wear the latest fashions. In fact, if not for the fact they abstain from caffeine, I would forget they were Mormon at all.

So my question to you this week is, “Do you think America is ready for a Mormon President? Do you think a candidate’s religion should be discussed when running for public office?” Answers are due no later than Monday, October 24th, 2011.

Celebrating National Coming Out Day - Part 2

This week, we started a discussion of same sex marriage in class.  It happened to coincide with National Coming Out Day which is October 11^th.  National Coming Out Day, which began in 1987 promotes a safe world for LGBT individuals to live truthfully and openly.  You can read about the controversy that happened here in Indianapolis last year on National Coming Out Day and what your fellow students had to say about it here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2010/10/celebrating-national-coming-out-day.html

This year, in honor of National Coming Out Day and in support of a more tolerant America, I decided to blog about the rise of bullying due to sexual orientation.  In a previous class, we discussed the issue of cyber-bullying.  You can read my thoughts and the student comments here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2010/09/cyber-age-of-bullying.html  

The first time I remember hearing about this issue was in 1998, when Matthew Shepherd was targeted, tortured and murdered because of his sexual orientation.  I’m sure other hate crimes such as this had happened prior to this event, but it was Matthew’s murder that sticks in my mind most.  Tomorrow marks the 13^th anniversary of Matthew Shepherd’s death. Today, hate crimes and bullying based on sexual orientation remain on the rise.  Consider the following:

• According to the Gay Lesbian Straight Educator’s Network, students hear anti-gay epithets over 25 times a day and teachers fail to respond 97% of the time
• According to the Task Force on Youth Suicide, gay youth are 3 times more likely than straight youths to commit suicide.  In fact, 30% of all youth suicides have been linked to issues the youth faced concerning their sexual identity
• The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reports 28% of gay students drop out of high school
• In a survey done by the National School Climate Task Force, 64% of gay students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think can be done to prevent bullying or hate crimes against homosexuals?  How should students, parents and the community raise awareness of this issue?  Be specific!”  Answers are due no later than Sunday, October 16^th, 2011.

Are You Proud To Be American?

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

There are things about America that I don't like; paying taxes (even though I know they're neccessary), crooked politicians and corporate greed. However, despite those things, I am still proud to be an American. I am proud to live in a diverse country where we can participate in our own political process. I am proud that we have the freedom to practice our own religion and speak our mind. Each quarter as we review the Constitution, I am reminded of all the freedoms that we have which I tend to take for granted.

So my question to you this week is, "Are you proud to be American? If so, why - what do you like about America? If no, why not - what are things you wish America would change?" Answers are due no later than Sunday, October 9th, 2011. P.S. So, three quarters ago, the students helped me create a really cool blog template that had a patriotic theme. Somehow, last quarter, I lost all the graphics and had to go back to this generic template. If any of you have any suggestions or know of any links where I can find a better