It's always hard coming back to school after a long break. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and being surrounded by all the crazy, creative evergy that is all of you. That being said, it's still hard to wake up early on these cold January mornings - even for teachers. 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
Normally, our first blog
post has something to do with the freedoms you value most and whether or not you
are proud to call yourself an American. This quarter, I would like to start with
something different. 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 Sunday, January 13th, 2013. I hope all of you had a wonderful
holiday season! I'm looking forward to a great quarter!
I am really not into politics. I think I feel I really have no control because I represent minorities. I don't want a label (democrat,republican...) because I don't believe everything these parties have to say. I think that my interests lye in other countries, and current events. I really don't want to have another debat class about gun control or something. I want to learn what other believe other places. Instead of what our reoccurring issues are. Maybe if something would change, I would be more interested. Maybe climate change, poverty, or things that effect more than just the United States. -Mariah Shoaff
ReplyDeleteThe one issue I'm most passionate about is the ongoing legalisation efforts for marijuana, either medicinally or recreationally. I'm an advocate and would like to learn more about the issues going on. I've done plenty of projects related to this subject. I have plenty of opinions on important subjects going on in today's world. I'm aware that the government isn't going to dissolve like I'd want it to, so I have strong opinions that I tend not to discuss because in my experience you can't convince others to come over to your view point - Kiernan Stillabower
ReplyDeleteI honestly can't think of a single topic that would interest me. I agree with Kiernan above that especially the kind of opponents on the issues that matter to me will never change nor will they accept compromise. I would prefer to study something that effects the world at large rather than just what we have here.
ReplyDelete-James Galliher
I guess what I would like to talk and learn about is why society and politics are the way they are now. I'd like to know why it changed so much from where it was to where it is now. Getting political issues from other countries would be nice also because we hear about own political issues all the time but what about the other countries? I'm sure they are dealing with a lot more than we are.
ReplyDeleteWell ironically enough I've been really becoming obsessed with past presidents and their choices. Of course I'm partly a conspiracy believer on a few things, but my fascination here lately has been on presidents and their choices, such as Lincoln with the ending of slavery, FDR with his fight with us through the Great Depression and World War II, Kennedy with kinda getting the U.S. started in Vietnam , etc. I also find myself wanting to learn more about the good, bad, and the ugly that the government kinda hides from civilians; and why some things are more important to hide than others.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to learn a little more about issues that are having to be faced currently by President Obama, and if they are really being faced by him or someone a little beneath him.
Thanks - Sarah Brown
I am interested in learning about the role of art and design in politics, and modern American politics specifically. I know that usually the routine is to set up a debate, and have a few people go at it for a while. The problem with that, though, is that no one ever is really willing to change their viewpoint, so the debate ends up becoming more of a stalemate that accomplishes nothing other than making people angry. Instead I think that we should either keep our beliefs to ourselves, and instead learn more about how to use our art to convey our opinions, so that verbal altercation is avoided, but we are still able to express our opinions. Personally, I think it would be beneficial for the class to understand the role we play and the power that we could potentially harness as designers.
ReplyDelete-Kyle Nordsiek
I'm with a lot of these guys when it comes to political Issues. Even though what Sarah has said about the presidents, is very interesting with the decisions made by each of them to get us to where we are today and if we think about that in broad, we see how we as the "USA" have been walking on thin ice most of our lives. And as a president, you want to do good, but once your there, what really is good anymore? And then the question comes down to, do i want to help the rich people or the poor people, without making one or the other side too angry.
ReplyDeleteThe legalization of "weed" is also an entertaining issue, since now people are realizing they're not making as much money on marijuana busts as they could be making on the taxes for it if it were legal. So if you think one step further than that, a lot of laws aren't for our safety, its for the money flow. Ironic isn't it.
One issue i find interesting is the whole gay marriage debate. To me it sounds like "we" as in the United States have to have someone to look down on to feel better about ourselves. Kind of like the whole "bully" scenario in the school system. Since history has shown us "we" couldn't think of black slaves as people, until finally rights were slowly given back to them. And Mexicans are just bums, that for some reason work twice if not three times as hard as "us", they can't be people, ect... Then racism came into play and people realized "we" can't do that anymore, we look bad if we say that kind of thing. But we're not being racist if we hate someone and can't accept someone if i dont hate them for the color of their skin, but for their mind and the way they think they should be. Got to love the way the ego works sometimes...
-Sean Brown
G8: Too Much Power?
ReplyDeleteEmpty promises each year
The G8, is made up of the seven most powerful economies of the world, (United States, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Canada, Italy) and Russia. Together they form a very powerful and influential (though informal) group of nations. For example, they accounting for almost 50% of the votes at the IMF and World Bank. At their annual summits they attract a lot of criticism, increasingly now in the mainstream, for failing the world’s poor.
Annual G8 summits often involve discussions on how to deal with the world’s (or their) most pressing concerns. As such it also attracts a lot of protesters, campaigners, and increasingly mainstream media.
Due to the influence and power of the G8 nations, their summits have been seen as a chance to discuss a number of social, political and economic issues. While G8 nations themselves often differ on certain policies, their overall agendas and eventual decisions/agreements have a direct bearing on most other regions throughout the world. As the following points out, their indirect influence as well as direct influence is great and far-reaching.
It's hard to choose just one topic to study when there's so many controversial topics that come to mind. There's a few topics mentioned in the comments above that I'm interested in such as marijuana, gun control, and why politics/society is the way it is now. I'm interested in these subjects as well. I would be very interested in our relationship as a country with the Middle East. I would also like to know more about the last few wars we've been involved in and why we were involved in them.
ReplyDeleteThe one political issue I value most is the topic on freedom of speech and how some abuse that right along with the ignorance others tend to be on said topic. But one issue I mainly have and want to know is why the government tries to invade our privacy using today's technology. I cannot go anywhere without finding a camera on every corner in every building. I can see the use for the purpose of having security cameras, but I'd like to not feel paranoia every time I spot one. Another example of this invasion is how a former president issued the okay that every phone would be wire-tapped in order to search for terrorist activity. Although whether or not this approval has been denied, you can always have a right but there are far too many who abuse rights due to power or misinterpretation. Also, I'd like to know why we relied on china to maintain our economy. I'd like to see another day where gas prices would be $1.25 instead of $3.50.
ReplyDelete-Micah J. Kistler
You know what grinds my gears?! No seriously, I can't stand the fact that in our lives we are faced with the reality of an idealistic form of justice. The fact that we feel that we all poses a moral capacity to onslaught reckoning on people we view as bad or evil individuals. It's not something that will make headlines or be bashed over your head by the media directly but, subconsciously our perception is brainwashed by visuals an emotional ques.Just think of all of the blonde haired and blues eyes girls that we have been told we should view as tragedies in the reveal of their death. Truly death is a sad thing but, is our compassion soley based on a visual. If the same person died in another country the same way would we even bat an eye. Something to think about. Even as you read this and your saying oh that's not me consider this. I was watching CNN recently and they were talking about a hurricane that recently hit. The story was that a man was taking refuge in his house and a women knocked on his door. Supposedly this woman had children with her and wanted to take refuge in his house. Instead of focusing energy on helping those that where effected by this tragedy or even speaking with a person that had been helped in some great act of chivalry in this tragedy it seemed more entertaining in the eyes of the reporter to reveal demoralize and even victimize the man for not letting this lady into his house. This view point was cemented by repeatedly showing this interview in a loop to round up viewers to jump onto their perception bandwagon. I think it's good to have a point of view but I think the media can persuade us in ways that make us limited someways in our thinking without us even knowing it. Maybe it's not a hard pressed issue but, it's defiantly something that I find interesting. It would also be fun to see what other people gather from this.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to politics, it's less the politics and more the politicians themselves that anger me. The stonewalling, underhanded corruption, it just really rattles my nerves.
ReplyDeleteMore on the subject of issues though, the issues I'm more draw to are issues of liberty. People would probably consider me a liberal, because I am more focused on equal rights, freedoms, and liberties then anything else. Personally I just prefer the term Flower-Hugging-Hippie.
I am very vocal about freedom of speech, which envelops many censorship issues. I am very for separation of church and state. I do not believe religion should have any place in politics. I'm also very passionate about women's rights (equal workplace rights, abortion, stop victim blaming in rape cases), LGBTG rights (marriage, adoption), and minority rights (equal workplace rights, healthcare, racism).
I am also outspoken about the raging gap in the the rich and poor classes, there is no middle class anymore as far as I can honestly see. And more corporations are tightening the noose around many workers, cutting hours, firing more people, keeping a near skeleton crew, because they do not want to play by our president's healthcare reform.
There are more issues I'm familiar with, but these are what usually get me the most upset. Either way any issues that are brought up, whether they have anything to do with what I stated or not, should lead to some interesting debates.
Whoops! I just realized you asked for one issue and I gave like five. Sorry! Over all I think most of them envelop inside of equal rights. That is an issue I am obviously very vocal about.
ReplyDeleteAn issue i want to doscuss is MATERIALSIM. Everyone is materialitic now and were raising the new generation to worship objects such as cars, clothes, money e.tc . So i would like to discuss this topic.
ReplyDeleteThis quarter i want to learn about some of the things that the secret societies and political world corrupt the new generation and media. I'm not too much into politics but this is an important matter that we all should discuss.
ReplyDeleteThis quarter I want to learn more about politics in general. I try to keep my self out of the whole realm to not make myself angry or what not.honestly, I never really cared about it at all.
ReplyDeleteI am indifferent about most of the topics that could be chosen. I have my own opinions but most of the time I feel as if they will only be mine because the struggle to get a collective agreement to one side or the other seems to be an everlasting one. However I am interested in learning more about as many of the topics as we can or will in the course. -- Austin Cronin
ReplyDeleteWhoops sorry for my MIA I meant to type this last night, I would like to discuss the current tax focus, How Obama originally said individuals earning less than 250k wouldn't see an increase and yet and extra $30 was taken out of my paycheck. How can the president makes such a claim and then do just the opposite.
ReplyDelete--Casey Cooper
Health care and taxes. why it is so difficult to achieve some sort of plan for it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to cnn.com, the supreme court’s ruling in June that the individual mandate in Obama’s health care reform law could not be upheld under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, but could be upheld as a tax has Democrats and Republicans once again at odds.
The main debate was whether the health care reform is a tax or a penalty? Why can't they make up their minds?
When I was reading through the syllabus The Medicare Debate was one of the major topics that stood out to me. I think this was becuase I never really understood the debate or even the major topics on an in-depth level. I have always just seen bits and peices on the television news station.
ReplyDeleteI personally, would really enjoy learning more on this topic so that I understand it and can decide my own view on the topic as I know it has been widely debated in recent years.