Abu Grahib Revisted

Over the weekend, I heard that Charles Graner, the convicted ringleader of the Abu Grahib prisoner abuse scandal was released from prison. This week, we are going to discuss the mutually exploitative relationship between the media and the government, so I thought this post would fit right in.

You may remember back in 2006, when Charles Graner and six other members of the 372^nd Military Police Company were charged with abusing detainees of the Abu Grahib prison in Iraq.  Photos were released publicly that showed the detainees naked, leashed, and blindfolded in a variety of uncomfortable positions.  You can see the picture here, but viewer discretion is advised: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_prisoner_abuse

Charles Graner was convicted of stacking naked prisoners into a pyramid, knocking one prisoner unconscious and ordering prisoners to masturbate while being filmed.  His defense was that he was ordered by military intelligence to “soften up” the prisoners for interrogation.  He served 6 ½ years of a 10 year sentence, and will remain on supervised probation until the end of 2014.

Many around the world saw these photos as evidence that the United States was using “torture” as a way to get information and intelligence.  Others thought these harsh interrogations techniques were worth it, if the information gained would save lives.  So my question to you this week is, “Do you consider these interrogation techniques torture, or do you feel they are appropriate if needed to keep American safe?”  Answers are due no later than Tuesday, August 16^th, 2011.

Returned For Non-Sufficient Funds

On Tuesday, the United States barely prevented defaulting on its $14.3 trillion debt, by a last minute bill passed just hours before the Treasury’s authority to borrow funds ran out.  I found all the news reports slightly confusing, and I had a hard time getting my mind around what exactly was happening.  All I knew was that it sounded bad….very bad.

To put it all in layman’s terms, the federal government must borrow about .40 for every $1.00 it spends.  If the Treasury would have lost its authority to borrow money, the United States wouldn’t have been able to pay all of its bills.  That means social security, disability, veteran’s benefits and federal paychecks could have been suspended, interest rates could’ve risen making it more expensive to obtain a mortgage or student financial aid, and the stock prices could’ve been pushed down, causing Americans to lose more money in their retirement plans.

In a last minute compromise, Congress raised the debt ceiling by up to $2.4 trillion, which would be enough to get through the next election cycle.  Simultaneously, they created a committee to develop specific debt reduction measures – slashing $900 billion from federal agency budgets over the next ten years.  President Obama has said that while both defense and non-defense program budgets will be cut, social security, Medicare and programs for low-income individuals will be spared.  You can see more of what President Obama had to say about the plan here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

The committee will have to make some hard choices about which programs to cut funding from, which leads me to my question for this week, “If you were forced to cut funding from a federal program – what would you cut?  How would you justify your cuts to the American people?”  If you don’t know – do some research!  A quick search will show you what the federal government spends money on now. Answers are due no later than Tuesday, August 9^th, 2011.

Is What You See, What You Get?

Everyday we are bombarded with advertisements and commercials in which the models look absolutely perfect.  In a world full of digital imaging, retouching and airbrushing, it can be hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake.  I plan to blog about the effect this distorted imaging can have on young girls at a later date.  For this blog post, I’d like to focus on what, if anything, the government should do to regulate these ads.

Recently, the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) began cracking down on companies that heavily airbrush or retouch their photos.  Cosmetic company L’Oreal recently had several of their advertisements pulled in the United Kingdom for making claims about their products that they couldn’t support with factual evidence.  Member of Parliament, Jo Swinson, stated that the photos used in the ads were, “not representative of the results the products could achieve”.  You can check out the advertisements in question here: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/loreal-ads-of-julia-roberts-and-christy-turlington-banned-for-airbrushing-2516498/

In the United States, commercial speech is not protected under the Constitutional freedom of free speech.  The government can regulate advertisements that are false or misleading.  That being said, many companies retouch their photos before publication and it’s not usually consider it false advertising.

So my question to you this week is, “Do you believe these advertisements crossed the line?  Are all retouched ads misleading?  Do you think the United States should do more to crackdown on the companies that publish these advertisements?”  Answers are due no later than Tuesday, August 2^nd, 2011.

The Devil Called.....He Wants His Weather Back!

This week I’ve discovered that hot weather makes people cranky, myself included.  The air conditioner doesn’t work in my car, and I’ve become another person when driving home in rush hour traffic.  This new person is sweaty, impatient and full of rage.  I’m hoping it cools off soon before an incident occurs.

That being said, other than when I’m driving, I’ve been blessed.  I work indoors, in a cool office and go home to a nice cool house.  The community center where I work has been designated one of the eight “cooling centers” in the city.  This means we’re staying open late this week and offering a cool place to hang out to the thousands of Indianapolis residents that have no other place to go to get out of the heat.

I saw on the news over the weekend that city officials were meeting to determine a course of action for the heat wave.  I had never realized how much political decision-making plays a role in weather preparations.  Who is responsible for what?  Should IndyGo offer free bus rides to individuals so they don’t have to walk?  Should IPL suspend disconnection notices so citizens can continue to use their air conditioner?  Should the city of Indianapolis make sure residents have a safe and cool place to go?

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think the city should be responsible for when it comes to public health and safety during weather events such as this?  Should individuals be responsible for themselves, or do public officials have a responsibility to help?  What suggestions do you have to ensure everyone’s health and safety?”  Answers are due no later than Tuesday, July 27^th, 2011.

Are You Proud To Be An 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? If no, why not?" Answers are due no later than Tuesday, July 20th, 2011. P.S. So, two 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 template let me know!

Your Thoughts and Feedback Are Appreciated!

Well, summer is finally here!  It has been a pleasure getting to know all of you this quarter and I wish you well in your future endeavors.  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 Tuesday, June 14th, 2011.  After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter.

Have a wonderful summer break filled with sunshine, good conversation and hopefully some rest and relaxation. I hope you all continue to follow the blog, and post comments whenever you like.  For those of you who are graduating - congratulations!  All you hard work finally paid off!

There's No Place Like Home

I would be remiss this quarter, if I did not devote a portion of the blog to the devastating spring weather most of the country has been experiencing. The flooding of the Mississippi River in April and May was the largest and most damaging flood recorded in U.S. history. Many people, including some of your fellow classmates lost their possessions and even their homes as they rushed to stop the water from flooding their communities. As of June 1st, there have been 1,415 tornadoes, resulting in 520 deaths throughout the country. 2011 has been the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950. The Midwest, South and Great Plaines states have been the hardest hit, with Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Louisiana, North Carolina and Missouri all reporting deaths, and many more states, including Indiana reporting injuries from these deadly storms. To donate to the relief effort, or see how you can help, please go to:  http://www.redcross.com/


A few weeks ago, we watched the movie The Inconvenient Truth in class and discussed whether or not global warming was actually occurring. Since I was out of town that week, I would love to hear your thoughts. So my question to you this week is “Do you think global warming is a cause of these deadly weather patterns, and if so, are humans contributing to it?” Please make sure to explain your answer whether or not you agree or disagree. Answers are due no later than Tuesday, June 7th, 2011.

By the way, here in Indiana it’s easy to get complacent about crazy weather. The sirens go off so much that many times, we tend to just ignore them. This spring has taught me just how deadly these storms can be – and how quickly they can go from bad to worse. It makes me sad to know that people had to lose so much for me to actually pay attention. So, I’m taking a vow. I’m promising to create a “weather kit” including flashlights, batteries, water, first aide and other items I may need in case of severe weather. Even more, I’m promising to start paying more attention to the sirens and actually take cover when they tell me to. A few hours lost by taking cover may just mean a few more lives saved. I hope you will pledge to join me in this endeavor – it’s the very least we can do. To those of you who have lost possessions, homes and loved ones during this storm season, my heart and prayers go out to you.