You've Got To Fight For Your Rights!

Last week, I was leaving AI on my way to my other job, when I passed by Planned Parenthood on 86^th street.  As usual, a group of “Right to Life” protesters were standing out by the road with posters encouraging people to choose life. Like many of you, I’ve seen these protesters many times outside Planned Parenthoods across the city.  What was different about this time was that they had a boy, approximately 10 years old with them, proudly holding up his own sign.

Now I must confess that I’ve been known to protest a few things in my day, but something really bothered me about that little kid being a part of it.  I believe in the people’s right to peacefully assemble and protest. However, I also remember being in college, having no health insurance, and going to Planned Parenthood for all my female health needs.  They offer so many other services besides abortions, but nevertheless, I still had to walk through a horde of protesters, screaming insults at me and putting graphic photos of aborted babies in my face.  It was very traumatic and I can only imagine how young women who are actually getting abortions feel.  It seems that they’re making what is already a traumatic situation, much, much worse.  So when I saw this little boy actively participating, it made me wonder what he was actually learning from the process.

All of that being said, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that in America everyone has the right to speak their mind.  The rights of free speech and freedom to assemble are some of our greatest liberties.  To suppress someone’s free speech is to suppress all of our voices.  I don’t have to agree with what is being said, to agree with their right to say it, distasteful as it may seem.

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of the “Right to Life” protesters?  Do agree with protesting in this way?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, November 7^th, 2012. To find your polling place for Tuesday’s election, please go here: http://maps.indy.gov/VIP/  To those of you with family & friends affected by Hurricane Sandy, my thoughts and prayers go out to you.  To donate to the disaster relief efforts, please go here:  http://www.redcross.org/

Trick-or-Treat-or-Not

Halloween is just around the corner.  I love Halloween.  It’s definitely one of my top three favorite holidays along with New Year’s Eve and the 4^th of July. There is nothing better as a kid, than running around in costume in the dark getting tons of candy.  As an adult, I love getting dressed up and waiting to scare the children that come to my house.

Which is why it really disturbs me that some public schools aren’t even allowed to celebrate Halloween anymore.   According the Seattle Public School district, “costumes could offend or upset students who come from other cultures”.  The pagan origins of modern Halloween can be found in the Celtic celebration of Samhain, or "End of Summer." The Celts believed that on this agricultural harvest festival the dead revisit the land of the living and communal fires were needed to ward off evil. Many feel that celebrating Halloween is somehow promoting paganism, witchcraft and the occult.

I’m not sure how dressing up as a comic book hero and knocking on doors for candy is related to paganism, but it did get me thinking.  In a few weeks, we will be discussing our First Amendment rights, and the separation of church and state.  Halloween isn’t the only holiday that schools have banned in the interest of not offending anyone.  So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of school’s celebrating holidays?  Should they celebrate all holidays, some holidays or none at all?”  For an added twist, “What are your Halloween plans?”  I’d love to hear what you’re dressing up as!  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, October 31^st, 2012.  Have a happy and safe Halloween! 

Look Who's Talking

The second round of Presidential debates happened this past Tuesday.  Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack squared off in a town hall style of debate, which meant undecided voters got to ask them questions on topics related to the economy, women’s rights, and foreign policy, amongst other things.  In case you missed it, you can watch the full debate here: http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/10/16/us/politics/100000001849654/timescast-politics-presidential-debate.html?partner=rss&emc=rss#100000001849654

I must say I thought this was a good and entertaining debate. Yes, I am nerdy enough to consider Presidential debates entertaining!  After being bored out of my mind during the first debates, I was glad to see a variety of issues come up in this one. I did think at times both candidates were a little disrespectful to the moderator, but overall it was a spirited conversation.

So my question you this week is two-fold. First, I would like to know, “If you could ask the candidates one question in this style of debate, what would it be?”  Second, I would like you to research how you think both candidates would answer.  Both Romney and Obama have long records having served as Governor and President respectively.  They have also completed two debates and have been on the campaign trail for months, so there should be no shortage of information regarding how they feel about specific issues.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, October 24^th, 2012.  You must answer both parts to receive full credit.

Celebrating National Coming Out Day - Part 3

This week, we will start a discussion regarding same sex marriage in class. It happens 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 two years ago 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 14^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 Wednesday, October 17^th, 2012.

Choose Your Own Adventure

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 Wednesday, October 10th, 2012. I hope all of you had a wonderful fall break!

Yout Thoughts And Feedback Are Appreciated!

Another quarter has almost passed.  When we started out together, it was hot, dry and summer was in full swing. Now, there’s no doubt that fall is just around the corner. It’s been a pleasure getting to know all of you this quarter and I hope that you stay in touch, continue to post on the blog whenever you want, and most importantly vote in the upcoming election.

Tomorrow in the 11^th anniversary of the September 11^th attacks.  I hope that we all remember the unity that we felt that day – and that we take the time to call a loved one, be there for a friend, or help a stranger. Our country grows stronger when we stand united, not divided.

With that being said, my final question to you is, “What did you like or dislike about the class?  What could I do to make the class better?”  Answers are due no later than Sunday, September 16^th, 2012. For those of you who lost loved ones in the September 11^th attacks – my heart and prayers go out to you.  For those of you serving in our armed forces – thank you.  You are truly American heroes.  For those of you who are graduating this quarter – congratulations!  Your hard work has finally paid off.  To everyone else – may you enjoy a nice fall break.

Imported From Detroit

Next week, I'll be traveling to Detroit for work.  It may sound weird to some, but I love visiting Detroit. Yes, I know, Detroit isn’t usually on people’s list of top vacation spots, but I love it all the same. I love driving across the bridges, eating in Greek town, visiting the Museum of Modern Art and hanging out at Belle Island. Whether you call it the “Motor City,” “Motown,” or just the “D,” there’s no doubt that Detroit is a classic American city full of culture, diversity and fun.

Which makes it all the more sad to realize that no city in the country has been harder hit by the recession than Detroit. Home to the top three American automakers, Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, Detroit was once seen as a thriving metropolis where people could go to find good jobs. Today, Detroit’s official unemployment rate is slightly below 30% and some figures quote it actually closer to 50%. To put that in perspective; the national unemployment rate is 8.3%. American car companies, that once dominated the auto industry, now are often seen as having inferior quality and reliability compared to their Japanese counterparts.

Some say American car companies are struggling because of their focus on SUV’s. When gas prices started to rise, Americans began looking for smaller, compact cars, which are often foreign. Others say American companies missed the boat when it came to developing green cars with better emissions. We can no longer sell most American cars abroad, because we don’t meet the rest of the world’s fuel efficiency standards. Finally, some say American car companies just mis-managed their funds, giving corporate executives large bonuses, while ignoring their plants, technology and workers.

So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of American cars? Are they inferior to foreign ones? What do you think can be done to strengthen the American auto industry?” You must answer all questions to earn full credit. Answers are due no later than Sunday, September 9th, 2012.