Trick-or-Treat-or-Not

Is anyone else excited that Halloween falls on a Saturday this year? 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, November 4th, 2015. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Let's Vote!

Last week in class we discussed political parties and what each party’s platform is.  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, October 28^th, 2015.

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!

This Is Your Brain...

I was sad to hear the news yesterday regarding Lamar Odom’s drug overdose.  Obviously I didn’t know him personally, but it still saddened me to see someone who by all accounts had everything - money, talent, love, fame – now fighting for his life due to drugs.  I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that drug addiction is a big problem in this country. Consider the following statistics:

• According to a 2012 National Survey on Drug Use & Health, 23.9 million people reported they had used illicit drugs within 1 month of the survey.


• Emergency room visits for non-medical usage of prescription drugs rose 98.4% from 2004 – 2009.


• From 1998 – 2008, drug overdoses increased 56%.


• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are 23 million addicts in the United States and only 2.6 million ever seek help or treatment.


• 8.4 million people who abuse substances also suffer from at least one mental illness.

I’ve blogged before about my personal experiences with mental health issues, and the shortage of mental health beds in this country.  You can read my personal journey and your fellow students’ comments here:  http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2014/08/oh-captain-my-captain.html

Drug addiction is a complex disorder, with mental health issues being just one aspect of the disease.  Since treatment for abuse and addiction is delivered using a variety of behavioral and pharmacological approaches, it can be hard to quantify the number of treatment facilities and space available, but the estimate that I could find was that there are 14,500 specialized drug treatment facilities in the United States.  14, 500 may seem like an adequate number until you realize that there are 23 million addicts!  Even you are one of the few who seek treatment; you may not be able to afford it.  Health coverage doesn’t always adequately cover treatment, which results in shorter stays for many addicts who needs months and maybe even years to fully recover.  The Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as ObamaCare), includes parity of coverage for both mental health and substance abuse problems, which only means the demand for these services could grow even higher, resulting in a continued shortage of treatment facilities.

It’s a tough problem, and one America hasn’t done a great job of solving.  We have either taken too harsh of stance – in the case of marijuana, which is still classified as a Schedule I narcotic, along with cocaine and heroin, or we have taken too passive of a stance – as in the case of the 1980’s slogan made famous by Nancy Reagan, “Just Say No!”  I’m interested in knowing your thoughts.  So my question to you this week is, “What do you think can be done to curb America’s drug problem?  Do legalizing “lighter” drugs, like marijuana help or hurt the problem?  Should health insurance companies be mandated to cover drug rehabilitation stays, or is the individual responsible for their own addiction?”  You must answer all questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, October 21^st, 2015.

 

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, October 14th, 2015. 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, March 23rd, 2015.  After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter. Enjoy the break!

The Next Great Indy Artist

The center where I was work was recently selected for a public art display as part of the Public Collection, which exists to “improve literacy, foster a deeper appreciation of the arts, and raise awareness for educational justice in our community.”  Through a curated process, Indiana-based artists were commissioned to design unique book share stations or lending libraries that are installed in public spaces around Indianapolis.  You can read more about the process, and see what the display at my center looks like here: http://www.thepubliccollection.org/artists/phil-omalley/

Public art gives young people something to do other than hang out in the streets. It can make neighborhoods nicer, increase property values, and attract new business, which brings new jobs. People that live in nice neighborhoods, are employed, and have enough money to raise a family are far less likely to commit crimes.

According to the Arts Council of Indianapolis, public art can take a variety of forms. Historically, art that is accessible to the public has been in the form of freestanding pieces of work or objects that occupy a public space, such as sculptures and memorials. Now, in a growing number of cities functional objects such as benches, trails, bridges and manhole covers can become commissioned works by artists.

Now those of you who know me, know that I am a big believer in giving back. Whether it’s volunteering someplace, helping someone in need, or contributing something to the community, my motto has always been to try and leave the world better than I found it. So in that same spirit, my question to you this week is “What kind of public art would you create in Indianapolis if money for the project was no object? Where would it be located and what would its message be?" Think about it! Answers are due no later than Wednesday, September 16th, 2015

Every Life Matters

The “Black Lives Matter” movement started all the way back in 2013, when George Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager.  I’m sure most you are familiar with the case, but for those of you who aren’t, you can read about the case and see what your fellow students thought at the time here:  http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2012/04/justice-for-trayvon.html

 The movement, which campaigns against police brutality, really gained momentum when another unarmed African American teenager, Michael Brown, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri.  I blogged about that case too and you can read the post here: http://historicalandpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/2014/12/hands-up-dont-shoot.html

Now 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 Wednesdays, September 9^th, 2015.  I hope you all have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!