Semester Reflection

I am very proud of the first project I completed this year, the American Icon project. I believe that my self portrait accurately depicted the Navajo Code talkers as bold figures in the Navajo community. My artist statement clearly highlighted my own personal connection with the Navajo Code talkers and how they taught me to embrace my own heritage and my national citizenship without internal conflict.

When I began taking pictures for this project I did not have a specific list of elements that I wished to incorporate into the photo. By not setting strict requirement for my picture, I allowed myself to freely experiment with different themes and characteristics for my self portrait. Originally my artist statement lacked a clear connection between my icon and I, but adding my own personal experience as a child quickly established one. My artist statement can be viewed on my Digital Portfolio.

I am extremely pleased with my editorial for the H2O research project (pages one and two). The flow of my editorial seems to guide the reader in the intended direction; there should be a permanent budget for weekly bacteria testing. Another element of the article that I am extremely proud of is the layout. This was the first time I had ever felt confident using the application Adobe InDesign. The layout of the article looks clean yet still remains eye-catching.

The writing portion of the project was by far the biggest hill to climb. There were several instances during the course of the project in which I developed long periods of writer's block; I didn't have a complete piece of writing until a week before the entire project was due. After I had finally developed a solid piece of writing I invest most of my time into reorganizing the structure of my editorial and forming the layout of the editorial. I used one of my classmates' pictures for the cover picture of my editorial. I provided a graph I had created in Microsoft Excel to display enterococci concentrations in order to support one of my main arguments in my writing.

Plenty of Turkey and Writing

Part 1
I am thankful for living in San Diego. There are very few other places in the U.S. that have as diverse of a population as San Diego. I can't imagine living in another area that does not have an apparent mixture of different races and ethnicities.

I believe that growing up in San Diego has caused me to be more aware of the differences between people and remain accepting. Everyday in San Diego I am exposed to a clashing of cultures and the beauty of differences.

Part 2
I plan on finishing 3/4 of the rough draft of my article. I plan on contacting Heal The Bay to request an interview. I plan on emailing Donna Frye to request an interview.

H2O Project Thus Far

I don't believe I have recently learned any new knowledge regarding my research project. I gained almost all my knowledge about my topic within the first week of researching. I learned the current budget for beach and bay water testing in California is $2 million for the next two years, so this plan is not a permanent solution.

One piece of information I found unique was that there was no form of water testing before 1998. California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed the funding for water testing in September 2008, but the California State Water Resources Control board recently voted to initiate a plan that would fund water testing for the next two years; the state has only required water testing for the past 10 years. I'm surprised that I have not scheduled a any interviews so far, I really thought I would have had finished a couple of interviews by now or at least scheduled most of them. The interviews are a crucial part of my article, so I really need to work twice as fast the next couple of weeks.

I am still having trouble thinking of a way to display my final product rather than simply printing my article out on paper; I'm trying to brainstorm ideas of some sort of 3D display. I want my display to clearly have some sort of direct representation of California, possible a cut out piece of wood or foam board shaped like the state. Tomorrow, I wish to schedule an interview on Friday with representatives of Coastkeeper. I want to try and schedule some interviews with other government agencies in the next two days, however I will not be in town over Thanksgiving break, so this may prevent me from having any of the interviews that week.

Questions to Consider for the H2O Project

Why do tidal levels differ throughout the day and what are the reasons for measuring the levels?

There are two main tidal levels that can be viewed throughout the day, high tide and low tide. Each level occur usually twice a day. Gravity pulls the earth's water toward it's surface, but gravity of the sun and moon effect the surfaces of water by creating tides, as explained by NOAA's Tides & Currents "Our Restless Tides."

"High tides are produced in the ocean waters by the "heaping" action resulting from the horizontal flow of water toward two regions of the earth representing positions of maximum attraction of combined lunar and solar gravitational forces. Low tides are created by a compensating maximum withdrawal of water from regions around the earth midway between these two humps. The alternation of high and low tides is caused by the daily (or diurnal) rotation of the earth with respect to these two tidal humps and two tidal depressions."

Predicting tide levels can allow researchers to study different species of tide pool animals. During high tides, less land is exposed to the seeing eye. During this time many creatures hunt for food because of the larger area of water. Sea anemones and barnacles open their mouths to trap smaller unsuspecting organisms. During low tides, more land is exposed, allowing one to see a wider variety of tidal creatures.
Measuring the tide levels can help predict storms and hurricanes. Being able to tell the path of a storm or hurricane can save lives.

Measuring tide levels can help ships coordinate the best times to navigate through certain areas of the ocean. The NOAA Tides & Currents "Why Measure Water Levels," states,

"In order to pass safely over the more shallow areas within a harbor or shipping channel the ship's captain must know the total water depth beneath the keel of the ship. The nautical chart will show the depth of water relative to a standard datum level (in the U.S. this is Mean Lower Low Water)."

What were the reasons for the water testing budget cut and what future repercussions might this have on the California coastal public?

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently cut the funding for state wide water testing for California shorelines. Each year California was granted about $1,000,000 to test bacteria levels in 17 different coastal counties. In its "2008 California Summer Beach Report Card," the nonprofit organization, Heal The Bay, stated,

"...California’s current budget crisis has resulted in drastic funding cuts to AB 411 implementation programs. Among Governor Schwarzenegger’s line item vetoes in the approved budget is a complete elimination of state beach water quality monitoring funds for local entities."

For the past ten years, the funding for water testing has provided the basis of information for beach closures and advisories due to high bacteria levels. In the article, "State Water Panel to vote on $2 Million for Monitoring Beaches," the LA Times states,

"San Diego County was one of the hardest hit by the veto, losing $302,000 -- which wiped out its dry season water quality program. Without the state funding, the program shut down for the final weeks of October, ending warnings about polluted beaches and daily e-mail and podcast water quality updates."

Many critics and environmental advocates criticize the Governor's decision to cut funding for water testing, highlighting that the elimination of the budget puts beachgoers at risk.

Although the water testing budget has been cut, the LA Times reported in it's article, "State Water Panel to vote on $2 Million for Monitoring Beaches," that the Governor has recently called for the State Water Resources Control Board to vote to distribute $2,000,000 among coastal counties. The money would provide the funding for water testing over a two year period.

ACORN: Are they Really Filing Fraudulent Voter Registration?

Recently there has been much commotion in the media regarding the voter registration group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). ACORN has been accused of filling out fraudulent voter registration applications. However, fraudulent voter registration is not the real issue here, for there have been very little instances of it occurring; the real problem is voter suppression.

How the Times Have Changed

Over the past few weeks, America has witnessed Republican Presidential Nominee, John McCain, and Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama, engage in three seperate debates against each other. The first and third debates seemed to stick with what we now believe to be the traditional style of debate, but the second one resembled a town hall format. The 2008 Presidential debates are different than the Lincoln-Douglas Illinois senatorial debates. Both sets of debates discussed different issues and the candidates had different tactics for swaying the public.

One of the most discussed issues during the 2008 Presidential debates was the reduction of taxes. CNN's article, "McCain puts Obama on the spot in final debate," states that Obama wishes to increase taxes for businesses that gross over $250,000 a year, providing a tax break for the majority of Americans. During the Lincoln-Douglas debates tax breaks and economic stability was not a major focus of either candidate; Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas discussed the heated topic of the abolishment of slavery in America. Douglas supported the idea of democratically elected slavery; each state could vote whether slavery should be abolished or not, within that specific state. Lincoln felt that the federal government should abolish slavery, but supported what the American public truly felt was the right decision. As you can see, the 2008 Presidential debates seemed to focus on economic solutions to the free market meltdown, and the Lincoln-Douglas debates approached the constitutionality of slavery and the division of power between federal and state government.

Although the Lincoln-Douglas debates did have a couple instances of negative attacks on the opposing candidate, the 2008 Presidential debates contained far more accusations than actual presentation of policies. During the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Douglas accused Lincoln of complaining about the Supreme court ruling of the Dred Scott case. According to the National Park Service's transcript of the 7th debate, in response to the accusation, Lincoln stated,

“I have done no such thing, and Judge Douglas so persistently insisting that I have done so, has strongly impressed me with the belief of a predetermination on his part to misrepresent me. He could not get his foundation for insisting that I was in favor of this negro equality any where else as well he could by assuming that untrue proposition.”

Douglas' claim was a manipulation of Lincoln's lack of a response and was absolutely false.

During the third debate, John McCain began focusing his tactics on casting Barack Obama in a bad light. The New York Times' article, Candidates Clash Over Character and Policy, McCain stated,

"...We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama’s relationship with Acorn, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.”

McCain is attempting to cast Barack Obama in a bad light in order to sway the opinions of the undecided voters.

Democracy and the Internet

Many Americans that are exposed to the internet are able to view a variety of websites and news sources. These sources report on a wide range of current events that deal with democracy such as Presidential debates, propositions and constitutional court cases. All of these sources have differing opinions and present the topics in different ways, allowing the American audience to base their own opinions on numerous sources of information.



In the ad above, provided by YouTube.com, Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama, is claimed to be associated with the organization ACORN, a group accused of filing thousands of fraudulent voter registration forms. The video supports John McCain's campaign, attempting to sway the opinions of voters. There are many ads such as this one that can be viewed via the internet, allowing Americans to gain knowledge pertaining to the 2008 Presidential race, one of the main examples of democracy in America.

The American audience has more opportunities now to educate themselves about elections and other democratic related topic then at any other point in American history. The internet offers more information than newspaper, radio or television. The internet is a valuable resource that provides us with a gold mine of knowledge regarding Presidential candidates, propositions and other forms of democracy. This information provided by the internet allows us to make decisions and form opinions about candidates and propositions.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Newspaper Reflection

I am satisfied with final product of our newspaper article covering the seventh debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. I believe my best individual contribution to the newspaper article was my section of writing. My section covered Lincoln’s view of the Dred Scott case, whether he had publically complained about the case decision or if Stephen Douglas was simply making false accusations in order to mislead the public of Lincoln’s views of slavery. I feel that my lede is strong enough to capture the attention of the reader, yet it does not drone off into a run-on sentence. I was able to trim several quotes that I originally did not understand, and incorporated them sensibly in my writing.

Another element of the article that I am proud of is my caption for my picture. My caption: Lincoln and Douglas "Duke it out" in the seventh round of debates for the title of Illinois Senator. Lincoln withstood Douglas' Dred Scott cheap shot, and reaffirmed his views regarding slavery. The picture that I chose was a political cartoon of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas boxing in an arena; my caption perfectly described the picture and related it to my specific section of writing.

Although there are many elements of the newspaper that I am proud of, there are some aspects of the poster that I believe could be improved. One of the first areas of the newspaper that I noticed could be improved was the spacing between different sections of text. It seemed like all three of our article did not have enough separation from each other, the different articles seemed crowded together. This could have easily been avoided if we had taken a little more time to space out the different sections or repositioned each section slightly up.

Another area of the newspaper that we could have improved was the spatial relationship between the pictures and writing. I believe that the pictures accounted for too much space of the newspaper, the majority of the newspaper should consist of the actual written articles. I believe our final product would have look more professional if we had simply reduced the dimensions of the newspaper, allowing the text to account for the majority of the space and the images to be scaled down.

I believe that this project was very challenging due to the limited amount of time we were granted, however I believe that the time constraints motivated me to work at a faster and more efficient rate. On the very first day of this project I realized that I had to quickly choose the topic of my writing; I chose to write about Lincoln’s opinion of the Dred Scott case. I used more time to research my topic and my draft than I had originally hoped, but I believe that doing so was a good investment towards the newspaper.

Prior to this project, I had very little experience using the application InDesign, I was learning some of the basics of the program while designing the newspaper. I did not let my inexperience with the program discourage my efforts to produce a final product that I could proudly display. I managed my time well while designing the newspaper, trying not to concern myself too much with the fine details but more so the general organization and flow of the articles. I leaped out of my comfort zone, but I confidently landed on my feet.

6 New Things I learned About Taking Pictures

Composition

This picture has a good composition because the lighthouse is closely aligned with one of the vertical lines, capturing the focus of the picture.
Photographer- James M. Bernatowicz
Photo Source

Depth of Field
The depth of field in this picture is focused on the red car. The green and yellow cars are out of focus, but the red car is clear and sharp.
No photographer listed
Seems Artless, Depth of field (DOF) camera guide, Photo Source

Eyes, Color, Fill the Frame
The deep blue eyes of this person jump out from all the other colors in the picture. The eyes grab the attention of the audience with an everlasting stare.
Digital Camera, Fill the Frame, Photo Source

Interesting Use of Light
The light in the is picture lightly illuminates the valley, giving it an almost heavenly aura.
Photoseek.com, Southwest USA Highlights: Desert Landscapes, Photographer- Tom Dempsey, Photo Source

Shooting at eye-level (of a subject that is not eye-level with you)
This picture of a dog is at eye level of the photographer, while the photographer is kneeling down. The background makes it seem as if you are sitting down staring at the dog.
OregonLive.com, Did the Kennel return a different dog?, Photo Source

Macro Photography

This picture sharply displays the fine details of the horrid house centipede's menacing body. Each individual leg is clearly visible, a clarity that serves only as a haunting reminder of how fast this abomination can chase you down.

Photo Source

The Devolution of Debate

On October 15th, 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas participated in the 7th of a series of debates in Alton, Illinois, in order to persuade the Illinois public to elect one of them as state senator. The debate in Alton discussed each candidate's view of the Kansas-Nebraska act, the Dred Scott case, and the constitutionality of slavery, some of the same ideas that were reviewed in the 5th debate in Galesburg, Illinois, and the 6th debate in Quincy, Illinois.

During his speech, Douglas attempted to label Lincoln as a hypocrite, stating that Lincoln did not support the idea of abolishment.

Lincoln stated that he never made any complaints regarding the Dred Scott case and Douglas’ allegations that claimed Lincoln had made such remarks, were in fact, false.

“I have done no such thing, and Judge Douglas so persistently insisting that I have done so, has strongly impressed me with the belief of a predetermination on his part to misrepresent me. He could not get his foundation for insisting that I was in favor of this negro equality any where else as well he could by assuming that untrue proposition.”

Lincoln’s lack of complaint regarding the Dred Scott case during an earlier speech in Springfield, Illinois, brought his abolitionist views into question, whether he did or did not support the idea of abolition.

Lincoln believed that new western territories should be deemed slavery free. During his speech he quoted Henry Clay in order to support his idea of emerging territories outlawing slavery.

"I desire no concealment of my opinions in regard to the institution of slavery. I look upon it as a great evil, and deeply lament that we have derived it from the parental Government, and from our ancestors. I wish every slave in the United States was in the country of his ancestors. But here they are; the question is how they can best be dealt with? If a state of nature existed, and we were about to lay the foundations of society, no man would be more strongly opposed than I should be, to incorporate the institution of slavery among its elements."

In contrast with the Lincoln Douglas debates, the recent Presidential debates have fallen short of the standards for political discussion. During the Lincoln-Douglas debates, candidates were given 60 minutes to recite their speeches and 30 minutes to respond to the speech of their opponent. These longer answers to questions and rebuttals allowed for candidates to explain their policies throughly, preventing far more misunderstanding or misrepresentations to occur. The current Presidential debates limit candidates to far shorter responses to questions, usually only 2-3 minutes each, resulting in general outlines of their policies rather than detailed answers.

I believe that Lincoln and Douglas were far more affluent and engaging speakers than John McCain or Barack Obama. There have been several points during the current debates in which I have felt very disappointed with the level of confidence behind each candidate as they speak.

Larger Numbers of Young Voters Fill the Voting Booths

Whenever I watch any news report relating to the upcoming Presidential elections, one of the most common topics discussed is the increase in the young voter demographic. Most news sources seem to emphasize that young voters will have a very large impact upon the 2008 Presidential elections. In February 2008, the organizations, Rock The Vote and CIRCLE (The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement), released a report detailing young voter registration and turnout trends. In reference to the 2004 Presidential elections, the report stated,

In 2004 an estimated 20.1 million young people voted, and the younger voter turnout rate was up 9 percentage points from 2000 to 49 percent...

The number of people ages 18-29 that cast their vote during the 2004 Presidential elections, increased by 9% from 2000. The Presidential debates are beginning to draw the interests of younger Americans, contributing to the size of the overall voting populous. This increase may prove to be the winning edge for a Presidential candidate.

USA Today/MTV/Gallup, recently conducted a poll directed toward the young voter demographic. The poll asked participants which Presidential candidate they favored; the ages of participants ranged from 18-29 years old. The poll found that 61% of the participants favored Barack Obama, while only 32% favored John McCain. Barack Obama appeals to younger voters almost twice as much as John McCain does. This greater appeal to young voters may give Barack Obama a slight advantage over John McCain.

A Case to Spark Civil Action

In 1846, a slave named Dred Scott attempted to purchase his freedom from his owner. Dred Scott sued for his freedom that same year. After two separate trials, his case was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court for review in 1857. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott could not sue for his rights because he was a slave; he was considered property, not a citizen, therefore he was not granted the same Constitutional rights as American citizens.

This limitation of Constitutional rights to African Americans angered many Republicans of the North. In the March 9th, 1857, issue of Evening Journal, the Republican author states, "The three hundred and forty-seven thousand five hundred and twenty-five Slaveholders in the Republic, accomplished day before yesterday a great success -- as shallow men estimate success. They converted the Supreme Court of Law and Equity of the United States of America into a propagandist of human Slavery. Fatal day for a judiciary made reputable throughout the world, and reliable to all in this nation, by the learning and the virtues of Jay, Rutledge, Ellsworth, Marshall and Story!...All who love Republican institutions and who hate Aristocracy, compact yourselves together for the struggle which threatens your liberty and will test your manhood!" Many Republicans in the Union viewed the ruling in the Dred Scott case as a disgrace to the ideals of freedom that America was founded upon. Those who recognized the hypocrisy embedded within this case and stood in retaliation could be considered true Americans.

This case inspired many individuals, as well as the entire Union, to more aggressively approach the goal of abolishment. In 1861, shortly after the Dred Scott case ruling was delivered, the the Union and the Confederacy engaged in what would become known as the American Civil War. Shortly after the Union defeated the Confederacy, the 13th amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S., with the exception of incarceration of individuals for criminal offenses. 3 years after the ratification of the 13th amendment, congress ratified the 14th amendment, establishing former slaves and individuals of African descent as citizens and granting them Constitutional rights. The installment of these two amendments would set in motion the beginnings of the civil rights movement in America that would eventually award all U.S. citizens with equal civil liberties.

A Loophole the Size of an Elephant

In the case of Marbury vs. Madison, the practice of common law was established as an ideal part of the U.S. Supreme Court. Landmark Cases uses a quote from Chief Justice John Marshall in order to explain common law; "It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases, must of necessity expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each." Over time, decisions during court cases demonstrate how a specific law works. Future cases shall refer back to previous cases in order to reach a decision regarding a current case.

The practice of judicial review is established in this famous case, but what if a case arose to challenge this ideal of allowing the Supreme Court to review a law. Is it possible for the practice of common law to undergo judicial review? The ultimate paradox to the idea of judicial review. Would congress dismiss an argument that could jeopardize the cornerstone of the Supreme Court? Imagine if common law was abolished, cases would not be open for discussion.

A Reflection of My Blogging Thus Far

What are you most proud of on your blog? Why?

I am proud of my informative style of writing. I believe that almost all of my blog entries detail a specific current event, allowing the reader to understand the topic. For example, in my third blog entry I discussed the differences between John McCain and Barrack Obama's stance on education reform. I presented each candidates' plan for educational reform and discussed how the two plans differed. It is important that my audience understands the topic at hand before I present my opinion; I believe I have separated these well. I also strongly represent my own opinions and perspective through my writing; this is evident in my fourth blog and my sixth blog.

What will you improve during future blogs? Why? How?

I believe I could incorporate a picture for each individual blog entry. Only half of my entries have incorporated a picture. Chunks of writing do not immediately catch the reader's attention, however sources of media, such as pictures, draw the reader in and possibly create a greater desire to read that specific entry. In addition to adding pictures that support my blog entries, I could probably decorate different sections of my blog to make them more eye catching. For example, my classmate, Luke, has an amazing title that he designed for his blog. I could probably create images such as his logo, in photoshop, however that may prove to be too time consuming and prevent me from focusing on the writing portion of my blog. I'm sure I can reach some sort of medium between my writing and visual appeal of my blog.

How has blogging impacted your understanding of: the U.S.? the media? current events? "old" news (i.e. the Constitution, Federalist Papers, etc)?

Blogging has allowed me to connect concepts from the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, to current events. I believe blogging has improved my understanding of checks and balances within the government. I have learned that much of the power within the government has been given to the executive branch, the opposite of what our founding fathers wished. I have also learned that our amendments may often be misinterpreted or violated. For example, my fourth blog entry discusses a bizarre story in which authorities violated a man's constitutional rights in order to charge him with criminal wrong doing.

Banned in D.C.

Link to Article, House Passes Rules Easing D.C. Gun Restriction, 9/17/08, Fox News

The House of Representatives recently moved to broaden firearm rights for citizens living in D.C. The proposed bill would allow D.C. residents to purchase and operate semiautomatic firearms. There has been much support for this bill. Many critics and politicians argue that the current restriction on semiautomatic firearms in D.C. is a violation of the second amendment, "The right to keep and bear arms." Washington D.C. is not officially a state, so their is some argument regarding whether or not the district must strictly follow the second amendment. In addition, the representative for D.C. is not able to vote in congress.

I believe that it is ridiculous for D.C. to have a restriction on semiautomatic weapons because such weapons could endanger the lives of residents and political dignitaries. The same reasoning could be applied to any other city in the U.S. The founding fathers of this country created the second amendment in order for citizens to defend themselves against incidents of civil uprising and government actions or lack of actions similar to those of Great Britain's rule over the American colonies. I support the enactment of this bill because it gives the residents of D.C. greater access to their second amendment.

The Federal Government Can't Always Hold Your Hand

Link to article, Wall St.’s Turmoil Sends Stocks Reeling, Alex Berenson, 9/15/08, The New York Times

The stock market has recently experienced some major financial blows. "The Dow fell 504.48 points, its biggest one-day point drop since Sept. 17, 2001, the first trading day after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." The banking company, Lehman Brothers, and the insurance company, A.I.G., recently declared financial bankruptcy. In a mass state of panic, investors withdrew much of their stock from the companies, sending the stock market into a downward spiral. Many Americans are questioning whether the federal government should bail out these companies or refrain from taking any direct action that would impact the stock market.

It is not the Federal government's responsibility to clean up the mess that is the stock market. The individuals that invested in either Lehman or Merrill Lynch, must take accountability for their own investments. When making buying stock you are always gambling on how well your stock will do, so by investing in a company you accept the risk of losing money. Companies must learn that the Federal government can't always be there to hold their hand, the companies are solely responsible for their own current situation. If the Federal government refrains from taking action, they will send a message to all companies that they must take full responsibility for their own actions.

*Reedited on 9/25/08

Constitutional Rights Violated

Link to Article, Police Illegally Taped Nursing Home Sex, Wisconsin Court Rules, 9/11/08, FoxNews

"Police who videotaped a man having sex with his comatose wife in her nursing home room violated his constitutional rights, an appeals court ruled on Thursday." Police had secretly videotaped the man during his visits to his wife. The man was originally charged with sexual assault, but this was solely based on evidence that violated this man's constitutional rights. However strange or twisted this story may seem on the surface, I believe the prosecutors are clearly guilty of violating this man's privacy, regardless of the purpose for which the cameras where installed. In addition, the original warrant allowing the installment of video cameras in the woman's room, was based solely on assumptions.

I believe this is a good example of every free person having the right to a fair trail. Despite the allegations made, the court made the right decision to dismiss the case. Because the evidence used to support the prosecutors claims was obtained illegally, it can not be used in the case. The prosecutors argue that it was alright to violate his constitutional rights to obtain the footage because they have no other evidence that would support the charges.

Taking all the CHANGE out of the taxpayer wallet

Link to Article, Obama unveils plans for education reform, 9/9/08, USA TODAY

Presidential candidates Barrack Obama and John McCain have two very different plans for educational reform.

Barrack Obama wishes to supply charter schools with twice as much funding. "The federal government spends about $200 million a year on charter schools, independently run institutions that receive public money. Obama's proposal would take that up to over $400 million." Barrack Obama's seems to take a Federalist stance on educational reform, entrusting the government to fund and manage the situation with a great deal of power.

John McCain encourages an expansion of the existing school voucher program in Washington D.C. that gives parents the option to choose between public or private schools. John McCain has taken an anti-federalist stance by entrusting American families to decide which form of education is best for their children, rather than increasing funding to improve public schools.

I see John McCain's educational reform much more appealing than Barrack Obama's educational reform. I feel that Barrack Obama's federal funded educational reform does not evenly distribute funds among students, he wishes to assign a certain amount of money for one specific form of education. What if a student prefers to attend private schooling rather than charter schooling? A child that is not abiding by the educational voucher program would be limited in the funding they receive if they choose to attend a private school.

Hurricane John Locke

Link to Article, Louisiana counts cost of Gustav, 9/02/08, The BBC

Hurricane Gustav has swept through the Louisiana area the past couple of days, leaving a significant amount of damage behind. In comparison to hurricane Katrina, the flooding caused by Gustav has been minimal due to the maintenance of the city's levees. Residents of New Orleans were urged to evacuate, no one wanted to witness the same tragedies caused by hurricane Katrina. During hurricane Katrina, the government's response was far from immediate, leaving thousands left to fend for themselves, a Thomas Hobbs type of philosophy. The government's response to hurricane Gustav has been quite the opposite; the public was informed prior to the hurricane and given ample time to evacuate. The government stressed the urgency of evacuation, helping the public out, a John Locke type of philosophy.

I believe that advising the public to evacuate was a responsible decision for the government to announce. When the public is at risk of serious injury or death, the government should provide precautions to be taken that are for the publics best interest. I believe that had the government not advised residents to evacuate, many people would have already been seriously hurt or killed. The government is trying to improve it's policies for reaction to natural disasters, and I applaud them.

Not exactly Thai cuisine...

Link to Article, Bangkok under state of emergency, 9/02/08, The BBC

In Bangkok, members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), clashed with supporters of the current Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, as well as police, leaving at least 1 person dead. The Prime Minister believes he had no other choice but to enlist the help of the Thailand army in order to resolve the week-long protest. The BBC states, "Protesters went on to shut down airports and rail services. Public sector unions said they would begin a nationwide strike at 43 state enterprises on Wednesday unless the prime minister stepped down." The PAD clearly do not wish for the current Prime Minster to remain in power because they say he is just a front for the previous Prime Minister who is now in exile. Claims have been made that the current Prime Minister has been accused of buying votes in the previous election.

In America's Declaration of Independence, we are given the basic rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Although I am not particularly familiar with Thailand law, I am certain that the Thailand public has a smaller range of granted liberties than that of the American public. What if a seemingly similar situation were to occur in America? How would our government's actions differ from those of Thailand's government?

I feel that our government would not respond as harshly as the Thailand government. Protests in support of various political ideas are quite common in America because we are all guaranteed our right to free speech. We are given the right to a peaceful protest, this is what draws the line between civility and anarchy. However, I believe if American protesters shut down airports and public transportation using force, the government would not sit idle too long before dispersing such a protest. Such an event would cause airports and public transit stations to flood with millions of travelers/commuters, possibly resulting in heavy economic loss.