Give me Liberty or give me Death.

Hopefully, we have all heard the revolutionary cry of our forefathers, "Give me liberty or give me death." That expressed a mood that was very prevalent during the revolutionary times. Another quote that has always stirred up deep emotions for me was from one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin.

In 1759, he said,"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." In light of the September 11 hijackings, and in light of the government's attempt to curtail our freedoms for the safety of our citizens, I find this saying to be most apropos in today's world. Not because I don't believe in fighting evil. In the case of WWII, it was most necessary. Evil, no matter where or what the origin is, should be fought.

No, I find Mr. Franklin's statement most interesting because it asks for us to have faith in Democracy and Liberty. I believe that having that faith is the cornerstone of any great democracy. I parallel that to a Christain having faith in Jesus and God (no matter what happens, always believe).

In the case of Democracy, we must have faith that no matter what happens, no matter what opinions take shape, no matter what our circumstances, if we are to believe in Democracy, then we must act accordingly and not trade it in for our safety. The millions of solders who died in WWII didn't think of their safety, the fought for their country and freedom. God bless them!

Pork good or bad?

There has been some discussion in the past year about porkbarrel politics. It is very fashionable when running for a position to speak out against this political practice. It seem on the outside to be a gross missallocation of Federal funds. However, some would argue that it is a necessary evil to get things done in small congressional districts that might not see this Federal money otherwise. So is porkbarrelling a waste of tax dollars or is it a useful way to fund small projects that would otherwise never be funded?

Campaign funds

Has anybody been paying attention to the coverage of the 2008 presidental race. I heard a few weeks ago that Barack Obama had broken the record for campaign contributions by a democratic presidental hopeful. This got me thinking about the state of our political system and when the amount of money a canidate could raise was directly responsible for their chances of winning. Why is it that we live in a democratic nation where people are so politically irreponsible that they can't get off their couch to find out the facts about the canidates they are voting for. This requires that canidates bring their ideas into every house in the form of advertisement which means they must pay for it which means somebody must donate to their campaign. Who are these benefactors? Well there are a lot of answers to that but most notably they are: Special intrest groups, lobbyists, big guns, big tabacco, the liquor industry, casinos, environmental groups, energy groups, big oil, the list goes on. All of these groups are not giving in the interest of the country they are giving in the interest of themselves and what is best for business. I'm not saying that our lazyness contributes directly to political corruption but it sure dosen't help that we want our canidates to be the best looking with the flashiest commercials in order to score our vote. Something to think about...

Hypothetical

Imagine that you have a friend. This friend asks you to borrow money from you. You see that the family is in need their children are un-educated and they have little health care. Now imagine that this friend takes the money you gave them to improve themselves, and they buy a gun with it because they feel it is their responsibility to fight crime in the city according to their ideals. Wouldn't you be outraged? I would think that anyone would. So why is there not more public outcry opposing the egregious misspendings of the White House and congress? An NPR report earlier this year reported that President Bush was to include monatary requests upwards of a quarter TRILLION dollars over the next 20 months for the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7190893). I'm no fiscal genius but I would guess that our federal spending on education, healthcare, and our failing social security program is dwarfed by the spending in this war and national defense as a whole. It surprises me even more that this isn't evident across party lines. True, the right wing support for George Bush is faltering and the 2008 presidental hopefuls will barely claim to know him, but I find myself still finding people that support these irresponsible budget allocations because they are "conservative". I am all about protecting this country but sometimes I think that the best way to protect this country is to make sure that its children are educated its elderly are taken care of and its streets are safe.

California High School Violence

If some of you haven't heard, there was school violence today in California. Last I heard, a gunman was holding at least one teacher hostage, and maybe some students. Thankfully, the police finally got him. However, circumstances like these seem to be occuring more frequently today than they ever have. So, my question is, why? Schools across they nation are installing security systems and going to greater links to protect the students and staff, but, it doesn't seem to be helping. Why is this violence in schools occuring more and more? And, what is or isn't being done to stop it? Here's what I think: we shouldn't be so worried about what is brought on campus as much as who comes on campus. Any thoughts?

Journal Questions 4-6 and Extra Credit 1

These questions are for all classes. The answers should each be 2-3 sentences. This set of questions is the last to get a grace period on submission. Late penalties will be applied to questions 7,8 and beyond...

4. Who is your favorite politician and why?
5. Who is your least favorite politician and why?
6. Who do you think are the best and worst presidents in American history and why? You can’t put George W. Bush or Bill Clinton.

The older questions can be found here.

This question is optional and is extra credit. Just list the answer, do not use a complete sentence.

EC1. Where did the 9/11 hijackers come from?

Ahmadinejad

Columbia University granted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at their campus. Due to the Ahmadinejad political standing as an anti-Holocaust and anti-freedom believer, Columbia University has faced an extensive amount of criticism to whether their decision was right or not.
In the actual speech given by Ahmadinejad at Columbia University gave his view on much current debates such as nuclear power, education, religious tolerance, and public murder by the government.
The United States was not taken over by Iran terrorist, nor was it insecure, so was Columbia's decision on allowing Ahmadinejad to speech good or bad?
Is Ahmadinejad the new Hitler?
Does Ahmadinejad answer American questions?
Is there another issue that has yet to be resolved?

What isn't political science?

In class a week or so ago, Mr. Quinnell asked us to come up with a question about political science or politics in general. I was really curious about my question, so I was hoping y'all could help me answer it: it said on our notes, The Main Study of Politics, "studying everything is political, studying politics means studying nearly everything". So, my question is, what is not politics? Technically in some way I think politics could be related to everything, but where so you draw the line?
http://tcc.quinnell.us/index.php?n=Main.TheStudyOfPoliticsShort

UF Student Tased/Arested.

I thought this was pretty crazy when I first saw it, and there has been SOME concern, though not much, about the way in which the officers reacted. Now, I personally think that they could have handled things a little better, however, my roommate proposed a good point: What would we be saying, or doing, if the student had been black?

Personally, I think outcry would be significantly higher. Do I think that is right? Well, I'm pretty indifferent since I think that things are getting slightly better in terms of cop-minority relations (Though I DO think that police are constantly profiling and are, for the most part, a little racist and sexist). Mainly, I want to know what other people think would be going on--same response or polar difference?

Democracy and Freedom

Most of the people I grew up with agreed that some form of Democracy is the best form of government. I still agree with that but I wanted to ask an interesting question to the classmates and professor. The common understanding of a Democracy is that majority rules, such that lets say for example if 60% of citizens wanted Sunday to be an official day of bashing heads and breaking bodies, instead of a day of rest, family and reflection, then we should all pass laws stating such. If 55% of the population felt that its okay to continue to allow fast food chains to serve and advertise unhealthy, fattening, greasy addicting food, then we should do so.

So my question is should a Democracy allow the majority rule even if some of the practices have been proven to be harmful to its citizens? Secondly, can there be a Democracy if people with greater knowledge and understanding toward the general welfare of its citizens, be allowed to pass laws and guidelines without majority rule?

I think the answer is somewhere in between. Many societies have had the older portion of the population guide the group because of their experiences and wisdoms. There are advantages to that because each generation doesn't have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. That too has a flip side because it might tend to stall progress and evolution if a society doesn't allow the visions of the youth to be expressed.

Blackwater shootout in Iraq

I saw this on the news last night and thought it was almost laughable. Not because possible innocent people were injured or killed, but because the Iraqi government is forbidding the company, Blackwater, to operate in Iraq. Blackwater is the largest private security company operating in Iraq. They conduct dignitary protection missions in a very dangerous place. Do you think the dignitaries they escort really want to be without the company's services? If it does come down to it, what would prevent the company from changing names and continuing to operate? Our government may look into the specifics of the incident but I doubt we will see a cancellation of Blackwater's contract.

Woman for President

The support of having a woman for president is higher than ever in the U.S.A. I think what we really need to consider in making that determination is so much more than our capability of accepting a gender breakthrough. The quailifications of the candidate are the only aspect that should be considered. What would happen if name, gender, and race were replaced with alias's on the ballods and we could only see a bullet point list of qualifications? Point is, gender should not matter.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/03/opinion/polls/main1281319.shtml

Mama says, "Mind your Manners"

When I was growing up I was always taught that you respect your elders. You say "Yes Mam," and "No Sir." You respect your brothers and sisters. You respect those around you because they are human beings. People can be sued and do time for extreme cases of disrespect.
So why do we seem to give little to no respect for our own President of theUnited States? George Bush is a target, laughable in the media, the punchline for thousands of blogs, u tube videos, and television spoofs. If we as a nation are expressing our utmost disrespect for our own president, how can other nations respect us. We laugh at our own leader, and make ourselves look bad in the eyes of other nations.
Every human being makes mistakes and every human being is equally entitled to respect.

Obesity and your bank account

Obesity in the United States cost $92.6 last year alone. Our tax paying dollars paid for half of the total through government funded insurance. So my question is, when is enough really enough? Do you think that your taxes could be spent elsewhere? I certainly do.
The government bans illegal drugs like cocaine and heroine because of the harm it causes our bodies and society. They protect us from second hand smoke in public places so that we can be healthier. When is the government going to invest time in health regulations for schools, restaurants, and food manufacturers? If they can control drug abuse, they should at least attempt to control food abuse. Although people can still find a way, I think with concerned effort from our nation little steps can become giant leaps.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030515/obesity-costs-rival-smoking

The new law should say,"You can't fire anyone ever!"

The Senate is considering passing an anti-discrimination law for gays in the workplace. The law proposes that it would be illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation and transgender issues. Althoug it seems a fair idea, what's in question is the true need for a new anti-discrimination law. Is this issue really so out of control that our Congress needs to invest this much time and energy? If this is the case, why not revamp the entirety of all anti-discrimination laws in the workplace and make sure all social issues are covered so our Congress can get back to issues that are really important.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_go_co/congress_gay_rights

Actions speak louder than words.

Presidential candidate John McCain commented this weekend that he is a Baptist though he has been outspoken as a self proclaimed Episcopalian for years. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070916/ap_po/mccain_religion
I say, who cares! He grew up in the Episcopalian church and probably still carries some of those beliefs. Now, he has found a new interest in the Baptist denomination. People attend churches of different denominations all the time. The important thing is that he proclaims to be religious and a follower of God. If we are going to judge, let us judge on his actions alone. As the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words."

Journal Questions

For all classes, these are the three journal questions that you have been assigned so far.

1. What concerns you most about this class?

2. What don't you understand about political parties?
Should be in this format: "I don't understand why Republicans..." or "I don't understand why Democrats..."
Do 2-3 statements.

3. What don't you understand about political ideologies?
Should be in this format: "I don't understand why liberals..." or "I don't understand why conservatives..."
Do 2-3 statements.

To Remember

It seems the fact that 9/11 occured has died down a bit. It almost seems the only time this instance is brought up is when some company is trying to sell a product or an idea. This tragedy is also used in arguments, which doesn't show much honor. For everyone who has forgot, here is a post that reminds you the true meaning of 9/11. I had family working in the world trade centers and they survived that day. I will do my best to remember what I could have lost and why I should cherish it.

Can't Touch This!

Suprisingly enough lead actually can't be absorbed through the skin! The reason why kids get sick off it, is that they touch the toys then don't wash their hands before they eat. Hey, maybe the chinese are trying to tell us to wash our hands more often. I believe that kids should wash their hands more often, but this is kind of like putting hot sauce on their fingers so they don't scratch their eyes or pick their nose. Leave it to the chinese to do crazy stuff like that. *Just Kidding*

The Big O's unite

The first time I heard of Barak Obama was last year when Oprah Winfrey had him on her show as a guest. I can remember Obama vaguely answering Oprah as she asked about his political plans. Now that Barak is making no secret about his presidential quest, Oprah is there to back him all the way. The one woman talk show host showed her support by throwing a gala fundraiser for 1,500 lucky guests, all you needed was 2,300 bucks and a democratic state of mind. The Queen of Daytime has done more than throw Obama a party, she has put his name in the homes of her viewers, many of these people will support him just because his name is linked to Oprah. In more ways than one, it pays to know people.

Are you getting this PETA?

Not that I am saying anything is good with dog fighting but . . . why is it that other animal abusers are left alone? I am sure you all may know what I am referring to already. Why is Michael Vic getting hounded? Is it wrong to dog fight and right to take part in dog hogging? Quite a few people say they are picking on him because he is a celeb and because he is a minority. I am starting to lean on their side because this just doesn't make any sense. It comes on the local news all the time how much dogs are being put down do to the excessive amount of them. Granted this is not animal cruelty but dog hogging definately is.

No Secrets

It's good to know that these schools aren't keeping any secrets from us. There are many crimes in schools that don't stay in the headlines for weeks like the Virginia Tech massacre. Each one is important although it may discredit schools it's on a need to know basis for students who care about their safety. Now people know what they are getting into when they enroll their children to these schools.

Just To Make Sure

President Bush says, "Fewer forces are needed in Iraq to keep up with the current security." But just to make sure let's send 30,000 more troops right? This is what has been going on for a long time. We are sending more and more troops supposedly to some place that is improving. What are we doing, migrating or something? This makes no sense and yet people wonder why everyone doesn't jump to join the Armed Forces. Well I don't know hmm . . . The social impact is less, the benefits are less in my opinion, and chances of dying by 'friendly fire' is just to high for us. Why are we helping out another country?

Elizabeth vs. Hillary

Elizabeth Edwards may not conduct herself the way the wives of most presidential candidates would conduct themselves, however, she does make some valid points. She stated that there is a “hatred” for Hillary Clinton among the Republicans and this “hatred” would force many Republicans to vote against Clinton in the elections. This may be true. With the war in Iraq, the President’s approval ratings, the slumping housing market and the issue on immigration, many may not want to vote for a Republican candidate. One of the only things that would motivate people to come to the polls to cast a Republican vote is to cast a vote, any vote, against Hillary Clinton. The vote may not be for the love of a Republican candidate, but for the “hatred” of Hillary Clinton. I think many people feel that the Clinton administration was a joke in many respects and they don’t want to see them back in the White House.

You say "Global Warming", I Say "What???"

Global Warming Agendas attack you where ever you might be. It seems as though "science has settled" on global warming, not even questioning is actual existence anymore. Ive watched numerous documentaries pro global warming (theory) /and anti-global warming. Personally I find global warming to be just another political game. Here is some articles from the other side. Furthermore I suggest anyone interested in the global warming debate to watch a documentary called " The Great Global Warming Swindle" , Its a documentary from UK CH4.

EDIT: I cant find the documentary anywhere, however Wikipedia's analysis is accurate.

Presidential canidates take sides on Iowa's gay marriage ruling

Iowan county judge Robert Hanson overturned a ten year same sex ban on Thursday, sending the presidential candidates into a frenzy as they scrambled to take a stand on the issue. Republicans John McCain, Sen. Sam Brownback, and Rudy Giuliani took to win the conservatives by shunning the idea of gay marriage, go figure. Republican Mitt Romney took the extreme approach and vowed to push for a federal amendment banning same sex marriage. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama both agreed that the legality of same sex unions should be left up to the states. Although Judge Hanson issued a stay on his decision, his ruling created a perfect opportunity for candidates to show their liberal or conservative loyalties.

Right Wing Senator Solisits Homosexual Favors?

I just thougth this was rather funny. I'm not really biased to either party, so I get a kick out of each of their failings. This one, along with that preacher out in Colorado that got caught doing something similar (though I think it involved drugs and a 'trans-gender person'...).

There are some good quotes by all involved, but this is my favourite:

"I am not gay, I have never been gay."

Mr. Craig