Quinnell Grade Breakdown

Here is a breakdown of the grades I gave in my six classes in the Spring:

A - 71
B - 39
C - 29
D - 12
F - 38
W - 17
AW - 14
I - 1

Welcome

This blog is now a combined blog for all of the political science classes at TCC and Chipola.

Textbook Assignments

5 & 6

7 & 8

US Supreme Court rolls back access to abortion

For the first time in more than a generation, the US Supreme Court backtracked on abortion rights. In this 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the law restricting access to rare, but controversial late-term abortions. President Bush was obviously thrilled to here that the bill was passed through the Supreme Court saying, "The partial-birth abortion ban, which an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress passed and I signed into law, represents a commitment to building a culture of life in America". The late-term abortion is done only when the fetus is posing some kind of health problem to the mother. In 2003, Congress declared this not to be Constitutional, and this decision just reaffirmed the previous one. The procedure has the baby pulled feet first through a C-section, and puncturing the skull of the fetus in order to let it get through. Some anti-abortionist saw this as the first step to possibly overturning the decision made in 1973 in Roe vs. Wade. In that court case, the Supreme court gave the mother the right to decide if she wanted to have an abortion or not.

Virginia governor names massacre panel

Virginia
Governor Tim Kaine is creating a panel to look into the shootings at Virginia Tech this past Monday. Two members of this panel will include former Virginia police chief Gerald Massengill and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. Also a 20 year FBI veteran, a psychologist and a senior state education official will be on the panel. Based on the amount of questions by the media towards school officials about reports of stalking and mental health problems, the governor decided that he would have a panel review the massacre. They are going to look through all the evidence that they have in order to see if there really was anything that Virginia Tech school officials could have done differently in order to prevent this terrible incident. According to a university doctor, the choice to have the gunman admitted to a mental health facility was taken by a district court. Also because of privacy laws, some of the information might not be allowed to be shared about the gunman's visit to mental health facilities.

McCain says he backs no gun control

Presidential candidate John McCain might have ruffled some feathers Wednesday when he declared that he believes in "no gun control". This of course comes just two days after the massacre at Virginia Tech. When asked if ammo clips should be limited in size, McCain refused, stating, "I don't think that's necessary at all." Another Republican candidate, Rudy Giuliani, backed the Second Amendment as well, but not as strong. Giuliani said that the terrible incident at Virginia Tech, "does not alter the Second Amendment". Now vote that would require a background check for those purchasing firearms, McCain voted for the background check. This vote put him at odds with the National Rifle Association, a strong supporter of the GOP. McCain believes that the harm is not the guns, but the people that purchase the guns. He believes that the Virginia Tech massacre wasn't the result of weak gun laws, but the result of a dangerous person. The gunman was able to purchase a gun because he was a legal permanent American citizen and had no previous felonies.

Two Men Charged As Spies for Iraq

Two men from Detroit, Michigan were charged with spying for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Najib Shemami and Ghazi Al-Awadi, were indicted for giving him information. To be indicted is to be formally charged with the offense. Apparently these two were freed on $10 thousand bond a piece. Documents show that Al-Awadi killed his own son-in-law because he was a part of some kind of anti-Hussein political party. I know that there are all the jokes about the in-laws, but seriously to kill one of them. This guy must have been real dedicated to Saddam. The most serious penalty against Shemami carries a 20 year prison sentence and $250 thousand fine. As for Al-Awadi, his most serious penalty could book him for 10 years in the big house, along with a $250 thousand fine. Shemami's most serious penalty could be violating the emergency powers act, where Al-Awadi's most serious penalty could be acting as a foreign agent. Also Al-Awadi served only six years for the killing of his son-in-law. This is very good for America, because who knows who else these two guys were giving information to. For all we know these guys could have been passing information along to Al-Qaeda.

Court backs power of career criminal law

This past Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote that Floridian, Alphonso James, was guilty of being a "career criminal". Based on the Armed Career Criminal Act, people with three prior criminal convictions that are either violent felonies or serious drug charges can be given longer prison sentences. In Florida, attempted burglary constitutes as something that would fall under the A.C.C.A. I believe that this is a necessary act because we need to keep these people off the streets. If someone has three serious drug charges, chances are either they have a serious drug problem, or they are a serious drug dealer. If someone has three violent felonies, they might have an anger problem and by keeping them in jail longer, the more problems are possibly avoided.

Prayer is a controversy at FSU SGA

What happened at Virginia Tech is beyond words. I am a soldier in the Army and am preparing to defend our freedom from those outside of America wanting to do us harm. But it hurts more when it comes from nutjobs inside. The first thing Americans thought after hearing of the massacre was to pray for the victims and their families. TCC had little ribbons tied up all ready for students to pick up and wear the next day and both TCC and FSU held vigils outside of their unions. Every church in America said a prayer for those hurt and lost. So, why did the Student Government Association at FSU argue for twenty minutes about taking the word "pray" out of their memorial service. When the argueing was over the SGA decided to take the word out because it might offend some people. This is just silly. You don't have to tell someone to pray. People just will because that's all they can do in this case. So why does the SGA think they have to keep the word "pray" out of any text or pompous speech they might write? Where is this crowd of people offended by the word "pray"? Is it the Cristians? No. The Muslims? No. The Jews? No. Is it the Army and Air Force soldiers and airmen? No. The same day of the vigil the FSU ROTC had an awards ceremony. Every cadet was present wearing his or her dress uniform and all cadre were there including Colonels from the Army, Air Force, and a Captain from the Navy. After the flags were posted in the front of the room and the star spangled banner was sung a young cadet and Pershing Rifleman recited a prayer. She prayed for our safety and blessing and asked for the ease of those suffering from the Virginia Tech massacre. So, where is this group of individuals who are offended? It is the SGA itself. The SGA is not a representative body for FSU. While students gather around their campus to have a vigil and pray for those lost the SGA is arguing that praying is offensive. All students need to look at the SGA and do something to correct it. I'm tired of tiptoeing my life around someone who might get offended. Americans and FSU students in particular are a religious people. This SGA is an ultra liberal, segregated minority not representing our views and morals. So, say a prayer for VT and say a prayer for the SGA as well. Hopefully the good people caught up this silly SGA can stand up to this ludicrous minority and start REPRESENTING AMERICAN STUDENTS AT FSU!

U.S. gun laws draw heat after masacre

The U.S. citizens aren't the only ones looking at the U.S. gun laws, but the whole world is. Other countries criticize the U.S. gun law and said that the gun law was costing peoples lives. 'While some focused blame only on the gunman, world opinion over U.S. gun laws was almost unanimous: Access to weapons increases the probability of shootings. There was no sympathy for the view that more guns would have saved lives by enabling students to shoot the assailant.'

I think something needs to be done. In Britain handguns are actually banned. They are even prohibited from the Olympic ceremonies. Other countries are looking to America to do something about this ridiculous law. The French daily Le Monde said it leaves a 'blotch on America's image'. And Corriere wrote “The latest attack on the U.S. campus will shake up America, maybe it will provoke more vigorous reactions that in the past, but it won't change the culture of a country that has the notion of self defense imprinted on its DNA and which considers the right of having guns inalienable." This is ridiculous. The whole world is talking about how we should change the gun laws, but America will probably, once again, ignore them.

Do you think the gun laws should be changed? Do you think anything will come from this horrible story?

Celebrities ante up for Democratic campaigns

What do Hugh Hefner, Jennifer Aniston, Jerry Springer, and Mr. Spock have in common?
They've all weighed in on the 2008 presidential race and given their two cents (plus a little extra) to their favorite White House hopefuls.
Scores of Oscar-winners, sitcom actors and high-powered studio executives have opened their wallets this year and given much-needed campaign cash to several candidates, according to a CNN review of reports filed with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend.

The Virgina Tech Tragedy

America's worst school shooting in history happened today. There is already controversy on who is to blame. I think that the shooter is to blame. People were not prepared nor should they be. Nontheless, this is a tragedy that will be felt all over the U.S. Claims that the school is to blame for not warning all the 25 thousand students by means of bull horns and sirens.

Did Bill O'Riely call mexicans "wetbacks"?

Just recently Bill O'Riely was talking about mexican drug smuglers. He was giving his opinion about what he thinks about mexican drug smugglers. He admitted to actually using the word wetback but claims it was not in a racial context. Rosie O'Donald took information from internet blogs and exaggerated Bill O'Riely's statement. She is presenting the idea that Bill O'Riely is a racist. I watched his show tonight and he explained himself pretty good. Its just not approaite to use slang or slander especially if you are being watched on T.V.

Textbook Assignments 7 & 8

Textbook Assignment 7

The answers to these questions are in Chapters 17 & 18 .

1. Define judicial review.
2. What are the key mechanisms of international law?
3. What is an indictment?
4. What did Marbury v. Madison set the precedent for?
5. What economist do conservatives generally agree with?
6. What economist do liberals generally agree with?
7. What is inflation?
8. Define entitlement.

Textbook Assignment 8

The answers to these questions are in Chapters 19, 20 & 21.

1. Define sovereignty.
2. What are three possible solutions to keeping world peace?
3. Define globalization.
4. What is isolationism?
5. What types of countries produce terrorism?
6. Does terrorism work?
7. Define revolution.
8. Give an example of a revolution that was successful after 1900.

Gonzales says memory of firings hazy

Lawmakers have called for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales after he fired eight federal prosecutors. Gonzales is in a fight for his career and is believed to have wrongfully fired these prosecutors. In his twenty-five page statement he claims that his memory of the firings is a little "hazy." Gonzales claims that the firings were just and his role in them were indirect. Then he says that if he could go back, he would have handled the situation differently and been more involved in the review process. President Bush and Dick Cheney have "reaffirmer" the white house's support of Gonzales. However, Gonzales repeatedly states in his written testimony that he doesnt remember the firing. What do you all think about this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070415/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fired_prosecutors;_ylt=AnySG.1DYInysMozfCXKc6myFz4D
Jerrell Bostick POS2001MWF8am

"Guns at home equal higher suicide risk: study" (?)

"Twice as many people committed suicide in the 15 states with the highest levels of household gun ownership, compared with the six states with the lowest levels, even though the population in all the states was about the same, the researchers found.

"We found that where there are more guns, there are more suicides," said Matthew Miller of the Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study...

..."Removing all firearms from one's home is one of the most effective and straightforward steps that household decision-makers can take to reduce the risk of
suicide," Miller said."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070410/ts_nm/suicide_guns_dc

I think this study was entered into by people who knew the results of previous valid comparisons between gun ownership and suicide. That's why it's done on a state by state basis, even though better comparisons were possible and even available. Comparing states leaves even wider the opening for specious relationships- state A may have a lower than average rate of Y affecting both gun ownership AND suicide, etcetera. Also comparisons by state have less bearing on gun ownership because suicides in homes WITHOUT guns will be grouped into the "high gun ownership" group. Grouping the state populations together and dividing them among households with guns vs households without (especially when you're tying to claim your study supports a household suicide prevention tactic) would be much more accurate, but this study didn't do it. I think they didn't because they already knew what the result would be...

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvsuic.html

"If we could magically make all guns disappear, would the number of suicides decrease? Probably not. Excerpted from Dr. Gary Kleck's, Targeting Guns: Firearms and Their Control (p 285, Walter de Gruyter, Inc., New York 1997):

The full body of relevant studies indicates that firearm availability measures are significantly and positively associated with rates of firearm suicide, but have no significant association with rates of total suicide.

Of thirteen studies, nine found a significant association between gun levels and rates of gun suicide, but only one found a significant association between gun levels and rates of total suicides. The only study to find a measure of "gun availability" significantly associated with total suicide...used a measure of gun availability known to be invalid.

This pattern of results supports the view that where guns are less common, there is complete substitution of other methods of suicide, and that, while gun levels influence the choice of suicide method, they have no effect on the number of people who die in suicides."

Definition of "Entitlement"

Government benefits for which government has set eligibility criteria and granted a legal entitlement to the benefits to everyone who meets these criteria

Fundrasing Out of Control!

After three strong month of campaigning the tallies are in. Obama has raised a little under $25 million, which is just under the record held by President Clinton with $26 million. While it’s great seeing everyone pull together and support their candidates, it’s gotten out of control. More people are focused on the money more than the actual candidates. It’s become a battle of who supports who and how much money they are giving to them. Big time billionaires like David Geffen, who used to support former President Clinton, is now behind Obama and for some reason we should care about this. Instead of looking at who would be best for the job, people are looking at who is making the most money. There are more important issues than that, but it is being forced on us by the media. Everywhere I turn I am hearing about the candidates campaigning for money, and not telling us what they will do for America if they win. How do you feel about this issue? Is it worth our time to know how much money they are making or is it just swaying our votes?

Textbook Assignments 5 & 6

Textbook Assignment 5

The answers to these questions can be found in Chapters 12 & 14 ,.

1. Name two reasons why voter turnout is so low in the U.S.
2. Name three other factors that influence who people vote for.
3. What is a dealignment?
4. What is retrospective voting?
5. What is a vote of confidence?
6. What is a bicameral legislature?
7. What are pork barrel projects?
8. What is casework?

Textbook Assignment 6

The answers to these questions can be found in Chapters 15 & 16

1. What does it mean when a prime minister dissolves parliament?
2. What does it mean when an American president is impeached?
3. How many members of the government does the U.S. president appoint?
4. What is a cabinet?
5. How big is the U.S. bureaucracy compared to other countries?
6. Name three roles of the bureaucracy.
7. What is adjudication?
8. Name three proposed solutions to the problems with bureaucracy.

Money separates contenders

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_spending_analysis

This article was kinda of a shock to me. I always knew that the people who ran for president where always wealthy and powerful. But seeing these stats about how much the difference bewtween canidates is shocking. To me it kind of feels that the United States will really never have a "peoples" president. Who ever the president is they always try and show people that they are one of them, and how they know how their lives are. But that really isnt the case at all. I think it would be really interesting if someone who was a "Normal" person could be president. A person that knows how it is to be middle class, or lower. Maybe they would be more fit to make decisions for the United States citizens because they can relate to them better. Beacuase I know George Bush cant relate to many lower or even middle class families.

America's Boarders

Do you believe the head of the Department of Homeland Security should be fired for failure to protect Americas Boarders?

" Fugitive Aliens"

ICE police rounding up immigrants on old database. This database is said to be 25 years old. James Taylor who is with the Depatment of Homeland Security says that they are trying to update the database by next year. America's number of Fugitive Aliens have jumped to 620,000. Does America really know how many illegal immigrants are in this country. Why is America rounding up these people now? ICE police are rounding up people in their homes, who are not dangerous. Do you think America is right for their actions. What about the people who already been here and pay taxes? what about the people who became citizens? Does this make America look irresponsible, and why is their database so backed up?