Republican's Sweep South

            As Election Day has come and gone this year, the shock of the losing candidates still lingers.  In the past, Democrats are known for sweeping the wins across the south, but they got to comfortable with that.  A turn of events occurred this year, leaving the candidates baffled and the nation in shock.  Republicans had won the majority of the south, leaving only a few Democrats remaining.  This process has been changing slowly over the last decade, but made a fast change this election season.

             Even Senator Mary Landrieu lost her re-election bid.  She was a well loved Democratic Senator in the south that came from a political family, who has been representing the state since 1997.  She is “the departure of the last white Democrat to represent the Deep South in Congress.”[1]  Along with Mary Landrieu many other democrats were ousted, Ms. Nunn, Ms. Hagan, and Ms. Grimes.  Jason Carter, former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson, was also among the many Democrats that lost.    

            Why did the Republicans do so well in this election, especially in the south?  The majority of the Democratic Party is made up of liberal politicians, from the Pacific Coast, Northeast and Metropolitan areas.  The politician’s interests, priorities, and values have very little appeal to southerners.  Many people in the south are conservative Christian’s who are against gay marriage and abortion, which the Democratic Party welcomes.  Over the years the Democratic Party has become more and more secular while the southern voters have remained Christian’s.  There is no easy way for the Democrats to dig their way out of the hole they have created for themselves in the South.  Without the help of the south it will be hard for the Democrats to win back the House and even harder for the Senate.  The only way to win the votes back is by changing their political stance, because as the south has already proved, they will not change their stance.

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[1] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-democrats-lost-the-deep-south/ 

Facts in Ferguson

            

            Lately, Ferguson Missouri seems to make the news almost nightly.  This is because Michael Brown an unarmed eighteen year old African American man was fatally shot and killed by a white police officer in August of this year.  Now three months later a Grand Jury has decided there is not enough evidence to indict Officer Darren Wilson.  This decision brings a lot of controversy, rioting, and unnecessary problems.

            A Grand Jury is, “a jury, at common law, of 12 to 23 persons, designated to inquire into alleged violations of the law in order to ascertain whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant trial.”[1]  Grand jurors are chosen from the same pool as those who are chosen for trial jurors.  They are usually made up of individuals who are retired or work from home.  Grand juries sit a lot longer than trial juries; on average sitting 18 months.  Grand jurors do not meet everyday, but only when needed.  [2]“The purpose of the grand jury is not to determine guilt or innocence, but to decide whether there is probable cause to prosecute someone for a felony crime. The grand jury operates in secrecy and the normal rules of evidence do not apply. The prosecutor runs the proceedings and a judge is not present.”

            Michael Brown had just robbed a convenience store when Officer Darren Wilson approached him.  Brown would not follow the officer’s directions and began to charge towards the officer.  Brown even tried to grab Officer Wilson’s gun.  Officer Wilson began to shoot at Brown until he backed off, then when Brown began to charge again, Officer Wilson began shooting again.  These shots proved to be fatal to Michael Brown.  

            The grand juries decision not to indict Officer Wilson came a little over a week ago, along with some very strong opinions.  Many wonder why he had to shoot Michael Brown so many times, or why he could not just shoot him in the knee to stop him from charging.  When a police officer shoots his gun it is not to wound someone, but it is to kill the person. They are specifically trained to shoot to kill.  You also have to remember that Officer Wilson had to make split second decisions, and did not have time to think through the whole scenario.  When Darren Wilson was interviewed, after the grand jury decided not to indict him, he stated that there was nothing he would have done differently.  This made a lot of people mad, but I think the question that should be asked is “what could have Michael Brown done differently?”  If the roles were reversed, and Michael Brown was the cop, his parents and many others might see a little more of Darren Wilson’s side.

            I have a unique perspective and very strong opinion on this whole tragedy.  My dad was a police officer for over twenty-five years, and I can not imagine him being placed in this situation.  My dad went out to protect and help others each day just like Officer Darren Wilson set out to do on August ninth.  How would I feel if some unruly teenager tried to attack my dad, all because he thought he did not need to obey the law?  Darren Wilson was doing his job, and when his life was endangered, he did what he was trained to do, protect it.  Now that he protected his life, he is never going to be able to really “live” again.  He will always be looking over his shoulder, and will not be able to work as a police officer again.  There is only one person that could have changed the whole outcome, and that person is Michael Brown. 

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[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grand%20jury?s=t 

[2] grandjuryresistance.org/grandjuries.html   

Executive Order on Immigration

Forty three Presidents have issued executive orders.  Meaning thousands of executive orders have been given through out our country’s history.  Last night, November 20, 2014 President Obama announced his latest executive order on the topic of immigration.  An executive order is, “a rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch of the government and having the force of law.”  Where does the President get the authority to issue them?

            When congress does not approve of what the executive branch is doing, they only really have two options.  They either rewrite the law or put it in great detail explaining exactly how the executive branch must operate.  Then of course, since the president holds the highest power, he can veto the new bill congress wrote if he disagrees.  Typically for congress to override an executive order they must have two thirds votes.  Congress is less likely to change executive orders that deal with foreign policy, national defense, or the implementation and negotiation of treaties, because these rights are granted to the President under the Constitution.  If any executive order exceeds the Presidents constitutional powers, the orders can be challenged in front of the Supreme Court.  The topic of executive orders is controversial, mainly because people do not believe the President should be able to make a big decision without the consent of the Congress.  This goes against the logic of the Constitution.

            On November 20, 2014 President Obama gave a speech about his new executive order on immigration.  Immigrants have been coming to the United States for over two hundred years, and they are the ones who have made the country what it is today.  Every year thousands of people flood to America, legally and illegally.  Many work and support themselves, while others use up some of America’s resources.  Many people do not like immigrants because they abuse the system and take part in crime.  Recently in Sacramento two police officers were killed by illegal immigrants.  Many say if we closed our borders this whole situation could have been avoided.  Maybe that is true, but not all immigrants are bad.  Many come here to go to school and make a better life for themselves.  They earn enough money to support their family, and also make a contribution to society.  This is why President Obama wants to make it easier for hard working immigrants to earn citizenship.  He stated, “I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed.”  Many people see this as good, while others do not agree.  Some people think by doing this, you are taking away a lot of jobs from American citizens.  But the fact is our parents and grandparents were once immigrants.  They are the ones who built this country up.  So, who are we not to allow hard working and determined immigrants into this country?

The Judicial Branch

Millions of court cases are heard each year in the United States.  Thousands of people walk out of the court room doors happy, while the others get hauled off to jail, try to figure out how to pay their fine, or begin to write an appeal.  In the United States court system, the party that loses can appeal to a higher court to see if they will overturn the ruling.  This does not guarantee that the higher court will pick up the case. 

There are three levels of courts, District Court as the trial court, Circuit Court as the first level of appeal, and Supreme Court as the final level of appeal.  Each state has at least one district court depending on population, for example California has four district courts while Montana has one.  Each district court feeds into a circuit court, there are thirteen circuit courts total.  There are twelve geographical circuit courts numbered one through eleven.  The last two are the District of Columbia and the Federal Circuit Court.  The circuit courts only hear cases from their geographical area, except for Federal Court.  The Federal District Court system can hear a case from any area in the United States, but it must be on one of the following topics: patents, international trade, trademark, veteran’s affairs, and a few others.  After the circuit court you have the highest level, the Supreme Court.  Whatever decision is made at the Supreme Court level is the final verdict.  

In the Sixth Circuit Court, which contains Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, three judges recently turned down the same-sex marriage movement.  This is the first time a Federal Appeals Court has ever ruled against same-sex marriage, and this came as a shock to the nation.  Judge Sutton, one of the judges that voted against gay marriage said, “It would now seem, the question is not whether American law will allow gay couples to marry; it is when and how that will happen.”  “More importantly, Judge Sutton made clear that he believes that any straightforward reading of the Constitution in terms of its original meaning would allow the states to regulate marriage and to protect natural marriage as the central organizing principle of human society.”[1]  Although Sutton believes one day gay marriage will become legal, he still firmly stands against it.  Seeing, the Sixth Circuit Court had the courage to stand up to gay marriage, maybe other circuit courts will soon follow suit; changing the dynamics of the same sex marriage movement.

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[1] http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/11/11/in-defense-of-marriage-and-the-rule-of-law-the-importance-of-making-the-right-argument/  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_mbk0YhLa0 

Perplexed Purple Penguins

           Growing up, “Ladies and Gentlemen” “Boys and Girls” were familiar phrases in my elementary school classroom.  In a Nebraska school district teachers are no longer allowed to refer to their students by their gender, but must refer to them as “Purple Penguins.”  They can no longer have a girls and boys line, but they must line up, for example, by which fruit they prefer apples or bananas.  Teachers must not say or do anything that references a student’s gender.  In the document to the teachers it states, “Always ask yourself . . . ‘Will this configuration create a gendered space?”  Teachers must also have an all gender welcoming classroom.   The point of this is to, “provide education, training and support to help create a gender sensitive and inclusive environment for children of all ages.”

            The instructions for this new policy even go further.  If a teacher hears a child referring to “girls and boys” in a gender specific way, they must interrupt the student so they can learn it is an incorrect statement.  Teachers should ask, “What makes you say that? I think of it a little differently.  Then they should, provide counter-narratives that challenge students to think more expansively about their notions of gender.”  Why is it wrong to refer to someone as a girl or boy, when that is the way God made us?  Why does everybody have to participate in the gender neutral act when there are only a few people who are gender neutral?”   

            At my elementary school each grade would line up in two lines one for girls and the other for boys.  The teachers always referred to us as girls and boys, and when we went to church we had to sit in a boy- girl, boy-girl order.  At recess we played games together where kids played male and female roles.  When we would play games during physical education, our teams would always be the boys’ verses the girls’.  For my first nine years of school I attended a Catholic School, so of course the whole gender neutral concept would not go over to well.  The Catholic Catechism clearly states “Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.  Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out.”  I can not imagine growing up where I was never referred to as a girl.  Instead of helping these children, I feel they are just confusing them.        

           

Based on: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/389862/school-told-call-kids-purple-penguins-because-boys-and-girls-not-inclusive 

unHoly Matrimony

            Every day thousands of people get married all over the world.  All of whom come from different countries, beliefs and religious backgrounds, but all ceremonies have one thing in common.  They are performed by marriage officiants, and ordained pastors or priests.  This seems like it would be a happy job, right?  Except for two pastors in Idaho who are left with only two options, they either marry a gay couple which is against their beliefs, or they face jail time and a fine for violating a “non-discrimination law”.  The two Christian pastors have now filed a federal lawsuit to fight this law.       

            “The city says its non-discrimination ordinance requires them to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies because the courts have overridden Idaho's voter-approved constitutional amendment that affirmed marriage as the union of a man and a woman.”[1]  First of all, the state went against the majority of the people allowing gay marriage, now they are forcing citizens of the state to marry them.  What happened to freedom?  Secondly, why are pastors forced to marry somebody when it is against their religious beliefs, when non Christian children in school can opt out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance because it mentions “God”?  Christian pastors should be treated the same as Christian doctors who are able to not offer abortion services do to their religious beliefs.  Lastly, why would a gay couple even want to be married by a Christian pastor who does not accept their life style?        

            There are millions of marriage officiants in the United States that would gladly marry any gay couple, so why don’t they just get married somewhere else?  Our country is different than many others, we have freedom.  We get to make our own decisions, live our own lives, believe in any religion, and choose what we are going to do.  So why is it any different for a Christian pastor who can legally marry couples?  Why can’t they choose who they can marry?  Just as a business can refuse service to certain customers, pastors should be able to choose not to marry gay couples.  The state is taking away these pastors freedom of religion, by having consequences, which are unreasonable.  What would you do if you had to pick between God and a 180 day jail sentence with a thousand dollar fine?  And every time you choose not to do what the government was telling you to do you received 180 more days in jail and had to pay a thousand more dollars.

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[1] http://www.christianpost.com/news/idaho-pastors-face-jail-time-thousands-in-fines-for-not-performing-gay-weddings-128325/ 

Career vs. Motherhood

          Why do so many women in the United States have an abortion?  Because a baby is not part of her plan at that time, it will lead her career off track and ruin her chance for a promotion at work.  But now if you work for a big company like Facebook or Apple, you will not have to worry about throwing all of your plans in the garbage to have a family, or worrying about being to old to have children.  At the beginning of this year Facebook began covering up to 20,000 dollars worth of egg freezing for all women on their payroll.  Starting January of 2015 Apple will begin to offer this as another one of their lavish benefits.

 Egg freezing, “is a novel technology in which a woman's eggs are extracted, frozen and stored. Later, when she is ready to become pregnant, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized, and transferred to the uterus as embryos.”  Doctors are saying that freezing women’s eggs is just as influential as birth control and may even become more popular.  These companies see it as a great benefit, but I think it is flawed.  Companies make it seem like a wonderful benefit for their employees, when really they are looking out for their best interests.  They do not want to be bothered by their top female employees having a child, and their family coming first, and not to mention their six to eight weeks out of the office.  But hey, at least these companies are thinking before hand and not making their employees feel like they are forced to have an abortion in order to keep their job.  Seriously, your job should never consume your life.  I know it is difficult to work full time and raise a family.  But is a job more important than a family?  What happens when you are sick, and in the hospital who is going to be there for you, definitely not your job?  So why do so many people care so much about getting the next promotion, instead of having a family?

These two companies are pretty much telling their women employees, here we will make sure you can have a family later, but for now we want you to focus all your time and energy on your job.  Why can’t women be mothers at a normal age, while also being an employed?  I believe what these companies are doing is wrong.  First of all, God made women to have children naturally and within a certain time in their life.  And secondly, these companies are convincing their employees that a family can wait, and the next big promotion is what really matters.   Life is not about how much money you make, or what job you have, it is about the people you share it with.  Robert Byrd once said “I look at it this way: One of these days I'll be over in a hospital somewhere with four walls around me. And the only people who'll be with me will be my family.”