Blog assignment 5

On the issue of race, I will say that the government is doing entirely too much to reduce racial discrimination. I think the days of discrimination and segregation of the 1950's are long gone. While there are still people out there who are ignorant enough to base opinions on people simply because of the color of their skin, I think those people are a dying breed. Those people are always going to be around, and no law in place is going to change that. The only way to change ignorance is to educate. I also feel that the laws in place to protect minorities is severely abused. I have seen it in the workplace, people who are terrible at their jobs, are rude to customers and basically don't do much more than "show up" for work, know for a fact they are never going to be fired, because the company would be afraid to do so. I think this is ultimate result of the laws we have in place to reduce racial discrimination.

The issue of gender INequality, is something I have experienced first hand, and yes, it is an issue. Women in the workplace are not paid as much as males, who do the same job, with the same qualifications, as adequately or more so than males. I could see if it were a woman on a construction site working with big strong men, but I am speaking more of administrative positions. Unfortunately, this is an issue that is just now being majorly addressed, and I will probably be in retirement before anything is done about it.

Sexual orientation, is a tough issue for me. I have traditional Christian beliefs, however, I believe strongly in separation of religion and government. I believe people have a right to live as they choose, free from judgment and discrimination.

I commented on:
-Stacey Clark
-Robert Johnson
-Katelyn Dozier

Chapter 4 blog assignment

   Freedom of Speech is our Constitutional right. It is important, because it separates us from other countries that don't have that privilege, and suffer consequences for speaking out. The fact of whether or not it goes to far, is all a matter of opinion. Facebook for example, I have friends who have certain views that are the opposite of mine. Sometimes they post things that are immediately offensive to me, but on the flip side, things that I may post may be offensive to them. We all have to understand  that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, and we have the right to voice those opinions. Only when our words take away the rights of others does it go too far.
   Separation of church and state is a necessity. There is no mixing government with religion, it would be impossible with the vast cultural mix of people that are citizens of the United States. I do think that religion should be encouraged instead of discouraged. It seems at this day in time, we are limited in how we can express ourselves religiously.
   Defendant's rights are absolutely crucial to our system of government. Sometimes when emotions are high in a criminal proceeding, it may seem as if the defendant has too many rights, but in the broad spectrum of our legal system, they actually do not. Defendants are granted these rights for fairness, and to protect citizens from corrupt individuals with a crooked agenda. I believe if we cut out the rights of defendants, there would be a lot more wrongly accused individuals serving time for crimes they did not commit.

Blogs I commented on:
Robert Johnson
Sarah Ham
Dylan Thevenard

Chapter 3 blog assignment

I believe that a strong national and state government should exist, depending on the issue. On subjects such as gay marriage, and education, the general consensus in one state, can differ completely from another, therefore those decisions and laws passed should be left at the state's authority, not the federal government. I do feel that certain issues should be at a national level, so that our country remains strong as a whole, and that our constitutional rights as Americans will be upheld. 

National power increased during the Great Depression, in an attempt by congress to uplift the economy. Approximately 50 years later, a shift back to the power at a state level was implemented by the Reagan administration. He felt that the government was the problem, and lessened restrictions on grants. The country was no longer in a Depression as it was in 1929, and the states could more efficiently spend money at a state level, than the federal government could.

As I said in the beginning, education should be left up to the state government. There is no "one size fits all" approach to education. There is more than one "right" way to have a successful education system, and it should be left up to each state to decide what works best for them. I do however, feel that the federal government should intervene, if a state is functioning poorly.  

-blogs I commented on:
Matt Cooper
Robert Johnson
Robert Devaney

Chapter 2 blog assignment

     Under the US Constitution, the United States government is much better structured and organized to say the least. The power of our nation's government is equally divided among three branches, with checks and balances in place to ensure that each branch maintains equal authority. The US was much weaker as a nation under the Articles of Confederation. The government had very little power federally. All of the authority was at each state's level, including the authority to wage war, which should absolutely be a decision made on a national level, as a united front. Congress could not tax, and could only request revenue from each state, leaving the country with insufficient funds, leaving debts unpaid. This also contributed to lack of economic growth, and lack of military power.
     I learned something by reading these articles that I probably should have known in the first place, and am honestly a little embarrassed to admit, and that is there are 2 senators representing each state regardless of its size.
     The Supreme court ruling of Marbury v.. Madison is important because it established judicial review, which is the authority of the Supreme Court to strike down  any law Congress passes, that is deemed unconstitutional.
     Our government today is obviously more like what the Federalists of their day envisioned. We still today, even though it is hundreds of years later, regard our Constitution as the highest law  and authority. I will add, that I can see the early concerns of the Anti Federalists. With everything that this country went through to break away from Great Britain and the monarchy, it would appear at first that electing a President may seem a lot like having a King in a monarchy form of rule.


-I commented on:
Dylan Thevanard's blog
Taylor Wilson's blog
Donna Fox's blog