Political Cartoon 4

1.) Larry Wright drew this political cartoon

2.) It was published in the Detroit News on December 17, 2009

3.) This political cartoon deals with the division between Democrats and Republicans, the economy,  and the holiday season.

4.) With the current economy, there's not a lot of extra money for holiday spending. This cartoon jokes that Santa wants to know the children's political alignment in order to know whether or not he should get them a lot for Christmas. I think it's possible Santa could represent Barack Obama because he is in charge of where funds are allocated and he would only want to give to Democrats. 

5.) There's always a big divide between Democrats and Republicans and typically a lot of dislike. If Santa does represent Obama, Republicans won't get "what they want for Chrismtas" (money and support) which is unfair, but that's usually what happens with opposing parties. 

Why I Love Christmas :)

My favorite holiday is definitely Christmas. This holiday is very important to my religion and I love it because I get to celebrate it with my family. 

I like the happy, spirited feeling of Christmas. Many stores and houses put up a lot of lights and decorations and I think it makes everything look so pretty. I like going shopping for Christmas gifts to give to family and friends. 

I have 5 older siblings so Christmas is one of the rare times every year that we all get together. My sisters and I love to bake Christmas goodies like sugar cookies, gingerbread, and bread. We buy a Christmas tree and decorate it. On Christmas Eve night (which also my brother's birthday), we dress up and go to a candlelight service at my church. Then we come back and open presents around the tree, but I like to leave a few of my presents to open on Christmas morning. We usually stay up pretty late. On Christmas Day, I help my mom make Christmas dinner and I enjoy spending time with my family.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The "Holiday" Season

Personally, I think that religious displays are completely appropriate especially around this time of year. The holiday season is about celebrating a holiday that's important to your religion and yours alone. Therefore, I don't think people should be so offended about a specific religious display. I think religious displays are fine unless they put down any other religions in the process. 

I think big retailers are to blame for people shying away from being holiday specific. I can't even remember the last time I saw an ad that said "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays." I can see that these businesses have clients from all religious backgrounds and they don't want to single anyone out but I feel like the people businesses are most afraid of offending are people who have no religious beliefs.

It annoys me that those kinds of people take the spirit out of these important holidays just because they don't take part in anything. Holiday season is just a broad term for the celebrations that take place from November to January. But what people sometimes forget is that most of those holidays have religious backgrounds. I think that if holidays would become less about holiday shopping and gift-giving, then religious displays would become more accepted. 

Political Cartoon 3

1.) Bob Englehart drew this political cartoon

2.) It was published on December 12, 2009 in the Hartford Courant.

3.) This cartoons discusses both Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize and his recent decision to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan.

4.) The cartoon shows Obama receiving his Nobel Prize, but he is wearing an army helmet and shooting it with a gun. It's kind of ironic the Obama was given an award that honors those who promote global peace, and yet he has escalated the war in Afghanistan. 

5.) I agree with the artist of this cartoon. I too think it's unfitting for Obama to receive a "peace award" and then choose to endanger lives of soldiers and increase the conflict in Afghanistan. 

Health Care Happenings

After passing the House of Representatives, the current health care reform bill is at the Senate is being debated. Amendments are being created but the bill has not formally passed the Senate yet. If passed, the health care bill would go to a House-Senate Conference Committee which would resolve differences between different versions of the bill. 

Some problems that people have with the health care bill that are currently being debated are whether public financing would be available for women getting abortions or whether illegal immigrants could receive public financing. Also, whether there would be cuts in Medicare reimbursements. That is when the federal government pays medical providers for services for patients 65 and older. 

I think that after a lot of discussion and resolution of the major problems, the health care bill will be approved. Republican and Democrats really disagree on health care, so I think that it will take awhile before a resolution is created. 

Political Cartoon 2

1.) Mike Smith drew this political cartoon.

2.) It was published in The Dallas Morning News on December 5, 2009.

3.) This article is joking about texting while driving

4.) The cartoon shows a man sitting in a psychiatrist's chair saying "I have a death wish." The psychiatrist asks him "How long have you been texting while driving?" 

This cartoon is saying that the most common life-threatening thing that people do these days is texting while driving. It's become so common that the psychiatrist just assumes that that's what the man's problem is. 

5.) I agree that texting while driving has become a really big problem. It's something that's mostly associated with teenagers.  However, I don't think it's the only dangerous habit Americans have developed. Gambling, drugs, and drunk driving are also just as serious as texting while driving. 

Political Cartoon 1

1.)  H. Payne drew the cartoon.

2.) It was published in the Washington Times on November 17, 2009. Found on page A21

3.) This cartoon mocks Obama's health care plan. 

4.) The cartoon shows an average looking man posing for 2 mug shots. The bottom caption reads "For not buying health insurance." Instead of the box where his name would be, it says HR 3962 which is the name of the health reform bill. The cartoonist is expressing his disapproval of the requirement under the new health care bill that all Americans would be required to buy health care. This average man is being arrested just because he doesn't want to buy the government health care.

5.) I agree with the cartoonist. I don't think a person should be arrested just because they don't want to use a generic government health care policy. I think that Americans should have the right to choose their own policy.

Cartoon on page A21 of Washington Times. 

Qualities for HHS Principal

Herndon is a very diverse community and I think that the new principal needs to understand this and be able to get along well with all the students. I would definitely not want our principal to think that he is the boss of the students or that he is on a high pedestal and never needs to talk to us. I've seen a lot of principals and administrators come and go and the best ones have been the people that are social with the students and actually know our names and like to chat with us. That makes them seem less like an obnoxious adult and more like a cool person. The new principal should be committed to his/her job here at Herndon High and be willing to stick around for awhile :)

I feel like students at Herndon High have suffered from having so many different principals. I never really realized how important it would be to stick with the same rules and person in charge until the principals kept changing.

I hope that the new principal is very successful and thanks to Mr. Cooper for subbing!

Free Choice! Voter Turnout

I wanted to do some research about voter turnout because of the elections coming up this week.

Poll numbers show that McDonell (R) is ahead in the VA polls which is surprising after many Democratic victories last year. In the 2008 elections, there was a significant increase in voter turnout among young people, blacks, and Hispanics. Traditionally, voting percentages are highest in the Midwest.

This year, low black turnout threatens the Democratic candidates in Virginia and New Jersey. Experts think this is because they are grappling with job loss and uncertainty about Obama's health care plan.

I think it's surprising that Black Democrat turnout numbers are decreasing. I expected that demographic to be very active this year because of Obama's 2008 victory.

Young people are the least likely to vote, so I encourage everyone who is eligible to vote tomorrow!

Current Event #6- Man Fired for Patriotic Pin

A cashier for a Florida Home Depot named Trevor Keezor was fired on Friday for wearing a pin on his apron that says "One nation under God, indivisible."

Keezor said that he had worn the button for over a year to support American troops, especially his brother who was in Iraq. He also said that after he started reading his Bible at lunch, Home Depot asked him to remove the pin. Home Depot defended its actions by saying that employees are not allowed to publicly state personal beliefs and that the button was a violation of the dress code.

Kara Skorupa, Keezor's lawyer plans to sue Home Depot. She said "There are federal and state laws the protect against religios discrimination. It's not like he was out in the aisles preaching to people."

Unfortunately for Skorupa and Keezor, it will be difficult to win a lawsuit of religious discrimination. Home Depot is a private business so they don't have to abide by the free speech provisions of the First Amendment. Furthurmore, Keezor's button is not a traditional form of a religious display.

Click here for the article.

VA Governor's Race

I think Bob McDonnell will win the Virginia Governor's Race to be held on November 3. He says that he wants to be a "jobs governor" which I think Virginia needs right now because of the economic recession.

McDonnell's opponent's (Deeds) platform suggests that he is very interested in environmental issues. Some people think that's important, but personally, I don't think it's the most important issue in Virginia right now and I would rather see the issues of job creation and the economy resolved first.

To a lot of people, McDonnell is really conservative which may hurt him a little bit. But so far, all the polls show McDonnell in the lead over Democrat, Creigh Deeds. I'm actually surprised that McDonnell is ahead in the polls. At last year's election, almost all the political elections were won by Democrats and it's surprising that a Republican might win. I assumed that because of the strong support of Barack Obama last year, Virginia Democrats would be very involved in this election, and endorse Deeds.

From watching the commercials and reading the newspaper about the election, I have more confidence in McDonnell as governor. Deeds has done a lot of slanderous commercials, whereas I feel McDonnell has focused on the issues more. We'll see what happens on November 3!

Current Event #5- H1N1 Becomes National Emergency

President Obama announced this week that the increase of illness of Swine Flu is a national emergency and will take actions that will hopefully decrease the number of people affected. 

Obama signed a declaration on Friday that will give the federal government more power to help the states by providing more vaccines. Some requirements for a vaccine will be waived and equipment will be given to states that need it the most. Those requirements are contained in Medicare, Medicaid and state Children's Health Insurance programs, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rule.

Obama said that the pandemic may overburden health care resources which would be detrimental to everyone. 

Since arriving in the US in April, millions of people have been infected and over 1000 have died. 

I agree that the H1N1 virus is a problem and I think Obama and other health care officials have made the right choice by making vaccines more available. It's a good idea to stop some cases of the flu now, before too many people are infected and money is drained. 

Click here for the full article from CNN.

Biggest Issue Facing VA

The biggest issue facing Virginia right now is transportation, especially in Northern Virginia. Both candidates for governor have addressed this issue in their campaigns.

Major problems right now are the number of cars, traffic delays, unpaved roads, and roads in bad condition.

These issues are not expected to improve without immediate attention and funding.

Check out some facts from "It's Time Virginia":

• More than 8,000 of Virginia’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
• Increasing traffic congestion causes approximately 38 annual hours of delay for each urban motorist in Virginia – nearly one full working week.
• Approximately one third of Virginia’s major roads are rated in substandard or mediocre condition.
• By 2025, 45 percent of Virginia’s roadways are expected to be congested unless the state’s roadways and public transit systems are expanded.

The safety of motorists should be an important issue for the state of Virginia. So many people use our roads everyday, that we can't afford not to have high quality roads.

Current Event #4-Recession Catching Up to Alaska

Numbers released Friday show that Alaska's unemployment rate is up to 8.4%, up from 6.7% last year. As winter approaches, two major parts of the economy, tourism and construction, decrease.

Due to the economic struggles throughout the nation, many people in America may view Alaska as a steady place to be because of the manufacturing and industry. However, Brad Gillespie, a regional director for jobs centers in Anchorage, urges people not to move to Alaska unless they already have a job in place.

A state economist said that Alaska is often isolated from national economic trends because the economy is so different: manufacturing, sea food processing, the energy sector, and federal spending on military.

Alaskan Governor Parnell (R) said that stimulus money has helped, but he hopes that Washington will make some efforts towards long term improvement like tax cuts aimed at job creation.

For now, Parnell is hoping to boost the state economy with a new tourism campaign.

Click here for the full article.

Obama's Report Card

Health Care: I would give President Obama a C+ for the Health Care reform because he has proposed suggestions but nothing has actually gone into effect yet. Considering Congress is mostly Democrat right now, I feel like he has an advantage, but nothing has happened yet. Also, the health care benefits wouldn't be available until 2013, which is a long time to wait for those who really need it.

Economic Recession: Obama earns a C for helping fix the economic recession. It is a big undertaking, but he did promise to fix it while running for president. There are still about 15 million unemployed people and the US is losing more jobs everyday. While the stock market is improving, the recession is definitely not over and I think stronger programs and actions are required to fix the economy.

War on Terror: Lastly, I would give a C for the War on Terror. While troops have been removed from Iraq, more troops will be deployed to Afghanistan. I think this is necessary to win the War on Terror, but it's not exactly what President Obama promised when he ran for president.

I'm not giving him any bonus points for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Unlike the NPP, I'm not going to reward for promises instead of actions.

Current Event #3- Insurance Companies upset over Health Care

Insurance Companies issued a statement this week saying that President Obama's health care policy would drive up the costs for consumers. This statement comes just before the Senate will vote on the proposal.

Democrats say they aren't worried about the bad press, but they are staying alert because they want the bill to pass.

Inusurance companies' studies conclude that the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions in the bill would be in effect. Premiums for a single person would go up by $600 more than would be the case without the legislation. The price increase would come from new taxes.

Democrats say that the disapproval of the insurance companies is not valid because it fails to awknowledge the subsidies that would help low and middle class families afford the health care.

Major Points: Senate will vote for Obama's health care plan on Tuesday and may be dissuaded to approve it because of the disapproval and opposition of insurance companies.

Click here for the full article.

Current Event #2- Obama's Dilemma

While running for office, President Obama said that the Iraq war was a distraction and that he would withdraw, but the war on Afghanistan was a "war of necessity."

Since taking office, he has shifted the US's focus to Afghanistan, sending 20,000 additional troops. But as the war begins its 8th year Obama worries of failure and the need to send even more soldiers to fight.

Obama faces pressure from the public. Only 39% of Americans favor the war. People are hoping that President Obama stays faithful to his promise to end the war.

Major Points: Obama has switched focus onto the war in Afghanistan. He may need to send 40,000 more soldiers which would only make the war larger. His advisory staff is split on possible actions.

I think that Obama should keep his word about ending the war. It is important for him to come up with a solution that won't cost more lives while still resulting in American victory.

Click here for the article on CNN.com

An issue I'm interested in

Flag desecration is something that we recently discussed in class, so it sparked my interest on the issue.

I was not aware that burning an American flag was legal until a couple years ago. I had always assumed that since the flag represented our country, the police and the government would not want people to destroy it. Personally, I think that flag burning or desecration should be illegal. I just don't understand why anyone who lives in this country and enjoys the liberties we have would want to burn something that represents American sacrifices that have secured our rights.

After doing some research, I discovered that in 1968, 48 of 50 states enacted Flag Protection Acts, but the Supreme Court overturned them because they violated the First Amendment. In recent polls, 63% of Americans said that they did not want to amend the Constitution to prohibit flag desecration.

Political Party

I would align myself with the Republican party. I'm Pro-Life and I think every citizen should work hard for their own money without relying on anyone else to help them out. I disagree with the more liberal ideas that humans are destroying the environment. I grew up in a really conservative home so I think that has influenced me somewhat, but I would probably have the same beliefs regardless of my parents.

Current Event #1- Iran's Nuclear Facility

On Friday, President Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the beliefs that Iran is constructing a secret nuclear fuel facility. Iranian President Mamoud Ahmadinejad denies that the nuclear facility is dangerous or illegal.

Intelligence officials discovered the facility in 2007 and this past summer, the United States, France, and Britian worked to learn more about it. The CIA believes that by 2010, it could create one bomb per year.

President Obama believes Iran is breaking the rules.

"We have offered Iran a clear path toward greater international integration if it lives up to its obligations, and that offer stands, but the Iranian government must now demonstrate through deeds its peaceful intentions or be held accountable to international standards and international law." (~Barack Obama)

Discovering the nuclear facility is vital to protecting the nation's security. Now that three countries have information regarding the establishment, we can protect against the possibility of a bomb attack. Obama wanted Iran to be aware that we have inside information and are willing to use it in our defense.

I was surprised to hear about the finding of an Iranian nuclear facility. The Iranian President seems to be acting aloof to the whole situation but I think in the future, he will try to keep information hidden. The US has sent detailed information to China and Russia to keep those countries alert of the situation. Obama handled the situation well by saying that Iran is not following the rules, but not jumping to conclusions that they actually do have a bomb. The article said that Sarkozy and Brown were not as composed.

France, Britian, and the US hope that this discovery will stop Russia and China's fears about tightening economic sanctions.

Click here for the article on www.washingtonpost.com

"U.S., Allies say Iran has Secret Nuclear Facility," The Washington Post, Sept 26, 2009