Virginia official refuses to defend gay marriage ban (1)
Virginia Atty. Gen. Mark R. Herring announced his reversal on the stance of gay marriage. He is now taking a stance that DOES NOT support the ban of gay marriage, declaring it unconstitutional. His views are supported by the public, 56% of which support the legalization of gay marriage, up from 43% in 2006. Herring declared that he believes that it is a violation of the 14th amendment, and wants to allow the commonwealth to be on the right side of history. However, he is opposed by the same people who helped defeat California's gay marriage proposition, and has a tough battle ahead of him.
This article shows how the government fights to protect its people when their rights are being violated. Herring fights for the people of Virginia's' natural rights, and uses the 14th Amendment to back him up. If gay marriage were banned, it would be a form of discrimination, and would be a violation of their rights. Many of the arguments against gay marriage are connected to religion, however, the United Stated of America is supposed to be founded on freedom of these ties, so it would only make sense to allow people to follow or reject the rules of whatever religion they choose. This situation is similar to segregation and the ban of interracial marriages, and will (hopefully) be looked back on as a fluke in the idea of "freedom" that is supported by America.
I hope in the near future Virginia will fight to overturn any bans against gay marriage. I personally support the actions of Atty. Gen. Mark R. Herring, and wish him the best moving forward. I know some people do not support the idea of gay marriage, and although there are good reasons for both sides, I believe it should be the individuals decision. After all, that is what America was founded on, right? I also hope this will convince other neighboring states to follow suit.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-gay-marriage-virginia-20140124,0,7591917.story#axzz2rZWx1iRW
This article shows how the government fights to protect its people when their rights are being violated. Herring fights for the people of Virginia's' natural rights, and uses the 14th Amendment to back him up. If gay marriage were banned, it would be a form of discrimination, and would be a violation of their rights. Many of the arguments against gay marriage are connected to religion, however, the United Stated of America is supposed to be founded on freedom of these ties, so it would only make sense to allow people to follow or reject the rules of whatever religion they choose. This situation is similar to segregation and the ban of interracial marriages, and will (hopefully) be looked back on as a fluke in the idea of "freedom" that is supported by America.
I hope in the near future Virginia will fight to overturn any bans against gay marriage. I personally support the actions of Atty. Gen. Mark R. Herring, and wish him the best moving forward. I know some people do not support the idea of gay marriage, and although there are good reasons for both sides, I believe it should be the individuals decision. After all, that is what America was founded on, right? I also hope this will convince other neighboring states to follow suit.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-gay-marriage-virginia-20140124,0,7591917.story#axzz2rZWx1iRW
Political Ideology Reflection
http://www.isidewith.com/results/410812219
http://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/results2010.asp?quiz=Pres2012&state=CA&q1=1&q2=5&q3=1&q4=5&q5=1&q6=3&q7=2&q8=1&q9=3&q10=3&q11=1&q12=5&q13=1&q14=1&q15=3&q16=1&q17=3&q18=1&q19=3&q20=1&Submit=Score+the+quiz!
I believe that the party I was matches up with what I believed I was. I always considered myself more left than right, and I was right. I was placed under the Green Party, and I feel this was not appropriate. The green party believes in helping the environment. To be honest, I dont care about the environment. Also, I was matched up with Rocky Anderson, who served as mayor for Utah for two terms. He was more democratic, and believed in fighting for human rights. I support his views, and agree with what the survey had to say. My parents don't really get into politics, so I can't say I share or disagree with their views. My views were unbiased and came from my own thoughts.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/results2010.asp?quiz=Pres2012&state=CA&q1=1&q2=5&q3=1&q4=5&q5=1&q6=3&q7=2&q8=1&q9=3&q10=3&q11=1&q12=5&q13=1&q14=1&q15=3&q16=1&q17=3&q18=1&q19=3&q20=1&Submit=Score+the+quiz!
I believe that the party I was matches up with what I believed I was. I always considered myself more left than right, and I was right. I was placed under the Green Party, and I feel this was not appropriate. The green party believes in helping the environment. To be honest, I dont care about the environment. Also, I was matched up with Rocky Anderson, who served as mayor for Utah for two terms. He was more democratic, and believed in fighting for human rights. I support his views, and agree with what the survey had to say. My parents don't really get into politics, so I can't say I share or disagree with their views. My views were unbiased and came from my own thoughts.
State of the Union: Obama calls for action, with or without Congress (2)
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/28/politics/2014-state-of-the-union/index.html
In "State of the Union: Obama calls for action, with or without Congress", by Tom Cohen, Chelsea Carter, and Leigh Caldwell, the article summarizes what Obama said and how the people responded to it. There was an overall good response to the speech, and even Republicans praised him for his ability to speak. "A speech by Barack Obama is a lot like sex," said GOP strategist and CNN contributor Alex Castellanos. "The worst there ever was is still excellent." The president said that he would try everything in his power to get America back on track, and named some specifics to start with, including getting construction workers jobs, increasing minimum wage, and reducing subsidies for big energy companies in efforts to look towards the future of energy. Obama encouraged help from Congress, but said he would try and pursue these in his own effort even if Congress didn't.
Obama decided it was time to bring changes, and would do it regardless of whether or not he had Congress' help. His political efficacy is not yet determined, but he looks determined. Also the points he talked about directly relate to what the public wanted the political agenda to be determined of. They wanted him to talk about wages and immigration, and those are two points he hit on the head of the nail. Also apparent is the differences in the thoughts of the two parties. One side is more liberal, and one is more conservative, and although they have their differences, the conservatives DID credit Obama for his speech giving ability, which is nice to see.
In "State of the Union: Obama calls for action, with or without Congress", by Tom Cohen, Chelsea Carter, and Leigh Caldwell, the article summarizes what Obama said and how the people responded to it. There was an overall good response to the speech, and even Republicans praised him for his ability to speak. "A speech by Barack Obama is a lot like sex," said GOP strategist and CNN contributor Alex Castellanos. "The worst there ever was is still excellent." The president said that he would try everything in his power to get America back on track, and named some specifics to start with, including getting construction workers jobs, increasing minimum wage, and reducing subsidies for big energy companies in efforts to look towards the future of energy. Obama encouraged help from Congress, but said he would try and pursue these in his own effort even if Congress didn't.
Obama decided it was time to bring changes, and would do it regardless of whether or not he had Congress' help. His political efficacy is not yet determined, but he looks determined. Also the points he talked about directly relate to what the public wanted the political agenda to be determined of. They wanted him to talk about wages and immigration, and those are two points he hit on the head of the nail. Also apparent is the differences in the thoughts of the two parties. One side is more liberal, and one is more conservative, and although they have their differences, the conservatives DID credit Obama for his speech giving ability, which is nice to see.
Group to file complaint against Cal/OSHA over staffing levels (3)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-worker-safety-20140211,0,37926.story#axzz2yFCuUqcW
Workers in LA are planning to file complaints against CAL/OSHA over the amount of state workplace inspectors. The lack of people is threatening workers lives, and hundreds of Californians die on the job every year. The number of inspectors has dropped by almost 2,000 in just two years. The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility wants to bring attention to the lack of inspectors in order to keep workers protected and want them to keep businesses in check.
The media helps bring these attentions to light. If the media didn't publish this and let this be seen, would many people have heard about this? Probably not. This is a prime example of how the media combined with interest groups such as the PEER can help bring change to policies. Another example of how the media helps bring situations to light can be portrayed by the fact that I was simply able to search up "interest group" in the LA Times search bar, and find an article this easily. The internet, which is becoming increasingly more popular, is a very popular way to inform the public and try and get the government to change their ways.
Workers in LA are planning to file complaints against CAL/OSHA over the amount of state workplace inspectors. The lack of people is threatening workers lives, and hundreds of Californians die on the job every year. The number of inspectors has dropped by almost 2,000 in just two years. The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility wants to bring attention to the lack of inspectors in order to keep workers protected and want them to keep businesses in check.
The media helps bring these attentions to light. If the media didn't publish this and let this be seen, would many people have heard about this? Probably not. This is a prime example of how the media combined with interest groups such as the PEER can help bring change to policies. Another example of how the media helps bring situations to light can be portrayed by the fact that I was simply able to search up "interest group" in the LA Times search bar, and find an article this easily. The internet, which is becoming increasingly more popular, is a very popular way to inform the public and try and get the government to change their ways.
Group hopes to overturn e-cigarette ban (5)
http://www.nyunews.com/2014/03/31/smoker/
The New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment filed a law suit against the New York County Supreme Court in efforts to overturn the ban on e-cigarettes. They believe it is more beneficial to the health of the general public if they can have an alternative that can help them quit smoking. Many people "[can't] see why anyone is anti-e-cig", when it is a way for people to get out of their deadly habits.
This directly relates to the iron triangle. If the group can get enough attention, then it will go to the congressmen, and they will try and fight for what their people want in order to stay in office longer. This will result in (hopefully) the changes the NYCCLASH wants, and overturn the ban on e-cigs. I think it is important for e-cigs to be allowed, as it allows for a healthy alternative to smoking, and has not been known to have any negative side effects. Many criticis say e-cigs should be banned due to its "childish appeal" with it's wide variety of flavors, however alcohol and hookah both have an array of flavors for it's users to choose from.
The New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment filed a law suit against the New York County Supreme Court in efforts to overturn the ban on e-cigarettes. They believe it is more beneficial to the health of the general public if they can have an alternative that can help them quit smoking. Many people "[can't] see why anyone is anti-e-cig", when it is a way for people to get out of their deadly habits.
This directly relates to the iron triangle. If the group can get enough attention, then it will go to the congressmen, and they will try and fight for what their people want in order to stay in office longer. This will result in (hopefully) the changes the NYCCLASH wants, and overturn the ban on e-cigs. I think it is important for e-cigs to be allowed, as it allows for a healthy alternative to smoking, and has not been known to have any negative side effects. Many criticis say e-cigs should be banned due to its "childish appeal" with it's wide variety of flavors, however alcohol and hookah both have an array of flavors for it's users to choose from.
Same-sex marriage battle escalates to force Supreme Court decision on constitutionality (6)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/same-sex-marriage-battle-escalates-to-force-supreme-court-decision-on-constitutionality/2014/04/09/3d1ba5ea-bf59-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html
The supreme court decided to hear a case regarding same sex marriage and whether it's constitutional or not. The supreme court decided in favor of same sex marriage in a 5-4 win, and decided it was unconstitutional to deny the happiness to same sex couples. One side argued that it was the states' decisions to decide what counts as a "real marriage", while another side says that not offering the same benefits to same-sex marriages was a disgrace and that it was discrimination against sexual orientation. All in all, it looks as if same sex marriage WILL be legal in the near future as per federal law.
This relates to the unit because this unit talked about how the SCOTUS can decide whats constitutional and what isn't. This can also relate to the earlier time periods where it was state govt. vs. federal govt. The state govt. was not giving judgments that seemed constitutional, so the SCOTUS decided to step in and decide once and for all. I think that it is important to decide with what the majority wants, not only to keep the people happy, but to do what is write for the citizens of the US. I think this is a huge step in the human rights movement, and years from now, people will look back and wonder why we made such a big deal about this.
The supreme court decided to hear a case regarding same sex marriage and whether it's constitutional or not. The supreme court decided in favor of same sex marriage in a 5-4 win, and decided it was unconstitutional to deny the happiness to same sex couples. One side argued that it was the states' decisions to decide what counts as a "real marriage", while another side says that not offering the same benefits to same-sex marriages was a disgrace and that it was discrimination against sexual orientation. All in all, it looks as if same sex marriage WILL be legal in the near future as per federal law.
This relates to the unit because this unit talked about how the SCOTUS can decide whats constitutional and what isn't. This can also relate to the earlier time periods where it was state govt. vs. federal govt. The state govt. was not giving judgments that seemed constitutional, so the SCOTUS decided to step in and decide once and for all. I think that it is important to decide with what the majority wants, not only to keep the people happy, but to do what is write for the citizens of the US. I think this is a huge step in the human rights movement, and years from now, people will look back and wonder why we made such a big deal about this.
Mortgage rates defy forecasts (7)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-low-mortgage-rates-20140510-story.html
Loan rates are dropping down again, with certain borrowers with excellent credit able to get 30-year home loans under 4% interest. This is a good sign for the housing market, and is able to trigger a revival in financing, and will allow for the housing market to slowly develop back up to the stature it once was. Some of this can be credited to the Federal Reserve cutting back a bond-buying program. The Fed reduced purchases from $40 billion to $20 billion, and helped bring the interest levels down.
This relates to the unit because this unit had monetary policy on it. The Fed reduced government purchases, and people were able to spend their money on housing because of the low interest. The housing market is predicted to have a small revival, and many people are happy about this. It's good that this is happening because it can help get our economy back on track. The Fed did a good thing by reducing spending and helping the economy get back into shape.
Loan rates are dropping down again, with certain borrowers with excellent credit able to get 30-year home loans under 4% interest. This is a good sign for the housing market, and is able to trigger a revival in financing, and will allow for the housing market to slowly develop back up to the stature it once was. Some of this can be credited to the Federal Reserve cutting back a bond-buying program. The Fed reduced purchases from $40 billion to $20 billion, and helped bring the interest levels down.
This relates to the unit because this unit had monetary policy on it. The Fed reduced government purchases, and people were able to spend their money on housing because of the low interest. The housing market is predicted to have a small revival, and many people are happy about this. It's good that this is happening because it can help get our economy back on track. The Fed did a good thing by reducing spending and helping the economy get back into shape.
Arkansas Clerk Issues 1st Gay Marriage License (8)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/10/arkansas-gay-marriage-license_n_5301617.html
An Arkansas clerk issues the first gay marriage license on Saturday, the first one ever in a Dixie state. This can be mostly accredited to the fight that many lesbian, gay, or even straight members have been in for many years now. They have continued to put the heat on state governments to allow the marriage of same sex couples, and it is estimated that various LBGT groups have over 70 lawsuits seeking marriage equality are pending in 30 states.
This relates to the unit because it shows how interest groups can help fight for civil rights. Interest groups can complain to their congressmen and get their attention. With enough supporters in their interest groups, congressmen will be forced to help them fight for what they want, or suffer when they go to re-elect. This is a great step in the right direction in terms of civil equality. In my opinion, many other states should follow in Arkansas' footsteps and help the LBGT community get what they want, a marriage. There is no reason why your sexual orientation should affect your rights.
An Arkansas clerk issues the first gay marriage license on Saturday, the first one ever in a Dixie state. This can be mostly accredited to the fight that many lesbian, gay, or even straight members have been in for many years now. They have continued to put the heat on state governments to allow the marriage of same sex couples, and it is estimated that various LBGT groups have over 70 lawsuits seeking marriage equality are pending in 30 states.
This relates to the unit because it shows how interest groups can help fight for civil rights. Interest groups can complain to their congressmen and get their attention. With enough supporters in their interest groups, congressmen will be forced to help them fight for what they want, or suffer when they go to re-elect. This is a great step in the right direction in terms of civil equality. In my opinion, many other states should follow in Arkansas' footsteps and help the LBGT community get what they want, a marriage. There is no reason why your sexual orientation should affect your rights.