The State of Union

The State of Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. In which the President address his overall plans in the next year before he is up for election again. This year the President addressed the Congress last tuesday at 9pm and this year the Congress all sat together to show the U.S. that we were getting along during the hard times since the shooting that happen in Tucson, where Jared Lee Loughner shot U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords on January 8,2011. Usually the Congress is split up and they sit apart but luckly they weren't. But the President had many plans that he says will set up the United States to become a better country in the next couple years. These are the main things the President went over in his address:

Revenue/Savings:

• A 5 year freeze in domestic spending projected to save $400 billion over the next decade
• Elimination of billions in tax breaks for oil companies
• Reductions in health care costs, including Medicare and Medicaid
• Reform for Social Security
• Ending the Brush-era tax cuts
• A proposal to "merge, consolidate and reorganize the federal government
• A ban on congressional earmarks
• a proposal to lower the corporate tax rate.

Expenses:

• Pledge to provide 80% of Americans with high-speed rail access in 25years.
• Pledge to have 1million electric vehichles on the road by 2015.
• Pledge to have 80% of the country's electricity come from clean-energy sources by 2035.
• New investment in biomedical research, information technology and clean-energy technology.
• A call to make a $10,000 tuition tax credit permanent.
• A continuation of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top incentive program offering competitive federal grants to local school systems.
• A call to "redouble" efforts to repair America's aging road and bridges.

Other:

• A challenge to pursue innovation in "our generations' Sputnik moment."
• Replace the No Child Left Behind reform.
• Raised the bar for the schools in the states and wants the schools to meet the bar.
• Creating new jobs for Americans.
• Expects to be out of Afghanistan by July2011.

The Republicans wore a red tie and respond only to some of President Obama's proposal and only claped sometimes while the Democrats wore a blue tie and clapped alot when President Obama talked about all of his proposals. The House Speaker introduced President Obama and sat behind him with the vice president. This has to do with everything in our gonvernment.

My opinion about the State of Union, for this to be the first one I watch, it was good. I think President Obama made alot of good points about what America needs to improve on when it comes to the problems and issues that we are going threw. I also think that the Republicans should of have been more supporitive when it came to the President making  his proposals. But it is to be said that the since President Obama is Democratic then the Republicans don't support that much and rather see a Republican as the Head of our Country. Well i believe we need to stick with a Democratic President like Obama. What is your opinion when it comes to the State of Union??

http://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2011

Skins:

It is to be said that MTV is now in hot water with the Parents Televison Council due to MTV showing Skins. Skins is a show, that is aried on MTV on Mondays nights at 10pm. The PTC is upset due to the show showing too much skin, sex, drugs, and other scandalous things that have executives and advertisers wondering if the show goes too far. The series has already lost five of the largest advertisments which include H&R Block, GM, Subway, Wrigley, and Taco Bell. All of the companys said that they will not be advertise during the airing of Skins. Skins is based off of British BBC series with the same name and has drawn considerable media attention as the next new hot thing that MTV is hoping will strike gold. But if it's anything like the British version - which it seems to be - parents are in for some eye-covering moments.In later episodes of the show, teenagers will be running through the streets with drug-induced erections, girls will flash their breasts and engage in underage sex if it is anything like the British show - or the first episode of the American version.

The Parent Television Council has complained to the U.S. Deparatment of Justice, the U.S. Senate, and the  House Judiciary Committees. The PTC complained, due to them saying that it is child pornography that MTV is showing. They consider it child pornography because of the sexual content and the having cast memebers as young as 15. Also the PTC considers it the most dangerous show on TV now. MTV responded by "saying the show addressed real-world issues confronting teenagers in a frank way"."We review all of our shows and work with all of our producers on an ongoing basis to ensure our shows comply with laws and community standards. We are confident that the episodes of 'Skins' will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers."





This controversy has to due with child pornography which relates to Obscenity which connects to the ammendments. Which it has long held that child pornography is illegal even if it is not obscene because of the government's interest in protecting children, it would not let Congress ban pornography.
My opinion when it comes to Skins is that the show comes on at 10pm and it says it is for MA people(which is 17 or order). If your child is watching this show then it is the parents fault and they shouldn't let them watch it. If the PTC is upset then they should be talking to all the parents and telling them to turn off their childrens tvs. Everyone should let it be shown because it shows how teenagers act in the real world and it lets the parents know what they should watch out for their children and what their children are doing. Also, before you become a parent, you are a teenager and a child so the parents should know that tennagers do these things and the parents might even have done some of the things shown. Also the show also helps tennagers and it shows the danger to some of the things that can happen to a tennager if they try any of the things shown on tv. This is my opinion. What do you think about this controversy??




http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2011/01/21/2011-01-21_mtv_show_skins_may_be_in_hot_water_for_alleged_child_pornography_depictions_of_t.html

Threaten School District

On Tuesday in Texas, a small school district had roughly half the students out of school due to the school district recieving threats about the school district not coming down on its discipline hard enough. The school cancelled the outdoor activites, changed the bus routes, and posted higher profile guards in the city's eight schools. The Superintendent and his family was personally threatened in the letter. He stated that he wasn't going to "allow terrorism in Matagorda County, and we're going to fight this and have our community members help us solve the crime,". The Superintendent put the letter in the public for the public to help find the person who wrote the letter.But nearly 3,800 students weren't in class on Tuesday. Also theletter, riddled with profanity and misspellings, demands that Bay City schools enforce quiet in their classrooms and stiffen detention and suspension policies. The author, who claims to be facing a terminal illness, said his or her child was attacked after telling "some kidds to shut up in class one day." Also the letter states:
"You (expletive) bleeding heart Liberals have let the pice of (expletive) kidds run your schools. Now here are my rules. Break one and see what happens," reads the letter, received December 28. The letter also threatens to kill a random child due to the Superintendent children being already protected.But the person who sent the letter chose to come at the situation wrong in the first place and probly won't be able to solve the problem now.







I believe that the person who sent the letter was in the wrong for stepping at a school district over discipline. If the person was that upset, he or she should of went to the Board of Education and talk it over with them instead of senting a threat letter which is putting alot of people in danger. I hope the person get caught and get they get help. They need to go see a therapist about their personal problems and their problems they have with the school district. I believe this has to do with bullying and the person is becoming a bully threw letters that they are sending in the mail which came from a fake address.Bullying has came to new levels and bullying causes more people to kill themselves.


http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/04/texas.school.threat/index.html

Food & Safety Bill

On Tuesday, President Obama is suppose to sign a American's food safety system. The last food safety system created was in 1938. This would give the Food and Drug Admistration authority to impose new rules to prevent contamination and allows the agency to order, rather than simply suggest, the recall of tainted foods. It is also said that this is the first time the FDA will have this much power due to the science based policies. It also will would authorize the creation of a food tracking system to quickly pinpoint the source of outbreaks.The legislation requires producers to assess ways in which their products could be contaminated and to take steps to prevent such problems. It also requires importers to verify the safety of all foods they bring into the country.The result will be a fundamental shift in the FDA's approach to food safety from reacting to foodborne illness outbreaks to preventing contamination. It is mostly said that it will make breakfast, lunch and dinner safer for Americans but it will create higher food prices for people.





My opinion upon this bill is that I am glad President is signing this Bill. This bill is going to help save more people lives and the more people we have alive, the better it is for more things to be solved in this world. I also believe that this bill can sorta help shape American to become more healthier and to be more in shape and out of the "fat area".

This is my opinion and what is your opinion?

This was started off as a Public Opinion and had enough voices to be created into a bill. But it mostly has to do with the Food and Drug Administration.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/01/04/obama.food.safety/index.html

Transgender making history

Kye Allums made history by being the first openly transgender to play in a basketball game. Kye Allums born a girl and was named Kay-Kay Allums....first stated that she was just a lesbian but when Kay-Kay and her mom was texting each other and her mom said that she was " a young lady", Kay-Kay then realized that she was a guy born in a female body. So she changed her name to Kye. Kye Allums was offered a scholarship from the women's basketball team and plays on the team as a boy. Kye cann't start taking testosterone or get the surgery done if she wants to continue playing basketball and keeping her scholarship. So Kye is waiting to get all that done after college. The coaches, his family, his teammates, and the NCAA all support Kye. Kye also attends George Washington University. The NCAA rules permit athletes who are biologically female but identify as men to compete on women's teams as long as they haven't undergone hormone procedures. Testosterone helps transgender people make the transition from female to male, but it's also a common performance-enhancing drug, and it is banned by the NCAA and other sports organizations.


This issue has to do with the Privacy rights...which states that an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively. Also has to do with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell..which basically states that don't ask a person about their sexuality and if they are homosexual or transgender that they don't tell anyone. But since Kye Allums came out..he still has his rights about him being transgender.

I believe that Kye should be supported by all the people that matter to him. I'm glad that he came out about him being transgender cause now he is maken a difference for the people that are transgender. If he wants to be private about his sexuality then he has his rights. Also, people should question him about why he did this or he is wrong for doing this. People should just support him or leave him alone. Whats your thought or opinion upon this situatin?




http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/dave_zirin/11/16/kye.allums/index.html?hpt=C2

Don't Ask, Don't Tell.....

Do we keep "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or do we let it go...that is the question that has been going around for a while. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a policy that has to do with homosexual people that are in the military. The policy came to surface when former President Bill Clinton passed the policy in 1993. Ever since then the policy has up and downs upon what all the policy should say.The "Don’t Ask" provision mandates that military or appointed officials will not ask about or require members to reveal their sexual orientation. The "Don’t Tell" states that a member may be discharged for claiming to be a homosexual or bisexual or making a statement indicating a tendency towards or intent to engage in homosexual activities.



Since then their has been many people who supported the Dont't Ask, Don't Tell policy... the main group that has done alot for the policy is the Log Cabin Republicians. The Log Cabin Republicians mainly support Republicians and homosexual people. The Log Cabin Republicians want the policy to be suspended due to openly gay or lesbian people being kicked out of the military. The LCR has filed a lawsuit against the US and in the lawsuit a federal district judge declared the policy to be unconstitutional.Obama officials want the policy repealed, but oppose a court ruling to end it. During the wait for the Supreme Court to decide the policy on gays in the military remains in effect until the appeals process is complete.


I believe that the policy should stay in the military and that the Supreme Court should add a couple different and more things to the policy like if a person entering the military is open about their sexuality, that they still can be drafted. Regardless to if the person is gay, lesbian, transgenger, open about it or closed..... Everybody is equal and should have the same rights as a straight person. Our laws need to be more specific when it comes to things like this also our amendments need to have more information about LGBT rights. This is just my opinion....what is yours when it comes to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and LGBT ?????

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/12/scotus.gays.military/index.html?iref=allsearch

Does Obama stand a chance in 2012??

{Reflection Project}
From the mid-term election,the Democracts lost it's control in the House of Representatives, state governorships, and in the majority of state legislatures. They still kept hold of the Senate but everybody is still questioning what's going to happen to President Obama in 2012.... Will he continue into his second term or will someone else take control of our country?? Just from the mid-term election the Republicans gained alot. They took control in the House of Representatives, the state governorships, the state legislatures, and one chamber in five states. But they couldn't take over in the Senate. In order for President Obama to have a chance in the 2012 election, he is going to have to make a come back like former President Clinton did. President Obama is going to have to sell the liberal wing of the Democratic Party if he wants to get reelected in 2012. He also going to have to become a solo operator and step out of the box and reintroduce himself to the American public. President Obama also going to have to keep the Democracts on the same page as himself also. Another big task President Obama is going to have to do is step to the Republican Party and try to get their support which will be hard. To most conservative activists, their views upon working with President Obama is unacceptable and the moment you start working with the Democracts you're at risk of a primary challenge, which is a real threat to them.

When it comes to who else will be running against President Obama in 2012, the political elites are Mitt Romney( former Massachusetts governor), Sarah Palin( former Alaska governor), Mike Huckabee( former Arkansas governor),and Newt Gingrich( former House Speaker) for the Republicians. President Obama, Alvub Greene( former U.S. Senate), and Jimmy McMillan( Political Activist) fot the Democratics. For the political cleavages it was a definding moment for the democratics due to the women coming out to vote but the Africian Americans didn't coming out to vote as they did in 2008. The men came out and voted for the republican during the midterm elections in 2010. For the political socialization if you are liberal you should listen to huffington press(powerful online newspaper). If you are conservative you should listen to the Fox News and when you want to be moderate then go to News Hour on PBS. For moderate, most people in New England they support both(moderate) but they just elected a Republician governor so they are going to be dealing with alot. The Public's Opinion on Presidnet Obama is that President Obama is not doing a great job in his presidency. His ranking in the polls has continuously gone down in the lasst year. I feel President Obama should be left alone to continue to learn hoe to be an effective president! The politicial ideology of conservative and liberal are very different and you can see this threw my idea of the upcoming election in 2012.In the polls, it states that President Obama job approval is at 47% and has went up a little bit from the weeks earlier.








http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2030744,00.html

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/16/colin.powell/index.html?hpt=P1&iref=NS1

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/09/democrats.look.ahead/index.html?hpt=Sbin

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/18/start.treaty/index.html?hpt=Sbin