Stage Eight: Comment on Mieka's work #2

I agree with Mieka's view about abortion.

Abortion is a strong subject to discuss. But in my eyes it has positive and negative outcomes. If we illegalize abortion then it would break the constitution. For example, in the Roe v. Wade case in 1973 Roe challenged the constitutionality of the Texas Criminal Abortion Laws. In which they violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in the Constitution, which protects against state action the right to privacy..."

But people today still think abortion should be illegal because your killing Gods creation and if you agree to sexual intercourse then you should know and understand the outcome if pregnancy comes abrupt and be responsible for your actions. For those who aren't ready for a baby should consider adoption, because there are couples who can't give birth to a child. And it's not fair when a teenager can have a baby but choose to kill it because of their needs and wants in life. All I can say if your not responsible for your actions and don't make smart decisions sex is not something you should be doing at a young age other than better yourself in school.Between 2006-2008 3,108 women were contacted to give their child up for adoption, an average of 1,034 contacts per year.To know more about abortion here are 2 cites to check out.

http://www.adoptionhelp.org/adoption_statistics/2006-2008.html

http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_supr.htm

The New vs.The Old

Obama's Administration team has been doing very well, especially in the past 4 months since the election. Not only is he the first African American President, but he has accomplished in 100 days more than Bush's whole presidency. Obama's team have been a big help for Obama. Rahm Emanuel (Chief of State) helped Obama win Capitol Hill support, Timothy Geithner (Treasury secretary) deals with the economic crisis and the bailout funds, and Hillary Clinton(Secretary of Staff) makes visits to Mexico, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. So far in Obama's first 100 days he has passed the $787 billion stimulus package to better our economic crisis, declared by August 2010 soldiers will be coming back to the U.S. to end the war in Iraq, he also promised to mend health care in his first address to Congress, and a lot more. America stresses everyday if these risks the President make will better us in the future or create a disaster worse than what we are in today.

To apprehend further into Obama's accomplishments check out Change At A Glance.

Bush's Administration team had some major accomplishments as well, such as the $1.6 trillion tax cut, an executive order signed by Bush to create White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. When he announced the U.S abandoning the Kyoto Protocol, and passed the education reform plan called No Child Left Behind which was the first major piece of legislation passed by Bush, and a lot more. Here are some of Bush's Administrators; Colin Powell (Secretary of State) managed U.S. relationships with foreign countries to have a stable alliance in the War on Terrorism, Elaine Chao(Secretary of Labor) extended the Peace Corps's presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by establishing the first Peace Corps programs in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and other newly independent states of the former Soviet Union. Andrew Card(Chief of Staff) raised millions for the Republican national Convention in Philadelphia.Today people complain about Bush's presidency, all negative arguments pointing at Bush for this downfall America is dealing with now.

To know more about Bush's accomplishments check out President George W. Bush The First 100 Days Timeline.

Bush and Obama both have the same principles to better America in different ways. But the big difference is the speed in which the goals have been achieved. Obviously Obama is the one who has accomplished more than anyone thought he would, even though citizens expected so much from him. Once again we'll just have to see in the next 4 years what will surface of all these hasty actions.

Immigration Explanation

I agree with classmate Hillary Dodd. Illegal immigration is a strong subject to discuss with Americans today. Majority of Americans hate illegal immigrants with a passion, so obviously they would think of anything to stamp on them. I could understand why they would assume they are a big part of crime rates, but that is so untrue. I definitely agree with you. The U.S should change the procedure to become an American citizen so people could have a better opportunity to live the American Dream and immigration does need to be controlled in some way.
But there's one thing I don't get...I discovered on USCIS that one of the first steps you have to get a immigration visa number and to do so you have to be at a local U.S consulate or already in the U.S to file for the immigration visa. But how do they expect an immigrant to come across the borders when their not even allowed, unless their visiting with a family but I'm sure that's still illegal, right?

If you go to http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=8b76194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
they have so many links on how to become a citizen of the U.S. and rules explaining how you can get your case close. There is so many loops and hills they have to go through just to have a "free" life.

Diversity Lottery?!?!?! Are you kidding me, I can't believe we have this. The Diversity Lottery(DV) Program occurs every year to give 55,000 immigrants a immigrant visa. The State Dpt(DOS) randomly selects approximately 110,000 applicants, and because the number of applicants selected are doubled is because a lot of them won't complete the visa process. One good thing about this program is the applicant can bring their spouse and any unmarried children under 21 with them to the U.S.
Here is the link that explains more about the program http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=04f86138f898d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRDDon't get me wrong the program is for a good cause but to me it's down grading. As if their life is a game, I don't know if a lot of people understand what I'm saying but I just think it's like a joke. And I know there are people out there who would take this as something funny, those below them waiting for a reply in a program similar to a lottery for a better life.
I had discussed this issue with my grandmother and she had a different perspective "the immigrants come to the U.S for a better life but they take a lot of our privileges and aid, if too many migrate to the U.S how are we going to make room for those who already live here. There is no maximum amount for the U.S population." Which is so true, there isn't a number in the Constitution stating how many people can live here, but what are we going to do when there's no more room?

Do you know everything? Take the Naturalization Self Test similar to the actual test immigrants take and see how much you know.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.010cab8025677e19631ef89b843f6d1a/?vgnextoid=9ff98424f8304110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ff98424f8304110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

Soldiers Come Home

It is time for Iraq soldiers to come back to the United States. The war overseas has cost us up to $656.1 billion, causing us to dig a bigger hole in the debt we have accumulated already. The number given is explained more at http://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost_of_war_counter_notes.

Not only is the expenses of the war affecting citizens, families are suffering over ther losses of members in their family. Over 31,1o2 were wounded and 30% of U.S troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months returning home, http://usliberals.about.com/od/homelandsecurit1/a/IraqNumbers.htm.

"Iraq is not only the second longest war in U.S. history (after Vietnam), it is also the second most costly -- surpassed only by World War II." The Iraq War alone put the U.S $1 trillion more in debt, acquired only at the end of Bush's Administration. All I can do is throw numbers at you to notice how big of a deal bringing our soldiers home could help us save money and lives. $640 billion out of $11.1 trillion is spent on the Department of Defense. All this money we use for weapons and gear for the soldiers we could be using for other problems. Such as Welfare, Education, Housing and other agencies. Ever since Bush started the war the U.S went down hill stably and economically. Hopefully we will see a difference when Obama brings majority of the soldiers back to the U.S by 2010. Which he announced recently to bring soldiers back from 140,000 down to 35,000 to 50,000 soldiers by 2010.

Is the Economy that Bad?

Bradley R. Schiller had an opinion about Obama resembling today to The Great Depression so he posted an article called Obama's Rhetoric Is the Real 'Catastrophe' on The Wall Street Journal. This article applys to majority of those who are wondering what Obama's plan is to cure America's downfall economically or those who like to read anything negative connected to Obama. The President introduced a plan called the Stimulus Package on Tuesday in Denver to improve U.S in debt. Obama implied today's economy is the worst since the Great Depression. But Bradley Schiller protested America is not even close to the Depression Era. The closest thing thats equivalent to the Depression is the recession during the 1980's, which you can't compare because the labor force equals the same as today. Schiller also talks about how Obama uses one of the top issues that effects us today as a reason to take a big risk; bank failure. Again Bradley proves him wrong, during the Depression thousands and thousands of banks failed. My opinion of the Stimulus Package is neutral, I can't say it will work or die slowly. But in my eyes I think Obama used the Great Depression just as an example to what our economic crisis can result to if we don't do anything about it now.

Obviously Bradley Schiller disapproves of the Stimulus Package and other ideas Obama has up his sleeve, but he isn't the only one who's questioning Obama's actions. On MSNBC the videos provided "what's at stake for Obama" and "reading the stimulus plan's fine print" question if the package will actually work or put us in more debt, and if it occurs we know who to blame.

Video:Obama's Speech-Stimulus Package
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29245070#29241976

Video:What's at stake for Obama?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29245070#29243772

Video:Reading the stimulus plan's fine print http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29245070#29245227

Progressive Federalism

Since were talking about Federalism at this time I happened to discover this article called Obama Seems to Be Open to a Broader Role for States. Which is about Obama's Administration, trying to give power to the states over the limits of greenhouse gases from autos. Legal experts presume this arrangement is a red flag in which to broaden the relationship between the federal and states government, "a new view of federalism." Some political leaders discuss their opinion of how this idea would be a positive or negative concept. Others explain we should do something about federal power because were not improving whatsoever. "William Marshall, a law professor at the University of North Carolina who was deputy White House counsel in the Clinton administration and a former solicitor general of Ohio stated, “the pro-regulatory folks realized in the last eight years that the old line on federal power being the only good power wasn’t correct, it doesn’t mean you abandon the federal regulatory process — you don’t, of course,” Mr. Marshall said. “But you treat it as a floor and not a ceiling.””