1. Amendments 12, 13, 14, & 15 are often referred to as a major turning point in US government policy. Explain the importance of these amendments.
2. Why do you suppose these amendments were passed when they were given how popular white supremacy has been in the US?
3. Describe the amendment from the rest of the list (16-27) that you find most significant and make an argument for why we should consider it especially important.
1 & 2. The 12th amendment is important because it gives us he people the right to choose a president and a vice president. and by choose i mean take part in electing representatives that vote for us in electing a president and vice president. It states the criteria and states in writing the non changing criteria to be president and how one will become or vote for president. The 13th, 14th amendments deal with slavery. the 13th amendment was VERY important because it abolished slavery. At the time of the Civil war slavery was a huge part of why the North and the South had clashed. The passing of the 13th amendment freed all of the slaves and was the result of the North winning the Civil War. Many slaves were freed from their obligation to work but they were still exempt from certain rights in society. The 14th amendment talks about citizenship and states what requirements a person must meet to be a citizen of the United States. It talks about how a person who meets the requirements of being a citizen is given equal rights or as the constitution states "nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This was very helpful at the time because it should have guaranteed freed slaves equal rights. It was written in the Constitution to show as proof that times were supposed t change and these re the NEW written rules. i guess it was a way of letting everyone know that Lincoln was serious about abolishing slavery and making these amendments to help protect slavery ( arguably) but mostly help protect the US economy. And the 15th amendment guarantees anyone the right to vote regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." One thing that I find contradicting about this amendment is that it talks about race, and color and servitude meaning that slaves can vote but nowhere does it talk about gender. The amendments of the Constitution are supposed to support and protect those of America but here is i excluding rights to women.
3. The amendment that I found very important after the previous mentioned is the 19th amendment. It states that " The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." This amendment gives women the right to vote, and its about time since the 15th amendment had been passed already. This is particularly important to me because the time woman were having a very hard time being respected and being a part of society. they were stripped of respect and of rights because they were women. they were only subject to stereotypical things like cooking and cleaning and the thought of a women voting was crazy to men. Women were thought of as dumb and good for taking care of a home along with making babies. the passing of this amendment gave women the power to be apart of society and vote for something that is considered an American right.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Constitution Part B
1. Read and paraphrase the “Full Faith & Credit” provision in Article 4. What does that mean for gay marriage? Explain.
2. Read through the rest of Article 4 – Paraphrase the amended portion that begins, “No person held to … may be due.” Why does this matter?
3. Do “lethal injection” and/or the “electric chair” contradict the 8th amendment? Why/why not?
Full faith and Credit: The Constitution states that each state must give credit to "public acts, records, and judicial rulings" that take place in any other state. Each state has to basically respect the laws of other states, if they agree or disagree with the laws or not. This applies to same sex marriage because it could protect or restrict same sex couples from getting married. If one state allows gay marriage and another state doesn't both states must respect that law. So lets say two women get married in one state and decide to move to a state that does not allow same sex marriages. The couple is going to need proof of the marriage and depending on the laws of that state they according to the full faith and credit clause, should respect the marriage because the other state allows it.
The amended portion of article 4 states "No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due." During this time slavery was still in full effect, and many slaves were trying to get away from the south and go to the north and seek freedom. By making this " fugitive slave act" it ensured that slave owners whose slaves escaped from them would be returned to them to continue their labor. If any slave was found in the north it was the authority's JOB to return them back to the south to their owner. This clause basically protects slave owners and was written to remind everyone that no matter if you think you have escaped you are still owned and owe your services to your master. This was very significant back then because it shows how much restriction the government was trying to bring upon slaves. The thirteenth amendment, abolishing slavery made this act void and was a very significant part of the Constitution at that time.
3. The 8th amendment states " Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" which can be interpreted in many ways. For the sake of choosing a side I am going to argue that" lethal injection" and " the electric chair" do contradict the 8th amendment. It means that no person should be sentenced to a cruel punishment or unusual punishment and in my opinion a lethal injection or the electric chair does indeed fit under that. The lethal injection is used to KILL someone which is CRUEL, no matter what the crime is. Some may argue that killing someone because of the fact they killed someone is not being any better than them OR it is fair and as it is said in the bible " an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth". The electric chair is basically the same idea, sending electric shocks through a persons body is cruel and unusual and basically torture. So I would say YES it is a contradicting.
2. Read through the rest of Article 4 – Paraphrase the amended portion that begins, “No person held to … may be due.” Why does this matter?
3. Do “lethal injection” and/or the “electric chair” contradict the 8th amendment? Why/why not?
Full faith and Credit: The Constitution states that each state must give credit to "public acts, records, and judicial rulings" that take place in any other state. Each state has to basically respect the laws of other states, if they agree or disagree with the laws or not. This applies to same sex marriage because it could protect or restrict same sex couples from getting married. If one state allows gay marriage and another state doesn't both states must respect that law. So lets say two women get married in one state and decide to move to a state that does not allow same sex marriages. The couple is going to need proof of the marriage and depending on the laws of that state they according to the full faith and credit clause, should respect the marriage because the other state allows it.
The amended portion of article 4 states "No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due." During this time slavery was still in full effect, and many slaves were trying to get away from the south and go to the north and seek freedom. By making this " fugitive slave act" it ensured that slave owners whose slaves escaped from them would be returned to them to continue their labor. If any slave was found in the north it was the authority's JOB to return them back to the south to their owner. This clause basically protects slave owners and was written to remind everyone that no matter if you think you have escaped you are still owned and owe your services to your master. This was very significant back then because it shows how much restriction the government was trying to bring upon slaves. The thirteenth amendment, abolishing slavery made this act void and was a very significant part of the Constitution at that time.
3. The 8th amendment states " Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" which can be interpreted in many ways. For the sake of choosing a side I am going to argue that" lethal injection" and " the electric chair" do contradict the 8th amendment. It means that no person should be sentenced to a cruel punishment or unusual punishment and in my opinion a lethal injection or the electric chair does indeed fit under that. The lethal injection is used to KILL someone which is CRUEL, no matter what the crime is. Some may argue that killing someone because of the fact they killed someone is not being any better than them OR it is fair and as it is said in the bible " an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth". The electric chair is basically the same idea, sending electric shocks through a persons body is cruel and unusual and basically torture. So I would say YES it is a contradicting.
Winter Break
The two major holidays for me this winter break were Christmas and New Years. My break hasn't been anything special but it was still enjoyable. On Christmas eve I spent the day wrapping gifts and getting things ready for later on that night. Later on that night I went to queens with my grandmother and sister to spend some time with my fathers side of the family. It was a pretty gloomy day, raining and without snow but the air was still fresh. We spent the night eating and talking and laughing and singing Christmas karaoke songs. On Christmas day I traveled around to families homes to open presents and then went to a Christmas party to end the day with some people my age.
On new years day I went with my parents to church where they had a service for the new year. After that I spent some time with some friends and my sisters taking pictures, dancing and singing until 3 in the morning. We went ice skating later on that day and overall had some fun this holiday season.
Doing certain things on Christmas and for new years are part of the American way of life. I guess you can call it the " cliche" things to do on Christmas. I do things SLIGHTLY different but i do have friends who especially celebrate Christmas the " traditional way." I would say the American Christmas is getting a Christmas tree and decorating it with your family one day. Putting out milk and cookies for " Santa" one Christmas eve and waking up 6 in the morning and running to your parents to open gifts. Being a consumer and buying things IS the American way of life and if the holiday is Christmas or valentines day or a birthday us Americans have based holidays such as Christmas on buying things for each other, sort of taking away the real meaning of it. Young kids wake up on Christmas morning and instead of thinking about how we are celebrating the birth of Jesus they hurry to open presents. it just goes to show how meanings can be overlooked by material objects.
On new years day I went with my parents to church where they had a service for the new year. After that I spent some time with some friends and my sisters taking pictures, dancing and singing until 3 in the morning. We went ice skating later on that day and overall had some fun this holiday season.
Doing certain things on Christmas and for new years are part of the American way of life. I guess you can call it the " cliche" things to do on Christmas. I do things SLIGHTLY different but i do have friends who especially celebrate Christmas the " traditional way." I would say the American Christmas is getting a Christmas tree and decorating it with your family one day. Putting out milk and cookies for " Santa" one Christmas eve and waking up 6 in the morning and running to your parents to open gifts. Being a consumer and buying things IS the American way of life and if the holiday is Christmas or valentines day or a birthday us Americans have based holidays such as Christmas on buying things for each other, sort of taking away the real meaning of it. Young kids wake up on Christmas morning and instead of thinking about how we are celebrating the birth of Jesus they hurry to open presents. it just goes to show how meanings can be overlooked by material objects.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Ebay Assignment
I have just spent the last hour watching a dress that I wanted on eBay slowly but surely get further from my grasp. I decided to try to wait till the last minute to enter my final bid, entering only a few before to figure out how the bidding actually worked. After clicking the refresh button about 20 times I entered my last bid only to see " you have been outbid" in red letters.
I am surprisingly let down, with a feeling like I just lost at a game I've been trying to win.
During the actual bidding process I felt very anxious and even sort of a rush because the outcome was so unpredictable. I also feel very silly because it is now 1:31 in the morning and I find myself on eBay trying to outbid other people who are also awake sitting in front of a computer.
This connects to our American way of life because it shows how consumer based our society really is. there are thousands, maybe millions of people and items on EBay that people actually look forward to buying. Not only that but shopping has now been made more convenient. Anyone can now BUY things ONLINE and NEVER have to get dressed and leave your house. The American way of life consists of being lazy and " having it your way." This connects to capitalism because of the way it is being sold. Buyers are bidding and competing with each other to obtain products that are sold. eBay is a perfect example of how the invisible hand keeps the market moving and competition high. By combining supply and demand of things being sold, it is a prime example of how capitalism works in todays society.
I am surprisingly let down, with a feeling like I just lost at a game I've been trying to win.
During the actual bidding process I felt very anxious and even sort of a rush because the outcome was so unpredictable. I also feel very silly because it is now 1:31 in the morning and I find myself on eBay trying to outbid other people who are also awake sitting in front of a computer.
This connects to our American way of life because it shows how consumer based our society really is. there are thousands, maybe millions of people and items on EBay that people actually look forward to buying. Not only that but shopping has now been made more convenient. Anyone can now BUY things ONLINE and NEVER have to get dressed and leave your house. The American way of life consists of being lazy and " having it your way." This connects to capitalism because of the way it is being sold. Buyers are bidding and competing with each other to obtain products that are sold. eBay is a perfect example of how the invisible hand keeps the market moving and competition high. By combining supply and demand of things being sold, it is a prime example of how capitalism works in todays society.
Constitution Part A
Paraphrase preamble and list powers and responsibilities of the 3 branches of the federal government.
Please describe your feelings while reading and taking notes on the Constitution - awe, excitement, boredom, frustration?
Pick 5 of your best insights and questions from the 10 you constructed about the Preamble and first 3 articles
The pre-amble states what the government and those who live under it are supposed to uphold while living in The United States. It is the introduction to the Constitution and basically says that the Constitution was put together by "the people" and f or the people to follow to have a more "ideal" society. We are supposed to believe and follow the Constitution to reap the benefits of America. For example the pre-amble states " We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility..." The men who wrote the Constitution wrote the Constitution to create a "better" ( arguably) union for all and say that following the Constitution will do things such as establishing justice and insuring domestic tranquility.
3 Branches of the Government
Legislative- The legislative is also called " The United States Congress"and is made up of the senate and the house of representatives. Each state has 2 senators and the number of members from each state in the house of representatives depends on the population. The congress makes laws, controls money, ratifies treaties and can amend the Constitution. The legislative can also override a presidents veto of a bill, or refuse to ratify a treaty.
Judicial- The judicial branch is made up of the district courts, court of appeals, and the supreme court. The main powers of the Judicial branch is to hear and try cases that may be unconstitutional. There are 8 justices and 1 chief justice in the judicial branch.
Executive- The executive branch consists of the President of the United States along with the Vice- President, and 15 cabinet departments. The president is head of the state as well as the government. He is also in charge of the military and making sure that laws are passed. He can also appoint supreme court justices and override congress by vetoing a bill they want to pass.
Please describe your feelings while reading and taking notes on the Constitution - awe, excitement, boredom, frustration?
Pick 5 of your best insights and questions from the 10 you constructed about the Preamble and first 3 articles
The pre-amble states what the government and those who live under it are supposed to uphold while living in The United States. It is the introduction to the Constitution and basically says that the Constitution was put together by "the people" and f or the people to follow to have a more "ideal" society. We are supposed to believe and follow the Constitution to reap the benefits of America. For example the pre-amble states " We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility..." The men who wrote the Constitution wrote the Constitution to create a "better" ( arguably) union for all and say that following the Constitution will do things such as establishing justice and insuring domestic tranquility.
3 Branches of the Government
Legislative- The legislative is also called " The United States Congress"and is made up of the senate and the house of representatives. Each state has 2 senators and the number of members from each state in the house of representatives depends on the population. The congress makes laws, controls money, ratifies treaties and can amend the Constitution. The legislative can also override a presidents veto of a bill, or refuse to ratify a treaty.
Judicial- The judicial branch is made up of the district courts, court of appeals, and the supreme court. The main powers of the Judicial branch is to hear and try cases that may be unconstitutional. There are 8 justices and 1 chief justice in the judicial branch.
Executive- The executive branch consists of the President of the United States along with the Vice- President, and 15 cabinet departments. The president is head of the state as well as the government. He is also in charge of the military and making sure that laws are passed. He can also appoint supreme court justices and override congress by vetoing a bill they want to pass.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving
My thanksgiving was out of the ordinary compared to the past years. I was separated from my mother and step -father this year and I was with my uncle. Since I am very close with him and consider him “ cool” I realized how it felt to be without the people I spend my everyday with for a holiday and it was just different. Not only that but I spend the morning and afternoon helping out at my grandmothers church to feed the homeless. When I saw so many people that were homeless and didn’t have money to provide their families with a thanksgiving dinner it actually made me more thankful. It had been packed all day and was a sad sight to see. It was very eye opening and showed me the large amount of poverty in America today, but it was a good feeling to help out, even though it was for that one day.
Black Friday
For black Friday I didn’t really go out and shop at all. I knew that all of the store would be crowded and all the stores I usually shopped at didn’t have sales for black Friday. I did however go to the movie theatre to see the movie Twilight, and ate out at restaurants most of that day, but I wouldn’t consider that black Friday spending. Later on that night though I was watching the news and I saw some stories on the craze that was black Friday. Pregnant woman were sent to the hospital and a man was even trampleled to death at a Wal-Mart. People spent their days fighting over cheap goods and it just makes me wonder what this world is coming to. Its crazy how now more than ever people are scrambling to attain goods at a cheaper price, and it shows how far some people would go to get things for a cheaper price.
My thanksgiving was out of the ordinary compared to the past years. I was separated from my mother and step -father this year and I was with my uncle. Since I am very close with him and consider him “ cool” I realized how it felt to be without the people I spend my everyday with for a holiday and it was just different. Not only that but I spend the morning and afternoon helping out at my grandmothers church to feed the homeless. When I saw so many people that were homeless and didn’t have money to provide their families with a thanksgiving dinner it actually made me more thankful. It had been packed all day and was a sad sight to see. It was very eye opening and showed me the large amount of poverty in America today, but it was a good feeling to help out, even though it was for that one day.
Black Friday
For black Friday I didn’t really go out and shop at all. I knew that all of the store would be crowded and all the stores I usually shopped at didn’t have sales for black Friday. I did however go to the movie theatre to see the movie Twilight, and ate out at restaurants most of that day, but I wouldn’t consider that black Friday spending. Later on that night though I was watching the news and I saw some stories on the craze that was black Friday. Pregnant woman were sent to the hospital and a man was even trampleled to death at a Wal-Mart. People spent their days fighting over cheap goods and it just makes me wonder what this world is coming to. Its crazy how now more than ever people are scrambling to attain goods at a cheaper price, and it shows how far some people would go to get things for a cheaper price.
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