Sonogram Requided Before Abortions

Texas lawmakers have passed a law that requires doctors to perform sonograms at least 24 hours prior to peforming abortions. I have read severl articles on this issue and belive that this is a ridicilous bill that is turing too many head in the wrong direction. Texas legeslators have many other pressing issues they should be addressing rather than arguing over this partisan and controvercial issue. Not only is this bill distracting officials from other issues, it also is very controvercial and almost uncertian if it is legally permissable. This law requires that doctors perform the sonograms wether the patients wants it or not. They have to forcably inform the woman and point out specifics of the fetus like the heart beat and hands. Supporters to this bill say that it is necessary to ensure that women who want abortions know what they are really doing. According to the Huffington Post, many officials think, including Rick Perry, feel this bill is necessary in protecting women, and giving them every opportunity to make the decession they want. I think this law is on the verge of intruding on many of our right and wont last very long.

Re: Only the Strong Survive

Hey Ben-I enjoyed reading your post especially since I care about this topic deeply. I think that above all the many, many problems our country faces, education should be at the top of our priorities. Yes, we need to focus on our fiscal crisis, our defense, and the border issues, but if we don't get our butts in gear with the abomination our education system has become, all the other issues will no longer matter because the United Sates will just be the country that used to be a major power. Developing countries are not just booming economically and technologically, but they put such an emphasis on education. Education is what will allow us to make the correct decisions for economics, defense, and foreign policies. If we allow all the other issues that are seemingly to be the top priority, then we are totally loosing sight on what truly matters. A student at a New York high school wrote the editor of the New York Times in response to an article that was published regarding the cuts school districts would be facing. They stated that a few weeks ago the principal announced that they would not be able to offer AP classes because they did not have the money. The student was understandably disappointed and felt betrayed by the system. They were a senior in high school and the year before they entered college, they wanted to take the challenging AP classes. The student wrote, “A year before college, I would love to pack in as many AP courses as possible. But come senior year, the opportunity just won’t be there. It seems ridiculous. We can spend billions on corporate bailouts, defense, you name it. Nothing, though, is a better investment than education. Give me the best possible education today — more AP classes, better teachers — and I will work to solve any conceivable problem tomorrow. I promise. We just need some cash, please.” This is an excellent example of what this issue of education is doing to those who want it and also shows the ramifications of this problem. If we cut education we are putting our country to a death sentence.

            I agree with you that we need to give these schools the money they need but I also think that we need to get the teachers out that are not doing their jobs. We need to make this profession one of higher pay and more prestige. Teachers are just as curtail to life as doctors. ALSO, schools need competition among each other. The strict school districts are allowing poor schools to stay around because they are guaranteed students. Make them compete and I am certain that we will see better results.

Re: to Sticks and Stones? Really?

Re: Sticks and Stones? Really?
I totally agree with you Janee'- I read a similar article on this and critiqued it on my blog. The ugly truth is that our constitutional rights can often hurt others. I cannot fathom why people would rationalize the deaths of the people who lay their life on the line on a daily basis for them. Our soldiers are the heros of the nation regardless of your opinions of war, homosexuals or whatever other issue someone could think of. Every death is for each one of us and when people cannot respect that it  makes me sick. I completely agree with you that the first amendment does protect the protestors. According to an opinion article in the NY Times, "The problem with punishing the protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church is that it would be un-American. When it comes to free speech, our country practices a kind of tough love." The American way is to at all costs uphold the constitution and our rights as citizens. Although in other countries such as France, who is considered "free", people can be punished if certain things are said.No matter how far we progress socially and as a society, the other ugly truth is people are never going to change. There will always be someone being oppressed and some group of people unhappy with something. I love every soldier that has ever served any length of time in the military and I try to make people more aware of what these silent heros do every day for every American citizen.

Ale Hoss said... I however would love for this to happen but considering the current financial crisis we are this may pose some difficulties. We first have some serious situations to our with our foreign nations and then we can consider domestic progressions. According to http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40814F83C5B13738DDDA10A94C405B838DF1D3 we need to control our spending and concentrate on the financial crisis in hand before we improve on the national transposition issueAle Hoss said... I however would love for this to happen but considering the current financial crisis we are this may pose some difficulties. We first have some serious situations to our with our foreign nations and then we can consider domestic progressions. According to http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40814F83C5B13738DDDA10A94C405B838DF1D3 we need to control our spending and concentrate on the financial crisis in hand before we improve on the national transposition issue

I however would love for this to happen but considering the current financial crisis we are this may pose some difficulties. We first have some serious situations to our with our foreign nations and then we can consider domestic progressions. According to New York Times  we need to control our spending and concentrate on the financial crisis in hand before we improve on the national transposition issue

A False Security and American Education

      In my opinion there are many issues of concern that the national government must change but I believe the most pressing issue today is our education system. As the leading country in the world we should be expected, and held acountable to produce the sharpest and most brilliant minds. Sadly, our students are well behind students of some developing countries around the world. It is a strange anomaly that many people in other counties want to come live in America because of the wonderful opportunity, yet still consider Americans to be “stupid”.  I noticed the idea in the previous sentence during my recent stay in The People’s Republic of China. The Chinese students I met were so highly educated in every subject with an emphasis in foreign languages. Every student knows at least three languages by the time they enter the university level, and his is a large advantage especially with the direction our world is heading.

      The entire idea of education in China is so structured and is based around disciplined. The students respect their teachers as if they were their parents, and their entire life is dedicated to their education. This discipline streams from their culture to have pride in their family name.  I understand that American society is not going, and should not adopt an entire new and strict culture, but there are some changes that must be made in order for Americans to keep up with the rest of the advancing world.

         First off, we need better teachers especially in the elementary and middle school levels. That is where students either make the cut or get left behind. If a student falls behind in these critical years, their chances for success in high school or college drastically drop. The government needs to set higher standards for schools to enforce. Let me be vary careful with how I portray this because I don’t want our education system to be a one size fits all, strict government run program. I think that the national government needs to set higher criteria for both students and teachers to meet and then the local schools can adjust accordingly to their individual needs.

         We need to make teaching an elite profession not just simply a job you can get after completing the necessary classes. We need to raise the pay and make competition in the profession, which will hopefully attract more qualified individuals. If a teacher is not bringing in successful students who are meeting the national regulations then they must be removed and replaced. The security of seniority should be eliminated and each year teachers should have to compete to keep their jobs just as they would in any other profession. If a doctor was not doing their job correctly, they would be fired, I don’t see why a teacher should be any different. They are just as important to the success of life as a doctor.

Moreover, I think that the public school system is a terrible institution that must be changed. Schools know that no matter how they perform, there will be students in their district that will have to attend their campus. I think that all schools should be privatized and have to compete for students to attend. This would take the low performance schools out of the picture and another higher performing school could then replace them.

Ultimately, Americans have a false security in their futures anf the future of our country. Other countries are well on their way to passing us up in the very near future. For the amount of resources and opportunities we have as a country, the level of our education is abysmal and a disgrace to our nation. We must break the trend of “the dumb American” and change our ignorant ways. This is a dangerous path and will certainly lead to the death of our county as we know it. If we continue on this path we will surely be the ones saying that we aspire to live in county x, y, or z because they are the new land of opportunity and education.

Funeral Protestors

      The most terrible event a parent could ever got through is the death of their child, and unfortunately,  America looses many of it's brave young soldiers each and everyday. With every death of a soldier comes the real life nightmare of every parent, and what could make their grieving process any worse than picketers at their child's funeral. An editorial article in the LA Times address the recent Supreme Court Case which ruled that members of the Westboro Baptist Church are protected under the first amendment to picked and protest at the funerals of US soldiers. The particular case that preceded this decision was that of a diseased US Marine's father, Matthew Snyder. He argued that the protesters signs displaying messages like "Thank God for 9/11" , "Don't Pray for the USA", and "Thank God for IEDs" were not only offensive for obvious reasons, but added a great amount of unnecessary grief to him and his family. The church members and their Pastor, Fred Phelps, claim that the reason God is killing US troops is because of the United States tolerance of gay rights and homosexual
activities.
       The author continues to explain that the Supreme Court ruled that under the first amendment the protesters have every right to be outside of the funerals. As long as the picketers are at least 1,000 feet away and are peaceful, they are exercising their American rights. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. explains that there was an eight to one majority on wether or not the protests are constitutional, and they did counter three argument against Phelps who was ordered to pay Snyder damages for "intentional infliction of emotional distress". The protesters were in their designated distance, the Snyders' couldn't read the signs from that distance, and none of the picketers entered the church or used any violence or profanity. The Chief Justice continues to argue that the protest was not intended to be a lash on that protocolar family or soldier, but is more of a message to a public issue. He quoted the 1989 Supreme Court case that decided that burning the American flag is constitutional, "If there is a bedrock principle underlying the first Amendment, it is the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." This idea embodies that although people may not like the ideas portrayed but it is their rights as citizens to express them, and it is not the governments place to tell them they cannot do so.
       I feel that this situation is a very complex and dense one. It really bothers me that people could ever protest someone who lost their life to give them the very freedom that allows them to even practice their religion not to mention protest for it. I fully believe that the constitution protects this right and the Supreme Court decision was
the correct one, but that does not make it the right one. The law is sometimes too narrow and ambiguous and neglects special situations like these. I honestly cannot imagine blaming the deaths of our brave and beloved soldiers that are dying for no other reason that to protect our country for the imperfections of our society. If the people who protest are that desperate to look for someone to blame, I think that there are much larger problems in our society than homosexual tolerance. Overall I support our troops no matter how I feel about the war or reasons they are fighting. I am completely understanding to being against the war but I cannot fathom ever abandoning and demising our soldiers.

The High Cost of Freedom

   In the United Sates we are granted many liberties that we cherish deeply, but what are the lengths to which the American are people willing to go to in order to protect them?  In 2001 under George W. Bush,  a law was enacted that caused heads to turn then, and is still raising controversy today. Uniting and Strengthening America By Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, more commonly known as The PATRIOT Act, reduces restrictions placed on law officials by the fourth amendment in circumstances of suspected terrorist activity. In the LA Times I came across an editorial that addresses this issue with an approach many Americans take. The author is trying to reach out the average American by making a strong point that the PATRIOT Act is an infringement on their rights as citizens. He presents a valid argument after introducing that the House failed to extend three provisions of this act. The author continues by explaining that he is not totally against the provisions that he believes will be extended sometime in the near future, but he believes one of them gives the government too much power. The third provision allows the government to obtain business records of suspected terrorist activity with simply a court order. The article explains that this is a direct violation of American's right to privacy, and search and seizure and presents his idea that the Act should require probable cause before financial records can be released. The author has a strong argument that many Americans would agree on, but i my opinion I feel that to those average citizens who are living their mundane lives, this law will never touch their privacy. I believe that it is our right to take whatever precautions necessary to protect our freedom, even if it means temporarily restricting some of our constitutional rights. Honestly, what is the difference between other things that infringe on our right to privacy that we have become accustom to such as DUI check points. A citizen can be driving down the street and drive into check point without knowing it and be required to present identification for no reason other than the officer requesting it. They then can search your car which in some cases may be a violation to search and seizure. Ultimately, our duty as Americans is to do whatever is necessary to protect American lives and above all, we must ensure safety, security, and preservation of our country.