Essay Questions:
1. Since the 20th century the U.S. has tackled the issue of becoming a powerful, independent nation. How did the leaders of the U.S. impact this plan in the 20th and 21th century?
2. Starting with the 20th century, how has the role of gender and class changed throughout Americas history? Especially the difference of gender roles between WWI and WWII.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Current Events
How toxic are our Surroundings?
After a long day at school and work, do you usually throw something quick into the microwave? With people’s lives as busy as they are today, this has become a common trend. What’s the problem with this? Nicholas D. Kristof informs us in his article. Breast cancer has become a disease that many women, Americans in particular have been fighting more so since 1975. The breast cancer rate has risen from 1% in 1975 to 12% today, as well as asthma and leukemia in children has increased over the years.
Since World War II 80,000 new chemicals have been created, and not all of these have been tested for toxicity. One theory was that ethnicity has something to do with this increase. But, this was proven wrong when a study done by Dr. Goldfarb showed that when the ethnic woman moved to the U.S. she encountered a higher risk of getting breast cancer. This shows that something in our environment is harming us.
Western women have gradually started their menstrual cycle earlier and earlier since the year 1800. The earlier you start your menstrual cycle, the more likely you are to get breast cancer because you have been opened up to pesticides. Other chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors have become a major concern. These chemicals are found in a number of plastics and even the makeup we wear. These endocrine disruptors can trigger hormonal changes. These disruptors are similar to estrogen therefore they trick the body into these hormonal changes.
A representative of the House, Louise Slaughter, wants to put a system into effect that will monitor these endocrine disruptors. Until this becomes a reality, you can try to prevent your chances of breast cancer by not microwaving things in plastic containers, and not putting plastic in the dishwasher. The more heat exposed to plastic containers, the more likely it is that chemicals will seep out, and get into your system.
Hogwarts for College Anyone?
When your parents applied to college, it wasn’t based off of whether the school was “hogwartsesque” enough. Times have definitely changed since then. Schools such as Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard, and Boston College have quickly caught onto selling the Hogwarts look to their students. Dartmouth has a room that is known for its “Hogwarts feel.” Cornell was ranked in the top five colleges in America that resembles Hogwarts the most. This ranking obviously attracts Harry Potter fans from across the globe. At Harvard, a tour guide told his group that their intramural sports were very similar to the Hogwarts House Cup. All of these colleges sound great, right? Everyone dreams of going to Hogwarts after seeing the movies and reading the books.
The Problem: these schools are placing a fantasy world into reality, which takes the goal off of education. They’re trying too hard to attract students to their schools by making it more “hogwartsesque.” Schools such as Swarthmore and Williams focus on education, not the fantasy world.
When choosing your school, make sure to keep reality in check and your fantasy getaways remain a fantasy.
After a long day at school and work, do you usually throw something quick into the microwave? With people’s lives as busy as they are today, this has become a common trend. What’s the problem with this? Nicholas D. Kristof informs us in his article. Breast cancer has become a disease that many women, Americans in particular have been fighting more so since 1975. The breast cancer rate has risen from 1% in 1975 to 12% today, as well as asthma and leukemia in children has increased over the years.
Since World War II 80,000 new chemicals have been created, and not all of these have been tested for toxicity. One theory was that ethnicity has something to do with this increase. But, this was proven wrong when a study done by Dr. Goldfarb showed that when the ethnic woman moved to the U.S. she encountered a higher risk of getting breast cancer. This shows that something in our environment is harming us.
Western women have gradually started their menstrual cycle earlier and earlier since the year 1800. The earlier you start your menstrual cycle, the more likely you are to get breast cancer because you have been opened up to pesticides. Other chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors have become a major concern. These chemicals are found in a number of plastics and even the makeup we wear. These endocrine disruptors can trigger hormonal changes. These disruptors are similar to estrogen therefore they trick the body into these hormonal changes.
A representative of the House, Louise Slaughter, wants to put a system into effect that will monitor these endocrine disruptors. Until this becomes a reality, you can try to prevent your chances of breast cancer by not microwaving things in plastic containers, and not putting plastic in the dishwasher. The more heat exposed to plastic containers, the more likely it is that chemicals will seep out, and get into your system.
Hogwarts for College Anyone?
When your parents applied to college, it wasn’t based off of whether the school was “hogwartsesque” enough. Times have definitely changed since then. Schools such as Dartmouth, Cornell, Harvard, and Boston College have quickly caught onto selling the Hogwarts look to their students. Dartmouth has a room that is known for its “Hogwarts feel.” Cornell was ranked in the top five colleges in America that resembles Hogwarts the most. This ranking obviously attracts Harry Potter fans from across the globe. At Harvard, a tour guide told his group that their intramural sports were very similar to the Hogwarts House Cup. All of these colleges sound great, right? Everyone dreams of going to Hogwarts after seeing the movies and reading the books.
The Problem: these schools are placing a fantasy world into reality, which takes the goal off of education. They’re trying too hard to attract students to their schools by making it more “hogwartsesque.” Schools such as Swarthmore and Williams focus on education, not the fantasy world.
When choosing your school, make sure to keep reality in check and your fantasy getaways remain a fantasy.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Obamas Speech on Afghanistan
Barack Obama’s speech about our involvement in Afghanistan was very straightforward, and informed the American people by laying out the facts. Our reasons for being involved in Afghanistan are: prevent the Taliban from taking over the government, to break Al-Qaida’s momentum, and to train leaders in Afghanistan to protect the civilians and security of the country. These main points were then followed by Barack Obama’s plan to resolve these issues. The plan is to take military action by sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan by early 2010. The reason for doing so is to break the Taliban’s momentum and increase Afghanistan’s way of ruling themselves in a safe environment. The key to America’s success is when our troop’s transition out of Afghanistan, back home, but Afghanis can stand on their own two feet to lead themselves and be secure while doing so. The Afghanistan people can only be safe though when the Taliban and Al-Qaida has been successfully repressed, which is part of Barack Obama’s plan. Once this has been accomplished and the Afghanis are leading themselves, they also need to take full responsibility for their actions, which will hopefully lead to a partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
Another topic that Barack touched on was American values. He states that we must go back and remember the heart of our values, even though we face different challenges in the world today than previous ones. Values such as opportunity and respect for others have been the core of our values, and will remain no matter how different occurring challenges may be today. While our values play a huge role in our decision making as a country, we must remember our legacy. The U.S. has always strayed away from dominating another country or place, and Barack Obama made a strong point about this situation. We aren’t in Afghanistan to dominate them, but to help build them into a stronger nation. We have fought against domination (WWII) before, and we continue this trend today to have a brighter future for the better of our country, and children.
Another topic that Barack touched on was American values. He states that we must go back and remember the heart of our values, even though we face different challenges in the world today than previous ones. Values such as opportunity and respect for others have been the core of our values, and will remain no matter how different occurring challenges may be today. While our values play a huge role in our decision making as a country, we must remember our legacy. The U.S. has always strayed away from dominating another country or place, and Barack Obama made a strong point about this situation. We aren’t in Afghanistan to dominate them, but to help build them into a stronger nation. We have fought against domination (WWII) before, and we continue this trend today to have a brighter future for the better of our country, and children.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Current Events
article: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/obama-on-social-security-changes/?scp=2&sq=Social%20Security%20Act%20Today&st=Search
other site that helped: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_Act_of_1965
Summarize: Obama and McCain dispute over the changes in the Social Security Act guidelines: helpful cuts for the elderly is playing a huge role in this debate, and bettering the system in general. Obama wants to make changes in the Social Security Act, mainly focusing on the elderly: if they have an income of $50,000 a year or less, he believes the income tax shouldn't apply to these people, meanwhile he wants to place a limit on the payroll tax. These two changes that Obama wants to make greatly differ from McCain's. McCain did support private accounts for Social Security which is what the American people had under George W. Bush and this isn't a very reliant system. McCain states that the system doesn't need to be changed, and the guidelines for the elderly in place already are enough.
Analyze: When the Social Security Act was first introduced in 1935 it didn't have any coverage that had to do with medical benefits, but it did give the American people benefits such as old - age pensions, unemployment reimbursement, and helped blind children. Since 1935 the Social Security Act has played a huge role in American society, and has attempted to benefit the elderly. To this day, as shown in the article, elders are still being cared for and there are still kinks in the system that need to be worked out. The history of the Social Security Act goes on for eternity, but each administration has tried to improve the act. This goes to show how the New Deal still effects Americans today; if the Social Security Act wasn't created in the New Deal, then we might not have it today, or we may not have critiqued it to such a level. Overall, it's quite obvious how Acts of the New Deal are still in place in society today.
other site that helped: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_Act_of_1965
Summarize: Obama and McCain dispute over the changes in the Social Security Act guidelines: helpful cuts for the elderly is playing a huge role in this debate, and bettering the system in general. Obama wants to make changes in the Social Security Act, mainly focusing on the elderly: if they have an income of $50,000 a year or less, he believes the income tax shouldn't apply to these people, meanwhile he wants to place a limit on the payroll tax. These two changes that Obama wants to make greatly differ from McCain's. McCain did support private accounts for Social Security which is what the American people had under George W. Bush and this isn't a very reliant system. McCain states that the system doesn't need to be changed, and the guidelines for the elderly in place already are enough.
Analyze: When the Social Security Act was first introduced in 1935 it didn't have any coverage that had to do with medical benefits, but it did give the American people benefits such as old - age pensions, unemployment reimbursement, and helped blind children. Since 1935 the Social Security Act has played a huge role in American society, and has attempted to benefit the elderly. To this day, as shown in the article, elders are still being cared for and there are still kinks in the system that need to be worked out. The history of the Social Security Act goes on for eternity, but each administration has tried to improve the act. This goes to show how the New Deal still effects Americans today; if the Social Security Act wasn't created in the New Deal, then we might not have it today, or we may not have critiqued it to such a level. Overall, it's quite obvious how Acts of the New Deal are still in place in society today.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
FDR's innauguration
FDR's main message to the American speech:
He is prepared to use his authority to help the current economic situation. He says multiple times that he will use this "constitutional authority" which shows that he has plans that abide by the constitution, and doesn't want to cross into other levels of power. He wants to take action right away to help the crisis, and if congress fails to help him then he will go the extra mile. He basically is telling the American people he will do whatever he can, and whatever he thinks is best as soon as possible.
He is prepared to use his authority to help the current economic situation. He says multiple times that he will use this "constitutional authority" which shows that he has plans that abide by the constitution, and doesn't want to cross into other levels of power. He wants to take action right away to help the crisis, and if congress fails to help him then he will go the extra mile. He basically is telling the American people he will do whatever he can, and whatever he thinks is best as soon as possible.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Homework on Great Depression
I did the second link on the graph with the different ethnic groups, and how this recession has affected them individually and as whole.
The first graph that is shown is of all races combined, and you can see since January of 2007, the number of unemployed has continued to increase. The most dramatic increase is from January of 2009 and September of 2009. But, what I noticed is that even today different ethnic groups are effected more so than others. This also occurred during the 1930's depression. You would think by now that our society as a whole has changed enough, and on to a new level and mind set, to the point where it doesn't matter what ethnic group you belong you. Obviously, this isn't the case. African American men and women of all ages, and based upon all different education levels have a higher unemployment rate (it's almost 15%). This current problem occurred during the 1930's, when African Americans and Hispanics were hit even harder by the recession. But, this graph does show that the more education the African American person has, helps their unemployment rate decrease. This goes to show how education is a big role in society, yet today a lot of African Americans aren't given the same opportunities (very common in New Orleans public school system).
The Hispanic unemployment rate isn't as high as the African American rate, but it's close enough. The difference though between this ethnic group and the African Americas: Hispanics don't have to be a high school graduate necessarily, and their unemployment rate is 15.1%, compared to 27.2% of African Americans without being a high school graduate. These two percentages shows how ethnic problems are still a huge problem in the U.S. which does relate back to the 1930's Great Depression. Racism is a common theme in American history, that still sadly stands strong today in our society.
The first graph that is shown is of all races combined, and you can see since January of 2007, the number of unemployed has continued to increase. The most dramatic increase is from January of 2009 and September of 2009. But, what I noticed is that even today different ethnic groups are effected more so than others. This also occurred during the 1930's depression. You would think by now that our society as a whole has changed enough, and on to a new level and mind set, to the point where it doesn't matter what ethnic group you belong you. Obviously, this isn't the case. African American men and women of all ages, and based upon all different education levels have a higher unemployment rate (it's almost 15%). This current problem occurred during the 1930's, when African Americans and Hispanics were hit even harder by the recession. But, this graph does show that the more education the African American person has, helps their unemployment rate decrease. This goes to show how education is a big role in society, yet today a lot of African Americans aren't given the same opportunities (very common in New Orleans public school system).
The Hispanic unemployment rate isn't as high as the African American rate, but it's close enough. The difference though between this ethnic group and the African Americas: Hispanics don't have to be a high school graduate necessarily, and their unemployment rate is 15.1%, compared to 27.2% of African Americans without being a high school graduate. These two percentages shows how ethnic problems are still a huge problem in the U.S. which does relate back to the 1930's Great Depression. Racism is a common theme in American history, that still sadly stands strong today in our society.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Ideas for newspaper
I was thinking an interview with Babe Ruth. Maybe after one of his big games, like the 1916 World Series game and using a quote or two i have from him from my research notes.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Questions for 20's project
Babe ruth:
How big was baseball during this time period?
How did he get started in baseball?
What were some of his biggest games?
What teams did he play for?
How big was baseball during this time period?
How did he get started in baseball?
What were some of his biggest games?
What teams did he play for?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
After the Fact -- Leader
Introduction:
The story of Sacco and Venzetti explores society during the 20’s, and the usage of the legal system. After World War I, veterans were re-entering society, and pushing against the immigrants for jobs. Immigrants started to be viewed as a threat to the “American way of life.” On the other hand, we must take into consideration the hardships of the immigrant’s everyday lives. As the tension grows in the nation, a middle ground must be found.
As we go into great depth of the U.S. legal system and its procedures in this case, the actions of the men in power will speak louder than their convictions.
Goals:
Legal structure
*how justice wasn’t served properly
What are some of the core values of the American legal system?
What is the legal system designed to do, what ideals does it uphold?
Did this case follow standard legal procedures?
What role did evidence play in the Sacco and Vanzetti case?
What kind of evidence is allowed and what isn’t allowed in a case? (Mock Trial)
*burden of proof
-have to prove beyond a reasonable that someone is guilty
*people were willing to put individual rights aside when they felt unsafe
Society in the 20’s (context):
Considering this case took place after World War I, what feelings of the American people arose during this time towards immigrants?
How did these opinions influence the outcome of the case? Keep in mind the beliefs of the judges and jurors.
-strikes
-judges and jurors were biased
How did the revolution in Russia influence popular American opinion?
Can you relate the society issues during this post- war time period to present day society?
The nation divided:
This case goes on for a couple of years. What is the difference that society is feeling towards this case from the start of the trial in July 1921 till the end of the trial in October 1924? Use quote on page 284: “On one side were arrayed immigrants…”
Davidson and Lytle said, “Two Nations – that was the reason for all the fuss.” How did the Sacco/Vanzetti case illuminate these two nations and who were they?
An American reporting after the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti: -quote on bottom page of 284, “America our nation…them slimy and foul.” What do you think this quote is trying to get across? want to bring in the last paragraph from page 286.
The story of Sacco and Venzetti explores society during the 20’s, and the usage of the legal system. After World War I, veterans were re-entering society, and pushing against the immigrants for jobs. Immigrants started to be viewed as a threat to the “American way of life.” On the other hand, we must take into consideration the hardships of the immigrant’s everyday lives. As the tension grows in the nation, a middle ground must be found.
As we go into great depth of the U.S. legal system and its procedures in this case, the actions of the men in power will speak louder than their convictions.
Goals:
Legal structure
*how justice wasn’t served properly
What are some of the core values of the American legal system?
What is the legal system designed to do, what ideals does it uphold?
Did this case follow standard legal procedures?
What role did evidence play in the Sacco and Vanzetti case?
What kind of evidence is allowed and what isn’t allowed in a case? (Mock Trial)
*burden of proof
-have to prove beyond a reasonable that someone is guilty
*people were willing to put individual rights aside when they felt unsafe
Society in the 20’s (context):
Considering this case took place after World War I, what feelings of the American people arose during this time towards immigrants?
How did these opinions influence the outcome of the case? Keep in mind the beliefs of the judges and jurors.
-strikes
-judges and jurors were biased
How did the revolution in Russia influence popular American opinion?
Can you relate the society issues during this post- war time period to present day society?
The nation divided:
This case goes on for a couple of years. What is the difference that society is feeling towards this case from the start of the trial in July 1921 till the end of the trial in October 1924? Use quote on page 284: “On one side were arrayed immigrants…”
Davidson and Lytle said, “Two Nations – that was the reason for all the fuss.” How did the Sacco/Vanzetti case illuminate these two nations and who were they?
An American reporting after the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti: -quote on bottom page of 284, “America our nation…them slimy and foul.” What do you think this quote is trying to get across? want to bring in the last paragraph from page 286.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Essay Workshop
Topic Sentences
Paragraph one:
The U.S. started out as a young country, striving for the best for its people; therefore Washington's farewell address and Manifest Destiny were closely followed.
-talk about Washington's farewell address
-Manifest destiny
-nationalism
-American core values
Paragraph two:
As the U.S. begins to veer towards the start of the war in 1917, the course that Wilson takes differs greatly from the original American values that have been upheld so highly in the past.
-talk about political reasons (haven't stayed neutral since the beginning of the war, which goes against U.S. neutrality claim)
-moral reasons for going to war (Zimmerman note - January 1917)
-economic reasons for going to war (needed a boost in economy)
*make a point after each topic as to how Wilson's path differed from American original values
Conclusion - tie everything up
Paragraph one:
The U.S. started out as a young country, striving for the best for its people; therefore Washington's farewell address and Manifest Destiny were closely followed.
-talk about Washington's farewell address
-Manifest destiny
-nationalism
-American core values
Paragraph two:
As the U.S. begins to veer towards the start of the war in 1917, the course that Wilson takes differs greatly from the original American values that have been upheld so highly in the past.
-talk about political reasons (haven't stayed neutral since the beginning of the war, which goes against U.S. neutrality claim)
-moral reasons for going to war (Zimmerman note - January 1917)
-economic reasons for going to war (needed a boost in economy)
*make a point after each topic as to how Wilson's path differed from American original values
Conclusion - tie everything up
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Essay Workshop
Thesis: Wilson’s political, moral, and economic reasons for U.S. policy change in 1917 strayed away greatly from traditional American values like manifest destiny, and Washington’s farewell address, that had originally been the values for the U.S. when making decisions in all situations.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Extra Credit Blog # 3
The U.S. started out as a country without much power, and many immigrants pouring in day by day. It took time to make states accept laws, and try to unify into one country. After much trouble, time, and fights, the U.S. rose to power and was looking to be a respected country. After annexing many islands (Philippines, etc..) people began to recognize the U.S. as a country of power. Entering World War I, and then playing a big role in the Paris Peace Conference (Wilson) we started to shape our future as a country. Now, in the 21 century, people look to the U.S. as a source of help, unity, and a solution to many problems. In this article, Cohen stresses the point of how Americans are starting to live their lives without many luxuries anymore. Many are going back to the beginning: the beauty of our country, and what made the people proud to be Americans in the first place. Cohen points out how Obama has changed the path, and stated that we cannot be the only country looked onto for help. Cohen also points out how the U.S. is known for their power, superiority, and giving all men a fair chance in life. Even though this is part of the foundation that America is built upon, Obama is starting to take a different direction because he believes that we cannot keep this perfect image in our heads, if we cannot truly achieve it. As Obama attempts to take our country out of the lime light, Cohen makes a strong point: if Obama cannot give the people of America the things that "money can't buy," then the country will fail.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
War in Iraq and Afghanistan
The current war in Iraq and Afghanistan has costed a lot of money, and lives, but i dont know how far into the acutal Americans everyday lives it should take affect. I for sure don't think the draft should start up again. It was ended because after Vietnam its popularity grealty died. We lost a lot of lives, and people didn't like this, therefore they reacted and the draft ended. I can't even come up with a reasonable answer as to why we are still fighting this war, because at this point it seems the main focus/goal of the war has faded. I do believe we can help the middle eastners, but i feel that we have invaded their lives too much. I don't think Americans should have to do a whole lot to contribute to the war because there are a lot against the war in the first place, and i feel that if the people were asked to do more, the government would be less popular, and Obama's already low ratings would contiue to decrease. Also considering the economic crisis, I feel like the American people don't have a whole lot to offer in the first place. A lot are worried about thier own families and how they are going to feed them, and I don't believe the American people want a war on thier shoulders as well.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Political Cartoon
How Some Apprehensive People Picture Uncle Sam After the War, Detroit News (created in 1898)
-Uncle Sam is representing the U.S.
-shows that the U.S. may not be able to handle all of these different islands (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Cuba)
-makes each child a island to represent
-Hawaii is pulling everything off the table = trying to show they cause a lot of problems
-showing the other three locations pulling on Uncle Sam, all trying to grab his attention
-makes these places look like they need a leader to help guide them
-Uncle Sam = U.S. = leadership
-Cartoonist believes that these places need our help, and that they are like little children
-Manifest Destiny - it's our responsibility to show others the right way to live
After the First Mile. Cleveland Leader (created in 1903)
-showing Cuba on its way to a better life style and economy
-has signs that state they now have better schooling and that they make a profit off of their sugar cane
-has little kids along with the older looking person = more population
-shows that over time Cuba has improved (the 2nd mile sign)
-they are still trying to improve their economy and lifestyle, but so far have done a pretty good job and are not stopping here or after the "1st mile"
-cartoonist supports Cuba
-only points out the positives about Cuba in the cartoon
The two cartoons:
In the first cartoon in 1898, Cuba is portrayed as a little kid or in dire need of help and can't stand on its own two feet.
Compared to the second cartoon, which was made in 1903 (a couple years after the Spanish - American War)portrays Cuba in a completely different light. Shows Cuba can stand on it's own two feet, and doesn't plan on giving up any time soon.
I think the two different years have a lot to do with the portrayal of Cuba - 1898 cartoon is during the Spanish American War and at this point in time America believes that it is their right (Manifest Destiny) to show others the light and to help guide. Whereas in 1903, a couple years after the war things are more settled.
-Uncle Sam is representing the U.S.
-shows that the U.S. may not be able to handle all of these different islands (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Cuba)
-makes each child a island to represent
-Hawaii is pulling everything off the table = trying to show they cause a lot of problems
-showing the other three locations pulling on Uncle Sam, all trying to grab his attention
-makes these places look like they need a leader to help guide them
-Uncle Sam = U.S. = leadership
-Cartoonist believes that these places need our help, and that they are like little children
-Manifest Destiny - it's our responsibility to show others the right way to live
After the First Mile. Cleveland Leader (created in 1903)
-showing Cuba on its way to a better life style and economy
-has signs that state they now have better schooling and that they make a profit off of their sugar cane
-has little kids along with the older looking person = more population
-shows that over time Cuba has improved (the 2nd mile sign)
-they are still trying to improve their economy and lifestyle, but so far have done a pretty good job and are not stopping here or after the "1st mile"
-cartoonist supports Cuba
-only points out the positives about Cuba in the cartoon
The two cartoons:
In the first cartoon in 1898, Cuba is portrayed as a little kid or in dire need of help and can't stand on its own two feet.
Compared to the second cartoon, which was made in 1903 (a couple years after the Spanish - American War)portrays Cuba in a completely different light. Shows Cuba can stand on it's own two feet, and doesn't plan on giving up any time soon.
I think the two different years have a lot to do with the portrayal of Cuba - 1898 cartoon is during the Spanish American War and at this point in time America believes that it is their right (Manifest Destiny) to show others the light and to help guide. Whereas in 1903, a couple years after the war things are more settled.
Extra Credit 2
The legislative process we have created ourselves has a lot more power over what the majority wants. After reading the article it is clear that this problem cannot be solved by combing SEC and CFTC. Even though this is what needs to happen, and the number of regulators needs to be greatly decreased, neither of these will happen. There are also different regulators, but for the same process. Therefore this allows businesses to play off of all these regulators and get what they want. Obviously this system is in dire need of help, and people want this system to change for the better. But, because of the system we have created for ourselves, the outcome that the majority wants won’t occur. The system has already been attempted for reform previously, and it didn’t go through.
In the 1970’s the SEC was part of the Agriculture Department which people viewed as an easy way to deal with things. Then, Congress started the CFTC but made it an independent agency which the agricultural committees from the Senate and House would control. From this point on, the Agriculture Committee had a lot of power which lead to them making their own plans that veered far away from the main focus: food and physical goods. To merge these two groups would mean these chairmen of the Agriculture committees would have to give up some of their power and say so. This is something that will never ever happen, and we have obviously created it for ourselves. We gave power to those who have control over the legislative process, leaving a fewer number of people have more say so than the majority. Therefore I do believe that the legislative process we have created is held responsible for the outcome of a situation.
In the 1970’s the SEC was part of the Agriculture Department which people viewed as an easy way to deal with things. Then, Congress started the CFTC but made it an independent agency which the agricultural committees from the Senate and House would control. From this point on, the Agriculture Committee had a lot of power which lead to them making their own plans that veered far away from the main focus: food and physical goods. To merge these two groups would mean these chairmen of the Agriculture committees would have to give up some of their power and say so. This is something that will never ever happen, and we have obviously created it for ourselves. We gave power to those who have control over the legislative process, leaving a fewer number of people have more say so than the majority. Therefore I do believe that the legislative process we have created is held responsible for the outcome of a situation.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Yellow Journalism
“Call To Duty”
-makes the reader feel somewhat scared à makes this war a huge deal
-dramatizes the news
-similar to current news today à tries to scare people and stress them out
-makes a bigger deal out of the situation
Example: “and the troops are commanded to move as soon as possible.”
-makes the American people think this war is going to be huge and that they are in great danger
-ignores the fact that McKinley had sent an ultimatum to Spain and they had started to make those adjustments
-makes the Cubans look weak because we have to protect them from the Spanish
-makes the U.S. look big and strong and in control of the situation
-makes the Spanish look unprepared for this war
Example: “the government has decided to deal a decisive blow to Spain at once by land and sea.”
-this quote makes Spain look weak as well, and the U.S. completely on top of the situation and makes the U.S. seem like they have a game plan
-meanwhile, during the war the U.S. army isn’t trained well, nor has the proper equipment, and a lot die from diseases
“Crisis Is At Hand”
-makes the reader have bad feelings towards Spain à “Spanish treachery”
-this quote shows how the writer of this article is making the reader feel that now the Spanish are turning their backs on America
Example: “Maine destroyed by an Outside attack, Naval Officers Believe.”
-this quote leaves the reader thinking that it’s a good chance the Spanish could have destroyed Spain
-especially because of the headline “Spanish Treachery”
-this article makes the Spanish look very deceitful à “McKinley suspicious of Spanish Plots”
-if the President is starting to question Spanish rule, than this leads the American people (his followers) to think the same
-the attitude that the President has affects his follower’s attitudes
-makes the Americans look smart in a sense because they have “picked up” on Spain’s plots
-at the same time makes the Americans look like the victim because there is a sense that the Spanish could have blown up Maine
-makes the reader feel somewhat scared à makes this war a huge deal
-dramatizes the news
-similar to current news today à tries to scare people and stress them out
-makes a bigger deal out of the situation
Example: “and the troops are commanded to move as soon as possible.”
-makes the American people think this war is going to be huge and that they are in great danger
-ignores the fact that McKinley had sent an ultimatum to Spain and they had started to make those adjustments
-makes the Cubans look weak because we have to protect them from the Spanish
-makes the U.S. look big and strong and in control of the situation
-makes the Spanish look unprepared for this war
Example: “the government has decided to deal a decisive blow to Spain at once by land and sea.”
-this quote makes Spain look weak as well, and the U.S. completely on top of the situation and makes the U.S. seem like they have a game plan
-meanwhile, during the war the U.S. army isn’t trained well, nor has the proper equipment, and a lot die from diseases
“Crisis Is At Hand”
-makes the reader have bad feelings towards Spain à “Spanish treachery”
-this quote shows how the writer of this article is making the reader feel that now the Spanish are turning their backs on America
Example: “Maine destroyed by an Outside attack, Naval Officers Believe.”
-this quote leaves the reader thinking that it’s a good chance the Spanish could have destroyed Spain
-especially because of the headline “Spanish Treachery”
-this article makes the Spanish look very deceitful à “McKinley suspicious of Spanish Plots”
-if the President is starting to question Spanish rule, than this leads the American people (his followers) to think the same
-the attitude that the President has affects his follower’s attitudes
-makes the Americans look smart in a sense because they have “picked up” on Spain’s plots
-at the same time makes the Americans look like the victim because there is a sense that the Spanish could have blown up Maine
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Extra Credit
The list of individuals that are “party animals” all have something in common. They started out as just regular men and women with not much to back up their names. They attend cock tail parties, gained knowledge about others, and soon move onto holding their own parties. For example, Rima Al- Sabah (the wife of Kuwaitis ambassador) is highly known for throwing very good parties, and not just for select people. She is known to speak her mind, but not in a rude manner at all, which catches people’s attention. Meanwhile, she takes this attention and power and makes changes/ makes things happen. This is what makes her well known and well liked: she takes her power and uses it for the better, but the root of her power comes from her knowledge.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Response on Obama's Speech
Mattie Cannon
Thompson
Obama Speech
9 September 2009
Obama’s Speech on Health Care
After listening to Obama’s speech on health care, I am thoroughly convinced that his plan will work for the better. He knows change needs to happen, and now. Reform on health care has been attempted for the past one hundred years (since Theodore Roosevelt), and it has never gotten anywhere. But, this time it’s quite different. So far, three committees have agreed on a bill and there is only one committee left that has to agree to it. This has never happened before, which is a good sign of change.
Before his speech tonight, a lot of people were uncertain on exactly what his health care plan stated. After listening to Obama speak, he gave clear cut ideas on what his plan proposes. For people with health insurance already, his plan will: make it illegal for a health care company to deny you if you had a previous illness. Many health care companies have done this to Americans and it is simply not right to do to someone. His plan will also make it illegal for the health insurance company to drop your insurance once you get sick. To prove that this has happened to people before, Obama talked of a woman who was to get a double mastectomy. Because she had forgotten to tell her health insurance company about a case of acne, they stopped covering her which delayed her recovery from cancer, and by the time she had gotten coverage back; her cancer had grown twice in size. These are the issues that should not occur in America, which is why Obama is stepping up the action on reform. Two other main points in his plan: the company cannot put a limit on how much coverage you can get. This isn’t fair at all to the person who is ill; therefore this greatly benefits the individual. The other concept is that the insurance company cannot make you pay more out of your pocket than you can actually afford. This is what makes people go into debt, and it’s a vicious circle that many people get caught in. These four points that I have taken from Obama’s speech greatly improve the lives of the people who already have health insurance.
For those who don’t have health Insurance, Obama has a plan for you. If you change to a new job or lose your job, you are still allowed to get coverage. There will be many types of health insurance plans that are affordable, but if you can’t afford these, then there is a plan run by the government. The plan run by the government isn’t something that you have to have, but it’s greatly encouraged. Another point that Obama made, was that it’s very hard for small businesses and individuals to get health insurance. To help solve this problem, he is allowing these groups to buy insurance as a collective group. All these ideas allow help to every single American, no matter where they stand financially.
Now to focus on the senior citizens, Obama has a plan for them too. He doesn’t want them left with hundreds of bills left to pay at the end of the day. Therefore, he is going to use the savings to close up the coverage gap which will help the senior citizens pay for medicine. This is a huge help for senior citizens, as they are usually not taken well care of. Sarah Palin made an accusation towards Obama that he had a death panel for senior citizens. He confronted this rumor in his speech tonight, claiming that he will not do this to senior citizens. Anyone in their right mind knows that the President of the United States wouldn’t do this to his own people.
Obama made very specific points that won me over: in Alabama, 90% of the population is controlled by one health insurance Company. This is not healthy, because this leads to lesser quality and higher prices. The company can treat their customers as badly as they want: can drop sickly ones. Which leads to another point that he made tonight: “consumers do better when there’s choice in competition.” – Obama. This is true on so many levels. The more choices a person has, the better quality coverage they will get. This doesn’t just apply to health insurance; it can be applied to almost any aspect of your daily life.
Towards the end of his speech, he began to get kind of emotional. He had passion, which shows that this is a topic that is very serious to him, and means a lot to him. He talked of Teddy Kennedy who passed away not too long ago. Teddy had believed greatly in health care and how it’s not just about the politics. It is about the “character of the country.” When Obama said this quote, something triggered inside me. It made me realize that the character of our country reflects greatly on our leaders when we need them the most, but also on the American people. We have to help others when they fall, and try to understand what others are going through. We as Americans have to work together if we want our economy to succeed and do well in the future. As Obama said, “We did not come to fear the future; we are here to shape it.”
Work Cited
Obama’s Health Care Speech, 9 September 2009.
Obama Speech Responde
Mattie Cannon
Thompson
Obama Speech
9 September 2009
Obama’s Speech on Health Care
After listening to Obama’s speech on health care, I am thoroughly convinced that his plan will work for the better. He knows change needs to happen, and now. Reform on health care has been attempted for the past one hundred years (since Theodore Roosevelt), and it has never gotten anywhere. But, this time it’s quite different. So far, three committees have agreed on a bill and there is only one committee left that has to agree to it. This has never happened before, which is a good sign of change.
Before his speech tonight, a lot of people were uncertain on exactly what his health care plan stated. After listening to Obama speak, he gave clear cut ideas on what his plan proposes. For people with health insurance already, his plan will: make it illegal for a health care company to deny you if you had a previous illness. Many health care companies have done this to Americans and it is simply not right to do to someone. His plan will also make it illegal for the health insurance company to drop your insurance once you get sick. To prove that this has happened to people before, Obama talked of a woman who was to get a double mastectomy. Because she had forgotten to tell her health insurance company about a case of acne, they stopped covering her which delayed her recovery from cancer, and by the time she had gotten coverage back; her cancer had grown twice in size. These are the issues that should not occur in America, which is why Obama is stepping up the action on reform. Two other main points in his plan: the company cannot put a limit on how much coverage you can get. This isn’t fair at all to the person who is ill; therefore this greatly benefits the individual. The other concept is that the insurance company cannot make you pay more out of your pocket than you can actually afford. This is what makes people go into debt, and it’s a vicious circle that many people get caught in. These four points that I have taken from Obama’s speech greatly improve the lives of the people who already have health insurance.
For those who don’t have health Insurance, Obama has a plan for you. If you change to a new job or lose your job, you are still allowed to get coverage. There will be many types of health insurance plans that are affordable, but if you can’t afford these, then there is a plan run by the government. The plan run by the government isn’t something that you have to have, but it’s greatly encouraged. Another point that Obama made, was that it’s very hard for small businesses and individuals to get health insurance. To help solve this problem, he is allowing these groups to buy insurance as a collective group. All these ideas allow help to every single American, no matter where they stand financially.
Now to focus on the senior citizens, Obama has a plan for them too. He doesn’t want them left with hundreds of bills left to pay at the end of the day. Therefore, he is going to use the savings to close up the coverage gap which will help the senior citizens pay for medicine. This is a huge help for senior citizens, as they are usually not taken well care of. Sarah Palin made an accusation towards Obama that he had a death panel for senior citizens. He confronted this rumor in his speech tonight, claiming that he will not do this to senior citizens. Anyone in their right mind knows that the President of the United States wouldn’t do this to his own people.
Obama made very specific points that won me over: in Alabama, 90% of the population is controlled by one health insurance Company. This is not healthy, because this leads to lesser quality and higher prices. The company can treat their customers as badly as they want: can drop sickly ones. Which leads to another point that he made tonight: “consumers do better when there’s choice in competition.” – Obama. This is true on so many levels. The more choices a person has, the better quality coverage they will get. This doesn’t just apply to health insurance; it can be applied to almost any aspect of your daily life.
Towards the end of his speech, he began to get kind of emotional. He had passion, which shows that this is a topic that is very serious to him, and means a lot to him. He talked of Teddy Kennedy who passed away not too long ago. Teddy had believed greatly in health care and how it’s not just about the politics. It is about the “character of the country.” When Obama said this quote, something triggered inside me. It made me realize that the character of our country reflects greatly on our leaders when we need them the most, but also on the American people. We have to help others when they fall, and try to understand what others are going through. We as Americans have to work together if we want our economy to succeed and do well in the future. As Obama said, “We did not come to fear the future; we are here to shape it.”
Work Cited
Obama’s Health Care Speech, 9 September 2009.
Thompson
Obama Speech
9 September 2009
Obama’s Speech on Health Care
After listening to Obama’s speech on health care, I am thoroughly convinced that his plan will work for the better. He knows change needs to happen, and now. Reform on health care has been attempted for the past one hundred years (since Theodore Roosevelt), and it has never gotten anywhere. But, this time it’s quite different. So far, three committees have agreed on a bill and there is only one committee left that has to agree to it. This has never happened before, which is a good sign of change.
Before his speech tonight, a lot of people were uncertain on exactly what his health care plan stated. After listening to Obama speak, he gave clear cut ideas on what his plan proposes. For people with health insurance already, his plan will: make it illegal for a health care company to deny you if you had a previous illness. Many health care companies have done this to Americans and it is simply not right to do to someone. His plan will also make it illegal for the health insurance company to drop your insurance once you get sick. To prove that this has happened to people before, Obama talked of a woman who was to get a double mastectomy. Because she had forgotten to tell her health insurance company about a case of acne, they stopped covering her which delayed her recovery from cancer, and by the time she had gotten coverage back; her cancer had grown twice in size. These are the issues that should not occur in America, which is why Obama is stepping up the action on reform. Two other main points in his plan: the company cannot put a limit on how much coverage you can get. This isn’t fair at all to the person who is ill; therefore this greatly benefits the individual. The other concept is that the insurance company cannot make you pay more out of your pocket than you can actually afford. This is what makes people go into debt, and it’s a vicious circle that many people get caught in. These four points that I have taken from Obama’s speech greatly improve the lives of the people who already have health insurance.
For those who don’t have health Insurance, Obama has a plan for you. If you change to a new job or lose your job, you are still allowed to get coverage. There will be many types of health insurance plans that are affordable, but if you can’t afford these, then there is a plan run by the government. The plan run by the government isn’t something that you have to have, but it’s greatly encouraged. Another point that Obama made, was that it’s very hard for small businesses and individuals to get health insurance. To help solve this problem, he is allowing these groups to buy insurance as a collective group. All these ideas allow help to every single American, no matter where they stand financially.
Now to focus on the senior citizens, Obama has a plan for them too. He doesn’t want them left with hundreds of bills left to pay at the end of the day. Therefore, he is going to use the savings to close up the coverage gap which will help the senior citizens pay for medicine. This is a huge help for senior citizens, as they are usually not taken well care of. Sarah Palin made an accusation towards Obama that he had a death panel for senior citizens. He confronted this rumor in his speech tonight, claiming that he will not do this to senior citizens. Anyone in their right mind knows that the President of the United States wouldn’t do this to his own people.
Obama made very specific points that won me over: in Alabama, 90% of the population is controlled by one health insurance Company. This is not healthy, because this leads to lesser quality and higher prices. The company can treat their customers as badly as they want: can drop sickly ones. Which leads to another point that he made tonight: “consumers do better when there’s choice in competition.” – Obama. This is true on so many levels. The more choices a person has, the better quality coverage they will get. This doesn’t just apply to health insurance; it can be applied to almost any aspect of your daily life.
Towards the end of his speech, he began to get kind of emotional. He had passion, which shows that this is a topic that is very serious to him, and means a lot to him. He talked of Teddy Kennedy who passed away not too long ago. Teddy had believed greatly in health care and how it’s not just about the politics. It is about the “character of the country.” When Obama said this quote, something triggered inside me. It made me realize that the character of our country reflects greatly on our leaders when we need them the most, but also on the American people. We have to help others when they fall, and try to understand what others are going through. We as Americans have to work together if we want our economy to succeed and do well in the future. As Obama said, “We did not come to fear the future; we are here to shape it.”
Work Cited
Obama’s Health Care Speech, 9 September 2009.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
USDA Government Inspected
Mattie Cannon
Thompson
After The Fact
4 September 2009
USDA Government Inspected
Thesis:
“The controversy over meat inspection reminds the historian that when a legislative issue involved the disposition of economic and political power, all three branches of government influence the outcome.”
Roosevelt wanted the best for his people, and didn’t stop till the end of the fight. Even though meat inspection regulations weren’t as big as a deal in the beginning, people soon started to pick up on these horrible conditions. Muckraking played a big role with informing the economy: “Muckrakers told Americans what was wrong with society, but not how to fix the problems arose nor what could be done about them” (Davidson 243). These photos also greatly influenced the American people’s opinions on society and government as a whole. Sometimes the people weren’t influenced for the better. This is where the government steps in, to help solve controversies. Even though the three branches of government have separate jobs, they all work together in the end. Each branch may not need to do as much, depending upon what the issue is. It’s a very long process, and for this Act especially, there was a lot of controversy and fighters from both ends. For example, Wadsworth and Lorimer tried to convince Congress their bill was the best decision, even though the standards weren’t healthy for the American people. Roosevelt continued to fight back: he used his power that he had over the Republican Party, used the power of his position in office, and used publicity to his advantage. This show that economic and political powers have a huge influence on the outcome, as well as the branches of government working together.
“As is so often the case, the political system achieved results only after the visible symbols and myths of public discourse had been negotiated, debated, and compromised in the procedural tangle at the heart of the legislative process” (Davidson 259).
Political cartoons informed the people, but objects were used more so to represent a bigger picture or idea. The problem: one person can interpret it one way, while another person may interpret it another way. This is what makes it harder for the historian when trying to figure out the exact message. This shows that it takes a lot of time to depict through the details no matter what issue is at hand. When Sinclair wrote The Jungle, there were people that were skeptical of it. Some believed that he made up the conditions in the meat packing industries, while others believed that there were worse conditions. Depicting these details took a very long time, people in the House and Senate who had different views. After the main ideas were depicted, they were then discussed. Even though this may take a very long time (as did the signing of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906) a compromise has to be made: “Yet Roosevelt prevailed in the end only because he recognized as an essential feature of the political process. He had yielded on points he considered less consequential in order to achieve his larger objective” (Davidson 259). This quote shows how Roosevelt had to give up some of the smaller ideas, to get his main point across and approved. He realized a compromise is the main objective in politics.
Thompson
After The Fact
4 September 2009
USDA Government Inspected
Thesis:
“The controversy over meat inspection reminds the historian that when a legislative issue involved the disposition of economic and political power, all three branches of government influence the outcome.”
Roosevelt wanted the best for his people, and didn’t stop till the end of the fight. Even though meat inspection regulations weren’t as big as a deal in the beginning, people soon started to pick up on these horrible conditions. Muckraking played a big role with informing the economy: “Muckrakers told Americans what was wrong with society, but not how to fix the problems arose nor what could be done about them” (Davidson 243). These photos also greatly influenced the American people’s opinions on society and government as a whole. Sometimes the people weren’t influenced for the better. This is where the government steps in, to help solve controversies. Even though the three branches of government have separate jobs, they all work together in the end. Each branch may not need to do as much, depending upon what the issue is. It’s a very long process, and for this Act especially, there was a lot of controversy and fighters from both ends. For example, Wadsworth and Lorimer tried to convince Congress their bill was the best decision, even though the standards weren’t healthy for the American people. Roosevelt continued to fight back: he used his power that he had over the Republican Party, used the power of his position in office, and used publicity to his advantage. This show that economic and political powers have a huge influence on the outcome, as well as the branches of government working together.
“As is so often the case, the political system achieved results only after the visible symbols and myths of public discourse had been negotiated, debated, and compromised in the procedural tangle at the heart of the legislative process” (Davidson 259).
Political cartoons informed the people, but objects were used more so to represent a bigger picture or idea. The problem: one person can interpret it one way, while another person may interpret it another way. This is what makes it harder for the historian when trying to figure out the exact message. This shows that it takes a lot of time to depict through the details no matter what issue is at hand. When Sinclair wrote The Jungle, there were people that were skeptical of it. Some believed that he made up the conditions in the meat packing industries, while others believed that there were worse conditions. Depicting these details took a very long time, people in the House and Senate who had different views. After the main ideas were depicted, they were then discussed. Even though this may take a very long time (as did the signing of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906) a compromise has to be made: “Yet Roosevelt prevailed in the end only because he recognized as an essential feature of the political process. He had yielded on points he considered less consequential in order to achieve his larger objective” (Davidson 259). This quote shows how Roosevelt had to give up some of the smaller ideas, to get his main point across and approved. He realized a compromise is the main objective in politics.
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