(Posting #5) Reactions to the AZ shooting

"TUCSON, Ariz. – Federal prosecutors brought charges Sunday against the gunman accused of attempting to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six people at a political event in Arizona." (Read full story from the Associated Press HERE.)

U.S. District Judge John M. Roll and five others were killed in the tragedy at a Tucson-area Safeway supermarket, and US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) remains hospitalized in critcal condition with a bullet wound in her brain.

Journalist Corey Dade wonders whether the "inflammatory language" that is increasingly characteristic of American political discourse could be a root cause of Saturday's shooting. Read Wade's article HERE. Pima (AZ) County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik (D) reacted in a similar way at a press conference later on Saturday afternoon; view an excerpt of his comments in a YouTube video.

What are your reactions?

(Posting #4) Judicial Review of Health Care Reform?

Please use this thread to continue the dialogue we began in class today: does federal Health Care Reform with mandates (aka the Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare) violate the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution? Should the US Supreme Court hear the case?

GO FARTHER! Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is a leading voice advocating legal challenges to Federal health care reform legislation. Read his thoughts (unfiltered) at McCollum's blog. St. Petersburg (FL) Times columnist Howard Troxler offers his opinion HERE. A conservative federal District Judge in Virginia has issued a ruling that may render parts of the health care law unconstitutional. Talking Points Memo reports on its blog that the Department of Justice will appeal, and suggests HERE that the case raises issues of partisanship within the judiciary.

THREE REMINDERS:
1. To satisfy requirements for this assignment, you must either: 1) post your opinion - thoughtfully; and/or 2) respond to one of your classmates' posts - in the spirit of deliberative dialogue. (Daily Work grade)

2. Criteria for Grading: To guarantee a ‘Gentleman’s C’, so to speak: a) write respectfully and thoughtfully, b) write a minimum of 5 sentences, and c) attempt to be “remarkable” — to borrow from Mr. Monaco's chapel speech — so that visitors will want to “remark” about your post.  Beyond that, write in a way that is meaningful and compelling. Period.  Students’ submissions will be individually evaluated based on overall thesis/ideas/creativity/style.

3. Remember to 'sign' your post with first name and last initial - so that you'll earn credit.

(Posting #3a): Thoughts on the War in Afghanistan

After today's discussion in class, I am confident that each of you has at least as much background knowledge as a typical American voter (and probably more!). Please use this thread to continue the dialogue we began in class today: what are your opinions about the on-going U.S. War in Afghanistan?

GO FARTHER! In December, 2009, President Obama gave a major policy speech at the US Military Academy in West Point, NY, outlining the rationale for the war. You are welcome to watch that speech in its entirety here or check out a shorter excerpt. For a contrasting point-of-view, consider this article in which Afghani activist Malalai Joya suggests that "...[American] occupation will never bring liberation, and it is impossible to bring democracy by war.” For more background on the conflict, please see this interactive feature at the Council on Foreign Relations website.

TWO REMINDERS:
1. To satisfy requirements for this assignment, you must either: 1) post your opinion - thoughtfully; and/or 2) respond to one of your classmates' posts - in the spirit of deliberative dialogue. (Daily Work grade)
2. Remember to 'sign' your post with first name and last initial - so that you'll earn credit.

(Posting #2b) 1st Amendment Hypothetical: "US v Terry Jones"

For a moment, let's assume that Terry Jones had burned the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11:

Would Jones' controversial actions have been protected by the first amendment to the US Constitution?

OR

Should Federal law prohibit the act of burning the Koran - to protect American troops abroad; to protect Americans from renewed terrorist threats at home; and/or to show the world that Americans remain tolerant of diverse religious traditions?

Read the background for "US v Terry Jones" assignment here.

GO FARTHER! For a retired Supreme Court Justice's point-of-view on the Constitution as a "living document" and the role of the Court, listen to (or read) NPR's interview with Justice Stephen Breyer here.

(Posting #2a) Problem-Based Learning: A Call to Collaborate on Project Design

I've been thinking about this Verizon advertisement: the Internet provides a forum that doesn't care about age and experience - only the QUALITY OF IDEAS...

PROBLEM: Younger Americans are less involved in the political process than fellow citizens who are older. According to this report from the US Census Bureau: "In 2008, younger citizens (18-24) had the lowest voting rate (49 percent), while citizens who fell into older age groups (45-64 and 65-plus) had the highest voting rates (69 percent and 70 percent, respectively)."

SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS / FRAMING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

1. How can students develop AUTHENTIC (real) VOICES in the political process - as we head toward elections this November?
2. How can students INFLUENCE the public debate on issues they care about in MEANINGFUL WAYS??
3. How can we MEASURE the IMPACT of students' political action on political leaders, on elections, on issues???

I want your HELP to develop a project that's broad in its scope, 'messy' in its details, and REAL in its impact. In the process, I envision playing a role similar to the guy in the suit from this YouTube video... can you imagine it? Envision it??

Let's work on this together: have a look at my DRAFT of the assignment:

• What are your thoughts about developing this PROJECT?
• What are your recommendations for teams working to define their projects and develop their action plans?

(Posting #1) Reflections on the Iraq War

I've created this thread so that we can continue our class discussion about the Iraq War. I've attached a link to President Obama's primetime address here - you may wish to view it again (in its entirety?) before you post. Also, it might be helpful to read liberal and/or conservative reactions to the speech. EJ Dionne, a left-leaning columnist for The Washington Post, offers his thoughts here, and Karl Rove, a conservative political consultant who worked for George W. Bush, comments here.

To satisfy the requirements for this assignment, you must either: 1) post your opinion - thoughtfully; and/or 2) respond to one of your classmates' posts - in the spirit of deliberative dialogue. (Daily Work grade)

THREE IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. Consider writing in MS Word and using copy-and-paste to enter your comment... at least until you are comfortable using our blog.
2. In order for the post to be saved at our blog you'll need to sign-in; use this opportunity to follow our blog!
3. Remember to 'sign' your post with first name and last initial - so that you'll earn credit.

Mixing is not Plagiarism... really?!?

I know this is a stretch because it's a long way from the current affairs that we usually talk about in Government... but... I can't resist hearing your thoughts about 17 year-old German author Helene Hegemann's new novel and the controversy (outrage?) over her "sampling" full pages from another author in her work. Interestingly, Ms. Hegemann has apologized for "not being more open about her sources." She did not apologize for using another writer's words without permission, though... she claims that "there's no such thing as originality anyway." UGH! I'm stunned that Hegemann's novel is up to #5 on the German best-seller list... and it's been nominated for a prestigious writing prize, too. Read the full story HERE and then post your comments...

Helpful Advice for President Obama?

In a recent opinion editorial, conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks offers a diagnosis for President Obama's sagging approval ratings and advice for 2010. Read the column here and then offer your reaction - what do you think about Mr. Brooks' point-of-view? What advice would you offer President Obama for 2010?

How Effective is a "Kick in the Pants" from President Obama?

How would you describe Ms. Stoltberg's view of Presidential power? What do you think of her point-of-view?

Health Care Reform: A Question of Values?

Columnist David Brooks has an interesting 'bigger picture' view on the debate over health care reform. Have a look at his op-ed piece HERE and then tell us what YOU think by posting a comment...

On Afghanistan: Don't Build Up? (10/28)

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman offers a contrarian view on Afghanistan: while General McChrystal argues for more U.S. troops, Friedman suggests that "thinking about how to reduce our footprint" in Afghanistan may better serve American interests.

What are your reactions after reading Friedman's point of view?

For Discussion - Article from the NY Times (9/25)

Public Wary of Obama on War and Health Care, Poll Finds
President Obama is confronting tepid support for his handling of the war in Afghanistan and an electorate confused about the proposed health care overhaul, according to the latest NY Times/CBS News poll. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/us/politics/25poll.html