War Gear Flows to Police Departments (FC)

 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/war-gear-flows-to-police-departments.html?hp&_r=0

                 
 The New York Times did a report on local police departments across the nation being armed with military style weapons; this is because of the whining down of the Afghanistan war and the ending of the Iraq war. I came up with two different views of my own, and how I really feel about  the situation. 


                


Point 1. No way is such heavy duty weaponry needed by a police department, unless the police across our nation are declaring war on its citizens. Furthermore, many small town police departments have either minimally-trained or untrained locals in a uniform who haven't a clue about the use of such weapons. Like so many other outmoded or disused weapons of war, they need to be safely destroyed by the military.

Point 2- I don't see the problem if police departments want to recycle unused military gear. Better that it has a second life than it gets turned into scrap metal. Taxpayers should remember that they paid for all this stuff. Plus, you can't expect the bad guys to follow the rules - you have to be prepared for anything. As the saying goes: better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Gear is in itself not evil, its just a tool bag. As long as police officers always keep the constitution front and center when they do their jobs, I don't see the harm.

Point 3- While I believe the current intentions of the vast majority of police departments in this country remains to be protect and serve the community, it is impossible not to be alarmed by the rapid armament. While I admit that what I have to say in the coming sentences is purely speculative, I also believe that skepticism now is something so desperately needed in many aspects of the way we are currently conducting ourselves as a society. The amount of special interest money flowing through Washington is incomprehensible. Election to office now goes to the highest bidder. The concentration of wealth to a select small percentage made them have tremendous legislative power. The media in this country is continuing to do a tremendous job of not only keeping the vast majority of the populace uninformed, but also the gross, delusional "political divide". All the while this country evolves into something which I fear will be completely unrecognizable. We need better education. We need the re-introduction of science. We need unity, common ground, rational debate and discussion. We need skepticism, questioning, and analyzing. Who is going to question those in power when faced with tanks, tear gas, and M-16s? MY VIEW

Free Choice- Carbon Pollution Regulations

       
    The Obama administration has created a monumental climate policy that will have a huge impact on future generations and even now. President Obama will speak and announce this blueprints on the propose regulations on Monday. These proposed regulations will apply to existing power plants, which produce nearly 40 percent of the United States carbon pollution, the primary cause of climate change.



   No single action the U.S has taken to address climate change is as important as this proposal. If we can dramatically decline  power plant emissions, we can start as a nation to make a big difference in the climate fight. The U.S is in the spotlight on green-efficiency and combating climate change. As long as the America lead in combating climate change, more countries will follow like China.


 
 The Obama administration had to act unilaterally, while the Republican control Congress was tied in knots on the issue. The administration proposal is legally under the "Clean Air Act (CAA)" The Clear Air Act was passed in 1970 and 1990 both  goal is to achieved dramatic reductions in air pollution and maintain a healthy society. The courts has already declared that the EPA has the legal basis to move forward with the proposal.  While the the courts are legalizing these proposals; it ensure positive results moving forward with other proposals.


 When the proposed regulations are released tomorrow it would be a historical, thanks to President Obama and the EPA. As a nation we must combat and find ways on improving green-efficiency and climate change.

Freebie

Obama claims victory in push of rollout (FC)

Heath care has long been subsidized for those without insurance. Emergency room care for those without insurance the most expensive way to provide care with the worst outcomes is largely paid by government, with minor contributions from charity and asset stripping from those who have assets and garnishing those with wages.

Visiting a Doctor to address long-term heath problems such as asthma, high blood pressure,  and diabetes should significantly lower emergency room visits, saving government money. And much more importantly improving the lives of those newly covered.

The subsidies are strongly means tested. You can get a subsidy only if you have very little income. Otherwise, ACA is an insurance program.

Time will show how many enroll, pay, were previously insured. Time will tell how much managed medical conditions reduce emergency room visits. Time will also tell how many gratuitous deaths are caused in those states that have done all in their power to make ACA fail compared to those that have worked to save lives and improve medical outcomes. 

Time will also tell if the US, spending about twice the money per person as any other nation but in 53rd place (or thereabout) in medical outcomes can do better. (WhiteHouse.gov) The rest of the world has already shown that this can be done for fewer dollars with better results. Let's use ACA to improve lives, and reduce health care spending.

Freebie

(FC) Health Care Reform

                                                                   

       Health Care Innovation

    The Affordable Care Act also known as the Obama care. This health care law was enacted in March 2010. This health care law has been through a lot of uphill challenges but on October 1, 2013, Americans can sign up for it. As of now there is a lot of opposition against the law; regarding the Republican majority in Congress. Today marks the 6th day of the government shutdown, which Congress enforced, since the Senate refuse to defund Obama care. This law is a huge step towards fixing our broken healthcare system.

   This innovation will help improve the quality of life of many Americans.  According to www.whitehouse.gov, “The benefits of the Affordable Care Act are pretty straight forward: the law makes it easier to get insurance you can afford, ensures you have the care you need when you get sick, and covers the preventive services you need to stay healthy for free”  Also this law will expand Medicaid and decrease premiums. Health insurance companies have to be more accountable for the American people. “If they spend too much money on overhead and not enough on medical care, you get a rebate -- just like 8.5 million Americans this summer”, according to www.whitehouse.gov . The health care law requires insurers to spend at least 3/4 of their premiums dollars on medical care. Now if the insurance company spends more than 20% of American premium’s dollars on administrative cost; that will result in rebate for the difference.  A lot of lobbyist and corporate leaders disagree with this law, based on the fact its cracks down on fraud and loopholes that is costing Americans more heartache.

 This family that lives in Baltimore shows why the Affordable Care Act is a success “My family is one of the reasons why I support the Affordable Care Act. It is one of the reasons I run an organization called Young Invincible that is committed to expanding opportunity, including health care access for young adults. Health care coverage protects me, my brother, my sister,  my parents individually, but it also protects us collectively.

 My brother, Arthur, for example, grew up with terrible asthma. The asthma attacks would keep him up at nights, make even routine colds causes for worry, or send him to the doctor or hospital. For my mom, the fear and anxiety for my brother’s health would keep her up at night too, just from the anxiety and fear. Fortunately, we had good coverage and my brother got the medicine he needed to treat the condition, and avoid attacks. He has overcome that illness, and now lives in Baltimore after recently graduating from college. My brother can still get the inhalers and other medicine he needs because he is covered under my parent’s plan up to age 26. That is just one of the benefits of the ACA and has already helped over 3 million young people gain coverage.  (According to http://www.policymic.com)

    The health care law will lower the cost for families seeking health insurance.  Over the next ten years, health spending will be more efficient and less costly. In part of the loopholes that will be stop and fraud; this will make up all the expenses to go toward the health law. In New York, health care plans set fall 50%.  According to www.newyorktimes.com  “Individuals buying health insurance on their own will see their premiums tumble next year in New York State as changes under the federal health care law take effect, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Wednesday. State insurance regulators say they have approved rates for 2014 that are at least 50 percent lower on average than those currently available in New York. Beginning in October, individuals in New York City who now pay $1,000 a month or more for coverage will be able to shop for health insurance for as little as $308 monthly. With federal subsidies, the cost will be even lower. Supporters of the new healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, credited the drop in rates to the online purchasing exchanges the law created, which they say are spurring competition among insurers that are anticipating an influx of new customers. “It’s been only six days and Americans are starting to feel comfortable with the cost.

    The Affordable Care Act will have a long-lasting impact on Americans.  Expanding Medicaid to those who are less fortunate is a remarkable way on bettering the lives of Americans. Throughout American history we have seen successful laws that have improve American health care system.  On July 30, 1965, President Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments which established Medicare and Medicaid, which provide a wide range of health and medical services for Americans of all age. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Social Security Act in 1935 which provides insurance and benefits, to those  are unemployed and retired.  Now, President Obama has reform health insurance and Medicaid, with the law “Affordable Care Act”

My proposal for clean energy (FC)

President Antwan Clark,

Clean Energy Standard

America must become more environmentally friendly. The Clean Energy Standard promotes:
1) Build foundation for a clean energy economy, tackling the issue of climate change and protecting our environment.

2) Increasing the use of energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydro power.

3) In urban communities and minority communities  manufacturing jobs, manufacturing alternative energy sources such as  making more solar panels around communities and advocating for more environmental friendly cars and technology.

4)  Manufacturing jobs that will build more energy efficient trucks, cars, and industrial complexes.

5).  The Department of Interior to approve more onshore renewable projects.

6)  The more regulation and inspection on farms, factories nuclear power plants, and oil companies.

7) Prevention on fracking that is damaging the lives of the American people.

8) The Department of Defense to provide energy efficient equipment and technology to American Armed Forces.

SSR- Denmark Vessey NYT article "Abolitionist or Terrorist?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/opinion/abolitionist-or-terrorist.html

 We've no shortage of Americans readily throw around the word "terrorist" any time a person or group takes actions to escape any of our society's forms of bondage.

Imagine it was the time of the American Revolution when the British occupied Charleston. Imagine Denmark Vesey and his family being white and being enslaved by the British and the remainder of the story playing out as it did, including the hanging.

Would Denmark Vesey be criticized as a "terrorist?" Of course not. He'd be proclaimed a great American freedom fighter.

But he was black, slaves outnumbered the whites in South Carolina, and whites lived in fear of a slave up-rising. But that doesn't attract many tourists. Racist critics call him a terrorist because they still want to portray black Americans as a threat, as outsiders, and to dismiss the truth that black-Americans are also equal Americans.

Feb 8, 1968, nine South Carolina highway patrolmen fired into a crowd of black protesters seeking admission to a bowling alley near the campus of South Carolina State University. Three teens, 17, 18, and 19 years old, were killed. 28 others were injured. Most were shot in the back. We'll know this place is changing when we have a re-enactment of that for terrorist.

 Even today, to study the Columbian Orator, the book Frederick Douglas took with him on his escape to freedom, and master the techniques of forcefully speeaking up to preserve your own freedom from lies and exploitation.

Professor Egerton writes that there is "no doubt" that Denmark Vesey was a violent man who planned to kill Charleston whites. While Professor Egerton may be correct in his view that Vesey was a violent conspirator, it should be noted that there is indeed doubt on this point.

Professor Michael Johnson of Johns Hopkins has put forth the theory that the story of the plot was fabricated or  exaggerated, and that testimony against Vesey was coerced to bolster the political fortunes of a Charleston politician who opposed the moderate positions on slavery held by the then-governor of South Carolina.

It is also worthy of mention that Vesey, when charged and executed, was a man of substance who had owned his carpentry business for over 20 years. He is said to have acquired property worth $8,000 at the time of his death, a substantial sum at the time. Vesey is also reported to have spoken three languages. Vesey's life story and his success are notable in the slave economy of the antebellum South.

While Professor Egerton's view of Vesey's trial and conviction may well be correct, there is an alternative theory that is worthy of mention. As well, Vesey's achievements are themselves worthy of praise in my hometown Charleston, SC.

PB- A daily dose of America's Politics

Fifty-four  bills were blocked in Congress by the Republican/Tea Party-controlled House of Representatives, this include the American Jobs Act, 2010 that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate would create 3 million new jobs in the country; the highway and bridge construction bill, high-speed rail bill, Immigration Reform, the Farm bill that would also provide disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers. The 2013 federal minimum-wage salary increase provision was blocked, five (5) Veteran-related bills, and the extended unemployment insurance benefits for 1.6 million Americans that expired on December 28, 2013; another 4.5 million unemployed Americans will lose benefits on June 15. The national credit rating was lowered because of the gridlock in Congress over the debt limit. U.S.-based rating agency S&P issued a "negative" outlook on the U.S.'s "AAA" (highest quality) sovereign-debt rating for the first time since the rating agency began in 1860 on April 18, 2011. The nation's "coveted" top-notch "AAA" (highest quality) credit rating was lowered to AA+ on August 5, 2011. The U.S. enjoyed the "gold standard" of triple-A ratings from all three agencies (Fitch, Moody's and S&P) from the time of their recognition as standards by the SEC until the downgrade. You might be wondering how this lowered credit rating and continuing gridlock for the U.S. affects you, personally.(Wall Street Journal)



The fact is that it would affect all United States citizens. None of us will be untouched by a poor credit rating for the country. It would cost the United States government and businesses more to borrow money. If it costs them more, then it stands to reason that it will cost you more, too. Those higher costs of borrowing money will be by necessity passed on to you; the consumer. The 16-day government shutdown cost the U.S. economy $24 billion dollars and 800,000 + furloughed without any shame. The first $4 billion dollars cut to SNAP (food stamps) went into effect on November 1, 2013. 16 million poor kids, 17 million elderly seniors, food pantries across the country, former Veterans (900,000) and some active-duty (6,000 est.) military families were affected. A mess was finally passed on 01/29/'14 that cut another $4.7 billion dollars from the SNAP program (total cuts=$8.7 billion dollars). The House SNAP bill is harsh. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates it would deny SNAP to approximately 3.8 million low-income people in 2014, and to an average of nearly 3 million people each year over the coming decade. Those who would be thrown off the program include some of the nation’s most destitute adults, as well as many low-income children, seniors, and families that work for low minimum wages. $39 billion dollars will be cut over 10 years, because of the 2013 budget sequestration.









The only positive thing that came out of the Congress during the 16-day shutdown was a provision that Congress will no longer receive an automatic annual pay increase after 2013. It is also important to mention that big corporations, some that earned record profits in 2013 like Exxon Mobil (second-highest annual profit in U.S. history) received $4 billion dollars in 'taxpayer' subsidies. Instead of having an American resurgence; we are in a "race to the bottom" in some areas with third world countries. Since Congress members are elected every two years (Senate: six years), we vote for all members of the House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Can you or the nation afford two more years of "crazy talk" (nonsense) and "do-nothing?"
Yes I do a lot of reading!!

CRR Why grammar is so important

In my English my class, we learn grammar mechnics and do grammar worksheets to improve our writing Grammar is important because it is the language that makes it possible for us to talk about language. Grammar names the types of words and word groups that make up sentences not only in English but in any language. As  a student , we can put sentences together based on what we learned.--we can all do grammar. But to be able to talk about how sentences are built, about the types of words and word groups that make up sentence that is knowing about grammar. Over the coarse of the year this is what i've learned about English. 


People associate grammar with errors and correctness. But knowing what I know now, grammar also helps us understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear and interesting and precise. Grammar will be huge for me to know heading in the future.

Chinua Achebe's "An image of Africa: Rascism in the Heart of Darkness"

In Chinua Achebe’s “An image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness” he focuses through out the article is his Conrad’s liberalism and racist views that he believes are expressed through his novel.  Achebe really focuses  on Conrad’s hatred for blacks and the native people of Africa.  Achebe is very clear and descriptive on how he feels about Conrad, he says “The point of my observation should be quite clear by now, namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist” (343).  He is very confident in his attack on Conrad’s writing ability and what he believes to be a book that should not be read by anyone ever again.  He describes Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” as “ no more than a steady, ponderous, fake-ritualistic repetition of two antithetical sentences, one about silence and the other about frenzy” (338). Achebe is very judgmental and hard on Conrad and his novel, but i believe that is was deserve.  The problem with Achebe’s article is he starts off saying that he believes this book to be nothing but a depiction of a racist point of view.  Later on he says that he is not a very good writer because his novella is “ no more than a steady, ponderous, fake-ritualistic repetition of two antithetical sentences, one about silence and the other about frenzy” (338).  Then he goes way out to left field and says,. 

The good thing about Achebe’s article is that he is expressing is views as a black man on a book that is very negative towards black.  Through out the book he keeps his thought focused on how much he does not like Conrad’s and his liberal views.  Achebes attacks are very direct when he states “That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely remarked” (343).  This is one of Achebe’s concerned be expressed in the novella because people will not speak out on it because the time period was in times of heavy racism.  His view on how students take the book is that “ Students of the Heart of Darkness will often tell you that Conrad is concerned not so much with the Africa as with deterioration of one European mind caused by solitude and sickness” (343).   This explains that he believes student see that Conrad is not concerned with the African people but is only concerned about the Europeans and their fascination with the distraction of the Africans. You

Why FDR is my favorite president. (FC)

 President Franklin Roosevelt's was one of the smartest and greatest president of The United States. President Roosevelt had polio, WWII, and the great depression on his plate and still maintain to achieve great progress. FDR "New Deal" fought the Great Depression on a number of fronts. In the famous "First Hundred Days" of his presidency, FDR pushed through legislation that reformed the banking and financial sectors. Unlike former president Hoover, FDR provided direct cash relief for the poor and jobs programs. 

 Just how President Obama use social media to communicate with the American people, Roosevelt's used the radion also know as  "fireside chats," in which he spoke to the nation about the country's problems to  calmed the worried  public.

In 1935 FDR created an act know as "The Wagner Act" which  allowed labor unions to organize and bargain collectively. Arguably the best legislation in American history  the Social Security Act, which set up programs designed to provide for the needs of the aged, the poor, and the unemployed, establishing a social welfare net that, covered all Americans.  FDR urge and heavily relied upon the idea that the federal government have to interfere more in the American people daily life. By the end of his second term, FDR and his advisers agreed that the federal government should stimulate the national economy through its spending policies, which is also known as "Keynesian economics"a strategy that held during the progressive era.

Nonetheless, FDR did much to reshape the United States. With Roosevelt as its presidential candidate, the Democratic Party won again in 1936, caaried out a succesful foreign policy during WWII,layed a greater role than ever before in managing the American economy, allowed the federal government to expand in need for the people,  and in protecting the welfare of the American people. FDR is the greatest president in American history; FDR created important changes in American politics and governance that would define life in the United States for many years to come.