Monday, December 16, 2013

12/16/13 Bellringer

12-10-13  China lands on the moon.
12-04-13  Nelson Mandela dies at 95.
10-01-13  U.S. government shutdown.
09-07-13  Tokyo, Japan wins to host 2020 Olympics.
09-17-13  Washington D.C. Navy Yard Shooting.
08-21-13  Syria Chemical Attack Allegation.
04-18-13  Deadly earthquake hits China Sichuan.
04-16-13  Boston Marathon Blasts.
04-07-13  Margaret Thatcher dies at 87. 
02-10-13  Pope Benedict XVI resigned.



Wednesday, December 11, 2013

12/11/13 Bellringer

1.  No, I feel like it is an invasion of personal privacy to "snoop" in peoples personal data usage.
2.  Yes, I feel that we live in a society where there is no longer privacy.
1.  Would use this technique because it could be used to communicate terrorist ideas.
2.  I don't think any areas should be closely monitored.

Monday, December 9, 2013

12/09/13 Bellringer

1.  Yes, as of now they have the right to collect any personal data.
2.  Because it is a violation of the peoples rights.

Friday, December 6, 2013

12/06/13 Bellringer

Three of Mandela's greatest achievements were being a leader in resistance against the ruling National Party and its apartheid policies, was a global symbol for the cause of human rights and earned a Nobel Prize.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

12/04/13 Bellringer

1.  Yes, I think that this case could have a similar outcome in the U.S.
2.  That he is crazy, and thinks that the child should be beautiful.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

12/03/13 Bellringer

1.  It is controversial because it involves different religions and conflicts with that.

Monday, December 2, 2013

12/02/13 Bellringer

1.  No, prisoners shouldn't be allowed to vote.
2.  Yes, I think that when felons get released they should be able to vote.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

11/19/13 Bellringer

The editorial board of a Pennsylvania newspaper has retracted its predecessor's famous panning of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as "silly remarks.  Received by the newspaper in other areas of the Union.

Monday, November 18, 2013

11/18/13 Bellringer

The U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion while requiring the separation of church and state.  So I think it depends on the people and if everyone is comfortable in participating in praying before the public meetings.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Debate-- Euthanasia

Legalizing euthanasia would help alleviate suffering of terminally ill patients. It would be inhuman and unfair to make them endure the unbearable pain.  In case of individuals suffering from incurable diseases or in conditions where effective treatment wouldn’t affect their quality of life; they should be given the liberty to choose induced death.  Also, the motive of euthanasia is to "aid-in-dying" painlessly and thus should be considered and accepted by law.  Although killing in an attempt to defend oneself is far different from mercy killing, law does find it worth approving.
 
Mercy killing is morally incorrect and should be forbidden by law. It’s a homicide and murdering another human cannot be rationalized under any circumstances.  Human life deserves exceptional security and protection. Advanced medical technology has made it possible to enhance human life span and quality of life. Palliative care and rehabilitation centers are better alternatives to help disabled or patients approaching death live a pain-free and better life.  Family members influencing the patient’s decision into euthanasia for personal gains like wealth inheritance is another issue. There is no way you can be really sure if the decision towards assisted suicide is voluntary or forced by others.  Even doctors cannot predict firmly about period of death and whether there is a possibility of remission or recovery with other advanced treatments. So, implementing euthanasia would mean many unlawful deaths that could have well survived later. Legalizing euthanasia would be like empowering law abusers and increasing distrust of patients towards doctors.
 
 


Wednesday, November 13, 2013

11/13/13 Bellringer

1.  If people are in danger then they shouldn't have contact with these animals, but it is the persons decision if he/she wants to be around the animal.
2.  I think it is the right of the trainer to decide, but Sea World should have some safety precautions.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Debate Questions-- Euthanasia

Affirmative Question:

Is there a moral difference between passive euthanasia and active euthanasia?

Negative Question:
 
Would Legalizing Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Save Money for the American Healthcare System?

11/12/13 Bellringer

If I was the hunter I wouldn't have done anything differently than he did, because of his injuries he wouldn't get to do anything with his life but live on a breathing machine and be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Debate-- Mandatory Organ Donation

Advances in medical science mean that the number of people whose lives could be saved by a transplant is rising more rapidly than the number of willing donors.  The law as it stands condemns many, some of them children, to an unnecessary death, simply because of the shortage of willing donors while, as the BMA puts it, 'bodies are buried or cremated complete with organs that could have been used to save lives'.

Organ removal without the expressed wish of the deceased could be distressing for his or her family.  The proposed change in the law is open to abuse, with the possibility of death being hastened to secure an organ needed by some other patient.  The safeguard - that is, the right to refuse permission for your organs to be removed - is inadequate. A terminally ill patient or his/her relatives would be made to feel selfish if permission was withheld.




Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Debate-- Mandatory Organ Donation

Affirmative Question: 

Why should mandatory organ donation be allowed?.. Is it a violation of peoples rights?

Negative Question:  Why shouldn't we have mandatory organ donation?.. When it can be used to save lives?

11/06/13 Bellringer

I don't agree or disagree with Kmart's decision,  employees working at Kmart should get to spend Thanksgiving with their families, however if they work on this day they should get paid more or something etc.

US is more open to gay rights than other places, article talks about wearing rainbow colors and how it may not be aloud in Russia where the Olympics are being held.

Monday, November 4, 2013

11/4/13 Bellringer

1.  Less people will be voting due to new requirements.
2.  Yes could possibly violate the rights of these voters. 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Debate-- Lowering the Drinking Age

Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, join the military - which includes taking on the responsibilities of life and death - and be prosecuted as adults. Adults from the age of 18 should therefore also be trusted to make decisions about alcohol consumption.  Setting the drinking age at 21 is unconstitutional because it is discrimination against the particular age group of 18- to 20-year-olds.
 
When teens drink alcohol, they are more likely to binge drink than people above the age of 21, thus demonstrating that teens are more prone to alcohol abuse than older demographics and should not be allowed to consume alcohol. Since teens who drink alcohol have a higher chance of academic failure, allowing teens to drink will negatively affect more students' academic performance.  Lower drinking ages to 16, 17, or 18 like the drinking age in some European countries is inappropriate for U.S. standards because American teens generally start driving at earlier ages and drive more often than their European counterparts. American teens are thus much more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol if the drinking age were lowered in the U.S. The earlier a person begins alcohol use, the greater the chances are of that person becoming an alcoholic later in life.


 
 




11/1/13 Bellringer

1.  No, it was not a justifiable shooting.
2.  That society isn't what it used to be.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

10/31/13 Bellringer

1.  I think it is harsh to give kids the letters.
2.  I think she has a right to hand out the letter because nothing in the Constitution says she cant but it is still harsh to do that to kids.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

10/30/13 Assignment

-Pinocchio Obama and Angela Merkel Cartoon:
Did Obama lie to Merkel about bugging her phone?  -- What did the President know, and when did he know it? It seems the NSA has been bugging Angela Merkel's telephone (including her current model, a Nokia 6260 Slide) since 2002, when she was opposition leader. 
-Woman Driver in Saudi Arabia:
Women in Saudi Arabia that now have the right to drive cars, along with gaining other rights. 
-Casino Tax Revenue Addiction:
The extent of Britain’s addiction to controversial casino-style gambling machines is revealed today with the disclosure by two bookmaker giants that more than £12 billion was wagered on their machines in the first half of this year.
-On to the Next Debt Limit:
The first thing to clarify is that a government shutdown due to failure to pass a budget and a shutdown due to failure to raise the debt ceiling are different things with different implications. In America many government functionssuch as defense and the national parksmust be funded by annual acts of Congress called appropriations. If Congress fails to appropriate funds, the activity must cease, with exceptions for essential services.
-Spy vs. Allies:
Israelis spying on Americans is in the news again: leaders of the Jewish state just petitioned for Jonathan Pollard's release and the Associated Press reported with alarm that U.S. national security officials at times consider Israel to be "a genuine counterintelligence threat." Its tone of breathless outrage suggests: How dare they! Who do they think they are?

10/30/13 Bellringer

1.  The voting trend among young people have shifted in the past 15 years from more conservative to more liberal.
2.  Yes, I believe that this is a growing trend throughout all of America.
3.  That more people will vote more liberally.

Civics Debate Questions-- Drinking Age

Affirmative Question:  If the drinking age is lowered from 21 to 18 do you think more teens would be involved in drinking activities? etc.
Negative Question:  Lowering the drinking age would keep teens from underage drinking-- so why should the drinking age not be lowered?

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

10/29/13 Assignment

Questions:

1. What does the elephant represent?  -- Use of images
2.  Why does the sheriff have the word voters on his sleeve? -- Cartoons Message
3.  What is the symbolism on the characters yellow shirt? -- Subject-Message
4.  What is the significance of the title of the cartoon?-- Message
5.  Why doesn't the cartoon show the rest of the building? -- Artistic techniques

Summary:

Look over the cartoon seeing what captures your attention first.  What is the primary purpose of the cartoon?  Determine who the audience is.  Understand the context of the cartoon.  Look for widely recognized symbols.  Look at all the minor details that may contribute to the humor or the point of the cartoon. 

Techniques:

Symbolism- the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities
Exaggeration- a statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is
Labeling- attach a label to (something)
Analogy- a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification
Irony- the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect

10/29/13 Bellringer

1.  No, I don't feel like it's legal because its being judgmental to those that are taking the test.
2.  No, your weight doesn't make you fit.
3.  I would have physical examinations, but not "fat tests."

Monday, October 28, 2013

10/28/13 Bellringer

1.  Sounds like the article is talking about how people are flying the confederate flag as a band of traitors against the U.S.
2.  Yes I believe he is right because it is his opinion.
3.  Because not everyone agrees with certain issues and it is a symbol of rebellion.

Friday, October 25, 2013

10/25/13 Assignment

Based on your responses, YOU are a…   Post-Modern

Along with 13% of the public

Overall, your political values are closest to those of an… Average Republican

Your political compass

Economic Left/Right: -2.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.36


You Are 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

According to your answers, the political group that agrees with you most is...

 
Centrist prefer a "middle ground" regarding government control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice. Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.

According to the quizzes I am basically an independent, not apart of either party, but leaning more towards a republican.

Monday, October 21, 2013

10/21/13 Bellringer

1.  It can be hard to break away from devices because it is addicting.
2.  Yes, I could survive without my device.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

10/17/13 Bellringer

Since the shutdown is over hopefully both parties, Democrats and Republicans, can agree to disagree and work out all of the problems at hand so that no other shutdowns will happen.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

10/16/13 Bellringer

1.  Yes because the bullying etc. eventually led to a suicide.  But more than the two girls were involved so they should have got something as well.
2.   Misdemeanor-- a minor wrong doing Felony-- a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.
3.  Think parents should monitor their children better.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

10/15/13 Bellringer

Students and faculty should be monitored a little better so situations like this wont happen again or as often.

Monday, October 14, 2013

People Who Made A Difference

Alice Paul- Helped to ratify the 19th amendment. She was born January 11, 1885.
Margaret Sanger-  Parents were politically active in women's rights.  Margaret Sanger was an American birth control activist, sex educator, and nurse.
Deganawidah-  Was born in the 13th or 14th century.   Orator and statesman who founded the Haudenosaunee, with Hiawatha. 
Andrew Carnegie-  Born in Scotland in 1845.  Led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century.
Eva Peron- Born May 7th, 1919.   She was credited with gaining the right to vote for Argentine women.
Harriet Beecher Stowe-   Was an American abolitionist and author.  She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin: depiction of life for African Americans under slavery.
John Keynes-  Was a British economist whose ideas have fundamentally affected the theory and practice of modern macroeconomics, and informed the economic policies of governments.  He died April 21, 1946.
Eugene V. Debs- Born on November 5, 1855.  He quit school at the age of 14.
Betty Williams- Won the Noble Peace Prize in 1976.  Cofounder of Community of Peace People.
Emmeline Pankhurst-  Was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote.  She died on June 14, 1928. 
Helena Rubinstein- She was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein, Incorporated, which made her one of the world's richest women.  In 1908, she married American journalist Edward William Titus in London.
Edward Jenner- Was an English physician and scientist from Berkeley, Gloucestershire, who was the pioneer of smallpox vaccine.  He is often called "the father of immunology", and his work is said to have "saved more lives than the work of any other man".
Dolores Huerta-  She was born April 10, 1930.  Was a labor leader and civil rights activist.

10/14/13 Bellringer

It is different because the crowd Sunday morning pushed through barriers to protest the closing of the World War II memorial because of the shutdown.

Friday, October 11, 2013

10/11/13 Bellringer

1.  No, I think that the government should get the shutdown resolved because it is their responsibility to pay for it.
2.  I would visit the Grand Canyon because I've always wanted to go there.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

10/10/13 Bellringer

1.  That Congress is not very popular with the people (voters).
2.  I would have a set date for when the decision had to be made.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

10/09/13 Bellringer

1.  Yes, because it is like buying the election.
2.  People don't have freedom of expression if there are limits on campaign contributions.
3.  I think that it is the persons money and they should be able to do whatever they want with it.
4.  Then less money would be spent and maybe the campaigns would be more fair.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Response to Grandchild

What have you done in your life to make a difference? 

I have been successful in life by going to college and getting a college degree, to have a job that I love. 

10/07/13 Bellringer

1.  Says that there are still flaws in our national security.
2. Not surprised because mistakes can happen.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

10/01/13 Bellringer

1. How long will the shutdown last?
2. Will there be another shutdown anytime soon?
3. Why do some federal employees continue to work during a shutdown even if they don't get paid?

Monday, September 30, 2013

9/30/13 Bellringer

The articles all talk about the government, the first two are about terrorist bombings in the United States and the third article is about the government shutting down for about twenty days in 1995.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

9/19/13 Bellringer

The article is an opinion based article on whether or not violent video games play a role in shootings.  The article gives a brief description about a man who shot at least twelve people and played violent video games at least sixteen hours a day.  Also how studies have shown that playing violent video games raise violence and aggression levels.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

9/18/13 Bellringer

1.  The school district claims to be collecting this information for student safety.
2. Yes, because the school has no right to be involved in the students personal lives outside of school.
3. I think that the school district has no right to monitor students personal lives outside of school.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

9/17/13 Bellringer

1. That there is still racism in the United States, and not all people are accepted.
2. No, because racism is still in effect and not all people are treated equally.

Monday, September 16, 2013

9/16/13 Bellringer

The article is about the 50th anniversary of a church bombing that killed four girls in Birmingham, Alabama: Addie Mae Collins, 14, Cynthia Wesley, 14, Carole Robertson, 14, and Denise McNair, 11.  The blast came from dynamite placed under the steps of the church by members of a Ku Klux Klan group.

Friday, September 13, 2013

9/13/13 Bellringer

1. To tell about a car bomb that has gone off near the U.S. consulate in western Afghanistan.
2.  Failure because no one was harmed that was intended to be.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Assignment 9/12/13

Personal Diary of 9/11
http://www.voicesofseptember11.org/dev/Newsletters/newsletterarchive/PDF/FORTUNATElowres.pdf
Personal Story of 9/11
 http://elitedaily.com/life/a-personal-story-of-terror-tragedy-triumph-as-we-remember-911-twelve-years-later/
 Shows us how we can never forget disasters such as 9/11.  Also shows us how we should stay informed with issues around us, and to be prepared when a disaster happens.  Makes us realize "life is too short." 

9/12/13 Bellringer

1. They may possibly view it that more jobs are avaliable to them.
2. Yes and no the economy may be improving slowly but the glitches in the system is leaving information out, that may show that it is getting worse.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

9/11/13 Bellringer

Since September 11, 2001 the United States has had better security and programs in place to help prevent anything like 9/11 to ever happen again.  An issue now is the concern that peoples privacy is being taken away from them with all the extra security.  Since recent reports have uncovered programs within the National Security Agency to collect and analyze Internet and communication data generated by millions of Americans, to help prevent other tragedies like 9/11.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

9/5/13 Bellringer

1. No because less people will be able to afford the higher prices and it will hurt the businesses.
2. Yes and no because people deserve an equal pay but at the same time its an entry level position and the workers should have to work their way up to earning money.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

9/4/13 Bellringer

1. The article suggest that students go into STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.
2. I think the article should have gave more detail on the different jobs in the STEM fields.
3. This impacts my decision about college by helping me decide what field/program I should go into to.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

9/3/13 Bellringer

1. Yes, I think that this is an invasion of personal privacy because I don't think people should have the right to use data that doesn't belong to them.
2. The Facebook terms and agreements doesn't protect anyone from the government using the data of Facebook Users. (ask your own risk)
3. I believe that this is a violation of the 4th Amendment.

Friday, August 30, 2013

8/30/13 Bellringer

I think that the party should have been seated because they waited at the restaurant patiently for two hours and then were refused to be seated because some other customers felt threatened by them, although they did nothing wrong.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

I have a Dream Speech Assignment

 "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

Martin Luther King Jr. is basically stating that all men are created equal and that in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, it says everyone is equal (basically) and that everyone should remain equal.

8/29/13 Bellringer

1. The speech is known as “I Have a Dream” but those words were never in the original draft, they were ad libbed on the day.
2. As a result of the speech, Dr King was named Man of the Year by Time Magazine in 1963, and won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.
3. Dr King drew his references from a wide variety of sources, including the Bible, the US Declaration of Independence and Shakespeare.
4. The speech was watched by more than 200,000 people assembled for the March on Washington, the largest march of the civil rights movement, as well as millions on television.
5. According to his co-authors, Dr King was so busy with the march that, 12 hours before the speech, he still did not have a firm idea about what he was going to say.
6.  It was ranked the top speech of the 20th Century by a poll of academics.
7. King put aside his prepared remarks and extemporaneously delved into the "dream" section of the speech after his friend Mahalia Jackson, a gospel singer, shouted out to him: "Tell 'em about the dream, Martin."
8. Numerous celebrities were there, including Bob Dylan, Jackie Robinson, Josephine Baker, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Marian Anderson and Joan Baez.
9. "Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt."
10. “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.”

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

8/27/13 Bellringer

1. Yes I think the two boys should be tried as adults because both teens have juvenile court records and past convictions for assault.
2. I think that their identities should remain undisclosed because it is part of their rights that the information not be given.
3. We as a society should be informed about the crimes etc. around us.