Guantanamo Bay

ok, first of all, i do not believe that guantanamo bay should be closed. what are we going to do with all of these prisoners that are basically out to get us? its just a little crazy. but since there is a plan to close the prison, i think that the people being held there should not be tried in the US but in the countries where they committed the crimes they were convicted of.

Political Cartoon

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/2cbe53cf-17a2-4cf3-9a90-374b5d726393.html

This cartoon shows a family sitting down for thanksgiving dinner, one of them stating what they are thankful for. I found this cartoon funny because its completely true. Without us buying all of China's exports, what would we do? And on the other hand, if we stopped buying their goods, what would happen to their economy? When it comes down to it, we need China to provide us with goods and China needs us to provide them with money.

Executive Privilege

Executive privilege is the power claimed by the president and other members of the executive branch to resist interventions by either the legislative or judicial branches. I am not sure if i think that executive privilege is too powerful, but i do believe in checks and balances, and the fact that any of the branches can call the other ones out if there are not staying in line with the Constitution. I do not think that the president should have any reason to keep anything from Congress. Although sometimes it may be necessary in order to protect national security and the people. However if the president is keeping too much from Congress, I do think that is a little shady.

race and the court

no, i do not think that race should affect one's chance at being involved with the court in any way. this country is based off of accepting all kinds of races and therefore there should be no restrictions on who or who is not allowed to be part of this country's court system.

What about the filibuster? Is this good or bad for democracy? (If you are wondering why all the talk right now is about 60 votes and not 50 votes, the

A filibuster is when one attempts to delay or prevent a vote on a proposal by extending a debate on that proposal. I think that a filibuster could either be good or bad for democracy, depending on the bill they are trying to delay or get rid of. The only time I would be against a filibuster is if the bill that was going to be passed actually had a good cause, but certain people were trying to prevent it from being passed.

legalize marijuana?

i think that the government should legalize marijuana in order for the medical use of it to be less controversial. of course there will be those who would take advantage of this law and completely abuse it, but the ones that need it such as chemo patients should have complete access to it. i also find it funny that alcohol, which has caused wayyyy more deaths than marijuana is illegal when there is no positive affect to alcohol.

Congressional Districts

I do believe that congressmen should have to live in the districts they are representing because this brings them closer to the community. If a congressman was to live outside of the district they are representing, this does not allow them to truly know the problems that his or her area is facing. I just don't think its fair to the people if the person representing them does not live among them in their community.

When (if ever) is it okay for the government to keep secrets?

I think that it is perfectly fine for the government to keep some secrets from society. I understand that they would do this because the government does not want classified information to get into the wrong hands and have a threat to our national security. However, if the government is hiding something that could affect me and the rest of the country greatly I would like to know about it.

Do you think Obama’s Presidency will help or harm each party?

At this point, I am not really positive what Obama's presidency will do to each party because both parties do not seem to be pleased with what he has done. I do believe he is trying to get our country in a better spot, but seems to take the wrong approach sometimes. A lot of people are not pleased with him right now, but that does not mean all people have to do is bash him. I think that since for the time being he is our president, we need to do our best to support him.

Should a person be required to take a literacy test to register?

I do not think that a person should have to take a literacy test to register because being able to read has nothing to do with having a certain stance on something and wishing to make a difference by voting for something ther believe in. Just because someone is unable to read or write, does not mean that they are incapable in contributing ideas and votes to this country.

Party system

I think the two party system is good for America because it presents beliefs and allows people to either agree or disagree and choose the side which they need to support. However no American can ever fully agree with all the beliefs with one side or the other which always seems to lead to people in our country being unhappy with those in political offices.

pg. 84 #1 & 2

1. I think that my political views have been shaped a lot by my parents, who are both conservative. Both of my parents are involved in business, which I think contributes a lot to their political views and their views of what is going on in our country today.
2. Where I live definately has the greatest effect on my political attitudes. I am originally from the central valley which is known to be very conservative, and I agree with almost all of conservative views.

1. I do not believe that all Americans should receive free health care, but I do think that the government should pay for some parts of the citizens' healthcare due to the number of taxes our society pays each year. I just don't think that people who don't do anything should receive free health care. Health care is one of the many priveleges we have in America and I believe we should work for that privelege.