Voting Rights

Along with the Supreme Court's rulings on DOMA and Prop 8, they also struck down the Voting Rights Act section on preclearance, which made it so states with a history of discriminatory voting practices could not implement changes affecting voting without obtaining approval from the Department of Justice. This section has made things difficult for states to do things to improve voting in states such as moving voting locations, but this has also prevented those same changes that have deterred voting from certain people and groups like voter ID laws or moving voting locations from majority black communities to majority white communities. Now, I do believe that the United States has gotten better with racial equality but at the same time it has gotten worse as well. (if that made sense at all haha) I mean it is true America has elected its first black president and segregation has been all but eliminated, but people still make racially motivated comments (has any other president ever been called or pictured as a monkey in public protests?) and government laws also still incriminate racial (studies have shown that drug laws tend to affect more blacks proportionally and harsher). Another issue that has also recently upset me is the new voter ID laws that many states are passing that require voters to provide picture ID when voting which studies have shown affect blacks and Hispanics more than whites. I understand what voter ID laws are "supposed" to do but I have seen and heard too many racial slurs and bigotry in my lifetime to truly believe we as a country have turned the corner enough to justify the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act. Tell me what you think though on racial equality in America?

The Continuing Immigration Debate

Recently the US Senate passed a bill for immigration reform on border security and current illegal immigrants ability to become American citizens. John Beohner recent spoke, however, saying the Senate Bill will not be voted on in the House but that the House (meaning republican) will come up with its own bill. Personally I am a bit liberal on immigration reform, but I would support a more conservative approach as well, however I hater what Beohner has done here. If you don't like the bill that's fine, but isn't in the capabilities of the US government to edit and amend bills on the floor for vote? Not even voting on the immigration reform bill passed is stupid in my opinion because you want to write your own. Not to mention some conservatives have suggested doing things like putting up electrified barbed wire fences on the border, REALLY!? Are we Eastern Germany, who Ronald Reagan told to get rid of their wall. We want to put our own up. Come on now, this country was started by immigrants. I myself am from Polish and Italian families that came to America for better lives. That is what America is is being the place for people to come to fulfill their dreams of the American Dream. Do we have issues on borders of people crossing illegally, of course, but we don't need to put up an electric fence/wall to keep people out. Tell me what you think on the topic of immigration reform (again)?

People's Rights on Sexuality

Recently the US Supreme Court decided on the legality of the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8. The Supreme Court basically said in their rulings that same-sex marriages will receive the benefits from the Federal Government that heterosexuality marriages receive, but that it is still up to the states on the legality of performing same-sex marriages. This came as a huge blow to opponents of same-sex relationships as it basically made them legal in the eyes of the Federal Government. Personally, I am heterosexual but could care less what others people's sexualities are as it doesn't affect me. Really, this whole debate of the legality of homosexuality and same-sex marriages seemed to me to be going against people's rights as US citizens. But tell me what you think on topic of the Supreme Court's rulings and same-sex relationships and marriages?

Court Cases in America

The George Zimmerman trial for the killing of Trayvon Martin is the latest case to receive public scrutiny thanks to every news station tracking and commenting on everything about the case. My problem with this "circus" America goes through every time a big court case occurs is that it's not innocent until proven guilty for these court cases and many times that's not what the media and public is looking for, they're looking for if the person is getting away with it or not. Now, personally I think Zimmerman did murder Martin and not in self defense, but it doesn't matter what I think, it matters what the jury decides happened in the event. I also don't need to see legal and psychological analysts on tv telling me what they think happened or is happening. Now I do believe that court cases should be public so that rights are not infringed upon, but I don't believe that the American people need everything about court cases analyzed by someone else. Personally, I feel court cases should have their own public broadcasting channel like C-SPAN that the cases can be shown without commentary so people can watch and make their own decisions as well as being watch dogs of the courts. Tell me what you think about it though, on the topic of the media and the United States court systems? (Please no comments on the George Zimmerman case, I just said I don't care about opinions one way or another on it, just gave it as the current example)

Privacy vs. Security

This topic has recently received a renewal in debate thanks to the "scandals" that the Obama administration has been facing due to the information leak from Edward Snowden. People have been complaining because the public and the media found out that the NSA has been tracking calls made by US citizens. Many people have been up in arms stating that this is breach in privacy and that the government is bordering on "big brother" territory if it hasn't crossed it. I truthfully believe that this is a breach in privacy for American citizens, but my argument towards the Obama administration is that they seem to support this ability of the NSA after Obama was a big proponent of fighting against this ability when he was a senator. However, this has been going on in our country since at least after the September 11terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Perhaps it was the timing, the American need for revenge, or just the US public not understanding what was changing, but the US bill that allowed for this tracking of phone and Internet search data was passed shortly after September 11 so that the US government could track, find, and capture or kill terrorists that threatened the United States. I did not like this then and still don't but we the people supported this ability so that we could feel "safer." The other side of this story is people are complaining about their privacy being taken and yet millions of US citizens have Facebook and/or MySpace accounts where they put everything about then from phone number, to address, and even where they are at every hour of the day thanks to location tracking in phones, so my question then is "What privacy are you looking to protect?" You have placed most information about you to everyone on the web. Now not everyone does this but no small portion do either. So tell me what you think of the argument over privacy vs. safety?

Lobbyists

I am of the opinion that the government of the United States of America is growing increasing corrupt.  The U.S. has many politicians that change opinion rapidly, almost making 180 degree turns in policies, and different companies and groups making announcements later seem to have impacted some bill or vote in the House or Senate.  The U.S. has groups like "Big Oil", the NRA, unions, PETA, etc. all pushing on the politicians, giving gifts, sending them on trips, and many other such things that are legal, and yet seem to be affecting policy.  Now, I do not believe these groups should be broken up or disbanded, but I do believe they should not be allowed to exert the kind of power they can through money and benefits for politicians.  I believe these groups do do good, but they also do much wrong.  But tell me what you think of lobbying in the U.S. government.

Budget Talks

These budget cliffs the United States keeps approaching and narrowly avoiding is starting to get tiresome.  The liberals want to increase taxes, while the conservatives want to cut spending, and yet neither side wants to give the other anything.  It's amazing, as the United States government was built on debate and compromise.  Today, there is plenty of debating, but where is the compromise?  I truly do not care whose fault it is as I feel that it is everyone's fault.  Could politicians just find some way to get together and talk, saying things like "if you give us this, we'll give you that" or some other such idea.  The problem now is that instead both sides are trying to "win" the debate instead of trying to progress the debate.  Start simple, tax a little bit here, cut a bit there and pretty soon the U.S. may actually find a solution to the problem or at least keep the country from collapsing.  Instead the Senate and Congress just pass really small amendments on bills that delay the date of whatever cliff is approaching for a few months, or a few years.  Tell me what you think though, is there a solution or perhaps at least a decent answer?