Gas Prices

I'm commenting on Never Ending Politics blog about gas prices. I feel the exact same way she does. Something seriously needs to be done about the rising gas prices. Before you know it everybody will be catching the bus or even walking to school and work. I'm a full time college student, therefore I can't work tons of hours during the week to help keep up with the rising gas prices and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that are in the same situation. I believe there should be a solution to the rising prices before it gets way out of hand and we do have to result to riding buses and walking. I believe it would be pretty ridiculous if that were what it came down to.

Warrantless Wiretapping

I strongly disagree with warrantless wiretapping. I don't think the government should have the right to invade our privacy without a court order. I understand they are trying to protect our nation from further wars and other happenings, but I still believe they should at least get a court order before invading our space. I don't have a problem with the government putting surveillance cameras up at street lights and department stores because I believe that is for a good cause, but I believe tapping into our phone conversations and into our internet is taking things a little too far. If the government honestly believes someone could be a terrorist and wants to spy on them, they should be able to provide proof and get a court order stating it's okay to invade their space. I know that would be a lot of work for the government but if they strongly believe that person needs to be spied on, they will put in the effort. During class today you mentioned how this wasn't in the Constitution, but of course it wasn't. They didn't have the internet back when they made the Constitution. The internet is new technology and it should go without saying that it's not right to invade somebody's space through the internet. If the government believes warrantless wiretapping is okay, there's no telling what they are going to do next and before you know it we won't have any privacy whatsoever. I believe something needs to be done before this gets way out of hand.

Immigration

I’m commenting on Governmental Confusion's blog about immigration.

I totally agree with him on this subject. I hate how people can come into our country and not expect to learn our language. Trust me, I know it’s hard learning another language. I had to take two years of Spanish in high school and it wasn’t the easiest thing to learn, but I believe they should put forth some effort to learn English. I agree with him when he said he wouldn’t move to another country without knowing that language or attempting to learn that language, and I think it should be the same way for people who want to live in America. I believe by putting Spanish on billboards and cereal boxes is telling them it’s okay for them not to learn English, and that shouldn’t be the case. If we don’t do something about this now, it’s only going to get worse. I also agree with him when it comes to the hard working ones. I have respect for them and don’t have a problem with them coming here. I just have a problem with the ones who expect us to cater to them. In conclusion, I believe he had a well-written blog with a strong opinion and I agree with him 100%.

U.S. to Require States to Use a Single School Dropout Formula (Stage 4)

This article from The New York Times is about a lady, Margaret Spellings, who wants to require all states to use one federal formula to calculate graduation and dropout rates. This is a big deal because it’s going to affect every high school in this country. I'm on her side when it comes to this issue. I believe she has a strong point and it's for a good cause. This will give us a more reliable formula to go by. Instead of states making their own formula, so we have a dozen different formulas in the United States, we will only have one. There are some states not taking everything into consideration when it comes to figuring out the dropout rate, therefore they are getting a lower dropout rate than what there really is, which is only hurting us. We need to know exactly what the dropout rate is so we can try and correct it. Our country can't afford to have some high schools with a 70% dropout rate. Something needs to be done to fix this problem and I believe Ms. Spelling’s federal formula is a good start. By lowering our dropout rate we will become more successful by having more people in high paying jobs and less in lower paying jobs.

U.S. to Require States to Use a Single School Dropout Formula

The War in Iraq

I believe the war in Iraq should come to an end. It’s going on five years now and I think it’s time to bring our troops home. One of my reasons for not supporting the war in Iraq is because of the cost. The United States has spent billions of dollars towards the war when it could’ve been used for better causes, like education and improving our economy. Another reason I don’t support the war in Iraq is because the death rate. Even though the death rates aren’t as high in this war compared to other wars, I still believe it’s too high. And there’s no telling how many more lives will be taken if we continue to stay in Iraq. There are some pros to staying in the war with Iraq. One is the fact that the war isn’t in our country. That means we don’t have to worry about our homes and buildings getting blown up. I would much rather us be fighting over on their territories instead of ours. Another pro is the issue over oil. Our country is running scarce on oil at the moment and we can take advantage of the oil in Iraq. If we gain control over the oil in the Middle East then we can lower our gas prices. But now I have to ask you, is all that really worth it in the end? Wouldn’t you much rather spend money on improving our economy rather than the war? Wouldn’t you rather pay a little more for gas knowing that the troops can come home and be safe?

Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility

This article talks about how economic mobility of poor and middle class has not changed significantly over the last three decades. Gaps between rich and poor could soon lead to negative opportunities for the poor. When it comes to college degrees, Hispanic and black Americans are coming behind whites and Asians, which makes it harder for them to move up the economic ladder. A study by scholars at the Brookings Institution shows just how important the role of having a college degree is. It says a child born into the lower class can get a college degree and rise up to middle class, and the same goes for middle class. Of course, it will be harder for people at the very bottom, but there is still hope for them. Mr. Haskins said, "If we did more to help them complete college, there's no question it would improve mobility." I completely agree with this statement. I believe that anybody with the right kind of help, can move from lower or middle class to upper class. Many bright students don't receive the right kind of education or advice they need to succeed, but we can change that. I believe we should be helping the poor as much as we can so we can better our economy.

Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility

Early Exit Polls Show Obama Gains with Whites.

This article talks about how close the race is with all the candidates. Hilary Rodham Clinton is strongly supported by Hispanics and people seeking an experienced candidate. Barack Obama is supported by blacks, young whites, and higher income voters. Obama is getting support from more than four in ten women and about the same number of whites, while Clinton only holds modest leads with women and whites. Obama is getting about eight in ten blacks, but Clinton has strong support from Hispanics, about six in ten. On the Republican side, John McCain, is getting support from moderates and people valuing experience and leadership, while Mitt Romney was dominating most conservative voters and people wanting a strong stance against illegal immigrants. McCain has about four in ten votes of people calling themselves Republicans, giving him a tiny margin over Romney. This is significant because McCain has yet to win that group of voters so far this year. I believe this article is worth reading because it shows just how close the candidates are at this point. One candidate will be really strong in one area, but the another candidate will have a strong lead in another area, making this a close race. This isn't going to be an easy win for anybody.



Early Exit Polls Show Obama Gains with Whites