Gun Control in the U.S.

Gun control in the United States has always been a heated debate. One side wants complete restriction and another wants complete freedom. Most people feel like they should have the right to own a gun to protect their family and their house. But not everyone uses guns for the right reasons. The amount of injuries and deaths we have every year attributed to guns should be enough to show people that we need a change in gun control laws. Although the second amendment does say that the people have a right to bear arms, it also say "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State...". Nothing regarding the gun laws in the US is well regulated and I don't think that everyone owning a gun is necessary to the security of a free state. Actually I think quite the opposite.

The conservatives who support guns in the US think that it is our "God given right" to own a personal firearm. First of all, God did not write the constitution, our founding fathers did. I'm sure that the republicans would like nothing more than for everyone to own a personal gun and for states to have no gun laws. I don't understand why gun advocates are saying that gun ownership prevents crimes when you can clearly look at the statistics and see all of the mass shootings that have happened and all of the deaths and injuries that are caused by guns each year. Although it does ring true that, if the US banned gun ownership, only the "bad guys" would have guns, I don't think that in most crime situations, the good guys with guns outnumber the bad guys with guns. A reason for this is, the "good guys" who own guns, usually don't carry them around in public with them because they own them for the right reason, to protect their home and family.

I tend to side more with the liberals on this issue. Although I don't think that the US should ban all gun ownership. I do believe that every state should have somewhat uniformed laws about gun control and it should be harder to get a gun than it is. Anyone that wants to by a gun should be made to only use it for protecting their home. I don't think that it should be legal to carry a gun around, even if it is visible. The only people who should be carrying weapons in public are law enforcement. I agree with the opposing side in that an urban area is not a safe place for weapons ownership. Not only because everything is so close together but also because, urban areas are where you will find increased drug activity and gang activity and adding guns to the mix with that is just not safe as we have seen with our society.  Also, 20 instances of mass shootings every year in the US!? If that is not telling people that we need more attention to our gun laws and gun control, then I don't know what will.

The Energy Crisis

Our planet is in a huge crisis involving our overconsumption of fossil fuels for hundreds of years. Not only is this issue based around the fossil fuels running out but it also involves the effect of burning them on our environment. Everyone on this earth is involved in the changes going on. As with any crisis, there are two sides. Those who think that this problem is completely the fault of us (the humans), and those who think that this is just a normal pattern for the Earth. Obviously this did not happen over night. Things have slowly been changing over the course of a hundred years or more. The fact that we are just learning these things and that we are in no position to make the drastic changes necessary is a bit scary.

I disagree with the republicans in their thoughts that this is wholly a natural process. I think they are eager to make it seem like there is nothing we could have done about the way our environment is changing and that there is nothing we can do to slow down the changes. Of course the republicans don't want to admit that our lifestyles could be contributing to the deterioration of the ecosystem. If they did that it would mean there would have to be drastic changes in the way we live, including the way businesses are run, which is, of course, their main interest.

I think that, while our economy is down in the dumps, we need to make a change. Obviously our country cannot afford the kind of change we ultimately need to make but we could be working towards that now. I know, many people have found alternative ways of attaining electricity and water, and other forms of gas for their cars. These are only a couple people out of the millions on the Earth. I think that gas is one of our biggest problems. We need to find an alternative "fuel" that can work for us. Eventually we are going to run out of gas and all of the fracking that we are doing in other countries is leaving them with huge messes to clean up, that's not fair. Of course that is the main reason why we are not tapping into our own natural gas reserves, because we don't want to waste "our" water and resources on trying to get something that someone else could get for us. The fact that the fracking that has started in New York and Pennsylvania has had a positive outcome in terms of the economy should show us that we should start doing our own work and using our own resources.

The Post 9/11 World

September 11th, 2001 was a horrible day for the entire world. I remember it clearly. I was sitting in my 7th grade biology class when another teacher ran in the room and told our teacher to turn on the TV. We saw the whole thing play out on the news and the whole school erupted in chaos. We were sent home early with a letter. People were freaking out because someone they knew was in New York and they couldn't find out if they were okay or not. Needless to say that day was a shock to the world and the beginning of a chain of events that still has not ended today. The aftermath of 9/11 was a nationwide paranoia. I remember hearing people say that the Taliban was going to bomb the viaduct in Canton because it is a national landmark. I remember that one of the nephews of Saddam Hussein lived in Canton and had to be escorted out and flown home. The news did not help, with the terror threat color system. Every other day it went up, then down. I always felt like that was just a plot to keep us scared. Unfortunately, that day gave George Bush Jr. the opportunity to start a war that I believe is completely unnessecary. I think that he started this war, maybe with the right intentions, but that he continued it because of his family's interest and connections with the oil industry.

I never really talk about 9/11 with people but I do know a lot of people who agree with me. Some people believe that the war should have happened and that it went on for the right reasons.

9/11 was a shock to our nation. Sometimes when I think about it I remember those who have died in the war as part of the aftermath. The world jumped into a war that everyone believed was bound to happen anyway. I don't think that the war was totally necessary. I think that, instead of jumping into a war, we should have spent that money protecting ourselves from further attacks. Our country is still somewhat in a state of paranoia. We still have heightened security, but I really don't think we're that much safer than we were back then, maybe a little. As for the "War on Terror", I don't think anyone is winning at this point, they are still killing us, and we are still killing them, it's like a merry go round. They do not want us in their country because we are trying to force our political system on them and they don't agree with it. Instead of rebuilding we should just extract ourselves and let them rebuild the way they want. The US needs to realize that not everybody needs to be just like us.

Is coporate speech really equivalent to free speech?

     In 2008 a group called Citizen's United, a non profit, conservative media company, won a supreme court case against the FEC (Federal Election Commission). The supreme court ruled that corporations have the right to free speech and to speak about political campaigns that they support. This ruling opened what most call a floodgate. This gave corporations the ability to form SuperPAC's. A SuperPAC is a "committee" set up to help solicit donations form unions, groups, and corporations. This issue is so important because, as a Democracy, it heavily influences our ways of appointing any type of government official.
     There are many people on both sides of the spectrum for this issue. Those who support the Citizen's United group say that they are good for our Democracy. Many believe that they are increasing the number of voices in campaigns and educating voters. Also, some say that they "ensure a stronger competitive balance in elections".
     Those who oppose the CU group are afraid that corporate money will manipulate the political process and ultimately lead to the purchase of elections. Many feel that all the big corporations will support the "pro business" candidate so they can gain if they win and thus, giving them too much power in the process. Even one of the supreme court justice's said, "A democracy cannot function effectively when it's constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold."

     I personally don't agree with the ruling on this case. I think that the freedom of speech was meant for people and corporations are not people, they are businesses. I think that if we are willing to give them power, why are we even voting, why don't we just let them choose the president. These corporations are taking away so much of our power that it is hard to consider ourselves a Democracy when the elections are pretty much ruled by money. I also feel that if there are going to be SuperPAC's, they shouldn't be run by former political employees.

     This week I thought alot about who I interviewed. I sometimes find it hard to talk politics with people because it is usually a sensitive subject. The first person that popped into my head as a person I admire and whom I knew would be open to talking to me was my boyfriend's sister, Tina. We get along really well and I admire her for her hard work and her knowledge. She is 25 years old and already owns her own house and has a great marketing job. I know some of their family history so I knew that one of her life experiences that shaped her political identity would be moving to this country from Europe when she was 15. What she told me was that when she came here, "Bill Clinton was president and that he was so influential". Something that she was not used to because, in the country she is from they have a president but the citizens don't have the opportunity to vote him in. She values her right to vote and feels that it is a big part "of being an American".
     Tina considers herself a liberal. The issues she cares about most are healthcare and the economy. She told me that she is worried about the future because, "there is alot of corruption among politicians who are greedy and only want more income. I am not always sure that policies are put into place to help those in the middle class."
     I can't pinpoint any particular experiences that have shaped my political identity. Unfortunately I am a very undecided person with everything so that doesnt help. In terms of which side I am on, I would have to say I'm an independent. In reading through the list off differing opinions on the key issues I am on the fence with a lot of them. I remember when I was younger talking to my grandmother about politics because my grandfather would never tell us who he voted for. Nothing has really shaped my outlook other than me making a choice of what I would want on certain issues. I greatly agree with people being ably to make their own choices about some things and I do feel like our country is being far too controlling while still calling it a "free country". In leadership I am looking for someone who comes from a family of "regular" people. Who knows what it's like to go through things in life that are not easy. But I also feel like one person cannot possibly make decisions for everyone in this country while taking into account everyones view.
     From this experience I've learned that everyone has different views and cares about different issues for different reasons. I think that no matter what you consider yourself in terms of political party, you should vote for whoever you agree with more, that's why I never associated with one party. I think that by politicians talking about an issue that a lot of people are talking about peaks peoples interests. My views have been pretty much confirmed by this assignment, everyone has a different standpoint, you might are about one issue for some reason and someone else might are about it for a different reason.



My Questions:

6.) Do you think there are any faults in our government? If so, what are they?

7.) Why are these key issues important to you?

8.) While growing up, did your parents/family shape your politial views?

9.) Do you vote regularly or only during presidential elections?

10.) Do you vote just to input your choice, or do you actively follow the candidates campaigns?    

About Me

   My name is Jessica Reinert. I am almost 24 years old, although sometimes I feel much older. When I think about my life, I think about my family, my friends and all of the opportunities I've had, while a lot of people my age are stuck thinking about the things they don't have. There is much truth in the saying "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone". Unfortunately the only way to learn that is through loss.

     At 15 I was a freshman in high school, I had a close knit group of friends and was adjusting well. Until one day, it was the day we got out for christmas vacation, I got home to find a couple of my aunts and uncles at my house. They were there to tell me that my mom had passed away. For a while I didn't believe it. I still went around doing everything I would usually do because I only saw my mom once a month, which made it harder to believe. I had just seen my mom the day before, she was in the hospital with pneumonia, it couldn't be possible, she was fine. But it was. And for a long time I would sit in my room and cry because I didn't want to talk to anyone about it. But now, almost 9 years later, alhtough not a day goes by that I don't think about her and wish she was here, everything I do in my life is to make her proud, including going back to school.

    Since losing my mom, I have realized how important it is to keep the people you love close to you. And me and my dad have become so much closer since. You see, my dad was born with a hole in his heart and he is on oxygen and takes a cocktail of pills every day. Through a tragedy in my life I relized that I couldn't ignore my dads condition by thinking that he is always going to be here, because he's not, no one is. I now see him once a week, and we go to lunch and go shopping and have fun. I am so glad that we have a new relationship and that we can share time with each other, because time is precious.

   That is just a little taste of my life. It hasn't been easy, but no one ever told me it would be. I just try to remember that it always gets better eventually.