On the issue of race the government I feel doesn't do enough. If they do anything it is usually the cause of a big racial issue. We have young African American males getting shot by the police. Therefore, it is irrelevant whether the male did anything wrong or not, the issue gets brought up for everything. So in my opinion not much has changed there.
On the issue of gender the government is involved in the workplace. It makes the other employee,s abide by the laws or they lose their job.
Now for the most controversial issue sexual orientation the government has seen to it that some states have came around on the marriage issue. We all know we live in the Bible belt in Tennessee. Southerns believe in the Bible. It is their way of life. I personally think what people do is their own business so long as it doesn't harm others.






I posted on Taylor Wilson, Stephanie Steele, and Nikki Stair

The First Amendment declares, “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” The Court has never taken “no law” literally. Court allows limits on use of fighting words, hate words, symbolic speech, and limits imposed by time, place, and manner regulations. (Gateways to Democracy- John Greer, etc. pg# 108)

 I feel freedom of speech is very important. If we didn't have freedom of speech how would we be able to express our beliefs or dislikes toward a matter say as an example “For War or Against War.” As well as yes freedom of speech goes way to far sometimes like you can’t go in a church raising heck for your benefit. For one it is the wrong time and wrong place, and second it would be against freedom of religion as well. I choose this as an example to get my point across. I would hope everyone would respect church, but as we all know not everyone does. The areas of speech that shouldn't be protected are hate crimes, fighting words, racial slurs to groups of people or threatening words.

   Yes, I believe there should be separation of church and state. Here is a question I read in book it made me understand better. If you have a short prayer before graduation then turn around and say the football games can’t have a prayer! Who is to say if someone wants to pray they can’t as well if someone doesn’t want to pray they shouldn't have to. I personally believe prayer should be a person’s individual choice. You can pray silently just as well as put ear plugs in if you didn't want to hear it.

Criminal procedure: defendant rights are crucial in getting a fair trial. The police can’t just say you did something they have to prove it without a reasonable doubt.

Yes, to many freedoms are given sometimes. I believe if you commit a crime and are being punished you should not be treated like a king or queen. Prisoners have phones, some get a better education than we do.

Federalism

 1.) The national government is important , but so is state government as well. The Constitution regulates between the two with these three clauses: Supremacy, !0th Amendment and the Sovereign immunity provision of the Eleventh Amendment, ( which meant the government could not be sued unless they had the governments permission.). Federal law is supreme. as well as implied powers granted through the necessary and proper clause.

2.) "Government is not the solution of our problem, government is the problem.", as Ronald Reagan stated. Reagan eliminated general revenue sharing, cut back on grants, which set fewer restrictions on how the money was spent.

3.) The government plays a big part in education. If not for the grants and loans I receive from the government I would not of been able to go to school for an education. The Department of Health and human Services oversee the Head Start program. Education under federal law still permits unfair issues by allowing a vast disparity in how much state and local communities chose to spend on it.



I posted on : Taylor Wilson
                     Jessica Linzell
                     Stephanie Steele

The Articles of Confederation limited power. Congress had full authority over foreign, military, and Indian affairs, it could decide boundaries between the states. Congress had no authority to regulate commerce or to operate directly over the citizens.The United States had insufficient funds, the nation's debt went unpaid, hampering its credit, without
centralized authority to regulate commerce, states taxed imports from other states, which in turn stunted economical growth. The lack of military power allowed Spain to block commercial access by robbing and pirating the ships coming into the Mississippi River. In all there was to much freedom and not enough order.

 There was also no different branches of government. Legislative branch, Executive Branch, and the Judicial branches were created to divide the power up between the three branches. The Legislative branch passes the laws, The Executive branch which consists of the President right to veto and grant pardons,main decisions of the wellness of the United States, the Judicial branch, which carries out or enforces the laws.

The Supreme court ruling of Marbury v. Madison showed that the Constitution specifies which types of cases the Supreme Court could hear as an original matter, the section of the Judiciary Act that expanded the courts original jurisdiction conflicted with the Constitution.

The United States government is more like the Anti-federalist. The courts today uphold laws they shouldn't and allow the ones they should never question to be questions in the first place. The world is a changing. There are many things happening in today's world. Gay marriages, Same sex parenting now whether it is right or wrong is a whole new ballgame. I don't care to enter that discussion. I believe the problems arouse with prayer took out of school. i pledged allegiance every morning in school to my flag that someone lost their life fighting for me to have rights. I am proud of my freedom and as a country I believe we need to concentrate on matters at home. War is never a good thing but no one should fight in vain either.