Syrian Refugees

   
     Nicole Arnold posted an editorial to her blog on Tuesday, November 24th discussing the U.S. bringing in Syrian refugees. She mentioned how since America is known as "the land of the free", we shouldn't deny others the chance for freedom and how the thought of innocent children, women and men losing their lives because they aren't getting the help that they need is sickening. I definitely agree with Nicole on the matter. I think that we should all have a little moire compassion towards these people and do everything we can to help.
     The post discusses how the government and it's officials should be more involved in the process of helping refugees. This is true because the government probably has the most power and resources to contribute. The argument that letting in refugees is equivalent to welcoming terrorists into our country is completely ridiculous. The fact that these people are coming from Syria does not mean that they pose an immediate threat to our country. For that reason, I agree with Nicole and believe that it is just an excuse. American's should stop being so selfish and start thinking about the difference that we could make if we put more effort into helping the refugees.

Free College Tuition

Education is the key to a successful future. People go to school and try to get a higher education so that they will be able to support themselves and have a better life in the long run. That being said, it makes no sense that college students who are trying to better themselves are struggling to pay for a higher education. It already takes a tremendous amount of effort for someone to attend years of school and receive a college degree. People shouldn’t have to worry about drowning in student debt in the process.

In his “College for All Act,” Bernie Sanders proposes free tuition for college students. He argues that college tuition today is equivalent to a high school diploma in previous generations. I agree with this and believe that this act is a great idea. In today’s society, it’s almost impossible to find a job that will provide security without first receiving a college education. Providing free college tuition to the students who are willing to work for a better life is more than reasonable. It would give everyone a fair chance to have the kind of life that they want and deserve.

Decriminalize Prostitution?

I completely agree with the post on Azure’s blog about prostitution. I find it ridiculous that people are becoming uncomfortable with the fact that prostitution is illegal. Azure’s post mentioned how Amnesty International claims that sex workers are often harassed and beaten and that because of this, the sex trade should be decriminalized. However, although they may be victims of harassment, many of these workers are aware that this is a risk of what they choose to do for a living.

The post also mentioned how Amnesty International believes that decriminalizing the sex trade would decrease violence towards prostitutes and make it easier to reach out to the police if a crime is committed on one of them. This may be true, but the only reason prostitutes aren’t willing to reach out to the police is because they know they are committing a crime as well. It is also true that these people probably wouldn’t be harassed in the first place if they didn’t choose a “job” with such risks. I agree that although decriminalizing the sex trade may fix one or two problems, it definitely has the potential to lead to many more issues, including the perception of women. Overall, I too believe that the government should leave the debate over prostitution alone and treat it like a crime because it is one.

Christmas Cup Controversy

This holiday season there has been a controversy over Starbucks removing the “symbols of the season” from their cups.  The cups used to display things like reindeer, snowmen and snowflakes. However, this year Starbucks has traded those designs for a simple two- toned red cup featuring their logo.  The new design has angered many Christians and has everyone buzzing about whether or not Starbucks is in the wrong for this decision. Even though Starbucks has never had the phrase “Merry Christmas” on their cups, people are going so far as to claim that Starbucks is insulting Christ and Christmas itself with the new cup designs. Even Donald Trump recently commented on the situation, adding to the insanity. He gave a speech on Monday in Springfield, Illinois strongly disagreeing with the company’s actions.  He presented the idea of boycotting Starbucks and stated “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying Merry Christmas again.”

His reaction, along with many others, is absolutely ridiculous. Attacking a company for removing animated snowflakes and animals from their cups is absolutely absurd. Those things don’t even represent the true meaning of Christmas. Trump’s input on the situation is more than likely just a ploy to win the votes of those who share this unreasonable opinion. If it’s not, and he actually believes that boycotting Starbucks is relevant to the country’s well-being, then the idea of having him as our president is just laughable.  There are certainly much more pressing matters that he could be worried about, preferably some that might actually better our country as a whole.

Marijuana Reform

Political writer and blogger Chris Weigant wrote an article that was posted to The Huffington Post on October 14. Politicians and the federal government make up his intended audience. In his writing, he explains the rising interest in the federal "War On Weed" and how politicians are finally starting to agree that it needs to end. He describes how when the subject came up at the last Republican debate, "of the three Republicans and two Democrats asked about marijuana policy, all five of them supported medical marijuana. Four of them (to one degree or another) supported the right of states to set their own policy on recreational use."
Weigant argues that the current marijuana policy "is not a sane federal drug policy." He believes that the  the classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug needs to change. In fact, he believes "it is long overdue." He claims that "this classification is not about science, and never was. It has been purely political all along." Since one of the qualifications for a Schedule I drug is that "The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in the treatment in the United States," Weigant believes that this classification is no longer accurate and the federal law needs to recognize this. Additionally, he believes "it's a serious issue to bring up to people who want to lead our country." Weigant explains that the events of the last Republican debate, along with Barack Obama's stance on the issue marks "an astounding turnaround on federal marijuana policy." He also describes how everybody "is now taking marijuana reform a whole lot more seriously than they ever have before."

Fixing Our Broken Government

The Washington Post released an editorial written by Philip K. Howard on October 1. Howard is a well-known leader of government and legal reform in America and he is also chair of common good. In this piece of writing, he targets political candidates and voters as his audience. His argument is that candidates should focus less on their egos and put more effort into forming a plan of action to better the U.S. government. He also argues that voters should place their hopes in candidates who have visions of how to fix our broken government rather than those with good personalities and political withstanding. Howard backs his argument by using evidence such as Obama being unable to fulfill his promise of bringing "change we can believe in" after he took office. He explains that Obama "had no authority to escape from the legal goo of required studies, permits and processes." He uses Trump as an example as well. According to Howard, "Trump's appeal is based on Candor and power." However, he questions how Trump will be able to "make the trains run on time" as he claims he will when he can't ignore the laws and regulations presidents are faced with. These examples prove that some candidates are making promises that aren't backed by a thoroughly thought out plan. Howard makes a good point. It is impossible to come to a solution without a carefully considered and well thought out plan.

Defund Planned Parenthood Act

On September 18, CBS News released an article on their website titled House votes to block Planned Parenthood funds. The article discusses how the Defund Planned Parenthood Act would stop Planned Parenthood funding for a year. Republicans were angered by videos that implied Planned Parenthood officials were using aborted fetuses for research and knew that the act would give committees time to investigate these allegations. However, the article states that the Defund Planned Parenthood Act stands little chance of enactment because Senate Democrats have enough votes to block it. In addition, a veto was promised by the White House. I think that this article is worth reading because it explains the debate over abortion between the democrats and republicans and presents interesting arguments from both sides.