Commentary: "Private Prisons"

Wow, I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as privatization of prisons. It’s definitely a shock to find this out and of course I agree with the major points made in the article. It is hypocritical for America to declare a so called war on crime but yet allow others to profit from that same issue. It’s an incentive to place a greater amount of people in prison. Of course, it also adds to the never ending discrimination against minorities because—let’s be honest-- they are more prone to be sentenced to jail time. If anything, these corporations should seek out and fund groups that are making an effort to lower crime in their communities rather than make a coorporate profit out of it.

http://politicalvice.blogspot.com/2007/11/private-prisons.html

The Fourth Amendment???

The constitution of the United States under the fourth amendment clearly states that “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall [be] issue[d], but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” Using the U.S. Constitutions as foundation, how is it possible for President Bush to authorize the National Security Agency to spy on Americans via the internet and phone lines without court approval?

It is understandable that desperate times call for desperate measures and that this is being done for our own “safety”. However, our so called “safety” does not justify the fact that the government is indeed abusing its power and violating our constitutional rights. But wait, it doesn’t end there. Now officials are discussing physical searches of homes and businesses suspected of terrorism, of course without a warrant.

I don’t believe that the President should be allowed to authorize warrant less searches of any kind, let alone homes, with the excuse that it’s for our safety. Americans should be protected without the need to give up any of the rights already granted. There are other ways to protect America and in my eyes this has turned into an abuse of power. President Bush’s steward ways leave me doubtful about what the future will hold. If he has already deprived us of this right, anything can be expected. How far are we willing to let him go?

Commentary: "This is Scary..."

I totally agree with the comments Dan made in this article about the Diebold voting machines. As if the 2000 year election hadn’t been controversial enough with all the vote counts, we now come to find out that the solution to the problem has become an even bigger one. It’s never comforting to hear that within a matter of minutes these machines can be hacked into and potentially change the entire election. Enough citizens are apprehensive about voting because they don’t believe that one vote makes much of a difference to now add fraudulent machines in the picture.

Another one of my concerns is the fact that the chief executive of Diebold Inc. wrote in a letter that he was “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year”. I see eye to eye with Dan when he stated that “Our way of democracy is being threatened” if anyone can just come in and alter the major means by which we voice our opinions. I don’t know that having paper printouts of the voting results will solve the problem but it’s definitely a proposal worth trying.

http://danspolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/this-is-scary.html

The Iraq War

Without a doubt, the most talked about issue for the past four years or so has been the Iraqi war. It seems, as though everyone and his or her cat have commented about the subject, whether it has been to support it or totally contradict it. At first, I found it difficult to decide if this war was worth fighting for or if our troops should just come back home. However, there have been several factors that lead me to believe that the war in Iraq should be brought to an end.

First of all, the war began on March 20, 2003 when the United States invaded Iraq claiming that it contained weapons of mass destruction that could substantially pose a threat to the nation. However, after several years of investigation these weapons of mass destruction are yet to be found. That apparently had no effect on our dicision because we continue to send countless amounts of soldiers over there, placing their lives in danger. The next issue I have about the war is its costs. I find it sarcastic that the money being used to fund this war is coming straight out of the pockets of tax payers when the majority opposes it to begin with. Billions of dollars have been spent on the war, which could have been invested on issues closer to home like education or health care for example. We are supposed to be living in a democratic country but yet are involved in a war that is opposed by a massive amount of the population.

I understand that it is irrational to suggest for the United States to step down from the war in a blink of an eye but I do believe that it has turned into a huge mess that should be stopped before it gets worse.

DREAM Act

In his article, “Protect the American Dream,” Ruben Navarette brings up one of the most controversial issues of the time, illegal immigrants. He expresses his support for the DREAM act “that would give illegal immigrant the chance to become legal but require that those who receive such a privileged give back quite a bit in return.”


The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, better known as the DREAM act, is a bill formulated to allow immigrant students and military hopefuls an opportunity of gaining citizenship. To qualify the individual must prove that he/she has lived in the United States for at least five years and arrived at an age of 15 or younger. Also required in the bill are a minimum two years of college and a clean criminal record among other conditions.


I agree with the editor’s statement that, “It offers something precious--the right to stay in the United States legally—but it isn’t bashful about demanding certain things in return.” The standards set in the act assure that the person benefited by it does indeed have good moral standing and intends to acquire an education, which will eventually benefit the community as a whole. There is already an incredible amount of undocumented students with college degrees, by passing the bill they will be allowed to enter the work force and actually give back to society.


Lets be honest, most Americans are still indecisive about the subject, and putting it off to the side is not solving anything. Why not allow these student the same opportunity as ordinary citizens to obtain the “American dream”.


http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/10/11/1011navarrette_edit.html

Bush Vetoes Children Health Plan

This past Wednesday President Bush vetoed a bill that would have given hundreds of poor children insurance. The Senate attempted to override the veto but the house fell short to the amount of numbers necessary. While republicans worry about how this will affect re-elections, the Democratic Party hopes to gain a substantial lead by supporting it. When Bush finally commented on the subject he simply said “I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, made his opinion when he stated that “never [had] it been clearer how detached President Bush is from the priorities of the American people.” Many people are bothered by the fact that Bush has not declared what he intends to do about the subject. After reading the comments that citizens made about the article I realize that a great majority is infuriated. It appears as though he is setting aside the interest of millions of people for his own personal gains. Oh what was the word? Greed. People are still skeptical about the war in Iraq which Bush has funded with millions of dollars but yet he is less willing to aid children with insurance funds. From what I understood from the article it seems like Bush is more committed to private sectors that only have their interests in mind. I think it would be best if the government handled the issue a bit more seriously because we trust that it’s their job to look after our needs.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/comments?type=story&id=3681815

Millions for Community College Funding

This past June Governor Rick Perry vetoed a proposal for $154 million in state funding for community colleges. “In response to the veto, Austin Community College has increased student fees by $2 per credit hour and cut $2.2 million from its budget.” According to Ken Armbrister, Perry did believe that a large portion of the vetoed money should be spent on colleges. However, “the rules that govern vetoes” didn’t allow keeping a single portion of the money.

Apparently, several meetings have been held not only to recover the $154 million but an additional $50 million aimed to be spent on financial aid. From what I understood there are still several issues to be discussed in order to come up with the means to provide colleges with supplemental funding. I obviously consider this article worth reading because it has affected us as college students. In fact, ACC’s president, Stephen Kinslow, confirmed that fees would decrease once more if the school was indeed granted higher finance.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/09/07/0907community.html