Last Blog... bittersweet

Before I begin I just want to say that for the first time in my life, I am bummed that a class is coming to an end. I had so much fun learning about government issues, and issues that apply to how I live my life. This was my first POL class and I am actually registered for 3 more classes next semester. I'm sure it will be challenging but I find that I have a genuine love for this subject.

The most interesting section was the one on interest groups. I personally was always under the impression that interest groups were these bad people who hid in the shadows and did drug deals with politicians in the back alley in order to get what they wanted. I never really thought of the "good" interest groups though. For example; I never knew what GLAD's was until this class. Additionally, doing minor research on the websites of these groups was an eye opened since they showed that they were not looking to make politicians rich. In GLAD's case, they just want Washington to have equal rights for ALL human beings, not just heterosexuals. Also, seeing how much money is actually given by some of these interest groups was astounding, like the NRA for example! Wow! Those guys are pretty hardcore. Overall, this was a fun section in my opinion.

The least interesting section was probably the section on the courts. It wasn't do to the teaching style or any external factors, it was do to me already having a good knowledge on the topic. I have read about Marbury v. Madison numerous times, the premise of judicial review, how the judges are selected, etc., etc. The information just wasn't new to me. Not to mention when I think of judges I get the mental image of really old people droopy robes kind of go with their droopy neck-skin, and the smell of a nursing home.... not a pleasant thought personally.

Prior to this class I thought I knew a considerable amount about government, but it turns out I wasn't as informed as I thought. For example; like a lot of Americans I thought Congress is doing an extremely crappy job with the country since they argue and gripe so much. However, I know realize that nothing ever gets done in Congress because it takes so long to pass legislation, and that term length for the majority of Congressmen (i.e. the House of Reps.) hinders efficiency becasue they need to concentrate on getting reelected. It's not necessarily the fault of Congress, but instead the circumstances that they are subjected to. Also, learning about the national debt and how far in the abyss (or maybe black hole is a better word), we are in terms of debt, was both interesting and scary. $11.4 trillion is just impossible to comprehend to me and to see that the government is not moving to fix the issue at all is mind-boggling to me. Why not fix something know instead of letting later generations deal with it?! I knew nothing about the debt, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid before this class, but know I feel like I am better equipped with some tools that I can now use in regards to this subject. Overall, this course improved my knowledge of government issues in our country.

I honestly feel like our generation does have a somewhat indifferent feeling to most issues; however, when an issue bothers us and we see people's lives being affected negatively because of it, we want action. We are children of the internet and a generation that likes to know EVERYTHING! We are the most open-minded generation in my opinion, the whole freedom and equality for ALL idea is something that we take to heart and truly believe. We have learned about the mistakes of our ancestors; the wars fought, what money can do to people, and what can happen if you choose not to take action. I feel that we will get a lot done in our lifetime in terms of civil rights, technological advances, space exploration, and social issues. We don't anything to interfere with our social time so if there is an issue at hand, we want to work out ASAP.

I honestly plan to volunteer on a campaign for a candidate whose views and agenda I agree with. I'm just not sure if I want to do it for the local or state level. So much seems to be at stake to just be passive and not care about what is happening in my country. There are serious issues in this country, and the world that should be taken care of and I am not going to sit around and wait for someone else to take care of it. From now on I will be voting. Additionally, I hope to find an issue I am passionate about and start making some old people feel really uncomfortable.

My impression of this class was outstanding. The floor was open daily to questions, issues, and facts that concern everyone. Also, the people in class were great, and I the enthusiasm was through the roof. Even though I am glad to have a 2 month break until classes start back up again, I am sad that this class must end. It was the best class I have taken so far. Thanks for the great time and useful information!

McLean County Museum

For starters, I didn't realize how big that building really was. I've drove past it a ton but never really took the time to think about what was inside. I realized that this county has a very rich history considering its size. I had heard that this area was Lincoln's old stomping grounds but I never knew that he actually practiced law here and that the foundation of the Republican party was basically established in Bloomington. Not to mention Bloomington-Normal seems to have been and still is an area where people are politically active with movements such as women's suffrage in Illinois starting in McLean as an example. I honestly just never had enough interest in this area because I was simply content to just go to school here not knowing about the town's history. However, I do feel that it is good to have an understanding for the area because I can better appreciate it and I can understand the year-round residents as well. The political activities of this town seem to have had a profound impact in history, most notable Lincoln's rise out of McLean County and the Supreme Court case, the People v. Chicago & Alton Railroad. The thing that really stuck to me though was how Abe Lincoln managed to rise from practicing law in an area that was primarily farm land to become the President of the United States in a matter of a few years. It's quite cool to know that the man who is considered by most to be the best President in US history came from such a relatively humble background. I really enjoyed that aspect of the museum. Also, the Vietnam exhibit was well put together as well. I got a kick out of the, "What to do When a Nuke Goes Off," video. "If you see a flash, duck and cover." It should have been, "if you see a flash, kiss you butt goodbye!" It was fun to see the type of propaganda the government fed to public to give them a sense of security. Overall, it was a good trip.

McLean County?? Where the heck is that?

My knowledge of McLean County political history is basically none. Also, I didn't even know where McLean County was until I started going to school at ISU. I have lived in the southern suburbs of Chicago for majority of my life and the politics and history of central Illinois has never interested me. Additionally, I have only been going to ISU for about a year now so my familiarity with the area is still developing. I probably should pay better attention what is going within McLean County since I am normally living there 85% of the time and any new ordnances might actually affect my life at ISU. I have never concerned myself with McLean politics because I've been more concerned about what is going on in Will and Cook County politics since I grew up in that area. The only thing that I do know about McLean is that some of Abe Lincoln's friends were in the area. Hopefully I can learn more about McLean's history as well as its political history more at this trip tomorrow.

Blog #6

I am not at all surprised that I have more liberal views and that I am most closely associated with the Democratic party. Also, I resemble Ghandi, which kind of caught me off guard but I can dig it, he seemed like a nice guy and to have a similar ideology of someone who MLK emulated is not a bad thing in my book. However, I won't be going on any hunger strikes in the near future.

I prefer the Democratic party because they seem to be the most educated people of all the parties and they seem to have a tendency to not bring religion in the category. Religion, in my opinion, is extremely divisive and when you talk about it just ends up angering people so it should not be in government at all and politicians should not let it influence their decision making. Also, I think that people in our country generally just want what is best for their families and, just as long as the government is honest, the government can provide better opportunites for flourishment.

Right away I noticed that they have a semi-militant slogan, "The Democrats are Advancing Their Agenda." They are basically trying to feed off the ignorant and say that the Democrats are these evil giants who are going to eat the little guy. Additionally, it says that, "Your life is now under their scrutiny." Hmm... so the GOP doesn't scrutinze any specific group at all? Yeah right. Try to tell that one to a gay rights advocate. I'm kind of disappointed though, I expecting some sort of Michael Steele "What up ya'll," smiley face to greet me. Maybe if they lose another election they'll resort to it.

On the Democratic website I see a more lively page. It has that whole, "Change You Can Believe In," feel to it. Probably because Obama is plastered all of it. The Democrats are obviously riding the Barack Obama tidal wave of approval because they are obviously trying to associate themselves as being like President Obama. This is could be bad though, if Obama screws up, people are going to associate his face with failure or, if a scandal of some sort comes up, poor morals and values. Again, I like what they are doing and it's good politics in my opinion but I just hope they don't put all their eggs in one basket. They should get some more faces in their.

Interest group- GLAD

Like Alli, I also noticed that were not any parameters, but I figure that something is better nothing. I decided to find information on the interest group, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. According to their website, GLAD's specific mission is to ensure that all citizens receive, "full equality under the law – without exception." Until I looked at their website, I was not aware of all the issues that are important to gays and lesbians. For example, ill treatment of people with HIV seems to be quite important to them along with the fair treatment of transgendered people. I personally think that my contact with gays and lesbians has probably been more than the average person. Some of the most intelligent people that I have ever met have been gay and they are normal people. They are not lepers and I think the way our government treats them is completely wrong. What really gets me is all those religious radicals who picket gay weddings and gay pride parades screaming about how, "Jesus hates fags!" Jesus dined with the biggest sinner, befriended a prostitute, and cured the sick, and preached love for one another. I wonder how love can somehow get miscontrued into the word hate, but somehow these "Christians" think they are doing God's work. Honestly, these nimrods are the exact people who, to take a line from Obama, "cling to their guns and relgion." They have absolutely no idea what gays and lesbians are like since they most likely do not know any homosexuals. They take the saying, "ignorance is bliss," to a whole new level and could use an education that is above the 4th grade.

GLAD also has a number of court cases involving gay rights that they have worked on, and won, on their website. Additionally, they lobby the public and some state governments on the issue of gay marriage. One of their most recent cases is fighting the Defense of Marriage Act, specifically section 3. Basically, the federal government does not afford the same economic safety nets to same-sex couples than other couples. Again, I'm surprised that government has actually passed legislation that puts gays and lesbians down. Whatever happened to equality for all? Hopefully something changes in the near future, they are human beings, they bleed red just like everyother human being on this planet.