Friday, April 11, 2008
Re: Education Funds for Sex-Offenders
Let me apologize in advance for playing devil's advocate... I agree sex offenders are heinous and have no place in our society. Unfortunately they are Americans too. People slip through cracks, are wrongfully convicted, and at times people can change. Who knows, maybe focusing on education and expanding their mind a person can find a way to become free of the chains holding them into their patterns and keeping them stuck in lives benefiting no one and hurting others. I have never committed a crime, nor do I plan to do so. I have family that I love and would give anything to protect. That being said, anyone you or I know could fall in to a circumstance that seems wrong to us, we don’t always have all the facts, just because it seems that way does not make it a reality. A 17 year-old boy consensually dating a 15 year-old girl doesn’t warrant losing a future to me. I’m not defending rewarding criminals or condoning any hurtful behavior, I am defending each of our individual rights to try and make our lives better. Sex-offenders must register with the government and it is public knowledge where they live. They are and always will be persona non grata to the whole world. And some may waste the money provided to them, but I know a number of students that do the same with their college grants. Yes, I would much rather that $20,000 go to a student that works hard and is motivated and honest and worthy of our tax dollars. But it’s not my decision to determine who is worthy of what. I don’t know the situation of every sex offender, rightly convicted…or wrongly. I prefer to give people opportunity rather than to take it away.
A Government Constant
The US government is an ever-changing, moving, breathing, pliable entity. Laws, people, opinions, and values come and go, change with years and decades and centuries. Prohibition, suffrage… even individual freedom has not been a US constant.
Just a few things have been ever present in our country and government. One of which is the crucial presence of change itself, another is the “personal” lives of our leaders and the effects of those lives on American voters. I would like to briefly discuss the latter, and arguably, the more interesting of the two.
A more recent occurrence on the minds of today’s public would possibly be former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Governor Spitzer resigned from his position as governor after his personal escapades were uncovered. For more information take a peek at the article posted on CNN.com in March 2008 here, and you’ll see a little more about this story.
Less recent but on a much larger scale would be former President Bill Clinton and his “non-sexual” affair with Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton, who was the head of the country and a married father, committed adultery. This angered even moderate conservatives and pretty much all Republicans. Truth be told, almost any Republican that was not appalled at Clinton’s behavior at that point, was not really a Republican. I say this only in the sense that any leeway given to the president by a Republican was generally corrected swiftly and sharply by those more passionate about the issue. (This only coming from my personal experience as a former RepublicanJ) Amazingly enough, a large portion of American citizens still hold President Clinton in high regard.
Another example, President John F. Kennedy Jr. and his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, despite being married to Jackie O. at the time, JFK is still thought of as one of the countries favorite presidents. Even first president, George Washington was rumored to father children with a woman other than his wife, Martha. Alexander Hamilton apparently had an affair as well. Which brings up the question– what is the real priority for American citizens? Is it virtue or is it increasing civil liberties and connecting with the American people on a much deeper level? If we take anything from JFK and Bill Clinton, it may be that you may dally all you want in your “personal” life if you strive hard to win over the hearts of the American public. And if you work towards increasing people’s liberties, they won’t mind so much when you take yours. Maybe Governor Spitzer should have increased his work with the people and for the people, and then he might not have had to resign.
Just a few things have been ever present in our country and government. One of which is the crucial presence of change itself, another is the “personal” lives of our leaders and the effects of those lives on American voters. I would like to briefly discuss the latter, and arguably, the more interesting of the two.
A more recent occurrence on the minds of today’s public would possibly be former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Governor Spitzer resigned from his position as governor after his personal escapades were uncovered. For more information take a peek at the article posted on CNN.com in March 2008 here, and you’ll see a little more about this story.
Less recent but on a much larger scale would be former President Bill Clinton and his “non-sexual” affair with Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton, who was the head of the country and a married father, committed adultery. This angered even moderate conservatives and pretty much all Republicans. Truth be told, almost any Republican that was not appalled at Clinton’s behavior at that point, was not really a Republican. I say this only in the sense that any leeway given to the president by a Republican was generally corrected swiftly and sharply by those more passionate about the issue. (This only coming from my personal experience as a former RepublicanJ) Amazingly enough, a large portion of American citizens still hold President Clinton in high regard.
Another example, President John F. Kennedy Jr. and his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, despite being married to Jackie O. at the time, JFK is still thought of as one of the countries favorite presidents. Even first president, George Washington was rumored to father children with a woman other than his wife, Martha. Alexander Hamilton apparently had an affair as well. Which brings up the question– what is the real priority for American citizens? Is it virtue or is it increasing civil liberties and connecting with the American people on a much deeper level? If we take anything from JFK and Bill Clinton, it may be that you may dally all you want in your “personal” life if you strive hard to win over the hearts of the American public. And if you work towards increasing people’s liberties, they won’t mind so much when you take yours. Maybe Governor Spitzer should have increased his work with the people and for the people, and then he might not have had to resign.
Bush Approval Rating Hits All Time Low
For our 3rd blog entry I thought one pertaining to polls and the presidency would be pertinent. As we covered in chapter 6, public opinion is only public opinion once it is expressed.
There are many ways this can happen, one of which is via polling. One of the largest polling institutions in the US and abroad is Gallup polling. Gallup is an organization that makes every effort to scientifically develop accurate information on people all over the world, about what they are thinking and feeling about various things, the topic in my blog today is the Government and the public’s approval of the job the government is performing.
In the posting/article I’ve chosen, Bush Approval Rating Hits All Time Low, discussed is President Bush’s approval rating which is sinking lower and lower beginning to creep toward former President Harry Truman’s approval rating of 22 percent in 1952. Truman’s presidency began with the ending of World War II and ended during a period of the Cold War, between the US and the Soviet Union, which was incredibly tense. Truman had his hands full with wars, economic shortages and recessions and foreign policy complications.
It is easy to look back now and empathize with Harry Truman and the US citizens unhappy with his decisions. One must wonder if in 60 years the American public will be able to look back at George Bush’s administration and feel less discontent for the job they did during their time at the helm. It does not, however, ease the burden created by George Bush on the American public today. And the approval rating the Gallup polls have released seem to be very accurate by general public and social discussions. President Bush may not make it to 22% like President Truman, fortunately for him and for us he may run out of time.
There are many ways this can happen, one of which is via polling. One of the largest polling institutions in the US and abroad is Gallup polling. Gallup is an organization that makes every effort to scientifically develop accurate information on people all over the world, about what they are thinking and feeling about various things, the topic in my blog today is the Government and the public’s approval of the job the government is performing.
In the posting/article I’ve chosen, Bush Approval Rating Hits All Time Low, discussed is President Bush’s approval rating which is sinking lower and lower beginning to creep toward former President Harry Truman’s approval rating of 22 percent in 1952. Truman’s presidency began with the ending of World War II and ended during a period of the Cold War, between the US and the Soviet Union, which was incredibly tense. Truman had his hands full with wars, economic shortages and recessions and foreign policy complications.
It is easy to look back now and empathize with Harry Truman and the US citizens unhappy with his decisions. One must wonder if in 60 years the American public will be able to look back at George Bush’s administration and feel less discontent for the job they did during their time at the helm. It does not, however, ease the burden created by George Bush on the American public today. And the approval rating the Gallup polls have released seem to be very accurate by general public and social discussions. President Bush may not make it to 22% like President Truman, fortunately for him and for us he may run out of time.
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