"Put Up Or Shut Up" (6)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/26/elizabeth-warren-middle-class_n_6760862.html "Elizabeth Warren To The GOP: 'Put Up Or Shut Up' About Aid For Middle Class" is an article by Samantha Lachman; it was published February 26, 2015. Almost every American has heard the name Elizabeth Warren. Warren is a Massachusetts senator, and is also a former Harvard Law School professor, specializing in bankruptcy law. Recently, Warren, with a colleague, launched the "Middle Class Prosperity Project," and at their first forum on Tuesday, Warren made her plan clear. Warren gave a well informed speech concerning the state of the United States middle class, it's history, and how we have to work to fix it. Warren scolded Republicans for their constant talk of strengthening the middle class when all that they have done is support legislation that weakened the middle class. She speaks of their focus on the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would have benefited a major foreign oil company rather than our own country. "I could go on, but the point is the same: Talk is cheap. It's time for action-- action that will strengthen America's middle-class families and build a strong future, action that will produce good jobs now and in the future. It is time to put up or shut up. I have a message for my Republican colleagues: You control Congress. Stop talking about helping the middle class, and start doing it." This relates to our class because of the connection to media and politicians. This powerful message has been reposted over 1 million times, making this video one of Warren's most widely circulated videos. Her visibility is helped my the media in ways that one can not begin to describe. Warren's supporters are growing and growing, making her a formidable opponent in Congress. I completely agree with Warren. I've known about her for a while. She strikes me as someone who really pays attention to the true problems facing our country today, but unlike so many other politicians, who are just a lot of talk, Warren actually takes incentive and does something about the issues that she is most passionate about. One of the reasons that I am such a huge fan of hers is because of her target on school loans for college students. As a former professor, I believe she has a unique perspective on the topic and I look forward to seeing where she goes with it. See the full video here: http://girldujour.com/2015/02/27/elizabeth-warren-gives-republicans-a-spanking-its-time-to-put-up-or-shut-up-video/

HRC Applauds Appointment of Randy Berry as State Department’s First Ever LGBT Human Rights Envoy (5)

http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-applauds-appointment-of-randy-berry-as-state-departments-first-ever-lgb This article, "HRC Applauds Appointment of Randy Berry as State Department’s First Ever LGBT Human Rights Envoy," by Kerrie Brody, was posted on February 23, 2015. On Monday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) celebrated the State Department's first LGBT Human Rights Envoy, Randy Berry, a veteran senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer. This new post was created by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. Berry's new job is to serve as an overseer of what the United States government is doing to help further LGBT causes. HRC President Chad Griffin wrote Kerry, asking him to take this step. The move was backed up by over 26,000 HRC supporters and members. This year, HRC worked closely with the offices of Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) to introduce the International Human Rights Defense Act (S.302 / H.R. 590) which would create the position through legislative action. This relates to what we are studying in class because of the interest group and media topics that we have been studying. The HRC is the largest LGBT civil rights and lobbying group in the United States. The support that Griffin received from HRC supporters would not have been possible without media, because people wouldn't have known about the developments without the use of media and social networking. I applaud the new envoy; so many LGBT people in the US are discriminated against every day, and we deserve a government that cares about and protects all of our citizens. This is a revolutionary move, and I hope that our government will continue to make a change for the better.

Model Who's Gay, Not A Twin Sends Strong Message Back To Ex-Gay Group PFOX (4)

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/ex_gay_group_slammed_by_model_who_s_gay_not_a_twin The article "Model Who's Gay, Not A Twin Sends Strong Message Back To Ex-Gay Group PFOX" by David Badash, published February 19th, 2015. In December, anti- gay group PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays and Gays) put up a billboard on a busy Virginia interstate, with a picture of "twins," identical in every way, except that one of them is gay. The group claims this only difference as proof that "no one is born gay." Although the group has received significant backlash from the gay-rights community, they weren't expecting for the model whose stock photo they used to contact them. Kyle Roux, a South African model, notified the group that not only is he (happily) gay, he is not a twin. Roux is partnering with Planting Peace (the civil rights organization behind the Equality House, the rainbow striped house across the street from Westboro Baptist Church) in order to create a counter message to spread the love the LGBT community so often advocates for. This relates to what we are learning in class right now because of groups (although they are not specific interest groups). These groups influence citizens and lawmakers alike, and are closely related to our recent lessons about political organizations. I agree with Roux's decision to retaliate in a positive way. I believe that all LGBT people are born LGBT. I do not believe it is a choice, nor do they. I think that PFOX shouldn't publish such blatant lies in the way they did; their message is negative enough without being ridiculously misinformed.

Who Will Be Joining Clinton In Democratic Primary? (3)

http://www.npr.org/2015/02/10/384952071/in-likely-democratic-primary-whos-joining-hillary-clinton "In Likely Democratic Primary, Who's Joining Hillary Clinton?" is an article by Tamara Keith, published February 10, 2015. Hillary Clinton is the forerunner in the 2016 Democratic Primary, everyone knows that. However, the question has to be asked: who else is running? NPR interviewed Tim Miller, the director of America Rising PAC, a Republican group that exists solely to "dig up dirt" on Democratic candidates. Miller says that the PAC has been having some difficulty determining who exactly they will need to dig up dirt on. However, they recently traveled to Downtown Chicago, a Democratic political center. Miller interviewed multiple Democratic politicians, and the only truly possible names are the following: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Vice President Joe Biden; former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley; Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (who has said that she is not running for president, but it is thought that she would make a good candidate); and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb. I have also been curious as to who was running in the Democratic primary. Hillary Clinton has been the most prominent name since the race first became relevant. If Hillary is to vote, it's likely that she would win the primary, but if Elizabeth Warren decides to run, she also has a very good chance. Elizabeth Warren, quite frankly, would get my vote. We have recently been studying political parties in class, along with primaries, caucuses, and campaigns. This ties to what we have been studying because of the Democratic primary subject and the candidate announcements, following the Democratic National Committee's recent announcement that their national convention will take place in Philadelphia, PA.

The Response to #LikeAGirl Is Why It's So Important (2)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/03/why-like-a-girl-is-so-important_n_6598970.html In this blog post, I will discuss a recent article, "The Reaction To #LikeAGirl Is Exactly Why It's So Important," by Alanna Vagianos. During the Superbowl, an ad was aired, "Like a Girl." The ad asks the question: "What does it mean to do something 'like a girl?'." The answers to this question in the ad are both negative and positive. Negative responses come primarily from adults (for example, when asked to throw a ball "like a girl," they throw it weakly.) Positive responses occur primarily in pre-pubescent girls. They give it their all. For such a great ad about female empowerment, the ad received some negative feedback from the Superbowl audience, especially men. So-called "meninists" decided that they would make the hashtag #LikeABoy trend on Twitter as backlash, because according to them, #LikeAGirl was attacking men and championing female superiority. However, many feminists took #LikeABoy and turned it on its head, ridiculing the idea of attacking such a powerful message to young girls all over the world, and because "like a boy" has never been associated with weakness. This article is related to themes explored in AP Gov because of the gender clash, which is part of the argument of the "Culture War," how many people have differing opinions when it comes to certain issues. The empowerment and equal treatment of women is an important subject that many people disagree on, and I also connect it to Title 9 (equal opportunity of women to gain access to higher education, primarily through athletic scholarships. It is currently being used as an argument for the fight against sexual assault in colleges.) I love the #LikeAGirl ad. I think it's powerful and a great message for young girls. My favorite part of the ad is when a little girl is asked: -"What does it mean to you when I say run 'like a girl'?" She replies: -"It means run as fast as you can." Check out the full Superbowl spot at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/29/like-a-girl-super-bowl_n_6572568.html

Clean or Nothing (1)

"Senate Democrats Demand A Clean DHS Funding Bill" by Elise Foley is a recently published article regarding a recent bill passed by the House of Representatives and the fact that it is unlikely to pass through the Senate. Senate Democrats are refusing to pass a recent bill passed by the House of Representatives on January 14, 2015. The bill directly targets not only funding for Department of Homeland Security, but also has the potential to limit President Obama's executive actions on immigration. However, it's likely that the bill will not make it through the Senate. The entire Senate Democratic caucus sent a letter to House majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in support of Senate minority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). In order to pass the bill through the Senate, the Republicans would need 6 Democrat votes. The Senate Democrats have voiced their opinions, saying that this appropriations bill is not the way to spark immigration debate, although it appears that the bill does not have enough votes from either chamber to pass the Senate. Even if the bill is passed, President Obama has said he will veto any bills having to do with limiting his ability to issue executive actions. This article is related to political culture because of the immigration/Democrat vs. Republican argument. Immigration is one of the most disagreed-upon topics in our country today; most Conservatives believe in deporting illegal immigrants and further militarizing the border, whereas Democrats have more charitable views: creating programs to aid illegal immigrants in gaining green cards, making citizenship process simpler, etc. I agree more with the Democrats on immigration legislation and the Senate's stance on passing this bill. I know people who have come here from other countries, I know how difficult it is just to come to the U.S. for a holiday, let alone to live here. I think that the House Republicans are biting off more than they can chew, given that this not the first bill they've introduced since the midterm elections to not make it through the Senate.