Congress Thwarts Legalization of Marijuana in D.C.

In the article, "Marijuana Legalization in U.S. Capital Dashed in Budget Plan," (Link to Article) it states that the $1.1 trillion federal spending plan that was worked out yeterday does not allow D.C. to spend money on legalizing or reducing the penalties for marijauna possession. The House is going to vote on this proposed plan tomorrow. This plan is supposed to block the adoption of the ballot measure that was voted on recently to allow D.C. residents to grow marijauna and possess up to two ounces of the substance.

This is already starting to make people angry because if this proposition is passed, the measure that the citizens of Washington D.C. voted on would pretty much be overturned by Congress. This could cause advocates of legalizing marijauna to get riled up because Congress is undermining the people who voted for the legalization of marijuana. I think that if this initiative is passed, it could be construed by some as a misuse of the government's power. Many people think that the government should not be allowed to overturn a measure voted on by actual citizens of Washington D.C. This decision does not support the idea of limited government, and demonstrates that the federal government can in some cases overpower state and local governments.

Transgender Girl Finally Receives Equal Rights

In the article, "District ordered to pay transgender student $75K" (Link to Article) it states that in Maine, a court has awarded the family of a transgender girl, Nicole Maines, a settlement of $75,000. This was the outcome of Nicole's discrimination lawsuit against a school that made her use a staff bathroom instead of a student bathroom due to her being transgender. This case was brought before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, which ruled that the school violated the Maine Human Rights Act. This is the first time that a state high court has determined that a transgender person could use whichever gender bathroom that they identified with. Nicole was awarded this settlement last week.

This event could possibly affect the whole nation. If Maine has accepted that it is discrimination to make a transgender person use a separate bathroom from the other students, then several other states will most likely follow when there are more lawsuits filed like this. It's interesting to see that state governments are starting to take discrimination against transgender people more seriously. I think that Nicole was right in taking the steps to ensure that she received the same rights and conditions that all her fellow students received. Hopefully, discrimination against transgender people and other minorities will continue to be challenged in the United States.

President Obama Promotes Equal Rights for Same-sex Couples

In the article, "Obama Claims 14th Amendment Requires Nationalized Same-sex Marriage," (Link to article) it states that President Obama recently approved of the Supreme Court's decision to not hear appeals from circuit courts on the issue of the legalization of same-sex marriage in several states. This is because he agrees with the Supreme Court that state laws against same-sex marriage violate the Equal Protection Clause of the fourteenth amendment. He told the New Yorker last month that the fourteenth amendment should actually guarantee the legalization of same-sex marriage in all states which seems to be the opinion of the Supreme Court as well.

The fact that the Supreme Court is now considering the legality of same-sex marriage as guaranteed by the fourteenth amendment indicates that legal same-sex marriage will become much more common in the United States in the years to come. This could potentially change a lot of people's views on whether same-sex marriage should be legal since the President now endorses it. I think that while there are several different religious beliefs and opinions that are against same-sex marriage, on a purely constitutional level, it should be legal. State governments should not be able to deny someone's right to be married based on a person's sexual orientation. It is nice to see that the President also believes this to be true, and is speaking up about it.

Minimum Wage Initiatives Win Big in Several States

In the article, "Minimum wage increases in four red states," (Link to Article) it states that in the Republican states of Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Alaska the initiatives to raise the minimum wage passed. These four victories might not persuade Congress to pass Obama's proposed federal increase of $10.10 this year, but it could push the Democrat presidential nominee in 2016 to call for an increased federal minimum wage. Alaska workers benefit the most from this increase, for their minimum wage went to $9.75. Nebraska's increased to $9.00 and both Arkansas and South Dakota's minimum wages increased to $8.50.

This could potentially cause many changes to the economy of South Dakota along with all the other states that increased their minimum wages. Many are worried that this increase could result in layoffs and decreased opportunities for jobs in South Dakota. This could also possibly cause businesses to have to shut down. On the bright side, though, hard workers in all of these states will be rewarded and be able to enjoy a higher standard of living. I think that this initiative has both good and bad sides to it. I know that I will definitely enjoy being paid more when this goes into effect, but I also know that it could potentially harm the economy. Hopefully the positive aspects of the increased minimum wage will outweigh the possible negative side-effects.

Will Native Americans Vote in a Different Way This Year?

In the article, "Native American Vote Could Tip South Dakota’s Senate Race," (Link to Article) it talks about how influential Native American voters will be in this election. It talks about how Native Americans have supported Democrat candidates in the past, and they might be Rick Weiland's only shot of winning the Senate race this year. Almost ten percent of South Dakota's population is Native American, so they could have quite a bit of sway in the election. The only problem for Rick Weiland is that the independent candidate, Larry Pressler, may be taking some of these votes for himself. Pressler has campaigned on every reservation and even made promises of building a museum in Wounded Knee to commemorate the abuses that Native Americans have suffered in the past.

How Native Americans decide to vote this year could contribute greatly to how the Senate race turns out this year. If all of their votes do go to Rick Weiland then there is a chance that he could beat Mike Rounds. If the vote is split, however, like this article suggests, and some goes to Larry Pressler, then Mike Rounds will most likely come out on top in the election. I think that it will be interesting to see how this turns out. The Native American vote usually goes to the Democrat party, so if it doesn't this year, it could signify a change in political orientation of the Native American population.

South Dakota's not so Predictable Anymore

In the article, "Senate Race Delivers A Surprise Jolt To Conservative South Dakota," it states that South Dakota is home to an unexpectedly close Senate race this year. (Link to article) The article mentions how South Dakota was initially expected to elect the Republican candidate to the senate, but now it has become harder and harder to predict who will win in the upcoming election. Polls show that while Republican Mike Rounds is still in the lead at the moment, his opponent, Democrat Rick Weiland, is only three or four points away from him. The other opponent, Larry Pressler, is running close behind as well.

This election is obviously turning out to be an unexpected battle between the candidates. If the Democrat candidate does end up winning the senate seat, it will be a major game-changer for South Dakota since this state's majority usually votes Republican. I think one of the main reasons why Rounds is losing support from voters is the scandal that now surrounds his name. Without all the controversy surrounding him, Rounds would probably have an easier time winning the race.I think that this election, however, will be a tight race all the way up until election day, and any of these candidates could come out on top.

Faith in Humanity Restored

This week, the Bernalillo County Commission is considering naming a newly renovated baseball field in Albuquerque, New Mexico after a boy named Martin Romero. (Dying boy donates Make-A-Wish gift)This is because Martin, who died of brain cancer in January, asked the Make-A-Wish Foundation to donate his wish to improving the baseball fields in his local community. Martin originally wanted to use his wish to go skydiving, but when this wish was turned down due to the nature of his brain tumor, he decided instead to improve the baseball fields that he loved and had been playing on since he was six years old. The Make-A-Wish Foundation ended up donating $2,000 for this project.

The new improvements made to these baseball fields will impact Albuquerque's community in a variety of ways. These new fields will allow those using wheelchairs to have easier access to watch the games along with other fans, and it will serve as a memorial for Martin Romero, so all in his community will remember him. This story renews my faith in humanity, for in a society where most teenagers are now considered to be selfish and uncaring, we see a 14-year-old kid who uses his last dying wish to support his community. I think that Martin could be a role model for all of us.

The Cost of Fighting a War Against Ebola

In the article "Congress releases war funds to fight Ebola" (Link to Article) it is mentioned that $50 million of President Obama's $1 billion request has been approved by Congress to be used in the fight against Ebola. The money comes from leftover Afghanistan war funds and will be used to airlift supplies and personnel to areas affected by Ebola. This request was finally signed off on by Senator James Inhofe who was at first very skeptical of the plan, for he had very little information on specifically how the funds would be used. Senator Inhofe is the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and was required to sign off on this request before it could be put into motion.

I think this is a huge step forward in the battle against Ebola. The money that will be used could significantly lower the risks of Ebola spreading all over the world, and it will hopefully be of assistance to those already affected by this disease. U. S. officials have said that over one million people could be affected by Ebola if there is nothing done about it, which is why being active in fighting the disease is so important. Hopefully this money will be able to save lives that otherwise would be ruined by Ebola.

Saving the World One Plastic Bag at a Time

California bans plastic grocery bags

On Tuesday, September 30, Governor Edmund Brown passed a law that bans plastic shopping bags from being handed out for free in stores in California. This officially makes California the first U. S. state to ban plastic bags. Environmentalists are pleased with this new law while critics believe that it is misguided and might have an adverse effect on American jobs. The law will not go into effect until July 1, 2015 for grocery stores and pharmacies, and July 1, 2016 for convenience and liquor stores. Instead of plastic bags, stores will be required to hand out recycled paper bags or bags made of compostable material. These bags will cost at least 10 cents for consumers, but people who use the California food-assistance program won't have to pay for the bags. 

This new law is a huge step forward in helping to save the environment. Millions of plastic bags end up in landfills every year, and they take decades to break down. By banning plastic bags, California will be able to prevent the future pollution of its beaches, parks, and even the ocean. This is a huge win for environmentalists who are constantly working to reduce pollution. This could, however, effect citizens in California in a negative way, for the new ban could be a threat to thousands of manufacturing jobs.

I think that this ban is a good idea. I believe that if doing something as simple as using recycled paper bags can help save the environment, then all states should make this a law. I understand that there may be some negative side-effects to go along with this new law such as the loss of jobs, but I also think that the positive impact that this will have on the environment definitely outweighs the adverse effects. 

Shootings Becoming More and More Common Everyday

         On Tuesday, September 23rd, a tragedy that people all over the nation have been experiencing far too often occured once again. According to the article "3 people dead in Alabama UPS shooting" (Link to Article) a recently-fired employee of UPS killed two other employees and himself in a UPS building in Inglenook, Alabama. Many suspect that the gunman targeted the two people who were killed specifically, for the victims are believed to be higher-ranked employees. A police investigation into this event is now underway.
         This event truly saddens me. I think that this event was an unneccessary display of violence, and I will never understand what could drive a person to take innocent lives. While this news is horrific to hear about, it isn't that surprising. Unfortunately, shootings have become much more commonplace in recent years, and people are even starting to expect them. The Sandy Hook Elementary and Fort Hood shootings are just two examples of well-known shootings from recent years.
          I am hoping that the news of this shooting in Alabama has the impact of forcing people to evaluate security measures and improve them in order to prevent these events from happening in the first place. This news will hopefully make people see that something has to be done in order to stop the unneccessary loss of life in the future.

Disappointment in Journalism

On behalf of most if not all the students at St. Thomas More High School, I would like to express disappointment in the article, "C-SPAN bus rolls into town, but students still skeptical of political process" by Meredith Colias. (C-SPAN Bus Article) 

This article failed to accurately portray several students from STM. The quotes that this reporter used in her article were taken out of context and used in a way that would further her agenda rather than tell the truth. It is not true at all that STM kids don't care about politics. In fact, I would say that most students at STM have a greater appreciation of the government than some adults do. Several students participated far beyond what they were required to last year when they visited Washington D.C., and many students have enrolled and participated in both AP US History and AP Government classes this year.

As a senior at STM, I am disappointed not only in how this artlicle portrays the students in my school, but also how it portays students everywhere. I believe that this article definitely lacked integrity, and it should never have been published in this way.