6.29.2011
Haley vetoes Public Education
Haley decided to veto $95 million dollars in education spending for this year's budget. She says that her vetoes are intended to "emphasize school performance." I find it difficult to imagine how cutting money for education is going to help school performance in the long run. Public school teachers have already been having it rough for the past few years, thanks to budget shortfalls during the recession and the fact that they can not collectively bargain for higher wages. Now they have to contend with more line-items vetoes from Nikki Haley. Haley could have used these funds to give kids a better education and thus improve the vitality of the economy in the long run. However, she continues to drop the ball on public education while supporting school choice, which turns over education to the private sector. Unfortunately, this idea will further enhance the inequality between rich and poor students because most of the rich students would use such a credit to transfer to a private school while a poorer student would not necessarily have the means to afford all the costs of the transfer. It is also noted that tax payer money would be going directly to supporting a for-profit enterprise of the school system. Funding public schools less is guaranteed to make them worse because the best educated individuals will no longer pursue public education. Lastly, there is no proof that a private school system is better. On a personal note, I went to Dorman High School and can tell you that I received a great education there because the teachers were devoted to helping us learn what we needed to for college. I hope that our South Carolina law makers realize that public schools should receive more funding!
Written by:
Hirak Pati Click Here to Read More..
6.27.2011
The Truth About the Tea Party's Constitution Class
The Tea Party likes to bring up the history surrounding the founding fathers. They also claim to be the champions of the Constitution, even though many notable members (even elected officials) have quoted the Constitution wrong and gotten words mixed up with the Declaration of Independence which is not a legal document. Many Tea Party groups hold things called Constitution classes, and even the local Spartanburg Tea Party holds one of their own.
But what do they teach at these classes. Do they actually get the real text of the entire Constitution plus the many amendments and take them on piece by piece? Probably not, but they do however teach this one book, suggested by Glenn Beck himself.
Yes Glenn Beck, the crazy commentator from Fox News. A man who compares anything Obama/Democrats/Liberals do to Hitler, even the Peace Corps. A man who's admitted that he's not a journalist, but a commentator. Journalists have to back up what they're saying with facts. He also thinks Woodrow Wilson is somehow the most evil man to ever live, and once pondered about killing filmmaker Micheal Moore live on the air.
But anyway, Beck found a book just for his Tea Bagger friends. It's called The Five Thousand Year Leap, and it's written by the late Cleon Skousen who was a supporter of the racist John Birch Society. The book tries to twist history into believing that the founding fathers wrote the Constitution with help from the Bible, and that they all believed in limited government. Princeton University Historian Sean Wilentz once wrote about the book regarding the above suggestions as "Either proposition would have astounded James Madison, often described as the guiding spirit behind the Constitution, who rejected state-established religions and, like Alexander Hamilton, proposed a central government so strong that it could veto state laws." Not to mention that many of the founding fathers believed in Deism not traditional Christianity.
The best quote found by Wilentz was regarding the book's concept that all the founding fathers opposed the re-distribution of wealth. Which simply is not true.
"He does not mention the Founders’ endorsement of taxing the rich to support the general welfare. Thomas Jefferson, for example, wrote approvingly in 1811 of having federal taxes (then limited to tariffs) fall solely on the wealthy, which meant that “the farmer will see his government supported, his children educated, and the face of his country made a paradise by the contributions of the rich alone, without his being called on to spend a cent from his earnings."
By: Adam Rankin
Why America Should Emulate Norway's Prison System
In America we really have some of the worst places to be locked up in. Nobody in this country really wants to spend time in the pokey, but thousands upon thousands pour into the prisons like clockwork. I would call many of our prisons along with many local law enforcement agencies around the country to be near-fascist. Is being hard and brutal solving the problem, or are we hurting ourselves out of a false sense of "justice"?
One country (along with a few others in Europe) have quite a unique prison system. They still have prisoners, and the traditional guards that any country would have. However, unlike our American system, they actually treat their inmates like people. Yes people, because you know criminals are still human too in-case you've forgotten.
This is what Norwegian prison cell looks like. Looks more like a small college dorm room. Not only are the cells humane, but most places are built to be seen like the outside world. Prison guards don't even carry guns, and treat their inmates more like their pals than their enemies. You might think that only the good criminals get sent to places like these. Well you're wrong, most of these places have their fair share of rapists, and murderers. You can see more pictures here, and read Time's well written article here.
Now granted Norway has a lower crime rate than most other countries (they have much better social security techniques to fight poverty, and workers have more rights), but roughly 20% of inmates return versus 50-60% in America. Even if we got on-board with the idea, I don't think we'll be able to match Norway in terms of quality, but we sure can shape up on prison systems and turn punishment into rehab for your character.
By: Adam Rankin
6.26.2011
Why We Should Follow New York's Example
The State of New York just passed a bill that will grant Same-sex Marriage, becoming the largest state to do so. Once it becomes legal, roughly 10% of the country's same-sex couples will have the right to marry. But why did it take New York so long? Why aren't more states following suit, or even on the federal level?
The biggest factor against equal rights is the religious people who are against it. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all have more than significant numbers in America, and they all have passages in their holy text that condemns homosexuality. But we must remember that we are a separation of church and state. Marriage is not necessarily a religious right. Plenty of Atheists and Agnostics get married, and almost every single culture and country on this earth has had the concept of marriage.
Even when you get religious people to agree to the above argument, then usually counter it with the "it's against tradition" concept. Same-sex partnership has been recorded since ancient times. Arrangements similar to Civil Unions has been verified to exist in ancient parts of China and Europe. Same-sex marriage was even legal for quite some time in ancient Rome.
Let's not forget that it's already legal in many countries currently. The Netherlands was the first modern country to make it nice and legal since 2001. Belgium, Spain, Canada, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Iceland, Portugal, and Argentina have already legalized Same-sex marriage.
By: Adam Rankin Click Here to Read More..
6.04.2011
My March With The Young Democrats at Upstate Pride
It's a bit hard for a lot of people to support the equal rights of the LGBT community with all the hatred and bigotry in this country, especially South Carolina. However, Upstate Pride had a great turnout of folks. We had our own little booth at Barnet Park, and after seeing a lot of folks, we get to march.
Most people went to march, but we had a few stay to make sure nobody came in to mess up our booths. Line-up was pretty simple and easy. Didn't take long to get the ball rolling.
Even while we were waiting, I still had a good time. The drinking liberally guys, and the athiests for gay rights group were a nice bunch of people.
We marched and we marched proud. I loved my sign, and marching with my fellow Young Dems will be one of most cherished memories for years to come.
The march wasn't too long, but it sure was HOT. We clapped, sung, and chanted a lot of phrases for equality. We did lag a bit behind everyone, I think our "regular" non-young Democrats got a bit ahead of us, and before we knew it we were at the near-tail of the line.
The end of the march was met with quite a success. We proudly marched back to Barnet Park.
We did a get bit of protesters who camped out near Barnet Park to yell, scream, and use hate speech against everyone.
But most didn't try to talk back, and I don't think we had too much trouble out of them. They stayed for awhile after the march took place, but only a few remain when I went to my car to pick up my girlfriend Daisy so she could come to the rest of the event.
Jacob and Hirak did a good job at holding down the fort while we gone, and the rest of Young Dems also helped in promoting and getting new members to our group.
The rest of the event was mainly a bunch of speeches, and tents with info or stuff to buy. I loved the speech given by Mayor Junie White of Spartanburg.
But we also had a lot of good tents at the event as well. Such as the For Gay Teens from Gay Teens support group, which one of our members Alex (far right near the yellow sign) is apart of.
This was my first LGBT pride march that I ever marched in. I had a good time, and met a bunch of great people. We had folks from every age, race, and sexual orientation show up for the rights of everyone. I'd like to thank everyone who came to support us, the city of Spartanburg, the honorable police force who kept protesters to the side, The Spartanburg Democratic Party and anyone else I might of left out. I will march again next year. I'm a Straight Liberal Democrat, and I don't hate like a Social Conservative Republican.
By: Adam Rankin
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