"To make peace, one must be an uncompromising leader. To make peace, one must also embody compromise...Leadership is a commitment to an idea, to a dream, and to a vision of what can be. And my dream is for my land and my people to cease fighting and allow our children to reach their full potential regardless of sex, status, or belief."
- the late Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated yesterday after giving a campaign speech in Pakistan
For more information on Bhutto go to
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1698498,00.html?cnn=yes
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Quote de Jour
Quote de Jour is back from a holiday hiatus!
"I am utterly convinced that Science and Peace will triumph over Ignorance and War, that nations will eventually unite not to destroy but to edify, and that the future will belong to those who have done the most for the sake of suffering humanity."
-Louis Pasteur
"I am utterly convinced that Science and Peace will triumph over Ignorance and War, that nations will eventually unite not to destroy but to edify, and that the future will belong to those who have done the most for the sake of suffering humanity."
-Louis Pasteur
Monday, December 24, 2007
Iowa Caucus
So here's a post for all who may be wondering why every time you turn on the news you here something about that lovely, middle of nowhere state Iowa. Well the answer is… the Iowa Caucus. For those of you who still have no idea as to what I am talking about, let me explain.
A caucus is most generally defined as a meeting of members of a political party or a political movement. Basically it's the way Iowa chooses to vote for its presidential nominee.
The Iowa caucus has been the first electoral event (caucus or primary) for nominating the presidential candidate since 1972. Getting to be the first state in the nation to vote doesn't just give Iowa bragging rights, it makes Iowa a powerhouse state for Presidential nominee campaigning. Each presidential candidate, on average, can spend anywhere from $1,674, 000 to $5,022,000 just to ensure a finish within the top half of the Iowa Caucuses. Iowa 's vote has always played a major role in influencing the way the rest of America votes, this year however; Iowa has caught everyone completely off guard.
*Here is an example of a National poll from October 10, 2007 (CNN):
DEMOCRATS................ REPUBLICANS...............
Clinton 47%....................Giuliani 27%
Obama 21%....................Thompson 17%
Edwards 12% .................Romney 14%
Richardson 3% ...............McCain 13%
Kucinich 2%....................Huckabee 6%
Biden 1%........................Paul 2%
Chris Dodd 1%................Hunter 1%
*Now here are the Iowa Caucus polls from December 9 , 2007(CNN):
DEMOCRATS……..…... REPBULICANS……....
Obama 33%.................Huckabee 31%
Clinton 24%................. Romney 22%
Edwards 24%...............Giuliani 9%
Richardson 9%............ Thompson 9%
Biden 3%.....................Paul 7%
Chris Dodd 1%............ McCain 7%
Kucinich 1%................ Hunter 1%
So basically Iowa voters went against the rest of the nation and chose Obama (D) and Huckabee (R) instead of Clinton (D) and Giuliani (R) as their candidates of choice.
Now here is another national poll, from December 12, 2007 , after Iowa 's polls had been released(CNN):
DEMOCRATS................ REPUBLICANS...............
Clinton 40%................... Giuliani 24
Obama 30%.................... Huckabee 22%
Edwards 12%.................. Romney 16%
Richardson 4%................ McCain 13%
Biden 4%....................... Thompson 10%
Kucinich 2%................... Paul 6%
Chris Dodd 2%............... Hunter 2%
Iowa favored Huckabee on the Republican side and as a result he skyrocketed 16% in national polls. And even though Iowa's favorite democrat (Obama) hasn't managed to surpass Clinton in national polls, he has managed to tighten the gap to only 10%. These polls are a great example of the "band wagon effect" that Iowa has over the rest of the nation, and hopefully should explain why Iowa plays such a huge roll in the Presidential nominee elections.
*these polls are about two weeks old, and some numbers have changed. http://www.pollingreport.com/2008.htm this site updates about every 2 to 3 weeks with new polls and the latest date they have is December 18th,
*Also please remember that all polls come with about a 4% margin of error
A caucus is most generally defined as a meeting of members of a political party or a political movement. Basically it's the way Iowa chooses to vote for its presidential nominee.
The Iowa caucus has been the first electoral event (caucus or primary) for nominating the presidential candidate since 1972. Getting to be the first state in the nation to vote doesn't just give Iowa bragging rights, it makes Iowa a powerhouse state for Presidential nominee campaigning. Each presidential candidate, on average, can spend anywhere from $1,674, 000 to $5,022,000 just to ensure a finish within the top half of the Iowa Caucuses. Iowa 's vote has always played a major role in influencing the way the rest of America votes, this year however; Iowa has caught everyone completely off guard.
*Here is an example of a National poll from October 10, 2007 (CNN):
DEMOCRATS................ REPUBLICANS...............
Clinton 47%....................Giuliani 27%
Obama 21%....................Thompson 17%
Edwards 12% .................Romney 14%
Richardson 3% ...............McCain 13%
Kucinich 2%....................Huckabee 6%
Biden 1%........................Paul 2%
Chris Dodd 1%................Hunter 1%
*Now here are the Iowa Caucus polls from December 9 , 2007(CNN):
DEMOCRATS……..…... REPBULICANS……....
Obama 33%.................Huckabee 31%
Clinton 24%................. Romney 22%
Edwards 24%...............Giuliani 9%
Richardson 9%............ Thompson 9%
Biden 3%.....................Paul 7%
Chris Dodd 1%............ McCain 7%
Kucinich 1%................ Hunter 1%
So basically Iowa voters went against the rest of the nation and chose Obama (D) and Huckabee (R) instead of Clinton (D) and Giuliani (R) as their candidates of choice.
Now here is another national poll, from December 12, 2007 , after Iowa 's polls had been released(CNN):
DEMOCRATS................ REPUBLICANS...............
Clinton 40%................... Giuliani 24
Obama 30%.................... Huckabee 22%
Edwards 12%.................. Romney 16%
Richardson 4%................ McCain 13%
Biden 4%....................... Thompson 10%
Kucinich 2%................... Paul 6%
Chris Dodd 2%............... Hunter 2%
Iowa favored Huckabee on the Republican side and as a result he skyrocketed 16% in national polls. And even though Iowa's favorite democrat (Obama) hasn't managed to surpass Clinton in national polls, he has managed to tighten the gap to only 10%. These polls are a great example of the "band wagon effect" that Iowa has over the rest of the nation, and hopefully should explain why Iowa plays such a huge roll in the Presidential nominee elections.
*these polls are about two weeks old, and some numbers have changed. http://www.pollingreport.com/2008.htm this site updates about every 2 to 3 weeks with new polls and the latest date they have is December 18th,
*Also please remember that all polls come with about a 4% margin of error
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Republican Field Narrows: Tancredo Drops Out
Tom Tancredo dropped out of the race for the White House today with only two weeks to go until the Iowa Caucus. He said he was doing so because he failed to gain traction with the primary voters. He was most notable for his stance on illegal immigration, believing a temporary moratorium on all immigration, legal and illegal, was needed while the United States secured its border. In the recent Youtube debates, he said no to a mission to Mars believing that America needs to spend less, not more.
He doesn't call it a complete loss, saying that he is pleased that immigration is a top issue in the Republican party and the nation as a whole. He has already endorsed Mitt Romney.
---
Personally, it looks like this might be the help Duncan Hunter, who has also focused on illegal immigration this campaign (although he doesn't support a moratorium), needs to push past Iowa and keep some steam going in his run. Although the 3% could help Romney as well since he has been struggling recently.
More Info:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/20/trancredo/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo
http://www.ontheissues.org/Tom_Tancredo.htm
Any Thoughts? A relatively inconsequential candidate, but 3% can be the start of a lot this late in the race.
He doesn't call it a complete loss, saying that he is pleased that immigration is a top issue in the Republican party and the nation as a whole. He has already endorsed Mitt Romney.
---
Personally, it looks like this might be the help Duncan Hunter, who has also focused on illegal immigration this campaign (although he doesn't support a moratorium), needs to push past Iowa and keep some steam going in his run. Although the 3% could help Romney as well since he has been struggling recently.
More Info:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/20/trancredo/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo
http://www.ontheissues.org/Tom_Tancredo.htm
Any Thoughts? A relatively inconsequential candidate, but 3% can be the start of a lot this late in the race.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Quote de Jour
"We must face problems which do not lend themselves to easy or quick or permanent solutions ... there cannot be an American solution to every world problem..."
-John F. Kennedy
Thoughts?
-John F. Kennedy
Thoughts?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Quote de Jour
"I've developed a new philosophy; I can only dread one day at a time."
-Charlie Brown
A personal favorite.
-Charlie Brown
A personal favorite.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Quote de Jour
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
-Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) from the film Fight Club
agree/disagree?
-Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) from the film Fight Club
agree/disagree?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
How We Want You to Read Our Blog
Hello again readers! At this point, based on feedback I think that it is a good time to explain how to read a blog. To help me do this, I will use a portion from my post The Issues! and break it down step by step.
"
The War in Iraq: The War in Iraq refers to the United States military presence in the country of Iraq. This was the essential issue that decided the 2004 election: John Kerry was widely viewed as not having a strong strategy in dealing with Iraq despite his claims, and George Bush's platform was heavily invested in the American people allowing President Bush to "Finish the job" he started in 2003.
-- Alright, let's stop here and pretend you do not know where Iraq is. Being able to instantly identify Iraq on a map will help you to better understand other news reports you see or read about, so knowing where Iraq is located is very helpful. For this, refer to a map or the ultimate tool, Google.com. Knowing who John Kerry is will also be helpful to you, because as we draw closer to the November 2008 election, more references will be made to the 2004 election by news stations. Again, you can use Google.com to help find out who he is expediently. Now, back to the post.--
Based on frequent Gallup Polls, this issue has shown to be the most important to voters from the 2004 election all the way through to the current day, although this issue has declined in importance since January 1st. This issue is very important to voters because of the importance placed on the issue by the Bush Administration, the media, and the public itself. The continued military presence in Iraq means a decreased morale towards the war on the home-front, the earmarking of many billions of US tax dollars towards the war, and a decreased importance on the initial focus of the War on Terrorism, Afghanistan.
--Alright, another break. Again, say you do not know what a Gallup Poll is, it would be prudent to hit up Google.com to investigate and then go on the actual website.
For the second bolded portion, say you try to find out how we know that the issue has declined in importance since January 1st but you cannot find an answer. In this situation, we highly suggest emailing the author of the post to find out how they came to that conclusion. You can find the email of the author by first finding out who the author is, and then clicking on their name in the "Contributors" tab, then clicking "Email" under the Contact tab.
For the third bolded part, we will sooner or later have a "political terms" sort of glossary, and for something that sounds political, you can first refer to our glossary, and then to google or another site.
For the forth bolded part, you can refer to http://www.m-w.com/ for any terms you do not understand on the website, and then if that does not help you understand the sentence you can email the author for them to help explain the term in its proper context.
--
In general, it can be said that all of the Presidential candidates favor a rapid pulling out of major military presence in Iraq, with the exception of Arizona Senator John McCain.
"
--Now, I bolded this last part because this was an untrue assertion by the author (me) and a commenter pointed out my mis-fact in a comment, which is the last tip on reading this blog: if you see something that you know is untrue, point it out! The authors will attempt to fact check everything, but without a team of people helping us, some facts will slip through the cracks. The commenter did the right thing by pointing this out.
Alright, so to recap:
1) Use google.com to help identify terms/concepts you do not understand
2) If this does not work, email the author and ask for an explanation
3) If you see something that seems like a political term, check our glossary first, and then if it isn't there, email an author explaining what term you feel should be in there
4) Keep http://www.m-w.com/ handy for terms you don't understand at all, and email an author if you need further explanation
5) If you see something you know is untrue, point it out, either in a comment or via email.
6) One last thing: If you are reading the blog and do not see something that you think should be on the blog, email an author and explain what you think we should include, and why! We will take any and all suggestions into consideration.
Oh, and to find out who the author is, you have to look to the very bottom of the post: "Posted by Josh" in this case.
"
The War in Iraq: The War in Iraq refers to the United States military presence in the country of Iraq. This was the essential issue that decided the 2004 election: John Kerry was widely viewed as not having a strong strategy in dealing with Iraq despite his claims, and George Bush's platform was heavily invested in the American people allowing President Bush to "Finish the job" he started in 2003.
-- Alright, let's stop here and pretend you do not know where Iraq is. Being able to instantly identify Iraq on a map will help you to better understand other news reports you see or read about, so knowing where Iraq is located is very helpful. For this, refer to a map or the ultimate tool, Google.com. Knowing who John Kerry is will also be helpful to you, because as we draw closer to the November 2008 election, more references will be made to the 2004 election by news stations. Again, you can use Google.com to help find out who he is expediently. Now, back to the post.--
Based on frequent Gallup Polls, this issue has shown to be the most important to voters from the 2004 election all the way through to the current day, although this issue has declined in importance since January 1st. This issue is very important to voters because of the importance placed on the issue by the Bush Administration, the media, and the public itself. The continued military presence in Iraq means a decreased morale towards the war on the home-front, the earmarking of many billions of US tax dollars towards the war, and a decreased importance on the initial focus of the War on Terrorism, Afghanistan.
--Alright, another break. Again, say you do not know what a Gallup Poll is, it would be prudent to hit up Google.com to investigate and then go on the actual website.
For the second bolded portion, say you try to find out how we know that the issue has declined in importance since January 1st but you cannot find an answer. In this situation, we highly suggest emailing the author of the post to find out how they came to that conclusion. You can find the email of the author by first finding out who the author is, and then clicking on their name in the "Contributors" tab, then clicking "Email" under the Contact tab.
For the third bolded part, we will sooner or later have a "political terms" sort of glossary, and for something that sounds political, you can first refer to our glossary, and then to google or another site.
For the forth bolded part, you can refer to http://www.m-w.com/ for any terms you do not understand on the website, and then if that does not help you understand the sentence you can email the author for them to help explain the term in its proper context.
--
In general, it can be said that all of the Presidential candidates favor a rapid pulling out of major military presence in Iraq, with the exception of Arizona Senator John McCain.
"
--Now, I bolded this last part because this was an untrue assertion by the author (me) and a commenter pointed out my mis-fact in a comment, which is the last tip on reading this blog: if you see something that you know is untrue, point it out! The authors will attempt to fact check everything, but without a team of people helping us, some facts will slip through the cracks. The commenter did the right thing by pointing this out.
Alright, so to recap:
1) Use google.com to help identify terms/concepts you do not understand
2) If this does not work, email the author and ask for an explanation
3) If you see something that seems like a political term, check our glossary first, and then if it isn't there, email an author explaining what term you feel should be in there
4) Keep http://www.m-w.com/ handy for terms you don't understand at all, and email an author if you need further explanation
5) If you see something you know is untrue, point it out, either in a comment or via email.
6) One last thing: If you are reading the blog and do not see something that you think should be on the blog, email an author and explain what you think we should include, and why! We will take any and all suggestions into consideration.
Oh, and to find out who the author is, you have to look to the very bottom of the post: "Posted by Josh" in this case.
Writer Introduction
I guess I'll start off with a hello to all the inquiring political minds who find themselves reading this. My name is Chelsea and I'm a senior in high school. Before I go about explaining my political views I'd like to give a thank you to Marco, Josh and Chris. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with other young individuals who have a strong interest in politics. Being a little late on this writer introduction (which I do apologize for) has allowed me to witness just how quickly this site has had an impact on our school. I have great faith that this site will go far and I promise to do my best to uphold my part in promoting politics to all those who are interested.
In my opinion today's political parties are, to most people, nothing more then a game. I myself am proud to say that I am Republican; however, my political party is based off of my feelings with the majority of governmental issues. The way I see it, (and I may be wrong) people of today base their political party off of one of two issues, abortion or the War in Iraq. And although both of those issues are important, I hope, with this website, to help educate others on the "forgotten issues." Now back to this whole game thing. James Madison was one of the first Founding Fathers to speak out about his fear of factions (political parties) and unfortunately… I believe that in today's society Madison's fears have become a reality. We have literally turned our Nations democracy into the biggest rivalry game of all time. No self-respecting Republican would ever vote for the overly controlling Hilary Clinton, and no Democrat in his right mind would ever vote for the my three wives and I are all practicing Christians Rudy Giuliani. And even though it may be true that Hilary has a rather short leash on Bill, and Rudy may not have a "leash" what so ever… is that really who these people are? And really, is that what they stand for? I think it's time we take a step back from the competition of who's better at "dissing" who, and focus on who these people truly are and what political stand points they have. Like I said earlier I am, with no doubt a Republican, but I truly feel that you can't understand politics unless you not only understand your own views, but understand the views of your opponent.
So there are at least some of my political basics. I figure I'll keep my first post at least relatively short. Trust me you will eventually hear the rest. I guess I'll leave with this; I really hope that you get a lot out of this website. I know that each of the writers is truly dedicated to making this a success and I hope that you really will enjoy reading these blogs as much as each of us enjoys writing them.
In my opinion today's political parties are, to most people, nothing more then a game. I myself am proud to say that I am Republican; however, my political party is based off of my feelings with the majority of governmental issues. The way I see it, (and I may be wrong) people of today base their political party off of one of two issues, abortion or the War in Iraq. And although both of those issues are important, I hope, with this website, to help educate others on the "forgotten issues." Now back to this whole game thing. James Madison was one of the first Founding Fathers to speak out about his fear of factions (political parties) and unfortunately… I believe that in today's society Madison's fears have become a reality. We have literally turned our Nations democracy into the biggest rivalry game of all time. No self-respecting Republican would ever vote for the overly controlling Hilary Clinton, and no Democrat in his right mind would ever vote for the my three wives and I are all practicing Christians Rudy Giuliani. And even though it may be true that Hilary has a rather short leash on Bill, and Rudy may not have a "leash" what so ever… is that really who these people are? And really, is that what they stand for? I think it's time we take a step back from the competition of who's better at "dissing" who, and focus on who these people truly are and what political stand points they have. Like I said earlier I am, with no doubt a Republican, but I truly feel that you can't understand politics unless you not only understand your own views, but understand the views of your opponent.
So there are at least some of my political basics. I figure I'll keep my first post at least relatively short. Trust me you will eventually hear the rest. I guess I'll leave with this; I really hope that you get a lot out of this website. I know that each of the writers is truly dedicated to making this a success and I hope that you really will enjoy reading these blogs as much as each of us enjoys writing them.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Quote de Jour
"Never trust anybody who doesn't have a sense of humor"
Comedian Lewis Black
...Seriously, don't.
-Marco (posted by Josh!)
Comedian Lewis Black
...Seriously, don't.
-Marco (posted by Josh!)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Quote de Jour
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
-William Shakespeare
I'm hoping for this to be prevalent in our writing.
-William Shakespeare
I'm hoping for this to be prevalent in our writing.
Know Your Candidate - Barack Obama
Who is this person?
Candidate #1: Barack Hussein Obama
Background: Senator Barack Obama is a half-black Democrat from the state of Illinois. Senator Obama was born on August 4th, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Obama spent the first few years of his life in Hawaii, and at the age of 6 he moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. After spending 4 years in Jakarta, Obama moved back to Hawaii with his maternal grandparents. Obama comes from a middle-class family. Obama struggled during his high school career to find his identity, and in his book Dreams from My Father, Obama admits to using cocaine, marijuana and alcohol as an escape for his personal conflicts. After graduating High School, Obama went to a small liberal arts college in Los Angeles, then transferred to Columbia University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a specialization in international relations. After graduating from Columbia in 1983, he moved to Chicago where he served as a community organizer. After that, Obama attended the Harvard Law School starting in 1988, where he served as President of the Harvard Law Review. He was the first black President of this organization in its 104 year history. Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 magna cum laude (With Great Honor) receiving a Juris Doctor (professional law degree). When Obama returned to Chicago in 1991, he served in a law firm until he was elected to the Illinois senate in 1996. Obama served in the Illinois state senate from 1996 until his official resignation in 2004 upon his election to the United States Senate. Obama voted primarily liberally in his tenure in the Illinois state senate, passing welfare reform bills and giving tax breaks to poor citizens. Since 2004, Obama has served as the junior Senator of Illinois, and launched his Presidential campaign in February 2007. In terms of personal life, Barack married his wife of 15 years Michelle in 1992. The couple has two daughters, Malia and Natasha. Obama is an off-and-on smoker, but has quit in light of his Presidential campaign with the help of his wife. Obama was non-religious until he began work in the Chicago inner city, and he was baptized in the Trinity United Church of Christ.
Education: Obama received a B.A. in political science from Columbia University and received his J.D. from the Harvard Law School.
Political Qualification: Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, establishing his firm base of political knowledge. Obama served in the Illinois State Senate from 1996 to 2004, and has served in the United States Senate from 2004 to the present.
Stances on the Issues:
The War in Iraq- On the issue of the War in Iraq, Obama has stood in opposition since the war's inception in 2003. In July 2004, Obama said [on the War in Iraq]"The Iraq war was sincere but misguided, ideologically driven." Recently, Obama has said that he hopes to remove all troops from Iraq by 2013 but would not make any promises. Obama's stance on the War in Iraq is to gradually withdraw troops, at the rate of 1 or 2 brigades (1,500-3,500 men) per month until the end of 2009.
The Economy- This is a multi-faceted topic, so I will break it down:
General Economic Stance: Obama has voted against downsizing government spending by $40 Billion, and also voted against regulating the government's budget based on program efficiency. Obama supports ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas (outsourcing); however, in July 2004 Obama stated that he supports tax breaks for corporations who practice responsible business tactics.
Education: Obama has a 9 step plan on reforming education titled "Lifetime Success through Education." His points involve reforming No Child Left Behind and efforts to "[put skilled teachers] in high-poverty and high-minority areas."
Jobs: Obama has voted twice in the United States Senate to increase the minimum wage. In Obama's words: "Let's finally make the minimum wage a living wage."
Taxes: Obama has voted against either sustaining tax cuts or an additional tax cut 6 times between November 2005 to March 2007. Obama supports tax cuts for the elderly, lower income and middle class, and does not favor sustaining the tax cuts endorsed by President Bush which favor the wealthiest 1/2 to 1% of Americans.
Housing Market: Obama supports the use of "financial instruments" to not only help the issues with foreclosure but also to help the young who have saved money in purchasing their first house.
Health Care- Obama's campaign website provides a 3 step program that is endorsed by statements dating back to May 2004. His plan is to "[provide] affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage for every American; [Modernize] the U.S. health care system to contain spiraling health care costs and improve the quality of patient care; and [promote] prevention and strengthening public health to prevent disease and protect against natural and man-made disasters." In the Senate between 2005 and 2007, Obama has voted in favor of several reforms which increase oversight on prescription drug companies and voted to increase the capabilities of Medicare. One of Obama's goals for his Health Care policy is to save families $2,500 a year on health care. Obama's language is slightly misleading on this issue, he often notes that he favors "universal health care" but his plan is for reform of our current system, which is not necessarily synonymous with "universal health care."
Illegal Immigration- On the issue of illegal immigration, Barack Obama takes a (typically) liberal stance. His first recorded statement on immigration (NOTE: not illegal immigration, this is a very important distinction) is from July 1998, where Obama said that the United States should extend Medicaid and welfare to legal immigrants (legally documented non-citizens of the United States). Recently, his stance has changed slightly to increasing border security, including creating a wall along the US-Mexico border and removing incentives for illegal immigrants to come to America (by requiring employers to perform background checks on workers). However, Obama also seeks to improve the system of becoming a citizen to people who come to the United States legally. Finally, Obama supports giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.
Minor Issues-
Abortion: On the issue of Abortion, the website ontheissues.org gave Obama a "strongly favors" rating. He has voted three times in favor of abortion, including votes on contraception and on stem cell research between 2005-2007 in the United States Senate.
Terrorism: Obama has voted in favor of halting terrorist activities and conducting business with businesses suspected of aiding terrorist groups 3 times. Obama voted in favor of renewing the Patriot Act but voted against renewing the Patriot Act's wire tap clause.
Sources and Further Reading:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
http://www.gallup.com/poll/28006/Clinton-Most-Positively-Rated-Candidate-Among-Blacks-Hispanics.aspx
Candidate #1: Barack Hussein Obama
Background: Senator Barack Obama is a half-black Democrat from the state of Illinois. Senator Obama was born on August 4th, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Obama spent the first few years of his life in Hawaii, and at the age of 6 he moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. After spending 4 years in Jakarta, Obama moved back to Hawaii with his maternal grandparents. Obama comes from a middle-class family. Obama struggled during his high school career to find his identity, and in his book Dreams from My Father, Obama admits to using cocaine, marijuana and alcohol as an escape for his personal conflicts. After graduating High School, Obama went to a small liberal arts college in Los Angeles, then transferred to Columbia University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a specialization in international relations. After graduating from Columbia in 1983, he moved to Chicago where he served as a community organizer. After that, Obama attended the Harvard Law School starting in 1988, where he served as President of the Harvard Law Review. He was the first black President of this organization in its 104 year history. Obama graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 magna cum laude (With Great Honor) receiving a Juris Doctor (professional law degree). When Obama returned to Chicago in 1991, he served in a law firm until he was elected to the Illinois senate in 1996. Obama served in the Illinois state senate from 1996 until his official resignation in 2004 upon his election to the United States Senate. Obama voted primarily liberally in his tenure in the Illinois state senate, passing welfare reform bills and giving tax breaks to poor citizens. Since 2004, Obama has served as the junior Senator of Illinois, and launched his Presidential campaign in February 2007. In terms of personal life, Barack married his wife of 15 years Michelle in 1992. The couple has two daughters, Malia and Natasha. Obama is an off-and-on smoker, but has quit in light of his Presidential campaign with the help of his wife. Obama was non-religious until he began work in the Chicago inner city, and he was baptized in the Trinity United Church of Christ.
Education: Obama received a B.A. in political science from Columbia University and received his J.D. from the Harvard Law School.
Political Qualification: Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, establishing his firm base of political knowledge. Obama served in the Illinois State Senate from 1996 to 2004, and has served in the United States Senate from 2004 to the present.
Stances on the Issues:
The War in Iraq- On the issue of the War in Iraq, Obama has stood in opposition since the war's inception in 2003. In July 2004, Obama said [on the War in Iraq]"The Iraq war was sincere but misguided, ideologically driven." Recently, Obama has said that he hopes to remove all troops from Iraq by 2013 but would not make any promises. Obama's stance on the War in Iraq is to gradually withdraw troops, at the rate of 1 or 2 brigades (1,500-3,500 men) per month until the end of 2009.
The Economy- This is a multi-faceted topic, so I will break it down:
General Economic Stance: Obama has voted against downsizing government spending by $40 Billion, and also voted against regulating the government's budget based on program efficiency. Obama supports ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas (outsourcing); however, in July 2004 Obama stated that he supports tax breaks for corporations who practice responsible business tactics.
Education: Obama has a 9 step plan on reforming education titled "Lifetime Success through Education." His points involve reforming No Child Left Behind and efforts to "[put skilled teachers] in high-poverty and high-minority areas."
Jobs: Obama has voted twice in the United States Senate to increase the minimum wage. In Obama's words: "Let's finally make the minimum wage a living wage."
Taxes: Obama has voted against either sustaining tax cuts or an additional tax cut 6 times between November 2005 to March 2007. Obama supports tax cuts for the elderly, lower income and middle class, and does not favor sustaining the tax cuts endorsed by President Bush which favor the wealthiest 1/2 to 1% of Americans.
Housing Market: Obama supports the use of "financial instruments" to not only help the issues with foreclosure but also to help the young who have saved money in purchasing their first house.
Health Care- Obama's campaign website provides a 3 step program that is endorsed by statements dating back to May 2004. His plan is to "[provide] affordable, comprehensive and portable health coverage for every American; [Modernize] the U.S. health care system to contain spiraling health care costs and improve the quality of patient care; and [promote] prevention and strengthening public health to prevent disease and protect against natural and man-made disasters." In the Senate between 2005 and 2007, Obama has voted in favor of several reforms which increase oversight on prescription drug companies and voted to increase the capabilities of Medicare. One of Obama's goals for his Health Care policy is to save families $2,500 a year on health care. Obama's language is slightly misleading on this issue, he often notes that he favors "universal health care" but his plan is for reform of our current system, which is not necessarily synonymous with "universal health care."
Illegal Immigration- On the issue of illegal immigration, Barack Obama takes a (typically) liberal stance. His first recorded statement on immigration (NOTE: not illegal immigration, this is a very important distinction) is from July 1998, where Obama said that the United States should extend Medicaid and welfare to legal immigrants (legally documented non-citizens of the United States). Recently, his stance has changed slightly to increasing border security, including creating a wall along the US-Mexico border and removing incentives for illegal immigrants to come to America (by requiring employers to perform background checks on workers). However, Obama also seeks to improve the system of becoming a citizen to people who come to the United States legally. Finally, Obama supports giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.
Minor Issues-
Abortion: On the issue of Abortion, the website ontheissues.org gave Obama a "strongly favors" rating. He has voted three times in favor of abortion, including votes on contraception and on stem cell research between 2005-2007 in the United States Senate.
Terrorism: Obama has voted in favor of halting terrorist activities and conducting business with businesses suspected of aiding terrorist groups 3 times. Obama voted in favor of renewing the Patriot Act but voted against renewing the Patriot Act's wire tap clause.
Strengths: Barack Obama has several key strengths he looks to which help to improve his electability. Obama's youth, which draws parallels to the youth and vitality of John F. Kennedy, improves his charm and gives him a better base among young people. Oprah Winfrey has endorsed Barack Obama (and basically encouraged him to run in the first place through her television show), an endorsement that helps draw in the votes of older women. Obama's brand of a non-negative, cordial and "political freshness" politics also works in his favor among many voters who are tired of the negativity involved in the American election process. Obama also has a strong "trustability", something lacking in other candidates.
Negatives/Criticisms: Barack Obama also has several legitimate forces working against him which his opponents are quick to exploit. First, Obama has only been in the United States Senate for 3 years, which is also the amount of Washington experience he has. This worries voters because there is a definite perception that being able to efficiently work Washington is almost a prerequisite for Presidents today. Obama also has a surprising amount of trouble getting the African American vote, which often actually goes to Hilary Clinton. In a Gallup Poll conducted between June 4-24th, Obama ranked second (among current Democratic nominees) among African Americans as a favorable candidates; however, he also received the lowest "unfavorable" rating among African Americans. Obama's lack of experience in international relations is often noted as well among critics.
Political Claim to Fame: Obama was catapulted to national political fame during the 2004 Democratic National Convention when he delivered the keynote address. This speech, given while he was still an Illinois state legislator, and his election to the United States Senate helped solidify Obama's national fame and attract the attention of many Democrats.
Sources and Further Reading:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
http://www.gallup.com/poll/28006/Clinton-Most-Positively-Rated-Candidate-Among-Blacks-Hispanics.aspx
Know Your Candidate Introduction
My first repeated segment will be known as "Know Your Candidate." In "Know Your Candidate," I will attempt to present the Presidential candidates of both parties accurately and fairly to help you, the reader, better understand who these people are, what they stand for, what their backgrounds and qualifications are, and their strengths and weaknesses as a candidate. Other pertinent issues such as endorsements, primary performance and primary spending will be covered in these posts. Note: If you read these posts and see a topic omitted that you find interesting (stances on crime, stances on capital punishment) please email our team at thetruthforyouth@gmail.com and we will consider editing our post, but at the very least we will email you back with our summary. My sources for this section will come primarily from Wikipedia article sources, CNN information, and the candidate's own website. The polls will come primarily from galluppoll.com.
Another important note: The first candidate covered will be Barack Obama, and this is for one reason only: Obama is the candidate that I as a writer and reader am most familiar with. As the writer's adage goes: "Write what you know." After I post on Barack Obama, I will focus mainly on Republican candidates. The reason I am posting mainly Republican candidates is because the Democratic Primary in Michigan, at this point, will not count towards the Democratic National Convention in the fall of 2008, so they are not pertinent to young, Michigander voters, our first primary target.
Another important note: The first candidate covered will be Barack Obama, and this is for one reason only: Obama is the candidate that I as a writer and reader am most familiar with. As the writer's adage goes: "Write what you know." After I post on Barack Obama, I will focus mainly on Republican candidates. The reason I am posting mainly Republican candidates is because the Democratic Primary in Michigan, at this point, will not count towards the Democratic National Convention in the fall of 2008, so they are not pertinent to young, Michigander voters, our first primary target.
Hello
Good evening America, and concerned youth around the globe, my name is Chris, and let me start by saying this is kind of a dream, or maybe more of a passing, "crazy" idea, of mine but MUCH better. A blog where I can inform others and/or comment on the political activities surrounding us every day. What makes this better is the fact that I'll be working with the fine individuals already introduced to you earlier--a potent combination if I do say so myself.
Basically, as Josh and Marco said, this blog is here to give today's young people somewhere to go to get a clear, concise, unbiased source of national and political news written by people like them. This is especially true with the Iowa Caucus less than four weeks away, and the 2008 Elections, perhaps one of the most critical elections in US history, down the road. So naturally, we will do our best to make sure we stay true to our mission.
Basically, I got here through my AP European History and AP Government classes, which, although they were classes, sometimes served as a forum for discussion where I and others were able to express our beliefs and hone our viewpoints. I get my news from the Sunday Free Press(*), 760 AM radio (Mitch Albom and Sean Hannity), Yahoo and other online links, CNN and Fox News, and occasionally World News Tonight on ABC.
I am a conservative on many issues, but I like to hear as many takes on an issue as I can before I pass judgment--as you can see by my listening to both Hannity and Albom. I'm a Catholic but believe that far-right religious evangelicals hold too strong a hold on the Republican Party as George Soros and far-left liberal sites like moveon.org have a hold on the Democrats. I believe the predominant neoconservative movement in the GOP has gone astray and needs to be thrown out or at the very least rethought. I believe that while we should not have gone into Iraq with Osama bin Laden not yet secured, to leave soon would be foolish. I believe in a policy of swift and precise interventionism a la Reagan (Grenada, Libya), Bush (Gulf War), and Clinton (Kosovo). On moral issues, I believe it is for each state's citizens to decide, not the courts'. And as far as my religious beliefs go, they don't influence my politics. Most of all, I believe the most important issue facing us is the rising debt/deficit, a good chunk of it held by foreign countries.
So, I hope you're able to get as much out of this blog as we're willing to put into it and are able to cast your vote in November (and January-March) with confidence.
God Bless!
(*) Note from the editor: the Detroit Free Press.
Basically, as Josh and Marco said, this blog is here to give today's young people somewhere to go to get a clear, concise, unbiased source of national and political news written by people like them. This is especially true with the Iowa Caucus less than four weeks away, and the 2008 Elections, perhaps one of the most critical elections in US history, down the road. So naturally, we will do our best to make sure we stay true to our mission.
Basically, I got here through my AP European History and AP Government classes, which, although they were classes, sometimes served as a forum for discussion where I and others were able to express our beliefs and hone our viewpoints. I get my news from the Sunday Free Press(*), 760 AM radio (Mitch Albom and Sean Hannity), Yahoo and other online links, CNN and Fox News, and occasionally World News Tonight on ABC.
I am a conservative on many issues, but I like to hear as many takes on an issue as I can before I pass judgment--as you can see by my listening to both Hannity and Albom. I'm a Catholic but believe that far-right religious evangelicals hold too strong a hold on the Republican Party as George Soros and far-left liberal sites like moveon.org have a hold on the Democrats. I believe the predominant neoconservative movement in the GOP has gone astray and needs to be thrown out or at the very least rethought. I believe that while we should not have gone into Iraq with Osama bin Laden not yet secured, to leave soon would be foolish. I believe in a policy of swift and precise interventionism a la Reagan (Grenada, Libya), Bush (Gulf War), and Clinton (Kosovo). On moral issues, I believe it is for each state's citizens to decide, not the courts'. And as far as my religious beliefs go, they don't influence my politics. Most of all, I believe the most important issue facing us is the rising debt/deficit, a good chunk of it held by foreign countries.
So, I hope you're able to get as much out of this blog as we're willing to put into it and are able to cast your vote in November (and January-March) with confidence.
God Bless!
(*) Note from the editor: the Detroit Free Press.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Quote De Jour
This is the first installment of our Quote of the Day. Each day I will try to find a line or two to provoke thought or just for laughs. And here is our inaugural Quote de Jour from this afternoon's Republican Presidential debate in Iowa.
"I'm in favor of reducing global warming, because I think the most important emission we need to control is the hot air emission of politicians who pretend one thing and don't deliver."
-Republican Candidate Alan Keyes when asked about our growing climate change.
"I'm in favor of reducing global warming, because I think the most important emission we need to control is the hot air emission of politicians who pretend one thing and don't deliver."
-Republican Candidate Alan Keyes when asked about our growing climate change.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Welcome
Hello young people of this great nation, my name is Marco. I was adamantly against blogs recently, but have to come realize that I need a semi-relevant arena to not only spout my views, but to interact with other politically minded people, young and old. Over the course of my high school career, especially recent months, I have come to develop strong political views. My hopes for this blog include not only putting my ideas into articulated writing, but to educate myself also. At first glance, our name as “Truth for Youth” may sound pretentious, but our goal is to educate to the best of our ability (my political views notwithstanding) with proper research for a “fair and balanced” take on all issues.
As for my personal views, I am liberal on most contemporary political issues, but I try vigorously to stay centered. On issues of health care, economics, and domestic security especially, I am without a doubt liberal. I am a strict believer in our first amendment law that states, “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” I believe this sets a mandate for a strict separation of church and state, and having done much research on the issue, am positive this is best principle for our country regarding the issue. I believe there is no validity in the statement “Our nation should be Christian because our Founding Fathers were Christian.”-for reasons to be examined later.
On the war in Iraq, I never believed our invasion was justified. Despite our title as the “Greatest Nation on Earth,” I believe the support of the international community should be taken into very strong consideration. I personally think our mission has not been accomplished and that we are not headed in the right direction.
These issues and more will be further addressed with the support of intense research and as I stated previously, I hope to educate myself as well as others.
My political views will with no doubt change, if not I would consider myself ignorant, not “flip flopping.” However, without further adieu I would like to welcome all of you to what we hope to be a great success here at The Truth for YouthThe Issues!
(Click to expand image)Welcome to my first segment, titled "The Issues". A brief introduction to this segment: Issues are what make or break a candidate when it comes to the majority of the voting population, which is generally considered to be citizens over 50 years of age. For many voters, issues have no bearing, and their vote is decided based on their own declared political party or their perception of the candidate (i.e.: looks, leadership characteristics, how well they are spoken, etc.). However, statistics show that the most informed voting population decides their vote based on the issues. So, without further adieu, the most important political issues surrounding the 2008 election.
The War in Iraq: The War in Iraq refers to the United States military presence in the country of Iraq. This was the essential issue that decided the 2004 election: John Kerry was widely viewed as not having a strong strategy in dealing with Iraq despite his claims, and George Bush's platform was heavily invested in the American people allowing President Bush to "Finish the job" he started in 2003. Based on frequent Gallup Polls, this issue has shown to be the most important to voters from the 2004 election all the way through to the current day, although this issue has declined in importance since January 1st. This issue is very important to voters because of the importance placed on the issue by the Bush Administration, the media, and the public itself. The continued military presence in Iraq means a decreased morale towards the war on the home-front, the earmarking of many billions of US tax dollars towards the war, and a decreased importance on the initial focus of the War on Terrorism, Afghanistan. In general, it can be said that all of the Democratic Presidential candidates favor a rapid pulling out of major military presence in Iraq, while the Republican Candidates favor a slower, more calculated pulling out of Iraq while securing the region first.
The Economy: The economy refers to the state of the stock market, the status of the American dollar, inflation rates and tax rates in the United States. In the 2008 election, the problem of widespread foreclosures is emerging to be one of the most important aspects of the economy. In the 1992 Presidential race, this issue was the most important to voters. This issue is very important to voters because Americans are known for their love of the dollar, and the status of capitalism in America itself is very important to voters. The declining state of the economy means that voters will focus more on this issue as President Bush leaves office, and the state of the economy will therefore help or hinder the Republican candidate for the Presidency.
Health care: Health care refers to the debate for socialized health care, the constant debate over the efficiency of Medicare, and concerns over health care for senior citizens and the poor. This debate tends to be more important to Democratic candidates who are often grilled for their stance on health care (stances that often include socialized health care to some degree). This increased importance for Democratic candidates is also indicative of a typical voter bloc of Democrats: the poor. As Medicare comes under more fire for its supposed inefficiency and corruption, this issue will become more important to the race in general and will make its way into more debates.
Illegal Immigration: Rapidly becoming the most important issue facing candidates in the 2008 election, the issue of illegal immigration has become the most talked about topic in the Republican debates and has seen significant attention in Democratic debates as well. The importance of illegal immigration can be directly linked to the declining state of the economy, as fear about illegal immigrants "stealing jobs" becomes a very prevalent argument used by candidates to gain recognition via their hard-lining stance on this issue. Solutions to this issue come from such liberal solutions as granting illegal immigrants driver's licenses to encourage illegals to register for citizenship, to such conservative views as building a literal wall along the American-Mexican border. It is important to note that the liberal solution was originally suggested by the Governor of New York, and is opposed by every significant political candidate. The more conservative solution, however, is gaining influence as the weeks pass.
A very important point that confirms illegal immigration is an important issue is that Hilary Clinton's "aura of inevitability" as the Democratic candidate took its first blow on this issue. In the October Democratic debate, Hilary Clinton's waffling on the topic of illegal immigration caused her numbers in the polls to decline significantly, and recently Barack Obama has overtaken her in several national polls.
Important Minor Issues:
Terrorism: Initially used by Rudy Giuliani to launch his campaign, this issue has taken a back seat to the more important domestic threat to many Americans: illegal immigration. This issue is most important to Republican voters.
Abortion: This issue is not particularly important among Democrats, but anti-abortion factions within the Republican party hold some sway with their endorsement of a candidate.
*Note: All assertions made in this post are supported by this Gallup Poll article*
Mission Statement
Welcome to the new blog The Truth for Youth. In this blog I will attempt to give my views on politics, politicians, and news stories from the US and around the globe. About me, I am a high school senior with a wide variety of political views. For example, while I have an extremely conservative standpoint on the issues of abortion and capital punishment, I have extremely liberal views on homosexuality and immigrant rights. I suppose this makes me a centrist, so I try to be unbiased towards candidates in regards to their political party. George Washington himself said "They [political parties] serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community;..." Basically, he was opposed to political parties and while I am not quite so adamantly against the two-party system I can understand how Washington's words are still very true today when speaking about the public sector.
In terms of qualifications of informing people, I really do not have many. I am in Advanced Placement English, which (hopefully) translates to me having above average writing skills. I am in Advanced Placement US Government, which hopefully translates to an increasingly strong understanding of our governmental system, although I will be the first to admit the phase "you learn something new every day" is most poignant for me in my AP Government class. Finally, I am in Advanced Placement United States History, which gives me a strong understanding of precedents set by history and an improved perception regarding the phrase "history repeats itself." All of these "qualifications" serve me in writing this blog and by extension will hopefully help you to better understand the upcoming 2008 elections.
In terms of party identification, I will never speak in favor of either the Democratic or Republican party. While I certainly have liberal leanings (thanks to my wonderful youthful idealism and vitality) I believe the Democratic party often becomes as much as a servant to special interests as the Republican party does.
In terms of media influence, (something very important in determining one's left versus right stance) I watch CNN most often and will most likely refer to their website (http://www.cnn.com/) the most when referring to polls, news stories, and the like. I also listen to the NBC Nightly News broadcast quite frequently. As a result, Tom Brokaw and Anderson Cooper are the two journalists I idealize most. I enjoy the tongue-in-cheek comedy news broadcasts The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I am very, very, very opposed to Fox News in all of its incarnations. The Fox News channel is by far the worst of all news stations in terms of having an "agenda" and pushing it through their interviews and non-contextual usage of sound bites. As a piece of advice from a modest blog writer, never go to the Fox News Network for any piece of news, unless you are looking for something or someone to satirize. For newspaper information, I get the Detroit Free Press delivered to my home and I also like to read USA Today as much as possible. My chief source on the internet is Wikipedia, although if that particular source is used, the identification and verification of sources will be used thoroughly.
In terms of personal life, I am a Catholic, I enjoy college football, and I love a good match of tennis. That's about all the additional information you would ever need to know.
Alright, well, now that my "credentials" have been laid bare, I present to you the Truth for Youth Political Blog Mission Statement:
By posting in this blog, I (and any co-authors) will attempt to succinctly and honestly portray the political atmosphere of the United States, along with provide easy-to-understand commentary on candidates and news events around the world. In doing so, the authors understand that truth in the political world is almost certainly subjective, so the writers will attempt to make both sides of any given story their due credit and honesty. This blog is intended for not only youth but any (fellow) novices in the political arena hoping to better understand the political climate we live in today. The writers of this blog will take full responsibility for any misinformation or unintended political bias and will work to the fullest extent of their ability to preserve the truthfulness of their arguments and essays. We would finally like to thank you, the reader, for directing your attention to this blog and giving us the light of day. We have these great ideas and opinions, but none of this would be possible without eyes to read it and a mind to understand it.
In closing for this post, I would like to recommend that the reader utilize http://www.m-w.com/ because the diction can get pretty out of hand, as you might have already had trouble understanding some of the jargon used in this post. If you have any questions, you can reach the team at thetruthforyouth@gmail.com. Thank you for reading.
In terms of qualifications of informing people, I really do not have many. I am in Advanced Placement English, which (hopefully) translates to me having above average writing skills. I am in Advanced Placement US Government, which hopefully translates to an increasingly strong understanding of our governmental system, although I will be the first to admit the phase "you learn something new every day" is most poignant for me in my AP Government class. Finally, I am in Advanced Placement United States History, which gives me a strong understanding of precedents set by history and an improved perception regarding the phrase "history repeats itself." All of these "qualifications" serve me in writing this blog and by extension will hopefully help you to better understand the upcoming 2008 elections.
In terms of party identification, I will never speak in favor of either the Democratic or Republican party. While I certainly have liberal leanings (thanks to my wonderful youthful idealism and vitality) I believe the Democratic party often becomes as much as a servant to special interests as the Republican party does.
In terms of media influence, (something very important in determining one's left versus right stance) I watch CNN most often and will most likely refer to their website (http://www.cnn.com/) the most when referring to polls, news stories, and the like. I also listen to the NBC Nightly News broadcast quite frequently. As a result, Tom Brokaw and Anderson Cooper are the two journalists I idealize most. I enjoy the tongue-in-cheek comedy news broadcasts The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I am very, very, very opposed to Fox News in all of its incarnations. The Fox News channel is by far the worst of all news stations in terms of having an "agenda" and pushing it through their interviews and non-contextual usage of sound bites. As a piece of advice from a modest blog writer, never go to the Fox News Network for any piece of news, unless you are looking for something or someone to satirize. For newspaper information, I get the Detroit Free Press delivered to my home and I also like to read USA Today as much as possible. My chief source on the internet is Wikipedia, although if that particular source is used, the identification and verification of sources will be used thoroughly.
In terms of personal life, I am a Catholic, I enjoy college football, and I love a good match of tennis. That's about all the additional information you would ever need to know.
Alright, well, now that my "credentials" have been laid bare, I present to you the Truth for Youth Political Blog Mission Statement:
By posting in this blog, I (and any co-authors) will attempt to succinctly and honestly portray the political atmosphere of the United States, along with provide easy-to-understand commentary on candidates and news events around the world. In doing so, the authors understand that truth in the political world is almost certainly subjective, so the writers will attempt to make both sides of any given story their due credit and honesty. This blog is intended for not only youth but any (fellow) novices in the political arena hoping to better understand the political climate we live in today. The writers of this blog will take full responsibility for any misinformation or unintended political bias and will work to the fullest extent of their ability to preserve the truthfulness of their arguments and essays. We would finally like to thank you, the reader, for directing your attention to this blog and giving us the light of day. We have these great ideas and opinions, but none of this would be possible without eyes to read it and a mind to understand it.
In closing for this post, I would like to recommend that the reader utilize http://www.m-w.com/ because the diction can get pretty out of hand, as you might have already had trouble understanding some of the jargon used in this post. If you have any questions, you can reach the team at thetruthforyouth@gmail.com. Thank you for reading.
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