Week 2- Person 5

Charissa had some great points about dealing with the prosecution of the Tucson shooting in Arizona weeks ago. She discussed the difference in whether or not citizenship has both moral and legal implications and how they should both be exercised to their fullest. I agree with how she feels on this issue, and couldn’t have said it better myself.

T.J. then went on to discuss mostly Maine’s new Governor Paul LePage and his recent public outburst towards the NAACP. I agree with how T.J. said that Governor LePage crossed a bunch of unmoral, rude, and unnecessary comments towards the NAACP and handled it completely the wrong way. Whether or not you agree with an organization or their goals, as a governor you’re supposed to lead by example and act as a professional among professionals. Achieving the honor of being a public icon, you should have the morals and respect of your people, because when it all boils down to it, we’re all Americans no matter what state you have your residence in.

Stephen focused his thoughts mostly on the shooting in Tucson, Arizona. He provided great input on how he connected the mental illness and lack of respect the suspect had towards the government. I agree with his outlook on this issue to the fullest. We may or may not agree with our government’s policies and such, but there is a proper way to go about having your opinion heard. Shooting innocent victims in an act of pure unpatriotic manners is unethical, impractical, and just down right wrong.

Week 3- Person 5

President Lyndon B. Johnson was a man of true equality and stood behind civil equality one-hundred percent. His “We Shall Overcome” speech on March 15, 1965, was one of deep impact and high importance. Working towards making Americans equal as countrymen rather than dividing by skin color, religion, and other traits is a difficult task which to this day is still being struggled to reach.

President Johnson’s entire speech was full of intellectual and deep thoughts, so it’s hard to choose which is more important because all of his words had an emotional and intriguing thought process. When Johnson stated, “Above the pyramid on the Great Seal of the United States it says in Latin, "God has favored our undertaking." God will not favor everything that we do. It is rather our duty to divine His will. But I cannot help but believe that He truly understands and that He really favors the undertaking that we begin here tonight,” I thought he made a crucial point. In this quote and throughout his entire speech, Johnson speaks of himself and his countrymen as one. Not men and women, not white and black, but as only Americans. This speech of pushing to help reach equality for African Americans really set a tone as to how important it is to stand together as one.

“There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem, and we are met here tonight as Americans--not as Democrats or Republicans; we're met here as Americans to solve that problem. This was the first nation in the history of the world to be founded with a purpose,” was one of Johnson’s strongest points which should not be overlooked. The pursuit of happiness should not be denied to the African Americans, it should be able to be pursued by any and all American.

Week Three Blog- Person 4

On March 15, 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson presented a speech to the United States of America that would be one of the many focal points in the struggle for African-American qualities as citizens of our country. the speech he gave, took place a week after heavy racial tensions led to a violent police attack on peaceful African-American protesters on Selma, Alabama. the group of protesters had no intentions of getting violent, and planned on being led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to Montgomery, Alabama to register to vote. The brutal attacks on the 500 civil rights activists led to the tragic death of a white Minister, James J. Reeb from Boston, Massachusetts.

The speech following the attacks was extremely brave on the part of President Johnson. He showed unprecedented leadership qualities and spoke on what he believed was best for his country, and what he believed was best for the future. he went against the mindset of many Americans at that time period who believed that racism and segregation seemed like the best way to run the country. he spoke against all of those people , some considered President Johnson one of the many heroes of the civil rights movement but in his speech he stated; "The real hero of this struggle is the American Negro" President Johnson truly wanted to make everything equal for all Americans regardless of race.

He did what a President could to make things equal for African-Americans in the United States by signing the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965 which would no longer allow the unfair tests of literacy and history to take place, which at that time stopped most of the African-American people from voting. Even though the African-Americans gained more voting rights then before, there still lingered a tremendous amount of racial tension. So much so, that on August 11, 1965 the famous Watts Riots in Los Angeles took place, leading to the death of 34 rioters.

"We Shall Overcome" -- Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson’s “We Shall Overcome” speech was made on March 15, 1965, following a group of Americans was attacked by police in Selma, Alabama—they were preparing to march to Montgomery in order to protest the topic of voting rights discrimination: something that was given to all Americans under the US Constitution. Johnson states, “…every American citizen must have an equal right to vote.” In reading this speech, I kept thinking about two common rights that we, as Americans, all possess: the right to vote and the right to protest. We have discussed both of these in the classroom, and I think that President Johnson brought forth discussion of these problems in a proper, well-mannered way—unlike a certain state official may have done, if there was something that he didn’t agree with, within his jurisdiction. I would like to go into discussion about these two fundamental values that he brought forward in his speech, with relation to the discrimination of fellow Americans.

“’There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.” Johnson couldn’t be more right in stating that it is everyone’s problem, especially when there was an entire group of Americans that were being discriminated against. Imagine going to city hall on your 18^th birthday, excited to be an adult, only to be rejected when trying to register to vote. They told you to fill out your application, but you abbreviated your middle initial, so they said you aren’t registered; or maybe you filled it out entirely, but they decided that you have to take a test that 90% of Americans—already with voting rights—couldn’t pass. Of course you would want to protest, which as an American, you have the right to do….wait, just kidding. Not all Americans could in 1965; they weren’t stopped by law, but instead by racist police officers.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and more than 500 civil rights activists were going to march from Selma to Montgomery, protesting the right to vote for ALL Americans. Not only were the police violent in unlawfully stopping their march, but a minister from Boston was killed, while many others were seriously hurt. All of this happened because the police and local officials forced decided that they were above the law. They thought that they were higher than the Constitution of the United States, and eventually that was taken care of, in front of the entire nation. Now, we can all vote as citizens of the United States; however, we are still fighting the civil rights battle today.

Week 2 Summary

Charissa started off the week by answering the following question, what are the implications of these events for "citizenship", understood in either its legal or its moral meaning? This question was to be answered about the two major events that had taken place not too long ago; the Tucson shooting and the comments given by our governor.
She started off by giving a brief background about the Tucson shooting and commenting about how the shooter, up until this point was a law-abiding citizen. His actions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent and he will pay for the lives that he stole. She then went on to talk about the comments made by our governor. Governor LePage made a statement towards the NAACP saying how he would meet with all inmates, not just the African American inmates. He then claimed that the NAACP claimed that they found that “unacceptable,” when in fact they made no such statement. He then topped everything off with telling the NAACP to “kiss [his] butt.” His statement is morally wrong and unacceptable for someone with his job title.
Next, was TJ’s post. He again talked about these two topics by beginning with how we all have rights but some people take it too far. From here, he goes on to discuss increased security. He mentions how security has been increased in just about every level including, recreation events, travel facilities, and even at educational institutions. He then goes on to talk about Governor LePage. He talks about how LePage had plenty of rude and unnecessary comments to cover national headlines. He declined an invitation by the NAACP saying that, “[he’s] not going to be held hostage by special interests.” TJ then ends by commenting about how LePage has a lack of morals and needs a filter on what he chooses to say publically. In TJ’s post he provided a link to the Portland Press Herald web-page, where an article and video about what LePage said is provided.
Stephen ended the week by talking about the Tucson shooting. He discussed how the shooter had shown his discontent towards the government and had recently dropped out of Prima Community College in Arizona, when he refused to take a mental health exam after disturbing classes and calling the school a scam. In this discussion, Stephen provides a link to Wikepedia, where President Obama gives his Tucson memorial speech, where he honors the shooting victims. Stephen ended his discussion by talking about the comments made by Governor LePage. He talks about how LePage chose to attend a funeral of a slain Maine State Trooper instead of taking place in the events honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Overall, this week was very informative and there were some great links provided. These two issues are very controversial and it was very interesting to see what everyone had to say about them. These events will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Week 2

Throughout time there have been so many big stories that make it into the news. Some stories will be read in local and national news papers, some stories will be read from online news sources and other big news stories will be heard by word of mouth. Throughout time there are some news stories that you read or hear and maybe think about it for a couple days. There are other news stories that you only need to hear about once, and it will be something you never forget. I believe both cases happened here in these past few weeks. With the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona and with Governor Paul LePage’s public comments towards the NAACP.

One of the stories that I’m sure won’t be forgotten by many happened the morning of January 8^th in Casas Adobes, Arizona which is a part of the Tucson metropolitan area. United States Representative Gabrielle Gifford was the main target of an assassination attempt. She was shot at point blank range with a 9mm glock model pistol. She was hit in the head and even though she was heavily wounded she miraculously clung to life at the University Medical Center. Even though Gifford seemed to be the main target of the attack, the suspect – Jared Lee Loughner murdered six innocent people, and wounded thirteen others in the shooting. Loughner had previously shown his discontent with the government and other public systems including Pima Community College in Arizona where he reportedly dropped out instead of taking a mental health exam required after disturbing many of his classes and calling the school; “ One of the biggest scams in America.” This is a very disturbing news story and during President Obama's speech following the shootings he stated; "There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole in your heart," This is a story that will change a lot.

One of the stories that I believe will only be popular for about a week or so, is the comments directed the NAACP by Maine’s Governor Paul LePage. Who told the NAACP indirectly to “ kiss my butt” after they brought attention to his decision of attending the funeral of a slain Maine State Trooper, instead of the many events taking place to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This story has stirred a little bit of controversy but I don’t believe it will be a topic of discussion for too much longer.

Week 2 Blog

In the past few weeks, many important events have occurred, but two in particular were more newsworthy: the tragic shooting in Tucson on the January 8 and the newsworthy comments made by Maine Governor Paul LePage. We, as citizens of the United States of America, are entitled to our rights as citizens; however, occasionally there are times when people need to be put back in line, as they have gone too far.

On January 8, Gabrielle Giffords, a United States Representative from Arizona, was holding a constituent meeting called “Congress on Your Corner;” by 10:15a.m., this was all but over, as 22-year old Jared Lee Loughner fired off 15-20 gunshots—according to a 911 call—including one into the head of Giffords. She was lucky enough to survive, but six others were not as fortunate. This brought a lot of comments to the surface, as Charissa stated, Loughner was in contact with his target; he was not considered to be a threat by any means, but it brings the top of increasing security measures into discussion. Within my lifetime, we have seen heightened security at almost every level: recreational events, travel and leisure, and even at educational institutions.

On January 14, Paul LePage—the Governor of Maine—had more than enough negative and rude comments to cover national headlines. He had declined the NAACP’s invitation that marked the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, saying that “[he’s] not going to be held hostage by special interests.” Then, when he was under pressure of the organization for failing to attend events (on more than one occasion), he stated that they can “…kiss [his] butt.” In my opinion, if he couldn’t have attended the event, as he was attending a funeral for a police officer, he should have sent a representative on his (and the state’s) behalf. Of course, LePage has been known for his lack of morals and need of a filter; I would certainly hate to be on his public relations committee.

Week 2 Citizenship

The first important event was the tragic shooting in Tucson, on January 8^th of this year. The young man that opened fire on that shopping center is considered to be a member of society, here in the United States. He was a law-abiding student up until this day. Prior to the shooting Jared Loughner had contact with the primary target of his focus, Representative Gabrielle Giffords. In his prior dealings with Giffords, as the law of this land states, Loughner had the freedom of asking her a question. During that encounter Loughner managed to keep his composer, completely disconnecting from society thereafter. People would describe him as a person that was a social outcast. The actions he took are definitely not in accordance with that of the perceived views of society. That being said, he will prosecuted to the full extent of the law; serving out the punishment that is deemed fair for lives he stole.

The second important event of the week is the comments that the Governor of Maine made towards the NAACP. In his comments, Steve LePage said that he would only meet with all of the prisoners, not just black inmates. He made the claim that the NAACP found that to be “unacceptable.” However, the NAACP never asked to only meet with black inmates and never claimed that anything was “unacceptable.” To top off his remarks, he commented that the NAACP should “kiss [his] butt.” Some claim that the accusations LePage has made towards the NAACP have been fabricated and hold no ground. Either way, LePage is a government official whose actions are morally wrong and unacceptable to society. His comments are unnecessary and completely inappropriate for someone in his occupational position.

Week 1- Person 5

This week’s speech from Martin Luther king was and still is to this day a major issue dealing with inequality and African Americans’ fighting for the right to be seen the same as everyone else. Our group had a lot of good points in which I found myself agreeing with just about all of them.

Rebecca started out the week discussing the Rosa Parks incident dealing with her being put in jail. Rosa Parks along with the rest of the blacks were expected to sit in the back of the buses when using them for transportation, and she was the first to take a stand against this. Dr. King stepped in and was the voice of the black people and telling them how it's time to stand up and fight for the right is treated as equals.

The next big point that was taken in Charissa's discussion was on Dr. King's argument towards citizenship. She points out that in his speech he elaborates on the fact skin color does not determine who is a citizen. She then brought our attention to the point of democracy brought up in the speech. She gave us a very nice quote from Dr. King talking about the democracy of everyone, black people included. The quote was, “…our love for democracy and because of our deep-seated belief that democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth.” Her analysis of this lead to the point that Dr. King had every right to protest in a non-violent manner in order to stand up for him and the rest of the African Americans, and how they will never give up hope nor back down.

T.J.'s post was very in depth and brought about many solid points of Dr. King and his speech. T.J. discussed the point of how Dr. King throughout physical and emotional abuse stayed true to his devoted Christian ways in being non-violent. Furthermore, he went to point out that Dr. King became the head of the civil rights for equality movement as well as being elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association. Through 382 days of protest Dr. King accomplished great things that are still being used today in our society by many people when dealing with civil rights issues.

Stephen finished out the week with bringing up the major points of everyone’s' posts as well his own thoughts on the speech. The main point he went on to mention was that along with Dr. King, the rest of the African American people had tremendous courage, bravery, and discipline to do what they did and that they lead by example through this entire civil rights movement.

I think everyone did an exceptional job with their posts and thoroughly discussed this speech from top to bottom. All major points were brought to attention and were then elaborated on with great thought. I found myself agreeing with what everyone discussed, so great job group and keep up the good work!

Week 2 - A Special Supplement: Taking Rights Seriously

A common main idea, throughout A Special Supplement: Taking Rights Seriously by Ronald Dworkin is the moral rights against the government. The author of the article, Ronald Dworkin is attempting to speak about people “who profess to accept…that citizens have moral rights against their governments.” An example that Dworkin uses is the right to have freedom of speech. He claims that “the government will have the last word on what an individual’s rights are, because its police will do what its officials and courts say.” Dworkin is trying to explain that the rights that people have are chosen for them, but moral standards cannot be a right that is handed to the population through the Constitution.

The Constitution clearly states the “legal rights” of the United States and morals, a general consensus of what is right and what is wrong, go hand-in-hand with each other. The Constitution is there to protect the moral rights of the citizens. Dworkin states that even with the Constitution “it would not follow that the Supreme Court could guarantee the individual rights of citizens.” He says that when making decisions there is more to consider than that of just morals. Everyone has his or her own take on “issues of law and morals.” Dworkin believes that “if we cannot insist that the government reach the right answers about the rights of its citizens, we can insist at least that it try.” His argument, for the article, is to come to some understanding of how the law is supposed to protect the moral rights of citizens. However, that is not always the case because sometimes there is a moral act that is committed, but is not in accordance to the law.

Week 1 - Person 4

I think that everyone so far has done a good job with the blogs. Becca set the tone by stating that the whole idea behind Dr. King's protest was peace and to protest without using any violence. I believe that Charissa and T.J. took their blogs a step further by adding more specific detail such as dates of events and quotes from the speech. I believe that the most important thing that all of the blogs have captured was the struggle of the civil rights movement and the bravery it took to stand up for what you believe in, and lead by example.

Week 1 - Person 3

Throughout his MIA Mass Meeting speech on December 5, 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. brings forth the point that they will not be compared to radical groups such as the Ku Klux Klan or the White Citizens Council; his intentions, from the very beginning, were on protesting without violence. As Charissa pointed out, the protest of Montgomery’s segregated city buses lasted 382 days, though this was not an easy time for Dr. King by any means.

Dr. King was elected as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and became a national hero to millions of people, especially after the United States Supreme Court declared these bus segregation laws to be unconstitutional. He was recognized as the head of the struggle for civil right equality, but it was anything but trouble-free. In the 382 days of protesting, he was the focus of white hatred. He was arrest on January 26, received numerous threatening phone calls, was physically abused, and on January 30 even had his home bombed by a white supremacists group, while he was holding a meeting. He was arrested, tried, and convicted on March 22 for violating Alabama’s anti-boycott law; after his release gave his first speech in the North.

He endured possibly the most grueling and difficult times of his life during those 382 days, yet he remained non-violent and let his words take action, rather than physical altercations. In his speech on December 5, he stated numerous times that he was a devout Christian and he would not encourage any weapons, other than “…the weapon of protest.” I believe that the self-control he demonstrated is truly incredible and that the words that he preached are still being used in other civil rights struggles today.

Week 1

In this speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is describing what the then current issue was on December 5, 1955. His speech starts off addressing citizenship. He states, “We are American citizens and we are determined to apply our citizenship to the fullness of its meaning.” He is saying that even though skin color may differ, we are all citizens of the United States of America. Dr. King Jr. was looking for the country to acknowledge that African-American people were citizens of the United States and they should so be treated as such. As Becca had previously stated, Dr. King Jr. was looking for equality among the races.

Dr. King Jr. also goes on to state that the African-American community is one that loves the country and democracy, as much as white people. It is “…our love for democracy and because of our deep-seated belief that democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth.” Being a citizen and loving democracy gives Dr. King the right to protest in a manner that is non-violent and peaceful. He wants to make it known to the country that African-Americans are not going to give-up, they will fight for what is right. In doing so, everyone is going to act in accordance to the Constitution like law-abiding citizens should.

On the Nobel Prize website, I found a little information about the speech. It states that the bus boycott, in which Dr. King Jr. spoke, was the first protest that was lead that was “nonviolent.” The protest lasted for 382 days.

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Links work like this.

Week 1 Blog: MIA mass meeting

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech he is expressing the need for equality. He talks about how African Americans aren't allowed to sit in certain places. One of the most specific places he points out are the city buses. African Americans are only supposed to sit in the back of the bus. Rosa Parks, who King mentions in his speech, broke this supposed "law." She was then arrested and brought to jail just because she wasn't sitting in the back of the bus where she was "supposed" to be sitting.
African Americans were criticized against and not treated equally. King made many speeches to make it clear to everyone that this needed to change. He pushed and told people that it was okay to stand up for their rights, he preached for change in this country. People fought for their rights, fought for how they deserved to be treated and fought for their freedom.