Week 3 Blog - Person 1

After reading the three blogs of my classmates, the most important points of the article are about the right to vote (everything from here and there about the voting issue) and the basic, simple need for human rights. During the time of LBJ, there was lots of turmoil among our own people—mainly because of the civil rights movement during his term. Kaitlin mentioned that people are always going to have to fight for their civil rights, and like Cat and everyone else, I believe this is true. Even though it looks like our country is equal and all people have civil rights, it is just a face that is put on for the rest of the world. There are many groups in America that feel like the African Americans did back on the 1960’s such as Latinos and Arab/Muslims. They are feeling the pains that others have felt before them and they will fight for their rights.

The other important point is the need for human rights. Everyone on this planet we call home deserves certain rights—not all of these rights are written on paper. They are mainly unspoken laws that everyone tried to live and abide by. Cat posted a great link that brings you to the United Nations where they try to bring awareness to the world’s issues with human rights. Even though there is a committee that is trying to solve these issues, they will never be able to solve them and save those that need it the most.

Overcome-Person 5

Reading the first two posts, the previous bloggers for this week had very good points. That this speech is about the right to vote, the civil rights vote and how color isn’t the problem. Everyone is different in their own way. As Jade said, we are a united Country. But what I liked most about the speech was the part where he says, “There is no issue of state's rights or national rights. There is only the struggle for human rights. I have not the slightest doubt what will be your answer.” I really liked this, because it is true, and a very good point. Everyone should be concerned mostly about human rights. Another point that is very important is a saying that is repeated throughout the entire speech. We shall overcome. This one line speaks volumes about our country. We are united together, no matter what. We are the greatest country when we work together, and through what Lyndon B. Johnson’s message we were able to overcome one of the worst times in our countries history.
I also wanted to mention what Kaitlin mentioned previously again, because it is such an important point. The fight for civil rights is still not over, nor will it ever be, because with civil rights comes human rights. We still haven’t succeeded in freeing those in need from the depression of having their human rights violated. But as a nation, we are heading in that direction. As Lyndon B. Johnson said, “We Shall Overcome.”

Person 4 Blog

The 36th President didnt like the fact that the united states were trying to be divided he didnt want them to look at each other as being south & north, he want them to see that are one a united country. Person 3 Talks about how the president thinks that discrimation of color is a problem, I agree with this so much because I would rather people not like me for my morals and character than to dislike me because the color of my skin. Its crazy that in order for a born citizen to get their constitutional right back in this time period everything had to be writing in stone.
These Movements did help to gain more rights for citizens especially people of color but it didnt eraser the pain and all the deaths that came with it. Being an African American Young Woman reading different articles that talks about all the struggle that my people had to go through in order for me to achieve my goals, makes me happy but sad at the very same time because it shows how if something means that much to you , you would fight for it no matter what if the cost of it might be your life , I am proud so say that I am black.
This article made me think of the Black National Anthem http://http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-black-national-anthem-lyrics-james-weldon-johnson.html it was song writing to express how happy blacks were even though they went through so much in life.

Week Three Blog-Person 3

Lyndon B. Johnson—the 36^th president of the United States from 1963 until 1969—gave a speech Monday, March 15, 1965 after a horrific racial violence act in Selma, Alabama. The violence was directed towards blacks who were protesting for their right to vote, and it was the police who did the attacking. This speech that Johnson made was mainly directed towards everyone’s right to vote. Throughout his speech, he states that he will send in a bill that will not restrict any denial of a black man’s right to vote; this bill is known as the civil rights bill.

The way Johnson approached this really stuck to me; he said that this discrimination of color is a problem, and that it is every citizen of the United States’ problem. “There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem.” I feel that even though we were—and still are—the strongest country, the arguing and the violence is a wall that prevents us from becoming stronger. At the very end of the article, after this speech, there were still hate crimes that brought over $40 million in damages. Out of the many life lessons I have learned, one is applicable here: if we all work together, changes can happen. As cheesy as that is, it is true. Sometimes we just need to put aside our differences and accept we all want to succeed and we need each other. To quote Johnson again, “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.”

I would like to mention that finding civil rights is still not over. Today, we are not faced with discriminating minorities of race, but rather of sexual orientation. Although one conflicts differently, the struggle continues. We may sit here today and think that it was crazy not to let the black man vote; but we sit here today and think that it is right to deny two people to get married. I believe that we need to accept that everyone is different. People felt that blacks should not vote, but we changed. Maybe it will all change.

Week 2 Blog Summary - Person 1

After reading all of what my fellow group members have written about, I have come up with the consensus that everyone thinks that guns are not what cause problems, it is the person or people behind the gun. All agreed that the person behind the gun—Loughner—had evil intentions when he opened fire at the Safeway Supermarket. Loughner may have had some mental issues going on inside of him, but there is nothing saying that he could have made the judgment call to not do what he did. I also thought that what Jade said in her blog is very true: “I believe that it is a privilege, yes you were born with these rights, but that doesn’t mean that you are superior to them.” Most Americans tend to take most, if not all of their rights for granted and when it come time that their rights are impeded, they become remorseful. The fact that Columbine was brought up in the blogs was a good example of gun violence. Even though it is not the same exact circumstances, it still deals with harm to the innocent.

With the matter of Governor LePage, everyone seemed to be in acceptance with the fact that he was unprofessional. The phrase that Governor LePage decided to go with was perhaps not the best to use for his superior position, but as Jade and Cat have said he is still just a human being. I will have to say that LePage did not say this with any anger toward the NAACP; he was merely stating that if he was to go to the prison on MLK day, he would meet with all the inmates. So unlike one of my fellow group mates, I don’t believe Governor LePage has and temper or anger issues. On the other hand my fellow bloggers think that this is a poor representation of Maine. LePage is the ultimate face of our State.

Event's of Citizenship - Person 5

While overlooking the responses made by the previous bloggers, I noticed a similarity. On January 8th, a young man decided that he was going to jeopardize his rights as a citizen and do the unthinkable, take the lives of innocent people. Kayla had some really great points within her blog, one was that she would love to blame gun laws for what happened, but the problem really wasn’t the gun laws at all, but the person behind the trigger. He had evil intents and was under the impression that nothing was going to stop him. She also mentioned that he took his rights as a citizen for granted; this thought was echoed throughout the entire blog by both Kaitlin and Jade. Another thought that was resonated within the blog was that we are given rights when we are born or are naturalized within this nation, but they are merely privileges, you broke those rules set forth in laws then your rights are revoked (to a certain point). Things will become more confined for the person who did indeed break the law. This leads to a point that Kaitlin made, that people must earn things; it was something that her parents taught her when she was very little; it was something that my parents taught me as well. So where was this young man’s moral judgment when he pulled the trigger? Do people blame his parent’s for not pushing the issue of moral judgment? Another point that I would like to point out about the shooting is that it reminded Jade of the historical shooting at Columbine. I can see where she would make the connection; she also added a good link to a website that explains what happened at that time. It was a tragic occurrence just like the one on January 8th of this year. She made a point of saying that the shooters were victims themselves, lashing out at the bullying and teasing they received at school, making a statement that they were a force to be reckoned with. I wonder if the investigation into the Tucson shooting will reveal a tortured childhood as well.

As for the Governor’s statements on January 14th there were mixed reviews from my fellow bloggers. Kayla made a point to claim that it was unprofessional on LePage’s part, I agree. If you are going to be in the world of politics then there is a certain respect for people that you must have. Sometimes you need to censor what you say, and say it in a politically correct way. I say this because like Kayla, Kaitlin, and Jade, I believe that what he said reflects poorly on Mainers. We elected him as a State to represent us. So do it. But yes, the Governor is still human, like Jade said, so there is no reason to be making a huge fuss out of this one event. It was said, and there is nothing we can do about it. Kaitlin posted a great link to YOUTUBE that lets one listen to exactly what was said. Just in case someone didn’t catch it the first time. For my two cents in the matter, I think that LePage was actually doing the right thing. He may have responded poorly, but that is a minor detail. The major thing is that he was actually respecting what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted and worked so hard to achieve. It is not right to deny whites the privilege of seeing the Governor because it is Martin Luther King Day and they are not African American. Equality for all is the message we associate with Martin Luther King, so why deny that to people on the day that we celebrate it?

Events of "Citizenship" -Person 4

Kayla and Kaitlin made very good points, especially when Kayla said that it’s not that law of having a gun that killed these six people but the Man who pulled the trigger. I absolutely agree what Jared Lee Loughner did was wrong but I sit here and wonder what made him scoop so low to want to start shooting in a parking lot. What really touches my heart with this tragedy is the fact that the 9 year old girl got shot: when you hurt an innocent child I have no remorse for you what so ever. When it comes to rights that a citizen has, I believe that it is a privilege yes you were born with these rights but that doesn’t mean that you are superior to them. When I say this I mean that you must distribute what it means to be a loyal and honorable citizen to keep the right to be able to have rights within the United States. There is a reason that law enforcement was create to punish the people who break the laws and the highest and most harmful crime is murder the ability that you think you have to take another person’s life away. We were built under the faith of God and one of the 10 commandments is “Thou shall not Kill”. I hope that the court gives justice to these families and gives Jared sentences for each person he killed.In the stand point in citizenship he was morally wrong. This shooting made me think of the shooting that happen in Columbine High School.http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/columbine.htm Two students came in their high school and shot up the buliding and even one feel so bad for the victims but people fail to realize that these two students were victims themselves they were tease for a long period of time until one day they just snapped.

Like Kayla I feel that it was unprofessional for the governor to say " Tell them to kiss my butt" but unlikely Kaitlin I was not upset because even though he is the governor he is still human he will sometimes say exactly what is on his mind even if there is a big out bust about it later. He is a citizen just like the rest of us and he has the right to say how he feels even if that means some people will dislike him for it. In the case of the governor with the stand point of citizenship in the legal I believe he was wrong but in the sense of his moral meaning he was right because thats how he feel towards the Martin Luther King breakfast and thats how he feel. Even Though Martin Luther King was all about bring people together you can win in everyone's eyes.