http://blogs.kpbs.org/citizenvoices/ en CitizenVoicesAlma@gmail.com Copyright 2008 2008-09-29T20:24:01-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/proposition_for_controversy/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/proposition_for_controversy/#When:20:24:01Z Talking about abortion is my least favorite topic for political discussion.  The subject is so divisive, and opinions are so deeply rooted in each person's belief system, that meaningful debate is practically impossible in the U.S.  While I fully understand that rhetoric will not normally sway another person from their opinion, there still exists some room for discussion. Enter California Proposition 4, the "Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy," or "Sarah's Law."  If passed, the proposition will change procedures for parental notification when an unemancipated minor seeks an abortion.  As the law stands, minors and adults have the same rights to end their pregnancies.  In addition, doctors would have the burden of both informing the minor's guardian and of waiting 48 hours before admitting an underage patient.  Still, Prop 4 isn't about endorsing a pro-life or pro-choice agenda.  This proposition speaks to how voters think about how families operate.  Prop 4 tests the boundaries of what voters consider acceptable behavior by female children and their parents.  But do the changes merit a yes vote to appease parents left out of the loop of their daughter's sexual activity?  California, Propositions, Alma Sove 2008-09-29T20:24:01-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/a_hatchet_where_you_need_a_scalpel/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/a_hatchet_where_you_need_a_scalpel/#When:20:33:00Z My maternal grandmother's grandparents had a plantation near Oxford, Mississippi prior to the Civil War.  Family lore relates that when the Yankees marched through, they burned the house down leaving only a single table salvageable.  That table sits in my living room today, and all week, as I walked past it, I thought about how much has changed since that arm of my family packed up what little was left and moved to Texas, after the Civil War. Perhaps dwelling on all those Southern roots soaked into my subconscious, because I decided to make buttermilk cornbread stuffed with okra, onions, and corn for my contribution to the impromptu " debate watch party" I was invited to attend. I guess the Southern hospitality of the debate location didn't rub off on Senator McCain since he didn't exhibit even a vestige of the etiquette normally afforded between colleagues. And make no mistake.  Obama has every right to be standing where he was.  He is the duly elected candidate of the Democratic Party and he is worthy of respect. Presidential, Candace Suerstedt 2008-09-27T20:33:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/headless_chickens/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/headless_chickens/#When:19:25:00Z Chicken dinner was the plan on Pa Olsen's Colorado farm in 1945 and he sent his mother-in-law out to do the dirty work. She grabbed young chicken Mike, got him by the neck, the ax swung and she botched the job. Like unlucky chickens everywhere, Mike went careering madly around the farm without his head. If a chicken with its head cut off can be lucky - Mike was. He somehow survived the decapitation with his brain stem in tact. Accused of being a hoaxer, Pa Olsen had his chicken oddity verified at the University of Utah and by the Guinness Book of World Records. Olsen then went on a whirl wind, barnstorming tour of the United States (joined by a two headed sheep and a few other barnyard freaks). Mike was fed through a syringe and by all accounts roosted and strutted like any other full headed chicken. Chicken Mike ran around the country for eighteen months before luck caught up with him and he choked on a corn kernel and passed into lore. John McCain is just wrapping up the eighteenth month of his Presidential Campaign. Eighteen months of surprising new directions and unpredictable behavior have him challenging Chicken Mike's record for running around the country without a head. All of the foxes and the hens and the sheep and wolves in Washington quieted down this week as it looked like the Wall Street barnyard was about to go up in flames. These situations call for a line of bipartisan water buckets and calm assurance - not a headless chicken looking to bask in the glow. Presidential, Chris McConnell 2008-09-26T19:25:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/credibility_what_credibility/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/credibility_what_credibility/#When:18:54:00Z Political advertisements on both sides of the aisle often strain credibility.  It can be tough appearing humble when you have the drive and determination necessary get within a couple of hanging chads of being leader of the free world.  But what does it say about you when you place paid advertisting proclaiming yourself the winner of a debate that hasn't happened yet?  I think Chez at Deus Ex Malcontent has the question right, but whether the source of problem lies with the candidate or his organization the fact that the advertisements ran reflects very poorly on the candidate's credibility and capacity to run the nation. Candidates, Presidential, Campaign Tactics, Charles Hartley 2008-09-26T18:54:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/affirming_actions/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/affirming_actions/#When:11:38:00Z I've become very interested in academic performance at local public schools, primarily due to my teaching credential program. Last week, I stepped onto the campus of a middle school in the San Diego Unified School District to observe a seventh grade social studies classroom. Anticipating my first truly "urban" school experience, I braced myself for some of the challenges described in my textbook. Twelve-year-olds wearing gang colors. Unruly kids disrespecting their teachers. Eighth graders reading at a third grade level. Despite attending the school made famous by Dangerous Minds, I do not feel that I had ever experienced this.Instead, I entered a classroom with kids seated quietly at their desks, working on a warm-up activity in which they hypothesized some of the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. And the great majority of them seemed not only engaged, but to be coming up with reasons that demonstrated higher-order thinking skills and a deep understanding of historical events.Does this experience point to the success of San Diego schools? Does it demonstrate that unlike the typical urban school described in my textbook, the school I visited suffered none of the challenges commonly present in the public schools systems of metropolitan areas? Contrary to research and popular belief, was this class of 36 proof that a smaller student-to-teacher ratio is not necessary?Unfortunately, no. Local, Jessica Jondle 2008-09-25T11:38:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/why_obama_will_win/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/why_obama_will_win/#When:20:44:00Z  Almost everyday I receive emails and phone calls from friends and colleagues who have fallen for some story they heard on the McCain Noise Machine. They wonder if we will end up with a McCain/Palin administration.  (After all, George Bush was allowed to be President not once but TWICE, a fact that still seems inconceivable.)  Over and over I hear myself explaining why Obama is the best leader for these turbulent times, so have I've distilled these discussions into a few key issues. 1.  Obama has the resolve, intellect, and insight to be an effective President.  2.  Obama understands the complexity of the foreign policy issues that the next President will face. He understands that in addition to a strong military, the importance of dialogue and diplomacy are crucial to resolving global crisis. 3.  Obama knows its 2008 and not 2004 or 1973.  The country has changed and Obama gets this. He has given a voice to the millions of Americans who understand that the mistakes of the past eight years must not continue. 4.  Most Americans with half a brain do understand that this election is not an "American Idol" entertainment vehicle and are able to grasp the difference between real issues and political spin. 5.  Obama has given us the opportunity to elect a  President who will bring hope and inspiration to move beyond the current domestic, economic and geopolitical quagmire. Candidates, Presidential, Candace Suerstedt 2008-09-24T20:44:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/there_must_be_consequences/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/there_must_be_consequences/#When:21:35:01Z The Bush Administration's plans for a speedy bailout of Wall Street seem to have hit a speed bump with a Congress possessing a newly installed spine, or at least a sense of curiosity about what they're being asked to approve. The administration's proponants of the plan are being compared to used-car dealers and there are reactions of disgust and distrust from both parties in both houses of Congress. Senators McCain and Obama both gave speeches today outlining their problems with the plan. McCain broke his objections down to five points, where Obama focussed on four. I was particularly happy with Senator McCain's insistance that the management of those companies seeking assistance commit to capping their income at the appropriate level for federal employees. In my view, the problems with the administration's proposals came in two areas. First, their repeatedly inaccurate crying of wolf for the last seven years, has left them with zero credibility. Second, there were no consequences for anyone but the taxpayers. Fortunately, Congressional ears now seem to finally be resistant to the crying of wolf. Additionally, everyone running for office seems to understand that the consequences of this economic disaster must be laid somewhere, anywhere, but at the feet of the voting taxpayers. Yes, we'll all pay in the long run, whether or not any kind of bailout passes, but Congress seems to understand that we should not be alone. More on this topic is in a particularly good piece by Washington Post op-ed columnist Eugene Robinson. National, Congress, Charles Hartley 2008-09-23T21:35:01-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/where_the_iraqi_women_at/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/where_the_iraqi_women_at/#When:17:51:00Z Strangely enough, the most pressing political question of the current presidential campaign was first struck upon by Mel Brooks more than thirty years ago: Where the white women at? The Democratic primary and now the general election have brought a new found concern (for some) and focus upon women's rights. But like most things in this election, there is little room for intelligent discussion of the issue. What exactly is the status of the glass ceiling? Is it a question of American politics or American culture or both that has thus far prevented the rise of an American Angela Merkel,  Margaret Thatcher or Benazir Bhutto? All three rose to heads of state as leaders of their individual parties.  Perhaps parliamentary lawmakers are more likely to recognize substance than is the general electorate of our country. There is no shortage of impressive female U.S. representatives, senators and governors in our country, but thus far none deemed worthy to take hold the reigns of our country - or even ride shotgun. Does our country view women's rights as a universal issue or a special interest? The ascendency of Obama over Hillary follows a historical pattern established in the 1960s. The Civil Rights Movement and Civil Rights Act both trumped and inspired the women's rights movement. The Civil Rights Act passed, the Equal Rights Act stalled. The nomination of Sarah Palin also follows a historical pattern of empty, token gestures toward equality of the sexes. Other, Chris McConnell 2008-09-19T17:51:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/information_manipulation_through_the_media_fog/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/information_manipulation_through_the_media_fog/#When:13:03:00Z Matthew Dowd, who led President Bush's campaign for reelection in 2004, recently told the New York Times that "The only things that are going to change the equation of the election are the four debates." This is due to the plethora of partisan and biased media sources that the public is confronted with every day. As Dowd pointed out, "The average person has 90 channels. They get all the dot-coms. They all get a newspaper. There is so much flow of information that they just begin to discount it all."And for that, we can breathe a sigh of relief, although I fear that Dowd might give the average person too much credit in saying the media will be depreciated. But if the most influential factor in this election will be the candidates' own voices - through debates and interviews - then I hope the moderators and interviewers will break with the improprieties of the past several months and truly give both sides an even playing field. The Media, Jessica Jondle 2008-09-17T13:03:00-08:00 http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/the_market_free/ http://blogs.kpbs.org/index.php/citizenvoices/comments/the_market_free/#When:20:12:00Z Back in the day, Republicans were champions of the free market.  At least in theory they favored laissez-faire economics.  Given time the markets would sort themselves out in a reasonably efficient manner. Economic theory took a back seat to political expediency in several notable examples during the last seven years.  The airlines (and their security contractors) couldn't be held accountable for the failures of 9/11 because the airlines constituted a vital sector of the economy.  The telecoms needed and received civil immunity for whatever it did to the American people on behalf of the Terrorist Surveillance Program, because their cooperation was vital to our national security.  Just this month, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac needed taxpayer dollars to protect their role in the home mortgage crisis industry, which some say is vital to the economy.   Other, Charles Hartley 2008-09-15T20:12:00-08:00