The (Possible) Future of American Politics

Hillary Rodham Clinton entered the 2016 Democratic presidential campaign on Sunday. For us future voters, it's important to be well informed about the candidates and their visions, in order to cast an educated vote. So let's take a closer look at what moment, some argue, made Hillary.

Hillary, as we all know, is a huge advocate for women's rights. At a UN conference, she declared "human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights." She focuses a lot on the abuses of women and what needs to be changed. She puts women's rights at the center of her agenda and makes sure everyone knows it. 

At this point in her campaign she is focused on introducing a new Hillary. Her early town hall meetings have been in small towns in small community gatherings. This is a new approach to appeal to the people who may not have supported the old Hillary. It's hard to predict whether or not she will continue with this strategy or if she will revert to a more traditional approach to campaigning. 

If you are a feminist and believe what Hillary is doing and fighting for, it looks like you know where your vote will end up in the 2016 election. 

Source: http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2015/02/19/hillary-clinton-women-united-nations/

Yoga... a Religion?

As yoga came up in our video today, I wondered if yoga is considered a form of religion or religious practice? So I did some research and found that the roots of yoga are argued to be from Hinduism and date back to over 5,000 years in regions discovered by archaeologists in the Indus Valley. There are also many different forms of yoga including Hatha, Raja & Jhana yoga that have no affiliation with any concept of God. However, forms such as Bhakti, Karma, Tantra, and Kashmir all encourage concentration on the individuals' concept of God. Many people claim that though there are ties of yoga to religion, religion is not tied to yoga. Can this same principle be attributed to other things such as prayer, meditation, and other religiously affiliated practices, or are the religious ties to these activities not be severed as they have been with yoga?

More Info:
http://www.hafsite.org/media/pr/yoga-hindu-origins
http://www.americanyogaassociation.org/general.html

Infographics on Religion

Hey guys! As we discussing religion in class yesterday, I was curious to see what the spread of religion is like today. As somebody who is a visual learner, I looked up some infographics as to see how widespread religion is as well as how many branches of religions are practiced around the world.

It really is interesting to think about, as Mr. Stewart said, how much religion has a play in society and politics; it is certainly more common than I think it to be even in our own area. These might also help to explain certain branches and denominations of religions if you are interested in learning about their differences. Hope these help!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/26/atheist-discrimination-humanist-association_n_5531296.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/infographic-map-world-religions-2012-4

http://visual.ly/religion-america

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/03/26/us-christians-views-on-the-return-of-christ/

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/12/03/infographic-survey-of-jewish-americans/

Letter from Birmingham Jail

After watching the "God in America" documentary, I was interested in MLK's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" so I did a little more research. I found out that he wrote the letter on April 16, 1963. The letter basically explains why the strategy of nonviolent protests are crucial to social reforms. He puts the responsibility to make an impact on the protestors, arguing they exist to show why certain laws are unjust and must be changed. He says that nothing will change if people stand by passively and do nothing to spark a reform movement. 

What's amazing about this specific letter is how relevant it still is today. The fact that Martin Luther King Jr., a well educated and prominent figure chose to go to jail to raise awareness for his cause is truly eye opening. It really makes society today questions the morality of the modern legal system and how similar cases are recurring today, such as police brutality and perhaps innocent people serving time (or worse, being killed). Examples: Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, etc. 

Read the full text of the letter here: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

Supreme Court to Rule on Same-Sex Marriage Case April 28; History of SC Gay Rights Cases

Two years ago, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled in United States v. Windsor that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional and that the federal government could not limit the definition of marriage to a heterosexual union. The decision was heralded as a landmark step towards marriage equality. Now, two years later, the SC faces an even more monumental case, one that could require all 50 states to allow gay marriage (only 37 do so currently).

On April 28, the SC will hear 2 1/2 hours of oral arguments on marriage bans in Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky. Their ruling will answer, perhaps once and for all, whether or not states have the constitutional right to ban same-sex marriage. Observers hope and expect the SC to rule in favor of marriage equality.

In honor of this upcoming court decision, I thought it'd be fitting to cover major SC cases dealing with the gay-rights movement:

Bowers v. Hardwick (1986): The SC ruled that the Due Process Clause does not give individuals to right to engage in homosexual acts in private. The decision was considered a major setback to the gay rights movement, but was also overturned in the 2003 ruling on Lawrence v. Texas.

Romer v. Evans (1996): Colorado's Amendment 2, which refused gays and lesbians protection against discrimination, was struck down as unconstitutional in a 6-3 ruling. This set the stage for later court rulings in the 2003 case Lawrence v. Texas and the 2013 case United States v. Windsor. 

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale (2000): In another setback to the gay rights movement, the SC ruled 5-4 that the Boy Scouts of America have the right to ban gays.

Lawrence v. Texas (2003): The SC struck down a sodomy law in Texas, thereby making same-sex sexual activity legal in every US state, and overturned its 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick decision.

United States v. Windsor (2013): In its first case concerning same-sex marriage, the SC ruled the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional as it violated the rights of gays and lesbians and interfered with states' rights to define marriage.

Hollingsworth v. Perry (2013): The SC ruled that proponents of California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, did not have legal standing to appeal to a federal court to overturn a lower court's ruling that the ban was unconstitutional. The ruling allowed for gay marriage in California, but had not affect on gay marriage in other states.

It's amazing how far we've come since the Hollingsworth ruling--at the time, only 9 states allowed gay marriage. Two years later, that number has risen to 37 states. Not only that, but recent polls show that over 60 percent of American favor marriage equality. Civil rights for gay Americans was an uphill battle from the start, but changing public opinion and landmark legal victories have brought increasing equality for gay Americans. Hopefully, the SC will continue this trend to provide the gay-rights movement with its largest victory yet.

Texas lawmakers and Abortion

It's hard to believe that it was just last week that we wrapped up our Cold War era unit. At this point, we have seen our share of Supreme Court cases and White House scandals, but a lot of the hot topics during that era are recurring. Specifically the popular issue of abortion. While browsing Yahoo news one afternoon, I found this article about Texas and abortion.

The conservative state of Texas has always advocated for strict regulations on abortion and just recently, suggestions for even tighter regulations have risen. New bills are being introduced specifically targeting teens and making it harder for teens to get approval by court for an abortion. Essentially, the individual seeking legal approval for an abortion would have to provide more evidence of her maturity and fear of abuse. Republican Rep. Ron Simmons proposed to require public disclosure of judges who allow judicial bypass applications.

Many of these new proposals are expected to be approved by the Republican controlled Legislature. It will be interesting to see how this issue pans out and where it is brought up yet again. 

http://news.yahoo.com/texas-lawmakers-want-close-bypass-teen-abortions-160219182.html

The Stories of Los Altos World War II Veterans

Hi guys! As you all know, Talon recently published its first edition of a news magazine, which looked amazing with its glossy pages and full color pictures. It contained a spread on the 70th anniversary of WWII, and due to lack of print space, The Talon later published full-length features on two Los Altos veterans online.

Here is the link to veteran Al Galedrige's story:

And here is the link to veteran Fred Wellmerling's story:


I highly recommend you check out these features! I was lucky enough to be able to interview and write Al Galedrige's story, and some of the things he said just blew me away. He talked about witnessing the bombing of Pearl Harbor, about watching torpedoes slice boats in half, about the moments when he thought for sure he was going to die, about countless more stories of fear and pain. But the amazing thing is that Al also told happy stories from the war--small moments like witnessing the raising of the flag at the battle of Iwo Jima (it later became part of a historic photograph), spearfishing with the natives of Guam, and ultimately, hearing the news that the war had finally ended. Al is 89 years old and has fairly conservative views on politics (I sometimes had to pull him back from rants about Obama and US involvement in Iraq/Afghanistan) but it was surreal and humbling to hear the first-hand experience of someone who had gone through the horror of war and come out alive.  It reminded me to be thankful that we don't have to fight for our freedom, that we have soldiers who sacrifice their lives to do so for us.

These WWII veterans won't be around much longer, and I think it's important that we remember and record their stories for future generations. In history class, the history we learn covers death counts, dates, and political impacts. Al Galedrige's story is a different kind of history, the personal kind. His story may not tell us about the strategic importance of the battle of Guam or the political cost of Iwo Jima, but it will remind you of the individual experiences in war that link together to fabricate the very nature of the war itself. And that's something worth reading about.