Blog #8

http://ww2.cox.com/myconnection/sandiego/today/news/national/article.cox?moduleType=apNews&articleId=D9IGUMD00

1. This article was about how the president would like to and is pushing to extend both the average school day and the average school year to better educate the American students. This article also included various important quotes which showed opinions from both sides of the argument such as, "Kids wanted to go swimming. Their families wanted to go on vacation." (Parent Irene Facciolo in Montpelier, Vt.) and, "The idea of a longer school year, I think, makes sense" (President Barack Obama).

2. This article in a way shows the extent of the executives branches power yet it also shows how the system of checks and balances comes into play or else Obama would not have to be going out and rallying up support. The topic of the "separation of powers" is stated in both Article 1 Section 1, Article 2 Section 1, and Article 3 Section 1 of the American Constitution when it discusses the different branches of government and how they keep each other balanced at all times.

3. In being a fellow student who is not yet in college, this issue definitely has me confused on what my opinion would be on it. The obvious answer for me when I first saw this article was "I hope this doesn't get passed!!!" This is because what high school student wants their precious summer time cut even shorter in order to "fully develop their minds"? Then as i thought about it more, my opinion began to sway because I began to think about how academically advanced other countries are becoming because of their longer school years which is why now I am perfectly caught exactly in the middle between the two different sides of the argument.

http://ww2.cox.com/myconnection/sandiego/today/news/national/article.cox?moduleType=apNews&articleId=D9IH9RAO2

1. This article was about how a 19 year old college student at the University of Texas climbed a campus tower and started shooting at the other people below. He then walked to the library where he then fatally shot himself. Just years before, another shooting occured at the same campus at the top of the same tower except the only difference was the shooter then shot and killed 16 innocent people and wounded nearly 3 dozen others before the police shot him. Luckily some bi standers of the crime were able to tell the police the direction in which the suspect went. On witness said, "I'm not scared, but I was scared for the people around me". Another witness who had made eye contact with the shooter said "I saw in his eyes he didn't care" as he was making his way to the library where he would later kill himself.

2. This article relates to the part of the Constitution that states that "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This is the second amendment of the American Constitution. This story is definitely related to the debate over the 2nd amendment in our constitution because some may argue that if had only had tighter gun control laws (which would go against our second amendment) then this whole situation would have never happened.

3. I am not sure why this article in particular caught my eye but I think it was because of my love of crime shows and the brief description of the article just sounded interesting.