"A Prom Divided"

In some towns in the Southern United States, racially integrated schools still hold segregated proms. That's right, one prom for the white students, and another prom for the black students. I guess there are still some vestiges of the "separate but equal" doctrine in parts of America.

The link below tells the story of one such school in Montgomery Country, Georgia. It really saddened me to read the story, but even worse to hear the audio slide show in which the voices of some of the students of the school, who are still effected by racial attitudes that have no place in America.

How does the community get away with this, and what constitutional issues are involved? Check out the link to find out.

In Georgia, Segregation Endures on Prom Night - NYTimes.com

No Gay Marriage in California

The legal challenge to California's Proposition 8 has been rejected. There was one small victory in the ruling however: gay marriages that were performed before the ban took place will remain legally recognized by the State of California.

Here is the story from the N.Y. Times:

California High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban - NYTimes.com

Q & A on the ruling from the L.A. Times:
Answers to questions about Prop. 8 ruling - Los Angeles Times

Obama Chooses Sotomayor for Supreme Court Nominee - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

From a poor girl growing up in the Bronx to the highest court in the land? It could be?

More on this to follow - but the New York Times is reporting that Obama will nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. She will face a Senate confirmation hearing this summer.

Obama Chooses Sotomayor for Supreme Court Nominee - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

UPDATE: 10:30 a.m. Sonia Sotomayor was indeed nominated by the President at the White House today. I found her personal story of overcoming poverty as the child of Puerto Rican immigrants to be inspiring. She spoke movingly of her mother this morning, describing how she sacrificed so that her children could have a successful life.

She has impressive legal credentials, and seems to have made some good decisions as a judge from what I have read so far. Many will consider her a liberal, but to me that is a plus. The Court has gone too far to the right in recent years, and I think she will not only balance out the more conservative justices, but bring some life experience to the Court that has been missing.

If you would like to hear her described by the President, and in her own words, this is the video from the White House this morning:

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In Defiance, North Korea Is Said to Test More Missiles - NYTimes.com

As if we didn't already have enough foreign policy headaches, North Korea seems to have tested another nuclear device on Monday. How will President Obama and other heads of state respond? North Korea has been openly breaking the nuclear non-proliferation treaty for almost a decade now, and there aren't too many easy options. Some info here:

In Defiance, North Korea Is Said to Test More Missiles - NYTimes.com

King Siblings Oppose Film Deal Struck By Brother

Sadly, the children of Martin Luther King, Jr. have publicly clashed on several occasions over their father's estate since the death of of their mother, Coretta Scott King. I think it is always sad when families feel a need to turn to the courts to settle their differences, but sometimes it is hard for people to trust and understand each other - even if they are family.

It is surely something Martin and Coretta would be sad to see happening.

What are your thoughts and how is this related to our constitutional system? (Hint: think about the justice system.)

King Siblings Oppose Film Deal Struck By Brother | Arts & Culture | Black Power

Obama vs. Cheney

More on this when I get done grading journals...

Obama, Cheney Deliver Dueling Speeches on National Security

An edited, mashed-up version of the speeches in under two minutes:

Human Rights Defender on Trial Again in Burma

Aung San Suu Kyi is a heroic woman. (Her name is pronounced more like “On Sang Sue Chee”.) She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, and is beloved by her fellow countrymen and women.

She was forced into exile and left her home in Burma when a military dictatorship took over the country and renamed it Myanmar. Her father was a famous and revered leader of Burma, and about twenty years ago she bravely returned to Burma to lead a democracy movement. Although beloved by her people, the military regime in Burma (Myanmar) has kept her movement and Aung San Suu Kyi under close watch. She has spent 13 of the last 19 years of her life under “house arrest” since returning to Burma.

Last week she was arrested on new charges and is already being put on trial. Her crime? Allowing an American "fan" she didn't know to stay at her house overnight after he made a difficult journey to her home. (The guy seems a little unstable - he swam to her house with home-made flippers on and begged to stay after complaining of cramps.)

The story so far from the NY Times:

Myanmar Presses Case Against Pro-Democracy Leader

A video about her from the BBC:

What is your reaction to her story? What constitutional principles are involved in her plight?

New WA Education Bill Signed Into Law

This new law, as I understand it, tries to reform parts of Washington's K-12 education system, but doesn't address how to pay for the changes at this time.

She was expected to sign the bill, but what wasn't expected was that there were portions she vetoed - after the legislature had adjourned for the year.

It will take about 8 years for the bill to go into effect, so there is some time to address the governor's changes, as well as come up with a way to raise the money for this bill.

Read on to see what the bill will do, and what Gregoire vetoed. What do you think and what constitutional issues/principles are involved?

Politics | Gregoire signs bill overhauling education, but vetoes 2 parts | Seattle Times Newspaper

New Mileage Requirements for American Cars

Obama is set to announce new environmental standards for American automobiles. Now, unlike the post below about where I disagree with some of Obama's recent decisions, this is something I am happy to see. What is your reaction and what principles of our constitutional system are involved?

U.S. to require new cars get 42 mpg - Climate Change- msnbc.com

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Obama's Actions Upset Human Rights and Civil Liberties Groups

(Updated at bottom of post)

And I'm upset and disappointed as well.

Barack Obama promised a clean break with the Bush Administration's approach to the war on terror, especially when it came to issues of torture, secrecy, and detentions of foreign fighters. And Obama has done some of that:

• A promise to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• A ban on torture by all U.S. forces, including the CIA

But recent decisions have seen the Obama administration head back down the road of the Bush/Cheney years. Some recent developments of concern: (for an overview of some of these issues, see this PBS article written for students.)

• Reluctance to prosecute former and current officials responsible for ordering the use of harsh interrogation techniques that amounted to torture.
• The continued bombardment of civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Often predator drones attack inside Pakistan from across the border in Afghanistan in our hunt for al-Qda and the Taliban. (See the article Afghan Villagers Describe Chaos of U.S. Strikes.)
  
• Obama Moves to Bar Release of Detainee Abuse Photos
• Obama Set to Revive Military Commissions - washingtonpost.com

No serious student of politics can expect an elected official to make good on all of the promises and expectations of a campaign, but right now, I'm feeling very disappointed that Obama seems to be caving in on concerns about human rights and civil liberties that so stained America during the Bush years. I was especially troubled by the decision on the images of torture the President now says he wants hidden. Only two weeks earlier, his administration had said they would not stand in the way of their release.

These actions are a step away from open and honest government. We need to know what is being done in our name - it will come out sooner or later anyway.

It is time for citizens to take action and demand that the President remember why many of us voted for him.

Do you see this the same way as I do or differently? What constitutional principles are involved here?

Update 1: I've seen a couple of news items in the last day or two that suggest the U.S. is at least being sympathetic to civilian suffering as a result of U.S. bombings. (See A Vow to Cut Afghan Civilian Deaths)

Obama Addresses Abortion Issue at Notre Dame Graduation

Last weekend there was a lot of coverage of the controversy over Obama speaking at the commencement ceremony at Notre Dame University.

The issue? He is pro-choice, and the Catholic Church is pro-life. (Notre Dame is the oldest and largest Catholic University in the nation.) I've always given Obama high marks for trying to find some common ground between the pro-life and pro-choice sides. Ultimately, there won't be agreement between the two sides, but if he can tone down the anger, I think there are some things both sides would like to see happen, such as fewer unwanted pregnancies - especially among teens.

Here is a short version of the story:
National Constitution Center: News Feed

Better and more in-depth analysis:

Inside The Obama Notre Dame Controversy

Abortion Debate Has Dominated The Headlines, But Students And Most Americans Are Not So Polarized

What do you think, and what constitutional principles/issues are at play here?

Op-Ed Columnist - Girls on Our Streets - NYTimes.com

This story is heart-breaking.

Protecting women and girls from sex trafficking and being forced or lured into the sex trade is an issue that is gaining more and more atttention.

And it should.

Way too many poor, disadvantaged, and girls from broken homes are being forced into this horrible situation around the world. But, it is also happening here in the United States, and the author of this article suggests that not enough people care about these types of people and that race and economic factors may play a role:

If a middle-class white girl goes missing, radio stations broadcast amber
alerts, and cable TV fills the air with “missing beauty” updates. But
13-year-old black or Latina girls from poor neighborhoods vanish all the time,
and the pimps are among the few people who show any interest.

Read the colum below and let me know your reactions and which constitutional principles are involved.

Op-Ed Columnist - Girls on Our Streets - NYTimes.com

John Lewis arrested at Darfur protest | ajc.com

Civil Rights hero John Lewis is a lot older now, but still engages in some civil disobedience to draw attention to a worthy cause - in this case, the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.

John Lewis arrested at Darfur protest | ajc.com

Obama protesters swarm Notre Dame - Washington Post- msnbc.com

Obama protesters swarm Notre Dame - Washington Post- msnbc.com

Same Sex Marriage is Legal in Maine

The news story from CNN is here. In this case, the state legislature passed the bill and the governor signed it. It seems as though gay marriage has become legal in the U.S. in a variety of ways depending on the state. What method do you think should be used? Should it be a matter of the courts to decide if gay and lesbian couples are being denied equal protection? Should it be a matter for state legislatures? Should the people of a state be given a vote on the matter as when California voters passed Proposition 8, and made gay marriage illegal once again after CA Supreme Court declared that it should be legal? Is there a role for the federal government to play?

There are a lot of angles to issue - and much like the Civil Rights movement we have been studying in class, proponents of gay marriage are using a variety of techniques and methods to achieve their goals. What are your thoughts on how this issue should be decided, and who should have the final say?

Toward the end of the article I linked above, there was some interesting survey data. While a majority of Americans oppose gay marriage, about 60% of those in the 18-35 age group approve of gay marriage. It looks like it is only a matter of time before a majority of Americans will come around to supporting gay marriage.

Meanwhile in our State, the legislature passed a measure last month that was known as the "Everything but Marriage" bill, which gives gay and lesbian couples a civil union that has all of the same legal rights as heterosexual marriage. The only difference under this law, is that the word marriage isn't used to define the union.

I read some interesting commentary from Danny Westneat in the Seattle Times. He argues that the debate over gay marriage is pretty much over, with the advocates of homosexual marriage having all but won the battle.

Souter to Retire & Specter Switches Parties

There was some very big news in national politics last week.

First, a long-time Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter announced that he was switching political parties and becoming a Democrat. Why would he do such a thing, and what does it mean for the Senate and the nation? Lots of info on Specter and the recent news of his party switch can be found here.

Second, Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced that he will be retiring. The 69 year old Associate Justice will serve until a replacement can be appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate. You can read some background on this development here.

For some laughs, and good sly commentary on how all these Court appointments get hung up on the issue of abortion, take a look at the Daily Show with Jon Stewart lampooning this story.