Vernonia School District vs. Acton Case

 

 

     This case addressed drug testing of athletes in schools. During this time, drug use was affecting schools all over. The officials had decided that athletes were the central of the problem. Therfore, the schools made the athletes take a urine test for drugs. The policy stated that student-athlete to sign a form consenting to drug testing before the start of the season. If a student failed the test the first time, he/she would take it again to confirm the result. If the second test was positive, the athlete's parents were notified, and they had to meet with the principal. The student had the option of entering a drug program for six weeks and giving a weekly urine sample, or being suspended for the remainder of the current season and next season. One student, Acton, refused to participate in a drug test that was given to student athletes. His parents filed a lawsuit against the school. A federal district court upheld the policy, but the appellate court reversed that decision on the basis that the policy violated both the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments. The case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 28, 1995. The court noted that the Fourth Amendment, which forbids unreasonable searches and seizures, was extended by to cover searches and seizures by state officers, including those at public schools. The Supreme court found that the school policy met the Fourth Amendment’s reasonableness requirement and was constitutional. The appellate court’s decision was overturned.

 

 

     This decision has a huge impact of schools and students. This allows for drug testing at random times, or searches. However, in my opinion for this case, the test shouldn't have been subjected to just one group of students. It wasn't fair to pull out just athletes when they weren't the only ones using drugs. I agree with the decision, but I also think the policy still wasn't fair. 

Election Assignment

     Top 5 Issues: Abortion, Cost of Colleges, Health Care, Welfare Reform, & Air Quality- Democrat

   Abortion

This is the first issue I would address, if I were in office. I think the topic of abortion is very controversial and a big issue for many people. I am pro-choice, therefore I believe abortion should be allowed. However, I also believe there should be some restrictions that go along with that, such as how far a woman is along in the pregnancy. I think that everyone should be given the choice to decide, because it is their life.

Cost of College

College is one of the biggest investments today. It is very costly, and almost every college student has that debt to pay. I think this is a big issue. College should not be as expensive as it is. In order to get more people to go to college, there is going to have to be ways to make it more affordable. The workforce needs educated adults to take jobs. To make this happen, the cost of college needs adjusted.

Health Care

In our country, health care cost is a big issue. I would address this, because I think everyone deserves healthcare. However it is very costly and many can't afford it. Right now, the healthcare system that the US is using has many issues. I think it is important to fix this in order for more Americans to receive healthcare that is affordable and fits their needs fairly.

Welfare Reform

The welfare system is needed in our society today. It helps many Americans who don't make enough money to survive and pay for their necessities. I think it can be a very good thing for the people who genuinely need it. However, there are many issues that need fixed. There needs to be time limits and restrictions set so that people aren't cheating the government while they are being lazy. I think there also needs to be some sort of checks set up because to many people are taking it for advantage.

Air Quality

Global warming is a big issue discussed today. Some believe it is more harmful than others. I think it is very important that we pay attention to how we are harming our earth. Even though our actions might not affect us in our lifetime, it will affect future generations. Therefore, I think this issue needs to be address. The air quality is polluted by many gases and other harmful chemicals. This needs to be fixed.


I am a Democrat. I believe that people should have the right to make their own choices regarding their lives. Everyone deserves to do what makes them happy and what is best for them. I think we, as a whole, need to treat everyone fairly and be more open minded about differences.
    

     I think it is very interesting that West Virginia made history for electing one of the youngest legislators. Even though it is very amazing that she got elected so young, I think it could hinder her. She is only a freshman in college, therefore lacks a lot of valuable education. She doesn't have a lot of experience compared to other older lawmakers. Her ideas might be different though, since they are coming from a younger view.

For Barbour County, Republican Tim McDaniel won the election for county commissioner. He received 2559 votes. Democrat Philip Ferguson won for county sheriff. Danny Wagner also won the house seat for West Virginia.
For Senate, Shelley Moore Capito won the election. Alex Mooney won the second district for the house, and Evan Jenkins won the third.

More winners of the election were republican. For both the state and county, more winners were male. Only one female got elected into office. Almost all of the winners were not incumbent.

Elections are very important because it is how people of a county  or state represent themselves. We vote  for someone to  put into office to be the voice. We have these elections so that everyone has a say, therefore our government is representational.  I think it is important to vote because  it is a right we have that people died for. It shouldn't be taken for granted. We need to vote, so that the right people are put into office.

Alex Mooney:

     Alex Mooney is running for congressional office in West Virginia. He is running for the second congressional office of the house. Mooney is a republican, and is definitely the more conservative opponent of the race. He is a strong supporter of the coal industry, and wants to expand the ability to mine coal on lands with dormant minerals. Alex Mooney promises that, if elected, he will “stand up to the gun grabbers, the radical pro-abortion zealots, the tax hikers and out of control government agencies such as the EPA and IRS.” Alex Mooney says he wants to fight for West Virginia 
     Alex Mooney also says he wants to open up more federal land for oil and gas exploration. He is against the Affordable Care Act and promises to fight back against Obama. He believes that West Virginia can be a leading example in defending and promoting the values of hard work, faith, and freedom. Alex has a proven record of fighting for conservative beliefs and is ready to defend West Virginia. 

Nick Kasey:

     Nick Kasey is the democratic candidate running against Alex Mooney. He is a very good negotiator and works well with people. His values and ideas have made him very successful. For West Virginia, he wants to build roads and schools in areas that need this advancement. Kasey promises to cut spending to help West Virginia's financial status. However, he doesn't believe in cutting social security or medicare. Nick will also fight for West Virginia’s industries including coal, natural gas, and farming. Casey is against increasing regulations in Washington. 

My Opinion:

     In my opinion, I think Nick Kasey is the better candidate. He will fight for West Virginia and the people of West Virginia. He cares about the values West Virginians have and isn't afraid to stand up for this state.

     1. This article supports my defense, because it proves that the death penalty isn't always fair. It shows that a person can not get the proper legal counseling. Also, it isn't fair that his accomplice isn't getting the death penalty even though they helped as well in the killings.
   
     2.  I think the court was correct in delaying the death sentence. However, I think they were incorrect in the whole sentence for both people to begin with.

    Summary of Craziest Laws Article

  I think the article is very funny. The laws created are ridiculous, yet amusing. How could they even think of these laws, let alone how could they get passed? Whoever thought of these wasn't very smart.

     1. Officials are seeking the death penalty because the captains actions killed many people, including young children. It was a very large destruction.
     2. I disagree with them seeking the death penalty. While his actions are wrong, I think the death penalty is too much for the incident. It is not completely his fault that the ship sunk. However, he should not have abandoned it while there was still passengers on board.
     3. I think the death penalty shouldn't be allowed. Even though crimes people commit are terrible sometimes, at some point someone has to decide to be the bigger person. If the government just kills people, then it makes them no better than the criminals killing people.

Pros
1. Less expensive than housing a criminal for life
2. Ultimate punishment
3. Would lower crime rate, because of the threat
4. Provides closure for victims
5. Gets violent individuals out of society for good
6. Eye for an Eye punishment
7. Prisons won't be over populated
8. Gives justice
9. Deters crime for criminals in future
10. Criminal won't suffer in prison for life
Cons 
1. Unconstitutional- cruel
2. Cost more money to house a criminal for life (over 3 million) than lethal injection (approx. 1 million-2 million)
3. Teaches condemned nothing, hypocritical- How is it any different than what they did?
4. Prison is terrible, and just as good a way to deter crime
5. Unfair- Two crimes won't make a right
6. Wrongly convicted criminals might not deserve punishment
7. Violates human rights
8. No room for improvement, or salvation
9. Against religion- can't play God
10. No one wants to be the one to kill

Presidential Report Card

Name of President: Bill Clinton
Number of Presidency: 42nd
Years in Office: Jan. 20, 1993 to Jan. 19, 2001 - 8 years

In the following ten categories, grade your president from an A to an F. (You may “acknowledge” border-line grades with a – or a +).  You will need to give a 50 word justification as to why your candidate scored as they did. 

Category	Grade	Comments
Ability to handle and deal with a crisis	A	Clinton tended to handle any situation with ease. During his presidency, a budget plan was requested and instead of letting the U.S. default he managed to get it under control. Some say these could be due to the growing economy. However, 22.5 million jobs were created, the home ownership rate was the highest ever at 67.7, and the crime was at a low. He also managed to regulate welfare and start helpful programs.
Ability to work with Congress and Cabinet	D	Clinton began his first term working well with Congress because the majority was democratic. However, after the next Congressional election the Republicans took majority of Congress vote. Therefore Clinton and the congress often had different opinions, making it hard to pass things quickly or effectively.
Character and Integrity	F	Although Bill Clinton was a good president, he did some things that were morally wrong. During his second term as president, he was accused of cheating on his wife with a young white house intern. He lied about it, but was later found out almost getting impeached. Constant scandals took focus off of the real issues.
Education	A	Bill Clinton was a very educated man. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1968. He also attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. Later, in 1973, he earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from Yale Law school.
Empathy	C	President Clinton could be considered an empathetic man. He tried to help many people during his term, and also cared about the U.S. as a whole very genuinely. However, there are some flaws in his character that could be considered the opposite of empathy- such as his affair.
Foreign Policy	B-	During his term, Clinton helped peace come for Northern Ireland, improved nuclear control, and worked with NATO to try and create peace in the middle east.However, he failed to take action in Somalia and Rwanda and never captured Osama Bin Laden which he was later criticized for.
Relates to the common man	B	I think Bill Clinton was very good at relating to the common man. He tried to implicate many programs to help the people of the U.S. He also was well liked by many.
Persuasiveness	B	Although Clinton could be considered persuasive, I think he lacked in this area. He did manage to persuade many people and congress on a few programs. However, he wasn't completely successful during his whole two terms.
Political Experience	B	Before Clinton became president, he worked in other government areas. After moving to Arkansas, he became Senator. He kept the position for five terms, twelve years. He then ran for president.
Public speaking & Communication	A	Bill Clinton is very good at public speaking. He delivered many successful speeches during his time as the president of the United States.

I am not surprised to find out that the snap chat photos are being leaked. Sooner or later it was bound to happen. Privacy usually is a problem with any electronic sending of messages. There is a small amount, but most anything on the internet can eventually be found.

     I think, that the woman in the article should be able to take her own life. It is not suicide. She is choosing not to go through more pain than is nessecary. Her disease will kill her anyway, therefore she should be allowed to choose this option. Differentiating between suicide and euthansia is very hard. Theres a fine line, becasue even though she is medically killing herself she is still killing herself. However, I think because she has a disease that will kill her regardless, in a terrible way.
    If I was in her situation, I don't know what I would choose. It would be a very difficult decision.

Bellringer from October 9, ABSENT

This burger created, says that the economy of othr regions is poor and trying to make money. However, it also could be better off if they have the money to make these burgers in the first place. If I was given this burger I would not eat it; It does not sound good.

     After reading the article, I was not surprised by the findings. This is a huge problem in the workforce that is overlooked. I think this issue should be addressed directly in each workplace. However, thats not practical. Therfore the government needs to step in and make the minimum wage higher. This would solve the problem of workers being harrassed because they feel the need to dress or act in a certain manner in order to get more tips.
    Even if the wage is raised, however, this won't solve the problem completly. We need to raise awarness about the issue and make a punishment harsher for sexual assult.

     The "click-bait" articles attempt to get you to read articles that are spam. They show up as interesting stories, but when you click on it it is not the story. I think they do need to be removed because it sounds like they could be causing viruses on computers.

What the Belington City Council is trying to do is illegal, because it violates the fourth amendment rights given to the U.S. The Supreme Court has ruled on similar cases in the past. I think the ordinance is a bad idea. It makes no sense and is very discrimitory. It should not be allowed, at all.

      Experts believe Ebola is not a big risk because it is very rare and difficult to transmit. It kills far fewer people than other common diseases. They believe Americans should be more worried about influenza, measeles, and norovirus because they are more common and easier to catch.
     The only concern I have is that it will mutate and becme airborne which will make it spread much faster, making it esier to catch.

      I don't believe that he should have been charged with a penalty, because he was just praying which is technically allowed by NFL rules. By punishing him, it breaks the first amendment rights given to the U.S. people. However, it was not flagged on purpose but the ref still should have been more careful. In order to keep this from happening again, praying should be allowed and also celebration after touchdowns. It should not be banned, and there would not be confusion.

Amendment 1-10 News Article
http://www.newser.com/story/193595/air-force-boots-atheist-who-wont-say-god-in-oath.html

This article talks about the U.S. Air Force not re-enlisting a man because he crossed out the words "so help me God" in the oath. He still has the option of filling out the paper correctly without the crossed out section by November, otherwise he will not be able to serve. Many critics and others are saying this is unconstitutional, and not right considering in the past the Air Force had allowed it.


Amendment 1-10 Court Case
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20080915monday.html

This court case deals with amendment one. It was a case where parents sued school for allowing a student to lead a prayer over the intercom before football games. The courts ruled that the school was in the wrong, and by allowing the students to pray being unconstitutional.


Amendment 11-27 News Article
http://www.ibtimes.com/27th-amendment-constitution-violated-gop-budget-bill-house-vote-wednesday-1033836

This article addresses the budget change made by Congress. The GOP House Leaders proposed linking Congress's Pay with the budget change. Some say this is constitutional even if they decide to hold the pay for a couple of months.


Amendment 11-27 Court Case
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20080915monday.html

This court case dealt with a woman being denied entry to a college because of race. This is a violation of the fourteenth amendment, however the court ruled in favor of the college.

     Hong Kong residents were protesting for the right to free elections and other democratic changes. They were trying to get the higher authorities to revise their plans. These protests were brought about by the fact that Beijing is refusing to allowing genuine candidates to run for the chief executive position.
     The rights they are asking for are to be able to run for office and have a fair election. We as U.S. citizens take this for granted.

I think the low percentage of West Virgians with a bachelors degree indicates that our state isn't very educated. I think this is because of the price it takes to go to college. Most people who live in West Virginia don't make very much money. Lowering the cost of college might help.

The president was trying to get other nations to follow him in the attacks against Isis. He said that terrorists like this won't react to any language other than force. I think he got his point across, but he hasn't completely got everyone on board. His effectiveness was not great, but still managed to convince some nations to join him.  

     This article talks about the structure ISIS is building and running on. Instead of just being a strictly military form, they are now being able to provide citizens with basic neccessities in the area they have conquered. The article also talks about how there is one leader, and then two deputies who overlook Syria and Iraq. The religious moniter that oversees the government and also the executions is called the shuru council and thye have to have approval of them.

 I think that a reasonable punishment should be seeing a psychologist. However, I don't think there should be jail time.

Views on punishment have changed drastically. Punishment was much harsher than it is today. It was acceptable to whip or punish children years ago. Today, though, everything is considered child abuse so you have to be very careful how you punish your children.

    The article is about a man who was a Jew, but escaped persecution. He and his family fled one year before the evasion of Poland. He volunteered to join the U.S. Army and was a very valuable spy. Today he is 92, and currently living in West Virginia.

     To average citizens, these fake towers could be harmful. For one, it is an invasion of privacy if they are spying on the cell phones within the area. Also it can make the phones much slower which aggravates people and could be bad if you needed the service.
     They are probably located by military bases either because they are being run by the government in order to watch the military and any spies. It could also be a foreign government or spies in order to get information from our government.
     In my opinion, it is probably a foreign government because our government doesn't need fake towers to spy on people.

Amendments Summary 2-10

Amendment 2
Protects the right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a regulated militia

Amendment 3
Gaurds against the forced quatering of soldiers

Amendment 4
Protects against unreasonable searches and siezes

Amendment 5
This amendment guarantees a trial by jury and “due process of law,” and guards against double jeopardy (being charged twice for the same offense) and self-incrimination.

Amendment 6
This amendment outlines the rights of the accused, including the right to have a speedy and public trial, the right to be informed of the charges, the right to call witnesses in his defense, and the right to have an attorney

Amendment 7
Guarantees the right to trial by jury

Amendment 8
Protects against excessive bail and cruel and unusal punishment

Amendment 9
This ensures that the individual rights that are not stated in the Constitution

Amendment 10
 limits the power of federal government by reserving for the states all powers that are not explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution, nor denied to the states.

Al-Qaeda moving into India will have a drastic effect on India. In order to control the attacks and killings India will need to reinforce their military and be ready.

The reason Al-Qaeda is targeting India is because they don't believe they are getting enough recognition for their beliefs and also to try and gain new followers.

In my opinion, the U.S. should not get involved unless it is absolutly nessecary. The more involvment we have, the more enemies the U.S. gains.

     Rick Perry is accused of using his power for wrong doing. When district attorney Lehmberg was arrested for driving under the influence, he asked her to step down from her position. However, she refused and he threatened to stop funding for one of her programs. Perry did just that, vetoing the 3.2 million dollars.
While Perry has the power to veto whatever he wants, he cannot do it to just to get his way. For this reason, I think he should be punished because it's not right to disobey the law even if he disagrees with another persons decision.

     I am not surprised that hackers managed to get into celebrities iClouds. With new technology, and relied use on the internet it is possible to get into anything. No account is 100% safe from hackers. Most people, however, don't think a lot about what they are posting or saving to this accounts. I am guilty of this as well. I think most people are.
     In my opinion, the hackers should be prosecuted. They probably never will be, but it was illegal and should be taken seriously.

     The shooting incident is a tragedy. However, there are many people to blame for the accident. First of, the parents should never have wanted their young daughter to be shooting such a large violent weapon. The company should also not be promoting this! The age limit should be much higher, because children cannot control weapons like this. No nine year old kid, or any young children, should be allowed to shoot. It is dangerous and guns don't belong in the hands of them. They don't understand the full responsibility of what they are doing. I think you should be able to have these guns but only at an appropriate age, and you should be trained properly before ever being allowed to shoot it.

Article 1 - establishes the first of the three branches of the government, the Legislature; and defines the House of Representatives and Senate.
Article 2 - establishes the Executive branch of the government; establishes powers and duties of President.
Article 3 - establishes the Supreme Court and the Judicial branch
Article 4 - deals with the states and the powers and rights of the citizens
Article 5 - deals with amending or changing the constitution
Article 6 - deals with the United States and how it uses the constitution.
Article 7 - details for the ratification or acceptance of the constitution

     The artricle is about four male college students who created a special nail polish to help aid in preventing date rape. Its a special polish that changes color when exposed to a date rape drug. It is being sold to help make a better product and raise awarness.
     However, there are drawbacks. In order for it to work the person weaing it has to stir their drink in order for the polish to change colors. This is good, but when a person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs they might forget what to even do.

     Obama has given the go ahead for U.S. flights to get surviellence footage in Syria. The information colected will help the government gain more information on potential enemies. The militants in Syria are creating a very large threat and the U.S. is taking all the precautionary measures it can. It has been working with Iraq militants in order to protect humanitarin efforts. However, no decision had been made about any farther steps President Obama will be taking.

      This article is about an earthquake that hit Napa, California. It created a lot of damage for many businesses and peoples homes. However, the whole town and volunteers came together to help the clean up process. It was still very devestating and a state of emergency for the whole area was issued by the governor. The shock was initially overwhelming for the people and even the cell phone companies. The whole city lost electric and is still fighting to get it back. I think, though, the area will over come the devistation.

     The earthquake was caused by what most earthquakes are. In california, most of the earthquakeas all earthquakes are caused by motion between two tectonic plates — the North American plate and the Pacific plate. The plates move horizontally past each other about 2 inches a year. This is why the devastating earthquake took place on Sunday.

     The United States is one of the best countries to live in.  However, there are many problems with the economy and other parts of the government.  The issues surrounding our country are very big and creating a lot issues. They need to be solved. This is easier said than done, however, because of the way officials are handling the problems.
     One problem, I think, is the amount of debt our country is in. This is a HUGE problem that is affecting everyone. The United States is in trillions of dollars of debt, from borrowing and spending. This isn't an easy issue to fix, but there are ways we could cut back. The government funds many financial programs such as social security and food stamps. While these programs are great if you need them, they are being abused. If we had searches and checks on some of these programs, we could find the people scamming the government and not waste as much money. 
     Another issue in the U.S. is the health care system and reforms. The new laws implemented by President Obama are out of control. The prices are ridiculous, and the way it's being forced onto the people is wrong. If you want the healthcare coverage, then you should be allowed to get it. However, if you cant afford it then you should not get punished for not signing up. Some of the "fine print" within the law is also not constitutionally correct.
     The distribution of wealth and money throughout the classes of people is also an issue. Poverty is a big problem facing the U.S. Many people can hardly afford to survive with the economic state the country is in. The unemployment rate also ties into this. It's getting harder and harder to find a job, which is why so many people are relying on the government. In order to fix this issue, the richer need to be charged more taxes and the poorer less. The wealth needs spread out more evenly throughout society.
     This issues can be solved, but it won't be easy. We need government officials willing to work on it and change things for the better, It will be years before a lot will happen, but hopefully the U.S. will get in a better state.

This article is about how big corporate companies are being over taxed in the U.S. It tells about how businesses pay some of the worst taxes, compared to other countries. However, business owners have found a way around it. They call it inversions; shifting their earnings and lowering their taxes.

The purpose of taxes is to help the government pay for programs and also keep up the road or other areas. In my opinion, higher class and wealthier people should pay more taxes. The poorer people, should be required to pay less.

The shooting in Ferguson, MO is a very tense ongoing situation. Many people are outraged and demand justice for the actions that took place. This is causing riots and other unpeacful protest, because the locals feel what happened was wrong. The first mistake made by local officers was that instead of arresting the potential perpatrator, they shot him down. There are more than one way to overcome him, and this was exxcessive considering they didn't even know if he was the actual robber. They also made the mistake of releasing the name of the officer who shot him. This outrages more people because they feel lied to and it also puts the officer in danger.

In my opinion, excessive force is when you take measures far to extreme for the situation. Yes, I believe, excessive force was used in this situation. It was not neccesary to shot him considering he was unarmed. The officer could have used other, less damaging measures.

I think the best way to restore order in Ferguson is to give the people the information and justice they want. It needs to go to court and be discussed. The police and national gaurd should be there to protect if things get out of hand, not make the situation worse and cause confusion.

The goals I have for this school year are simple, yet will take a lot of effort to accomplish. I obviously want to graduate highschool, but I also want to get an excellent score on my senior project. Also, I would like to get a 4 on my AP Art Portfolio exam.

In five years, I would like to graduate from college with a math education degree. I would also like to get a good job teaching in a highschool.

In ten years, The only goals I have are to have a happy family and a stable job that can provide for everything I need.