DUE MONDAY, 12/14: Current Events Assignment

[Sandra Derstine]

A true understanding of history is demonstrated by your ability to
connect events across time and to recognize significant themes.

STEP 1. Find a news article in an online database (approved sources
are below). Read the article thoroughly. Post a 2-paragraph
response, using the guidelines below. BE SURE TO POST A LINK TO YOUR
ARTICLE!

In Paragraph 1, summarize the article using the prompts below.
Remember that to truly understand the article, you may need to do some
side research!
• Who is the article about? Who are the major players in this
issue?
• What event/issue is this article about? Explain the facts/
opinions of your article.
• When did the story take place? Does it have anything to do with
past events or issues?
• Where is this event or issue occurring?
• Why is this event happening? Is it interconnected with anything
else that is going on or has gone on in the past? What are the events
that have preceded and influenced this?
• How is this story significant? How does this article fit in
with a study of government?

In Paragraph 2, respond to the article using one or more of the
following prompts:
• What did you find interesting about this article? What did you
learn from the article?
• What are the implications of your article for you? Your
community? The US? The world?
• What questions do you have after reading this article?
• If this is mainly an opinion article, how would you respond to
the author?
• Predict what you think may happen as this article develops.

STEP 2: Post at least one thoughtful response to another classmate's
current events post, or continue a current events discussion.

[n.plaetzer]

Otto Graf Lambsdorff dies at 82

New York Times, December 8, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/world/europe/09lambsdorff.html?scp=1&sq=&st=nyt

The article by Dennis Hevesi is an obituary on Otto Graf Lambsdorff,
one of the German Free Democrats of the old generation. It summarizes
his political views, talks about his way to power as minister of
economy and as head of the Free Democratic Party. Moreover, the author
focuses on his achievements as the head of the Nazi victims fund.
Lambsdorff made the agreement that granted victims of Nazi slave labor
financial compensation.
The death of Otto Graf Lambsdorff is a big loss for German politics.
The “market count” (Marktgraf, playing with the word “Markgraf”,
margrave) was a voice of reason and liberty. He spoke up against
compulsory purchase for proclaimed purposes of public utility.
Lambsdorff believed in the power of the people to create a just
society, in which everyone has the possibility to live the life he
wants to – without being oppressed by a state that dictates what
justice and moral are. He was one of the last classical liberals who
did not believe in “prefixed” liberties: A free market and a free
society were two sides of the same coin for him. Lambsdorff did not
want a “weak” but a “lean” government – his belief that the citizens
give a part of their own liberty to the state voluntarily so that the
liberty for all can be expanded, as opposed to the Social Democratic
view that the state gives liberties to its citizens, was a reminder of
freedom against the ever expanding welfare state. Otto Graf Lambsdorff
did not only support a low and simple tax code but also supported the
abolishment of the “Federal Office for the Protection of the
Constitution”, which audits the views of political groups in Germany,
the legalization of soft drugs like Marijuana and of gay marriage.
This voice for a broad idea of freedom will be missed.

[Barbosa]

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/12/senate_rejects_1.html

This article is about a bill to tighten the abortion restrictions in
the health care that didn’t get passed. Senator Ben Nelson proposed a
bill that would ban coverage for abortions under any insurance plan.
But the liberal Senator said it would be unfair to women to change
their abortion rights. The vote was 54-45 against the bill. This is
important because this is one of the last things that will be voted to
go on or don’t going the health care reform bill. Also this shows that
they are giving women their rights.
I thing I found interesting about this article is that 45 people
agreed with the bill. I can’t see why people wouldn’t want insurance
to help women. It’s not like the women are going to say "Gee, my
health care covers abortions so I think I'll get pregnant and then get
an abortion.” like c’mon. I know people that they don’t agree are
going to be mad because now tax is going to pay for abortions. The
question I have is that if the bill passed, what would happen to the
women that get raped and get pregnant? Will they have to keep it or
what?

[Catherine Denis]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us/politics/14caucus.html

This article is about then problems Obama and the country are facing.
One of them is creating more jobs. People are not opposed to it but
creating the jobs costs money and we're are afraid of overspending.
However, we do want more jobs to be created because more and more
people are becoming unemployed. Another problem is the economy. Those
two are said to be the most important issues facing this country.

We have no money to give and have no money gained. That is how many
view this economic situation. A lot of those people are against have
new taxes and also additional political spending because of that. They
don't want to lose more money because they can hardly afford to live.
However, the question that still has gone unanswered is: How do we get
out of this economic crisis? Maybe tough decisions have to be made.

[Hennessy Cruz]

Medicare buy-in plan meets resistance

Hennessy Cruz

Current events

 

This article is about how the Medicare wants people as "young" as 55 to buy it. Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut said that the early Medicare buy-in a bad deal for taxpayers. He said he would vote against the bill in it's current form. Lieberman showed up in CBS "Face the Nation" and he started to plead with the Democrats to start subtracting expensive proposals from the overhaul. He also said the they dont need to keep adding ti the overhaul. This relates to our study of the government becuase one of the biggest issue now is health care and the public.

 

One thing that i found interesting was how health care effects us. It interested me alot becuase if health care did not exist then many, many americans would have died from lack of medical attention. This interest me becuase without my health care then my mother couldhave not payed for none of my medical attention and my brothers over the years. One question i still have is why isnt this bigg issue solved yet? Why can the president have a great plan that many people agree with since this has been a issue for years and years.

[gregory lespinsse]

This article is about "a new state policy requiring crowded hospital emergency rooms to accept all patients delivered by ambulance has not worsened conditions, as some doctors had feared". this conclude that patients are entering emergency room without a big concern that, they are more patients that need critical cares. This article explain also the amount of time they spent to describe what they doing is wrong.

 

This article gave me a view of ideology about the emergency room. i nervier thought that was a great impact on the state ER poly, i thought they were there just to help those who needed help and it didn't matter rather you were badly injured. "Massachusetts was the first state to ban ER denial statewide, but officials in other states are calling for advice, said Bonner". On this article conclude that would provide better health care.

[gregory lespinsse]

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/12/14/states_er_policy_passes_checkup/