Monday, February 28, 2011

Obama Refuses To Stand Behind Defense Of Marriage Act

President Barack Obama was the first president to include Lesbians, gays and transgenders in his presidential acceptance speech. It seemed for political reasons during the presidential debates, Obama expressed that he was for civil unions, but not for gay marriage. On Friday, Barack appointed a new social secretary, Jeremy Bernard, who is openly gay. According to the Washington Post, Bernard has been involved in several gay rights organizations and was a California Finances Consultant for the Obama Campaign.

Two days after Obama appointed Bernard, he said that the administration would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA was passed in 2004 and is a law that bans same-sex marriage. According to Union Leader website, Obama and Attorney General, Eric holder, said that they believe that DOMA "amounts to illegal discrimination". It is great that Barack is coming forward in support of gay marriage. After Obama said this, there has been a lot of controversy. These two changes in the administration have angered many conservatives. In an interview with Newsmax website, Newt Gingrich said that he believes Obama's decision to stop enforcing DOMA could be an impeachable offense.

He feels that Republicans should call for articles of impeachment. He went as far as saying, “Imagine that Governor Palin had become president. Imagine that she had announced that Roe v. Wade in her view was unconstitutional, and therefore the United States government would no longer protect anyone’s right to have an abortion because she personally had decided it should be changed. The news media would have gone crazy. The New York Times would have demanded her impeachment.” Gingrich is taking it way too far. Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of an unlawful activity and can lead to removal of office. Obama has done nothing illegal. It is not common for an administration to not defend a law but it is allowed and it happens occasionally. Barack is standing up for what he believes in and always tries to have the American people's best interest at heart.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

GOP Trying to Take Planned Parenthood Away From The Needy

Planned Parenthood is the leading sexual reproductive health care provider and advocate. Planned Parenthood has helped teenagers and adults make intelligent decisions in regards to pregnancy, health and family. They offer men, woman and teenagers affordable healthcare. More than ninety percent of the healthcare at Planned Parenthood is primary preventive care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies, reduces the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and they offer cervical screens. Planned Parenthood is trying to keep our nation safe and protected. It even provides low income women and teenagers with free birth control as well as free condoms, so they can keep themselves protected. The GOP wants to take that away. The House voted to cut all of Planned Parenthood family planning as well as $317 million Title X budget, which would have paid for birth control, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, sex education etc. Planned Parenthood is trying to keep our nation educated and make intelligent decisions but the government is trying to take that away.

It is disgusting that the government is trying to take away services that Planned Parenthood gives to low income families and single people. According to Politics Daily, about eighty percent of Planned Parenthood clients are twenty years old and older. About seventy five percent of the people who use the services of Planned Parenthood are at, or below, the poverty level. The Guttmacher Institute predicted that if the Title X Budget is cut, unplanned pregnancies and abortions would increase by one third. GOP is basically putting their religious beliefs on the entire nation, while the first amendment states, “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion”. Both Planned Parenthood and and Title X Budget are needed to provide important health services to low income people. Why should Planned Parenthood be harmed for helping others stay healthy and be safe? While you can, I urge you to write to your senators and express your concerns regarding this issue. Most people claim that this bill won't pass in the Senate, as the majority of the members are democrats. We will have to wait and see if the Senate will pass this shameful bill.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Retailers Trying To Steal From The Customers

I have shopped at many popular retail stores including Burlington Coat Factory and Trader Joe's, when the cashier asks me or my boyfriend for our zip code when we use a debit or credit card. My boyfriend refused to give them his zip code. In my head, I have questioned if it was even legal for them to ask us for our zip code. Yesterday the California high court ruled that retailers do not have the right to ask customers for their zip code. By the retailers asking for the customers zip code, they are violating a “cardholders' right to protect his or her personal information”. According to CNN, “California Supreme Court's seven justices unanimously determined that this practice goes too far”. Many times people don't feel the need to question things and just going with everyone else, when companies can be pulling something like this which is not even really legal. 
 
It is appalling to me that companies can get away with something that violates the cardholders rights. When I go into a store and they ask me for a zip code, I feel bad if I don't give it to them but, it is my right to not tell them. According to the CNN, “While a ZIP code isn't a full address, the court's judgment states that asking for it -- and piecing that 5-digit number together with other information, like a cardholder's name -- "would permit retailers to obtain indirectly what they are clearly prohibited from obtaining directly, (therefore) 'end-running'" the intent of California state laws”. By the Supreme Court coming to this decision, it teaches that we should not always go with the crowd and sometimes we need to question others.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Congress Raping The Raped

Abortion has always been a controversial subject amongst Americans. A Republican House bill was proposed which aimed federal funding to be used only for “forcible rapes”, therefore it would not cover all types of rapes. When the government narrows it down to only one kind of rape, they are saying that the other kinds of rapes are not valid. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, they define forcible rape as “ the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will”. Other kinds of rapes that the bill does not include are date rate, statutory rape, rape of someone who has been drugged, and rape of mentally in component person. By the Republican party even proposing this bill they are trying to redefine rape and say forcible rapes are valid but the others are not. No matter what kind of rape occurred, they should be all considered rape and should be treated the same.

Many people criticized the GOP because of this outrageous bill that was striping rights away from women who have been raped. The bill was struck down by many critics, but the GOP just tried to reorganize the wording of the bill. Terry O'Neil, president of National Organization for Women, said “ That they would actually go back and think about it carefully, and take out the word 'forcible', and yet withhold healthcare from women being subjected to incest. I found that deeply offensive and insulting”. Just proposing a bill controlling which rapes are allowed to have abortions and which are not, is talking a huge step backwards. We are a country that is constantly changing and we want to progress and not make the same mistakes we have made in the past.