Let Roe V. Wade Stand

                In Brendan Hurley's editorial titled "Blog Stage 7," he discusses whether or not abortion should be illegal.  In his article, he compares abortion to murder, which would provide grounds to make abortion illegal. Murder is defined as the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. While I recognize his argument's merit, I don't think that termination of a pregnancy should be considered murder, or punishable.
                There are many situations outside of rape where a woman might need or want an abortion. Sometimes accidents happen, the condom rips, birth control fails, or drunken mistakes were made. The amazing thing about the ruling in the case of Roe v. Wade is that it's no one's business. Women's right to abortions is protected by our right to privacy. From conception to birth, or termination it is not the government's place to decide. 
                 Hurley claims that the first heartbeat makes an embryo a baby. If the embryo is considered a baby at the first heartbeat, which occurs at about 3 weeks after conception, most women wouldn't know they are pregnant before it is too late. Most women don't know they are pregnant until 5-6 weeks into their pregnancy. While I don't believe that people should be allowed to have abortions willy-nilly, it absolutely should not be illegal.
                 The case of Roe V. Wade determined that laws could not make abortion illegal because we have a right to privacy. It isn't about whether abortion is good or evil, it simply isn't within the government's power to decide. Unlike actual murder, no one else is in danger or at risk of having any of their rights to life liberty or pursuit of happiness infringed on when a woman makes the decision not to carry a pregnancy to term. Sometimes it's not a matter of right or wrong it's simply none of your business.

I refuse to hand in my rights

                  Many people find the second amendment outdated. Some believe that guns are far too dangerous in the hands of the public. The mere idea that restrictions should be placed on guns is ludicrous.
                  I recognize that school and workplace shootings have been a problem of late, but that should not infringe on our right to protect our homes. When I say protect our homes, I am not talking about from burglars or wildlife. The second amendment is intended to protect us from our government. Should our government turn against us, we have the right and duty to protect ourselves and our families.
                   Many people argue that the second amendment was written a long time ago, and the writers could never have imagined the kinds of weapons that exist today, and that is true. However, it's purpose rings true now more than ever, with tense political climates, and the government's capability to see everything we do, guns should be the last thing we are willing to let go of.
                   As for the school shootings, instead of looking at guns as the problem, we should look at the mental health of our children instead. If someone really wants to hurt people, they will find a way guns or no. As a child of the United States, I will not be disarmed; I will not be defenseless.

Fascism In The United States?

                   Ayoub Kajjaj wrote in his editorial, "President Donald Trump is a Subtle Fascist." that the United States seems to be falling into a state of dictatorship. His premise is that Donald Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship is an example of our county falling to dictatorship. While I do believe president Donald Trump is ignorant of his role in government, and the powers that the constitution grants him, calling him a fascist is a bit extreme.
                   I 100% do not agree with his plan to contradict article 1 of the 14th amendment, but before pointing fingers, and calling people fascists, it is important to approach this from all angles. Donald Trump sees illegal immigration as a serious problem, and it is. As someone from a family who worked hard to come here legally, I feel offended that people come here and disrespect my country by coming here illegally. His proposed executive order only targets those who came unlawfully into the United States. It's not just Donald Trump who found illegal immigration a problem, our previous president Barack Obama also found it an issue. While is method is unorthodox, and frankly not in his power, it is definitely inappropriate to call him a fascist.
                    Lastly, it is unfair to solely point the blame at Trump. Our congress and supreme court are supposed to keep him in check. Congress can stop an executive order with a 2/3rds majority vote and all executive orders are subject to judicial review. In order to fix this broken country, we must look beyond the obvious and fix the root of the problem.
                   While I disagree with many of his points, Kajjaj's editorial was well written, enjoyable to read and contemplate. He chose an issue that is relevant to many people who reside in the U.S. and included a lot of good information that supported his argument.

Roe V. Wade Here To Stay?

          A hot topic for college-age Americans, especially young women, is the controversy of overturning the ruling of the Roe v. Wade court case. The case ruled that it was unconstitutional, and a criminal offense to limit access to abortions.
           With the recent induction of judge Kavanaugh, many fear the standing of Roe v. Wade. There has been a lot of talk about further restricting women's rights to abortion. With Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, the over turn of Roe v. Wade seems ever more threatening.
           In the past, there have been strict restrictions on abortion, and in some places, it was even illegal. If history has shown us anything, limiting women to abortions doesn't "save" the fetuses they are all worried about. Instead, it endangers the lives of young women as they go to risky lengths to protect what is theirs, their bodies.
           While many people who are "pro-life" seem to show great concern for the rights for the unborn children of America, they are forgetting about the rights of the women who are shackled to the fetuses they carry. Many women have risked their lives, and even died going through the risky operation of an illegal abortion.
          The truth of the matter is, most people don't get abortions just because they want one, but because they feel they need one. The government has no right to interfere. All they would be dong is needlessly putting young women's lives in danger.   

The Bump of Bump Stocks

I read an article called "A Year After The Las Vegas Shooting, Congress Still Hasn’t Banned Bump Stocks" in The Washington Post, written by the Editorial Board. The editorial articulates the need for the ban of bump stocks and mentions the importance of gun control in general. It uses the statistics of the Los Vegas shooting to invoke fear in the reader. The article also uses loaded language to elicit an emotional response about the shooting when it says "The mass shooting — the worst in modern U.S. history — brought attention to the bump stocks the shooter used to effectively convert his rifles into automatic weapons, enabling him to spray more than 1,000 rounds in 11 terrible minutes." The last phrase in that sentence "11 terrible minutes" is intended to invoke a sense of fear and remorse. Tactics like these are unlikely to work on people who are already against gun control. That sentence is also the only mention of what a bump stock does. The editorial would be significantly more effective if it gave a small explanation of what a bump stock actually is. The article assumes that the reader already knows what a stock for a gun is, or assumes that they don't care. Many pro-gun-control advocates know little about guns, making their arguments seem less credible.  Their mention of general gun control weakens their argument because it loses focus on the issue of bump stocks. Their mention of general gun control reaffirms the fear of anti-gun control advocates, that gun regulations will lead to the loss of their rights to own guns. The article would be vastly improved by sticking to the main issue, and a short description of bump stocks.

A Start To Learning

This is my first of many blog posts for my U.S Government class. Just wanted to say howdy ya'll.