5 Questions for Sam Richard

Our class interviewed different people (Republican and Democrat) who have gotten politically involved. One person was Sam Richard, who works with ASU Downtown and demonstrated that people who aren't politicians can get politically involved.

1. How did you choose to get politically involved? What types of things led you toward that journey?

I first started to get involved with politics in high school. I always had liked current events, and began to realize that biggest movements of social change happened because of political action.

2. You mentioned that it's important to have a personal connection. What about issues that are not affecting you personally, but are going on in the world? (like genocide)

Genocide is definitely something that fits in that category. In addition, I would say issues of hunger and HIV/AIDS. However, and I think this is something that is true for many politically active people, the words of MLK Jr. ring true for me: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Even though I am not daily affected by the horrible killings in Darfur, the fact they it is happening should draw me into a empathetic state of being.

3. Do you feel that someone can make more of a difference at the local or national level?

I am a big believer in local politics. Yes, big changes happen at the national level. But our daily lives are affected by what our city councilmen, county board of supervisors, and state legislators do.

4. Has living downtown changed your political perspective?

I'm not sure it has changed drastically. If anything, it hasn't allowed me to shut off the outside world. Sure, I probably could live like a hermit anywhere, even living at the center of America's 5th largest city, but I feel that it's a whole lot easier in the suburbs. Not necessarily because "life is easier" or anything, but because (literally) I am stone's throw away from City Hall and the State Capitol.

5. Why do you think so many people choose not to be politically involved?

Honestly, I think it's probably a good thing that everybody isn't as involved as I am. America has operated fairly well under its "representative republic" model, and I don't think that it should change much. However, if by "involved," you mean educated then it's a different story. I feel that apathy is never a good behavior to exhibit, no matter what the context.

it all goes back to Iraq

maybe this protester has a point

by Cesar

There are many issues facing our country. There is the whole economic crisis, since there are fewer jobs and therefore no money. There is the housing crisis and the issue of inflation. People experience daily the problems of immigration and racism. There are drugs and violence in our community. Though we disagree on solutions, we can agree that these are all great problems. Is it possible that we have a bigger problem than all those things? The biggest issue facing us is the War on Terrorism.

Economic Issues Connected to the War in Iraq
You may not agree that the war is the worst problem. On our Meaningful Math blog, the War in Iraq ranked at the bottom of things the president should focus on. If you think about it, though, you can see that many of our economic and social problems stem from the War on Terror. Since we get gas from terrorist countries, we have to deal with an expensive war (bad for our economy) and out-of-control gas prices (due to a lower supply) and even inflation (as people take money out of our treasury and invest in oil). The higher gas prices lead to higher prices in just about everything else, since gas is used to transport products. Then the higher gas prices make people waste money and have less money to spend. This leads to higher consumer debt, which is why we have a housing crisis and a tightening on spending, which means companies lay people off. So then that's making everyone poor and homes are lost and the economic crisis continues.

International Issues Connected to the War in Iraq

Our country is fighting a somewhat meaningless war. We are sending our hard-working troops, but what long-term results do we have? Our troops go in there and we kill them and tell them to stop the violence and it doesn't seem to make things much better. In fact, some of our friends now see us as hypocrites. So now the people hate us and don't want us around. This makes it easier to get terrorists, which means the cycle spirals out of control.

The Middle East countries are packed with mountains and caves, so it's hard to find the hidden terrorists who are responsible. Most of the middle east now hates us anyway, terrorists or not. So, they aren't going to make it any easier for our troops. What will this mean? Another expensive surge?

Another problem is that we don't want problems with other countries. It has been six years since 9/11 and very little has happened. But are we prepared for something to happen again? Terrorists might attack our country again or they might get help from a nation like Pakistan or Iran. If that happens we will have a bigger problem. We will face huge economic problems and our military will be so stretched we can't fight a new war. But if we end it now, we might save our soldiers, save money and be prepared for a new attack.

In the end, I am not against the war. We just have to do something more productive, but since the war is not productive, why don't we end it and use our resources on things that matter? We're wasting money in other countries when we are suffering at home. We are blowing up bridges and rebuilding bridges and then we have bridges in the U.S. that are collapsing.

issue: should abortion be legal?

by Melissa A

What if your mother tried to get an abortion when she knew she was pregnant? Would you feel different about abortion. Would you think it should be allowed or banned? Everybody has an opinion when it comes to this topic. It almost seems as if it can't be silenced. Many people are passionate about this topic. But whether you think It's a woman's right to not be a mother or you think it's immoral.

Republicans on the other hand are against abortion, at least most of them are. They believe that everybody deserves to live. No matter what the case is there could always be the chance of that baby being a good contribution to our nation. That baby could be a doctor, lawyer, or even an engineer, there is no telling what it is capable of him/her. Another reason to be con abortion is that you may change your mind about it. You can never truly be sure about aborting your baby. After just a few weeks the baby is already forming its vital organs.

Democrats are in favor of abortion. They are much more blunt than republicans. They debate that there is no guarantee that the unborn child will be as perfect as they say. It could be convicted of a serious crime. Without a child as a distraction less people would be high school dropouts. They also think it's the woman's job to be in charge of her body. Nobody can tell you how to live your life when it comes to this.

There are many rebuttals to this topic. For instance you could argue that if you didn't want a baby then you shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place. So there are many ways you could go. But if you are against abortion and think it should never be allowed, you have to keep in mind that sometimes it could be your life or an unborn baby. When it boils down to that, there really isn't an option except abortion. You could lose your life because you want to give your baby a chance to do better than you. Or you can look at the dark side and think that the baby could do worse.

This could be one of those questions that won't ever be settled. Not everybody could agree with one conclusion no matter how logical it sounds. There will always be one person to disagree. Sometimes people base their answer on religion or propaganda. So you yourself can be unsure.

a letter to the president elect

Dear Barack Obama:

First and foremost, I attend Frank Borman Middle School. My name is Stephany Gonzalez and I've become extremely interested in the controversial topic of immigration. I have to admit that I am eager to inform you about self deportation. The "failure" of this event has intrigued opinions all around the country portraying to its happening. The point of view of everyone is is something of importance, but it has become a rare occasion once a teen speaks their mind, and this for one is on the behalf of every young adult interested in this issue. Any any informer I have provided a solution to this subject, in which I hope will become a reality.

Deportation has been present since 1882, a few years after the birth of this country, but now matters are getting more serious in result of the mistreatment of those who don't deserve that consequence or any, in most cases. Many don't realize but, millions of families have been separated in result of deportation, yet many don't feel anything at all when hearing this terrifying statement. What one thinks as a way to improve the daily basis of life, another sees as an absolute living nightmare. What if we were one more immigrant, unappreciated and discriminated against, the pain of losing every loved one would scar us for life in every sort of way? In the process of deportation thousands of undocumented workers are basically treated like wild animals, with no rights to protect them. Operation Scheduled Departure was the only way that many undocumented workers who have suffered throughout their arrival were given the chance to leave voluntarily and with dignity on their side. There are many requirements such as, having a clean criminal file. If our country definitely wishes to "disappear" our fellow undocumented workers the only dignant and efficient way is if the government/ICE would extent the terminated dates to more than a year and to other states.

Many are the arguments stating why it came to this decision of self deportation. The belief that economy is getting "lower" because of the high population in the United States. Citizens claiming,"job positions are stolen" in result of immigration. Last, but not least the high discrimination throughout the country that went to such an extreme point. In reality many of us are blind by what we choose not to gaze upon. Immigrants are supporting the gratefully. Many undocumented workers still follow the responsibility of paying taxes as anyone else and as many of us know those taxes go towards the government. In actuality job positions aren't stolen by immigrants, they're simply obtaining other opportunities granted by others, in which they can make a living out of. Self deportation is an evolved version of deportation. ICE is using this method to enforce immigration ordinances, but avoiding forcing others to migrate back to their native land. Moreover, self deportation has been caused by other smaller issues, which joined to form self deportation. Technically, self deportation has been an improvement because of the positive factors compared to deportation. In result of poor initiative it has unfortunately resulted in failure.

A fair law has been created by thought through plans, which is what this program lacked in several ways. As a result of the mishap there have been several complaints for and against this program. Statistics demonstrate that about six people have come forward as of August 13, 2008. When we see how long the duration of this program has been (August 5 - August 22) there;s no wonder why so few individuals have come forward at a late period. Many undocumented workers have other exceptions that consider much hesitation and the limit of time just isn't enough to think through. Those exceptions or unsure thoughts are caused by the lack of employment in their native country, leaving those who are important behind their lives, and the daily observing by unknown individuals. Such a hard decision should be given enough thought to become one-hundred percent certain of their actions, a year or so would be the precise period of time for a choice of this sort. Five states currently have had this program, but in order to become an efficient act there is a need for more states to withdraw this program. With more than 457,000 eligible undocumented workers for this program chances are every single one is scattered around this immense country. To create the perfect solution for this problem it's just a matter of looking at both sides, at the same time comprehending them, and realizing what makes obvious sense.

Thank you for all your time and consideration. I hope that reflect on my thoughts and try to improve the daily life of an undocumented worker. America is created by immigrants no human being should be deported from a country that also belongs to them. Justice is an element everyone deserves and no matters or any type of exceptions should be made, because of traditions and cultures. I hope that you realize how much of an important impact this will make on our society, you are the only hope the i-generation has for a better future.

Sincerely,

Stephany

the difference

This is a chart created by the students to differentiate between Republicans and Democrats. Though no candidate ever stays completely with his or her political party, here is a general idea of where each stands on the issue.

Question:
Based upon the chart, which party is closest to what you believe? Why?

Core Issues	Democrats	Republicans
Philosophy of Education	The government should guarantee that all people are taken care of and should take an active role in people's lives.	The government should guarantee people's safety and stay out of people's lives.
Abortion	They really support that it's a woman's choice if they wish to have abortion	On the other hand Republicans believe more towards the con-side of abortion.
Taxes	Toward this subject Democrats think that it should be lowered for people expiriencing poverty and higher for those of the upper class. Companies should also pay a fairly high percentage of tax.	Republicans tend to believe that the government should lower taxes especially on the upper middle class and upper class. Which means that the poor are not included in this so in result they would pay the same amount or even a higher percentage.
Immigration	Nowadays the democractic party are pro-immigration, but they have supported the visa program. This means that undocumented workers have to be able to maintain a job position and not be involved in criminal acts in order to stay in this country.	The Republican party was majorly against immigration. The belief in that contriversial subject has changed because a few republicans were in favor of the reform.
Academics	When it comes to academics the democrats believe that the control should be local. They are also against standerized test, which in cludes the AIMS.	In addition the Republicans are in favor of the no child left behind law and also feel that schools should be the one's responsible for low test scores.
War In Iraq	Democrats believe that troops should sent back to our country and no longer having to pay taxes for that cause, which means the end of this war.	Moreover they believe in the safety of our country. In result they want higher taxes to support the war and bring in more troops to become involved.
Government Regulation of the Economy	Democrats are supporting government regulation It's a government’s job to make sure that companies follow the rules	Republicans are against the idea, because they see the government as too powerful and too ineffecient. Therefore, businesses should be able to do their job without the government getting in the way.
Gay Marriage	Generally, most Democrats are in favor of gay marriage, or at least gays having civil unions.	Most Republicans are against gay marriage, believing that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Welfare	It's the government's job to take care of the poor and help those who don't have money.	It's not the government's job to take care of the poor. Individuals, charities and churches would do a better job.
Healthcare	The government should give all people health care. It's a fundamental right for all people.	Companies should provide it for their workers. It's a person's responsibility to get insured.

a letter to a senator about the War in Iraq

Dear Senator Roberts:

My name is Antonese Robertson an eighth grade honors student from Frank Borman Middle School. Our school is located in Phoenix, Arizona. During my Honors Social Studies Class we were given an assignment where we were suppose to write about, in our opinion, the biggest issue affects America. We chose the Iraq War. We have strong and deep felling when it comes to this.

Our nation has always been looked upon as the nation people dream to live in. With freedom, jobs, and money our strong nation is praised upon. Who would have thought that this prasied nation was in debt and slowly crashing. If you don't know yet, I am a big believer in peace. Since 2003 our nation has been in a steady war that from the looks of it, has no ending. Our nation has lost thousands of our loved young ones. Families from all over the world pray and cry with hopes that their loved ones will survive. At this very point in time this war has put us in debt of $581,961,385,273 and is still going up. During the resent memorial of September 11th a speech came about that stated " We come together to celebrate in honor of those who died on this day. And although today we morn, everyday we are doing this to other countries". How exactly right is the person behind these words.

Five long years of our troops spent in Iraq. What is the true reason behind our fight in Iraq? What keeps it going on to this day? For both questions there are so many different answers. For instance, with the reason of why we began our war, some say because of the attack on America on September 11, 01, while others might say the reason is because we believed that they attained weapons of mass destruction.

Obviously the war has taken all of us by storm. With that I have a proposition for a law. We should give an Aid to Africa. Doing this will make Africans lean more towards our side in case of war, thus lessening the amount of drafts coming from Africa. This will benefit our side of the war. Our troops will have less work and hopefully the war can, at a slow pace, make progress to a stop.

Thank your Pat Roberts for taking your time to read.

Sincerely:

Antonese and Angela

a letter to McCain

Dear Senator McCain:

My name is Richard Collazo and I go to Frank Borman Middle School. I am writing to you today because I want to talk about an issue, immigration. I know immigrants in my family who worked so hard to become a naturalized citizen. I know that immigration is bad, but Americans in the 1920's would jump the Mexican border into what is now called Texas and lived there until America took old Mexico and killed Pancho Villa. I am Hispanic myself and I think America doesn't want any one from another country to come because of terrorist. Yet, immigrants from Mexico are not terrorists.

In my community the citizens are mostly Hispanic and African American. It is a big issue in my community because if we have to pick an issue in the economy, everyone says immigration. We are somehow blamed for the slow economy, when we have so many immigrants here who are working hard.

Terrorist are the ones who can't be trusted. When immigrants come to America they work as hard as they can, not like most Americans. When someone from another country comes to America they get a better education so they can get money in time and help their family. They do this to better themselves despite any racism they feel when they get here.

For years, things have been shaky between Mexico and the United States. Americans stole this land so that we could gain our freedom and start our own nation. Americans wanted more land so they stole the land from the Mexicans. Germany had caused this reason by sending a letter to the Mexicans to help out in World War I, but then the Americans had intercepted this letter, from then on the Americans don't trust Mexicans because of this incident. Both sides have had reason to not trust one another, even though we are neighbors.

Mexicans are people who have been through generations of Aztecs and Mayans, they've probably been in North America the longest and should be let into the country their ancestors once lived and owned. The Mexican population is increasing throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Mexicans are people who need a new life with freedom and rights like Americans did in the 1700's . We want the same things the Founding Fathers wanted back during the American Revolution. We Americans got what we wanted, but why can't they?

A law I suggest you should make is that the Mexicans should come and live in the land they once owned with their freedom and pride. We trust the British now, but why not he Mexicans? Why not build up trust instead of building borders?

Thanks for reading my letter and hope you might think of my ideas. I appreciate your time spending to read this letter and hope you have a good election campaign. I appreciate your courage to speak up in favor of the immigrants and try and pass the Temporary Worker Visa. Please consider continuing this idea if you become our president.

Mr. McCain I want to know why we won't really let the Mexicans in and I don't care if it's a not true. I wish the best for you and Obama, but I had to get an answer from someone who's been in the Republican campaign. I might write to you another day, but now my letter ends with a thank you and good bye.

Sincerely:

Richard Collazo