Great Power; Great Responsibility

 

On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old black man, was fatally shot by 28-year-old white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the city of Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.

The events in Ferguson drew significant attention to the role of a free press in a democracy. In the days after the shooting of Michael Brown, a number of journalists were detained, searched, and arrested as they attempted to cover the story, while many others reported being harassed, questioned, and threatened by police as well as by protestors and community members. Many journalists and civil-liberties advocates highlighted these occurrences to make the point that preventing members of the press from doing their job puts democracy at risk.

Using the Iceberg Diagram teaching strategy. What is at stake when a reporter is treated as he was? Why do you think the police acted the way they did? Were they justified? What information don’t we have, with only Lowery’s version of the story? Is there any context in which his treatment would be justified? How does this treatment threaten his First Amendment rights?

No Way To Prevent This...

 ,,,. says the only nation where this regularly happens.

A football player, a volleyball striker, a captain of the bowling team and an aspiring artist.

Those were the four students tragically killed in Tuesday afternoon's mass shooting at Oxford High School and who were identified by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Late Tuesday, authorities said Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Tate Myre, 16, were the three students who initially lost their lives following a five-minute rampage at the Oakland County high school. A fourth student died Wednesday morning: Justin Shilling was 17, authorities said.

On Tuesday morning, the parents of a 15-year-old sophomore walked into Oxford High School to meet face to face with school officials who had grown concerned about their son’s classroom behavior.

Just about three hours after that meeting started, according to law enforcement authorities, the same student, walked into a school bathroom carrying a backpack and emerged with a handgun. He began firing, killing four students and wounding seven people in the deadliest school shooting this year.

Guns have historically been a distinct feature of American life, but school shootings that have become more frequent recently have raised the question of whether the US government should ban people from keeping guns at home.

Some argue that it is far too easy for young people to get their hands on guns to carry out crimes like we saw in Oxford, Michigan earlier this week.

Others argue the importance of keeping guns in preserving our freedom.

What do you think? Why?

Planet of the Humans

No amount of batteries are going to save us, warns director Jeff Gibbs (lifelong environmentalist and co-producer of “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine"). This urgent, must-see movie, a full-frontal assault on our sacred cows, is guaranteed to generate anger, debate, and, hopefully, a willingness to see our survival in a new way—before it’s too late.

Use these questions to join the debate.

Why is the movie called 'Planet of the Humans?'

What is a 'Catch-22?'

The Fiscal Ship

PLAY THE GAME

The Fiscal Ship challenges you to put the federal budget on a sustainable course. Measured as a share of gross domestic product, the federal debt is higher than at any time since the end of World War II and projected to climb to unprecedented levels. America is looking at a permanent, growing mismatch between revenues and spending, and policymakers are faced with difficult decisions about how to reconcile important government priorities—including retirement and health benefits promised to the growing number of old folks—with the tax revenues that the current tax code will yield. Today’s tax code won’t yield enough revenue to pay for basic services of government plus the retirement and health benefits promised to the growing number of old folks. So your mission is to pick from a menu of tax and spending options to reduce the debt from projected levels over the next 25 years. Small changes to spending and taxes won’t suffice. The choices are difficult, but the goal is achievable.

Were you able to keep your 'Fiscal Ship' afloat? What were your goals? What was the key to your success?  What difficult decisions did you have to make?  Why is balancing the budget so complicated? 

What were President Trump's goals?  What did he cut?

Compare his plan to President Biden's.  How were their goals different?

Should we continue spending money we don't have? Why/ not?

*Songs of the Sea.

Debt Clock

In the time it took you to read this the debt has grown by another $50,000!

What is a Budget?
A budget is a financial document used to project future income and expenses. The budgeting process may be carried out by individuals, companies, or governments to estimate projected income and expenses.

The process for preparing a budget includes:

* Listing of all sources of income
* Listing of all required, fixed expenses, like rent/mortgage, utilities, phone
* Listing of other possible and variable expenses.

Use the sheet given to you in class to plan your own Budget for the week.
Can you balance your Wants vs. your Needs?

How can we expect the Federal Government to balance the budget when most Americans are in debt?

Is it American to be in debt?

Are you ready for a Credit Card?

Border Crisis

 

A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tried to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19. Related Article.

Why is this picture so disturbing to many?  What is the complicated history of Haiti?

If you were an adviser to the White House, which approach would you recommend:

-stronger policies that would deter people from trying to cross the border

-a more welcoming stance that emphasizes U.S. humanitarian obligations to migrants fleeing economic hardship, political instability and violence.

READ MORE 

Credit...

What Is the Future of Journalism?