The latest GOP debate and the winners of it

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/29/politics/republican-debate-2015-winners-losers/?iid=ob_article_roadto2016_pool&iref=obnetwork

1. The third GOP presidential debate has happened between the top ten runners for the presidency. With less than 100 days before the first ballots are cast this debate was more or less a test for the campaigns. A few candidates did better than others though. Rubio defended himself quite well in the begining of the debate from a question aimed at his voting attendence. He then managed to shift the topic from fighting between each other to fighting against the democrats. Cruz attacked the moderators and the liberal media viscously and constantly while earning applause from the audience consistenlty. While a lot of the debate was aimed torwards the liberal media Cruz was definitely a leader in the assault and had some of the best attacks and defenses. Kasich was a strong debater as well frequently scrutinizing the plans of some of his fellow republicans. Trump made a change and tried being quiet during the debate. He showed a softer more level headed side which assured voters wondering if he has the temperment to be a president. Christie held his ground during the debate and had a great moment where he went off about questions relating to fantasy football and gambling. Bush was a mess during the debate and left his supporters wondering what he was doing. CNBC and the media as a whole took a beating as well from the constant attacking of pointless questions and insults aimed at starting a fight. Carson didn't make much of anything during the debate. He didn't make or lose any ground, although that might not be a problme for one of the current leaders in the polls.
2. I didn't watch the whole debate but from what I saw I agree. A lot of the candidates did well or atleast decent except for bush who completely flunked it. The attacks torward useless and "gotcha" questions was consistent and savage. The moderators even earned themselves a booing after attacking Carson.I liked how most of the debaters didn't attack each other and even complimented each other's strengths. They really tried to make the debate a way to figure out who the best candidate is and not who the best mudflinger is.
3. This relates to our current unit because it's about public opinion and political parties.

American's opinions on gun control

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/politics/gun-control-poll-americans/index.html

1. About half of all Americans oppose stricter gun control. More Americans oppose it than they do support it. Recently it's gone from about 49% evenly split to 52% opposition. But the safety of guns is still a controversial topic. About 7/10 people say it's important for gun owners to support laws to get them passed. About half say it's important for both parties to come to a consensus. People generally support background checks for gun purchasing. Most non white americans support gun control. More women support gun control than men. Those with college degrees are more likely to support gun control. Most republicans oppose gun control while most democrats are in favor of it.
2. I think gun control is pretty messed up. Having your neighbors and complete strangers come together and say that if you want to voluntarily buy or sell a firearm you can't unless you jump through certain hoops is wrong. If people aren't going to be allowed to buy firearms it should be decided privately free from the threat of government guns pointed at you (even though they always are no matter what). I think people who support gun control shouldn't try to coerce innocent people into not spending their money through mutual agreements and trades. If they don't want guns they don't have to have them but the people who do have guns wan't them and there is nothing wrong with having them.
3. This relates to our current unit on civil rights and liberties because it's about the right to bear arms which is a guaranteed right to not be infringed upon.

10/5 - 10/11 fantasy congress points

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h549?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h548?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h547?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h546?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h545?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h544?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h543?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/sres284?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s2167?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h542?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h541?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/s278?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h540?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h539?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h538?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/s277?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h537?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h536?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/s276?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h535?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h534?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/s275?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email

Texas man sues police and city of Dallas

http://www.fox4news.com/news/33182702-story

1) A north texas man is suing the city of Dallas and three police officers for violating his rights. A video of the encounter shows the police approaching the truck and asking where the drugs are. They can not be heard because they turned their microphones off. "'He’s sticking his nose inside the car and kind of looking, and he’s asking where the drugs are, specifically where the drugs are,' said Taylor. 'I told him, ‘I don’t have any drugs.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about. It was almost as if it was a joke of some sort.' But this was no joke". He gave him his license and he asked him what should he do and he told him he's a truck driver. The officer just looked at him. Taylor gave the officer his concealed carry license and the other officer started to pipe up. He starts to try to provoke him by telling him to reach for it but the driver is confused. Other officers begin to arrive and he is asked to step out of his vehicle. He does (fooloshly) and is brought to the front of a squad car. An officer asks to search the vehicle and he refuses to give permission. The officer threatened to take him to jail so he could search it. Taylor was brought to jail on charges of illegally carrying a weapon while the inside of his truck was being torn up. He had never been to prison before and he described it as horrible. The man describes his ride to jail as wild and rough. THe officers were running red lights and driving recklessly like little kids. The man wants justice for this.
2) I think this is pretty terrible. You see videos of police at DUIs or illegal stops trying to provoke citizens more and more nowadays. As the saying goes power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so it's not much suprise that even now in our supposedly civilized world police still act like monsters drunk on the power of a king. The police here pretty obviously had no legitimate constitutional reason to pull this man over and I find it sick that he had to go through such injustice just because the police can't be held accountable for their actions.
3) This relates to our current unti about civil rights and liberties because in the bill of rights citizens are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures as well as cruel and unusual punsihment which this man was just put through by representatives of our "grand and supreme" government.

Planned Parenthood battle plans to rage on into 2016

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/politics/planned-parenthood-congress-2016/index.html

1. The planned parenthood battle going on in washington right now is much more than a normal skirmish. It's a struggle that could define political power in the future and affect the political parties. For now Democrats and Republicans are drawing battle lines over wether or not to fund millions of federal dollars to the organization. New York Democratic Rep claims that Republicans are fighting this war not against abortion but against women's "rights" to choose. Republicans are seizing the chance to use the videos of planned parenthood officials talking about using fetal tissue to trigger a response from republicans and put democrats on the defensive. Republicans are sincerely motivated against abortion which offends their morals or religious beliefs. However there are valid political reasons to attack the group. Planned parenthood critics claim that the organization recieves funding due to its strong democratic ideals rather than actually improving women's health. Republicans feel that denting Planned Parenthood will be a win for them and Democrats feel the same way about defending it and that it can win the crucial women's votes. The planned parenthood issue is also a chance for Republicans to strike at the Democratic Party's machinery, on an issue that both sides have organized multiple elections around.

2. I think this is a pretty serious issue. I don't align with either political party (mostly because I don't believe in the mystical entity that's beyond morallity known as the government or the majority) but I find myself agreeing most often with the Republican side on this issue. The issue of planned parenthood's use of special techniques to save parts of aborted fetuses is one thing. I guess if you're gonna end a human life you might as well profit off of it so besides being disgusted I don't really care. Abortion itself is another issue that often revolves around "rights". US liberals often claim that a "clump of cells" that can't survive on its own don't have rights since its not self sufficient and a physical burden on the mother and father. Libertarians (and Republicans) often claim that since it has Human DNA and Human cells and will generally grow into a state of self sufficiency then the fetus does have rights and therefore can not be murdered while still staying morally correct. Liberals also like to claim that the fetus with DNA not equal to the mother's is a part of the mother since they're attached and mothers have the right to do with thier own bodies as they wish. Liberals don't seem to understand how and where rights came from so often they commit hypocritical actions and cherry pick what is a right and what is a priviledge on a whim of feelings. Libertarians claim consistency and origins in defining and protecting rights so they end up usually against the "right" to abortion.

3. This relates to our current unit on civil rights and liberties because it's about the feud between the political north-west, north-east, and south about wether a women has the right to end a life they have biological control and responsibility over.

9/28 - 10/4 fantasy congress links

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/s271?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h519?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h520?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h521?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h522?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/114-2015/h523?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email

Tragic Oregon Shooting Gunman dead

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/01/us/oregon-college-shooting/index.html

10 people were killed and 7 injured in the recent shooting at roseburg campus. The shooter was a 20 year old man and is now dead. "Cassandra Welding is a student at the college and was in class when the shooting started.

"I heard a popping noise, almost like a balloon popping," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I knew something wasn't right and so I get down."" She also said all of her students were in a panic mode and locked the doors and hid behind desks and backpacks. The shooting started in one building before heading to the science building. Those killed and wounded were found in at least 2 clasrooms. When the paramedics arrived the law enforcement had allready neutralized the shooter. Police are currently investigating social media. They say they found a conversation on 4chan with the supposed shooter and random people egging him on. Roseburg is supposedly a peaceful place and people are shocked this would happen. President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation and is calling for a change on gun laws.

I think this is a horrible thing to happen obviously and I'm sad people had to lose their lives because of this man's actions. I wish no one had died or at least less people had died but sadly it's already happened and we need to look at this. I find it ironically funny that he was on 4chan being egged on and given advice. 4chan is pretty well known as the cancer of the internet and that these people probably jokingly gave him advice and now are partially responsible for the people's lives I hope sends them a message about people and the internet. I'm not sure about Obama using this opportunity to push for law changes. In a perfect world no one would need to have a gun but it's not a perfect world and Obama seems to push rather liberally when it comes to rights to possess firearms and I don't agree with that mindset. I don't want my right to own an object turned more into a privilege by being forced to pay for that ability. If people aren't allowed to own weapons then the power gap between the all powerful entity known as the government and its subjects will only increase and that's not what anyone with consistent liberty minded values wants.

This relates to our current unit, the bill of rights, because it focuses around the shooting done with a firearm which the right to own is guaranteed to not be infringed by the government in the bill of rights. It also goes into changing the law to potentially stop or limit these shootings from happening again.