I think that the Holiday season could use a lot more of religion and religious displays. Religion is, after all, the rout of the holiday season. Everyone is so afraid of offending others that they just avoid religion all together with a nice secular "Happy Holidays". But we live in a country of both freedom of religion and freedom of expression. So Americans should be encouraged to freely express their religion. I think that a stronger emphasis on religion during the holiday season could help our society to see what is really significant and insignificant during this season of hope and peace. Regardless of religious affiliation it's easy to see that the Holidays should really be a season of giving rather than a season of consumerism and stress.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Political Cartoon Week 3
This cartoon was drawn by Joe Heller and published by The Green Bay Press-Gazette on December 3rd 2009.This cartoon is drawing attention to the insignificance of the holiday season when compared to the current situation in the middle east. With the United States' new plan for the middle east, 30,000 men and women will soon be headed off to war. Obama's new plan has been hit with a lot of criticism because although he is down sizing in Iraq, he is ending significantly more troops to Afghanistan.
The cartoon is not as critical on Obama's policy as it is on the the mindset of Americans. We become so consumed by the holidays that we lose sight of what is really significant during this season of hope, the well being of our troops. Our society has pushed us to ignore issues as serious as the loss of our troops. American culture chooses to ignore the important concepts while dwelling on insignificant one. And as an American I strongly agree.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Health Care Reform
The health care bill has already passed trough the House is is currently being debated in the Senate. The more conservative Senate, where it is much easier for the Republican minority to stifle the will of the Democratic majority, has yet to pass its own version of a health care bill. Passing the bill in the Senate will prove to be a much more difficult task than passing a bill in the House.
The two bills are also very different. The House bill was more expansive and expensive, while the Senate bill would cost less and as a result cover less Americans. The two branches of Congress also differ in how the plan should be financed. The House bill would be financed through a combination of a tax surcharge on wealthy Americans and new spending constraints in Medicare and Medicaid. The Senate has not reached a clear decision on how their plan would be financed, but Many Senators oppose the tax on higher benefit programs. Abortion also promises to remain a major obstacle for both the House and the Senate. A late compromise with Catholic and other conservatives in the House led to the adoption of an amendment banning most abortion coverage from the public option.
I hope that the Health Care Bills are on their way to becoming realities. All Americans have the right to a healthy life, regardless of how much money the make.
The two bills are also very different. The House bill was more expansive and expensive, while the Senate bill would cost less and as a result cover less Americans. The two branches of Congress also differ in how the plan should be financed. The House bill would be financed through a combination of a tax surcharge on wealthy Americans and new spending constraints in Medicare and Medicaid. The Senate has not reached a clear decision on how their plan would be financed, but Many Senators oppose the tax on higher benefit programs. Abortion also promises to remain a major obstacle for both the House and the Senate. A late compromise with Catholic and other conservatives in the House led to the adoption of an amendment banning most abortion coverage from the public option.
I hope that the Health Care Bills are on their way to becoming realities. All Americans have the right to a healthy life, regardless of how much money the make.
Political Cartoon 2
This cartoon was drawn by Petar Pismestrovic of Australia. It was posted on politicalcartoons.com on December 5th 2009.This cartoon is trying to emphasize the importance in the approaching United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held on December 7th, this coming Monday, in Copenhagen Denmark. The conference is being held to try and reach an international agreement about future actions and laws regarding the Environment and climate change. This is a very globally issue, but President Obama seems to be playing a large role in the conference. He has moved his date of arrival to the conference to the last day, December 18th, considered a crucial period when more leaders will be in attendance. It ids hoped that these world leaders can come to some form of an agreement on the current environmental situation and what needs to be done.
The cartoon also had a caption that said "The same destiny" implying that unless drastic changes can be made at the Copenhagen Conference, Polar bears my suffer the same fate as the woolly mammoth, extinction. I think that it is undebateable that the environment is in trouble. And unless world leaders like President Obama can step up to the plate, our world will continue down a dangerous path.
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