Political Cartoon #4

This cartoon depicts Ron Paul with an ax next to two huge tree trunks, each labeled respectively as Newt and Romney.

This cartoon most likely has to do with the fact that Ron Paul's support shot up incredibly the past week or so in Iowa, overtaking Romney and being only one point behind Gingrich, leading many to believe that the 76-year old just might have a chance and snatching the nomination from these two powerhouses. (erm, well looking at Romney, not so much, but you know what I mean)

If not taking the nomination, then Paul's support could significantly alter the outcome who gets the nomination as he is stealing supporters from both Romney and Gingrich, skewing whoever is truly a frontrunner.

The cartoonist is probably someone who has an interest in Paul's surprising popularity, and might even support him, leaving them to be a bit of a right-winger; though admittedly, their view is hard to tell from this cartoon.

Favorite Holiday Memory

Being a Muslim, the only holidays my family and I really celebrate are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid--ul-Adha.

Now the both of these more or less pass along in the same manner.

1) Wake up at the crack of dawn

2) Enjoy Eid porridge (cleverly coined my my mom) for breakfast

3) Get ready

4) Wait for my mom to take ten million years getting ready

5) Finally depart to a nearby place for the Eid Prayer

6) Pray and mingle with whoever we see

7) Come home and have lunch

8) Random people come over all day

9) We go over to random people's houses all day

10) Come home and sleep

That's basically Eid for me in a nutshell. To say in the least, there hasn't ever really been anything stand-out-worthy. Though I do enjoy seeing my friends and family, and enjoying delicious cooking all day long.

Political Cartoon #3

This political cartoon is a parody of the movie Brokeback Mountain, in the scene where one of main characters expresses his frustration in not being able to break up with the other character. This cartoon shows Rick Perry expressing his own desire to "be quit" of homophobia.

In short, this cartoon is making fun of the recent Rick Perry campaign ad, where he touted prayer in school and seemed to make a snub to gays serving in the military, which many interpreted as his own homophobic feelings.

The cartoonist who illustrated this most likely has a moderate or left-leaning political ideology judging from their disparaging view on Rick Perry, a Republican candidate hopeful. (well, not really..but yeah)

Obama Update

Recently, Obama seems to be facing the downward trend in support that most presidents face towards the end of their terms; public support for him is in the minority compared to the disapproval rates.

Many Americans feel that Obama isn't doing enough for the economy, though admittedly, it's hard to do anything with the Republicans in Congress blocking him at every turn, leaving us in a constant state of gridlock.

In terms of reelection chances, a Republican nominee needs to actually be chosen before one gauges Obama's hopes in winning another term. Despite Gingrich being a clear front runner now, Republican "flavors of the month" come and go, leaving only speculation as to who will actually win the nomination.

Personally, I feel that Obama really needs to step his reelection campaign into high gear if he hopes to win over the increasingly despondent public. With some hard campaigning, Obama just might yet manage to snatch the presidency from the GOP candidate.

Political Cartoon #2

This cartoon shows Newt Gingrich telling a bunch of kids working in what appears to be a dilapidated and caged in field that he hopes they're "learning the value of good hard labor." This cartoon is obviously centered around the Repub. race, and focused on the fact that Newt Gingrich thinks it's fine to repeal Child Labor laws. The cartoonist is most likely a moderate or liberal as they drew Gingrich's views in a disparaging way. 

Question of the Week #2: Mitt Romney's Chances

Though Mitt Romney has been a clear front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination, it is dubious as to whether or not he can actually secure the nomination.

Why? Mitt Romney's Mormon faith has many questioning about whether he can effectively lead the U.S. without his religious beliefs playing any role in his decision making. Secondly, Romney has been declared as a little bit too moderate for many people's liking; such as his stance on abortion and gay rights. Gingrich, Romney's main rival as of now, is a staunch conservative, something incredibly appealing to the Republicans mulling over their candidacy choice.
Romney has also shown to be a bit of a flip-flopper, especially his stance of abortion (pro-choice, turned pro-life) and is seen as being a bit of a people pleaser, something that puts him at odds with the famously blunt Gingrich. Many Americans want a leader who will tell them the truth rather than want they want to hear.

However, Romney has been a clear front-runner for awhile now, while other "flavors of the month" (i.e.- Perry and Cain) have come and gone, he has remained. He has also played it safe (maybe a little too safe--we're losing you there Romney) and not made any slip-ups or scandals.

 All in all, only time will tell if Gingrich is yet another flavor, or will overtake Romney and secure the nomination.

Political Cartoon #1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/toles-looks-to-election-2012/2011/04/04/AFIGBGdC_gallery.html

This political cartoon depicts a headless elephant in terms of who's leading the current Republican nomination campaign. This cartoon illustrates that there really isn't a consistent lead in terms of the nomination race--and despite there being a "new flavor of the week" for every candidate, there is also an underlying sense of frustration. The cartoonist is most likely moderate or slightly left-leaning in terms of their cynical view on the Republican race.

Question of the Week #1

Though blazing a fiery trail in the beginning, it's undeniable that candidate Rick Perry has lost most of his former flame for the Republican race. Charismatic and with a good "image" Perry does carry many of the qualities needed for a politician to win over her/his voters. However, Perry's blunders and his less than lackluster plans for the U.S. have turned off many. His proposal of a flat tax, though appealing to Republicans have the majority of the middle/lower class families against him; and would do little to help America out of the massive debt it currently finds itself in. Not to mention his earlier "Perry Moment" at one of the Republican debates have many wondering about his knowledge of politics in general, and have removed the voter's fickle eye from what was once the shining lead for the nomination.

Question of the Week: The Biggest Current Political Issue in the State of Virginia

Is most definitely transportation. Let's be real.

In Northern Virginia, the fact that DC is right there means terrible traffic for everyone. (whether you're actually going to DC or just an unfortunate fellow caught in the midst.) Elsewhere, the woeful lack of public transportation means that you basically need a car to get everywhere and anywhere. Not all people can afford cars, which, with matienance and gas tends to be a little expensive if you don't have a steady source of income.

Unlike extremely urban areas, like NYC (where it's quite common for people to not be licensed) the state of Virginia has little transportation, which means usually, you have to drive at least 5 miles to get anywhere.

Though the DC Metro Rail might help out a little bit, it is colossal it terms of cost, and will only be beneficial to those who regularly go to DC and places around it. And let us keep in mind that most people will have to drive to the metro stations in order to actually use them.

Transportation in Virginia is both woeful and incompetent. Hopefully in the near future, steps will be taken to remedy it, but that it doubtful considering the lack of funding, and the less than willing tax payers in support of it.

Current Event #4: U.S. Knowledge of Prison Abuse in Afghanistan

So apparently, the U.S, had some idea of the severe torture than Afghan prison officials subjected their prisoners to, and yet, they still transferred several detainees to Afghan intelligence agency detention centers.

Though American officials never actually partook in these tortures, they were warned repeatedly about the abuse that was happening at these Afghan facilities; and even when other countries stopped sending prisoners to these prisons, the U.S. still continued to do so. When the UN brought attention to this matter to General John Allen (the top military commander) he immediately stopped sending prisoners and basically tried to cover up by making a program to monitor those facilities and conduct investigations on the interrogators.

Now the U.S. gov't is getting a lot of heat for this issue, but they're attempting to side-step it the best that they can.

For me, I am not all that surprised that this happened. It is precisely these kinds of things that sows mistrust between the U.S. gov't and it's people--or the U.S. gov't and the rest of the world. Our gov't doing things like this is sneaky, unethical, and basically everything anyone with an apathetic view towards the gov't would think of them.
Not to mention, this might hurt Obama's chances for reelection, as this happened under his watch, so responsibility will most likely be shifted to him.

for more reading: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/us-had-advance-warning-of-abuse-at-afghan-prisons-officials-say/2011/10/21/gIQA7Dg2VM_story.html

Question of the Week #3: OBAMACARD

Health Care: A. Obama made healthcare a top priority when he was elected to office, and I do approve of his healthcare program, the public option. I find it to be beneficial to the American people, and though many disagree with it, I support it, and find his efforts both successful and admirable.

Dealing with the Economic Downturn: B. Truly, Obama could deal with our economic troubles a little bit better (as the Wallstreet protests so clearly illustrate) but considering the fact that Europe is in shaky economic waters (which is in turn, threatening the U.S.) and the fact that the U.S has so many other issues to deal with, he's handling it better than expected, with his multiple attempts at creating jobs and tax relief.

War On Terror: B+. War isn't exactly an easy thing to end quickly, but Obama began pulling troops out of Iraq in a smart and timely manner. He then focused on Afghanistan, a smart decision considering that it did require the U.S's attention.

Reelection Bid: B-. Honestly, though I would like to see Obama be reelected, with a lack of jobs and economic uncertainty, it seems a little dubious that he will be reelected. The American people tend to like to change leaders in times like these, and though Obama has pushed through immense amounts of legislation and made progress during his administration, he's going to need to start winning back the support quickly of the voters.

Current Event #3: Herman Cain and his 9-9-9 Plan

Currently the top-picked Republican flavor of the week, Herman Cain has been turning heads with his signature 9-9-9 plan: a temporary federal tax code that will consist of a 9% sales tax, a 9% income tax, and a 9% business transactions tax. By the way, the sales tax would be in ADDITION to the state's sales tax.

But first, Cain would cut individual and corporate tax rates from 35 percent down to 25%. And then finally, all the taxes (even the 999) would be replaced by a national sales tax, aka "A Fair Tax."

Personally, though I'm for a new tax plan, this isn't the right solution to me. First off, America has a pretty big debt already, and this plan wouldn't cover all of our needed revenue. (We'd be off by about, oh, only $200 billion dollars or so.) Plus, this plan would basically suck the middle/lower classes dry between the national and state taxes. (These two classes are shown to spend more of their money on purchases rather than savings.) And while Cain is promising tax cuts, the cuts will only really affect the rich, and leave more to be desired to the not so rich.

to educate yourself about this plan: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/herman-cains-misleading-pitch-for-the-999-plan/2011/10/12/gIQAHszPgL_blog.html

Question of the Week, #2: One Political Issue that Interests Me

There's nothing that gets the hot-blooded feminist in me more riled up than the issue of abortion, and whether or not it should be made illegal.

As you might've deduced, I am a pro-choice advocate.

For me, a woman should be able to choose whether or not she wants to have a baby. Having a child is possibly one of THE most life-changing things that can happen to you (even if you don't keep the child) and as such, no woman should have to be forced into that.

If a woman were forced to have a child, and kept it, what would that mean for said baby? Cases of domestic abuse and neglect are all too common nowadays. Plus, the woman having the baby would have to completely change her life. So whether she was just some teen who made a mistake, or a woman with a career, having a child would have negative consequences for their extra commitments. (i.e.- school, careers, etc.)

And if the woman decided to give up the baby to an adoption agency, what would that mean for the child? Not all children get adopted. And life at the local orphanage isn't as bright and sunny as most people picture it.
And not to sound crude, but let's be practical. The world is also pretty overpopulated. Let's not add to that.

And need I even get into cases of rape or incest? If abortion were made illegal, then women who have suffered serious trauma and just want to forget about it, would be forced to suffer for an additional nine months. And if they kept the child, then it would always somehow represent that trauma that most people would so desperately want to forget about.

And is it just me, or does this totally degrade women as well? Telling women that they MUST have this child seems something that mainly men would do. It's just wrong.


This issue interests me because hardly any other issue makes me as angry or passionate as this. As such, whenever cases involving abortion comes up, it grabs my attention right away, and you can guarantee a snappy argument coming from me as well.

Current Event #2: Alabama Law Targets Illegal Immigrants

Alabama recently passed a law which prevents anyone from knowingly employing illegal immigrants and requiring schools/police to verify immigrants legal statuses.

This new state law is considered one of the strictest immigration laws yet, and has been able to withstand federal action, unlike so many others.

As one can imagine, this state law is forcing many illegal immigrants (estimated around 150,000) who have already established lives in Alabama to flee to other states, in some cases, taking their children who are already U.S. citizens out of school and forcing them to relocate.

Personally, though I think the U.S. gov't should have a little but more control over immigration, targeting immigrants who have already established themselves and contributing to the economy is just ridiculous. This is almost persecution in a sense, and is having a negative chain effect as many businesses are losing their minority employees as they flee from Alabama.

In addition, isn't this law just pushing Alabama's illegal immigrants over to other states? Most of the illegal immigrants will flee to other states, rather than return to their home country. As such, it just creates trouble for everyone: the illegal immigrants who are forced to move, Alabama's economy, and other states as they suddenly have an influx of fleeing immigrants.

This isn't smart, nor will it solve the problem of illegal immigration in Alabama. I find it to be persecution of people who for the most part, pay their taxes and are generally causing no harm.

to read the full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-tough-new-alabama-law-targets-illegal-immigrants-and-sends-families-fleeing/2011/10/07/gIQAtZuPWL_story.html

current event # 1 700 arrested on Wallstreet

Most people know already about the protests on Wallstreet, which have been conducted mostly by college students deep in debt due to student loans. This news has been attracting national attention because of what would be considered peaceful protests are being forcefully and rather harshly put down by the police. In this article, the protesters had formed on the Brooklynn Bridge where 700 of them had been arrested by the police despite them protesting nonviolently. Personally I feel as though, this is showing the United States that people's rights such as freedom of speech and to peaceful protest are not necessarily protected by the legal system. I think that the New York City police shouldve handled the situation better than they did because, by forcefully putting down the protests not only did they look like a whole bunch of communist thugs, but they attracted the negative attention of the American people.http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/wall-street-protest-continues-for-third-day/2011/09/19/gIQAKqbffK_gallery.html?hpid=z1#photo=1

Question of the Week: What Political Party are you most closely aligned with?

 Coming from a pretty politically apathetic household (my parents could care less about politics) it had always been up to my siblings (or at least my older sister) to figure out which party we aligned ourselves with. Though my parents were apathetic, they were pretty left-leaning on most issues that I ever asked about. Thus, it was only natural that I considered myself a pretty moderate Democrat.

While taking the political quizzes in gov't class, I honestly thought I would end up as a post-moderate, but ended sweeping the board with solidly liberal scores all around. Which wasn't exactly unwelcome, just a little surprising. Because usually when most people think of hard-core liberals, they think of those people who refuse to shave (men and woman alike) and protest whenever and wherever they can. Or maybe that's just me thinking that.

Anyways, but when I thought about it some more, it actually kind of made sense. I am actually quite lenient on most issues, such as abortion (pro-choice), healthcare (yes), immigration (why not?) and legalizing marijuana. (let's be honest, it's going to happen eventually, whether we like it or not...) I'm open in terms of diversity, and don't exactly see the problem with immigration. For those who cry out against it, for pete's sake! We're all immigrants here! (unless you're a Native American. Then I would have to think of some other witty comeback) Abortion is pro-choice or no choice. And women should be able to choose whether or not they want to have a baby. I could go on and on, but you get the point. I'm open and liberal on the majority (if not all) issues debated about in America today.

However, I don't exactly have a problem with the gov't either, which is why I was a little surprised at my liberal score. They seem to be doing the best that they can, which isn't amazing, but isn't really terrible either. And let's be honest, trying to solve all of our issues isn't going to happen in a week or something.

So, in conclusion, I am a filthy liberal. And if I have to align myself with a particular party, it would be the Democratic party, seeing as they are generally the less conservative of the two main parties.

after taking two tests to determine my political personality, apparently i'm a filthy liberal.

YUS.

the awkward moment when....

you do that almost fall in the hallway, but really only slip and manage to catch yourself in time.

unfortunately, you let out a disgustingly girlish yelp when you slipped, so now everyone is looking at you like a retard.

my life.

ah, the woes of school...

right now i'm sitting in a computer room for my gov't class trying to think of a creative post for my first ever (yeah, okay) blog. anyways, my mind seems to be a big vortex sucking in all creativity today, so i decided to make the most mundane post ever about me having my first school blog.

did it upset you to read all of that and realize it was complete poop?