The Resurgence of Conservatism

Powerpoint Link

Eugenics Current Event

Above is a graph of the number of sterilizations in Virginia during the time the law on eugenics was active.

Who: Victims of Eugenics Sterilization
What: Compensation of $25,000 to the surviving victims
When: March 20, 1924 to the Present (Article posted February 27, 2015)
Where: Virginia
Why it Matters: This compensation matters because of the 30 US states that originally passed eugenics laws, Virginia is the second state to compensate the victims. It is inhumane to forbid anyone from having a family. It goes against their civil rights, and while a consent from the victims was necessary to perform the operation, many of the victims weren't given all of the details and precautions of the procedure. Of over 7,000 victims of the eugenics sterilization in Virginia between 1924 and 1979, there are only 11 known survivors still alive. How it doesn't make up for the decades of harm the government imposed on its citizens, this compensation does give victims and supporters a sense of healing and forgiveness.

Link to Original Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/va-general-assembly-agrees-to-compensate-eugenics-victims/2015/02/27/b2b7b0ec-be9e-11e4-bdfa-b8e8f594e6ee_story.html

Current Event on Death Penalty: Con

Who: Tom Wolf, governor of Pennsylvania
What: Tom Wolf decide to impose a moratorium (halt) on the death penalty in the state of Pennsylvania.
When: February 13, 2015
Where: The state of Pennsylvania
Why it Matters: This event is important because an entire state is rejecting the idea of the death penalty. Wolf claimed the methods we use now are "error prone" and "expensive", and if we were to continue use of the death penalty, we need to carefully go through each stage of a case, and make sure we don't execute any innocents. The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association believe Wolf didn't have the authority to impose the moratorium, and it may be repealed.

Link to the Original Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/14/us/pennsylvania-governor-halts-executions.html?ref=topics&_r=0

Current Event on Death Penalty: Pro

Who: Lawyers and jurors, James E Holmes
What: Lawyers questioning potential jurors on whether or not they think the gunman of the cinema shooting in Colorado at the premier of the Batman movie in 2012, James E Holmes, should die.
When: Event happened on July 20, 2012, article posted on February 11, 2015
Where: Centennial, Colorado
Why it Matters: This matters because this shooting was rather big new in 2012, and it relates to pro-death penalty because several witnesses and jurors agreed that Holmes deserves to die for his crimes, claiming death the only way to ensure justice. An interesting thing from the questioning was that several of the jurors questioned had some sort of relation to the case, having friends who knew a witness or one of the victims.

Link to the Original Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/us/in-aurora-case-jury-pool-is-pressed-on-death-penalty.html?ref=topics

Person of the Month: Black History

Who: Harriet Tubman

What: Harriet Tubman was a Civil Rights activist during the Civil War period, who freed over 300 slaves through use of the Underground Rail Road, and continued campaigning for the rights of colored people and freed slaves until her death.

When: 1820's to 1913

Where: Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and several other states in the east and south.

Why: Harriet Tubman is a brave woman who spent most of her life working to gain Civil Rights for all people; colored and white, slaves and free people, men and women alike. Born into slavery, she is very admirable for successfully escaping slavery and freeing several other slaves during her time. Not only did she make an impact helping slaves escape, but bravely acted as a Union spy during the Civil War, and continued to campaign for equal rights no matter what hardships were thrown her way.

For more information, you can find an article on Harriet Tubman here:

http://www.greatblackheroes.com/civil-rights/harriet-tubman

Person of the Week

Who: Julia Child
What: She was a famous TV chef and cookbook author, who influenced American cooking by introducing French cuisine to Americans in her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
When: Julia was born August 15, 1912 and died in August, 2004
Where: She was born in Pasadena, California, and lived in California most of her life. During World War II, she went to live in Washington DC, and then to Paris, France, where she learned French cooking from master chef Max Bugnard.
Why: Julia Child was a great influence on American cuisine and how we cook today. With her vastly popular television shows and cookbooks, she taught America how to cook complicated meals in a simpler way. She taught us about French food in particular, which inspires the creations of many American chefs today, whether they be professionals or home cooks. Julia brought French cuisine to America, and made the food approachable for others to cook.

Link to Julia's biography given below, along with a video on the website :)
http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767#synopsis

Current Event on Gun Control: Law Denying Guns to the Mentally Ill

Link to the Original Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/nyregion/cuomo-defends-law-denying-guns-to-mentally-ill-people.html?_r=0

Who: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the people of New York
What: Governor Cuomo made a speech in the Bronx supporting the Safe Act, a New York State law that makes it easier to take guns away from people deemed mentally unstable, when he was interrupted by a group of protesters. The protesters were upset about several issues, including Cuomo's half-hearted support of the Dream Act, a law giving state tuition aid to students who are undocumented immigrants. Of about 140,000 people hospitalized for mental illness in a year, 34,500 were prohibited from owning firearms for five years. Protesters and supporters of the mentally ill thought this number was rather high, while Cuomo thought it was rather small compared to the amount that could still get a gun.
When: October 19, 2014
Where: New York
Why Does It Matter? Issues such as this matter because laws such as the Safe Act could limit the number of people that could get their hands on a gun. The less people out there that could potentially have a gun, the less potential shootings that could happen. I agree with Governor Cuomo's opinion that the Safe Act should be kept and more strictly enforced. On the other hand, Cuomo's Republican opponent Rob Astorino believes the act should be repealed, and that by working with educators, law enforcement officers, and others, we could find early signs of mental illness. However, even if they do find early signs of mental illness, that doesn't mean they won't be able to get a gun, or harm others.