I like turtles

I’ll be honest, I don’t watch local news. Ever. I have always thought that local news is a horrible waste and I have never given it a second thought.




Today, I realized that I have been wrong all along.



If I want to truly know what is going on with the world, I will watch CNN, FNC or even, on occasion, MSNBC. That doesn’t mean that local news has no place in the world. I want for everyone to remember that local news stations have given the world some real gems. If you have been on Youtube before I’m sure you’ve seen this classic:








Here’s another, more recent, local news interview with a man who saved his sister from being raped by a “dumb” rapist.










So after much thought, I have decided to take local news off my “worthless” list. I know that we talk in class a lot about how news shows don’t usually report real news, but I just can not expect these local news stations to have huge segments on the war in Afghanistan or analyze the effect Obama’s speeches have on the upcoming election. They exist to tell us when semi-celebrities will be appearing at the local mall and to interview weird people that make us laugh.

Oblahma

       As I sat down to watch President Obama’s Oval Office address, I had a few expectations. I expected him to officially announce the end of combat missions in Iraq. I expected him to tell us our future plans for Afghanistan. I expected him to deliver this message with the clarity and, let’s face it, star quality that he always has in past speeches. How did I feel about it? Disappointed.

      He did announce the end of combat missions in Iraq, but he didn’t say anything about it that I didn’t already know. After that announcement, I wanted to get to the part I thought to be most important: Afghanistan. I kept waiting and waiting and listening to him ramble and tell stories (even give a shout out to Bush) and finally he mentioned Afghanistan. To my surprise, it was over in the blink of an eye. He, again, said things I already knew. He said he has ordered the deployment of more troops and, “As with the surge in Iraq, these forces will be in place for a limited time to provide space for the Afghans to build their capacity and secure their own future.” The problem? The surge in Iraq was coupled with the Sunni awakening. Those who were fighting against us joined our side to fight alQaeda. In my opinion, the surge in Iraq wouldn’t have worked if that hadn’t happened. Why would a surge in Afghanistan work when the Afghan military and police forces are half of that in Iraq. Can we realistically build up the Afghan army to the needed size by July of next year? I’ll let Petraeus worry about that.

      Obama then turned his attention to the economy, which is the concern of every American. He said we have put off answering the tough questions concerning our economy and the middle class has paid for it. He said, “we must tackle those challenges at home with as much energy, and grit, and sense of common purpose as our men and women in uniform who have served abroad. They have met every test that they faced. Now, it is our turn.” Yes! Now we’re getting somewhere. I’m sure his next paragraph will tell me his plan to get our economy going again. “We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs.” Yes, yes, that’s what we need to do but how? What do your economists say? There’s no plan to speak of? No direction to look towards?

      After this speech, I felt like I had just watched an episode of Lost. I have so many unanswered questions now that I feel more confused and uncertain than I did before the address.

Prop 8

       The evolution of gay marriage rights in California has been an exhausting story to follow. Just when I think that gay couples in California will finally have their rights recognized, I am sadly let down. Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage in California, is not only an embarrassing display of the intolerance and ignorance in this country, it is a heartbreaking blow to the families it keeps separated.

       On August 4th, 2010 federal judge Vaughn Walker overturned Prop 8 with the ruling that it is unconstitutional. Millions of people in America, myself included, enjoyed this wonderful, temporary, victory. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed Judge Walker’s ruling and decided that Prop 8 will stand until the case is heard in court in December.

       While I have strong views against Prop 8, I do understand the need for it to stand until the appeal is heard in December. What I do not understand is why any of this is necessary in the first place. The California Supreme Court ruled that a state law that bans same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and Proposition 8 was the response to that ruling. In my opinion, the California Supreme Court had it right and the story should have ended there. I think that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional because it goes against the equal protection clause. There is no legitimate state interest in keeping gay couples from getting married so it will not pass through any level of scrutiny. The equal protection clause says that, 'no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws...' and if this is the case, than homosexuals=persons and California=State and laws=marriage laws, so the equation should read.."California shall not deny any Homosexual within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws of marriage." Interchaning words within state/federal constitutions provides clearer examples of how the law should be read.

NY Times

It Begins

Hello there and welcome to my blog.

My name is Kristen Hull and I am a junior working towards a degree in Political Science, Public Policy. My basic plan for this blog is to write about a current news story and give my personal opinion on the topic. I grew up with parents that watch six hours of Fox News a day so naturally I am a democrat. Though my opinions tend to be towards the left, I encourage any Grand Ol' Party animals to comment and disagree with me.

Happy Posting!