Top Secret America facts and questions

questions:

- How much money does Top Secret America actually cost?
- Why is it okay for information about these secrets to be on the internet now?
- How can the government get away with invading our privacy?
- Why was all the secrecy necessary?
- Why did we think there were weapons of mass destruction?
- What other secrets do the citizens of our country not know about?
- Are these secret missions really necessary or is there a better way to fight terrorists?
- How much time was there between 9/11 and when we went into war?
- Should the war be over with now that Osama Bin Laden is dead?

facts:

-Secrecy was a major part of government plans after 9/11
- They started planning for war immediately after 9/11
-A spelling error stopped the expensive and secret machinery from finding a terrorist
-3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attack of the twin towers
- Black sights are secret prisons that certain terrorists were put in
- There are 17,000 secret locations throughout the country
- The US attacked Iran in 2003
-The mission of NSA was to prevent any future terrorist attacks

interview

            For this assignment, I decided to interview my dad because he loves the topic of government and politics and is very opinionated about several political issues. I started off by asking whether or not he agrees with the constitution in that people should have the right to bear arms. He disagreed with the amendment by saying that, even though people have to go through a process to own a gun, it is still pretty easy and there are some people who definitely should not be able to own a gun. The main thing that my dad felt was very important was for the government to stay involved in people’s lives. Although some people think the government should let people be, my dad feels that people need order in their lives and if the government was not involved everything would be far too chaotic. Also, he believes that everyone should have equal rights, no matter how rich or poor someone is. He doesn’t think it’s fair for wealthier people to have more advantages than people without so much money. My dad is and has always been a democrat and always takes the time to vote. He thinks that we are very lucky to have the right to vote since many countries don’t, and that everyone should take advantage of the opportunity. 

A People's History of the United States

This reading starts off by talking about the founding fathers' motives for writing the Constitution. It is discussed very negatively, saying that the Constitution highlights the issues that wealthier people, such as the founding fathers, care about. Although, Charles Beard did say that he did not think it was written just to  benefit the founding fathers, he suggests that their needs were dealt with rather than those of the general public. While I do not agree with Charles Beard's negative opinion about the founding fathers, I do understand where he is coming from. The idea that wealthier people are benefitted by our government still exists today. In order to win an election, one must have a lot of money to campaign.

How do you think the Constitution would be different if it weren't written by all wealthy people?
Do you think it's fair that the candidate with more money has a better chance of winning the election?

political cartoon

Do you think unemployment will get better between now and the time we graduate college?

Do you feel there is no hope in getting jobs in the next few years?

Where in the country do you think has the highest unemployment rates?

20 Questions

1. Since voting is so important, why doesn't everyone vote?
2. How much power is too much power?
3. Is there ever a time when everyone is happy with the people in government?
4. Since political decisions affect everyone, why are some people unwilling to pay attention to political candidates and issues?
5. Was the system better before the changes due to 9/11?
6. How is it decided who is qualified for an immigration visa and who isn't?
7. Do you think it's good that we have such diversity?
8. Do you think immigration positively affects the country?
9. Do you think it's good that there are now immigration restrictions on Arab countries since 9/11?
10. Are the restrictions on Arab countries necessary?
11. How much education does a person need to be considered educated?
12. Why do you think individual liberty is emphasized so much more than other government goals?
13. Do you think it's fair to force illegal immigrants to leave if they're not harming our country?
14. If the United States is a land of opportunity then why do so many people who are born poor stay poor?
15. Why do you think most people who are poor don't vote?
16. Why do you think poorer people who vote have more of a tendency to vote Democratic?
17. What was the Tinanmen Square Massacre?
18. What is the purpose of government?
19. Would the Founding Fathers be pleased with how the government is today?
20. Have more or less people voted as the years have progressed?

Political Issues I Care About

There are many political issues that affect the lives of people each day. Every issue is important and the decisions made by people in power about these issues can have a huge impact on quality of life. There are a few issues that really stand out to me in particular, one of which is unemployment.

In my opinion, unemployment is a huge issue. There are so many Americans who have been laid off because of the poor economic conditions. I have had to witness people in my family and friend's families struggle to find jobs after, unfortunately, being laid off. In two years I will be going to college and in a short four years later, I will be trying to find a job. If unemployment rates do not improve, then I will also be struggling to find a job. In addition, the government has reduced the amount of funding for education. As a result, instead of continuing to hire teachers, schools have now begun to lay off teachers. This particular unemployment issue is so important to me because three of my family members, who are very close to me, work in education.

Therefore, every political issue touches people daily. While all issues are important, the one that is most important to me is unemployment. This is because it affects so many people who I know and love and could eventually negatively affect me as well as others around me.