Online Print Media

The New York Times has a website that provides news articles about the United States and all around the world. Not only are there factual articles but there are also a wide variety of editorials. I trust that The New York Times provides accurate information. It acts as a good source for people who don't have much knowledge about recent political actions. Because the use of technology has become more and more abundant all over the US, it is almost essential for newspapers to start publishing online. This has had a positive impact on the public because there are also many people who aren't willing to pay for or can't afford a newspaper subscription. It is important that the public is well aware of what is going in both their own nation and all over the world.
Here is an article written by Dale Carpenter, expressing his opinions about gay marriage. It is helpful for people to have such easy access to editorials so that they can understand the views of others and then form their own opinions.

Political Commentary on Television

There are many television news shows that aren't at the same level of seriousness as the news shows on CNN or CBS. Shows like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show are mostly making fun of the political drama taking place everyday. Most find it amusing and entertaining but there are still those who don't take the jokes lightly and may be offended. These shows provide news updates but they shouldn't be considered a valuable or reliable source of information. It is important that the people watching these shows understand that these reporters aren't serious and that for better information they should watch reports from CNN or CBS. The more amusing shows have had a positive impact not only by being entertaining but they also give some form of an update to those who don't bother to watch the serious news reports. Comedians like John Stewart and Stephen Colbert do a great job attracting younger people into the world of politics.
Here is a video clip from Stephen Colbert's "The Colbert Report." He is making fun of the obsession people have had over President Obama's birth certificate.

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New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Daniel Ellsberg, a political scientist working for the Pentagon, stole classied papers called, “The Pentagon Papers.” He then gave these documents to The New York Times, which began publishing them. Just a couple days later, the government was granted an order to stop the publishing of these papers. The case was quickly appealed to the US Supreme Court. The question was: Could the government prevent the publication of materials because they could be endangering national security?

The Court’s decision was issued per curiam. This means that the decision came from the Court as whole, rather than there being one writer for the opinion, all nine justices wrote their own opinion. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote that he felt the whole reason behind “freedom of the press” in the First Amendment was so that the press could let out government secrets and inform the people. Justice William O. Douglas agreed and added that there is nothing barring the press from publishing this kind of information. I agree with the Court’s decision for this case. Justice Black’s argument makes perfect sense. Today there a lot of information gets leaked to the public. It is as if the freedom of the press keeps the government on its toes and prevents it from committing any acts of corruption. If the government could control everything that gets published, there would be much more “behind the scenes” things taking place.  

This case is often compared to Wikileaks, which is a company responsible for leaking much government information to the public. This video discusses the similarities and differences between these two situations.

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Benjamin Gitlow was convicted for violating the 1902 New York Criminal Anarchy Act. This Act prohibited speaking, teaching, advising, printing, pblishing, circulating, selling, distributing or publicly displaying of organized anarchy. Gitlow was caught teaching the necessity to overthrow the government and he made two publications based off of the Communist Manfiesto. This case deals with the issue of whether or not the First Amendment’s protections of press and free speech are included in the Fourteenth Amendment, which then makes them applicable at state level.
With a 7 to 2 vote, the Court decided to approve Gitlow’s conviction. I don’t think I completely agree with this ruling. We are given the right to free speech and free press. I don’t see why it is okay for the government to censor or simply remove people’s publications or teachings for self-preservation. Our government is unique in that the citizens are allowed to freely express what they want. If the government always removed anything that seemed threatening, it would become oppressive.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas

This case represents a collection of cases all dealing with a similar issue. It was the issue of black children being denied admission to the public white schools. This goes back to the Plessy v. Ferguson case in 1896 which determined that having separate but equal facilities for white and colored people does not go against the guaranteed equal protection laws in the Fourteenth Amendment.
This time the Court unanimously decided that the separate but equal schools do go against the equal protection clause. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that, “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore we hold that the plaintiffs…are, by reason of the segregation complained of deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.” I am glad that the Court came to this conclusion, as it should have back in 1896 with the Plessy v. Ferguson case. I suppose that that was a different situation since it wasn’t dealing with education, but I still feel that it was of similar principle. No matter how equal the schools are or seats on a train, there should be no segregation at all.

This video discusses the involvement of young people in the fight for racial equality.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Clarence Earl Gideon planned to rob a Florida pool hall but was caught while breaking in. He could not afford his own attorney for his trial and the court refused his request for a court-appointed official. Florida would only provide free counsel for capital cases. Gideon pleaded not guilty and tried to defend himself. He was unsuccessful and was found guilty and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Gideon submitted a petition to the US Supreme Court to accept his appeal. The Court accepted the appeal and appointed Abe Fortas as Gideon’s attorney.
The Court examined the decision that was made for the Betts v. Brady case in 1942. For this case the Court had decided that the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment did not require the guarantee of counsel in criminal cases, which is stated in the Sixth Amendment.
The Court came to a unanimous decision in favor of Gideon, which overturns the decision that was made in 1942 for Betts. Chief Justice Black explained that a person can’t be given a fair trial without some sort of counsel present for them. I agree with the decision the Court came to. Everyone deserves to have some sort of defense no matter what their financial situation is. If only those who could afford lawyers had them in court, our country would be ruled by the rich. The framers of the constitution aimed for everyone to have equal opportunity in this country. Because of this case, everyone is appointed an attorney if they are unable to afford their own. Without counsel and both sides of a case, the trial couldn’t be fair.

Here is an informational video about the details of Clarence Earl Gideon.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

The decision for the Miranda case was actually for four different cases that were dealing with extremely similar constitutional issues. Each of them involved people who were convicted based on the confessions they made after long periods of interrogation and without being informed of their right to remain silent and counsel. Ernesto Miranda was arrested by the Phoenix, Arizona police and was accused of kidnapping and rape. He was never informed of his right to remain silent or have an attorney. After much interrogation, he signed a written confession. Miranda appealed to the US Supreme Court based on the Fifth Amendment, that nobody shall have to be a witness against themselves for any criminal case. The main question was: Under what conditions can an interrogation take place that will produce a confession suitable for the Court?
With a 5 to 4 vote the Court decided to set Miranda free. Chief Justice Earl Warren explained that Miranda was put in an unfair situation. When someone is taken into custody they must be informed of their rights. Warren also expressed concern for the interrogation process. He felt that many defendants are put into such an emotional and pressuring situation that they are unable to practice rational judgement. Warren wrote that the Court's decision is also an effort to get rid of the pressures that defendants face when interrogated and limit self-incrimination. Although Miranda was probably guilty, I feel that the Court made the right decision. The interrogation process is quite brutal and it is important that it is addressed by the court.

Here is a silly cartoon that explains how the Miranda rights were recognized and what happened to Ernesto Miranda after the case.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

The Medical School at UC Davis had a separate admissions process for minority students. In 1973, 84 "regular" students and 16 minority or disadvantaged students were admitted. The group of minority students had much lower science grade-point averages and Medical College Aptitude Test scores. Alan Bakke, who was white, was not given admission to the UC Davis Medical School that year. His science grade-point average was slightly lower than the regular students, but his aptitude test scores were much higher. Bakke attempted to sue the Regents for a place at the school. California's Superior Court ruled that the admissions program violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The court still didn't order that Bakke be admitted into the school though. Bakke appealed to the California Supreme Court, who ordered him admitted to the school by citing the Fourteenth Amendment. The Regents then appealed to the US Supreme Court arguing that the special admissions process did not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. There was also a question of whether or not racial preference considerations are always unconstitutional.

With a 5 to 4 vote, the Court decided that the University's minority admissions program did violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. I agree with this ruling. I can see why the University felt that this admissions process was more fair though. There are a lot of people who have no choice but to grow up in a poor environment and not have the same opportunities as others. Many feel that these people deserve the same chance as everyone else who had the privileges of a comfortable home and good education. At the same time though, it isn't fair to those who may be more fortunate but also worked just as hard. It is nice that the University considers that one person had a tougher time in school given the environment they had to grow up in, but I feel the school should give admission to those who are most qualified.
This kind of evaluating is still done by colleges today. There isn't a completely separate admissions program for minorities but there is a lot of room to explain one's struggles while growing up. It is important that schools recognize those who worked extra hard to overcome the rough schools and living conditions.

Miller v. California (1973)

Miller sent out unrequested mailings containing advertisements for "adult" books and films. These brochures showed sexually explicit photos and drawings. Miller was prosecuted for violating California's obscenity laws and was found guilty. His appeal addresses whether or not the state is violating the First Amendment when prosecuting publishers for "obscene" materials.
The Court ended up voting 5 to 4 in favor of California. I agree with this decision. Although I feel that the rights granted to citizens in the First Amendment are important, the state should also have some control over the things people publish. This kind of material can be offensive to some people. It is difficult to have a concrete definition of what exactly is crossing the line when it comes to obscene material. Because of this dilemma, the Court proposed three guidelines that should be followed.
This topic will always remain an issue in society today because it is so difficult to determine what is and is not obscene. It is important to keep offensive materials from being published but at the same time the First Amendment is supposed to protect our right to free speech and free press.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

An 1890 Louisiana law ordered that railroads must have separate but equal accommodations for whites and colored races. Anyone who violated this law was either fined $20 or put in jail for 25 days. Plessy, who was 1/8 black sat in the white people section. When the conductor asked him to move, he refused to give up his seat. He was arrested and a local judge, Ferguson, ordered him to be imprisoned. Plessy appealed to the United States Supreme Court with the argument that the law in Louisiana violates both the Thirteenth Amendment (forbids slavery) and the Fourteenth Amendment (prohibits the denial of equal protection to any person).
The Court quickly ignored the issue of the Thirteenth Amendment. They felt that just because there is a legal distinction between the two races, it doesn't mean they are being treated unequally. I am disappointed that segregation was not addressed. Although the whites and colored are essentially being treated equal, why does there still have to be separation? Justice Henry Brown explained that the Fourteenth Amendment enforces "absolute equality of the two races" and that, "it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based on color." Even though there is fair treatment, I feel that it is racist just to simply make a distinction. I guess that means that we're all a little racist, but it's the truth. The law should simply address the citizens, there is no reason to distinguish between whites and colored people.

Here is a video with Gary Orfield, who co-founded the Harvard Civil Right Project. In this video he talks about the case of Plessy v. Ferguson and how we have evolved since then.


It will be a long time before racism completely goes away in this country, but we have come a long way. Segregation will unfortunately always be a part of human nature. It's not just colored races dealing with it, but homosexuals as well. Plessy's case is a landmark in history because it is part of what jump started society's struggle for equality across the counrty.

United States v. Nixon (1974)

While President Richard M. Nixon was campaigning for reelection, burglars broke into the Watergate office and apartment complex. There were alleged ties between these burglars and the President's reelection committee. Many conversations were taped in the White House Oval office and when Leon Jaworski attempted to subpoena the tapes, the President refused to hand them over to the court. Nixon felt that he didn't have to surrender the tapes because he had executive power.
The main question was: Can the president claim executive privileges to avoid surrendering material to the federal court? The court unanimously voted that the President must hand over the tapes. This is obviously the correct decision. This case is proof that our system of checks and balances are working. It is nice to see that once a president's action has been questioned it is then tried in court for its constitutionality. Without this system our country would be run by corrupt leaders.
The 18 minutes of tape that was erased was originally thought gone for good but historians today are trying to recover the missing information with new technology. This video discusses the various methods being used.


This court case is significant today because it ensures that our constitution and system of checks and balances are working. Nixon resigned before actually being impeached. This case acts as a reminder to present and future presidents, that their executive power does not give them the privilege to act unconstitutionally.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

 Back in 1973, Jane Roe (a pseudonym) challenged the Texas law that prohibited abortions except for when the life of the child's mother was in danger. Roe was a a young woman who wished to have an abortion although her life was not being put in danger. Roe fought that the Fourteenth Amendment could not protect the life of her baby because a fetus is not considered a person according to the law. She also argued that her abortion should be kept private which is protected by the Bill of Rights.
The Court easily voted, 7 to 2, in favor of both of Roe's arguments. Being rather conservative, people were surprised to see Justice Harry A. Blackmun's response. He explained that the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments address that a woman has "the right to activities relating to marriage..., procreation..., and contraception..." This confirms that Roe has the right to do what she wants with anything that relates to these situations. Pregnancy and abortion are both linked to all of these situations. Justice Blackmun also adds that the right to privacy of course includes a woman's decision on whether or not to have an abortion.
It is interesting to consider what does and does not qualify as a person. How can one say that a fetus isn't a person if we know that it is destined to become one in just a short period of time? The court draws a line at the second trimester, which is the first 3 months of pregnancy. After the second trimester is up, the woman must give birth to her baby. It gets to a stage where the baby is developed enough to be considered an actual human being and to have an abortion at that point is considered murder. I agree that there should be a limit on how late an abortion can be done. I feel that if a woman truly feels unprepared to properly raise a baby, it is better off that the baby is not brought into the world in the first place. There is still much controversy considering this topic but many women today are getting abortions who feel unprepared or not ready to have a child.

Here is a video presenting the stories of three young women dealing with abortion and how the court decision in favor Roe has positively effected them as it has for many women across America.

Head Start Helps Children

While writing my community service research paper I discovered a national program called, Head Start, that is specifically for helping children growing up in poor families. This program focuses on one of the main parts to my community service topic, which is poverty. There are many children born into families that are unable to afford any sort of education for them. I visited the Head Start website to find more details about the program.

"Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families."

Safes Along the Sea Shore

The earthquake and tsunami in Japan left many people without any of their personal belongings and homes. One month following the disasters, belongings are beginning to wash up on the shores. Japanese culture and tradition cause many citizens of Japan to stash a lot of their money in safes in their homes. Those who couldn't evacuate quickly enough, lost much of their savings along with their houses. Tomoko Hosaka wrote an article depicting and explaining the massive number of dented metal boxes that have washed up.
Hosaka points out that because so many Japanese citizens keep their savings at home, there is about $350 billion worth of yen that doesn't circulate. Workers are attempting to identify the safes and are trying to successfully return them to their owners. The loss of so much money only further increases the amount of poverty and homelessness in a country under so much stress.

Project Linus Promo Video

Project Linus Promo Video:



This is a fun and easy way to help out children dealing with an illness or living in poor conditions.

Children Living in Poverty

Here is an informative video about the many children living in poverty. Children International is an organization that allows you to sponsor a child. Sponsoring a child helps with medical expenses and gives an undernourished child more food.

Community Service Research Paper

The Increase in Poverty and How it Effects Children

            In addressing the issue of child poverty I decided to make blankets to donate to the Project Linus non-profit organization. This organization has over 300 chapters spread all over the United States. Each chapter collects blankets to distribute to children who are ill, traumatized or simply in need of something to provide comfort and security. Poverty has been a growing problem in the United States for a long time and with the economy today, it is only getting increasingly worse. It is unfortunate for the children who are born into poor families. Many of these children experience malnutrition and unsafe living conditions (Haerens, Bloom). It has been reported that there is an increasing number of children who are being moved into foster homes because their families are unable to pay their bills, which establishes unsanitary and unbearable living situations (Bloom). Bloom reveals that, “Study after study reviewed by Northwestern University law professor Dorothy Roberts in her book Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare shows that poverty is the leading cause of children landing in foster care” (Bloom). In her article, Bloom tells two tragic stories of mothers who lost their children to foster care because of their inability to maintain a safe living environment. Child-welfare workers, who are employed by the government, are responsible for the removal of these children. It is heart breaking to understand that these children are being separated from their families, but at the same time, the government is protecting these children by providing them with a safer place to grow. Not only is it an issue of safety but Haerens also reports about the health risks that children growing up in poverty face. It is important that people recognize how many children are separated from their parents and the hardships they face. Haerens further explains that poverty is one the principle causes of hunger. She goes on to say that, “The causes of poverty include poor people's lack of resources, an extremely unequal income distribution in the world and within specific countries, conflict, and hunger itself” (Haerens). The number of people living below the poverty line in developing countries and the United States are unable to make enough money to feed themselves and their children. It seems that malnutrition takes the biggest toll on children. Haerens writes that, “Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. Poor nutrition plays a role in at least half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year—five million deaths” (Haerens). The more informed people are, the more they can try to help, like the Project Linus organization.

            The government has passed various laws and acts in order to try to combat the economic struggles our nation has faced over several years. President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964 in an attempt to help the unemployed get back into the workforce. Each section of the act deals with the necessary procedures in developing all kinds of businesses and corporations (Economic). One of the sections is devoted to getting young people involved in the workforce and helping them keep their jobs while enrolled in college. The document states,

The purpose of this part is to stimulate and promote the part-time employment of students who are enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, or professional students and who are in need of earnings from employment to pursue courses of study at eligible institutions, and to encourage students receiving Federal student financial assistance to participate in community service activities that will benefit the Nation and engender in the students a sense of social responsibility and commitment to the community (Economic).

It is especially important that young people are encouraged to hold a job while in school so that they will have money to properly raise a family when they are ready. Many people graduate with huge amounts of debt from their college tuition and then go on to attempt to start a family. It is important that people understand the commitment they are making when they have children. In another section of the document, the government addresses the minimum wages that should be paid to people in certain job categories.

All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the construction, alteration, or repair, including painting or decorating, of buildings or other facilities in connection with projects assisted under this subchapter, shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act (Economic).

It is essential that the government set these limitations in place in order to control part of the population’s income. With this document the government is regulating people’s salaries to help minimize the amount of people living below the poverty line.

            President Johnson addressed the poverty issue again by getting the Food Stamp Act of 1964 passed by congress. This act outlines the Food Stamp Program, which provides vouchers for low-income families at certain grocery stores. With these vouchers, people with less money are able to afford food and other household items for their family (Food). The document states that its main purpose is,

To strengthen the agricultural economy; to help to achieve a fuller and more effective use of food abundance; to provide for improved levels of nutrition among low-income households through a cooperative Federal-State program of food assistance to be operated through normal channels of trade; and for other purposes (Food).

The act continues on to define what makes a family eligible for the food stamps. The Food and Agricultural Act of 1977 eventually surpassed the Food Stamp Act, which made it easier for families to qualify for receiving the food stamps (Food). These laws address our nation’s issue with poverty and are helping many of America’s citizens. Although these laws have been a great help to many there is still a problematic number of people still living below the poverty line and there are large amounts of children growing up in unsatisfactory living conditions.

            The government has and still is creating all sorts of new programs for the benefit of America’s citizens. There have been many programs started that provide aid through job searching and training, like the Job Corps, which “was designed to give underprivileged teenagers and young adults the necessary training for long-term employment opportunities” (War). Today, the Job Corps runs their program in over 120 locations across the United States and is training about 100,000 people between the ages of 16 and 24 (War). There is another program called Head Start, which was designed to, “provide comprehensive educational and health services to preschool-aged children in low-income families. An estimated 23 million children have participated in Head Start since the program's inception in 1965” (War). Head Start is exactly the type of program that I feel contributes most to my community service topic. My topic addresses the issues that children face when growing up below the poverty line or in a low-income family. Project Linus is an organization that is geared toward providing comfort and security for these children. Head Start is focused on the education and health of children growing up with poor families. Being born into these situations, these children are not granted the same opportunities as those growing up in stable homes with working parents. Programs like Head Start give hope to these children and provide a basic education for them. With just a basic start in learning from this program, underprivileged children can then continue to stay in school and try to overcome the hard life that they were born into. President Johnson continued his fight against poverty by signing the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act in 1965 (War). This act established the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which “was created in 1965 as a Cabinet-level agency to increase homeownership, support community development, and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination” (Marr).  One of the main goals of the HUD was to recognize the decrease in housing affordability and find ways for poorer people to able to purchase homes. Later on, HUD assumed the role of a government agency that directs programs in battling the rise of homelessness (Marr). HUD continues this battle by providing funding for government programs (War).

            My community service project does not directly confront the issue of the increasing amount of families living under the poverty line, but it does address the hardships that children face when growing up in poor conditions. It felt satisfying to be making something from scratch for the pure enjoyment of a child in need. I had never made a blanket before. The first one that I made took me a long time, but by the time I got to my third and fourth blanket I was getting the hang of it. I tried to make as many as I could while still putting in a great amount of effort in order to produce high quality blankets. I know the children must appreciate each blanket they ever receive but I want it to be obvious that I did the best I could. It feels great to receive a brand new blanket, but it feels even better to know that the blanket maker put in high quality just for you.

Works Cited

1. "Children Are in Foster Care Because They Are Poor." Foster Care. Ed. Debra Bloom. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 5 Apr. 2011.

2. "Economic Opportunity Act (1964)." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.

3. "Food Stamp Act (1964)." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.

4. Marr, Matthew. "U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.

5. "Poverty Is a Root Cause of Malnutrition." Hunger Notes (1 Mar. 2008). Rpt. in Malnutrition. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.

6. "War on Poverty." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.