Cureent History Portfolio

Current History Portfolio

Article # 1

Titled: Yes: There are Limits to the right to bear arms

Source: Union Tribune or Signonsandiego

Date: Dec. 21 2007

By: Kristen Rand

Summary/Analysis :

This article discusses the amendment about gun control specifically the right to bear arms. But it isn’t discussing it on the U.S. mainland but instead on the District of Columbia. The Controversy is whether or not the District is bound to the same laws and amendments that the rest of the United States is. The Current law in Columbia is there is a universal ban on guns. So should the U.S. Supreme Court vote to allow citizens to bear arms or should the 30-year-old ban be erased. This article briefly discusses the current rights of mainland American citizens and their rights to bearing arms. Although its an amendment for a citizen of the United States to bear arms most people today probably won’t ever need to or have to. With that being said though gun control in the U.S. is still a problem year in and year out.

I believe that yes we do have a problem with gun control within the United States. And my first thoughts about this issue raised in the article are that the Supreme Court should continue to ban weapons within the District of Columbia. Because if the court votes to o.k. Guns it won’t make the country any better it will just make it self more vulnerable for violent crimes with weapons to take place. Now some might argue that if the United States should impose the same laws on Columbia as it does on its states to make it fair for everyone but I don’t believe that’s the best thing to do in every case. I really don’t see to how not continuing to ban guns within the district of Columbia will make it a better place.

Article # 2

Titled: Political Cartoonists Impact Presidential Races

Source: U.S. News & World Report

Date Feb. 28, 2008

By: Dan Gilgoff

Summary/ Analysis:

This article really caught my attention and my eye. This article is very historical and has facts within it that date back to the 1700’s. The article talks about how political cartoons play a part with an election. Specifically the presidential elections and how each and every year cartoonist depicts the candidates as a some sort of superhuman. I believe that this article gives people some background on political cartoons and how they have helped play a part within the U.S. government. The article talks about numerous presidents and how during their respective elections the cartoonist would have they way depicting them as frat boys, drunks, ruthless strongman, and teddy bears are a few to name. Each and every year cartoonist and comic artists have their field day making fun of potential political figures. Over the years this art of comedy and fun has developed along with technology. First came color then came TV and now we have computers along with the Internet. So in Today’s world you could pull up a cartoon comedy of George Bush on You Tube. That is just one of many examples of how the media has grown over the years.

Article # 3

Titled: McCain’s Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries about whether that Rules Him Out.

Source: The New York Times

Date: Feb. 28, 2008

By. Carl Hulse

Summary / Analysis:

Just by reading the title of the article some may not know what is going to be discussed. But it fact this article talks about something very critical about the up coming election. What’s that you might ask. The Answer is the requirements to being a U.S. President. A natural born citizen, which has come up numerous occasion through our history. Although this issue has popped up before it has never been really tested or argued. What if we had a legitimate candidate for president but he was born in France or London does that make him any less qualified to be a American President I don’t see why not. I believe that it should matter if you are naturally born in the United States. The issue, which came up with Senator John McCain was that, he was born in military installations in the Canal Zone of Panama. Why you might ask was he born there and the answer to that is that his father was serving his military duty to this country. So I believe Mr. McCain shouldn’t be disqualified or not equipped to run this country if in deed he won the 2008 presidential elections. Some the other instances when a candidate was born outside of the U.S. were Barry Goldwater who was born in Arizona three years before it became a state. Another example was in 1968 when George Romeny who was born in Mexico. But again neither of the candidates would have a chance to test their luck against congress or the houses to allow for a President to be born outside of the United States.

Being naturally born within the U.S. is a good thing a more of a patriotic symbol. But other than that it shouldn’t make someone not eligible to run for presidency.

Article # 4

Titled: