Legislative Branch
PROS
Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management." U.S. Department of Labor. Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 , n.d. Web. 10 Jan 2011. <http://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/titleix.htm>.
Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 is a piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against the basis of sex to be denied of benefits or excluded from participating in educational programs or activities or be given any Federal financial assistance. Since I’m a senior in high school, receiving Federal financial assistance is very important. It positively affects me because it gives equal opportunity to compete/participate/receive the same benefits as a guy.
Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA)
Pennsylvania Smoking Ban FAQs." Pennsylvania Restaurant Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan 2011. <http://www.parestaurant.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=101>.
The Clean Indoor Air Act, Senate Bill 246 is a piece of legislation that doesn’t allow smoking in a public place or workplace. Smokers can only smoke in designated areas away from building entrances, windows or opening, or areas with ash containers. I appreciate this law very much because it being considerate of other people’s personal preference and space. This positively affects me because I honestly don’t like cigarette smoke especially while running outside or walking downtown. I feel like in public places or restaurants you should be more considerate of other people around you.
CONS
Parent’s Right to Know Act of 2009
SBA LIST." H.R. 2752 Parent’s Right to Know Act of 2009. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan 2011. <http://www.sba-list.org/legislation/pro-life/hr-2752-parent%E2%80%99s-right-know-act-2009>.
The Parent’s Right to Know Act of 2009 is a legislation that prohibits anyone such as a doctor to give drugs or devices to a minor without parental consent or the minor is emancipated. I think this could negatively impact me because I think some things could be private and not shared, not all families are as accepting as some would think. Most people might act that this would make teens more responsible because of this act, but I think teens would just be in more trouble because if those things weren’t provided for some teens that teens wouldn’t have a proper abortion or pregnancy.
Philadelphia Curfew Ordinance
Robinson, Angela P. PHILADELPHIA CURFEW ORDINANCE. N.p., 07 Mar 2007. Web. 16 Jan 2011. <http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:A9gyV0VKSV8J:dhs.phila.gov/dhsphilagovp.nsf/Content/ChildProtection-CurfewOrdinance/$File/CURFEW%2520ORDINANCE%2520SUMMARY-Final.doc+curfew+laws+philadelphia&hl=en&gl=us&safe=on>.
The Philadelphia Curfew Ordinance is a piece of legislation that doesn’t allow kids (minors under the age of 18) to out late at night. This totally affects me because I haven’t reached 18 years of age yet. During the school year in Philadelphia, children under 18 have to be off the streets from 10:30 pm to 6:00 am on school nights, and 12 am to 6 am on weekends. The same is applied for summer, except school nights are week nights. The curfew for the school year, I can understand. Kids have school the next day and need to be in the house studying or getting ready for bed during that time. But for that curfew to also apply during the summer is a bit absurd. I understand it is important and only for the safety of the kids but I think that it should be enforced if a kid committed a crime and some teens are a little more responsible than some people would give credit for. For example, my parents would give me a flexible curfew depending on what event I had to attend or do. They never told me that I had to be home by the city’s curfew.
Executive Branch
PROS
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
About Federal Student Aid." FAFSA. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan 2011. <http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/about/index.html>.
FAFSA has a major impact on my life. It positively influences me just like Title IX. Federal Student Aid is an awesome bureaucratic function that basically makes sure that all eligible individuals can receive benefits (such as money) from the government for education after high school. Education beyond high school such as college is totally something some families (by that I mean my family) just simply can not pay out of pocket or loans alone. FAFSA is great because it is simply money that I do not have to pay back. The money that they couldn’t take care, I can probably work to pay off but it won’t be nearly as much as it started when FAFSA didn’t help me out.
SNAP (Food Stamps)
FAQS: SNAP (FOOD STAMPS)." Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan 2011. <http://www.hungercoalition.org/faqs-food-stamps>.
In my opinion, food stamps has impacted me a positive way. Food stamps is a bureaucratic function that the federal government started to fight hunger in this country. This program helps low-income families or people with groceries, rent, heat, or childcare. In all honestly, my sisters and I did not starve and were able to get fed off of food stamps. As much as I strongly disagree with the people who cheat and find loop holes to get in on these benefits, I can say I have greatly benefited from this and greatly appreciate this program.
CONS
State ID
Obtaining a Photo Identification Card." PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services. Web. 16 Jan. 2011. <http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/driverLicensePhotoIDCenter/obtainingPhotoID.shtml>.
A state ID is a state card that identifies who you are, thus you need to carry it everywhere you go. It is basically a plastic card that proves you are who you say you are. This in a way negatively impacts me because I am not 18 yet. Some stores I know, if I wanted to return or exchange something I would need to show a state ID or driver license. Since I don’t have either, I can’t make the transactions I want. I have a school ID and a volunteer ID that says I am who I am but that’s just not legit enough. I would need someone else with a state ID or driver license to do it for me. I could also try to get my state ID but my parents are barely ever home.
ATIPS (Attendance and Truancy Intervention and Prevention Services)
Attendance and Truancy Intervention and Prevention Services ." Pennsylanvia Truancy Toolkit. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan 2011. <http://www.patruancytoolkit.info/index.cfm?pageid=2598>.
The ATIPS program tries to “improve and increase student attendance, academic achievement and to keep parents informed of current truancy laws and how they may affect their family.” The school district hire 250 Parent Truant Officers to patrol streets and make home visits to parents/guardians of ‘early-stage truant children’. These officers usually stop students around the age of 8-17 who are on public streets or in/around public areas between the hours of 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM every (non-holiday) weekday during the regular school year. This applies to me in a negative way because I use to have free periods in the morning so it didn’t really matter that I was in school for that. It would be such a hassle if an officer to stop me and if I didn’t show a legit parent/doctors note then they would probably arrest me. I just think it is so unnecessary to do so.
Judical Branch
PROS
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
LANDMARK SUPREME COURT CASES ABOUT STUDENTS ." United States Courts. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan 2011. <http://www.uscourts.gov/EducationalResources/ConstitutionResources/LegalLandmarks/LandmarkSupremeCourtCasesAboutStudents.aspx>.
The court case Tinker vs. Des Moines was basically about freedom of speech for students in schools well public schools for that matter. There was these kids, Mary Beth Tinker and brother both wanted to protest the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school. Soon after, the administration banded wearing such armbands and the Tinkers were taken out of school when they didn’t obey. The Supreme Court ruled in their favor because of the First Amendment. This action has positively effected because I can wear anything that I feel like as long as it does not harm others. Also I can do that without being suspended or expelled.
Brown vs. Board
Landmark Cases. 2002. Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society. 16 January 2011 <http://www.streetlaw.org//en/Page.Landmark.Brown.background.three.aspx>.
The court case Brown vs. Board of Education basically removed segregation of schools and no more black schools and white schools. Kids of all races were allowed to learn together. The Browns brought up that allowing the segregation to go on in school was totally disregarding the fourteenth amendment. “No state shall...deny to any person within it’s jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” I feel as well not I feel, but I know that if the Supreme Court make that decision my life would be impacted in such a severe negative way. I would not have went to the schools I have went. SLA for example is such a great learning environment and not because of the name or building but the people in it. I think that such diversity is a huge factor in my development as a student and a person.
CONS
Grutter vs. Bollinger
Landmark Supreme Court Cases About Students." US Courts. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, 2011. Web. 12 Jan 2011. <http://www.uscourts.gov/EducationalResources/ConstitutionResources/LegalLandmarks/LandmarkSupremeCourtCasesAboutStudents.aspx>.
In the case of Grutter vs. Bollinger the courts ruled in favor of Grutter, stating, “the Law School’s use of race as an admissions factor is unlawful,” Grutter, a white Michigan resident with a 3.8 GPA and 161 LSAT score was rejected from University of Michigan Law School. Grutter said they discriminated against her on the basis of race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. I feel as though I am going through the college process that this impacts me in a huge way. Since I am not one of the “predominant” races, I might have more of chance to get accept over a “predominant” person. In most cases this can really work in my favor but I honestly don’t like the fact that college admissions could do that sometimes. I would like to be chosen for the quality of my work and my ethics not on a race that not one person can control or change.
Plessy vs. Ferguson
"Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)." The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Jim Crow Stories. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 16 Jan. 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_plessy.html>.
In the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson made before Brown vs. Board ruled that “separate” facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were “equal.” To take this in consideration, if this was still going on, it would totally change my life around. Because I am Asian which is still not consider white, I would be separated from whites and had to use a lower rate facility.