Tajh Jenkins
American Government Benchmark
Legislative Branch:
Positive #1: Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act (1996, SAME code: CAE)
The Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act, also known as the “Amber Alert” was inspired by the abduction, rape, and murder of a 9-year old girl named Amber Rene Hagerman. She was riding her bike outside of her grandparent’s house, when she was later kidnapped and thrown into a black pickup truck by a man described as white or Hispanic. This personally impacts my life because I have many children in my family. I am the oldest of six little brothers and I have a host of cousins that are younger than me. This law gives me the confidence that if anything were to happen to any of my brothers or cousins, law enforcement will respond and do anything in their power to solve the case and return my family members safely. When I was in the second grade, I experienced a stranger trying to lure me into his car when I was coming home from school. He told me that he had some money for me and if I came to his car he would give it to me. Luckily I was smart enough to run away, the stranger’s car was in the middle of the street in traffic so he wasn’t able to follow me. I went home as quickly as possible and explain to my mom what happened. Now I have the responsibility to look after my younger siblings and cousins. I have too be able to tell them what and what not to do if a stranger ever approaches them. This act has such a positive impact on the lives in America that it has internationally expanded. For me, I’m just happy to know that there is a legit and successful plan run by law enforcement if any of my younger family members were to get kidnapped.
Citation:
Klaas, Marc. "Amber Plan." Klaas Kids Foundation For
Children (2008): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.
<http://www.klaaskids.org/pg-amberplan.htm>.
Positive#2: Child Labor Laws
Child Labor Laws are laws that are enacted by the Federal government that list regulations and restrictions to when a minor can work, what jobs they are allowed to do based on their age, and how much a minor can be paid. Certain occupations and working conditions are considered hazardous to minors. Child Labor Laws protect the educational opportunities of minors and prohibit their employment in jobs and under conditions detrimental to their health or well-being. Without these laws, minors who are employed might have a hard time keeping up with their education and their lives could be at danger because of inexperience they have with hazardous jobs. These laws positively impact my life because I can be able to still work and make money while not letting it get in the way of my grades in school, and knowing that the kind of work I’m doing isn’t putting my life in danger. Child Labor laws give me the opportunity to gain experience in the work field and make money without it affecting much of other aspect of my life. I know the restrictions and regulations that Child Labor Laws enforce, and the laws correspond to me being able to work in healthy conditions and not limit my education and educational opportunities.
Citation:
Child Labor Coalition,. "Child Labor in the U.S.."Department
of Labor's (2009): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.
<http://www.stopchildlabor.org/USchildlabor/fact1.htm>.
Negative #1: Thought-Crime Prevention Bill (2007 HR 1955)
The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act was created to study was causes individuals or a group of people to coalesce around a set of radical principles or charismatic leader and perform a violent agenda that is intended to inflict pain or disruption on their neighbors. This bill is a direct attack to the Constitution and defines thought crimes as homegrown terrorism. The bill also targets American civilization and uses vague language to define homegrown terrorism. The “Thought-Crime Prevention Act” has a negative impact on my life because it allows law enforcement to have the power to make a crime out of any politically dissident speech that looks as if it can cause disruption of the “status quo.” If I and a group of my friends were to get into any altercation with another group of people and the police were to get involved, no matter how little or the big altercation, the police could label any of the parties a violent organization with an agenda, or terrorist,” just off of thought. Law enforcement should focus more on action and not thought. Police have to worry more about the people who are actually committing crimes rather than those who judged as terrorist because they harbor beliefs that the government might see as extreme.
Citation:
Rogers, Lee. "House Passes Thought Crime Prevention
Bill." San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media
Center (2007): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.
<http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/10/25/18456040.php>.
Negative #2: SAFE Act
The Securing Adolescents from Exploitation-Online Act of 2007 is the most noticeable legislative attempt to come down on child pornography, on a national level.
The bill seeks to reduce child pornography on the Internet by increasing criminal penalties against electronic communication service or a remote computing service providers that fail to report any violations of child pornography laws that they come across. Although it is great that this bill is combating child pornography, I listed this as a negative because of the bills implications for Internet privacy. This bill would take away all of the privacy that one should posses on the Internet. Electronic communication services are able to report anything that they think is child pornography violation. I personally am 100% against child pornography on the Internet being as though banning child pornography on the Internet is my lobbying topic. I also believe in privacy. This law does not really take notice of ones privacy. Everything I do the Internet will be monitored. The fact that the electronic communication services are offered a big reward for any possible findings of child pornography will put everything you do on the Internet under a big microscope.
Citation:
"SENATORS McCAIN (R-AZ) AND SCHUMER (D-NY)
INTRODUCE THE SAFE ACT OF 2007."National Center
For Missing & Exploited Children(2007): 1. Web. 18 Jan
2011.<http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/Ne
wsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=3061>.
Executive Branch:
Positive #1: FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, is a form that ensures all eligible undergraduate and graduate college students benefit from federally funded financial assistance for education beyond high school. Personally, I am going through this process like every other eligible college student in America. The process has been complicated so far, but I know the positive impact it will have on my college process. No matter how much money FAFSA gives me, it will only aid me in making the biggest step in my life so far. I know that paying for college is hard for most people including me, but FAFSA could help me end up where I want to attend college next school year. I have my eyes set on Hampton University. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will only help me reach my destination in Hampton, VA or anywhere else I am able to attend.
Citation:
"About Federal Student Aid." Federal Student Aid(2010): 1.
Web. 18 Jan 2011.<http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/about/index.html>.
Positive #2: Adoption
Adoption is a legal process that a person goes through to take on the duty of parenting a child who is not his or hers. The completion of this process permanently transfers the rights and responsibilities from the biological parent or parents. Adoption creates a permanent parent-child relationship where one did not exist before. The adoption process has had a positive impact on my life, not because I am an adopted child, but adoption has allowed me to gain a family member. In 2007, the summer before I started the 9th grade, my aunt was just finishing up the lengthy process of adopting a child. I was excited to know that I would be gaining a new family member. My aunt decided to adopt a newborn. Just the thought of having a new baby in the family steered my anticipation for the baby to come. In August of 2007, we added a new family member to our family. It didn’t matter to me that the new baby boy didn’t necessarily have the same blood as me. I was just ready to welcome the baby into my family with open arms. Now that my cousin is three I still appreciate him the same as the first day I laid eyes on him. Adoption will always have a positive impact on my life because of my little cousin.
Citation:
"How to Adopt a Child." National Adoption Center(2010): 1.
Web. 18 Jan 2011.<http://www.adopt.org/assembled/overview_howto.html>.
Negative #1: The Bureaucratic Process of Applying to the Army
Applying to the Army is a process that requires courage and commitment. Serving your country is a worthy honor as you make an every day decision to put your life on the line for United States citizens that you will most likely never even meet. If a person has the courage and commitment that the army requires, then they could apply and start living out their desires. The process of applying to the army has had a negative impact on my life because my uncle Ronny Heath is now currently away from my family fighting for the United States. Fortunately my uncle is still alive and well, but as a family we miss him dearly and pray from him to come back home safely everyday. I understand that my uncle has a desire to fight for this country, but him being away in the army sometimes scares me because I know that he puts his life on the line everyday. I know that what uncle is doing is a good thing for America, but for me, I just wish his was home with his family where I think he belongs.
Citation:
"Army Job Application Kit." Department of the Army(2004): 1.
Web. 18 Jan 2011.<http://www.atec.army.mil/images/documentation/jobkit.pdf>.
Negative #2: Pennsylvania Firearm/Gun Law
In order to carry a concealed gun in Pennsylvania, you need a gun permit or license. Carrying a gun without a license is considered a 3rd degree felony. A license to carry does not automatically give people a right to buy a weapon because a background check is still needed. In order to get a permit, you have to be 21 years of age and cannot have been convicted of a felony. Even though this process should be looked at as a positive impact on my life because it is an attempt to decreases the violence, I look at it as a negative impact because in today’s Pennsylvania, this process means nothing. People purchase guns illegally everyday and the result of that is the violence that takes place all over Philadelphia. The violence definitely impacts everyone’s environments and lives negatively because Philadelphia is not as safe of a place.
Citation:
"Pennsylvania Firearm Laws." Pennsylvania Firearm Owners
Association (2006): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.<http://www.pafoa.org/law>.
Judicial Branch:
Positive #1: Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott v. Sanford, also known as the “Dred Scott Decision” was a ruling by the United States Supreme Court that stated that African Americans who were brought to America as slaves were not protected by the Constitution. Slaves could never be United States citizens. Dred Scott was an African American slave who is known for his failed attempt to sue for his freedom. If I were alive during this time, I would have listed this court case as a negative in this assignment. I listed this court case as a having a positive impact on my life because it only furthers my understanding of how far African Americans have come. African Americans were not allowed to claim American citizenship, but yet we were forced to work on American soil as slaves. I look at it as if we didn’t have a home. As African Americans all we knew was work. Not being able to acclaim citizenship in the U.S. after being taken from our originally homes in African showed that we were forced to feel like we didn’t belong anywhere. It just makes me appreciate what they slaves went through for me to live the life I live as of now, and for me to have a place called home.
Citation:
"Dred Scott case: the Supreme Court decision." PBS(2005): 1.
Web. 18 Jan 2011.<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933.html>.
Positive #2: Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled that established separate public schools for black and white children. Segregation of white and black students was expected in public schools across the Nation. It was solely based on race. This law even denied African American children the equal protection of the laws that were guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. The physical features and other tangibles of the white and blacks schools were equal although. Brown v. Board of Education would have been probably listed as a negative impact on my life it I would have been living during the time of this court case. I decided to list it as a positive impact because even though we were treated like we weren’t as equal in terms of education with the whites, I try to be optimistic and look at this court case as a starting to point for African American children. As African Americans we were able to show our intelligence amongst each other and learn without being under the white student s shadow. Everyone in the school had the same opportunities and one was not treated differently then another. That wasn’t the case when African Americans and white were in the same schools at that time. I believe that this law actually was a starting point and gave African American students the confidence and belief that they can be something in life without being constantly treated like they were beneath white children. Now look at the opportunities that us black students have today, even while sharing schools with white students.
Citation:
"Brown v. Board of Education (1954, 1955)." United States
Courts (2009): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.
<http://www.uscourts.gov/EducationalResources/Constitut
ionResources/LegalLandmarks/HistoryOfBrownVBoardOfEducation.aspx>.
Negative #1: District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
2008 marked the first time in seventy years that the Supreme Court heard of a case that regarded the Second Amendment and its relation to gun control laws. The District of Columbia v. Heller was a decision that the Supreme Court of the U.S. made to protect a person’s rights to own a firearm for private use within the home in federal enclaves. It was the first Supreme Court case in the U.S. history that decided whether the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. I listed this court case as a negative because it deliberately overrode Washington D.C.’s right to ban handguns. I am not a big fan of guns. Any law that allows a person to have a gun does not have my support. People make excuses that guns are for protection, but if nobody were allowed to have guns, then there wouldn’t be any need for people to protect themselves from guns. Our neighborhoods are not as safe as they could be because people walk around with guns. It’s not as if people have guns don’t use them. If that were the case then violence in Philadelphia would decrease. One thing that the people of Philadelphia has proved over the past couple years is that if they own a gun then they will use by any means necessary. As a result, Philadelphia hasn’t become one of the safest places. That definitely affects my life negatively.
Citation:
"District of Columbia v. Heller – Case Brief
Summary." Lawnix (2008): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.
<http://www.lawnix.com/cases/dc-heller.html>.
Negative #2: Bush v. Gore (2000)
The year 2000 brought a Supreme Court Case that actually resolved the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The court’s decision resulted in George Bush winning the election. Bush v. Gore court case held a per curiam decision that ruled that the Florida Supreme Court’s recounting ballots method was a strict violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The specific Supreme Court case ruling has negatively impacted my life because of everything that had resulted in Bush becoming the United States president. Two of the mains things that Bush could be blamed for are the war that we are in with Afghanistan and the shape of our economy. Both of Bush’s terms of presidency had a negative affect on America and still has. The way Bush approached decisions such as Irag, climate change, and the budget and perhaps Afghanistan etc. could have been better. His presidential terms in office have had a negative effect on most people’s lives and some people are still getting over it.
Citation:
"Bush v. Gore." 4LawSchool (2005): 1. Web. 18 Jan 2011.
<http://www.4lawschool.com/conlaw/bg.shtml>.
Reflection:
a. How did you go about choosing which items to include in your 12 identified laws, cases, or offices?
It was really hard choosing which items to include in this benchmark. It took some time finding laws that directly corresponded to me. I chose it laws, case and office by thinking of what things are most essential to me in my life. I chose my cases by looking through bureaucratic functions that we did earlier. I tried to see which ones impacted me as a student and teen and my life. For each the legislative, executive and judicial branches, I had a hard time finding negatives. Most things in these branches that effect me as of now relates to school. Luckily though, I was able t find some positive and negatives that I think affect my life in some type of way as of now.
b. Was this an easy or a difficult process? Elaborate.
This was a difficult process for me. Not so much writing the paragraphs and relating the laws, offices, and cases to my life, but just finding them. There seemed to be nothing that directly impacted my life as of now that didn’t involve things like school and violence (firearm etc.)
c. Do you anticipate your life becoming more or less affected by the govt. as you get older? Explain.
I anticipate my life becoming more affected by the government as I get older. There are laws for kids and there are laws for adults. Just because I am getting older doesn’t mean that the government isn’t more apart of my life than before. Everyone lives through the government even if we don’t always agree with what they do. The more things I can do as I am older, the more laws that will affect me.
d. Any other thoughts on your learning process.
I feel as though from researching different laws, offices, and cases, I have learned more about the regulations and restrictions that the government has input. I learned more about what I can do in the United States and how I am able to do it.