The Balancing Act - Person 4

Heather asks a good question to the scenario that Frank Sesno made up “is it okay to hold these people without giving them legal counsel and really not having any hard evidence to support what they are doing”. She believes that it is right because they are only trying to protect our nation. We both agree that if we were suspects, we would be okay with being held. Because we know we are innocent, we might be upset in the beginning, but at least we know we haven’t done anything and that they are doing everything they can to try and catch the attackers.

Jess says, “I believe that we, as American’s, should have the right to legal counsel. The government should take measures to ensure the US citizen rights to legal counsel within reasonable time, and a certain length of time needs to be set with regards to a person being detained”. I agree with this and that those people shouldn’t have been denied the right to a legal counsel. However, who is to say what a reasonable time is? When it comes to protecting our country and our citizens, should it matter how long we keep people. I think that once a suspect is found to be completely innocent they can be released and that is a reasonable amount of time. I wouldn’t want a suspect to be released just because they have been held for too long. If they actually are the attackers, we just made a huge mistake.

The Balancing Act - Person 2

I think another important point within these segments is that when Frank Sesno, the host of the committee talks in the show, asks the question of whether or not a person can be detained without legal council. His questions and answers are along the lines of whether this situation should happen because a US citizen was detained for a lengthy amount of time without bring provided legal council. This US citizen was detained under suspicion of terrorism association because of the recent mall bombings, when in reality, he was vacationing overseas. The question arises because a US citizen is denied a basic civil right to the right to legal council simply because of his race and recent activities. I don't think that this fundamental civil right should or can be taken away based on suspicions for an unreasonable length of time. I believe that we, as American's, should have the right to legal council. The government should take measures to ensure the US citizens rights to legal council within reasonable time and a certain length of time needs to be set with regards to a person being detained. To see more information on this subject, I have included a link to an article speaking to a real life situation and how the courts decided, follow me there.

The Balancing Act- Person 5

Frank Sesno made up a scenario that there were some suicide bombers that bombed in the U.S. on some shopping centers. The government then heard that the next attack would be to put toxins in our food supply. They found 1,000 people that fit the general profile and then narrowed it down to 60 persons of interest, denied them access to legal counsell, and also placed them on a military base somewhere. They did this all because they had a couple credible sources. The question is if it is okay to hold these people without giving them legal counsel and really not having any hard evidence to support what they are doing?
Peggy Hamburg made a good point saying that toxins in our food supply is a very serious situation because it could cause people to get very serious diseases. She also pointed out that these diseases probably wouldn't be any diseases that are normally seen and our hospitals most likely would only have a limited supply of the drugs to treat the people who were infected.
Eric Holder later made a good point saying that if he were in control of the situation that he would try and hold the suspects for as long as he possibly could so that they are in his hands and not on anyone else's so that they can get away and possibly follow through with the attack.
I think that the restrictions on civil liberties that were discussed make a lot of sense because you are only trying to protect the nation from being harmed. I think that being a suspect and knowing that I didn't do anything wrong and I can't defend myself would be difficult to get over at first but I think that I personally would rather be held and know that I am innocent and eventually would be let go because this shows that they have grabbed as many people that fit the profile so that they can protect the nation from a horrible attack. Also if this actually happened and I was a person that lived in the nation in which that attack happened I would feel a lot more safe knowing that they are interrogating as many people as possible because this makes me feel like the chances are higher that they have the attackers. It may not be true but it appears that way at least and it gives comfort to people I think. If they hadn't arrested many people I think that the U.S. would feel even more uneasy about the situation than they already are.

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions-Person 2

Our group so far in this blog has focused on the fact that women's rights issues have been going on for a long time now, and even though the Women's Rights Convention occurred in 1848, we still seem to struggle with the stereotypes against us. Jenni and Heather both mentioned how one can see this difference that still exists between men and women in the business world. I agree with both of them that pay and other compensation and promotions still seem to be a bit one sided. As Jenni mentioned, the glass ceiling concept comes to mind when thinking of women's equality in business.

Heather brought attention to an insightful case that brings light to the fact that women all over are still being discriminated against by means of wages, and gthe governemtn is finally recognizing this. Heather also made an important point that we were all supposed to be Created equally while Jenni made a good point when she mentioned that women should have the same chances as a man because we in fact are citizens just like them.

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions- Person 5

Women have struggled for decades to have equal rights as men. Even in today's world, we are still not completely there yet. It's proven that, in some circumstances, men still get paid higher wages than women when doing the same job.
It's amazing how the Woman's Rights Convention was held in 1848 and even today it's still not completely equal. Yes, we, as women, have achieved a lot over the years especially in the business world but secretly people still stereotype in my eyes.
There have been many Supreme Court cases, within ten years, about discrimination with women in schools, and also sexual discrimination. In 2009, "President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows victims of pay discrimination to file a complaint with the government against their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck." ( info please website) Before this act was placed, the victims, who mainly are women, could only complain 180 days of their first unfair paycheck. This shows progress in today's world for women.
"That woman is man's equal- was intended to be so by the Creator, and the highest good of the race demands that she should be recognized as such." This is really saying that men and women were created equal and for whatever reason men have been established as superior to women all through history. The progress with women's rights has really succeeded through the years but I think if we are almost to the point now of kind of just excepting what he have accomplished after this long and now we will gradually keep trying bit by bit to get closer to the men.

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions - Person 4

We have all heard the famous line, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal”. When we listen to those words, what do we think about? I know that when I hear them, I think about women in history compared to women today.

Before my time, women’s place was in the kitchen, not in the workplace. We were supposed to clean and cook all day and have a meal on the table when the men arrived home from work. Women were looked at as not having any rights or power. We struggled for a long time to get the rights and respect that we deserve.

The glass ceiling comes to mind when I think about discrimination against women. Men have always been treated as dominant in the work place; they usually hold the higher executive positions in firms and corporations. Women could work the same as men, if not harder and better, but always stay in the same position at the same pay. They could see that they deserve the higher position and pay, but a man would receive it over the woman. Today, this situation has improved greatly, but I know it stills goes on in some places.

“…We insist that they [women] have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States.” The Declaration of Sentiments shows that women have been treated unfairly in the past and deserve the same rights as men do. We are citizens!

we shall overcome summary

To sum up what our group thought. Person 4 quoted from the Constitution where it says: "no person shall be kept from voting because of his race or color." Which means that African American people have every right to vote just like white people do. She also said that the speech was just an "easy, unfair, and illegal way to keep African Americans from voting. Person 5 said that the word overcome had two meanings in this speech, one was the African American people overcoming inequality, and the other meaning was the white people overcoming disallowing African Americans the right to vote. Which I thought was a really cool way of putting it. They also stated that we need to overcome our differences and just get over it because it doesn't matter what color or race we are, the fact is that we are all Americans and have the right to vote and the Constitution says so. Person 1 also said that it doesn't matter what color they are, if they're Americans they have the right to vote like everyone else.