Obama’s plans for the environment

In taking my own advice from a previous post (and also to get back on the topic of my favorite social movement), I want to bring up the issue of president-elect Obama’s plans for the environment. Being the pro-environment girl that I am, I must admit that I am optimistic about his overall environmental agenda. After spending the last semester doing extensive research on his environmental plans (for a paper that I am writing for my Media & Politics class), I can definitely say that he has good intentions. He is determined to “take a leading role” in combatting climate change by implementing a cap and trade policy that would reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. He is also a huge proponent of conservation, along with creating clean, alternative energy technologies.
Based on early assessments, it looks as though the environmental movement is likely to gain some ground under an Obama presidency. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if Congress agrees with his environmental plans. It should be an interesting topic to follow over the next four years. As for other issues, I’m not so sure, but I’m keeping the optimism intact thus far.

You can read more about Obama’s environmental plans here and here.


And in news completely unrelated to Obama, I found this New York Times article to be quite interesting and wanted to share it. Even Broadway is going green! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving! Be sure to take a few minutes to think about all the things you have to be thankful for! :)

Much anticipated political post....sorry, couldn't resist

So, I haven't blogged on anything political for a while, and now that the election is over, I think it's time to resume that. But, for the next 2 weeks, this still needs to tie in with social movements, so please bear with me. :)

As most of you know, the election did not turn out how I would have liked. While I was expecting a successful result for the Democratic party, I still held on to a shred of hope that the GOP would pull through, but clearly that did not happen. Was I disappointed? Certainly. However, I must say that my disappointment continues, only now the focus has shifted to the behavior of some of my fellow Republicans. The outcome of the election obviously shows that the GOP has some serious work to do toward reforming our party and our campaigning strategies, however, most of what I've been hearing is not about how we can improve, but rather how miserable life is going to be with Obama as president. I wish people would think back to the inspirational and heartfelt words of Senator McCain during his concession speech:

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.

Sure, our parties have stark differences in certain beliefs and moral issues, but in the overall scheme of things, we all want to live the American dream...we just have different philosophies on how to go about achieving that dream. Yes, we may disagree with many of president-elect Obama's policy plans, but like it or not, he is going to be our President come January and no amount of complaining is going to change that. As our commander-in-chief, he deserves our respect. Since the election ended, I have received numerous facebook invitations to groups such as "Now that Barack is president, I think I'll be a lazy bum" or "Don't Blame Me...I Voted for McCain!" What happened to giving the guy a fair chance? He hasn't even taken office yet and these are people's sentiments? It's no secret that I was a McCain supporter, but there comes a point where you have to stop being a sore loser. America is America because of democracy and free elections. The Democrats won this election because Americans apparently wanted a "change." Give Obama time to take office and start implementing his platform. If he screws up and you voted against him, then you have a right to start complaining, and maybe the majority who supported him will end up joining you, but in the meantime, show some optimism and refrain from the negative accusations. He is going to be our president for the next four years, like it or not.

Are these feelings the result of the liberal college atmosphere rubbing off on me? I don't think so. I remain firm in my conservative values and I still support the principles that the Republican party stands for. I am simply appalled by the behavior of some self-professing Republicans who seem to have forgotten the meaning of respect toward our country's leaders.

Okay, sorry for the rant. I just needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for reading! :)

MLK’s objectives in writing “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”

One of the assigned readings for our current study of the Civil Rights Movement was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” King wrote this letter in response to a claim by eight Birmingham ministers that segregation was moving too quickly and should be fought through due process of the law instead of on the streets. Their letter was a reaction to the demonstration against segregation led by King, which was the reason he was in jail at the time. Directly quoting their resentment toward “outsiders coming in,” King addresses this assertion by justifying his reason for coming to Birmingham. He writes, “I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.” That statement provides basic justification for bringing his fellow demonstrators to Birmingham, but it serves as a segue for him to delve into the fundamental reason for marching there: to bring attention to the injustice that is occurring in the South. “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He then writes, “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” This serves to address, yet again, the ministers’ accusations that King is an outsider who came to town to stir up controversy.

He makes an unwavering effort to appeal to the consciences and emotions of fellow Christians. “Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.” He goes on to compare movement participants to the early Christians who were similarly persecuted for being “outside agitators.” King continues to lay a guilt-trip on church members by discussing the fact that young people are fed up with the current state of the church, meaning that church membership will dwindle in years to come. This serves as a call-to-action for Christians to stop ignoring their God-given responsibilities and instead join the peaceful fight against injustice in the form of segregation. He adds to his morality argument and reinforces his determination to overcome injustice by calling attention to the overlap of legal & moral obligations. "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws," King said, "but conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." He substantiates his basis for this claim by pointing out that Hitler’s policies in Nazi Germany were “legal,” while it was “illegal” to provide any aid to Jewish people. This comparison is meant to evoke strong emotions typically associated with the injustice, devastation, and inhumanity of the Holocaust, and likewise, bring the public to view the oppressive state of segregation in a similarly unjust light.

In sum, King’s obvious overall objective is to bring an end to segregation, both in the literal sense and in the attitudes and actions of people everywhere. Regarding this letter specifically, his aim is to defend the method of nonviolent protest which he employs, to refute the statements made by the Birmingham clergymen, and to make known to the public the vital need for the Civil Rights movement to intensify its efforts. In writing this letter, his heartfelt, yet firm words serve as a motivation for others to get involved and fight for his just cause.