Can Anyone Use 50 Bucks?

Check this out!

The Judicial Council of California, the Constitutional Rights Foundation and the California Parent, Teachers Associaiton offer a $50 prize for the student winner of their nationwide 3rd Annual First Amendment Cartoon Contest
[INSERT applause and screams of delight here].


Learn more and obtain rules and giudelines at their website
http://www.courtsed.org/cartoon_contest.htm

• THEME: First Amendment Principles - specifically on the "Right to Peaceably Assemble & Right to Petition for a Redress of Grievances"

• DEADLINE: March 16, 2012

Since I have THE most talented class ever - I think someone among us will win!


Be creative - be informative - be artistic.
And give me a loan when you win, will ya'?

GUEST SPEAKER: Deb Wilkey - Kootenai County Coroner

Hey gang,


Does anyone watch NCIS? Or are you into zombie movies?


Personally, I don't get it....but...well...there's actually a very real aspect in our society about dealing with,....well....the deceased...


We have a visitor coming a week from Thursday, February 2nd - our County Coroner, 
Deb Wilkey.
I want you to provide her with some solid, informative questions, like we did with the Lt. Governor - so I need you to first read the following two website entries and come with THREE (that's right 3) questions for Mrs. Wilkey.

• http://www.kcgov.us/departments/coroner/

• http://www.orato.com/health-science/dr-g-medical-examiner - you'll REALLY love this one!

Read these website entries FIRST then come with your three questions - due on Tuesday!

And let's not be grave about this. I want you to dig into this subject, and be lively about it.

OK enough of that. Sorry.

So....do we still need a MILITIA?

MILITIAS...according to that pesky document the Bill of Rights, "We the people..." may maintain a MILITIA (Second Amendment).

But...what does that mean in present day contexts?

FIRST - what is a MILITIA? (Here's one definition that may help)

The discussion of maintaining MILITIAs usually revolves around citizen gun ownership, in general.

May we still carry around weapons haphazardly without any protection from gun-toating criminals who may be using the Second Amendment right to harm society? Or should we all just be able to have weapons without ANY government involvement?

In 1939, the question was taken to the Supreme Court. Jack Miller and Frank Layton were arrested in 1938 for carrying an unregistered sawed-off shotgun across state lines. In 1934, Congress, in an effort to crack down on the machine guns and sawed-off shotguns commonly used by notorious gangsters like Al Capone, had passed the National Firearms Act, which imposed a prohibitively high tax on weapons' sale. Miller and Layton were arrested for carrying a gun that did not bear a stamp certifying that the tax had been paid. The case made its way to the Supreme Court when a lower court accepted the defendants' argument that the National Firearms Act violated their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Here's the case, if you want to read it.

There are laws which channel and restrict gun ownership now to help protect citizens from dangerous, violent criminals. See http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/html/amdt2.html.

Do you want to have anyone wielding guns in department stores, restaurants or the post office without ANY supervision? Or do we need any supervision?

Oh, by the way - it may help you to know that according to current military law, according to the United States Law Code (the "rules of common law" that the Seventh Amendment speaks about), militias, now, are considered members of the NATIONAL GUARD. See Cornwell's University of Law website entry.

So what do we do with MILITIAS today?

Here's an article where the author thinks the Second Amendment is obsolete and needs to be thrown out entirely - http://sundial.csun.edu/2010/12/do-we-still-need-the-second-amendment/

Should we rewrite the Second Amendment? 

Is the portion of the Second Amendment (maintain a militia) obsolete and out of touch with modern-day military service and National Guards?

Should we just rewrite that portion dealing with the obsolete militia system? 

Or toss it out entirely?

Is it "time for the second amendment to go?" 

What do you think?

Send me an email after you have read this entry - tell me what you think - yes, for extra credit.

FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDES!!!

Hey gang,


In case you lost your study guide for Thursday's FINAL (yes....that's right it's THIS THURSDAY, January 19th...AAAAAUAUGH!!!), I'm providing the Study Guide here - FINAL STUDY GUIDE.


MAKE SURE YOU KNOW how our Founding Fathers used all the information we have studied (from Hamurrabi to Aristotle to John Locke to Thomas Paine, etc.)...how our Founding Fathers used all of these influential people's ideas and writings to provide us the fantastic documents of liberty we have in America (the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights).


ALSO you may want to review the first 22 Presidents of the country (including their dates of administration and their political affiliation).


OH...and it may help to go over your VOCABULARY (I'm linking a LIST of all the terms you should know for this semester).


As always....PRAY...STUDY...then get some rest...
...you'll do fine.


I have no doubt with you guys. God has blessed me with the BEST class of all!


Mr. J.

Bill of Rights Rap - these guys ROCK! Literally!

Hey gang,

Click the image to open the video 

or DOWNLOAD a copy (the file is a 25.7 MB .mp4 - give it time to download)

Always on the lookout for tools to help you learn this stuff, I found a couple of rappers that (I think) are EXCELLENT! They are two guys, Jeff and Scott, who graduated from Providence College, Rhode Island, and wanted to help young minds (like yours) learn about our great country and original documents of liberty.


Here's a rap they put together on the Bill of Rights  that may help you remember them. You can download it here or from directly from their website - BILL OF RIGHTS.


If you want to learn more about these two guys, check them out at Smart Songs!


I hope this helps you learn....oh, and you can tell your parents you really ARE studying when you have this rockin' on your iPods!

EXCELLENT ARTICLE - and another way for more EXTRA CREDIT!

Hillsdale College puts out a free newsletter, Imprimis, with articles that are "my-jaw-drops-into-my-lap-I'm-so-amazed-that-there-are-still-people-who-have-such-reverence-for-the-Founding-Fathers'-principles-it-makes-me-drool" kind of articles!

Some of them are a bit technical - but often there are some that just literally blow my stinkin' mind!

Here's one I really, REALLY recommend you read - http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2011&month=12 (or if you prefer a .pdf copy, download it here - http://www.hillsdale.edu/hctools/ImprimisTool/archives/2011_12_Imprimis.pdf)

AND if you read it, I'll give you more extra credit!

Email me if you read the article and answer this one question for credit - who considered the doctrines of "limited government" in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution "obsolete"?

God bless your day, my friends.

Mr. J.

Bill of Rights - Class Handouts

Just in case you need a handout 'cause your copy was burned up when you knocked your old Christmas Tree into the fireplace while playing indoor football and it accidentally caught on fire and then it got all wet when you tried to put it out causing a horrible stain on the carpet and all over your kitty's fur and your parents were so mad because you aren't supposed to play in the living room.......

....um...now, where was I?....

...Oh yeah! Here's come copies of class handouts on the Bill of Rights for you to download:

• Anti-Federalist: George Mason's Objections to the Constitution
• Anti-Federalist: The Federalist Farmer I

You already have a copy of the Bill of Rights in your pocket Constitution. But in case you want a digital copy:

• The Bill of Rights

More handouts will follow on this blog entry.

So keep looking for them...and stop playing football in the house! Sigh.

You...you mean....some Founding Fathers DID NOT WANT the BILL OF RIGHTS????

Did you know...that the FEDERALIST Founding Fathers in our early history actually feared the Bill of Rights?

Whoa....wait a minute. Who in their right mind would be opposed to such a fundamental, protecting document?

Oh, just a bunch of nobodies....like James Madison....Alexander Hamilton...James Wilson....to mention a few.

Why?

Many felt the CONSTITUTION was sufficient and any document listing fundamental human rights was unnecessary and redundant. Alexander Hamilton suggested that "Bills of Rights are in their origins stipulations between KINGS and their SUBJECTS....abridgments of prerogatives in favor of privilege, reservation of rights not surrendered to the Prince, such as the Magna Carte" (Federalist Paper #84) -- and since we do not have such royal relations between our government ("WE the people...") and our citizens, we do not need such "stipulations between KINGS and their SUBJECTS". Some Founding Fathers even considered the Bill of Rights "Unnecessary and DANGEROUS"! "DANGEROUS" how? The fear was the Bill of Rights could contain exceptions not granted by the "Supreme Law of the Land" (the Constitution) to protect us from government - BUT since our government is made of US ("WE the people...") - why would we need a document to protect us from ourselves? James Wilson also suggested how could anyone enumerate ALL the rights of mankind? And what if we missed one - is it therefore no longer a right just because it did not make it on our "list"? There was also the fear that a Bill of Rights would imply that a national government could do ANYTHING it wished, just as long as it followed the "list".

Wow, even in our nation's foundation we did not always agree.....but could you imagine our history without this vital decree?


Send me an email after you have read this entry for credit.

Lt. Governor Brad Little is Coming!

Hey Gang! In a few weeks we have a real honor to have our Lieutenant Governor, Brad Little come to our class and speak. (This is like having the VICE-PRESIDENT of the state of Idaho come....WOW!)

I don't know when he is scheduled to come, yet, but early in January I will assign you three questions (like we have done before with other speakers) to prepare for his visit. This time, I require you to do a bit of research BEFORE writing your questions.

I need you to go to two websites and read about our Lt. Governor, then ask your questions. Please go to:

http://www.idahoreporter.com/2011/historically-speaking-little-in-the-right-spot-to-some-day-run-for-governor/

and

http://lgo.idaho.gov/index.html (on this site I require you to read about Mr. Little's biography and his duties as Lt. Governor)

This will really be stinkin' cool to have someone of such distinction come visit us!

God bless each of you...

Conferdration - Constitution - QUIZ

Here's a copy of the study guide for Wednesday's quiz, if you lost yours.
Just go over the Preamble and the Constitution mostly and you'll do fine.
(You may also want to study the Articles of Confederation time period too...and your vocabulary)


I'll miss you....(sniff, sob)....


Study Guide

Who's up for a RACE!?

The other day, Michael had a great question:


"If a bill is a document that is NOT A LAW but a PENDING law waiting to be signed into law - why do we call the first ten amendments of the Constitution (which is the "SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND") the "BILL" of Rights?"

Good question. 

And I want you to find the answer - here's what I want. Contact via email or phone Bob Nonini's office or Jim Risch's North Idaho office (remember Sid Smith?) and ask them the question. The first one to tell me the answer wins extra credit on the upcoming Constitutional Quiz.

Bob Nonini's email - bnonini@roadrunner.com

Sid Smith's email (Jim Risch's North Idaho Director) - Sid_Smith@Risch.senate.gov

Good luck!

Here's something interesting...

Did you know...that Thomas Jeffersion used the Viriginia Declaration of Rights (June, 1776) for many of his memorable concepts in the Declaration of Independence. Check this phrase out from the Viriginia Declaration of Rights:

That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

Hmmmm.....sound familiar?!?

How 'bout some EXTRA CREDIT?

If you can tell me the name of the soldier that Senator Risch awarded a purple heart and specifically what Senator Risch said about this honor, I'll give you extra credit on your upcoming "Write a Bill" assignment. Email me the answer AFTER you visit Senator Risch's website to get the answer. If you don't know where his website is, check Google.

[This offer only lasts until Sunday night...so hurry...]

NO LONGER VALID - Sorry. Keep looking here for more options.

U.S. Constitution - class handouts

Just in case you need a handout 'cause your pet iguana ate it, or your baby sister used it as a chew-toy, or your lawnmower went amok and shredded it, or.....well, it doesn't really matter. Here are the class handouts, thus far, on the U.S. Constitution for you to download:

• Preamble to the Constitution - Commentary
• Constitution Article 1 - Commentary
• Congress Chart - House of Representatives v. Senate
• Constitution Article 2 - Commentary
• Constitution Article 3 - Commentary
• Constitution Article 4 - Commentary
• Constitution Article 5 - Commentary

More handouts will follow on this blog. So keep looking for them...if you need them.
Stupid iguana!

4th ASSIGNMENT:

WRITE A BILL

IMAGINE - you are a U.S. Senator and you can change ANYTHING you see needs changing in our nation and culture. What would you do?

OBJECTIVE: Synthesize and create a proposal which could be developed into an actual BILL or AMMENDMENT - and eventually a LAW which could change our culture for the best.

DUE: Wednesday, December 7th

EXECUTION: Research existing legislation (either current laws or pending bills) pertaining to your topic then write new legislation or an amendment.

Use the Library of Congress legislation archive - http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php

• Download the assignment explanation .pdf here for a full description of the assignment as well as a grading rubric.

• Download a Microsoft Word file of the bill format here.

Your final assignment MUST BE TYPED and in the official, provided format.

We will spend time on the assignment on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Be creative - solve a problem in our culture!

EXTRA CREDIT

Tom Schuler, Cobbler Statesman

OBJECTIVE: Watch and analyze the 1953 animated film, "Tom Schuler, Cobbler Statesman" and answer the attached questions.

Click the image to open the video 

or DOWNLOAD a copy (the file is a 119 MB .mp4 - give it time to download)

DUE: No later than Monday, December 5th


WORTH: 10 points on any upcoming quiz/test

EXECUTION: Watch the film then answer the questions on the attached .pdf.

• The film tells the story of an imaginary colonial settler who observes our young nation just before and after the Revolutionary War. It is fiction, but it reveals in an entertaining way the situations and issues of our early nation during the Confederacy.
• Keep in mind the film was made by the United States Information Service (essentially a propaganda organization) in 1953, during the Cold War. What do you think the movie makers were trying to accomplish, other than just educate the youth on our nation's beginnings and government origins?

You may fill in the .pdf in Acrobat (if you have it) and email the filled out question handout, or print it out and write in your answers. If you do not have a printer you may also write out the FULL ANSWERS on a separate piece of paper.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS DOWNLOADING/STREAMING THE VIDEO, please email me and I will get the file to you in a different format.

Enjoy....and learn...


NO LONGER VALID - time is up...

Articles of Confederation & Federalist Papers

Hey guys,

In case you lost your copy of the Articles of Confederation and the three Federalist Papers (One, Ten and Fifty-One) I want you to read - you can download them here.

But you can't download them UNLESS you plan on reading them......

...I know....I'm SO picky!...

Constitutional TimeMachine

3rd ASSIGNMENT:

CONSTITUTIONAL TIMEMACHINE

OBJECTIVE: Synthesize your understanding of the character, ideology and personality of one of the Founding Fathers, Signers of the Constitution or Attendee of the Constitutional Convention.

DUE: Monday, November 21st

EXECUTION: Two parts - a 5-7 page paper (including Bibliography) and a 5-7 minute presentation.

Come to class AS one of the representatives at the Constitutional Convention:

1.  Your 5-7 page paper should be written in FIRST PERSON - you are to become this person. It should include:

• The person's name and heritage
• Something particularly interesting about that person, especially his religious backgrond
• The person's original position on whether America should break free from England or not - did they agree originally with the Pro-Independence movement or were they more Tory-minded?
• Is this person a Federalist or Anti-Federalist?
• One other major belief this person had (it can be anything)

2.  In your presentation, become this person. You may dress up, make up an accent, use his language and/or dialect.....just take on his persona and speak and write AS this person.

The list of persons to chose from are in the assignment sheet - click here for a copy. The following is the list of those persons already chosen in class last week.

• Gerry - William Samuel Johnson -CONN
• Emily - Nathaniel Gorham - MASS
• Aimee - William Few - Georgia
• Zac - George Clymer - PENN
• Tim - Roger Sherman - CONN
• Michael - Rufus King - MASS

Here is a copy of the assignment sheet with the grading rubric.

UP THE FEDERAL SYSTEM - DOWN THE CONFEDERACY!

Presidential Rap!

Right-Click on the Presidents to get an .mp3 copy!

My apologies to the rappers who created this song - I found it somewhere on the internet and can't recall who to give credit to. If you know who it belongs to, let me know so I can at least give them the nod.

"In the Spider Web" - Thursday In-class Discussion

Go to this link for instructions on how to come prepared for Thursday's "In the Spider Web" class discussions.

Come with OBJECTIVE thoughts. Be ready to use some of John Locke's arguments as well as Thomas Paine's. Also be ready to come with your Bible.

The questions listed on the board earlier this week are included in the attachment.

Come prepared to think OBJECTIVELY and speak OBJECTIVELY - we will have a lively discussion together!