Bernie Madoff

We talk in class and watched a short video on the affects of Mr. Madoff's Ponzi scheme. At the root of this scheme was greed; greed on his part certainly, but also on the part of his investors. However, the victims were the thousands of people who lost everything; including the thousands who lost their retirement accounts through their businesses that Madoff managed and stole from.
Talk about the lack of regulation and how that allowed him to carry out his crime, even in the face of whistle blowers who tried to let the SEC know many years ago that he was a fraud. How does this debate play into the current political debate in Washington over deregulation vs. more regulation of business.
You can also talk about the way justice if handled in America in terms of your position in society and your wealth. Is it supposed to be that way? Why not?

When a president does it, it's not against the law

This comment by Richard Nixon about his activity during Watergate is an important part of the public record. Write your reaction to this comment and in doing so talk about the danger this might bring to a democracy. If you agree with Nixon, tell me why you think he is right. Don't limit yousrelf to the obvious; push yourself to think about this profound statement.

The Importance of Liberalism

Jim Crow laws in the South were part American culture from shortly after the Civil War in 1865 until the middle of the 20th century. They successfully kept blacks second class citizens, unable to sit on juries, hold public office, vote, or attend public institutions. Nearly 100 years after Lincoln freed the slaves, blacks had run out of patience and began demanding equality in a country founded on that principle and formalized by the Constitution in 1789.
The South successfully thwarted progress and if not for the federal government, under liberal leadership, moved in to force the social equality heretofore denied to a fifth of our population.
Without that activism, American society would still be largely divided along racial lines, and the dreams of Martin Luther King would still be just a dream.
It took forced busing, forced integration of public school after Brown v. Board of Education, affirmative action, and the Freedom Riders to remake the South and give black Americans the political power they have flexed ever since.
Without Liberalism this would not have happened. Without an expanded role of the federal government, this would not have happened. Without federal judges stepping away from the prejudiced rulings of the past, this would not have happened.
Liberalism helped America live up to the tenets of the American dream; liberalism saved the soul of America.
React to this by defending or attacking this blog. Posted by hoopman at 7:44 PM

Hello Hamlin's history class.........blogman

affirmative action

Affirmative action is a necessary tool to correct the historical sexism and racial prejudice in America. I hope we eventually will leave it behind because I can see where some find it discriminatory towards white people. As a white male, I see both sides, but feel it is the lesser of two evils.