In March, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Westboro Baptist Church’s right to gather and picket outside the military funeral for Matthew Snyder, a marine killed in the line of duty. The WBC, well known for its belief that  God punishes the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality, waved signs with slogans such as “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and “God Hates You.”

The March 2 ruling overturned a previous court’s decision on the grounds that the First Amendment protected the WBC picketing. It was a decision that raised many questions regarding free speech. However, one question seems to rise above the rest: When has the protection of free speech gone too far?

In the case of the WBC, an organization that for the past 20 years has used the death of soldiers as a platform to spread its fundamentalist views, the question is a tough one. The congregation and its leaders have taken great measures to operate within the realm of American law, but many would say the use of a family’s grief to further a cause is grounds enough to merit some form of punishment. Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion in the…» Read More

The right to good health is something almost every American feels entitled to. But what if that right came with a price? Imagine being in a situation where the only thing standing between you and good health was a certain amount of funds, or “acceptable coverage.” For some, this is a reality.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a non-profit health care provider offering services in reproductive health, maternal care and child health care at little to no cost for individuals who normally wouldn’t have access to regular health care.

According to the Planned Parenthood website, the organization has for almost 100 years “worked to improve women’s health and safety, prevent unintended pregnancies, and advance the right and ability of individuals and families to make informed and responsible choices.”

Recently, an amendment was approved by the House of Representatives that would eliminate all federal funds for Planned Parenthood. According to npr.org, the bill’s sponsor, Indiana Republican Mike Pence, referred to the vote as “a victory for taxpayers and a victory for life.” Why would someone be so against an organization promoting good health? If there was ever a worthy cause on which to spend our tax dollars, a healthy…» Read More

On Feb. 23 history was made when the Obama administration withdrew its support from the Defense of Marriage Act and ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the law in court. It’s a big step in the right direction towards reversing the same-sex marriage ban.

The Defense Of  Marriage Act prevents the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage and declares that the federal government recognizes marriageas between one man and one woman. For the first two years of his presidency, Obama and his administration supported DOMA, and the Justice Department defended the law in court.

Some gay rights advocates have been skeptical about Obama’s support for their causes, but now there is reason to believe that Obama will be hopping off the fence shortly and plans to land on their side.

Recent polls show a steady rise insupport for same-sex marriage, and in a 2010Associated Press-National Constitution CenterPoll, 52 percent of Americans said they believe the federal government should legalize same-sex marriage.

In terms of the actual law, Obama’s bold move doesn’t really change anything yet, but it opens the door for more legislation to repeal the law. It does not nullify DOMA, so it is still an active law.

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Former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, the first female vice presidential nominee of the Republican Party, has retired from public service and has become, what some would say, a B-list reckoning, in a reality television show called “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” Reality television is defined as dramatic, funny documentation of actual events, but most of all, it is defined as entertainment.

But let’s keep it real; effective political figures are what the public needs. Most of all, the public needs someone trustworthy—neither an entertainer nor public figure whose motives are questionable is needed.

For example, participating in a reality television show, especially before the presidential nomination in 2012, showcasing how “normal” Palin and her family can be aside from negative exposure of unfortunate events depicting her family as “dysfunctional” as of late, is not needed.

Not only has Palin come out with a reality show, her daughter, Bristol Palin, participated in “Dancing with the Stars.” There existed a thin line between cheering on a dancer on the show and endorsing a political party.

I will admit, reality television shows are addictive guilty pleasures, considering 4.96 million (and counting) people who tuned in during the premiere. But aren’t there more important problems that…» Read More

About a month ago, 23-year-old Alexander Piggee walked into a Gamestop inside the Roseville Galleria with a gun and set fire to the store. As the fire spread and a section of the mall’s roof collapsed, the reactions from people on Twitter and Facebook were surprisingly lacking in compassion. Most, in fact, were dismayed over the fact that a section of the mall’s roof had collapsed and that the damage might negatively impact Black Friday deals.

We live in sad times when people appear to care more about what they plan to buy on Black Friday than the fact that Galleria employees may have been seriously hurt or that their jobs may be in jeopardy. It’s as if Black Friday has some sort of psychological hold on us, and everything good and right takes a back seat.

City College Vice President of Student Services Michael Poindexter has the right idea with his Slide into Civility campaign. His goal is to promote more civil behavior, which is generally lacking these days. People are always giving each other the finger, not saying please or thank you or excuse me, and have a false sense of entitlement that festers and grows in long lines.

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We at the Sacramento City College Express congratulate you on your successful election and realize that there’s a long road ahead of you when it comes to fixing California’s myriad problems, which seem to be ever mounting. Here are a few of our suggestions about higher education policy, especially for community colleges.

Two of the most startling trends for students trying to enroll in a California community college are increasing enrollment rates and budgetary cutbacks. The fact that both are happening concurrently should raise a giant red flag that current funding for the California community college system is not sustainable in the future.

According to the website of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, in the spring of 2010 more than 1.748 million students in the state enrolled in a community college. The website reports that 10 years earlier the number was at 1,532,268 students, an approximate 8 percent statewide growth.

Perhaps an 8 percent increase wouldn’t be a bad thing in 2000, when the state budget was experiencing a surplus. The Los Angeles Times reported a $13 billion surplus in the state’s budget on May 16, 2000, a very stark contrast to this year’s $19 billion shortfall. And as…» Read More

Imagine a queue of young voters standing in line to vote on Election Day. With ballots in one hand, they look at the propositions and candidates listed before them. Now the important questions aren’t for whom or what they’ll be voting on, but what do all these issues and candidates stand for, and why will they be voting for them? For example, when young people are asked why they’re voting for Proposition 19, some will say they’re for the legalization of marijuana because it’ll free up space and put real criminals, like rapists and murderers, in jail as opposed to marijuana offenders. Another reason a young voter might lean toward the proposition is because taxing marijuana would create revenue for a state in deep need of money. Unfortunately, many young people won’t vote for the proposition to help the state budget or put people in jail for real crimes, but simply because legalization will make it easier to smoke pot without facing prosecution. It’s this way of thinking that leads to blind voting among young people because they don’t take the time to educate themselves on how the proposed law will affect policy. Young voters will vote for or against…» Read More

In 2006, Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, was passed by the state Legislature and later signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to simply reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in our state to match levels in 1990 by the year 2020.

Now with the general election in November closer than ever, Proposition 23, backed by big Texas oil companies like Valero Energy Corporation and Tesoro Corporation, not only threatens AB32, but also more than 500,000 green jobs and clean air standards.

Proponents of Prop. 23, like Valero who owns Beacon, and Tesoro who owns retail brand name Shell, have donated over $5 million to the proposition between the two of them. But the list of corporations specializing in petroleum-based support doesn’t end there. More than 12 major oil corporations have thrown money at this bill, arguing that the proposition would put AB32 on hold, while they decrease California’s unemployment rate by creating new jobs. False.

According to “California’s Green Innovation Index” of 2009, clean air jobs have increased by 45 percent between 1995 and 2008. It also explains that California has more than 12,000 clean energy companies, providing more than 500,000 jobs. Therefore, if Proposition 23 should pass, it…» Read More

Our generation, the generation of the future, must curb its breeding as a whole so that our children, and by extent our children’s children, do not have to live in a world obliterated by lack of resources and overpopulation beyond limit.

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Just last year, President Obama signed an executive order that expanded embryonic stem cell research, giving scientists more federally allocated tax dollars. This order overturned a previous order put in place by President Bush in 2001 that no longer allowed the federal government to fund the research of embryonic stem cells.

The federal judge who made the ruling, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, concluded that Obama’s executive order was unlawful because it directly violates the Dickey-Wicker Amendment signed by Congress in 1996. This amendment states that the federal government cannot fund any research in which human embryos are created, destroyed or discarded.

Currently, the government does not provide any funding in the creation of new stem cell lines, but it funds the research necessary after they have already been created. But Lamberth seems to believe that funding the subsequent research is the same as funding the creation of stem cells in which human embryos are destroyed.

The government and judicial system does not need to put a hold on embryonic stem cell research. Instead, Congress needs to look at the law and ask one question: Why has the Dickey-Wicker Amendment been the cause of debate for the last 14 years?

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