Post 6

Monday, April 23 Read the article from the LA Times on the activists suing over the NDAA. Do you think the NDAA is or is not Constitutional? Are you concerned with the NDAA giving these new powers to the president? Why or why not?

Post 5

Monday, April 16th

Read the article Alleged Cole Bomber's Testimony Could Be Secret from National Public Radio and answer the following questions:

1. What are the arguments FOR having this testimony in secret?

2. What are the arguments AGAINST having this testimony in secret?

3. What is your opinion - should his testimony be in secret? Why or why not? (please write a paragraph to support your opinion)

Post 4 - April 9th

Welcome back from Spring Break! While you were out having fun the Supreme Court was making new rulings. Read about their recent decision on strip searches in jail in Florence vs. Board of Chosen Freeholders of Burlington County and then answer the following questions on in your blog post:

1. Summarize the basic facts of the case.

2. What did the Supreme Court rule?

3. Do you agree or disagree with their decision? Why or why not?

Post 3 - 3/26

Read the article Do Juvenile Killer Deserve Life Behind Bars? about the cases the U.S. Supreme Court is considering. Then answer the following questions:

1. Should juveniles be treated differently from adults if they commit murder? Why or why not? Or in what situations?

2. What do you think the U.S. Supreme Court should rule?

Post 2 - 3/19

In January the US Supreme Court heard a case about GPS tracking devices on cars. Read the article High Court: Warrant Needed for GPS Tracking Device and answer the following questions:

1. What did the Supreme Court rule?

2. Do you agre or disagree with their ruling?

Post 1 2012

Welcome to our class blog for Practical Law. Please read the article "CA Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban ruled unconstitutional" from the Washington Post and then answer the following questions:

1. What is your opinion - should same-sex marriage or gay marriage be legal and why?

2. This case is going to the U.S. Supreme Court where they will have to examine the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution which outlaws discrimination. Do you think that not allowing gays to marry is discrimination which is outlawed by the Equal Protection Clause?

3. Opponents of gay marriage say that legalizing it would violate (hurt) their right to freedom of their religion because in their religious beliefs they don't see homosexuality as moral. Do you think that legalizing gay marriage hurts freedom of religion which is protected by the First Amendment?

4. What do you think the U.S. Supreme Court should do on gay marriage?

Thanks for answering!

Last post: Right to Bear Arms

For our last post I choose a topic we haven't covered that is very controversial: the right to use guns. Last week a committee at the MN state legislature debated a bill that would have "authorized deadly force against intruders who enter a porch, garage or occupied car." In MN it is already legal to kill intruders in their homes.

Minnesota Public Radio covered this issue last week in their article, "House panel rejects bill to expand right to shoot in self defense".

1. Do you think the Second Amendment gives people the right to use weapons to shoot intruders in their homes, cars, or porches?

2. If you were in the MN state legislature, would you have supported the bill? Why or why not?