Issue 2013: The Political Super Bowl – A Game All Sides Win By Working Together

by Allie Pizzuto

The major political challenges facing our re-elected President, Barack Obama, are: reducing the out-of-control and rising national debt (and related fiscal cliff issues), tax reform, and gun control.  As an advisor to President Obama or to our Congressional leaders, I would strongly advocate and advise that the White House and Congress work together (well before impending deadlines ensue) and pass legislation that will benefit our whole country without regard to party affiliation or special interest groups (e.g., the wealthy, lobbyists representing corporate America, etc.).  America has been in a state of gradual decline for awhile now, and it is crucial that we get back on track as soon as possible.  All parties (Republican, Democrat, Independent) should join together in a collaborative manner (for a change) to put the American people first and reduce the national debt (not raise the debt ceiling) and cut every spending program across the board, where warranted.  Every American has a vested interest in seeing that the national debt is reduced, and each of us has a responsibility to shoulder the burden.   For example, our federal tax system should be reformed or at the very minimum federal tax legislation should be passed which taxes income in a progressive manner (a wealthier person should pay more taxes).  People who earn higher levels of income and corporations should pay more in taxes in the future to reduce the national debt.  In exchange, spending cut measures will be put in place to reduce benefits under entitlement programs.  This is a fair exchange, especially since the federal tax system will truly be progressive in nature (meaning that the higher the income, the higher the tax burden).  Regarding gun control, how many more times do we need to read about massacres occurring in our educational institutions?  Opening fire on small young children in Newtown, CT – what a disaster!  We should be ashamed of ourselves as a nation to allow this behavior to continue to persist.  Although we may have the freedom and the right to buy guns, that right and freedom is not unrestrained and should never be a protected freedom at all costs.  Although the problem is multi-faceted, the answer is not as simple as staffing our educational institutions with armed guards, as the National Rifle Association recently suggested.  On the contrary, our great nation needs reasonable gun control measures to be put in place.   President Obama recently suggested several measures to diminish the threat of continued gun violence, which includes banning certain assault weapons and subjecting everyone to background checks.  These are reasonable infringements on our right to buy guns.  

Issue 2013: Gun Control & Marijuana Legalization

by Ashok Gogineni

In the New Year, one issue that should be of grand importance in Congress will be the issue of gun control. After the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut the issue is on the front burner of everyone’s minds, and action in order to keep citizens safe should be taken extremely seriously by Congress. First off, I think Congress should take initiative and start off by banning the use of automatic weapons. The main reason that Conservatives believe that we have the right to bear arms is to protect ourselves. Although weapons such as handguns may protect, and I am in favor of the use of handguns, no one has a need for the carrying of an assault rifle, and those who are in favor of the use of assault rifles usually only support it as a hobby and have no NEED for them for protection. I think the ban of automatic weapons will significantly reduce the harm caused by guns and will be a good first step in the goal for better gun control. I also believe that Congress should pass legislature calling for background checks on all carriers of weapons. This should be done on the family of a carrier as well, which will insure that the weapon does not fall into the hands of someone it should not.

Another issue that should be taken seriously by Congress in the New Year is the issue of the legalization of marijuana. This issue seems to be pretty important to the American people, and an issue that is seen all over the media. I think the legalization of marijuana will significantly decrease the illegal drug trade and take away much power from the power hungry drug cartels, who cash in on the illegal crop. I also think that marijuana can potentially be a huge source for tax revenues for both state and federal governments. Legalizing marijuana can also potentially create thousands of jobs as the process of growth to sale requires much man power. 

Issue 2013: Reality Check

by Nigel Scott

We have a black president!... But wait, we already knew that didn’t we? So why am I writing this now? Because the times, they are a changing. Now that Obama has won his second term of office, I think we’re going to finally see the badass in him (that we expected four years ago!) emerge.  I mean, he has already started to adopt a take no shit attitude with Congress, pressuring them to actually do their jobs. Maybe we’ll see him actually propose helpful reform policies for the minorities of this country too. This might be the year of the POC.

To all of you that don't know what that means, POC is an acronym for People of Color. You all remember the election right? Three out of every ten voters were minorities, and they came out primarily for Obama. Blacks were 93% Obama, Latinos 71%, and Asians 73%. Now, I know it isn’t wise to assume, but I think we can all agree something must be going on when getting the majority of the white vote doesn’t win you an election. And Congress had better pay attention.

For years, the problems of minority voters have been swept under the rug, especially for blacks and Latinos. Now I’m going to throw some crazy statistics out there and wonder how in the hell we’ve let this happen (or maybe not, who knows?). Blacks and Latinos make up about one quarter of the US population; they also happen to make up 58% of the US prison population. About 14 million whites have admitted to using illegal drugs compared to 2.6 million black, but blacks are still sent to jail on drug charges at ten times the rate of whites. And this one I just love. If the current trends continue, one in every three black men born today can expect to serve some amount of jail time.

On top of that you have things like the “Stop and Frisk” tactics in NYC and the “Show Me Your Papers” provision in Arizona that, dare I say, promote racial profiling. Police are using these devices and many others to single out and attack minority groups across the country. Even proposed voter ID laws, while not existing to aid in incarceration tactics, are aiming to take out a huge chunk of potential minority (i.e. Democrat) voters.

But, I think this year, things might start to pick up. Like I said before, the face of the nation is changing; minorities are on the way to becoming the majority, and as we make our way to the top of the political food chain, government reform will be on the mind. Recent developments like the legalization of marijuana in Colorado could lead to at least decriminalization of the drug nationwide, which could get many young black men out of trouble. Another interesting thing is that in Texas District 23, the two candidates opted to have their debate in Spanish, which goes to show that Latinos are being given more and more attention in politics.

Okay, so maybe saying it will be the “Year of the POC” is stretching it a bit, but that doesn’t mean that change isn’t starting to rear its ugly head. The problems of minorities are making their way to becoming the big issues, and hopefully their champion, Mr. President Obama will step up to the plate and give “the people” what they want.

Issue 2013: Immigration Reform

by Jasmine Smith

When President Obama ran for office in 2008, one of the main priorities on his agenda was to reform the immigration policy. But with the fiscal cliff, high unemployment rates, and debates about gun control, the topic of immigration has been put on the back burner during his first term. Last year, over 400,000 illegal immigrants have been deported, and with an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, the problem of immigration can no longer be ignored.

Immigrants that were brought to this country illegally as young children should not be subject to arrest or deportation. These children were brought here by their parents, not through their own will, and brought up through the American school system, so therefore they consider themselves to be American. All the parents wanted is a better opportunity for their children, an opportunity that may not be available to them in their own country. Why should the children have to suffer because of the crimes that their parents committed? Under the Dream Act, undocumented young immigrants can achieve legal status in this country through a six year long plan. As long as they plan to work, go to school, or serve in our military and have a clean criminal record, immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children should be allowed to fulfill the American dream.

Critics of the Dream Act argue that allowing illegal immigrants to have the same opportunities as American born citizens disadvantages those who were actually born here. They believe that since they especially have an advantage because of affirmative action, the illegals are taking job opportunities and college slots that were rightfully ours. But they fail to realize that we all, at one point in our ancestry, were immigrants to this country. In 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew “discovered” an already inhabited land, kicked the natives out of their own homes, settled on a land that wasn’t theirs, and renamed it “America”. This nation was founded on the basis of being a land of opportunity, and hopefully in the future the Dream Act will be edited in a way such that every opportunity can be equally attained by all. 

Issue 2013: Going Green

by Asia Williams

I believe that it is obvious that our abuse of the environment and its natural resources is a definite priority on the list of problems we face in 2013. From little things like forgetting to unplug your hair dryer after use (it doesn’t matter if it is turned off; if it’s still plugged in you are in fact still wasting electricity) to discarding and littering a bottle of water, 3 feet on the ground from a convenient recycling bin, we have become oblivious and unaware the of how important the environment is to us and therefore how many precautions we need to take in order to keep the privilege of using it.

One of the ways we naturally maltreat the environment is our unhealthy dependency on oil. We are literally the “oil economy” and go through critical lengths to secure our status as our economy doesn’t know how to properly function in its absence. Oil is literally one of the most important factors that ensures our economic health but because we are so used to having it around (and tons of it) we tend to go through supplies carelessly thinking that we can never run out. In reality we are low in oil and are so desperate for it that we put ourselves in position where we’re not only going to run out sooner or later but we feel that it is ok to start randomly drilling where we are not permitted or where it’s not safe.

New oil is harder to find, takes longer to develop and requires a lot more capital. Companies like Shell Oil on the other hand continue to push their limits and drill for oil in places like the Artic which has already lost 75% of its ice by volume since the National Snow and Ice Data Center started recording this info back in 1979. Reduced Arctic sea connects to a warmer planet and thus a change in climate patterns and people tend to push aside such thoughts, ignoring them because we evidently we don’t see how much this effects not only us but our entire world. We are at risks because people don’t see the long term effects of the over use of oil because in many ways it will be a while till it has an impact on us individually and because of that gap of time we think it’s ok and just not that serious enough that we can’t just wait till another time to deal with it. But we can’t keep pushing this issue back.

When is enough going to be enough? I know I can’t just simply ask people to throw their beliefs, routines and ways of daily living out the window but we need to start somewhere and make some kind of commitment to actually acknowledging that we things are getting worse. We may become the largest oil producer in 2013, the Arctic sea ice reached its lowest level in recorded history and Shell plans to give drilling another go this year. 

Issues: Tax Reform

by Ian Yusem

For weeks leading up to the New Year, we heard nothing but partisan posturing regarding the fiscal cliff.  While a deal was eventually reached, what seems clear is that Republicans and Democrats are no closer to realizing that the uncertainly caused by ceaseless argument creates anxiety for the average citizen and reduces confidence of our citizens in the two party political system. What is the process by which we can have any confidence that our elected officials have the capacity to address our economic problems for the good of the majority of Americans? What measure can cause the Congress to come together to achieve wide reaching economic change?

I think the answer is tax reform that avoids unfair burden on any one group yet raises revenue available to the budget by eliminating loopholes and tax advantages of special interest groups.

As it stands now, politicians are lobbied to support tax subsidies for particular groups or activities. This process creates complication, causes unfairness in the system and makes those who cannot take advantage of the loopholes believe the system is corrupt.  Making taxes simpler by removing loopholes will avoid partisan politicking and reduce the influence of lobbyists.  Simplifying tax laws will make it easier for people to comply with tax laws, and the average taxpayer will stop questioning the fairness of the tax system.

Essentially, there would be no exceptions – all income would be treated the same.  Only the rate paid by taxpayers would differ, with rates rising with income.

Congress needs to come together in a bold and new direction by creating economic stability that can be blended with public confidence in our government. It is no secret that the youngest generation of voting age Americans is politically apathetic. Non-stop political brinksmanship is to blame for the generational lack of confidence. Radical tax reform would be an extraordinary measure that would be disruptive, but in a positive way, by bringing predictability to the budget process and confidence in government to average Americans.

Issue 2013: Gun Control, Immigration Reform, Debt, & Gridlock

by Rina Dhawlikar

As we move into 2013 and the second term of President Barack Obama, the nation stands at a crossroads. The people need to choose between the constitutional rights to carry arms versus gun control. The recent tragedy in Newton, Connecticut has brought the gun control debate front and center again. It was truly heartbreaking when children under 10 were shot at random by a possibly mentally ill adult. In my personal opinion, while legally everyone has the right to carry arms to defend themselves, nobody needs assault weapons like the ones used in the killings in Connecticut, and Colorado.  A ban on assault weapons and background checks on people buying guns would go a long way in making America safer. Mental Illness also needs to be aggressively recognized and treated. Recently, New York State has taken the lead in enforcing these background checks and mental illness reporting by doctors. This should be followed by the other states in the union as well.

The other challenge that our nation needs to confront is the issue of immigration. While the US has a lot of illegal immigrants who tend to use up the resources and possibly be a burden on our health care system, there are also a lot of talented students coming to the US legally but are turned away to go back to their homeland. These students should be given a path to citizenship so as to retain the talent in the US. Recent studies have shown that our education system is falling behind other developing nations such as Korea, India, and China. While our universities train several such PhD’s, they should be incorporated into the American society legally so as to be an asset to the nation. The illegal immigrants should also have a path to citizenship so that they can pay taxes and contribute to the economy.

 A third extremely important challenge facing the nation is the rapidly escalating debt and deficit. The deficit has climbed to more than sixteen trillion dollars. This is a significant and ever increasing burden on the young generation such as mine. Our generation will eventually be left with paying for the debt of the older generations if this is not fixed quickly and permanently. There has to be a balanced approach to solving this problem. While some taxes need to be raised to get more money, it is extremely important to restrain spending so that the debt doesn’t grow.

 A lot of the current problems are attributable to the partisan gridlock in Washington, DC. Both Democrats and Republicans need to compromise in the nation’s interest and not take extreme positions. The president needs to take a lead in this process, as have previous successful presidents. I hope these problems are sincerely approached and solved in a bipartisan way so that America can once again be the shining city on the hill as Ronald Regan referred to. 

Issue 2013: Unlock the Partisan Grid Lock

by Eric Wang

In the past four years, Obama’s support rate has dropped significantly. People seem to have lost the passion and the resolution they had the day Obama won the presidency. The most important reason of the all is that people didn’t see the revolutionary change that could solve all the problems and open a new era as they expected. However, is it not that Obama is incapable of promoting change, it is because that Obama couldn’t. The campaign between two parties in expressing their own interests and seeking reelection has always occurred in U.S. history, but it has become exceedingly furious in the past few years. Every attempt Obama made has faced great opposition from the Republicans. As the Democrat Representative Mike Thompson said, it’s like the Republican agenda became making sure President Obama did not win re-election.

However, Republicans are not the only side who is involved in this partisan feud. Mike Thompson himself has voted his party’s line 92.2% of the time, and this is not an extreme example. The average Democrat votes with the party 93% of the time, while that number for Republicans isn’t much different. Now the two-party system has already turned away from the intention of the Founders. The members of Congress usually view the interests of their parties as primary, instead of representing the interests of citizens. As Joseph Lieberman, who has represented Connecticut in the Senate for 23 years, said in his speech, “too often people… who come to government in Washington with the best of intentions end up putting their parties’ interests ahead of the country’s interests?”

This partisan gridlock does great harm to the current situation, especially in light of the still-terrible economy status. For U.S economy to get back in order, long term economic policies are required, which may take much longer than a presidential term. Both parties must cooperate to get things done.

Before the 2012 election, the politicians had hoped that the election would resolve the struggle and end the gridlock. As Representative Paul Ryan said, one side would gain the moral authority to impose permanent and fundamental reform. But it didn’t happen this way. After the election, things seem to remain the same. Democrats have the presidency and Senate, while Republicans still control the House. However, there is positive side of the election. Obama will no longer have to seek re-election. The most extreme Republican candidates, Richard Mourdock and Todd Aiken have lost their previous positions. Obama said in his acceptance speech, “In the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with the leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together.”

He said that before, but this time it’d better be true. The leaders for both parties have to understand the reality that they can’t get everything they want and no one can get everything he/she wants. To fix this broken democratic system, it will be impossible to pass a new Amendment that changes the form of politics. Therefore compromise is the only way and the most essential way to solve the problems such as fiscal cliff, before they are no longer problems, but disasters. 

Issue 2013: Maralize Legajuana

by Stephanie Graziano

2012 was a big year for the pot-smokers of America: prior to the 2012 election, eighteen states and Washington D.C. had legalized the use of medical marijuana in pre-determined increments.  In this past election, two states, Colorado and Washington, have also legalized the use of recreational marijuana for adults twenty-one and over.  According to an article published by Rolling Stone, six states may follow the path of Colorado and Washington.  Oregon, California, Nevada, Rhode Island, Maine, and Alaska are all likely to legalize recreational usage of the drug.  The states with such a law will benefit immensely from the profit made by  taxes on the plant.

For the first time, the 2013-2014 Congress must confront the issue of legalizing the possession and use of this jolly green plant.  The Marijuana Policy Project hopes to treat the drug like alcohol.  According to the MPP’s website, selling marijuana for recreational use could produce a possible $24 million in annual sales taxes for that state.  Of course we already know the financial benefits that go along with taxing and regulating the sale of marijuana but Congress will have to consider more than that when confronting this question. 

Prohibition, for one, has failed.  Marijuana use is mainstream and millions of Americans have either tried the drug or regularly use it.  Prohibition wastes public resources and replacing it with the taxation and regulation of the drug would bring in $17.4 billion and increase tax revenues.  Another problem with prohibition is that the laws against marijuana are enforced unevenly.  African-Americans are more likely to be arrested for possession than whites even though there is no study proving that African-Americans use the drug more than whites.  Marijuana prohibition also creates violence.  Disputes between dealers, producers, and distributors cannot be solved in a lawful fashion, making violence an inevitable result.  More than 50,000 people were killed in the 2006 Mexican drug war alone.  The legal sale of marijuana can make this violence less likely.

On another level, smoking cannabis is arguably healthier than smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol, yet both are legal in all states.  Marijuana has a number of health benefits including the treatment of HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, cancer and chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, insomnia, and other illnesses.  The American Medical Association calls for more studies of marijuana; marijuana can help reduce pain in the ill. 

Many states are still deliberating on different medical marijuana bills or revising their current bill for the regulation and sale of medical marijuana.  There are numerous benefits to legalizing marijuana and lucky Congress gets to review the pro-con lists and decide about its possible legalization.  Because of the benefits, decriminalization is a sturdy, less radical way to go about this question.  In any event, marijuana usage will continue with or without Congressional say so. 

Issue 2013: Keep an Eye Out for Education Reforms

by Jie Chen

In the 2012 election, education reform was left out. Starting anew in 2013, these are three issues for us to watch out concerning education:

1.  Reform for Teacher Evaluations & Common Standards in Schools

Although George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind had many fans when it first passed, the policy hasn’t made any substantial improvement so far. But the nation’s students are waiting in line. The most obvious problem, as President Obama has pointed out, is that under the provisions of the Bush-era NCLB law, four out of five schools could be tagged as failures, which in fact are not failing. Obama has urged Congress to work out a solution on how to measure student progress and labeling schools that fall short. He also added measuring creativity and critical thinking along with math and reading skills, and rewarding good teachers while being stricter with bad ones, which caused teachers’ unions a big lot of fits.

2.  Immigration Reform: Dream Act

The controversial Dream Act still needs a finer answer that answers the problem that anti-illegal immigration advocates raised. They renamed it the Nightmare Act for the worry that it would increase the amount of illegal aliens. The anti-Dreamers thinks the Dream Act would reward undocumented immigrants and encourage continued illegal immigration, which would takes education spots away from American students. Undocumented youth who seek American futures are now in the hands of the Congress and the Dream Act is a good idea.

3.  Making College More Affordable

Almost 20% of US households have outstanding educational loans.   Those who are in debt owe more than ever before. Hot issue like economy seems to capture people’s attention more than other issues, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has argued that a growing level of student debt is holding back the overall economic recovery.  One observer claims that student debt is preventing new graduates from buying homes, which plays no good role in the recovery of housing market and the U.S. economy.

(BTW, the college application process has cost me more than expected financially. Who can afford to apply for 15 colleges with application fees and fees for sending standardized scores?)

Hopefully in the New Year, Congress and the president will put in more efforts and push forward education reforms to benefit more students in the nation. Education is a long-run investment and it is the thing that will put America in a more competitive position. 

Issue 2013- 4:20 Blaze it Yo

by Jack Williams

Sup School. It is I, Jack Williams, here to lay some fiery, political truth upon the masses. Speaking of FIRE, I would like to discuss an issue that has set the world aBLAZE. Tensions have been HIGH, as parties both sides of this issue attempt to ensure that their aspirations don't go up in SMOKE. If you couldn't guess, the issue I am referring to is…tenure.

Jk it’s the recreational use of marijuana.

 It seems to me, that recreational weed is the issue that everyone wants to discuss…the issue that everyone has an opinion on. In my AP Gov class, when the issue is brought up, everyone sits up, a smile crosses their faces and all of a sudden, politics have become interesting. Clearly, we as young adults have made it clear that this is the issue that we to challenge. Or, more aptly, this is a miscarriage of justice that American teens feel must be rectified immediately. Don’t believe me? Weed has had bans against it since 1905, and suddenly, recreational use has been legalized in two states. People are obviously starting to make noise.

Public opinion has uprooted over a century of precedence. The suddenness of this change suggests that our generation is at the helm of this change…even at our young age, we can shape our country’s future…. So what are we using this power to do? Let me put it to you this way: In this great country of ours, certain states prohibits a marriage between two people of the same gender due to irrational and ignorant prejudice. But clearly, the fact that weed is illegal requires our attention first.

“Gay marriage be damned! I want to get high on the weekends!” Right?

Real talk people: this isn’t about whether or not weed should be legal, and obviously, supporting its recreational use doesn’t mean that you aren’t aware or vocal about other political issues…but if this last year has taught me anything about public opinion, it’s that when enough of us want something changed, we can make it happen.

Trying to legalize the recreational use of marijuana is an abuse of this power. Seriously, there are more important things that require our attention.

Issue 2013: Gun Control & Substance Legalization

by Joe Martin

In the coming year I think that Congress will be have to reform the Gun Laws, take on current activism for the legalization of Marijuana, and reconsider the drinking age.

Gun Laws

I think we need stricter gun laws, which will prevent gun violence in the future. From 2006 to 2010 around 47, 856 people were murdered from firearms alone. In Britain there are around 58 murders a year from firearms. This is due to better policies on gun control. I think that our government should learn from their policies in order to make ours better. Fully automatic weapons and semi automatic weapons are completely banned for private ownership in Great Britain. In some cases, through the licensing process guns are kept by clubs, which controls the use of the firearms.  I think this is a very effective way of limiting firearm use in the U.S and as a result I think the number of deaths per year would drastically decrease.  

Drinking age

Currently the drinking age in the United States is 21 years. of age. However, at the age of 18 we are able to serve in the army and risk our lives for our country. I think the drinking age should be moved down to 18 years old once again. As of now I don’t think that this is a real enforceable law since a  population of college students still manage to drink before the age of 21 without anything really getting in the way. Also, when the drinking age was 18 there were a lot less people going to the hospital for alcohol-related matters.  If people were able to drink at the age of 18 I think they will learn to drink responsibly.

Marijuana Laws

I personally do not believe that marijuana should become legal. I think if it were to become legal it would be much like alcohol and considered not a big deal.  I also think this would send the wrong message to the youth of America by saying that it is okay to smoke.  I think this is a real problem that Congress will have to address in the coming year due to all the support the legislation of marijuana has gotten.

Issue 2013: Women's Health

by Giulia Accurso

As we enter the New Year, I think that a lot is going to change in the government. There are new problems occurring that need solutions like Gun Control and Abortion. Abortion has been a re-occurring problem, but the newest addition is the Plan B: One Step pill. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that allows women who have had unprotected sex to terminate any possible pregnancy within 72 hours. Many people, especially women activists, believe that this pill is completely immoral and there is a lot of controversy over it. Many believe that birth control in the first place is bad, but this pill takes it to a whole other level. I personally disagree with all anti-abortionists. I believe that the Plan B pill should be accessible to anyone who needs it, especially teenagers. Unfortunately in this day and age, sex is everywhere: In the media, and in social settings. Teenagers are learning about health and safety at such a young age now, and they should know that if they ever do make a mistake, that this emergency contraceptive is there to help. I think that many people believe that this is just a “way out” of being a mother, or will be used as a form of birth control, but the fact is that if there are more teenagers that are mothers, that lessen the chances of them getting a higher education. I believe that if a mistake happens, you should be able to fix it if it’s going to ultimately help you in the long run. Women shouldn’t have to be held back from having great careers and families in the future by having unprotected sex one time and having a child from it. 

Issue 2013: Gun Control

by Lindsay Egan

For the New Year, I think we need to address the big elephant in the room: Gun control. Everyone has an opinion on it. After all of the shootings in the past year, and one earlier this month, how can we make light of what is happening? I doubt trying to change the Constitution will happen, but proposing new, stricter limits on gun ownership could definitely help. Having the right to bear arms is an important asset to many Americans, but we need to be more careful on who we give those guns to. I also think we should work on bringing our nation closer together and being less divided.

Issue 2013: Marriage Equality & Guns

by Ryann Tucker

America is moving and changing quickly and I believe that same sex marriage is a big debate that needs to be ended. Personally, my beliefs are that love is love and you should be allowed to marry whomever you please. I come from a religious family, and I think that religion is important but the Bible is not a manual for how we should run our country. And I think that, unfortunately, religion plays a larger role than it should in our country’s decision-making process. Same sex marriage is an issue that I feel should really be a non-factor moving forward, because giving gays the right to marry isn't going to cause any true issues in our country.  We might have a few protests here and there but all in all the results of allowing same sex marriage in America can only be beneficial. That’s one of the reasons why I was so happy when President Obama formally stated that he has no problem with gays and that he's in full support of gay marriage. It shows that our country is moving forward in a positive direction.

The next issue that I feel is important and need of a quick resolution are the tightening of the U.S. policies on gun control. I feel that gun control policies should be stricter because the massive amounts of guns in US civilian hands are just not necessary. The murder rate in the US is extremely high compared to a lot of other countries that have tightened their gun policies. The recent school shooting in Connecticut has made so many people aware of the issue that is the weak American gun control system. If you’re above a certain age and not a former felon you can purchase a gun in the United States. Guns are lethal weapons and I feel that the only people that should have easy access to them are those whose job require that level of protection. I also really think that assault weapons and the other types of guns that we use in warfare should not be available to the public. In my opinion it’s completely unnecessary. I do believe that normal civilians should be allowed to have a gun if they have passed a series of psychological evaluations and have proof of proper storage in their home for the firearm. The problem with that is that once a gun is sold to a civilian then it is in circulation in the population. The government has no way of knowing what it will be used for and who's hands it will truly be in, which is very scary.

Issues 2013: Guns & Marriage Equality

by Pierce Maby

As much as I, or anyone else, would like to see some progressive changes coming out of Congress this year, I am not too optimistic. I was pleased with many of the results coming out of Election Day; results including Obama earning a second term in office, fewer tea-partiers in Congress, and radical changes to gay marriage and marijuana laws in several states. I would like to see our country advance towards increased gun control, and perhaps even towards marriage equality.

We’ve entered the New Year with the Connecticut shooting fresh in our minds. Immediately following the attack, the nation saw widespread support for reforming gun laws. By now, however, the ripples of the initial impact seem to have subsided significantly, both in the media and in everyday conversation. In addition to the dwindling momentum, the NRA, as well as conservative members of Congress, will do anything and everything in their power to prevent gun laws from becoming stricter. Perhaps some reform will come, but I don’t expect anything too substantial.

Though the United States has made several landmark civil rights advancements in the past century, I don’t believe that we’re at a point in 2013 where that can simply stop altogether. After all, we can’t just teach our children that our nation ensures “liberty and justice for all”, only for them to learn that this is a blatant lie. Although 2013 may not be the year for the legalization of gay marriage, I at least hope for some progress towards marriage equality, especially on the federal level.

Issue 2013: Gun Control

by Liz Mulvey

Some of the political challenges that we are going through are starting Obama care, creating stricter gun control, and fixing the economy.

If I were an advisor to the president I would advise starting with stricter gun control.  I would start with gun control because of everything that has been going on in the past few years with innocent people being killed. Right now the president will have the most power on the subject because this issue is current in people’s minds.  He will be able to propose and pass laws about gun control now because most people will be on the same page with the him.  If we wait one or two years down the road people would forget about the issue or this issues could just get bigger and out of hand. I believe there should be stricter background checks when anyone buys a gun.  We should check to see if they have been in jail and we should ask a family member to vouch for an individual’s safety.  I also favor stricter gun purchase limits. No one should have more than one gun. 

Gun control is one of the issues now, but the president should still keep an open mind to the other factors going on like implementation of Obamacare and fixing the economy and he should address these issues as the year goes on. 

Issue 2013: New Year: Let’s Hit the Reset Button

by Diana Zhao

Everyone wishes that there is a reset button so that they could clear the mistakes they’ve made in the past and start a new life in a new year. It should be the same with the Congress and the President. However, the ball dropped down from the top of the Times Square Building doesn’t crush the issues they faced in 2012. They still have to deal with the existing issues and problems while preparing for more in the upcoming year.

2012 has been a tough year for the nation, with Hurricane Sandy, the shooting massacre in Connecticut, newly-issued fiscal policy, partisanship in Congress and many other remaining problems from the previous year. It’s certainly impossible to fix all in merely one year, but we can always wish for better.

1.     Disaster Response

The sudden visit of Hurricane Sandy alarmed people about the inefficiency and the lack of preparation of the government for natural disasters. Even though the hurricane has passed long ago and the remaining issue is the aftermath remedy, the government still has to work on the immediate after-disaster response, backup power and water sources, and infrastructure repair. Also, people who live in the possibly affected areas should get confirmed official warnings or even organized evacuations from local government long before the storm. There would have been less devastation if the news had talked about it more.

2.     Gun Control

The terrible shooting massacre at Newtown, Connecticut, is another tragedy of the long-existing gun issue. Congress really should work out a more strict control policy in 2013, like limiting the kinds of guns, numbers of bullets, and enforcing buying registrations. When people purchase guns, there should be a registration so that the government could track the where every piece goes. However, personal sales at gun shows and black markets have always been problematic. I don't have suggestions on this because it's hard to balance between enough background checks and gun purchase trace, and privacy protection. I wish Congress would have some law worked out. As an international student from China, I myself lived 18 years in a country without legal guns in life and I feel perfectly fine. The right to hold a gun has been part of the American experience from the very start of the nation. That’s why it’s been a very problematic issue for so many years.

3.     Environment

Issues regarding the environment and energy will be a long-term topic in the Congressional discussion. Clean energy development and efficiency improvement are definitely the way out, but the Congress needs to put pressure on specialized agencies to get it going. Simply importing intermediate goods from developing countries and leaving the “dirty” work to them is not, and never will be, the solution.