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: 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: 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: 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.

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. 

Issue 2013: Gun Control

by Rachel Gross

On December 14, 2012, 26 people were fatally shot at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  20 out of those 28 victims were innocent first grade children.  With gun violence consistently rising, there needs to be stricter enforcement of the gun laws that are currently in place.  The closest way to avoid these human calamities would be to confiscate all private weapons, which, however, would be almost impossible considering there are more than 300 million guns in the United States.  There should be stricter enforcement of the gun laws that we now have in place, which includes more extensive background checks.  Proper training for everyone should be required.  Owning a gun used to not only be common, but was a form of protection.  Nowadays, the use of guns as weapons is much more prominent than using them for protection.  This issue needs to be addressed in Congress so that tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook, can be better avoided in the future.

Issue 2013: Still Waiting for Washington

by Keerti Hariharan

Congress has had the same set of issues on its table for far too long. Proposals to these prolonged issues need to convert to solutions and quickly because the plethora of issues is only piling up especially given recent events. Foreign policy, health care reform, education reform, and immigration are among the issues at hand that have been prevalent yet negligibly dealt with, it seems, for too long. And it seems that now more than ever the country is pressing Washington to become proactive and solve these matters, especially given that more issues. including gun control, are reappearing after being put off for so long.

In terms of foreign policy, Obama has had much to deal with, including an occupation in Iraq, working to withdraw the troops in Afghanistan, addressing certain debts and other tensions with China, coaxing some peace within the Middle East where the Arab Spring has been prevalent. These are only a few issues that must be taken care of, and it seems that the only real sign of progress has been the death of Osama bin Laden. Although I understand perfectly that foreign policy will always be a concern for Congress, certain aspects such as withdrawing troops from Afghanistan need to be expedited. I definitely think that Afghanistan and China should be the main concerns of Washington as this presently tense relationship with China is damaging to our nation. Certain issues such as the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, I believe can be put off, while more present matters are dealt with, such as China and Afghanistan.

In addition to foreign policy, I think that Washington needs to start making some real decisions towards ameliorating guns, especially given the Newtown Shootings. This is an issue I believe should have been discussed before, but at least Congress is beginning to take another look now. Although I hugely believe that in an ideal world, guns would be completely banned because the act of possessing a gun in the first place makes you a target, it is impractical for me to expect such progressive solutions. I do know that the line of defense posed by many gun advocates: guns don't kill people, people kill people, is a highly flawed statement.  Without guns, it would be much more difficult to kill. If it were my job, I would advise the government to place national restrictions and limits on guns. Also, I believe that background checks need to become much more thorough to ensure that whomever is being given a gun license is cautious and mentally stable as are those with whom he would live with. Ultimately, it is too easy to obtain guns and the government needs to comprehend the seriousness of the matter and become proactive about it.

Economic issues seem to be the leading issue in Washington given unemployment rates, taxes, and the federal government's staggering $14 trillion debt. Here is where the partisan gridlock seems to be the most popular, thus hindering the nation's economic recovery and a visible decrease in unemployment rates. Washington needs to expedite the job-creating process because although we have seen progress, recovery is still too slow in the job market. The president needs to boost jobs in the public sector. When the president took office in 2008, one way he began to create jobs was negotiating with the Indian government to outsource and hire Americans. Indian IT firms helped to broaden hiring in the U.S., and I think that continuing similar trends would hugely benefit our struggling citizens.

With so many issues, the government needs to learn to compromise. America has always been about compromise and Washington needs to exhibit this characteristic too. The partisan gridlock is causing too much strain and slowing far too many processes that could have been dealt with long ago. I just hope that Washington grows up a little and sees how deep the nation really is in.

Issue 2013: Gun Control

by Kristina Hopkins

It is impossible to ignore the fact that the United States is in a large amount of debt. With the obvious consequence of going over the fiscal cliff, congress will not be able to put the economy of the United States on the back burner, but Congress will also be facing many other issues in the coming year. In December, 20 children and 8 adults died at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In the United States gun violence is a large problem and seems to be on the rise.

I understand that at the time when the Constitution was written, having a gun was a form of protection, but the times have changed and citizens owning guns seem to be harming us more than it is helping us. 20 children's lives and the lives of many others are cut short because normal citizens are allowed to own weapons. This is something that needs to be changed. I despise the saying “guns don’t kill people, crazy people with guns do,” because it was the gun that killed those children and the “crazy” person should not have been able to get his hands on it. Stricter laws on gun ownership and the types of guns available for purchase need to be made, and I know that this will occupy the minds of Congress because no one wants another tragedy like the one in Newton or in Columbine many years ago.

Issue 2013: Gun Control- Scrap It.

by Avni Mittal

Aurora Movie Theater: 12 dead, 59 injured.  Sandy Hook Elementary School: 28 dead (20 children 8 adults).  Aurora townhouse: 4 dead.  Baruch Houses, Lower East Side NYC: 16 year old boy dead.  These are some of the major shootings that have occurred in only the last several months in the United States.  Heading into 2013 and President Obama’s second term, there are a lot of issues that need to be faced.  Along with tackling the debt ceiling, climate change, and healthcare costs, I believe gun control should be one of the more prominent issues discussed in 2013.  

Gun violence is increasing at a rapid rate in the U.S and something really needs to be done about it.  I feel that part of the reason for this increase is the increased availability of guns.  A friend of the boy who was killed on the Lower East Side and others who witnessed the crime state that the shooter looked a mere 12 years old.  He then continued on to state that if she wanted to, his younger, seven-year-old sister, could purchase a gun.  The easy accessibility to guns has made it hard for shooters to have time think about their actions beforehand.  For example, the 12 year old shooter was claimed to have been seeking revenge for a fight earlier that day.  

Technically, according to the Second Amendment, American citizens have the right to bear arms.  Some may use them to feel safer or for sport.  But are those who have guns really safer?  In the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the gunman Adam Lanza is said to have shot his mother with the gun she had in the house.  Guns at home may be easily accessible to family member in the house, and can easily be snatched on site.  Therefore, I feel that the guns kept at home are causing more of a problem rather than preventing one.  Personally, like my government teacher, I believe that the Second Amendment needs to be scrapped. The American people cannot seem to handle guns, and those who wish to use guns for sport should keep their guns where the British do, locked up at hunting clubs. However, I have a hard time seeing this change as realistic out due to the many gun enthusiasts and civil rights activists in our country. 

For example, a gun show in the area of Newtown, Connecticut, still took place three weeks ago even after the tragedy that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Also, after shootings like Aurora and Sandy Hook, the number of guns sold has increases.  The immense fear that lies with many Americans has led us to try and ‘fix’ the problem by fighting fire with fire.  With this attitude, it will be hard to come up with a helpful approach to gun control.  I look forward to what will happen in the coming months. 

Issue 2013: New Day Same Problems

by Justin Paley

Like many Americans, I am praying that the new Congress and President Obama’s second term will bring some much needed change to Washington. But, sadly, I personally am not very hopeful for this. While some seemingly non-compromising tea partiers, such as Todd Akin are on their way out and some seemingly more open minds, such as Tammy Baldwin and Kirsten Gillibrand, are on their way in, I still don’t think that is enough to change Washington. The same problems that plagued us in 2012 and past years will continue to haunt us. Here is a list of what I think will be the most pressing issues/challenges in 2013:

1.     Fiscal Problems

With our Congress barely able to make a deal of the oh-so-infamous fiscal cliff, I have dampened confidence that this Congress can reach a timely deal on the upcoming fiscal questions. One of those pressing issues will be coming up very quickly. This is the possibility of raising the debt ceiling in February. While I am not hopeful that the partisan gridlock will stop with the New Year, we shall see how the new Congress handles these emerging fiscal questions.

2.     Gun Control

With the recent shooting at Newtown, gun violence is at the forefront of the public’s mind and there is much pressure from a lot of people to enact some stricter gun legislation and even ban weapons completely. While I do believe in the 2^nd amendment, I do think that Congress should impose some tougher gun regulations, especially on automatic and assault weapons.

3.     Foreign Policy

With the election over, the event in Benghazi has calmed down, but is still a pressing issue, especially among Republicans that basically stopped Susan Rice from being nominated for Secretary of State. Along with Benghazi there is still (and probably will be for a very, very long time) a lot of questions to answer in the Middle East such as what to do with Syria (with Obama recently rejecting a peace deal) and other Middle Eastern countries such as Afghanistan. I really don’t know what to do when it comes to the Middle East, but it will be interesting to see what the Obama administration, and Secretary of State-hopeful John Kerry, will do.

My advice for the President and Congress would be one word: compromise. It is a fact that the American people are sick of the gridlock in Washington and we all just want to see something get done. Some of the most Conservative politicians (Ronald Reagan) have found ways to compromise with very liberal politicians (Tip O'Neill). I would encourage all of Washington to look at history to guide them. Look at how Lyndon B. Johnson took advice from Dwight Eisenhower. While they were both from different parties, LBJ considered Eisenhower one of the greatest politicians he had ever met and the two were in agreement on civil rights and made considerable contributions to the advancement of civil rights. History shows that people on two opposite sides of the table can reach and shake hands and actually do something productive and serve the people that elected them. This country seems to be rebounding and it would be a shame if Washington’s gridlock got in the way.

Issue 2013: The Big Four

by Wes DeSouza

As we enter a new year, we move into a new spectrum of issues and controversies that need to be dealt with. Some big issues that are still of very much concern are issues such as fiscal issues, Healthcare reform, and energy. But also due to recent devastating events such as the Newtown shooting and Hurricane Sandy, there are new issues on the table that Congress should very much consider in its new legislative session.

1.)Fiscal issues: After the Federal Government barely averted the fiscal cliff, and the fiscal deal was passed, Congress is forced to move forward. This includes addressing and finding necessary cuts that need to be made.

2.)Energy: Congress needs to start making progress in the arena of climate change and energy conservation. It may seem like there is little political force to push climate change reform, but I think that there needs to be significant conversation about carbon emissions and alternative energy sources.

3.)Gun control: Due to recent events in Newtown Connecticut, this ahs shed light on the major issue of gun control. This means dissecting the Second Amendment and developing polices on automatic weapons, ammunition, and background check requirements. After the horrible shooting, I think that the public is ready and willing to adhere to new gun laws and I think Congress should too.

4.)Disaster response: In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Congress should bee looking at changing and looking into making new response systems, disaster planning, and looking into more effective relief systems.

Issue 2013: New Year, New Issues? Nope. New Year, Same Issues.

by Elan Axelbank

The celebratory New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square did not wipe away all of 2012’s political happenings, and it did not bring about a new set of political issues.  Unfortunately, the ball did not fall on the elusive “Reset American Politics” button, and the issues that dominated the political agenda of 2012 are still present.  Politically, all that the drop signified was Congress’ shameful failure to come up with an agreement to keep America from falling off the so-called “fiscal cliff.”  Yet another example of our “broken” Congress, the partisan gridlock that has become so detrimental to passing legislation prevented the Democrats and Republicans from reaching a compromise.  In the clearest way possible, this symbolizes the notion that the same issues were carried over into the new year and with regards to American politics, 2013 is but a continuation of 2012.

As we enter 2013 after having narrowly escaped the end of the world just two weeks ago, we still have troops in Afghanistan and talk of gun control legislation is still imperative.  For everybody, higher education is still way too expensive and for the underprivileged, education isn’t close to where it needs to be.  The harmful affects of climate change are still, for the most part, unaddressed and many elected officials do not even believe that global warming exists (which is an issue in and of itself).

The bet way to overcome the above issues would be to decrease the amount of partisanship in Congress and the politics of this country in general.  That statement has been said in virtually every political article over the past few years and I think that most, if not all, people would agree with it.  Why then, do Republicans in Congress continue to be intransigent when it comes to virtually every issue that passes through the legislative branch?  The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, couldn’t even come together to vote on legislation to give 60 billion dollars in aid to the states and victims affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Even Chris Christie, previously the “golden child” of the Republican Party, called out his own party’s leaders on this failure.

If for some crazy reason I was in the position to advise President Obama, I would beg him to stop being so complacent and giving in to the GOP on hugely important issues.  I wish he would stop calling the passing of the fiscal compromise a “victory,” when at least personally, I don’t see a tax increase for those with incomes above $450,000 as much of a victory.  Is it a start?  Yes.  But it’s not close to sufficient and convincing the American people that it is will only make his job these next four years harder.

Issue 2013: New Year, New Congress, New Resolutions

by Val Renda

2013 is starting out as a big year – a second term for President Obama and a new Congress. My most general hope for the coming year is cooperation among parties in Congress because there is an ever-increasing divide between parties, and it seems more and more difficult to reach compromises. In 2013, there are many political challenges in front of us, and I believe the two main ones that we should focus on in the New Year are the economy and disaster relief reforms.

I think the economy should be an important priority in the first few months of the new term and new Congress. Much of the election was based upon economic policies, job growth, tax policies, and rebuilding the economy because this is the greatest concern to the majority of American families. If I were an advisor to the president I would first suggest that he fire me as an advisor because he needs someone more educated in politics and the economy… Then, I would advise him to push forth compromise in Congress to resolve this crisis and to stick to the promises of a better economy that he stressed in the election. I think Congress needs to regain the confidence of the American people in this upcoming year, because it seems that people are increasingly blaming Congress for not being responsive enough to the economic problems that our nation is facing. I think that the government needs to cut spending and reach a compromise on deficit spending. Financial turmoil is something Americans DON’T want to see in 2013, which is why the economy is the biggest issue for this year.

Along with economic reforms, I think disaster reforms are greatly needed this year. Hurricane Sandy left many people upset with the national and state government for not acting quickly enough for relief, which is why I think there needs to be some sort of national policy for disaster relief and aid, in order for the government to be more prepared if something like this should happen again.

I think gun control will be a popular topic in the New Year for Congress. I don’t have a solution to this problem because I think there are so many factors that are involved that I don’t know enough about, including the impact that the gun industry has on the economy and whether or not losing jobs in this industry would greatly affect the economy or not.

In 2013, I think there is a lot of pressure for Congress to step up their game and focus on the big issues – not avoid them. I hope that we see a lot of progress in 2013. 

Issue 2013: Gun Control

by Malcolm Kelsey

As we move into the New Year it is necessary as a nation that we look in the mirror and see what we can do about gun control.  Obviously, the devastation that happened a few weeks ago in Newton, Connecticut was absolutely horrible.  But can we really only blame the actions of the young man who took the lives of many children and adults for what occurred?  Of course, to an extent we can blame him, but also as a nation I believe we are at fault.  It is clear that we need to check the current system of weapon distribution in our country, so as an advisor to the president I would bring forth the question, do people really need assault rifles in their homes?  This is especially frightening if there is easy access for children and young adults to use these weapons in potentially tragic ways.  Ultimately, no one should be able to have access to simple assault rifles, as it has caused way too many problems.  

Issue 2013: My Political Pipe Dreams

by Stacy McMillen

I have asked my government students to identify the big issues of 2013.  By big issues, I mean the issues that they believe our national leaders should deal with in the coming year.  This is exactly the sort of thing that I think about all the time (scary, no?), so it seems fair for me to also participate in the assignment.  So I have made a political wish list for 2013.   Mine is one part practical and two parts pipe dream.  I'll leave it to readers to figure out which is which.

1.  Climate change: Real action on climate change, including conversations about our resource consumption habits and policies to change them, especially water conservation and oil and natural gas extraction.  As part of this, I'd like to see us commit to alternative energy development and use.

2.  Infrastructure improvement: An updated and modernized national electric grid, a commitment to national Internet access, significant road and bridge repairs.  This commitment would involve short-term costs in exchange for immediate job opportunities and long-term economic growth.

3.  Disaster preparedness: Now more than ever, a national conversation about disaster preparedness is in order. This is exactly the sort of thing that should accompany real action on climate change.  It could certainly facilitate policy proposals to enable progress in emergency planning.

4.  Gun control:  My list here is long.  Count me among those who would cheerfully vote to remove the Second Amendment from the Constitution.  Short of that, I'd like to see national bans on automatic weapons, national limits on bullet purchases, and vigorous background checks.  These solutions will not fully cure our violent nation, but they would be a start.  My greatest political fear at the moment is that none of it will materialize in the current political climate.

5.  Healthcare costs: A serious effort to come to terms with healthcare costs.  In all honesty, this is truly a pipe dream because the only reasonable solution on this front is establishing a national healthcare model, a sort of Cleveland Clinic writ large, and our nation is so unwilling to understand that this is our obvious solution.

I'm ending my list here, though there are many more issues I'd like our leaders to tackle.  But reality dictates that only a few big policy changes will move forward in a given year and I'm likely already over my limit.  Even so, these New Year's Resolutions made on behalf of Congress are a solid start on moving our nation in the direction I'd like to see us head.  

Okay, Congress, you've been given your marching orders.  Now get to work.