negron_blog

December 19, 2007

Plessy v. Ferguson
Ruled on May 18 of 1896, Plessy v. Ferguson was a court case in which the Supreme Court determined the constitutionality of racially segregated areas in public places. Plessy, a 1/8 black and 7/8 white man, attempted a test case to personally experience the constitutionality of the Supreme Court. He was arrested, tried, and convicted. Although Plessy wasn't even half black, he was considered as such under Louisiana state law. Plessy's argument was that his rights under the 13th and 14th Amendments were denied by the East Louisiana Railroad. In the case //Homer Adolph Plessy v. The State of Louisiana//, Judge John Howard Ferguson ruled that Lousiana withheld the reserved power to control the railroad and therefore the right to regulate its companies. After this ruling, Plessy pushed for a writ of prohibition in which the lower court would cease its rulings over the case and allow for the Supreme Court to take over.

January 4, 2008

According to [|www.home-schooling-online.com], public schooling is a better choice as opposed to homeschooling. For one, most parents do not have the educational skills necessary to teach a child. In a US Census Press Release, statistics show that only 27% of adults in the year 2003 had a college degree or higher. The idea that those parents without degrees can teach their children adequately is questionable. Also, most parents were taught in under-funded schools. Another justification for why public schooling is better than homeschooling is the fact that in public school, children obtain a better understanding of the outside world and society.
 * Public Schooling vs. Homeschooling**

January 11, 2008 If you're like me and have ever had a Cinammon Dolce Frappacino from Starbucks, you've probably fallen in love. Yeah, paying about $4.00 for a small cold drink may seem like a lot, but if you're not willing to try it you're definitely missing out. If you want to save a bit, you can skip Starbucks and head on over to Dunkin Donuts. At less than $3.00 for a small iced latte, there's no question that you are saving money. The real question is: are you losing quality?
 * Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts**

If you survey kids from Suffern High School, there's no doubt that they will say Starbucks is better, but is it really because of the quality of the coffee? Maybe it's the atmosphere of Starbucks when compared to that of Dunkin Donuts. While the bright colors inside Dunkin Donuts do attract customers, they also push them away after a while. This is typical in a fast food restaurant, which is why Dunkin Donuts is usually labeled as such. In comparison, Starbucks has a more sophisticated atmosphere. The warm colors and comfortable seating areas persuade customers to stay a while and possibly order more.

January 14, 2008

With the 2008 Presidential elections coming up, people are figuring out which candidates would best represent our country. Decisions such as these are based, mostly, upon the stances candidates hold on certain ideas. One idea is that of abortion.
 * Pro-life v. Pro-choice**

On January 23, 1973, the case Roe v. Wade was decided in the Supreme Court. The defendant Roe, a pregnant single woman, challenged the constitutionality of Texas' laws concerning abortion. At the time, Texas only allowed abortion if there was a medical issue in which the mother would risk her life. Roe argued against these laws, declaring that there were possibilities of failure in labor, her health could be impaired, and she was unprepared for a child. The Court concluded that abortions were allowable in any case in which the mother chose to do so, until the point of seven months at which the child is considered "viable."

I personally am pro-choice. While I do not agree that people should be denied the chance to live, a child places a large amount of pressure on a person and alters a person's life forever. In instances where the parents use protection and the condom breaks, abortion is surely a reasonable choice because they obviously did not want to have a child. While people who do not use protection are at higher risk of having babies, they are also at risk of contracting STDs. These people are endangering themselves, others, and their potential children. In this case, choosing abortion would be an easy way out; when people have sex without a condom they know what the potential consequences are but continue to do it anyway. However, they can not be denied the right to have an abortion because it is a personal choice.