Bell Ringer:  
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/11/04/west-virginia-elects-americas-youngest-state-lawmaker/


2.  What do you think about WV making history for having the youngest lawmaker?
 I think it's amazing to have someone so young to share the opinions of the younger generations.



3.  Do you feel that her being young will help or hinder (or both) her effectiveness in the legislature.  Defend your answer in 3-4 sentences.  
It might hinder her effectiveness. I feel like the older members are going to treat her like a child. If anything, some might respect her for being so young, and running in this type of race.


Assignment: 

1.  Pretend that you are Saira and were just elected as an 18-year-old legislature.  Of the 20 issues below select the top five the you PERSONALLY would want to address and how would you vote/stand on the issue.  You will need to write a paragraph explaining your stance.  Make sure you  are VERY thorough in your response, and that you select the five issues most important to you.  
2.  In your 6th paragraph tell if you are a democrat or a republican, and explain why.  If you are not sure the differences between the two google it:)  

The 20 issues to chose from are:  

Abortion, Air Quality, Death Penalty, Overcrowding of jails in America, Quality of roads in America


I myself think that women should be allowed to get abortions. Sometimes it's not their fault if they get pregnant, due to rape. Women should have a right to decide what they do with their bodies, and not be controlled by the government or anyone else but themselves. We consider the first years of a babies life is out of the womb. We do not count the 9 months, spent developing, as our "birthday". Yes a baby develops the heart beat very early, but they have yet to develop their other vital parts such as the brain, lungs, etc. I think a woman should be able to get an abortion early into the pregnancy.

The air quality of the world is slowly becoming more of a problem. I don't know if anyone else realizes this, but we kind of need oxygen to survive. Whenever we pollute the air, we are taking another step closer to death of us and the planet. When we chop down too many trees without planting new ones, we are also decreasing our air supply. We need to enforce more ways to improve the air quality.

I am also for the death penalty. If someone murders another human being, I think they should get the death penalty. If our country had the death penalty in all states, maybe they're would be less crime. This would be a way to scare criminals away from the life of crime. To me, murder is the worst crime to ever commit. If someone is awful enough to kill, then they should get the death penalty.

The death penalty fits along with the over crowding in prisons. It would be a way to get rid of over crowding

Kent vs. United States

1.  What issue was addressed in the case?

Rape, housebreaking, and robbery. The main reason this case became famous was because of the waivers to try Kent as an adult. 

2.  Explain the basic facts of the case.

 He was convicted on six counts of housebreaking and robbery, but acquitted on two rape counts by reason of insanity.


3.  How and why did the case progress through the courts?

They wanted to try him as an adult, even though he was only sixteen.


4.  Why was the case heard by the Supreme Court?

to provide measures of guidance and rehabilitation for the child and protection for society, not to fix criminal responsibility, guilt and punishment, because they were trying to try him as an adult.

5.  What was the Court's decision in the case?
 6 counts of housebreaking and robbery and two counts of rape

6.  How does this case impact the nation and its people?

Yes because they were trying to punish a child with adult punishments, when he's still an adolescent.


7.  What do you think about this case? (Do you think this is an important case?  Do you agree with the Court's decision?  Any other comments?)

I think its an important case because if they did it to him they could try to make all kids crimes go into court and be tried as an adult. I don't think they should have tried him as an adult, he was only a kid, even if he was bad. They should have put him into juvenile jail/prison until the age of 18, and then probation for a couple years to prove to the court that he is better, and more mature.

1.  Bell Ringer :
Go to wdtv.com or wboy.com and research the election results for Barbour County and the state of WV.  Summarize the results and the voter turn out.  Were more winners democratic or republican?  Were more male or female?  Were there more incumbents that won or not?  Answer why are elections important?  Why do we have elections?  Why do you think it is important to vote? 

Philip Ferguson won sheriff, Danny wagner a publican won house of delegates, and Tim McDaniel also a repblican for county commission.











2.  Assignment:  
Go to icvics.org and play the assigned game called cast your vote ( https://www.icivics.org/games/cast-your-vote ).  As you play take notes on your blog about the issues addressed.  Make sure you copy and paste the answer you selected as that most closely to your views.  Then select which candidate you voted for and tell me why in 2-3 sentences.  It will take 15 minutes to play the game so you will have plenty of time to complete the summaries.

1.  How does this support your defense for the debate on Friday?  

It supports it by listing another incident where innocent people were killed because of either a reckless/awful human being or criminal. 

2.  Do you believe that the court was correct in this instance?  

In my opinion i think they both should get the death penalty. They brutally killed three innocent people and they raped the mother. To m that deserves the death penalty.  

Assignment 

  Select one of the races below and research the two candidates running:  Write a page summary about each candidate summarizing who they are and what are their political beliefs.  You will then make an INFORMED decision as to who you would vote for and why? 

Shelly Moore Capito and Natalie Tennant

     Rep. Shelley Moore Capito represents the Second Congressional District in the 113th Congress, where she has been an advocate for a range of policies that directly impact her constituents, including energy independence, quality healthcare and the safety and security of our servicemen and women. She prides herself on being approachable and accessible to her constituents. She is currently the only woman in West Virginia's congressional delegation.

     Capito serves on the House Financial Services Committee as chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.  She also sits on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; the panel which will direct important highway legislation during the 113th Congress.

The congresswoman has proudly served West Virginia for more than 14 years and looks forward to her continued work to improve the lives of every West Virginian.

Natalie E. Tennant (born December 25, 1967) is the Secretary of State of West Virginia. She was elected in 2008 and officially took office on January 19, 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennant is the 2014 Democratic Party nominee for West Virginia's open U.S. Senate seat.

Prior to her election as Secretary of State, Tennant was a television reporter and co-owner of a video production company.

     Tennant is running for the Senate in 2014. The seat is open after incumbent Democrat Jay Rockefeller announced his retirement. Tennant will face Republican RepresentativeShelley Moore Capito in the general election. Tenant did not face any significant primary opposition. She entered the race after ten prominent Democrats declined to run. In announcing her campaign, Tennant stated, "I will fight any Republican or any Democrat — including President Barack Obama — who tries to kill our energy jobs, whether they are coal, natural gas, wind or water.” Tennant has been endorsed by Senator Rockefeller, Senator Joe Manchin, and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. She was also endorsed by First Lady Michelle Obama, North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who hosted a fundraiser for Tennant.

     I myself would support Capito because she has more experience over Tennant. By looking at their history I've noticed that Capito has been in the political side longer than Tennant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Tennant

http://capito.house.gov/

2. Summarize your feelings on the article in a paragraph. (Minimum 4 sentences).

Well I'm kind of left speechless. Some of these laws are ridiculous and others make no sense. How are people supposed to be punished if a cop cannot catch them and what would the punishment be? Most of these laws should not exist, like margerine can only be in triangle form, like what? 


3. Go to icivics.org and play the TWO assigned games:

Represent Me and Law Craft

You must play these games and complete them by the end of class TODAY!!!

2. Answer the following questions on your blog IN COMPLETE SENTENCES: 

        1.   Why are the seeking  the death penalty? 
      
        2.  Do you agree or disagree with them seeking the death penalty? 

         3.  Do you believe that the dealth penalty should be allowed at all?  Defend your answer in 2-3                  sentences. 


3.  Make a T-chart of the pros and cons of the death penalty.  You need to have at least ten items listed on each side.  Turn these in into the box. 

4.  As a class decide which side of the issue you agree with, either for or against the death penalty.   Prepare for the debate which will take place on Friday.  Today is the only day you have to work on this assignment. 



1. They're seeking the death penalty because this captain abandoned his ship when it began to sink, which killed 304 people. 
2. I agree. At first i didn't, but once i watched the video my mind changed.
3. I think the death penalty should be allowed. The crew told passengers to stay where they were instead of trying to abandon a sinking ship. That's ridiculous! if they would abandoned ship maybe more people would have been alive. I view this situation as a life for a life.
4. 

Name of President: __ Martin Van Buren ________

Number of Presidency:______8th President______

Years in Office: _______4 years in office__________

In the following ten categories, grade your president from an A to an F. (You may “acknowledge” border-line grades with a – or a +).  You will need to give a 50 word justification as to why your candidate scored as they did. 

Category	Grade	Comments
Ability to handle and deal with a crisis	A	Advocated lower tariffs and free trade. Maintained support of the South for the Democratic Party. Succeeded in setting up a system of bonds for the national debt. Reversed Andrew Jackson's policies and sought peace at home, as well as abroad. Van Buren wanted to seek a diplomatic solution to the problem.
Ability to work with Congress and Cabinet	D	Inflamed public opinion on both sides. Van Buren took the blame for hard times, as Whigs ridiculed him as Martin Van Ruin. He was affraid of losing Missouri's vote, so he didn't help the Mormons who were kicked out of the state.
Character and Integrity	B	Van Buren advocated lower tariffs and free trade, and by doing so maintained support of the South for the Democratic Party. He succeeded in setting up a system of bonds for the national debt. His party was so split that his 1837 proposal for an "Independent Treasury" system did not pass until 1840. It gave the Treasury control of all federal funds and had a legal tender clause that required (by 1843) all payments to be made in specie, but it further inflamed public opinion on both sides.
Education	A	He went to basic school up until he was fourteen. Then he began studying law as an intern at the office of Peter Silvester. He then entered the bar in 1808. He excelled in speech classes and composition.
Empathy	C	The Governor of Missouri had issued an executive order on October 27, 1838, known as the "Extermination Order". It authorized troops to use force against Mormons to "exterminate or drive [them] from the state". In 1839, after moving to Illinois, Joseph Smith and his party appealed to members of Congress and to President Van Buren to intercede for the Mormons. According to Smith's grandnephew, Van Buren said to Smith, "Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you; if I take up for you I shall lose the vote of Missouri"
Foreign Policy	B	In the case of the ship Amistad, Van Buren sided with the Spanish Government to return the kidnapped slaves. Van Buren oversaw the movement of Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole tribes from Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina to theOklahoma territory, executing the orders passed under Jackson. To help secure Florida, Van Buren also continued the Second Seminole War, which had begun while Jackson was in office. Fighting was not resolved until 1842, after Van Buren had left office.
Relates to the common man	B	Van Buren received a basic education at a poorly lit schoolhouse in his native village and later studied Latin briefly at the Kinderhook Academy and at Washington Seminary in Claverack. Had five sons and one daughter
Persuasiveness	B	In the election of 1832, the Jackson-Van Buren ticket won by a landslide. When the election of 1836 came up, Jackson was determined to make Van Buren, his personal choice, President to continue his legacy. Martin Van Buren's only competitors in the 1836 election were the Whigs, who ran several regional candidates in hopes of sending the election to the House of Representatives, where each state delegation would have one vote
Political Experience	A	Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President (1833–1837) and the tenth secretary of state (1829–1831), both under Andrew Jackson. Van Buren was a key organizer of the Democratic Party, a dominant figure in the Second Party System
Public speaking & Communication	A	He is the first president not to have spoken English as a first language, having spoken only Dutch growing up. an Buren grew up in a Dutch-speaking community. His native language was Dutch, and to date, he is the only U.S. President who has spoken English as a second language