Teen Curfews: You Be the Judge

Taylor Goldsmith is a student at Lake Oswego High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon. One of her classes is an elective called Political Action Seminar. The goal of this course is to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become active, responsible citizens at the local, state, national, and global level.

Taylor and three friends decided to challenge Lake Oswego’s juvenile curfew law. They researched the law and they believe that it is unconstitutional.

The Lake Oswego curfew forbids children younger than 14 to be on the streets between 9:15 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 can be out an hour longer Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on the weekend. The law also exempts teens if they are attending school activities, have late-night jobs or are “engaged in any entertainment.”

Taylor thinks that the law discriminates against her because of her age. She said, “I’m prosecuted as a criminal because I’m young.” One of her classmates believes that the law gives the police too much power. He said that the police are “picking and choosing” who they stop. None of the four students has ever been arrested under the law but all four students claim to have broken it regularly.

On Wednesday, the students made their final arguments in front of the City Council. Taylor argued, “The good kids in the community don’t deserve to be punished for the few bad ones.”

The teens made a good showing but the City Council didn’t go for it. One councilor praised the students’ attempt but defended his vote by explaining that “being able to compromise is what it takes to live in the world.”

The mayor suggested that the students work with the city’s youth committee instead of trying to fight it on their own.

Source: OregonLive.com

Questions:
1. Why did the students decide to challenge the curfew?
2. Why do you think the city established a curfew?
3. What arguments did the students use in front of the City Council?

BLOG QUESTION
1. What next steps do you think the students should take?

President Considers More Troops in Iraq

In a news conference yesterday, President Bush said that he is considering the expansion of the U.S. Army and Marines in Iraq. Mr. Bush explained that the U.S. is in a long fight against extremists and that he wanted to make sure that the U.S. had enough troops in Iraq to “stay in the fight for a long period of time.”

Mr. Bush called for the Iraqis to “stand up, step up and lead.” He called for them to take more responsibility for governing their country and maintaining a safe environment for their people. Our role, according to the President, is to help them.

He said he continues to believe that we can win the war in Iraq and that if he didn’t think we could win, he wouldn’t be sending troops there. On Tuesday, Mr. Bush admitted for the first time that we weren’t winning the war. He said that he liked the answer that General Pace gave to the question: “We’re not winning, we’re not losing.”

Mr. Bush also had a word for the enemy. He said that he didn’t want them thinking that they could run us out of the Middle East. He said, “…they can’t intimidate America. They think they can. They think it’s just a matter of time before America grows weary and leaves, abandons the people of Iraq, for example. And that’s not going to happen.”

Despite the opinion polls on Iraq, the President doesn’t think that most Americans want the U.S. to get out now. He said, “A lot of Americans understand the consequences of retreat. Retreat would embolden radicals. It would hurt the credibility of the United States.”

Finally, Mr. Bush promised to reveal a new strategy in Iraq in January after he has finished reviewing the report by the Iraq Study Group.

Source: CNN

Questions:
Why is the President considering the expansion of troops in Iraq?
What role does he think the U.S. should play in Iraq?
Why does he think most Americans want the U.S. to maintain a presence in Iraq?

BLOG QUESTION
Do you agree or disagree with the President’s plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq?
Do you agree that a retreat from Iraq could hurt the reputation of the U.S. and encourage the terrorists to take bolder steps against the U.S.?

How Sacred is Sacred Ground?

The Hualapai (pronounced WALL-uh-pie) are a native people of the Southwest. They live in Grand Canyon West, which is located in northwestern Arizona about 120 miles east of Las Vegas.

The Hualapai are facing serious financial problems. More than a third of the 2,200 members of the tribe live below the poverty line. Many are out of work. In 1995, the tribe had to close its casino because tourists were unwilling to travel 21 miles on unpaved roads to gamble. The tribe even tried to use famous daredevil Robbie Knievel to raise publicity for its reservation as a destination for tourists.

Now, the Hualapai have a new plan to raise money and not all of the tribe members are happy about it. The Hualapai are building a Skywalk, a horseshoe shaped walkway that juts out from the lip of the Grand Canyon. The Skywalk is 4,000 feet above the canyon floor and gives visitors a look that is twice as high as the Empire State building in New York City.

The Skywalk is scheduled to open on March 28, 2007. The cost of a ticket is $25 per person and the Skywalk holds up to 120 people at a time. The Hualapai are hoping that this unique tourist attraction will provide the money and jobs that are sorely needed by members of the tribe.

But, not all members of the tribe agree with the plan. The Hualapai believe that their ancestors came from the earth of the Grand Canyon. The area surrounding the Skywalk still has the tribe’s burial sites and archaeological remains. Some Hualapai believe that the Skywalk disturbs sacred ground.

Dolores Honga is a 70 year-old member of the tribe. She claims that workers on the Skywalk project often complain of nightmares. She believes the nightmares are occurring because the blood and bones of tribal ancestors are part of the ground that is being destroyed.

Sheri Yellowhawk is the tribal councilwoman who is overseeing the project. She explains, “We have to do something, and this is something spectacular.

Source: Destinationgrandcanyon.com, The Seattle Times

Questions:
Who are the Hualapai?
Why are the Hualapai building a walkway above the Grand Canyon?
Why are some members of the tribe upset about the walkway?

BLOG QUESTIONS
1. Do you think a man-made walkway should be built at one of nature’s most spectacular sights?
2. If you were a member of the Hualapai tribal council, how would you vote on the construction of the Skywalk?

Zero Tolerance: You Be the Judge

Zero tolerance is a term used to describe a policy that does not give persons in authority any discretion over how they handle certain cases. For example, many schools have zero tolerance policies against weapons and drugs. Many of these rules were put in place after the shootings at Columbine High School.

Supporters of zero tolerance policies say that they are necessary to maintain order and that while they can appear severe, they can also be used to frighten students into behaving appropriately. Critics say that zero tolerance rules often result in severe punishments for minor infractions. They say that the rules do not give school administrators the right to evaluate a specific situation and apply an appropriate response.

Patrick Agin is a senior at Portsmouth High School. He is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization that recreates life in Europe before the 17th century. As part of his club’s activities, Patrick posed in a chain mail suit with a medieval sword. He looked like one of the knights of King Arthur’s round table.

Patrick submitted this picture to the yearbook, but the school principal refused to allow the picture as Patrick’s official yearbook photo. He claimed that the picture violated the school’s zero tolerance rule against weapons in school.

Patrick and his mother took the school to court. They asked the court to stop the publication of the yearbook until the issue with Patrick was settled.

The principal tried to compromise. He said he would allow the picture in the advertising section if Mrs. Agin wanted to pay the school for the placement of the photo. He explained that the school does not scrutinize advertising space because it is not viewed as having school’s endorsement.

Patrick thinks that the decision makes no sense. He is not promoting violence. He sees the photo as a theatrical expression. He points out there are photos in the yearbook showing weapons in school plays and that the school’s mascot – a patriot – carries a weapon.

Source: Wikipedia, MSNBC.com

Questions
Why have some schools established zero tolerance rules?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of zero tolerance policies?
Why did the school rule against Patrick?
Why does Patrick think the school’s decision makes no sense?

BLOG QUESTION
1. If you were the judge in this case, how would you rule?

WOW: YOU are the Time Person of the Year

Richard Stengel graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1973. Today, Mr. Stengel is the managing editor of Time magazine and the spokesperson for the magazine’s decision for Person of the Year.

Time has been choosing a Person of the Year every year since 1927 when the magazine chose Charles Lindbergh. This year the list included: (1) George W. Bush -- President of the US; (2) Kim Jong-il --Leader of the Republic of Korea; (3) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- President of Iran; (4) Nancy Pelosi -- Speaker of the House; (5) Condoleezza Rice -- Secretary of State; (6) Al Gore -- Former Vice President and author of An Inconvenient Truth; (7) Hugo Chavez – President of Venezuela; and (8) The YouTube Group.

So which one of these people had the greatest impact on the events of 2006? Time’s annual award did not go to any of those listed above. It went to YOU. That’s right. None of the famous people listed above won the award. It was won by all of us. Time described 2006 as a year when individuals were more important than institutions or the people who lead them. The winner of the Person of the Year was anyone who used or created content on the World Wide Web.

Mr. Stengel explained, "If you choose an individual, you have to justify how that person affected millions of people, but if you choose millions of people, you don't have to justify it to anyone."

Time looked at all the stories and events of 2006 and thought that the biggest was how ordinary people all over the world were able to create content. The best examples of this phenomenon are Wikipedia, YouTube, MySpace, and on a smaller scale, the Scarsdale current events blog.

What makes this phenomenon possible is the new World Wide Web, called Web 2.0 by the computer gurus of Silicon Valley. This new Web brings people together and enables them to share that knowledge, expertise, experiences and opinions with others.

So congratulations to all of YOU who have written blogs this year. YOU are the Person of the Year.

Source: CNN, Wikipedia, Time.com

Questions:
Why did Time choose YOU as the Person of the Year?
Who were some of the other candidates?
What is Web 2.0 and how is it different from the original WWW?
What are some of the examples of Web 2.0?

BLOG QUESTION
1. Did Time make a good decision or should one of the other candidates have won Person of the Year? Who would you have voted for?

Senator Tim Johnson in Critical Condition

Democratic Senator Tim Johnson from South Dakota is in critical but stable condition after undergoing brain surgery last night at George Washington University hospital in Washington, DC.

During a conference call on Wednesday, Senator Johnson started to stutter in response to a question from a reporter and appeared to become disoriented. He went back to his office but said he did not feel well. After an examination by a doctor, he was taken to the hospital about noon and operated on after midnight.

Senator Johnson was born with a condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that causes the tangling of blood vessels. The condition occurs in about 1% of the population.

Senator Johnson’s condition has caused some political drama in the Senate. Democrats control the Senate by a narrow margin of 51-49. If Senator Johnson were unable to continue in his position, the governor of South Dakota would have the authority to name a replacement. Governor Mike Rounds of South Dakota is a Republican. If he were to appoint someone from his own party to replace Senator Johnson, the Senate would consist of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. Since all ties are decided by the presiding officer of the Senate who is Vice President Dick Cheney, the Republicans would take back control of the Senate.

For now, both Republicans and Democrats are assuming that the Democrats will continue to hold the majority. Most importantly, everyone is concerned about the health of Senator Johnson.

Mitch McConnell is the Republican leader of the Senate. He said, “I know all my Senate colleagues join me in praying for Senator Johnson’s full and speedy recovery.”

Republican Trent Lott added, “You know, I’d like to be in the majority, but I don’t want to do it that way.”

Any decision regarding the ability of the Senator to continue in his position will be determined by the Senator and his family. The Senate has never stepped in to make that kind of decision.

Source: New York Times, USA Today

Questions:
Who is Tim Johnson?
What caused Mr. Johnson’s collapse yesterday?
How does Mr. Johnson’s condition affect the balance of power in the Senate?
Who will determine if Mr. Johnson has the capacity to continue in his position?

BLOG QUESTIONS
1. What are your reactions to this story?

Students Need New Skills for the 21st Century

In 1990, the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) issued a report on the state of American education. The report, entitled “High Skills or Low Wages,” suggested that if American students did not have better high quality skills, they would not be able to get jobs that paid high salaries. The report was one of the reasons that American education developed standards in all subject areas.

Sixteen years have passed since the last report and the global economy has changed. Countries like India and China are turning out large numbers of students with high skills who are willing to work for lower wages. The NCEE decided that it was time to take another look at how education affects the economy.

The NCEE created the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. The commission included former governors, state education leaders and business leaders. Their complete report is due out any day but a summary of the report was released in the latest edition of Time magazine.

The “bumper sticker” summary of the report is that American education is aiming too low. The report says that the math and reading skills that are tested nationwide because of education law No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are minimal skills that will not get the job done in the future.

The report identifies four 21st century skills that students will need if they want to be successful in a global economy. Here are the four skills:

Knowing More About the World – Kids need to become global citizens. They need to understand foreign cultures and be able to speak different languages.

Thinking Outside the Box -- Creative people with innovative skills are the ones that will be successful in the future. One of the authors of the study, Marc Tucker, explains that kids need to think across disciplines because that’s where most new ideas come from.

Becoming Smarter about New Sources of Information – Kids need to learn how to process lots of information in a hurry, and they need to be able to sort out the good stuff from the bad stuff. According to one of the Dell executives, kids need to know how manage, interpret it, evaluate and act on information.

Developing Good People Skills -- One of the keys to success in the workplace of the future is the ability to work as part of a team and especially to work with people that come from different backgrounds.

In summary, the commission thinks that American schools have to change a lot. American schools have to create a deeper and richer curriculum with more rigorous assessments and they have to be reorganized.

Source: CNN

Questions:
Why did the NCEE create a new commission?
What is the “bumper sticker” summary of the commission’s report?
According to the commission, what are the new skills of the 21st century?
Why are the skills that are evaluated by the current state tests inadequate for the future?

BLOG QUESTION
1. Describe a school experience that taught you one of the 21st century skills. What did you think of the experience? How did it compare to your normal work in class?

Poll: Americans Still Think Racism is a Problem

Michael Richards is well-known as the actor who played Kramer on “Seinfeld.” But, last month Mr. Richards was not in the news because of his humorous portrayal of Kramer but because of racial remarks he made at a comedy club in Los Angeles.

The incident at the comedy club got so much media attention that CNN decided to run a one-hour special on “Racism in America” on Tuesday night. The special airs on the Paula Zahn Show and includes appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, and Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Do Americans think that racism is still a problem in this country? CNN conducted a survey to find the answer to that question. The survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corp. and included the results of telephone interviews with 1,207 Americans, including 328 blacks and 703 non-Hispanic whites.

Here are some of the results: (1) Most Americans consider racism a problem; (2) Blacks are more than twice as likely as whites to say that racism is a very serious problem; (3) 51% of the blacks said that they had been victims of discrimination while only 26% of whites said that they had been victims; (4) Blacks and whites responded similarly to a question that asked if they were in any way racist. Only 1 in 8 from both groups said they were in any way racist. (5) Almost half of whites and blacks said that they know someone who is racist; and (6) 69% of whites and 87% of blacks said that they approve of interracial marriages.

Jack Dovidio, who is a professor at the University of Connecticut, has been studying racism in America for 30 years. He says that 21st century racism looks different than what it was like years ago. He says that it is more subtle but still there. He estimates that 80% of white Americans have racist feelings that they do not even know they have.

Source: CNN

Questions:
Why did CNN decide to air a special on racism?
Why did CNN ask Opinion Research Corp. to conduct a survey on racism?
What were some of the results of that survey?
According to Jack Dovidio, how has racism changed in the 21st century?

BLOG QUESTION
1. Do you think teenagers would respond the same way to questions about racism as the adults in this study?

Seattle Airport Removes Christmas Trees

The Seattle-Tacoma Airport, known as Sea-Tac, is one of the busiest international gateways to the U.S. In 2005, more than 29 million passengers passed through the Sea-Tac terminals. But last Thursday the news from Sea-Tac was not about passengers and airlines; it was about Christmas trees.

To celebrate the holiday season, Sea-Tac officials put 15 Christmas trees on display throughout the airport. Their holiday display, however, did not include menorahs or symbols of any other religion.

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky of the Chabad Lubavitch organization in Seattle expressed concern about the airport’s decision to exclude a menorah. His organization provided menorahs for public display in more than 20 locations around the state of Washington. He contacted airport officials about the display of menorahs in October but heard nothing about the airport’s plans.

Last Wednesday, Rabbi Bogomilsky warned the airport commissioners that he was considering a lawsuit if menorahs were not included as part of the holiday display. On Thursday, the commissioners decided to remove all of the Christmas trees.

Rabbi Bogomilsky said that he never intended for the airport to take down the Christmas trees. All he wanted was for the airport to diversify the display. Airport officials decided to remove the trees because they thought that by adding the menorah, they would have been required to include symbols for other religions and cultures.

Now, Rabbi Bogomilsky is worried that the Jewish community “will be portrayed as the Grinch.”

Airport officials have agreed to reconsider their decision at a meeting tonight. According to one commissioner, “In hindsight, we probably should have handled this in a more delicate and thoughtful manner, but at the time we were given a very short timeline.”

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, MSNBC.com

Questions:
Why did the commissioners remove the Christmas trees?
Why did Rabbi Bogomilsky complain about the Christmas tree display?
Why is the Rabbi now concerned about the impact of the decision to remove the trees?

BLOG QUESTION
What should the airport do next?
Put the Christmas trees back on display
Include menorahs with the Christmas tree display
Remove all religious symbols from the airport
Include symbols of all religions and cultures as part of the holiday display

Handguns: You Be the Judge

Does the Second Amendment of the Constitution give individuals the right to bear arms or does it only apply to militias? City officials in Washington, DC believe that the Amendment only applies to militias and for a long time the city has had a ban on handguns. Now the city’s handgun law is being challenged in a case that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.
The Second Amendment says: A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
So here’s the case. Six Washington DC citizens have challenged the city’s handgun law because they claim that they need to carry a gun for protection. One of the six is Ms. Shelly Parker. Ms. Parker lives in a high crime neighborhood. She has tried to make it a better place to live by challenging the drug dealers there. Now the drug dealers are threatening her and she wants to carry a handgun for protection but the law prohibits her from doing so.

In 2004, a lower-court judge told Ms. Parker and the other five residents that they did not have the constitutional right to bear arms. The case has now gone to a federal appeals court.

Lawyers for the city stand by their handgun law. They interpret the Second Amendment in military terms. They maintain that the Constitution does not give individuals the right to carry handguns.

The case is being heard by three judges. If the city wins the case at this level, the six residents could ask the Supreme Court to rule. If the case goes to the high court, it would be the first time in 70 years that the Court has considered a Second Amendment case. President Bush has agreed to individual gun-ownership but the Supreme Court has never settled the “militia” versus “individual” interpretation.

Source: Washington Post, Cato Institute

Questions:
What right does the Second Amendment cover?
Why do the residents involved in the case want to carry handguns?
What is the handgun law in Washington DC?
Why is this case so important?

BLOG QUESTION
1. If you were one of the three federal judges, how would you rule on this case?

Mars Global Surveyor Finds Water on Mars

In November 1996, the U.S. successfully launched the Mars Global Surveyor. Ten months later, the Surveyor entered into the Mars orbit and started sending back low altitude images of the Martian terrain.

It took the Surveyor one Martian year (equivalent of two Earth years) to complete its initial orbit, which ended in January 2001. The Surveyor is still in orbit and is still returning images to NASA scientists.

The new photographs from Mars show new deposits in a couple of Martian gullies that suggest that water had run through the gully during the last seven years. The deposits were not visible in the August 1999 photographs but were there in September 2005.

NASA scientists believe that the photographs provide important evidence that water still flows on the surface of Mars. Liquid water is considered necessary for sustaining life so this discovery suggests the possibility that simple, single cell life exists on Mars.

The temperature on the surface of Mars is so cold that water cannot persist. Water either freezes or evaporates quickly. Scientists are considering the possibility that underground water rose to the Martian surface and remained there long enough to carry some debris with it before freezing. The deposits in the photographs are several hundred yards long.

If the scientists are right about the deposits, then it is possible that the underground water is warm enough to support life.

Source: NASA

Questions
How did NASA get photographs of the Martian surface?
Why are the photographs of the deposits so exciting?
Why do scientists think that it’s possible that single cell life could be living on Mars?

BLOG QUESTION
1. Should the U.S. send a crewed mission to Mars?

Iraq Study Group Says Change Strategy Now

On March 15, 2006, the Iraq Study Group was formed. The idea came from Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress who wanted a fresh, unbiased look of the situation in Iraq since the summer of 2005. President Bush was not involved in the creation of the group but welcomed its involvement. He met with the group in June and November 2006.

The co-chairs of the group are former Secretary of State James Baker (Republican) and former chairman of the House International Relations Committee Lee Hamilton (Democrat).

Yesterday, the Iraq Study Group presented its findings to President Bush. The report called the situation in Iraq “grave and deteriorating” and called for the United States to change its strategy.

The report warned that there is no “magic formula to solve the problems of Iraq.” But, it said that the best chance for success in Iraq is to push for a diplomatic solution and change the role of the U.S. armed forces in Iraq from a combat role to an advisory role.

Co-chairman Hamilton said that the Iraqi people are “suffering great hardship.” Three thousand Iraqis are killed every month. The report blames Sunni extremists, Shiite militias and death squads, al Qaeda and others for the increased violence in Iraq.

The report recommends the following: (1) a change in the U.S. military strategy to an advisory role that will allow for a decrease in troops in Iraq; (2) action by the Iraqi government to work for a peaceful solution to the fighting among the different groups; and (3) new diplomatic strategies for Iraq and the region.

Finally, the report recommends that all U.S. combat troops not necessary for the protection of U.S. interests in Iraq should be pulled out of the country by the early 2008.

The group urges Republicans and Democrats to work together in Washington. It ends with the warning that “foreign policy is doomed to failure – as is any action in Iraq – if not supported by broad, sustained consensus.”

Source: CNN (Click here for the full report)

Questions:
Why was the Iraq Study Group formed?
What was the role of the group?
What are the most important recommendations of the report?
According to the report, what will happen if we continue to do what we are doing in Iraq?

BLOG QUESTION
1. Will the report of the Iraq Study Group have any effect on U.S. policy in Iraq?

Mark McGwire: You Be the Judge

On September 8, 1998, Mark McGwire was on top of the world. While playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, McGwire broke Roger Maris’ all-time, major league home run record when he hit his 62nd home run of the season. He finished that year with 70 home runs. A year later he hit 65 more homers. When he retired in 2001, everyone thought he was headed for baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Baseball players cannot be voted into the Hall of Fame until five years after their retirement so now McGwire is eligible. How does a player get into the Hall? The 575 voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America decide who will get the honor. A player needs 75% of the votes to become a member of the Hall of Fame.

Will McGwire make it into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot? His chances seem to be dwindling every day. Recently, the Associated Press surveyed 125 voters. Only one in four planned to vote for McGwire.

What happened to Mark McGwire? In 2005, a committee of the House of Representatives investigated steroid use in baseball. McGwire was one of the players called as a witness. He was asked repeatedly by committee members whether he had used steroids to achieve his record-breaking home run performance. McGwire’s testimony brought him to the verge of tears. He repeatedly deflected the questions and refused to either admit or deny use.

McGwire admitted that there was a problem with steroid use in baseball but he would not admit to his own involvement. He said, “I’m not here to discuss the past. I’m here to be positive about this subject.”

McGwire retired before baseball started to test for illegal substances so it has never been proven that he took any steroids but in the court of public opinion, he was found guilty.

Will Hall of Fame voters consider his on-the-field performance or will they remember his congressional testimony?

Source: MLB.com, MSNBC.com, Washington Post

Questions
How does a baseball player get into the Hall of Fame?
Why are Mark McGwire’s chances of getting into the Hall dwindling?

BLOG QUESTION
If you were a member of the Baseball Writers Association, how would you vote on Mark McGwire?

Maine Says No to Santa Beer Label

Should a beer company be allowed to use Santa as part of its advertising plan? Maine says no and now the beer distributor, Shelton Brothers, is suing the state for its decision.

The beer in question is called Santa’s Butt Winter Porter and the advertising campaign shows Santa holding a pint of the beer.

States have the regulatory power over alcohol that goes all the way back to the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition in 1933. The Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement used that power to say no to Shelton Brothers.

Maine State Police Lieutenant Patrick Fleming explained that because the use of Santa might appeal to children, Maine has decided not to give the company permission to use Santa on its beer label in Maine.

Shelton Brothers is not happy with Maine’s decision. The company’s lawsuit charges that Maine's actions violate the First Amendment by censoring the company’s artistic expression.

Lieutenant Fleming was unmoved by the lawsuit. He said, “We stand by our decision and at some point it’ll go through the court system and somebody will make the decision on whether we are right or wrong.”

Maine reviews almost 12,000 applications a year for beer and wine labels and denies about a dozen. What standard do they use? Fleming explained that their standard is pretty basic. They consider what people are going to see when they walk up and down the aisles of the supermarket. If they are unhappy with the images that company uses, they deny the request.

Shelton Brothers understands Maine’s legal right to review the application but thinks that the state has ignored the Constitution.

Source: CNN

Questions:
Why did Maine deny the Shelton Brothers application for its beer label?
What is the basis for Shelton Brothers’ lawsuit against Maine?
What standard does the state use to evaluate labels?

BLOG QUESTION
1. You be the Judge: How would you rule in this case brought by Shelton Brothers against the state of Maine?

Title IX Case: You Be the Judge

When Keith Bukowski was a junior at Stevens Point High School in Wisconsin, he wanted to participate on the girls’ gymnastics team. He was already on the YMCA team but there was no boys’ team at the high school so he asked if he could compete with the girls. He thought that if he competed at the high school level, it would help him get a college scholarship.

The school refused to let him participate because the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has a policy against boys competing on girls’ teams. WIAA director Doug Chickering said that females are underrepresented in sports and that if Keith participated on the team, he would be taking the spot of a girl who wanted to play.

Keith sued the WIAA. He argued that the WIAA’s rule violated the U.S. Constitution as well as Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools.

Keith’s lawyer argued that female sports no longer need to be protected because the number of girls participating in sports has increased since Title IX was introduced.

Keith’s lawyer asked why the sexes weren’t treated equally. Girls are allowed to play on the boys’ football team in Wisconsin and they can wrestle against boys in that state, but boys are not allowed to participate on girls’ teams. He argued that it wasn’t fair.

The case did not go to trial while Keith was in high school so any finding in the case will not affect him but will have an effect on other students. Keith is now a student at the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point and he has returned to his high school to coach the girls’ gymnastics team.

His principal, Mike Devine, is happy to have him even though he was the person in 2004 who told him he couldn’t participate.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Questions:
Why did Keith want to compete with the girls?
Why did the WIAA rule against Keith?
What is Title IX?

BLOG QUESTION
1. You Be the Judge: How would you rule in the case of Keith Bukowski against the Stevens Point High School?