Sunday, September 20, 2015

Chapter Four (#2)

The freedom of speech in the first amendment is often brought into question. If we start with the swastika, the swastika is considered a racially charged object through its affiliation with the Nazis. However, the swastika is also a symbol  of Hinduism and Buddhism. The Nazis stole this symbol and distorted its value to create a sign of hatred. The confederate flag is also now a sign of hatred. This was the battle flag of the south. So do we ban these items because of hatred, or accept them as freedom of speech. Once again the times have changed. As our values change, we seem to change our beliefs on which way to go. How do we protect the rights of some without harming the sensitivity of others.
I also disagree with the right of tabloids to print articles about famous people. These articles for the most part are distorted. How can these tabloids continue to print information that is partially true for a profit. The rights and privacy of famous people should be protected, not the profits of tabloids. I also wonder how politicians are targeted during elections. This information, whether true or not, should be a private matter. The freedom of speech should not violate personal information. 

Chapter Four (one)

     The discussion in chapter four is on the power given to the federal government over the states in the constitution. Some of these have been pushed to the limit by state law makers. The commerce clause is one. Some states have been trying to sell agriculture products to Cuba--Illinois being one. This is a violation of the Commerce Clause which says that the federal government has the power to regulate commerce with a foreign nation.
     Another state to impede of the power of the federal government is Colorado in the sale of marijuana. The sale of marijuana is still a violation of federal law. How can a state make it legal to sell a product in its own boundaries that is against federal law. On top of that, collecting taxes on those sales should be illegal.
     The state of Arizona is known for many battles with the federal government on constitution rights. These are mostly on immigration. I believe that if the federal government will not help states support illegal immigrants, then the federal government should allow the states to propose their own laws on immigration.
     Back to Illinois, the federal government forced Illinois to pass a law on concealed carry. If laws are changing because of technology and a change in culture, then why did the Right to Bear Arms not change. I believe in the right to own guns. I also believe that the right to bear arms means the right to an appropriate gun. I am an avid hunter who uses legal guns for hunting. There is no need for fully automatic weapons or guns that can shoot hundreds of rounds of ammo. If the constitutional rights changed for other issues because of the change in culture, then the laws should change for the change in the need for what type of gun to own. I believe that lobbyist push for these changes. Some weapons should be banned for the safety of the public.            
  

Monday, September 7, 2015

Chapter three involves the stages of trial and alternate dispute resolution. I have been on a jury, so I know about jury selection and Instructions to the jury by the judge. We listened to the testimony and the closing arguments. Deposition is not a new word, however, now I understand the true meaning as an in person testimony.
Being involved in my union, I understand alternate dispute resolution. Negotiation, arbitration, and mediation are important and common in union contracts. Arbitration is very costly and time consuming. It is a step to make sure both sides of a contract are holding up to their side of the contract.
I can see why companies would want to settle out of court to save money in a law suit. Court appearances take up a lot of time and energy that could be used to do important company business
Chapter two involves jurisdiction. Fortunately, I do not have much experience with the court system. It sounds to me that a good lawyer can manipulate the venue to get a good outcome. My niece did have a dispute in a custody battle. Her lawyer decided not to press the custody of her daughter. My niece's boyfriend did sue for custody in Dixon. My niece was unable to get the proceedings moved to Jo Daviess county and she then had to travel to Dixon for multiple court appearances on this issue. She later won the dispute and was awarded custody of her daughter.
Another question would be on work comp issues. If an employee works for a company and does work in another state for that company--then gets injured--what state has the court proceedings (The state where the company is located or the state in which the accident occurred)?
The information in this chapter is good for common knowledge--not just needed information for this class
Hello class, chapter one is about different types of laws and their classifications. It is also about ethics, integrity, and morality. I currently hold all four insurance license. When I renew my license, I will need to take a state ethics class. This is required by the State Insurance Administrator. Ethics should be part of every piece of business. Fair competition in business and political elections is part of the morality that I was raised in. I believe that as the share of wealth grows farther apart, more integrity and ethic problems will appear.