Politicians To Watch

Law Enforcement Gear for Protection

June 22, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When you talk about law enforcement gear, these items usually consist of deployment plate carriers and deployment rigs. This kind of gear is worn by police officers. Police officers can carry guns and the deployment rigs make it easier to carry or store the gun’s magazine rounds. The deployment carrier is similar to a protective vest. Other law enforcement gear includes magazine pouches and handcuffs. These items provide enforcement officers quick access in emergency situations. Enforcement gear is adorned mainly when police or security officers are on duty. The aim of law enforcement gear is to ensure that these officers are ready to face any emergency situation.

This gear is vital to protect police officers from imminent danger. Law enforcement officers require necessary protective gear such as weapons, which could be their only protection in any life or death situation. Law enforcement gear must meet the protective needs of all these officers, and are manufactured of very high quality. People in critical situations are not going to be using something flimsy. In certain countries, law enforcement gear is also used by the federal reserve unit who lend their assistance to the police in handling emergency situations and life threatening riots.

Filed Under: Politicians To Watch Tagged With: law enforcement gear

Political Ideologies – A Practical And Pragmatic Stance Is What You Should Look For

May 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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Politics is the art of the possible. No political party can afford to have two idealistic stance on any issue. This may seem like a crass and opportunistic set up but that is how democracy works. The imprisonment and handling of prisoners of war of terror in Guantanamo Bay lead to a huge controversy. The use of torture as a method to extract information from convicts was criticized a lot.

However, the best solution that opposing political parties were in a position to offer was to export inmates of the prison to foreign countries where they could be tortured without worrying about the political consequences.

The recent capture of Bin Laden based on the information obtained from inmates of Guantanamo Bay has further muddled the issue. The political party that setup the prison cannot afford to derive political mileage from this bit of information. Doing so would seem tantamount to condoning torture and violation of human rights.

Political parties walk a very fine balance and often err on one side or the other on specific issues. Conservatives tend to be too conservative and unrealistic about abortion and other such issues. On the other hand, democrats tend to be too interested in exporting democracy to all parts of the world irrespective of whether conditions are ripe or not.

A smart leader would be one who reconciles these issues as far as possible by taking everybody along. One must assess political parties through the same pragmatic and practical medium. Adopting too ideological stance may work well for an individual living in a house. However, this may not work well when one has to manage a country.

Filed Under: Campaign, Politicians To Watch, Voting Tagged With: Conservatives, Osama bin Laden, Politics

The Tea Party

November 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Discord among the two major political parties has always been a factor but the Tea Party movement is one that has recently become more newsworthy. Although the phrase tea party may mean something entirely different, it has become known as a protest group. The phrase originated in the 1773 colonists protest in Massachusetts. There was the Tea Act of the British and the colonists pitched the crates of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the taxation on the tea. They considered it taxation without representation. This term now stands for members who consider their elected officials not representing their needs and interests.

This new Tea Party became more popular after the 2008 election of Barack Obama due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 being passed. It seems that this act was passed with an all Democratic vote so the Republicans feel that they did not have a say so in this act whatsoever.

This was considered a direct lack of bipartisanship and angered many Republicans and conservative voters. They felt that this was proof of a big government takeover and showed wasteful expenditures. On April 15th a protest set to happen in 300 cities was to take place to protest against the increase in cigarette taxes, estate taxes, capital gains taxes and federal income taxes. This date was picked because it is the country’s date of when taxes are due to be paid.

Since that date, the movement has gained ground by more and more followers. This is especially prevalent after the protest date was made fun of by different groups of people like Democratic reporters and correspondents. The Tea Party felt that these reporters should have an unbiased opinion when reporting the news and felt singled out. This only caused more discord and further protests.

Filed Under: Politicians To Watch, Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Boston Harbor, Republican

Find Just One Issue for Your Children

October 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

You may have found yourself doing just this at some point in your life.

In order to spark you interest in politics, perhaps you went on a search to find just one relevant issue. Maybe it was the economics surrounding your line of work, or proposing a change to your child’s local school board – or something on a wider level, such as national policy.

Many who do not seem to have the natural interest in politics seem to do just this. This is perfectly normal, as individuals who seem to have a innate desire to immerse themselves into political issues may seem alien to you. Or perhaps it is the other way around for your point of view, but the important thing to recognize is that this exists.

Finding an issue of interest in perhaps the best way to spark political interest in the most innocent and quick way. It doesn’t involve picking up Plato’s Republic or watching CNN for days on end in order to get caught up.

Rather, one issue can allow one to see the true value of politics, which certainly cannot be contested. Yet some find it troubling to “break in” to this scene, which at times seems to be dominated by those who just know more about what is happening.

As you may have experienced, take the opportunity to share this valuable nugget of wisdom with your child. Help them find something, anything, to spark their interest in the value of politics. Of course this may be more applicable at a certain age, but even relatively young individuals can see the value.

Demonstrate the value of politics by placing it as important in your household. Allow it to show them how it can change their lives, especially as your children approach the age to vote and make use of their civil rights.

It all starts with just one issue. It can mean everything between a life of political indifference and one of activity.

Filed Under: Politicians To Watch, Politics Tagged With: CNN, Politics, United States

Women in Politics

July 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Until recent history in the United States, all the political power was in the hands of the male population. Even today in 2010, there are only 78 women in the House of Representatives compared to 357 men, and 18 women in the Senate compared to 82 men.

Women fought for the right to vote, believing this would give them more power. In 1850, women held the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, and 70 years later, in 1920, women were finally granted the right to vote. That right came only 90 years ago, meaning there are some women alive today who were born into an era where the female gender could not vote.

The women’s movement also sought other rights for women such as the right to own property and establish credit in their own name. They also were fighting for the right to run for office—what many saw as the ultimate form of power and the way to win other rights for their gender. In 1922, the first women were elected to office.

Women began demanding more power when the women’s liberation movement came into focus in the 1960s. Two prominent female politicians of the time were Bella Abzug and Shirley Chisholm. Abzug, recognizable in the big hats she liked to wear, worked as a civil rights lawyer and actively worked for peace in Vietnam. She ran for Congress in 1970 and spent six years in the House of Representatives, co-authoring amendments to the Freedom of Information Act and the Right to Privacy Act in 1974.

In 1969, Shirley Chisholm was the first African-American woman elected to Congress, and worked for civil and women’s rights, helping establish the National Organization for Women. She ran for president in 1972.

1992 showed the biggest turnout of women voters since their right was won in 1920. Approximately 60 million women cast their ballots and five women senators and 24 congresswomen were elected.

Filed Under: Politicians To Watch Tagged With: United States, Women

Legalizing Marijuana

July 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

For decades, advocates of marijuana use have been fighting to have the laws changed and allow the legal selling, buying and use of cannabis. Before 1937, marijuana was legal in most of the states, and it was available either as cigarettes at small outlets such as newsstands or in bulk form from grocers. But in 1937, the federal government passed laws prohibiting the possession or sale of cannabis, although the American Medical Association felt it was not harmful. Hemp, the fibrous part of the cannabis plant, was also highly taxed, even if it was used to make clothes or rope. This made it too expensive for manufacturers, and the use of hemp as a material was abandoned.

Through the years, the laws against marijuana possession have relaxed. Some states, such as California, make it a misdemeanor to hold one ounce or less of marijuana, and carries a maximum fine of $100. However, the cultivation, sale and transportation of marijuana, no matter the weight or number of plants, is considered a felony, even though there are certain legal exceptions if the cannabis is grown for personal use. The law in California (and other states) allows for medical exemptions as well.

With the November 2010 election, California’s ballot will include Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana use and sale with some restrictions. People 21 and older would be able to possess one ounce or less of marijuana and use the cannabis at home or in a public place that has a license for marijuana use. People would also be allowed to grow marijuana for personal use in a space as large as 25 square feet. Businesses, authorized by the local government, could sell up to one ounce of marijuana, including transporting the cannabis between dispensaries. Local governments could collect taxes from the sale of marijuana. Penalties would apply to anyone selling to a minor, driving under the influence and consuming marijuana at the workplace if it affects job performance.

Filed Under: People, Politicians To Watch Tagged With: Illegal

The Two-Party System

June 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The United States democracy has consisted of two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, for approximately 150 years. Other democratic countries have several parties, but in America, it’s always been difficult for a third party to maintain enough members to compete with the Democrats and Republicans.

The Democratic Party was originally known as the Anti-Federalists, which was comprised of craftspeople, laborers and farmers. The Republicans were called the Federalists and the members of that party were typically the citizens who had the most wealth and those involved in commerce such as merchants and manufacturers.

As the parties grew, each one came to represent constituents in specific parts of the country, mainly because of the party’s membership. The Democrats were prominent in the southern and western parts of the United States, those regions that had the highest population of farmers and artisans. The majority of Republicans lived in the East where most of the country’s business dealings took place.

The type and class of people who belong to each party continues to this day, where a large percentage of Democrats are middle class workers. Indeed, the unions are big supporters, both financially and morally, of the Democratic Party and its candidates. And, as in the past, a majority of Republicans are those who hold wealth and are leaders in the business community.

Recently, though, those lines have begun to blur. The Democrats have traditionally been the party of choice for minorities. But many African Americans, as they become wealthier, are joining the Republican Party, as well as educated and wealthy Asians. In addition, the growing population of Hispanics are choosing the Republican party because of its traditional stance against abortion, its religious base and other conservative values.

Today, many people believe that neither party has unique goals. But it appears that the two-party system won’t be changing anytime soon. As long as the majority of Americans follow middle-of-the-road politics and want the same things for themselves and their children, it will be difficult for a new party to find its way into American politics.

Filed Under: Democrats, Politicians To Watch Tagged With: Parties, Political party