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British and American influence in the world

Lately we have worked on the topic of how Great Britain and the USA both have had a very big impact on the world, at different times and in different ways. One can certainly discuss to what degree this influence has been a positive or negative thing, and it is hard to imagine what the world would look like without this influence. It really also depends on the perspective you see things from.

Pick either the USA after WW2 or the British Empire and write a blog post which discusses its political, economical and cultural influence in other parts of the world. Your should include both positive and negative aspects and draw your own conclusion based on the arguments you have presented. Feel free to focus on certain countries/events/time periods as examples.

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Moving on

The historic second impeachment of former President Donald Trump came to a sudden, yet anticipated end on Saturday. The defense concluded their argumentation on Friday after only a few hours, and the Senate thus met on Saturday anticipating closing arguments from both sides which would then transition into a vote. The House Impeachment Managers surprised everyone at the opening procedures on Saturday when they announced they wished to subpoena a witness, based on a CNN news report on Friday night. After intense deliberation and argumentation, both sides agreed to include the written statement from the witness, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, thus not needing her to appear in court and delaying the case, or perhaps more disconcerting for several parties: opening up for more witnesses being subpoenaed, and thus prolonging the trial.

As the Senate had voted before the start of the trial itself on all issues concerning procedure, it really should not have come as a surprise that the impeachment managers might bring up the topic of witnesses on Saturday, as that was the agreed upon time in the trial that they could do so. Well, not Saturday per se, but after the defense councel had closed their up to 16 hours of main proceedings.

It was also no surprise that Trump was acquitted, as a 2/3 majority was required for a conviction. That meant that 17 Republican senators would have to vote to convict. The result was 7, meaning 57 votes to convict, and 43 to acquit.

It seems as if some GOP senators voted to acquit because they did not agree with the ruling last Tuesday on the constitutionality of impeaching a former president, now a private citizen. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who was the senate majority leader during the Janury 6th insurrection and who was still the senate majority leader when the House of Representatives sent the article of impeachment to the Senate, scathingly denounced former President Trump’s actions on January 6th within minutes of voting to acquit him. One can wonder: to what end?

Personally, I have a hard time believing the Founding Fathers intended to allow a loophole like the January exception that has now been created, knowing the lengths they themselves went to to stand up to the oppressors from Great Britain back in the 1770s and 1780s. Granted, the Founding Fathers themselves were insurrectionists, but to compare them to the insurrectionist mob of January 6th 2021 would be an insult. The Founding Fathers based their actions on enlightenment ideals, with human and civil rights and democracy as goals, in a time with no internet, no phone and no telegraph. Have modern-day amenities left us more ignorant and unwilling to think for ourselves, left us susceptible to demagogs and politicians with agendas beyond “support[ing] and defend[ing] the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”?

Hilde

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The Second Impeachment Is Underway

Yesterday the US Senate convened to decide whether the 2nd impeachment of former President Donald J. Trump is constitutional. The House Impeachment Managers and the legal counsel for the former president argued approximately two hours each in order to convince the Senate of their opposing views on the legality and constitutionality of the impeachment. The House Impeachment Managers apparently gave the most convincing argument, as at the end of the day all 48 Democrat Senators, the two independent Senators and six Republican Senators affirmed the impeachment as constitutional.

So today and tomorrow will be dedicated to the House Impeachment Managers presenting their arguments. Friday and Saturday are dedicated to the former president’s legal counsel. The proceedings after that depends on how long they need to debate, and whether they will allow witnesses in the legal proceedings.

We need to keep in mind that the jurors in this impeachment trial are also victims of and witnesses to the siege of Capitol Hill on January 6th. Regrettably, the TV audience is not able to see the senators and their reactions to the arguments laid before them by the House Impeachment Managers today as they seek to remind them of Trump’s propagation of “the Big Lie” which they argue led to the insurrection on January 6th. I cannot but wonder who is more affected by the line of argument, the tweets, videos and timelines presented: the TV audience whose sole focus is on the prosecution / defense and the evidence they put forth. Or the victims / witnesses / jurors whose focus I can only hope is directed there as well. I wonder whether being on the Senate floor precisely five weeks later, with the Impeachment Managers reminding the jurors how they were victims and witnesses that day, will affect their faith in and oath to the Constitution.

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A Historic Second Impeachment

The US House of Representatives voted tonight on House Resolution no. 40, to impeach President Trump for “incitement of insurrection”. All 222 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted in support of the impeachment, 197 Republicans opposed the resolution. Four Members of Congress refrained from casting their vote. This makes Trump’s presidency historic in yet another way, by making him the first president to be impeached twice.

There was a lengthy debate on the House Floor in which the Democrats denounced the President’s actions and language in the events unfolding on January 6, as well as in the months leading up to that and in the week since. In particular they pointed out the President’s and several Republican politicians’ refusal to accept the 2020 election results and their many attempts at finding ways to contest the results, both through legal and more questionable means. Many Republicans defended the President, although most denounced the actual events of last Wednesday. Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney was applauded for her statement released yesterday in support of the impeachment process, in which she said that “[t]here has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution”.

Many Republicans asked during the debate for due process to be followed instead of such a rushed impeachment before the criminal investigations are even completed. Some Republicans even compared the events of 1/6, an event generally agreed upon as an attack on the democratic process and thus also the Constitution, to the protests that have taken place across the country during 2020 in response to the many killings of Black people. Most Republicans touted a call for unity instead of impeachment, claiming that an impeachment will further divide the American society in a time when they should focus on mending fences. That is quite a convenient claim after having spent the last two months fueling the division by calling the election results, the most democratic way for people to make their voices heard, into question.

The impeachment will now proceed to the Senate for a trial, and a conviction will require a 2/3 majority. Current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell so far seems unwilling to call the Senate into session early, as they are currently on a break until January 19. Thus the impeachment process will probably start after President-elect Biden’s inauguration when the Senate will be tied between Republicans and Democrats, with the Democrats being in majority since the Vice President-elect will have the tiebreaking vote.

A good question is “why bother” if the impeachment trial happens after Trump’s presidency has ended. The prudent answer is “principle”. Should words matter, or is there no limitation to the First Amendment, regardless of consequences? Or is this simply a vendetta and a pathway to stop Trump from ever holding a public office ever again?

This New York Times article puts today’s House vote in context, identifying which representative voted in today’s session, compared to who voted to call on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment yesterday and who objected to the January 6 certification of the 2020 election results.

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America burning

The brutal killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis has led to days of unrest and riots. While most demonstrations are peaceful, some are also out of control and resulting in looting and violent behavior. What is going on in America? What is president Trump doing to deal with the situation? Read up or watch recent news stories to get an update. Look at the following article for a discussion on how this would have been portrayed in the news had it happened somewhere else:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/29/how-western-media-would-cover-minneapolis-if-it-happened-another-country/?fbclid=IwAR010KdADTd_il3yvzPcoDxJKpWKbLdOP5i0PjaLMnTh5WuWCZcWfurZIVc

Langston Hughes was a Black American poet who lived from 1901 to 1967. Read his poem “Let America be America again” from 1936 (in the midst of the Great Depression) and discuss its relevance today.

https://poets.org/poem/let-america-be-america-again

George Floyd 'riots,' 'violence,' 'looting': Words matter, experts say
https://eu.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/31/george-floyd-riots-violence-looting-words-matter-experts-say/5290908002/
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13th – A Documentary on the Unjust American Prison System

The United States is home to 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of the world’s prisoners. Think about that. —Former President Barack Obama Our justice system is a human rights catastrophe and one of the biggest moral crises of our time. — News commentator and author Van Jones

Ava DuVernay’s Netflix documentary film ’13th’ reveals how mass incarceration is an extension of slavery.

The film takes its title from the 13th amendment, which outlawed slavery but left a significant loophole. This clause, which allowed that involuntary servitude could be used as a punishment for crime, was exploited immediately in the aftermath of the civil war and, DuVernay argues, continues to be abused to this day. Source: The Guardian

Discuss in your groups:

  1. History is not just stuff that happens by accident. We are the products of history that our ancestors choose, if we’re white. If we are black, we are the products of the history that our ancestors most likely did not choose. Yet here we are all together, the products of that set of choices. And we have to understand that in order to escape from it. — Kevin Gannon, 13th What are your thoughts on this quote? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
  2. President Lyndon B. Johnson ushered in the War on Crime, Nixon began a figurative War on Drugs that became a literal War on Drugs in the Reagan era. Were you surprised to learn about the racial underpinnings of these legislative policies, and the active role of the state in criminalizing and targeting communities of color? Discuss using the quotation below: The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did. – John Ehrlichman, Nixon Administration Advisor
  3. Super predator. Criminal. Think about the power of media and the power of words. Discuss media and how words impact the perception and criminalization of people of color, both in the past and the present (animalistic, violent, to be feared, threat to white people, criminals, etc.). Give modern-day examples.
  4. According to the documentary, President Clinton built the infrastructure for mass incarceration: mandatory minimums (taking the discretion away from judges), militarization of police (SWAT teams), three-strikes law, and truth-in-sentencing laws (must serve 85% of sentence). Discuss the role of politics and crime and how you see it impact communities today (both past and current administrations).
  5. Many politicians have apologized for their role in promoting the devasting “tough on crime” legislation. Considering the billions of dollars made off the imprisonment of people and the cases of unjust imprisonment, is an apology enough? Should these communities and families be repaid in a more material, restorative way? Why/why not?https://educationforjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Film-Discussion-Guide-13th.pdf
  6. The film argues that there is a direct link between American slavery and the modern American prison system. What is your take on this argument? Source: Discussion guide.

My takeaways:

List three ways this documentary has impacted you. Write the answers on your blog.

  1. What did you learn?
  2. What insights did it provide?
  3. What questions do you still have?

This is an adaption of Ann Michalesen’s blog post on teaching the 13th documentary: https://annmichaelsen.com/2019/01/12/teaching-the-13th-documentary/

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The Constitution and the Supreme Court

Bilderesultat for picture founding fathers

The US Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified (accepted by all the states) in 1789, making it a 230 years old document…Needless to say, there have been many changes to it after that. In order to change the Constitution, the Congress needs to pass an Amendment. Another way of changing thhe Constitution is if the Supreme Court rules the law unconstitutional.

Look into the process of how the American Constitution was made and the process required to change it. What are the 10 first Amendments called, and why? What other important amendments have been made? Choose 1-2 of these and write a little bit about them.

Look into the role the Supreme Court plays in the American political system. What powers does it have? Find examples of important Supreme Court decisions that have made an impact on how the Constitution is interpreted.

Group Photo of Nime Justices

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Dreams

From M.L. King Jr.’s I have a Dream to Theresa May’s British Dream- a slight difference in content, country and decade. One from 1963, the other from 2017. Today’s task:

Compare and contrast the two speeches in terms of content (message) and identify the literary/linguistic devices May uses to enhance her message to the participants at the Conservative Party’s conference.

For background information, see https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/04/theresa-may-british-dream-cap-on-energy-bills-housing-tory-conference-speech,

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41506032

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdMcbLT3jSY
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Selma

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Amendment 15
United States Constitution
Ratified February 2, 1870

  • Martin Luther King jr.

As it is Black History Month, we will be working with the movie Selma (2014) directed by AvaDuVernay. In groups of three or four, you should be working with these tasks after watching the movie. Read about the historical background here. 

Answer the questions from map 1. Look at the Alabama Literacy Test. What do you think of the questions? Sum up your thoughts on the questions in a paragraph or two.

President LB Johnson ensured the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Here you can read more about his presidency. Watch his civil rights speech (parts of it) and read the full transcript here. What American ideas, ideals and values are expressed? Look for literary and/or language devices that are used to enhance the message of the speech. Sum up your ideas in a few paragraphs.

  • President Lyndon B. Johnson
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The 13th amendment

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, abolished slavery in the United States. The 13th Amendment states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (Source: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/thirteenth-amendment)

Before watching the Netflix documentary, you should revise a little about slavery in the US. Then watch this to learn about the impact of the 13th amendment.

Discuss the power of the media: Super predator. Criminal. Think about the power of media and the power of words. Discuss media and how words impact the perception and criminalization of people of color, both in the past and the present (animalistic, violent, to be feared, threat to white people, criminals, etc.). Give modern-day examples.

Discuss prisoners for profit: Were you aware of the Prison Industrial Complex and how corporations are profiting from incarceration?

Were you surprised to know about ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council—a committee of politicians and corporations influencing laws that benefit its corporate founders and pushing forth policies to increase the number of people in prison and increase sentences)?

Talk about CCA (Corrections Corporations of America, leader in private prisons that is required to keep prison beds filled—the leading corporation responsible for the rapid increase in criminalization) and how that impacts our communities. The film argues that there is a direct link between American slavery and the modern American prison system. What is your take on this argument?

“Noone in the hood goes to trial.” Discuss your understanding (or what you learned) about bail, plea bargains, and refusing to settle your case. How did the story of Kalief Browder impact you?

“You immediately become numb. That’s what jail does to humans, that immediate dehumanization, and sensory deprivation that nobody can really understand unless they live through it.” Discuss the impact this has on those currently incarcerated and what this could look like upon release.

Source: https://schd.ws/hosted_files/nywcmemphis2017/7e/13th%20Film%20Discussion%20Guide_By%20Amy%20Williams.pdf

Comprehension questions:

  1. What is the 13th amendment loophole?
  2. What was the Birth of a Nation? How were colored people portrayed?
  3. Explain what the Jim Crow laws were.
  4. Which president signed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Act? When?
  5. What was President R. Nixon’s main aim?
  6. Explain what the Southern Strategy was.
  7. Who initiated the War on Drugs and what was it?
  8. Why did the presidential candidate Dukakis lose the presidency, and to whom?
  9. What bill did President Bill Clinton ensure? And what were its consequences?
  10. What is Stand your Ground and where does it take place?
  11. Who was Emmett Till?
  12. Source: https://schd.ws/hosted_files/nywcmemphis2017/7e/13th%20Film%20Discussion%20Guide_By%20Amy%20Williams.pdf i

Practice vocabulary from the documentary by working on this: https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/2811635

Write a blog post where you list three ways this documentary has impacted you. What did you learn? What insights did it provide? What questions do you still have?