Wednesday, 9/21: Podcast and VRA Amendments!

Today's Goals:  

• Form an opinion on Edward Bloom and others' tactics to use the judicial system to hear minority voices as well as on where you stand regarding yesterday's WaPo article on North Carolina's Voting Rights restrictions.

Starter 12
John Oliver on North Carolina’s voting rights decision from 8/1/16
Warning! Strong language here.  Earmuffs may be needed if you are sensitive to occasional f-bombs.

After watching the video clip, answer the following questions 

1. What were the major provisions of North Carolina’s voter registration restrictions that the Supreme Court recently struck down? (this should be review)
2. Do you think that individual states should have the right to decide their own voting policies? OR Should this be a federal issue?
3. Do you think that this type of media contributes to naive cynicism? Explain.

Class Biz
1.  Honors essay refinements due! Also-- tell me today if you're in or out!
2. Next week's exam will take place, most likely, on Tuesday.  You will need to be able to do the following:

• In class essay, evaluating whether or not we need the VRA today.

• Checks and balances--give examples of how the VRA shows checks and balances between our judicial branch and legislative branch
• Checks and balances scenarios:  I'll give you a scenario, you explain what branch can DO the initial action, what branch can check them, and how they can check them.
• Branch powers (multiple choice)

Agenda
Starter debrief 

Finish the podcast from yesterday  
Complete your notes on page 2 of the VRA Vocab and Summaries handout I gave y'all yesterday.  Lost it? It's on yesterday's blog and on the Docs page of my dp.

Small Group Discussion on the podcast 
Ashley will put'cha into small groups as these will be your groups for an activity later in class as well.  Don't freak out.  It is only a small infringement on your liberties for me to choose your groups but it is good to work with different folks and hear different perspectives from time to time, eh?  Plus, ultimately I'm the decider and I get to decide.

That said, in your small groups, carry out a mini-seminar on the following questions:

1. Is Edward Bloom vs. 40,000 civil rights activists marching in the street a false paradigm?
2. Is Edward Bloom carrying the standard for Civil Rights in America?  To what extent?
3. Do you agree that manufacturing legislation should be counted as a form of freedom of expression?
4. Is this a legitimate pathway to contend with the problem of the Tyranny of the Majority?
5. Where do you stand on the issues outlined in the Washington Post article about voter discrimination? To what extent should states have voter ID laws? What kind? (Click on this map of the  U.S. that explains how to vote in each state for more ideas on the types of laws various states require. Scope out ColoRADo obviously).
6. Is it time for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to end? Is it no longer needed?