GOP Win in Massachusetts is in Best Interests of the Nation

While some might argue that the Democrats losing their filibuster-proof majority is a bad thing, they are sorely mistaken and are speaking in the interests of the liberal side of the nation. On the other hand, those aligned with the GOP may be ranting on how there is a chance to take power back. Once again, those views are misguided.

Our nation says it is a democracy, but with two political groups vying for power, it too often turns into us versus them. When the “liberal lion of the Senate” passed away in 2009, it saddened all involved. However, the loss of this important figure needs to be reevaluated. In all honesty, taking away the ability to run bills through Congress without the filibuster threat could and should make the US better off.

Forcing reconciliation and cooperation between the two warring factions will create laws and regulations that will be moderated and have influence from both ends of the spectrum.

Insuring the millions without health care, immigration, and both the national debt and national deficit are among the issues facing the nation which are better off with a more communicative legislative body.

CNN’s John King went to Massachusetts and found several voters who were all fed up with Obama’s message of “change.” One even remarked that they did not like that Obama had started to blend in with the old crowd of Washington politics, so this gave them questions over his ability to fulfill his campaign promises.

Looking for others who shared my opinions on blogs or forums, I found others who feel that this might be a step in the right direction for America to rebound after a past decade rife with problems both at home and abroad (the economy, war on terror, etc.).

The last time there was a split Presidency and Congress, the national budget was balanced and the national debt was slowly going down. At the very least, Americans should see a slight turn in a better direction.

Too often, it seems like politicians in this nation care more about winning a seat and collecting favors for themselves than actually helping their constituents. But why should they? Many Americans are ambivalent and care more about who the latest celebrity couple consists of than how their representatives are helping them.

I hope that the “Massachusetts Message” does not just stay there for this special election, but that it picks up steam and becomes a national phenomenon for the midterm elections this November. Other than just voting by party lines, I am going to choose who I think is the most likely to bridge the gap between conservatives and liberals. I’m going to vote for who actually wants to cooperate, not mudsling. I suggest you do the same.

Mercer University Ill-Equipped to Handle Disabled Students

A new class offered this semester under the PLS (Programs in Leadership and Service) umbrella is PLS 322. I am not going to get into a complete discussion of the class details, since there is an article about that in this issue. However, I will explain one detail of the course, and that is the case study of an actual handicapped individual. In my opinion, the ultimate goal of the course to realize that our society is ill equipped with assisting these individuals and their disabilities.
I met with Tina Hopper, a Macon resident who was born with Spina bifida. She has used a manual wheelchair her whole life and grew up in Macon. She did not have much to complain about, for she feels fortunate that she has been able to adapt with her disability. In speaking with her, I learned that I take too much for granted, such as simply walking around. We neglect to understand the difficulties that a handicapped individual has.
For instance, Tina uses a manual wheelchair. She had several concerns. One is the swinging of doors. If the door revolves or opens automatically, then there is no problem. However, when a door is put in that requires pushing or pulling to open, the architects who design these “normal” doors are ignorant of the troubles that face wheelchair-bound individuals. According to Tina, when a door must be pulled outwards, it is much easier to get in and out of, but as soon as there is a door that must be pushed open, the ability to both turn the wheels of the wheelchair and push the door open is needed. I could not help but notice that most doors on campus require a door to be pulled open.
She also mentioned the sidewalk and curb problem. Now, most of us would not realize that the sloping curbs for handicap access are neither uniform nor maintained well. These sloping sidewalks are designed to be visually appealing, and the handicap accessible curbs are just put in there. Once installed and built, the curbs are forgotten for the most part. Proper maintenance is forgotten at the point where the slope meets the street. Over time, this point will erode and lose it smooth surface. The crack can stop someone in a manual wheelchair from moving due to smaller front wheels being lodged in it.
This situation is prone to cause accidents. Walking around by Stetson and Tarver Library, I could not help but see how poor the handicap access curbs are maintained. I saw how hard it is for someone to get into our buildings as well, especially those with the doors opening in an unaccommodating way. While Mercer has several places on campus that are accessible, such as the UC, Mercer still has a far way to go in regards to this issue.
The UC might have that tough hill to climb in the front, which is accessible in a power chair, but the back entrance nearer the Box Office is rather easy to get into for all handicapped peoples. This is very different from the inability for a student [who cannot walk] to get to the Registrar’s office. There are stairs to the area, no elevator, and no true handicapped access. When a campus is not accessible to everyone who wants to attend, then something must be done. In essence, students, speak up! Talk to the administration about this issue. If you feel strongly, I urge you to have your voice heard, for it is the only way that those who are disabled will be able to get their ideas across.