Kent State Revisited



America in the 1960s and 1970s was filled with turmoil and civil unrest as the nation was divided in a way not seen since the Civil War.  As one looks at the events of this period, there is no doubt that the political activism of the young people on its college campuses contributed to the social unrest.  Civil rights demonstrations and anti-war protests were prevalent on campuses across the nation. Oftentimes violence followed these demonstrations and no other event captures this aspect of student life in those days more vividly than that of the tragic shooting that took place in a small university town in Kent, Ohio in May of 1970.

In a earlier post you viewed a video of this action by clicking on 1970 Kent State Ohio Shootings. Now you can read the rest of the story in an article revisiting those times by Steve Farrrell at "Peace Loving" Protesters: Kent State Revisited.

WEEK 12: The President & the Courts

Little Rock Central High School - 1957

This week we examined the Federal Court System and the Constitutional dimension. Article 3 of the Constitution vests all judicial power in the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. The president nominates candidates for openings to the 800+ lower-court positions in the U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the nine member U.S. Supreme Court. These are life time positions and all of the presidential nominees must be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Senate. Because Presidents take an oath to defend the Constitution and execute the duties of their office, they have a constitutional duty to see that laws are faithfully executed - not only laws passed by Congress, but also federal court decisions. If U.S. Marshals under the Department of Justice are unable to enforce these laws and decisions of the federal courts, presidents may use Federal troops or call the National Guard to Federal service, or both.

Two examples in the 20th century of Presidents using this power to enforce Federal court decisions occurred in September 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas when Federal troops were called up by President Eisenhower. Click on this Little Rock Nine Documentary for more details.

A second example occurred in 1962 when President Kennedy called out Federal Marshals and then Federal troops so that James Meredith could be enrolled in the University of Mississippi. Click on Deadly Riots at Ol' Miss which outlines events leading up to President Kennedy's decision and the events surrounding the riots at Ole Miss and the shooting of 35 U.S. Marshals precipitating the calling in of Federal troops.

And in May 1970, closer to home, the Governor of Ohio called out the Ohio National Guard to the campus of Kent State University where students protesting the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces, clashed with Ohio National Guardsmen. When Ohio Guardsmen shot and killed four students on May 4, the Kent State Shootings became the focal point across the country for a nation deeply divided by the Vietnam War. See a video of this action by clicking on 1970 Kent State Ohio Shootings.

Projections Sunday November 4, 2012

Source:  http://www.electoral-vote.com/

                                                                                                   

Obama (281 Electoral Votes)   Ties (51 Electoral Votes)   Romney  (206 Electoral Votes)

                      

Blue States (Obama)  White States (Ties)   Red & Pink States (Romney) 

      

 If interested in Zogby's latest poll on Saturday, click on Zogby Newsmax Poll. 

If interested in reports and analysis found on the more conservative Rasmussen Reports, you can click Rasmussen Reports - Electoral College Breakdown . 

 

U.S. SENATE RACES -  Democrats currently hold the Senate by a 53-47 edge. To get an update on the latest projections for the U.S. Senate races click on  2012 Senate Balance of Power.

U.S.  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -  Republicans currently hold the House of Representatives by a 241-194 edge. To get an update on the latest projections for the U.S. House of Representatives races click on Battle for the House.

Week 9: The Electoral College

    





In this week's class, we examined the constitutional basis for the Electoral College and how the system works during a Presidential election. We reviewed the key dates in November, December & January for the Electoral College and define some terms or issues that are sure to be heard on Election Day. We'll examine the most recent electoral vote projections for the Presidential race as well as projections on what the new U.S. Congress may look like. Closer to home, we will look at our state wide races and ballot issues and look at Harrison & Jefferson County races & ballot issues. 

What if the Electoral Vote is a Tie?

If the eletoral College vote ends in a tie, 269 votes for each of the candidates or no candidate gets a majority of the electoral votes (270 or more) than the Constitution outlines how the President and Vice President  are to be chosen. Please view this instructive video that outlines the process by which the U.S. House of Representatives will choose the President and the U.S. Senate will choose the Vice-President
Click on to see this short video: An Electoral College Tie.

For more information on the Electoral College, click on   U.S. Electoral College resources for the National Archives site. To view the class handout used to explain the Electoral College in more detail see our Class 9 Handout-The Presidency and the Electoral College on the right hand column of this blog under Class Handouts.

Why We May Not Know the Winner of the Election For At Least 10 Days

Front of Ohio Statehouse

Kenneth Blackwell, former Secretary of State for Ohio, was recently interviewed on AFA Radio 88.9FM Steubenville and had an article written in NewsMax about his fears that a little-known change in the Buckeye State’s absentee-ballot process could lead to a “nightmare scenario.”

Quoting from that NewsMax article: "And that scenario could force the entire country to wait 10 days after the election to find out who will be the next president of the United States. It’s a complicated situation, to say the least, but one that could have a far-reaching impact on the Nov. 6 election process.

For the first time in the key swing state’s history, Blackwell says, virtually all Ohio voters this year were mailed an application for an absentee ballot. In previous elections, most Ohio voters had to request an application for an absentee ballot to receive one. The concern is that thousands of Ohio voters may complete the absentee-ballot application and receive an absentee ballot, but not bother to complete and mail in the ballot.

Anyone who is sent an absentee ballot — including those who do not complete it and mail it in — and later shows up at the polls on Election Day to cast their ballot in person will be instructed to instead complete a provisional ballot. And under Ohio election law, provisional ballots cannot be opened until 10 days after an election. To read more about this potential problem in full, click on Ohio Voting Count 'Nightmare' Looms