Blog #8

In her blog post, “Guns” Mari talks about how addressing our country's rampant gun problem is extremely important. 

As much as I'd love it, I don't think we will ever have an outright gun ban. Americans view the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as sacred and are reluctant to ever make any changes to it. An outright ban on guns would clearly violate the 2nd amendment so I don't see how we would go about it. We must make sensible gun legislation that restricts access to guns (especially assault rifles) a priority.

Cory Booker released a proposal on what he plans to do regarding gun control if he were to be elected President and I think it’s a major step in the right direction. His proposal states that he would require anyone who wanted to purchase a gun to submit their fingerprints, basic background information, and complete a certified, gun safety course. Booker goes further and states that he would eliminate loopholes that make it possible for a domestic abuser and people on the terrorist watch list to obtain guns. Cory Booker is not my preferred candidate, but I appreciate his platform on gun control.  I hope to see the other 2020 Democratic Candidates follow suit.

For too long now, our country has been plagued by gun violence. We have sat around idly while innocent people die. It is unfathomable that we haven’t passed any major legislation to try to prevent more tragedies from occurring. 

Since the mid-twentieth century, the issue of global climate change has become increasingly evident and is now not only undeniable but incredibly dire. Since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has caused CO2 levels to dramatically, causing great damage to the ozone layer. This, in turn, has resulted in sea levels rising, general weather patterns changing, and an alarming increase in natural disasters. It is imperative that action is taken here in the United States on a governmental level in order to help reverse these catastrophic effects. 

In the last few months, many Democratic candidates have announced their candidacy in the 2020 presidential election. Combatting climate change has been a cornerstone of many campaigns and will continue to be a hot-button topic in the primaries.

I have personally enjoyed researching each candidate’s plan to change policy related to climate change, as each candidate is devising big solutions for a big problem. 

For example, current New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand plans to put a price on carbon, combat unemployment through creating waste management jobs, and back the New Green Deal. Elizabeth Warren, my favorite potential 2020 democratic candidate, also endorses the New Green Deal. She has also placed a great emphasis on repairing and replacing current infrastructure, as well as taking revenue from her Ultra-Millionaire Tax to support her proposals. 

Though the problem of fighting global climate change is incredibly daunting and pressing to say the least, it gives me hope that we have such passionate and capable leaders to bring this issue to the forefront of America’s political agenda.