Yesterday, we had a probing and intensive discussion about the effects of inequality, particularly on children. We also learned that a case like Brown v. Board of Education can, as one fellow student observed, “change the course of history.” We understand now that the 9 members of the Supreme Court seek to balance the interests of governments against other governments (federal, state, executive, legislative) but also seek to balance the interests of citizens against the government and other citizens. The holding in the case overturned two previous cases establishing that separate is never equal and through the 14th amendment citizenship is defined as being born in the US or naturalized, entitling all to the priveleges and responsibilities of being a co-equal citizen. This also means that each citizen must be equally protected and discrimination against a particular group, religion, or individual is a violation of the 14th amendment.

We also made some progress into better understanding Danielle Allen’s argument that freedom of inequality, which seems to be dominant in our business, pop culture, and news media, will always continue to increase inequality, if we let it. But as the Declaration of Independence argues throughout a freedom of equality or the equality of freedom always allows for security and prosperity for the entire group. As we continue to examine the contradictions between what was written and how we behave today we must begin by looking at our own individual views toward the constitution and toward what expectations we have of others and ourselves as we live, work, and pursue our goals with and sometimes in opposition to others.

We have practiced a multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blanks, and true/false sections of our final exam. We agreed that marking the book would be helpful and using post its would make it easier to access the book during the open book exam. We also talked about writing out practice essays for both the 5 paragraph essay prompt next week as practice for the actual essay question on the final exam. To show comprehension we agreed that the metaphor of fixing a car made sense, to understand something you must know how to fix it, not just point out the parts of the car. To this end, we will be moving toward the analyzing portion of this class and will be looking into what a citizen or other person can do to defend themselves with the law against a governmental unconstitutional action and what it looks like.

We used a very effective example of what it feels like when one part of society separates itself from the others. Although it may be true or even feel like we are climbing a hill to reach an equal chance to gain property, pursue happiness, and live free we understand that for some, like Thurgood Marshall this took over 30 years. But we also remember that many all over the country are making smaller sacrifices and working together toward a realization of all “are created equal” under the “laws of nature and nature’s God.”

President Abraham Lincoln, Commander in Chief during the Civil War, said: “it is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says ‘you toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle; As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”

Yesterday, we had a probing and intensive discussion about the effects of inequality, particularly on children. We also learned that a case like Brown v. Board of Education can, as one fellow student observed, “change the course of history.” We understand now that the 9 members of the Supreme Court seek to balance the interests of governments against other governments (federal, state, executive, legislative) but also seek to balance the interests of citizens against the government and other citizens. The holding in the case overturned two previous cases establishing that separate is never equal and through the 14th amendment citizenship is defined as being born in the US or naturalized, entitling all to the priveleges and responsibilities of being a co-equal citizen. This also means that each citizen must be equally protected and discrimination against a particular group, religion, or individual is a violation of the 14th amendment.

We also made some progress into better understanding Danielle Allen’s argument that freedom of inequality, which seems to be dominant in our business, pop culture, and news media, will always continue to increase inequality, if we let it. But as the Declaration of Independence argues throughout a freedom of equality or the equality of freedom always allows for security and prosperity for the entire group. As we continue to examine the contradictions between what was written and how we behave today we must begin by looking at our own individual views toward the constitution and toward what expectations we have of others and ourselves as we live, work, and pursue our goals with and sometimes in opposition to others.

We have practiced a multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blanks, and true/false sections of our final exam. We agreed that marking the book would be helpful and using post its would make it easier to access the book during the open book exam. We also talked about writing out practice essays for both the 5 paragraph essay prompt next week as practice for the actual essay question on the final exam. To show comprehension we agreed that the metaphor of fixing a car made sense, to understand something you must know how to fix it, not just point out the parts of the car. To this end, we will be moving toward the analyzing portion of this class and will be looking into what a citizen or other person can do to defend themselves with the law against a governmental unconstitutional action and what it looks like.

We used a very effective example of what it feels like when one part of society separates itself from the others. Although it may be true or even feel like we are climbing a hill to reach an equal chance to gain property, pursue happiness, and live free we understand that for some, like Thurgood Marshall this took over 30 years. But we also remember that many all over the country are making smaller sacrifices and working together toward a realization of all “are created equal” under the “laws of nature and nature’s God.”

President Abraham Lincoln, Commander in Chief during the Civil War, said: “it is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says ‘you toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle; As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”