Choose one of the following topics to address.
1)What are your thoughts on Obama's appearance on The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno? How should we react to his comments? Is this an acceptable forum for a sitting president?
Obama on Leno
2)Read the NYT story on the student strip search case. How should the Supreme Court rule and why?
Strip-Search of Girl Tests Limit of School Policy
Due Friday.
66 comments:
In regards to President Obama's appearance on Jay Leno, I believe that he made a mistake with the use of the "Special Olympics" comparison. I think that this is not appropriate forum for the president of the United States to have because it can be very offensive to many people watching. President Obama definitely chose the wrong choice of words but I think that he is only human just like the rest of us. Everyone makes mistakes and I think that he was truly apologetic for what he said. He handled the situation very well by apologizing to the people and I think it is only fair that everyone forgives him. This situation proves that all people are human, including the President of the United States. All people make mistakes but they can certainly be forgiven.
President Obama on the Leno Show:
Being a sitting President I think there was a good and a bad to going on the Jay Leno Show. The good is that it shows the American Citizens who he really is and that he can laugh and jke around. It shows that he is a real person. The bad is that the show is a comedy and something was bound to come up inappropriate. In this case it did and it was very sore subject for many. The comments that were made reguarding the special olympics were inappropriate, espcially because he is hte president and is supposed to be almost robotic in what he does. The President apologized for the comments that were made that day. He only made a little fault so the citzens should forgive him and all should be well.
My response is to President Obama's comment on the Jay Leno show. There is a positive to Obama being on the show, and then the negative for the comment. First of all, it's great to see President Obama interacting more with the American citizens then most other Presidents. It's mostly assuring to many people that he is trying to make an effort to be our friend as well as our President.
The negative side to his appearance on Jay Leno, was the comment he said. Referring his score to the "Special Olympics" isn't something that should be said in general, never mind by the President of the United States. If that were to be said in school by a student, that student would have gotten yelled at or punished. The President says it, and all he has to do is apologize. Kids may look up to President Obama, as a role model, something to work forward to as their life goes on. How are kids going to follow a leader who jokes around with the Special Olympics?
Now, I may be taking this a bit too far, and yes it will blow over. But i just believe that it was a terrible choice of words. Forgive and forget is the way to move forward from this.
Concerning President Obama’s appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno I believe that there are some goods and bads. To start off, the good side of his appearance is that he was shown on a more personally level to the American public. This allowed the president to form a little more of a connection to the people which is helpful because now we can see him as more of a person rather than just our president. The bads to his appearance is that his comment concerning the “special Olympics” was very offense to many Americans and a lot of people may be angry with him. The reality is that people are not perfect, and just because Obama is our president doesn’t mean he is perfect because he is just like us. I do believe that he should be well aware of the tone he takes and the words he chooses in the future so that the public does not have negative feelings towards him. This was not acceptable but I also believe that we should forgive him for his mistake in word choice and not hold it against him in the future because we all make mistakes. The important thing is that he learns from this situation and uses it to benefit himself as a person in the future.
I think that the school officials in the strip search case violated the fourth amendment. The strip search went too far to the point of humilation and embaressment. I think that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the girl because i believe her rights were violated.
Strip Search:
Its obvious that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of Ms. Redding. She was violated by a secretary and a school nurse and has physically and emotionally been damaged since then. The school violated her 4th Amendment right by strip searching her without even asking if she had any pills on her or checking her record to see if things added up. If the school had paid a little more attention to detail and students rights then they wouldn't have made this irresponsible stupid mistake. I think the Supreme Court should rule in the favor of Ms. Redding due to the fact that they violated her 4th Amendment and violated her.
I believe the comment President Obama made about the Special Olympics is inappropriate for anyone especially the president. He did not use the right analogy to explain what he thought was a terrible bowling score. He should have thought about what he was going to say before hand. However, people make mistakes and he is just like everyone else. He happens to be the president of the United States, which puts emphasis on him if he does make a mistake. Aside from that inappropriate comment the rest of the interview seemed to go well. It showed a softer side of Obama and who he is. He showed the American people that he really is just like everyone else.
My response is to the girl who had to get striped searched at school. First off I think that the two female staff workers took this a search a little to far. I mean the things that they made her do, i think where just uncalled for, when they asked her to pull out her bra and move it from side to side just to see if pills where in there. But i really think they went way over there limits when they made her open her legs and pull out her underwear just to see if she had a little pill on her. If i where this girl i would have asked to call my mom before anything happened. But i think that the supreme court should do the best they can to get the school principle and the two female staff members arrested and have there teachers license or degree removed. But that is what i think the supreme court should do.
In reference to the case on the school strip search, I believe that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of Savana Redding because the search violated the Fourth Amendment; the ban on unreasonable searches. Also, it was humiliating and a violation of dignity, especially to a girl who was 13 years old at the time. Even though the school suspected she had brought prescription pills to school with her, I don't think just that reason should give them the right to full out strip search. There wasn't enough evidence or proof to make a search like that at all reasonable.
In this case, I believe that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the school district. In many previous Supreme Court cases, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the school district in order to promote that safe environment the court says people have a right to. Why should this case be any different? I believe that while there is a debate of protecting an individual’s rights versus creating a safe and drug free environment, that in this case the majority really does win. Everyone has a right to feel safe in an environment, especially a school environment. However I do think that the school should have acted differently, perhaps calling in the police to conduct the search, or at least ask the girl first if she was hiding drugs.
The Supreme Court should rule in favor of the school because otherwise it would set an incredibly bad precedent. If people learn that it is illegal for a school to strip search you then drugs will become a more major problem. People will start hiding drugs on their person where they can’t be found, even if there is reasonable suspicion. However I believe that the Supreme Court should set guidelines as to how a strip search should be conducted. I think there should be a higher standard of evidence or reasonable suspicion before a search can be instigated. I also believe that this search should be conducted by police officers, not school secretaries since strip searching is not in their job description. Overall, I believe that in order to promote a drug-free and safe environment, strip searches should be made legal, but there should be specific and clear guidelines as to how to go about it.
In regards to the strip search case i think that they defiantly violated her 4th amendment rights. The supreme court should defiantly go in favor of Ms. Redding. She was 13 at the time that all of this went on. You would never think that a 13 would be asked not even asked told to take off her clothes in front of some of the school teachers. The School not even looking up her records to see what kind of kid she was. Girls at that age are very mean and vicious. They back stab every one that they can and she was the main target in this which wasn't fair. I defiantly do not agree with the school conducting this strip search they are 100% wrong. I cant even begin to believe how scared she must have been to go to school thinking that something like that happened.
After watching Preisdent Obama on Jay Leno, I thought it showed he was very human. He showed he had a sense of humor and showed his real personality. Although there were positive, there were also negatives to his appearance. This negative was that he made a joke about his bowling, refering to it as "Special Olympics." I believe this can come off very offensive to alot of the people watching. It didn't come off as very proffesional being from the President. But as I said before, he is only human and makes mistakes. Im sure his appology was sincere.
Obama on Leno-
I think Obama’s appearance on The Tonight Show should remind citizens that although Obama is President, he is still human. Everyone has said something controversial that they wish they could take back. In President Obama’s case everything he says is publicized so his controversial slip is known to almost everyone. Everyone makes mistakes and it is easy to say something you do not mean or wish you could take back.
Obama handled the slipup tactfully, showed sincere regret and was very apologetic. He handled the situation by apologizing to the head of the Special Olympics and in my opinion made up for what he said. Although this may not be acceptable for a President, everyone makes mistakes and President Obama should definitely be forgiven.
I think that President Obama being on the Jay Leno show caused him to be seen in a totally different light. I do believe his comment about the Special Olympics was wrong. I know that he is only human and everyone makes mistakes, but he has to realize that he wanted to become the President of the United States, which holds him to different standards. In class we were discussing if we saw him as a man on the show, or as the President. My answer was that I saw him as the President. I am not saying that he cannot be forgiven; it just came as a shock that the president would make a comment like that. However, I do agree that he was very apologetic and sincere. It's tough being the President and constantly watched, but Obama made the choice of going on the show, so he should just be careful with what he says because he may not realize how that affects others.
In the student strip-search case, I believe the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the school district, but enact strict codes of conduct for future cases. Obviously, Ms. Redding was humiliated and traumatized by the experience, but the educators had probable cause to search her. Since school personnel do not need probable cause to search belongings, with probable cause, a strip search is not entirely unreasonable. If the Court ruled in favor of Ms. Redding, it would set a precedent for other schools with other more dangerous cases. Ms. Redding was only accused of possessing over the counter medicines, but if a student were accused of possessing a weapon or bomb, I would hope that he or she would be strip searched, if necessary, to ensure the school’s safety. Additionally, passengers traveling to and from other countries can be held and strip searched without reason, which is the same “violation of rights”. Yet, this has been in place for security reasons for years and has been increased since 9/11. Therefore, although Ms. Redding was uncomfortable and violated, her strip search was not unconstitutional based on the precedents that exist. Schools should be required to have reasonable suspicion that a student possesses something beneath their clothes that is a physical safety threat to other students or him/herself in order to be able to strip search. A medical gown like ones provided in doctor’s offices could also be used to maintain a more comfortable level of privacy.
In response to Obama's Tonight Show appearance, I'm sure that he offended many by referencing the "special Olympics" as he explained his bowling handicap. In most aspects, I do not believe this to be proper conduct for a sitting president. Though he may have said the wrong thing, for which he formally apologized, I believe President Obama's appearance on the Jay Leno show showed the lighter side of him and that he is human like the rest of us. As everyday citizens, we tend to hold Presidents in very high regard and for some, watch closely for any mistakes made. Making mistakes is part of the human nature and I think that Obama's slip in reference should be overlooked as just that- a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes and we shouldn't be worried about ones as petty as this when there are many other crises going on in America today.
In relation to Savanna Redding’s court case, I believe the court should rule in her favor. The school claims that it was acting in good faith, asserting that the strip search was just one of the uncomfortable steps toward a drug-free environment. The school district believes that in order to make a safe environment for students they must strip search students for over-the-counter pain relief medication. I would much prefer to attend school where a couple of girls have concealed Ibuprofen, than a school where administrators could strip me down at any time. No teacher or administrator should have reasonable suspicion to get me naked in front of them. I would feel safer in a school, full of crack-addicts than a school full of veritable perverts. Students still carry, conceal, and transport drugs even in schools where there are strip searches, as the article shows. In trying to secure the school environment, the administration went too far, and made an even more dangerous one.
After reading the article about the student who was strip-searched at her high school, I came to the conclusion that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the student. The school crossed a line when it made her strip down to her underwear to look for banned pills. Savana Redding had a right to privacy, and the school did not have a right to violate that by forcing her to comply to a strip search. The school had a reasonable suspicion that she had brought pills to school and broken the rules, and might be a danger to others, and they were fully justified in searching her--to a point. The problem is that they simply went too far. Searching someone is fine, but when you subject them to the embarrassment and shame of stripping down to their underwear, you are violating their right to privacy. She had a right not to be humiliated like this. Also, the school did not act very logically. There were a couple of parts of the search that were blatantly unnecessary and pointless, and served only to embarrass her further. I am referring, in addition to the strip itself, to the part when they had her pull out her underwear and bra. I mean, lets be realistic here. Who is going to hide pills (which are swallowed) in their underwear? I doubt a 13-year old girl would. This search crossed a line and caused the girl undeserved humiliation, violating her right to privacy. Thus, I think the Supreme Court should rule against the school and the officials involved should be disciplined.
Obama's appearance on Jay Leno:
When I think of politics, I never think about comedy. When discussing politics, people raise serious issues and arguments. When the President of the United States is giving a speech to an audience, the speech is always serious and straightforward. Seeing President Obama on Jay Leno's show is something different and enjoyable to see. It seems refreshing to have our President joking with someone and have a sense of humor. However, his choice of words could have been better when he was describing the bowling score. Despite that mistake, it seemed like the show with Obama and Leno turned out to be a success. It shows that Obama certainly has a soft side, and it feels like he is not talking like a leader. He sounds like any other American citizen, and it almost makes you briefly forget that he is the leader of our country.
I watched the entire interview on Jay Leno and i liked how President Obama showed a joking and fun side to his personality. I agree that his comment about the Special Olympics was off base, but he made a mistake and he sincerely apologized for it. Throughout the interview Obama and Leno interacted and joked around about different topics. I thought it was a little bit easier to understand some of the topics when he spoke about them in an informal way like he did on Leno, instead of in a formal interview where he is required to be serious. I believe he really connected with the people of the United States and i believe it was a great show even if he did make a poor decision when he spoke out about the Special Olympics.
Obama on Leno
Barak Obama had recently appeared on The Tonight Show and he had made a comment about the Special Olympics that had offended many people. I believe that this was just something that had slipped out of his mouth. It looked like he was having a fun conversation on the tonight show. Those shows are made for that. People should not be making a huge deal out of this. He is a human being and every person says something that they always regret. The important thing is that he apologized for the mistake that he had made and that the Special Olympics accepted the apology. People just need to forget that this happened and put this behind us.
I thought Obama going on Jay Leno was extremely inappropriate. He is our President of the United States, not a celebrity. I don’t believe that the man who is supposed to be leading our country away from another depression should be going on comedy talk shows and making a fool out of himself. It is very unprofessional and does not put the image of a leader. I understand he wants to connect with the public and use the media in a way no president has before, but I thought that was very inappropriate. Not only his appearance was improper but his choice of insult for himself comparing his bowling scores to that of a Special Olympic contestant was outrageous. I have competed in a competition like the Special Olympics, Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA). I take it extremely offensive that Obama would even consider saying that. I understand he is just like any other man and people make mistakes, and he did apologize for saying it, but it won’t take away what he said. There are many athletes in the Special Olympics who are extremely athletic and talented and could do much better than a 129 in bowling and the fact that he would use that as an insult is embarrassing to himself and insulting to those around him. I don’t like picturing the President of the United States to be like any other man because if you look around and see all the mistakes people are making everyday, it scares me to know that Obama could make similar mistakes. However, his mistakes affect the entire country and right now in our economy, there are very few spaces where mistakes can be afforded. If you picture our President as an everyday person, what makes him better than all of us to make decisions affecting us? If he wants to be just like us, what’s stopping any of us becoming President? The President of the United States should make us feel safe, not just talking to an ordinary person. We need someone to believe in, not someone who insults the disabled. I hope Obama does not make another slip-up like this again.
This strip search case was absolutely unjustified. Ms. Redding’s fourth amendment rights were clearly violated. The administrator that ordered the strip search should certainly be punished for what could be classified as sexual harassment. The defendants in this case cited the case of TLO v. New Jersey in which case a girl’s purse was searched following the girl being caught smoking on school grounds. The girl was found to be in possession of marijuana, and was arrested. The Supreme Court ruled that her rights were not violated because in school only “reasonable suspicion” is necessary for a search, unlike the “probable cause” that is necessary for a search outside of school. There were two major differences between the case cases though: firstly there was no reasonable suspicion, and secondly a strip search is much beyond the invasiveness of a purse search.
The key word in the phrase “reasonable suspicion” is the word “reasonable”. Suspicion is easy to just make up, but there has to a logical reasoning to back up that suspicion. In the case of TLO v. New Jersey, it was reasonable to suspect that the girl might be in possession of other drugs and paraphernalia, after being caught smoking in the bathroom. Ms. Redding was an honor student with a spotless disciplinary record. She was searched because she was acting “goofy” at a dance and because some girl said that she had ibuprofen with her. It is certainly not reasonable to search someone based on his or her acting “goofy” and the fact that another student who clearly disliked Ms. Redding said that she had drugs.
Also a strip search is wildly invasive, and embarrassing. This girl was so embarrassed that she actually had to transfer to another school to avoid seeing the nurse and the secretary who searched her. In the case of TLO v. New Jersey, the girl was caught smoking in the bathroom, and still was not subject to a strip search because the school officials realized that it was in violation of her rights. A strip search should only occur in extreme situations, like if there was serious suspicion that could be backed up with evidence that the girl was carrying a weapon. In that case there would be probable cause, and a clear and present danger to the students and faculty. Even if there was serious evidence that the girl had drugs the search should have been performed by police who have the actual authority to decide if there is probable cause, and not by some random teachers.
A random strip search can and has scarred Ms. Redding for life. She still today cannot bear to think about it, or face those who searched her all those years ago. She deserves to win this case because her rights were severely violated. In fact, in another context, the events that occurred in that office could be considered rape, and the administrators are fortunate that they are not facing any criminal charges for their actions.
Obama's comment on Jay Leno was not appropriate in the least. As the President, he should be setting a good example for the citizens of the U.S. He should be demonstrating the characteristics of a model American citizen. He should have not compared his low score on a bowling game to the "Special Olympics." I think he understood that he made a mistake by making this comment, but it shouldn't have been said in the first place. It is perfectly fine if the President goes onto late night tv talk shows because it's just entertainment. We should take into consideration everything a President says because it reflects how he or she thinks. But we also should take his or her actions into consideration because that is what will directly affect us. The President is human though and does sometimes make mistakes. We should be upset towards this comment but we should accept his apology.
I thought that it was alright for Obama to be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno but I thought it was a mistake to say what he did about the Special Olympics. The president has a right just like the rest of us to have fun and do what he wants on his free time as long as he doesn't do or say anything illegal or inappropriate. In this case he did say something inappropriate. He mentioned how he scored a 129 while playing in the White House's bowling alley and joked about how it was a good score for the Special Olympics. If our president thinks this is okay to say on national television, then we have a serious problem.
Strip Searching
I think that this case is utterly ridiculous. In my opinion, no school official had direct reason to suspect Redding. To base such a search off of the word of another student who WAS caught with drugs is flat out dumb. Though suspicion and investigation of Redding absolutely could and probably should have been pursued, strip searching should not have been the first step. Not only did this action lead to no result, but it caused both lasting psychological and physical harm to Redding. This is a case of the school overstepping its boundaries. To actively search to such a great degree on such little suspicion for non-narcotic drugs is unjustified. Reddings rights were violated, and the consequences of the schools actions have permanently changed her life for the worse.
After reading about how a student was strip searched at the age of 13 for being suspected to have ibuprofen pills at school, I think the school is not justified for its actions. If a school feels that a student needs to be strip searched, they should contact the student's parents and the authorities. Alternate ways can be used to find out if someone is hiding drugs on or in their body. Police dogs can sniff many types of drugs, and a student's doctor can conduct the strip search because they are more qualified to do this than school faculty. The school should be sued a lot of money for violating Savana Redding's Fourth Amendment rights.
I believe Obama comment on the Jay Leno show was very inappropriate. Comparing his bowling score to the Special Olympics was not right. As president, he should be aware of what his every word conveys. This should be something he takes honor in as what comes out of his mouth is how we judge his character and know what he stands for. A president should be someone who we can look up to, who sets an example, who leads. Yes he is human as many people said here, but that should not excuse his words and actions whenever we like. If Bush had said something like this, everyone would be all over it, tearing him apart for that brief comparison. Yet it seems most people are brushing it aside as nothing. I believe we should forgive Obama just like any other president should be forgiven for a genuine mistake, and we should move on without dwelling on it. However, we should be aware that it WAS wrong and be disappointed with his choice of words and what they tell us about who he is as a person. I also think this is not the way a president should be spending their time. It’s Ok to go on shows like this occasionally for entertainment, they need to laugh every now and then just like us. Yet it seems like Obama is constantly going on shows when there are so many better ways he could be spending his time (ex. Visiting school, our troops etc)
I think that Obama's appearance on Jay Leno was a negative portrayal of our president, and therefore the country in general. By making a joke about his lack of bowling skills and comparing it to the Special Olympics, he is speaking very offensively towards people with special needs. This is inappropriate, because in any public place, his job as leader of our country is to represent the US in a positive light, and innapropriate jokes do not do that effectively. I do not believe other presidents have made such offensive comments as this before, and Obama should not start it now.
President Obama’s appearance on the Jay Leno show proved why the American people voted for him. He is real and says things that any human would, he does not answer simple questions with complex sentences. He is intelligent, wise, and witty which was very evident throughout the whole interview. The point of his appearance on a show like that was to let the regular viewer see him and be able to relate to him. He is the first president ever to appear on a late night show, which in my opinion is very commendable. I did not find any of his comments offensive or derogative to anyone. He was down to earth and funny! I do not think there is anything wrong about a president appearing on a TV show and just being themselves. This appearance really showed the American citizens who he really is. I am sure most people found him even more admirable and relatable after the interview. His comment about the special Olympics was all in good humor, and he did apologize about it, so we should all just let it go since every one is allowed mistakes. Basically, I think we should all just stop focusing on small issues and turn our tension to bigger problems that our nation faces today.
After watching President Obama's appearence on the Jay Leno show, I dont think that it was right of his to use the term "special olympics." To compare his bowling score to theirs. I dont think that is was very appropriate, becasue it offends many people. As the president he is suppose to be out leader and have postive influences on people, it shouldnt matter is the person is not like him. He is suppose to teach future children of america to see not whats on the outside of people and not judge them for their dissabilities. But i did think it was good that he did say sorry. This shows that he did realize the mistake he made. I think that anyone can make mistakes but a powerful man like him should sometimes watch what he says. So in the end for a sitting president this was not appropriate but he did say sorry, so i think he can be forgiven.
President Obama on the Leno Show -
I feel like President Obama is just trying to make himself seem like the rest of America. By going on the Leno Show, I honestly believe he was just trying to make America see that he is just like the rest of us, and is almost trying to become our friend and President. To me, it seems that President Obama is just trying to establish trust in the American people, so that we will follow him. I don't feel like it was a mistake going on the Leno Show, seeing that he was trying to accomplish this goal. I do believe, however, that he made a very big mistake by the "Special Olympics" reference. I don't feel like this was an appropriate thing to say at all, and I feel like as President he should know better. Trying to represent our country, I don't think that this was a smart choice. With that said, I do think that he handled the situation very professionally. He apologized to the Special Olympics and seems truly sorry. While this does show that President Obama is just human, I feel like he may need to be more careful with his word choices. There are only so many mistakes he will be allowed before the people will lose their faith in him.
I feel that President Obama made a mistake with his comment, comparing his bowling score to the Special Olympics. It was a rude and poorly thought out comment. I feel he should make and apology for it. In my opinion The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is not an appropriate forum for a president. The president is supposed to be the formal and respected leader of our nation. He should only represent the nation through formal forums.
In regards to the strip search, i feel that the Supreme Court should rule that the school officials went way over the line. They did not have a good enough reason to strip search the 13 year old girl. The school officials violated Ms. Redding's 4th Amendment rights. They embarrassed and humiliated her just because another girl said she had pills on her. Strip Searches should never be done to a minor unless there is a undoubted suspicion that they have a weapon or other object that could severely harm one or more people. If the school wanted to take the search that far they should have contacted the police or Ms. Redding's parents. It would have been the responsible thing to do and could have saved everyone a lot of trouble and issues.
After watching the segment of Obama on the Leno show I am convinced that Obama's appearance on the show was not a good idea. Disregarding the special olympic comment that Obama made, which was completely unnecessary and a big mistake, the appearance was still uncalled for. In this down time in our country I do not think that listening to the President joke around about a basketball court and bowling alley is healthy for our country. Although jokes are usually a good idea I do not think that this is a time that we need jokes from the President. Shouldn't he be working in the White house not bowling or playing tennis, or if that is what he is doing don't tell us that because it does worry me. The image of the president is all business, or it was, and I am not sure that this was the right move of Obama at this time.
In the strip search case, the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the school district. While it was humiliating for Ms. Redding, it is still better to be safe than sorry. Schools need to protect students and create a safe learning environment for all. That definitely includes making sure that students are not carrying drugs into school. In past cases, the Court has already ruled that students have limited rights in school. The same should apply for this case. However, I think that they should not be used liberally. It is still an embarrassing thing for someone to have to go through and students should not have to be subjected to it unless it is necessary and potentially beneficial for the majority of students. School officials conducting strip searches should also make it less embarrassing. There are ways to give the student some privacy so that it is not so traumatizing for them.
I think that Obama’s comment referencing the Special Olympics on The Tonight Show was definitely something that could be considered inappropriate and offensive; however it was a true mistake, and only proves how Obama makes mistakes like the rest of us. Average U.S. citizens make mistakes like that everyday. I do not think that his somewhat offensive choice of words should be used against him. I think that The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was probably not the best setting for Obama to be having a casual conversation though. I enjoyed hearing him speak about his experience living in the White House as opposed to education and healthcare for a change; however, I don’t think that a comedy show like this is the most appropriate place for our president to make an appearance. At the same time, I understand that Obama is using the media as much as he can to connect with Americans, and I think that this interview showed a side of him that many Americans would be interested in and can relate to.
The Supreme Court should definately rule in favor of the student. The student was clearly made extremely uncomfortable, and it was unfair of the administration to strip search her, especially to the extent that they did. It is very highly unlikely that the pills would be found in her undergarments! Maybe if the school talked to the girl who was searched along with her "friend" who had accused her first, they may have talked out the problem, and the school could have possibly solved it. Instead, they went to extreme measures. If they had extreme suspicion toward her, and really thought it was necessary, they could have at least called the police to do it more professionally. I really hope that the state rules in favor of the girl, because I think that would be just and right.
In the student strip search case, the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the student because the school violated her fourth amendment rights and her rights to privacy. The school had no right to search the student because they can not even meet the standards of reasonable suspicion the courts require schools to have when conducting any form of search. Rather than actually looking for proof, they based their search on invalidated information from another girl caught with drugs; a girl who is more likely to lie and put the blame on another in an attempt to get herself out of a difficult situation rather than accept responsibility for her actions. The teacher’s claim that the student was likely to have been drinking at a dance is also unfounded. Children of 12 or 13 years of age are likely to have fun and act less restrained than usual at a dance. The purpose of a dance is to have fun, under the teacher’s assumption everyone at the dance would likely have been drinking. The teacher’s credibility could also be questioned. Seeking to defend themselves, their job, and their employer, it is quite possible and very likely that the teacher lied or made claims in an attempt to justify a search that has no legal standing. The school also had no reason to search the student because at the time, she had no record of disciplinary action on her record. With no history, inaccurate information from an unreliable source, and conclusions drawn by a clearly biased teacher the school without a doubt had no legal right or reason to strip search the student and take as drastic an action as they did.
I believe that President Obama’s appearance on the Jay Leno Show was not entirely inappropriate. I do believe that President Obama’s reference to the “Special Olympics” was very inappropriate and uncalled for; however, I do believe that it was an understandable mistake and just like any other human being the President of the United States is going to make mistakes. I believe that just because somebody is the President does not mean that they are no longer human. People get unrealistic ideas as to how the President should behave; yes the President should hold himself to the highest standard but he should not be forced to abandon his personality for blandness and proper behavior for every second of his life. I believe that the President should act very maturely and properly but he should also show his true personality.
Obama on Jay Leno:
I think that it's good that the President is trying new ways to connect with the people. He did make a big mistake in his joke at the comparison to Special Olympics though. He is our President and people look up to him. Some may see him as just a man who made a dumb comment on tv because in fact President Obama is a regular man with a family when he is not working. But then again he is always our President. Most people view him as the leader of our country who many people look up to for the way to act. He is a big influence on many people and made a derogatory comment against people with special needs. He is only human and makes mistakes like everyone else. I see that but hope the rest of the country can and can forgive him for making a mistake. He apologized and I hope that's enough for the American people to see him for who he was before this comment was said.
Although his comment is not the most appropriate response he could likely come up with, Obama’s comment on the Tonight Show was clearly a small lapse in judgment that got more attention than it deserved. Whether people want to admit it or not, presidents are only human. They are bound to make mistakes. It is the above-human standards to which we hold are presidents that is the main reason many fall short of expectations in the public eye. With all the speeches, public addresses, and interviews he conducts, he was bound to slip up at some point or another, and in reference to his Special Olympics comment, he could have said things that were much worse than that. His continued public speaking is his attempt to keep the nation informed and get more people to trust the government, how then can we crucify him for a small comment that truly had no bad intentions behind it. People unreasonably say that he was being offensive by speaking and that he should not even be on the tonight show at all. However if we complain about one president breaking the trust between the American people and there government, How can we criticize one who is attempting to reestablish that trust, an action with people essentially demanded during elections be taken by any candidate elected as president? Obama’s comment about the Special Olympics was clearly only a small slip of the tongue, and it is the people who read too far into it and hold presidents and people to too high a standard that are unreasonably offended by it.
I believe that the strip search that Savana Redding was put through was completely unconstitutional and the Supreme Court should rule it that way. The teachers that made her strip down to her underwear were completely out of line in doing that and totally violated the 4th amendment and violated her person. There were many other ways to search for the pills such as searching her belongings and questioning her to see if she was holding them on her body. A strip search was totally unreasonable, it violated the 4th amendment, and should be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
My response is to the strip-search case. I believe that the strip search was much unnecessary. It was not justified in the fact that you should not strip search a student because of a suspicion. If you have actual proof, then that is a different story. Making the 13 year old girl at the time, strip down into her undergarments and ultimately make her check those areas for the pills is not right. The school completely crossed the line in that search, and if it was me i would have refused to do it. Then i would have called my parents to come to the school.
I think that the Supreme Court will favor Savana Redding. This violated the 4th amendment, unreasonable searches and seizures. The school had no proof of the pills, only suspicion. And to make a what we now know innocent 13 year old girl strip down into basically nothing wasn't the right thing to do, at all.
President Obama; Leno Show:
to be honest, i was surprised by how real President Obama seemed. People make mistakes, hes a real person just like any of us, but is more "well-known". i don't think he was inappropriate, i believe he was just being himself, and that's why people voted for him.
Strip Search:
i strongly believe that the supreme court needs to rule with the girl. being stripped for that was no reason. it was embarrassing, and violated the girls rights, weather or not she was in school.
I was shocked to hear President Obama's comparison between his bowling skills and the Special Olympics. I'm sure he could have thought of a better analogy that could have been equally as funny. I do understand the President's side because the Tonight Show is a relaxed environment and sometimes people who appear on the show go to great lengths to be funny due to the pressure of being on the show with Jay Leno.
With that remark aside, it was comforting to see President Obama on the Tonight Show because it made me, and most likely other citizens, feel like he is easier to relate to which is evident through his attachment to pop culture. This shows how he is trying to connect with the American people, and lighten their spirits through this rough time, which is greatly appreciated.
I believe that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of Ms. Redding. The school officials were unjust in strip-searching a 13-year-old girl for ibuprofen. She was setup by a childhood friend who went in a different direction in life, who was found with ibuprofen pills. She claimed she got them from Ms. Redding, which prompted the strip search. Ms. Redding claims that the school officials did not even ask her if she had pills before they searched her. The school officials believed they had enough reasonable suspicion to search her. It would have been fine if they searched her bag without asking, but Redding was forced to strip down to her underwear and expose her body. After all she was put through, the two school employees who conducted the search did not find any pills. I believe that strip-searching a 13-year-old girl in school is wrong! In the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco ruled that the school officials violated the fourth amendment of the ban of unreasonable searches. In the article, someone said that it was okay to conduct the strip search because it potentially protects the health and safety of its students. If the school had had probable cause, it would have been different. The only suspicion they had was from an old friend of Redding who probably was getting revenge on her for something. The school did not look at any of her records before conducting the search. If they had, they would have found that Redding had done nothing susceptible in the past to qualify as probable cause. I believe that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of Ms. Redding because the school was unreasonable in conducting a strip search in hopes of finding ibuprofen.
In concerns to president Obama’s appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he used the special Olympics as a comparison to him bowling he never made fun of the concept of the special Olympics and the next day he wrote an apology to the Special Olympics that was forgiven. Obama is the president but he is a person and yes I might not be a supporter of Obama but I feel that he is a person and people make mistakes no matter how important they are. People should look inside themselves and realize that no one is perfect and he handled his mistake in a responsible manner and seeing the special Olympics forgave him, the people who support him and not support him need to also, seeing his our president for the next four years.
In regards to the strip search the Supreme Court should obviously rule with ms. Redding, the school violated her fourth amendment. Being stripped searches that is something that should be done by the police not by a school secretary. That is publicly humiliating for her. The Supreme Court should be in favor of Ms. Redding even though she might have had pills on her. Ms. Redding was violated along with her rights!
I think President Obama should be forgiven for what he said about the special olympics. Besides from that, like the rest of us, he is human, and will make mistakes. I find it hard to believe people can lose respect for him over something stupid that he said. I also am confused as to why that was aired to the public? Aren't those late night shows really taped in the afternoon? I'm surprised that it wasn't cut out to make our new president look a little bit better and more responsible. As for my thoughts on our current president on a late night comedy tv show....I think its interesting to see our presidents casual lifestyle, but at the same time I bet foreign countries are looking at this and wondering who we have running our country right now. I personally have no problem with Obama on leno.
I think that searching a thirteen year old girl almost to her skin is absolutely ridiculous and should not be tolerated. If they caught this girl offguard in the first place, than how could she have the time to hide a pill in her underwear? The school needs to have limits in what searches are acceptable. In a case like this, police should have handled it. If they had probable cause to search her, than let people who deal with the law handle it, not people who deal with detentions. Principles and assistant principles alike seem to think that they are the police chiefs chief. They can do whatever they want inside of the school because it has its own government and own rules. This is a crazy story and let me tell you, if Mr. Sansoucy, or any administrator wanted to strip search me, I would not even blink before refusing. In conclusion, the school needs to have limits in how far they can go to enforce zero tolerance drug policies.
President Obama's appearance on Jay Leno was just stupid. I understand that the president was trying to be more amicable to the American people, but there should be a line of professionalism drawn especially for the president. The president should be someone that people respect, not someone that people can crack jokes with, and the fact that Obama essentially became a "celebrity" completely contradicts the status and the duty of the president of the United States. What will the other nations say now? That our president is a celebrity that likes to make inappropriate comments about people with disabilities?
I believe that President Obama's comment about his bowling being similar to the special olympics was not that bad. However, from the video clip, I wasn't sure exactly why the President went on a late night talk show. He has already been elected and I don't think it was necessary for him to make another tv appearance because that week he was on 60 minutes and made an address. Although,I might be biased because I support him and I don't need him to be on my tv and computer all the time to be more convinced to support his policies.
I prefer the president to be a little more formal, and I would rather he stick to more serious ways of talking to the American people. I love the daily show, but I want to know my president is working, so I would rather not see him on that.
In President Obama's appearence on Jay Leno, I am not really concerned with the comment that was made regarding the special olympics. I am more concerned with the status of the president and what he's doing while in office. Yes he has pushed legislation to approve the stimulus package, but other than that he is becoming more and more like a celebrity. There is a time and a place for everything, I do not feel that President Obama needs to show up on every single program he is invited on. I feel like this is causing a lot of scrutiny from many of his critics and rightfully so. I do not think it is a big deal that he filled out an NCAA Basketball bracket he is a normal person after all, but he did not need to go on sportscenter and do it publicly. I just feel that he should spend more time in politics and less time in the face of the media.
In the strip search, I strongly believe school offcials should not be able to perform such searches. First off, they are not qualified to do such a thing. There are certain procedures that law enforcement officials do when preforming a strip search. Regular school officials that never received any training for such a thing have no right to even consider a strip search. I do not understand why they did not notify the proper authorities if they were willing to go as far as to strip search the student. I feel like the supreme court will rule in favor of the girl. Given her age, she was probably not able to resist the authority of the schools officials and was forced to comply. I view this as a school taking advantage of a minor, not a matter of school security. And the article states that the medicine had the strength of two advil. Is this some sort of joke? They went through the trouble to strip search a girl for a weak pain killer? This was completely uneccessary.
After watching the clip on the tonight show with jay leno and President Obama i was very disturbed and digusted. He was very disrespectful and said some things that hurt some people. He poked fun at the special olympics by comparing them to his bowling scores and handicap. This was very imature of him but then again we are all human and we all make mistakes even the president of the united states. Yes he made the wrong choice by saying that but he was very sincere when he apologized and he deserves to be forgiven.
Obama on Leno
Although a sitting president has not appeared on a talk show on TV I don’t find it to be unreasonable. What I do find unreasonable, and uncalled for where his comments. The first of which was his reference to the Special Olympics. That was completely uncalled for by anyone, especially a sitting president. I also found that his comment about all of the armed guards, “all the guys with guns” as he said, were watching the basketball games that he always won. This was in regards to Leno’s question, “Do you think they ever throw the games?” Now if he had gone on and been like any other scumbag politician and beat around the bush to Leno’s questions, I think he would have been fine.
Strip Search Article
I find that any school that has the balls to institute a strip search protocol is not only immoral, but insane. It is not ok on any level of thought process or morality to even come up with such an idea for any kind of anti-whatever in school system anywhere. Now if it came down to a place like an airport with a bomb threat, or any other public place as such, then I could see a slight possibility, but still very rare of one. As for how the court should rule, I can say it in one word. UNCONSTITUTIONAL! There is no need under any circumstance to have to take that kind of action in a school, I don’t care the reason, or rumor of a reason. It just isn’t right, morally and ethically.
I feel that the supreme court should rule in the favor of Savana Redding. The school had no reason to perform a strip search on her. Yes they suspected that she had prescription drugs on her, but where was their proof. Unless someone told the school that she had pills on her, then they were not justified to perform the strip search. A simple search of her backpack and locker should have been sufficient. She is a thirteen year old girl. A strip search is way beyond, “the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches”. That is a humiliating thing to do to someone who is 17 or 18, let alone a 13 year old.
On the subject of President Obama's appearance on Jay Leno's show, I believe that it is a perfectly acceptable way to communicate with America. Many people watch that show, especcially younger people who do not otherwise watch Obama's news conferences or speeches. While some may disagree, saying that such a talk is too informal, I believe it is a good way to reach more of the American audience. As for his comment on the "Special Olympics", I believe that we are all human and make mistakes. Such comments are commonplace in the American vocabulary and while it isn't appropriate for him to say, he simply said something almost everyone is used to saying. I believe his apology was sufficient enough to make others realize that he is truly sorry for the comment and it wasn't something he meant in a harmful way.
I think that there was a good and a bad to going on the Jay Leno Show. It’s interesting to see President Obama communicating more with the American citizens then most other Presidents. It makes the government seem more accessible and restores people’s faith in it. Now a day that is an important factor to have in a president. This communication is an important thing to have.
The negative side of it is that the comment he made could be construed as insultive and not really funny. Again this depends on the person but since the whole country is watching there are sure to be some people offended by this.
New York Times Student Strip Search
I believe that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the girl because the school officials in the strip search case violated the fourth amendment. The strip search went too far to the point of humilation and embaressment. I also believe that the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the girl because her rights were being violated while the school officials were searching her.
President Obama on Jay Leno
I think Obama’s appearance on The Tonight Show showed citizens that Obama is still a human even though he is the president of the United States. I feel that people in America should not overreact in his comment about being a bad bowler and that he could belong in the Special Olympics. I think that he was just joking around with Jay Leno and got a little carried away, thats all. He made up for his mistake by apologizing to the people in the special olympics and in the end I feel that the people involved with special olympics forgave him for his mistake and also may not have really cared too much about what he had said realizing that everyone is human.
The comment that Obama made is a easy stupid thing to say, for a normal person, but i believe that he still is getting used to being under the public eye, and it will take some time. Do i believe what he said was ok? no, it was a very dumb and no-sensitive thing to say, but i was happy to see that he has a sense of humor, and is a 'fun guy' I understand that he didn't mean it in a mean way, but he needs to watch himself, because some people might of found that offensive. Me, personally, i did not find it offensive, but i bet that comment turned alot of people against him.
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