This CNN article looks at a court case SCOTUS will hear tomorrow regarding a teenaged girl's religious freedom. 17-year-old Samantha Elauf applied for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch in 2008. After a successful interview, the assistant manager was ready to hire her. However, the district manager rejected her application.... because she wore a headscarf. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission took up Elauf's case, and sued Abercrombie. The store has publicly stated that it denied Elauf the job because employees are not allowed to wear headgear, as well as no heavy makeup, visible tattoos, or black clothing. However, Elauf argued, exceptions have been made in the past for employees who have asked to wear headgear. She believes that the discrimination is due to her Muslim faith; this discrimination in business is a "violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
I think it is shameful that Abercrombie & Fitch (or Abercrombie & Filth, as my mom calls it) would discriminate their employees on a religious basis. I understand not wearing hats when working the cash register; however, Elauf is not wearing her headscarf as a fashion statement, but rather as a sign of her Muslim faith. Abercrombie has had problems in the past, like when former CEO Mike Jeffries stated that the clothing store's customers should only be "good-looking people." But this discrimination against religion should be stopped. Hopefully the Supreme Court will rule in favor of Elauf so that religious liberty continues to be upheld in the United States.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Still Just a Bill?
The Rapid City Journal reports in this recent article that the House of Representatives passed the Keystone Pipeline bill with a 270-152 vote Wednesday afternoon. As this bill was already approved by the Senate, it has passed through Congress and is now sitting on the President's desk for signing. However, President Obama has stated more than once that he would veto the bill should it come to him.
This article was very short because this news is so recent; however, we do not need long explanations. This passed through the House with much less media-hubbub than the Senate's vote, which is interesting. I also wonder how Obama will veto it, as he has threatened to do. I'm assuming he will make a big deal about not signing it, but a pocket veto could also work (CNN reported that he had 10 days to sign it). This news was interesting for me to hear after just finishing Lincoln, where we saw how much it takes for a bill to pass even half of the bicameral legislature. It makes me appreciate the work that has been put into this Keystone pipeline bill, which has now been approved by both the House and the Senate. At least within 10 days, we will have more news regarding this controversy!
This article was very short because this news is so recent; however, we do not need long explanations. This passed through the House with much less media-hubbub than the Senate's vote, which is interesting. I also wonder how Obama will veto it, as he has threatened to do. I'm assuming he will make a big deal about not signing it, but a pocket veto could also work (CNN reported that he had 10 days to sign it). This news was interesting for me to hear after just finishing Lincoln, where we saw how much it takes for a bill to pass even half of the bicameral legislature. It makes me appreciate the work that has been put into this Keystone pipeline bill, which has now been approved by both the House and the Senate. At least within 10 days, we will have more news regarding this controversy!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
ISIS-- Now Targeting Freshmen
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/politics/fbi-isis-counterterrorism-michael-steinbach/index.html
Michael Steinbach, the head of the courterterrorist division of the FBI, stated that ISIS is recruiting in the United States. He stated that teens as young as 15-year-olds are being recruited, and that he couldn't say for sure that such teens had not successfully made the journey to ISIS. He does know with certainty that there are "individuals" in the US who are in contact with ISIS, and who want to "conduct a terrorist attack." The government is working on blocking ISIS from reaching US citizens, but social media poses a huge problem due to the "sheer volume" a full staff has to wade through.
Although this story isn't new news, per say, it is interesting to have an FBI official's take on this problem. I also thought it was interesting to read that ISIS targets mostly women through social media, and I was sadly shocked to hear that kids equivalent in age to my freshman sister were being recruited-- I honestly really didn't even follow the news at that age! I'm glad that the government has repeatedly brought up this problem facing the United States, because it takes more than a few governmental officials to stop this attack; we should all be aware of these dangers. I also hope that the government would catch any terrorist attack that these ISIS-sympathizers could plan, like they did recently in Ohio.
Michael Steinbach, the head of the courterterrorist division of the FBI, stated that ISIS is recruiting in the United States. He stated that teens as young as 15-year-olds are being recruited, and that he couldn't say for sure that such teens had not successfully made the journey to ISIS. He does know with certainty that there are "individuals" in the US who are in contact with ISIS, and who want to "conduct a terrorist attack." The government is working on blocking ISIS from reaching US citizens, but social media poses a huge problem due to the "sheer volume" a full staff has to wade through.
Although this story isn't new news, per say, it is interesting to have an FBI official's take on this problem. I also thought it was interesting to read that ISIS targets mostly women through social media, and I was sadly shocked to hear that kids equivalent in age to my freshman sister were being recruited-- I honestly really didn't even follow the news at that age! I'm glad that the government has repeatedly brought up this problem facing the United States, because it takes more than a few governmental officials to stop this attack; we should all be aware of these dangers. I also hope that the government would catch any terrorist attack that these ISIS-sympathizers could plan, like they did recently in Ohio.
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