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NEWS
apachepowwow.com
September 2012
Voting Rights Violation One Giant Loss for Man By MICHELLE GU
a copy of their birth certificate. Certain counties even charged extra to archive older birth Staff Writer records. The court also pointed out that the 200 On Aug. 30, a federal court in Texas ruled to 250 mile round trip would be “especially for the first time that the state’s voter ID law daunting for the working poor.” violated the Voting Rights Act. The court stated “Even the most committed citizen, we that the measure discriminated the poor and think, would agree that [this law] constitutes minority groups. This ruling has stopped Texas a substantial burden on the right to vote,” said from enforcing this law at polling places during Judge David Tatel. He added that the “poorer citthe fall elections. izens, especially The law rethose working quired all voters for hourly wagto show some es, will less likeform of identily be able to take fication like a time off work driver’s license to travel to a before entering DPS office.” “A the polls. People law that forces without any phopoorer citizens to to identification choose between could obtain one their wages and from the Departtheir franchise ment of Public unquestionably Safety (DPS) VOTING RIGHTS Texas’ voter ID law is causing denies or abridgafter showing controversy and dissention among its citizens. es the right to the proper documentation. Texas’ lawyers said vote,” Judge Tatel concluded. that this process was a “minor inconvenience” The conflict over the law in Texas is not and that most Texans regularly carried their ID over and will not be resolved anytime soon. with them. The lawyers also argued that voters This decision, now an election issue, clearly diwith birth certificates and Social Security cards vides the Democrats and Republicans. The state could easily attain a free photo ID card at any of is appealing to the Supreme Court to sort out the offices of the Texas DPS. this argument in its next term. The judges countered with the fact that one-third of Texas’ counties did not have a DPS mgu@apachepowwow.com and that people need a minimum of $22 to get Photos courtesy of ABCNEWS.GO.COM
By TERRI SHI
Staff Writer
The man on the moon, Neil Alden Armstrong, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 25, 20 days after he turned 82. His famous words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” will continue to inspire others to do the impossible. On Aug. 5, 1930, Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio. His father worked for the Ohio government, so the family never stayed in one place for too long. Growing up, Armstrong had a passion for flying and earned his flight certificate when he was 15-years-old. At the age of 17, he went to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana to follow his dream. He earned his bachelor’s degree at age 25 in Aeronautical Engineering and later received his master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Throughout his college years, he also trained with the Navy. Armstrong became a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics High-Speed Flight Station at the Edwards Air Force Base,
A GREAT LOSS
The man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 25.
where he nearly crashed during his first try due to a broken engine. Luckily, the plane landed safely after Armstrong and his partner managed to get it to descend. He was always brave during trials and was willing to take risks, for which many people admired him. Armstrong was said to be “the most technically capable of the early X-15 pilots” and to have “a mind that absorbed things like a sponge.” Throughout his experiences at the Edwards Air Force Base, Armstrong was recruited a few times by different programs, and it was then that he discovered the Apollo project after being scouted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He also participated in Gemini 8 and 11 prior to his Apollo 11 flight. He was chosen to be the commander of Apollo 11 because of his previous work with Apollo 8. The flight toward the moon was swift and smooth, but there were landing issues as they neared. The rocket had a fuel shortage, so the landing needed to be quick and concise. Armstrong managed to land the rocket in the shortest amount of time, and after it landed smoothly, broadcasting stations went wild with excitement as 450 million anxious Americans heard about the news. Armstrong stepped onto the moon and spoke his famous words that still reminds us of his greatest accomplishment for not only him, but for the world as well. tshi@apachepowwow.com Photo courtesy of MSN.COM
Mitt Romney Makes a Pledge to Aid America By ERIC CHO Staff Writer
Republican candidate Governor Mitt Romney left many Democrats skeptical with his latest speech—sparking even greater tension between the two parties. Promising to create 12 million jobs in the next four years, Governor Romney succeeded in swaying a large number of what was certainly the largest audience in his six-year-long campaign for presidency. The tone embodied in Governor Romney’s speech aimed to calm the Democrats tarnishing his presidential campaign and also sought to encourage unsure voters—who saw him only as a wealthy business man from Massachusetts—by divulging a personal story about his life. Speakers at the Grand Old Party (GOP) convention also tried to highlight Governor Romney’s personal side, no doubt recognizing that Governor Romney needed to make bigger inroads with inde-
pendents and former supporters of President Barack Obama in order to seize the majority. Speaking fondly of his wife, Ann, and their five children, Governor Romney portrayed Ann and himself as a modern, middle-class couple. Governor Romney also spoke of his mother, Lenore Romney, and used her to support the rights of women. Claiming to have chosen a “woman Lieutenant Governor, a woman in Chief of Staff, and half of his Cabinet and senior officials as women,” Governor Romney announced that he believed women should have no less rights than men. Governor Romney also reached out to former supporters of President Obama, bitterly accusing him of presiding over an era of disaster and failure. While admitting that he wished that President Obama had succeeded, Governor Romney also stated that “his promises gave way to disappointment and division.” Although President Obama had been a worthy Democrat candidate in 2008, according to Governor Romney, he had done a lousy job as president. President Obama and
his pursuing tax plans supposedly only made the economy worse by discouraging businesses from hiring new employees. Governor Romney, on the other hand, vowed not to “raise taxes on the middle class of America.” He also reminded the audience that while President Obama promised to slow the rise of oceans caused by global warming, he himself promised to help families. Governor Romney also vowed to restore a sense of innovation in America and be a hero to small businesses. He used his business record as support, mentioning the Bain Capital—the private equity firm he found—which helped numerous businesses off their feet. Ironically, thousands of Democrats used this to support their reasoning and went on to spotlight his record at Bain Capital, his offshore accounts and other details to paint him as out of touch with average Americans. Governor Romney and his Mormon religion were also addressed through a brief recall of his childhood. He added that although the Mormon religion is a minority faith, his friends care only about which sport teams he follows. However, Governor Romney’s speech offered no new policy details. Governor Romney’s speech failed to address foreign affairs properly. Foreign policy was merely a side note, mentioned for a mere two minutes, late into Governor Romney’s 37-minute-long speech. Instead, Governor Romney repeated some of his commonly brought up points, which were about how
REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN During his presidential campaign, Republican candidate Governor Mitt Romney promises to aid Americans.
President Obama had “failed to slow Iran’s nuclear threat,” and had instead “thrown allies like Israel under the bus.” Not only that, Governor Romney refused to mention the war in Afghanistan (where over 2,000 U.S. troops had died), the rise of China, and the Arab Awakening. According to the Gallup Poll, Governor Romney’s speech was disliked by a majority of the nation. The Gallup Poll reported that Governor “Romney’s acceptance speech was rated the worst since 1996,” and that only 38% of those surveyed had thought the speech was “excellent” or “good”. Democrats continued to mock Governor Romney Thursday morning, releasing a web video that thoroughly degraded his reputation. Called a “heartless corporate raider, wealthy elitist, tax evader, and policy flip-flopper,” Democrats continue to believe that Governor Romney should not be trusted with the responsibility brought forth as president. As Governor Romney’s ratings refuse to see much of a bounce, the polls continue to lie in President Obama’s favor. With the 2012 election right around the corner, Governor Romney continues to desperately seek the approval of the nation. Despite the terrible reputation that’s been created for him by opponents and comedians alike, Governor Romney is determined to make a heartfelt appeal to the millions of Americans opposing him. As both candidates are intent on earning the title of America’s next president, the entire nation now watches the heated campaign between Governor Romney and President Obama closely. echo@apachepowwow.com
Photo courtesy of ELECTIONMETERS.COM