In my POLS 444 class (Constitutional Liberties), we have been studying cases pertaining to the rights of criminals. Just this past week, we have covered the Exclusionary Rule and the rights we are guaranteed to protect us against self-incrimination.

In the process of all this, one of my classmates told us about the video ‘Don’t Talk To Cops.’

In it, James Duane, an instructor at Regent Law School, goes over 10 reasons why you should never, ever talk to cops. And he admits to everyone that he is proud of the 5th amendment, and he will never talk to cops.

Here is the video:

This video is seriously worth watching.

Deep in the heart of Texas…

Textbooks used in high schools and middle schools are of no concern to us any longer. We’re used to buying our own, which are dictated from our professors and are specific – covering mostly one topic. I know that I sometimes forget that textbooks in secondary schools are universal across the board – they cover multiple topics and are used in multiple schools.

 I read a recent article in the Huffington Post highlighting textbooks from the state of Texas and the new additions and subtractions that recently passed.

But an important piece of information first: the state of Texas is one of the largest markets for textbooks, so their regulations are used for all textbooks across the nation. So whatever Texas deems important enough to learn or disspell, the rest of the schools have to, as those are the textbooks that are offered.

Because of this fact, I find the recent curriculum change passed by the Texas Board of Education a bit …terrifying? And could possibly put up a good fight in the Supreme Court if anyone decides to challenge it… In my opinion, I think it has a bit too much of religious undertones…

Everyone knows that Texas is a rather Conservative state where Christian values run deep. But I don’t think that it should be taught universally. I guess I’m just a firm believer in the separation of Church and State.

I do understand that our Supreme Court and ultimately our law has an accomidationist view – there is no strict iron curtain between church and state, but rather they work together. I also know that in the Supreme Court case Lemon v. Kurtzman, new precedents were put forth to decide whether the act or law were in violation of the First Amendment (“…Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”). This precedent, known as the Lemon test, has three prongs to decide whether it is in violation:
1. Does it have secular purpose?
2. It must not have the primary effect to either advance of inhibit religion and
3. It must not have “excessive government entanglement”

So I’m not quite sure where to sit about this new Texas curriculum. Some highlights are fine, whereas others are pushing it just a bit far. Here are some of the new additions and subtractions:
-Thomas Jefferson has been removed from the curriculum and replaced by John Calvin (religious right icon)
-The Board (which passed this new curriculum) refused to require students to learn that the Constitution prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another
-The government will be regarded as a “Constitutional Republic” rather than a democracy
-Students will be required to study the decline of the US Dollar

I’m just not sure where to stand on this issue. It’ll be interesting to see if this passes and whether or not it will be  any time soon.