Week 12: Personal Protections





    The Constitution guarantees the citizens of this nation certain rights for the protection of our bodies, property, reputations, and privacy. But, as we learned, nothing is without exception, under the right circumstances. For example, if your next-door neighbor was planning a terrorist attack, the FBI and the military might need to set up sting operation headquarters on your property, which would include quartering troops there; however, according to the Constitution, those government agencies would also have to compensate you for the seizure and use of your property. Another example: if you are the victim of a crime and are ordered to testify against the accused but you refuse, a judge could hold you in contempt of court and you could face jail time. On the other hand, the judge could decide to dismiss the charges, in which case you wouldn't get justice for the crime committed against you, but the perpetrator's right to face his accuser wouldn't be infringed. There always must be a balance between liberty and security--enjoying liberty also means that we assume the risk that some people will be irresponsible with that same liberty.

     

"We can't have free-dom without the dumb." - Jason Whitlock


ASSIGNMENTS:


WRITING: No paper this week! Instead, research and prepare debate notes on the following topic:

Should personal data collected by social media companies and other businesses be considered the personal property of the individual? 

Consider these questions while doing your research: What protections are guaranteed for personal property under the Constitution? Have there been any court decisions made on this topic? Should companies be allowed to sell your data? 

  • Review your Debate Instructions handout
  • Be prepared to speak for at least 5 minutes
  • Consult with your teammates (everyone's email addresses are on the group emails, if you're not sure how to contact someone)

Yea Team: Katie, Shayla, Austen, Gavin, (Kyle?)

Nay Team: Lacey, Savanna, Skyler, Michael, (Kyle?)


Constitution Journal: Amendments 15-20

Quiz #3: Amendments Quiz...Study!!!

Presentations: Great job Kyle--you're PowerPoint was really eye-catching! This week, we will be pleased to learn about John Laurens and Harriet Tubman from Skyler and Shayla.

Devotional: Skyler

Reading: The Law by Frederic Bastiat, due May 19th. 

Gavin, Shayla, and Michael will lead our discussion, but everyone needs to come prepared with notes and the book. (You want donuts, don't you?) 

Look for important insights that the author had about good government, and why law is so important. What ideas did he have that the Founders would have agreed with?

Award Requirements: Only 2 weeks left to finish! If you're not sure what you still need to work on, let me know!

Lastly, don't forget to study for the Liberty Bowl! It's coming up fast; Tuesday, May 18th. Invite your family to join us and get blown away by your vast knowledge of early American history and the Constitution! 😉 (See the e-flyer for details.)

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