Articles written by Tom Ontis

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About me - Tom Ontis

I am a retired social studies teacher. I attended San Francisco State University, graduating with a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science in 1976. Subsequently I obtained my teaching credential from Califoria State University, Sacramento in 1989.

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Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US elections 2008: Previews of the 2008 Democratic National Convention: 1 of 15
Who will win in Denver? Only the super delegates know. With the chance that either Senator will win with the remaining primaries and caucuses appearing more and more remote everyday, the super delegates will call the shots. If these 700+ 'party leaders' decide to nominate Senator Clinton based on her being the ultimate inside... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History The legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1 of 9
Of everything that goes into a person's legacy, FDR will be remembered for three things: His physical disability, his actions during the Great Depression and his actions in World War II. Detractors like to say that the economy would have turned itself around had FDR and the federal government not done a thing. Fact re mains ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) Should the number of presidential primary debates be limited to three for each party?: 1 of 7
Presidential debates, while tedious at times and very self serving, encourage the people of the country to become involved in the democratic process. The debates, as formatted, are not really debates, but a re-stating of the candidates ideas on a variety of subjects. We all know how many Democrats feel about the war in Iraq, ... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History Biography: Harry Truman: 1 of 6
If you have ever read David McCullogh's Pulitzer Prize winning biography on Harry Truman, you were probably amazed at this man, a failure in business, who turned it all around to become one of our most beloved presidents. Had the immensely popular Franklin D. Roosevelt not died less than 90 days into his unprecedented fourth ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 Will the vice-presidential nominees influence your vote in November?: 2 of 10
Quick: Name the two candidates for vice president that have both been announced within the past 7 days! No fair looking at the newspaper, or checking it out on Google.With the possible exception of Lyndon Johnson delivering Texas to John F. Kennedy in 1960, the candidate for vice president makes absolutley no difference in ho... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Should baseball players who have used steroids be considered for the Hall of Fame?: 5 of 24
As a long time baseball fan and a San Francisco Giants fan, I defend the rights of every great player to at least be considered for the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose has been banned for life, by a commissioner who is no longer with us. That is a travesty. The steroids question is pointed fully at Barry Bonds. He broke one of the mo... More..
Education > Secondary School Issues Should high school students be required to volunteer in community service projects?: 12 of 55
I teach high school. Since I came to my current district in 2000, there has been a requirement that students complete 20 hours of community service during their senior course in government. I have no problem with that. I was active in the community when I was in high school and I think students should do the same, to open the... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History The assassination of J. F. Kennedy: 5 of 20
Conspiracy theories are a cottage industry in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Plain and simple, he had most of his head blown off. Anyone who sees the two fairly grainy films shows that the right side of his head was blown to bits. For anyone to have survived that would ha... More..
Education > Reading & Writing Skills No Child Left Behind's effect on classroom content: 2 of 8
'No Child Left Behind' is the favorite whpping boy of many teachers around this vast nation. I am one of those teachers who find fault in declaring that just because students are not testing to some invisible standard, they are not good students and further the teacher is not a good teacher. Therein lies one of the reasons fo... More..
Education > College Life College dorm dos and don'ts: 2 of 8
Though it was many, many years ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, there are many things that students should know while living in the dorms. We did not have the traditional Resident Assistant program where everyone sits around and sings 'Kumbaya' on Friday nights. We had a manager, who in many cases, was not much older than the... More..