Articles written by Tom Ontis - Page 8

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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 > Homeland Security American politics: Assessing the future of the Patriot Act after 2008: 4 of 4
While there was a need to provide a coordinated program to protect this country from terrorist attack, The Patriot Act steps way over the line. In its 167 pages, the act authorizes wiretaps on suspected terrorists, or their supporters, supporters who may provide financial sources to continue terrorist activity. The Act grew ... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History Franklin Delano Roosevelt: 3 of 3
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Thus spoke Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the nation on his first inaguration as President of the United States. It came as the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, which by most accounts lasted from the Stock Market Crash on October 29th 1929, to the US's unoffici... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Leaders (Other) Biography: Robert F. Kennedy: 3 of 3
My introduction to the politics of this country was during the 82 day campaign that Senator Robert F. Kennedy ran for Presiddent in 1968, cut short only by his assasination in June of that year. He ran as the anti-Vietnam War candidate, as did Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota. In a sense they competed for some of the sam... More..
Law & Legal Information > Lawyers & Legal Advice The executor's guide: Settling a loved one's estate or trust: 3 of 3
As the only surviving child, I have been called upon to settle the estate of my mother, who passed away last summer. Fortunately, she had put everything into trust, about four months before her passing, which has made things a lot easier on me. You see, I am not a detail oriented person; I look at the big picture to figure o... More..
Education > Education (Other) Should American politics be mandatory in public schools: 3 of 3
I have taught the required course in American Government about a dozen times at two medium size high schools in Northern California. I for one am very schooled in the governmental system at the different levels, but because of time constraints, I have focused on Federal government, concentrating on the duties of the Feds acc... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History Harry Truman's road to the White House: Lessons for today's government leaders: 2 of 2
Had President Franklin Delano Roosevelt not died shortly into his unprecedented 4th term, Harry S. Truman would have become another unheralded vice-president, relagated to a list in the back of government textbooks. It could be argued that Truman was one in a series of 'acciudental presidents,' that began with John Tyler, wh... More..
Sports & Recreation > Baseball (Other) Baseball Hall of Fame umpires: 2 of 2
I've been a baseball fan since the early 1960's. I do follow other sports, but baseball is #1 in my book. I eagerly await the opening of Spring Training each year in mid to late February. I count the number of days between the end of the World Series to the beginning of Spring Training. Given all that, I do recognize the uni... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law The Supreme Court and religion in America : The First Amendment controversy: 2 of 2
Religion and government; that's a tough one. The United States is one of the few major nations in this world that does not have an 'official religion.' Many of the founding fathers were Anglicans, which is Episcopalian is those country, because of their British citizenship. The great Thomas Jefferson was a deist, who believe... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Should Congress end the practice of pork barrel earmarking?: 2 of 2
Congress holds the purse strings for our country. They are a legally elected bodies, who are given the right, by the Constitution to, among othr things, spend money. Bills are supposed to reflect issues of the common good of the country, but in reality, many bills spend money on pet projects of well healed representatives. O... More..