9th-10th Amendments

5 policing powers that states have:

1. powers to hold elections and to establish school systems
2. authority over marriages and divorces
3. require vaccinations for school children and licenses for such professionals as doctors, teachers, and lawyers
4. issue licenses to those who hunt, fish, and drive motor vehicles
5. citizens of a state can look to the state police to safeguard their homes and highways.

3 powers states share with the federal government:

1. powers to tax
2. powers to pass laws
3. powers to punish

a. Issue a teaching license to someone who has applied and has met all the requirements

This is a states responsibility.

b. Make a treaty with a foreign country

This is the federal governments responsibility.

c. Set health codes for restaurants

This is a states responsibility.

d. Issue a marriage license

This is a states responsibility.

e. Declare war

This is the federal governments responsibility.

5th-8th Amendments

Witness: A witness is a person that might have evidence of a crime or dramatic event from experiencing something (seeing, hearing, smelling, touching). They are the ones that witnessed something that happened at the scene or some other type of evidence that might help figure out who is guilty. They are often called before a court of law to testify in trials.

Indict: Indict means to accuse a person of doing a crime and bringing them to trial. "He tends to indict everyone of plotting against him."

Testify: To testify is to talk or preach about something or tell their point of view, usually to prove someone guilty or not guilty.

Grand Jury: A grand jury is a group of people that are chosen and sworn in by a court. They have to sit through the trial and listen to each point of view, then they decide if there is enough evidence to prove them guilty or not.

Capital Punishment: The capital punishment is when someone is sentenced to a death penalty if the crime is bad enough.

Excessive: Excessive is going beyond the usual limit, meaning it is unnecessary.

Bail: Bail means to let lose or free someone from of jail.

Peer: A peer is someone that is equal to another person, as in rank, class, or age. "children are easily influenced by their peers."

I think that someone accused of crime does deserve all of these rights because until they are proven guilty, no one knows for sure if they did it or not. They deserve a witness because witnesses help tell the story of what happened and they could have evidence that they didn't do it. They also deserve a witness because they might be the only one saying that they didn't do the crime and not everyone can afford a lawyer. They deserve to be indicted only if they are proven guilty. They deserve to testify because they need to tell their point of veiw so that people can hear their story and tell if it makes sense or if their guilty. They deserve a grand jury because they help figure out if they should go to jail or not and if they are guilty. I think they should only be able to get bailed out of jail if the crime isn't that bad but if it's really bad then they shouldn't get the privilege.

2nd-4th Amendments

2nd amendment: I think that citizens should be able to own guns for there safety but I think they should only be able to use them in emergency situations.

3rd amendment: I think that soldiers shouldn't be able to just barge into people's houses and be able to stay, even if they are in war because that would be like breaking into the house and staying without permission.

4th amendment: I think that police officers should be able to search someones house if they have a warrant because if they are inocent like they say, then they have nothing to hide and it shouldn't be a problem but if they don't a warrent, then the police have no right to.

The Amendments

1) Give a speech before a large gathering of people and express opinions about the presidents abilities.
This is protected because we have freedom of speech.

2) Write a letter for the editorial page of a newspaper in which you criticize a state legislator. This is protected because we have freedom of press.

3)Circulate a petition calling for the repeal of an unpopular law.
This is protected because we have freedom of press.

4)Post your opinion on your blog about an issue being discussed at a local school board meeting.
This is protected because we have freedom of speech.

The First Amendment is important to me because if we didn't have it, we wouldn't be able to express our thoughts without getting in trouble and we wouldn't have freedom of religion which are both very important to me and most people.