President Obama addressed the nation last night to announce the end of U.S. combat mission in Iraq. In case you missed the Presidential address, the video is below:
Iraq Combat Mission Ends
August 31st, 2010A few moments ago, the United States wrapped up its combat mission in Iraq.
That’s a pretty major statement. The United States went to war with Iraq in 2003, toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime and has been involved in a combat role for since. During the years at war, more than 4,400 U.S. Service Members have died and more than 30,000 were wounded. Estimates for the number of Iraqis dead varies widely, but estimates range in the hundreds of thousands to more than 1 million dead.
Tonight, the U.S. officially ends its combat role and only 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq in an advisory role and secondary military force only to be called on at the behest of the Iraqi government.
According to some estimates more than 70,000 contractors will also remain in Iraq. Those contractors will provide “security” and will work to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure.
These numbers are important to note because even though the United States service members will no longer be in a combat role, an American presence will still be maintained in Iraq.
Read more on the change in the U.S. role here.
President Obama will be addressing the nation from the Oval Office tonight and you should watch to see and understand how the U.S. role in Iraq will change
Democracy Class: The Launch
August 31st, 2010In a classrooms in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA, today, Rock the Vote is launching Democracy Class, our program to engage the young people in the political process. Democracy Class is an innovative program where Rock the Vote brings to classrooms across the country a lesson in democracy, civics and information on how to register to vote. Today, Rock the Vote will be joined by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and the hip hop group Cali Swag District to launch the effort in Los Angeles. Students in DC at The School Without Walls will meet the musician Tabi Bonney who was once a school teacher himself.
Each day, more than 13,000 Americans turn 18 and become eligible voters. Who will reach out to and engage this growing voting bloc? Democracy Class is intended to help register and keep young people engaged in the political process.
Check out Heather Smith’s article on Democracy Class for the Huffington Post.
For many of the nearly 13,000 young people turning 18 every day, high school is their main source of civics education. Unfortunately, the numbers tell us that not every student has equal access to what should be an essential part of America’s curriculum. As of 2009, only 21 states included civic learning in their state assessment and accountability systems.*
In response, Rock the Vote is doing our part by working with educators, artists, and elected officials to bring civics back to the classroom and get the future leaders of our democracy engaged early on.
We know that this kind of civics education is key to our mission of registering young people. We know the number one reason why young people don’t register to vote is that they don’t know how; every student deserves to be empowered with this knowledge.
What happened this weekend
August 30th, 2010If you lived in 48 states or DC, you were busy enjoying the summer. Meanwhile, West Virginia and Louisiana had some work to do on Saturday morning. As mentioned previously, these states had primary elections. So what are the results? Click here to read a recap of the primary in West Virginia. And click on this link to learn about the races in Louisiana’s 1st Party Primary election.
Saturday Elections
August 27th, 2010This Saturday, voters in West Virginia and Louisiana will head to the polls for primary elections. West Virginia voters have a special primary election to nominate the person their party wants to replace the late-Sen. Robert Byrd. Click here to find you polling place.
Louisiana has the 1st Party Primary election. If you vote in Louisiana, click here to learn what exactly that means and who you will be voting. Then click here to find out where you vote and what’s on your ballot.
