Forced Labor in Ghana

Kete Krachi, Ghana is most definitely one of the most unfavorable places to grow up as a child. This is because of the labor being forced on children in the form of an indentured servant contract. Mark Kwadwo, a victim of the forced child labor is six years old, but resembles a two year old in the rags in which he is clad. The two older boys who work with him at the fishing village are indentured servants, sold into slavery by their parents in times of desperation. These boys do nothing but handle the fishing business and are deprived of the basic necessities, education and most importantly, freedom. When the boss took a temporarily leave, Mark stated, after making sure he was out of earshot, “I don’t like it here.”
This child slavery is not only taking place in Africa, but in the Middle East and India too. All over the world, children are being forced into jobs, including prostitution.
Issues of slavery repeat themselves through history and America learned that slavery is wrong during the time of the Civil War. However, before that, it was painstakingly brutal on most slaves in America. Most of the slaves in the South were forced to work long hours on the plantations in the hot sun, some even dying from the effort. The only thing different about these two events is the reason behind the brutal action. Slavery took place in the United States because people with white skin felt that they were superior to the black-skinned Africans. In Ghana, the problem is age. The adults are taking over the impressionable children and molding them into workers; taking advantage of the kids.

You can check out the article on child labor in Ghana here

This is a map that shows where Ghana is in Africa.

Article on African Slavery in America in wikipedia.

FUROR OVER CHENEY ON TACTICS FOR TERROR SUSPECTS

This is an article that deals with the vice-president of the US, Dick Cheney, saying that he is alright with moderate forms of torture on detainees. He has received much criticism for that statement which was made on a conservative talk show. However was he wrong? When Americans are captured by foreign governments are they given the rights of the Geneva convention? The answer to that question is a hands down no. to successfully fight a war one must have an upper hand on the intelligence front of matters. Now given that that may be by negative means it is better for somebody who is willing to kill you to suffer than for you to suffer. This also is not the first time which torture was an important issue to the citizens of America.

Another time when interrogation was a hot button issue was back in the Vietnam War era. American POWs were taken to infamous locations such as the “Hanoi Hilton” and tortured mercilessly until they confessed to false things. One of the people who can best comment on torture is the Arizona politician John McCain. Sen. McCain was an air force pilot who was shot down over Vietnam. He was captured and tortured at the aforementioned “Hanoi Hilton”. He has long been a harsh critic of those who use torture as a means to attain information. He argues that all that is attained is false information that the interrogated individual admits under great duress. It is obvious why he would argue that point. He, himself, admitted to something that was untrue under the great stress of harsh interrogation methods that the Vietnamese employed. One could argue that the Americans are on the same levels the Vietnamese.

No, we are not on the same level. When the members of the Vietnamese intelligence or military carried out an interrogation of an American soldier they would put a piece of paper down that said they committed various acts that it was impossible to committed. They would then be beaten to the point where they would sign the piece of paper. The American soldiers, on the other hand, use persuasion techniques that are used to get the answer correct information from an individual that possesses it. The CIA officers doing the interrogation are not just blindly fishing for information. They have as much intelligence as they can acquire from afar and they must either, establish a mole of some sort and/or, attain vital information that can save peoples lives.

The fact remains that the United States government does have prisons in the Eastern Bloc countries. We also have a tendency to let the Egyptian intelligence service torture suspects while clandestine CIA operative tell them what to do. To be honest is that even an object able thing. If these people where not being tortured they would go back to ploting to kill everyone who is not a Muslim. So, the important question is would you rather have Islamic Fascists such as Khalid Sheik Mohammed tortured to ascertain his next heinous plot in the works, or, your innocent neighbor and her family blown up when they go to get ice cream? Unfortunately that is the reality that we face when it comes to religious fundamentalism such as that which exists in our current society.

Idenity Theft

“Camber Lybbert thought it was a mistake when her bank told her that her daughter’s social Security number was on its files for two credit cards and tow auto loans with an outstanding balance of more than $25,000. Her daughter is three years old.” (1). Identity theft has been present in America’s justice system for over the last couple of decades. When one generally hears about identity theft they picture selfish con artists, seeking fortune and rewards at the expense of others. Many of us do not see how identity theft has multiple roles, also helping illegal immigrants to be able to acquire work in the US. In recent years, illegal immigrants have been purchasing Social Security numbers as a way to literally buy their way into America. It is common for illegal immigrants to purchase fraudulent social security numbers as a way to provide for their family, to own a car and obtain employment. This hunger to provide for ones family has pushed immigrants from Mexico and around the world to use any means possible to acquire residence in the US.
The use of illegal activity to provide for ones family has not been uncommon with past immigrants. During the 1940’s, a wave of Irish immigration occurred in the United States. Many of the Irish immigrants were forced out of their homeland due to the Potato Famine and the hunger, disease, and famish that came with the great starvation in Ireland. When the Irish arrived in America, they were not received with welcome arms. Many of the Irish received resentment and hatred from US citizens. Laws were set up to try and force the Irish out of the US by any means possible. Many of the Irish were forced to change their names to be able to obtain a work to provide for themselves and their family.
Although the Irish exercised different routes of how to provide for themselves in America, the need to do so illegally is still present in the US today. Immigrants will use any means possible to live in America, even if this means they must do so outside of the law.
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/04/us/04theft.html?ex=1315022400&en=0c1efb3b17f7bf7e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
(2) http://www.2.ops.org/NORTH/curriculum/socstudies/EthnicB2/past/Irish.htm

Good Bye Republicans ?

Political parties in America are slowly dwindling. In Washington, D.C., the number of Republican seats in Congress is slowly diminishing because of the two types of Republicans, Moderate and Conservative. Republicans want to elect “true” Republicans into office, so rather than have a Moderate Republican, there are simply not voting them into Congress. Moderate Republicans are not focusing on major issues such as national security and health policies, and this angers Conservative Republicans. Democrats have taken advantage of this weakness by attacking vulnerable Moderate Republicans in hope of convincing them to become Democrats. In the long run, this can have a lasting effect on the Republican Party, possibly causing it to fade away and leaving America as the single party country.

An event in history that was similar to the Republicans dwindling away was the diminishment of the Whigs in early America. The Whigs had a lack of organization and there was also a need for party loyalty. The Whigs also could not decide on a unified position on slavery, which weakened them as a party. This is similar to how the Conservatives and the Moderates cannot agree on certain issues of importance such as national security or health policies. They were, however, unified when there were issues they had a united agreement. Even though there were famous generals in the Whig Party, the Whigs eventually became apart of the Democratic Party. This can be seen as a foreshadowing for what may occur to the Republican Party, leaving the country under one type of mentality.

2) North Korea

For over a decade, North Korea has had the attention of the United States. On Monday, October 9, 2006, this small nation performed a nuclear test, claiming that they needed to “protect its sovereignty and right to existence from the daily increasing danger of war from the United States.” Two days later, North Korea also stated that they would perform additional nuclear tests and threatened to take physical steps if the United States continued to increase pressure on the nation. The second powerful leader of North Korea Kim Yong-nam blamed the nuclear tests on the United States’ policy towards his country. Ambassadors from China, France, Britain, Russia, Japan, and the U.S. met at the United Nations to resolve the problem with North Korea. The U.S. will inspect all cargo going into and out of North Korea to find and stop any weapon-related material. America is also looking for a resolution under the United Nations Charter that will permit military enforcement. It is believed that North Korea obtains these nuclear weapons to threaten and gain protection from hostile nations, and that the only way to have the attention of other countries is by threatening them.


In 1993, North Korea removed itself from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or the NPT. The treaty’s objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. This October is not the first time that a country has been threatened by North Korea with nuclear weapons. Over the years, this country has gotten the world’s attention by claiming to have nuclear weapons.


The current conflict with North Korea and the United States can be easily paralleled with the Cuban Missile Crisis. In October of 1962, American planes found evidence that the Soviet Union was placing nuclear weapons in Cuba, after assuring the United States that no offensive weapons would be placed there. A committee, ExComm, was soon formed to devise solutions to the conflict with the Soviet Union, just as ambassadors from certain countries that met at the United Nations did. The United States ended up using a blockade to inspect cargo going into and out of Cuba to intercept nuclear weapons. North Korea possessing nuclear arms is also very threatening to the United States, as was the Soviets having nuclear arms.

A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY, for real!

"The man without a country" was a short story written by Edward Everet Hale in 1863 amidst the American Civil War. With tensions high, and the thought of a united America was visited only in some's dreams, Hale wanted to depict the happenings of a Army Lieutenant that publicly damned his country to show the result of the upheaval in the north and south. Nolan is the main character who is exiled into the sea when he is tried for treason, and is thus named, "man without a country". Over a century later, the news headlines speak of a man similar to Nathan who has been revoked of citizenship and has no territory in any country. Johannes Leprich, former Nazi concentration guard was set free from the FBI after failing to find a country to accept him. For 3 years he has been a man without a country. After World War II, he fled to America and changed his identity to hide his past of Nazi association. In 1987, the government discovered his Nazi Party identity and revoked his citizenship, forcing him to flee to Canada. However, in 2003, he was found hidden under the floorboards of his families home in Detroit, and was taken away in handcuffs. When Hale wrote this story, he made it to be so outlandish and fictional. Now, in 2006, a man without a country is an identifiable term that holds truth.

Has the Cold War Really Ended?
Russia Led Arms Sales to Developing World in ’05

According to an annual study by the Congressional Research Service, Russia exceeded the United States in weapons deals with developing nations in 2005, which grew from $26.4 billion in 2004, to $30.2 billion. The United States, in previous years, has controlled this growing market. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the US has fallen short of Russia’s $7 billion worth of arms arrangements with developing nations, coming in third with only $6.2 billion. However, the United States still led in total arms agreements with $12.8 billion. This figure includes both developing and developed countries.

Last year, Russia supplied Iran with 29 SA-15 Gauntlet surface-to-air missile systems along with a contract to upgrade Iran’s bombers and fighter aircrafts. This could prove detrimental for plans at the Pentagon. With enhancements in Iran’s air-defense systems, an American air strike on Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities would be extremely difficult.

Russia has also sold eight aerial refueling tankers to China. With the tankers, China can now refuel their military planes and carry on missions farther away from the mainland. This ability could be harmful, like Iran, to the US in a military conflict. Although the United States and China have been allies and have supported each other’s economy a great deal, Taiwan has been the cause of tension in the past. Both countries have been in dispute over the land; a dispute which could erupt into a war every quickly. Taking that into consideration, the US navy would be required to move farther from land if Chinese military aircrafts could fly farther from China, which would have a severe effect on their range and air missions.

The recent study is somewhat similar to the events of the Cold War. While the USSR was trying to spread the idea of communism, America was trying to stop it. In doing so, both Superpowers divided the world into three groups. Some were democratic and sided with the West, others agreed with the Soviet Union, and the rest remained neutral. The United States and Russia supplied their allies with weapons and troops, which created many conflicts such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.

Today, Russia is again supplying our enemy, Iran, with weapons. Much like Cuba in 1962, tensions are high and there is a definite possibility of military action. By Russia’s actions one could wonder if the Cold War ever ended.

Manhattan Plane Crash Kills Yankee Pitcher
On October 11th a single engine plane carrying Yankee's pitcher Cory Lidell smashed into a 42 story building on the Upper East Side. Both Cory Lidell, age 24, as well as his flight instructor were killed. The plane was owned by Mr. Lidell and was a four seat propeller, performance model. It also featured two sets of controls which means that either Mr. Lidell or his instructor may have been flying the plane. Mr. Lidell had practiced for about 80 hours and he was planing on flying the plane home to California. The plane took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey at about 2:30 pm. Just twelve minutes later it reportedly hit the building on East 72nd street.
This recent event can be compared to another similar instance in which another important figure suffered from a devastating plane crash. The event mentioned is that of John F. Kennedy Jr. and how he crashed on the way to a cousin's wedding on Martha's Vineyard in July of 1999. Like Mr. Lidell, John F. Kennedy Jr. was in the prime of his life when it was suddenly taken from him. The means in which they both died is comparable also. They both were on their way home in their own private, single engine airplanes. Both Mr. Lidell and John F. Kennedy Jr. were memorable faces in America whose death served to provide a reminder to the entire country just how human public figures are as well as unite the entire country in mourning.

"Vote early, vote often" no more

A voter ID as an election safeguard
Since the 2000 election and the hanging chads, many attempts have been made to reform the voting systems against voting fraud. Almost half of the states now require voter identification in the form of a photo ID. In a few states, this is considered to be a poll tax. Specifically in Missouri, the small percentage of voters who cannot afford a photo ID took the law up to its highest court. In most cases, the courts ruled that at least for now, voter ID is the way to go. If faith in the election system is restored, it is probable that more voters will trust the elections and participation will increase.
Voting fraud has recurred numerous times in American politics. The possibility of required voter ID has a both a positive and negative side to it, as illustrated by two historical eras. During the political machine periods of the early 20th Century, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley manipulated the voter registration by using names of the deceased to secure more votes. Al Capone, a Chicago contemporary of Daley, is attributed with saying, “Vote early and vote often.” A voter ID would not allow individuals to vote multiple times using false identities. In contrast, compelling all to have an ID may in fact disenfranchise some. Not all people will obtain voting IDs due to lack of information, language barrier, or inability to negotiate the system. In the late 19th Century, after blacks had obtained the right the vote with the 15th Amendment, Jim Crow laws were enacted in the South to prevent the colored from voting. Southerners made it extremely difficult for blacks to vote. There were literacy tests, poll fees, and character reviews that stood in the way of voting. One thing the U.S. certainly does not want to do is intimidate its voter pool (only 63.8% of the total voting population did so in 2004) while weeding out the voting frauds.

War in Iraq losing Support

The war in Iraq has been in the news since March of 2003 when the fighting first began. Currently newspapers have been focusing on the loss of support. Recently the New York Times published an article regarding President Bush’s response to the decline of support. The article discusses Bush’s change in strategy to elucidate “The Grim Cost of Losing,” abandoning the approach that stressed the possible benefits of victory.
The President’s decision, which adopts the beliefs of Gen. John P. Abizaid, Vice President Dick Cheney and others, was further stressed by his prediction that a defeat in Iraq would only move the battle elsewhere. President Bush quoted Gen. Abizaid saying “If we leave, they will follow us.” The article relates Bush’s comments to those of President Lyndon Johnson, whose “domino theory” can be applied. The “domino theory” during the Vietnam War was that if South Vietnam was defeated, Communism could spread around Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
Mr. Bush has been trying to emphasize that the US should try to spread Democracy, and that in the future Iraq will be an example of the United State’s success in doing just that. Despite the change in the president’s approach his aides are sure that these efforts (of spreading Democracy and helping the troubled nation) are still the key focus, however now Mr. Bush is trying to call attention to the importance of this victory and the possibilities that could ensue if the US suffers a defeat. The change in focus also sights that the benefits of the victory may take quite a while to progress, while the repercussions of a loss would be an immediate concern.
Vice President Cheney has been a major supporter of the “domino theory.” In meetings he has pointed out that the withdrawal of American troops would only benefit the Iranians.
President Bush has made an effort to boost support, including owning up to past mistakes. Bush addressed the failures in recognizing the rise of the insurgency to focusing the early reconstruction effort on big infrastructure projects (if and when they are completed).
In the news, many parallels are being drawn between the war in Iraq and the Vietnam War. One of the comparisons being made is the number of casualties. Also one veteran compares that the cause of the Vietnam War was an effort to “free the oppressed,” a cause which is reflected in Bush’s hope to bring democracy to Iraq. Still, the comparisons linking the Vietnam War to the war in Iraq are not being ignored. There have been many criticisms of these comparisons, many of which state that the number of casualties are in completely different ranges. Still it is hard to ignore the fact that as the war continues the number of casualties is only getting higher. In October, ninety-six American soldiers have died, marking the highest death toll in the last two years. With no end in sight it is impossible to tell what the death toll will be. Since 2003, the death toll has risen to 2,809. Unfortunately the death toll will continue to rise until the war is brought to an end, and the rising casualty rate is resulting in the decline of support. While it is hard to compare the two wars because the war in Iraq is ongoing, one comparison that can be made is how the lack of support has a major effect. During the Vietnam War the lack of support resulted in the pullout of American troops. Although no such action has taken place regarding the war in Iraq, the waning support for the war in Iraq may have a similar result.

Unusual meteorite found in Kansas

Scientists discovered a rare meteorite in a Greensburg, Kansas wheat field Monday, October 16th with the use of new ground penetrating radar technology that someday may be used on Mars. The meteor weighs 154 pounds and was carefully taken out of the ground with the use of scientists' brushes and hand tools to make sure that they saved all evidence of the meteor strike. Before the meteor was even fully taken out of the ground, the scientific experts, whom were at the site, stated that the meteor had fallen about 20,000 years ago! "We know it is recent," said Carolyn Sumners, director of Astronomy at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, as she surveyed progress on the dig. "Native Americans could have seen it."
The wheat field was discovered in 1882 and since that time, scientists have traced pieces of the meteor shower all the way back to the Indian mounds in Ohio. They assume that pieces of previous meteors were most likely traded between the Indians as pieces of jewelry and ceremonial artifacts. The first, largest meteor shower is said to have killed all the dinosaurs in the prehistoric ages. Could the Ohio Indians have traded with the same meteors that killed the dinosaurs?

Wanted in Wyoming!

What’s so great about Wyoming? Wyoming is “job-rich and labor-poor.” The state is rich in natural resources and needs people to help develop them. For example, pictured in the above photo is Zeb Goodrich. He is formerly from Michigan but moved to Wyoming to get paid more as a welder. Wyoming is looking for more people like Zeb, who will live and work in the state.
The area Wyoming is making the center of its employee hunt is Michigan. Michigan has a large number of experienced blue-collar workers and not enough jobs to satisfy all of them. So far, Wyoming has had some success.


There are little to no jobs in Michigan, a reminiscent factor of the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, there were also little to no jobs available. The jobs that were available did not pay a reasonable amount of money. People searched elsewhere for jobs, but most of the time their efforts were in vain.

Indentured Servants...today?!

Today, around the world, an estimated 1.2 million children are being sold as indentured servants by their parents or relatives. The majority of the child trafficking occurs in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Mark Kwadwo is a six year old boy who lives Ghana, Africa. He awakes at 5.a.m. and spends his day doing the work of a grown fisherman. He is subject to abuse and he sleeps on a dirt floor. He works about one hundred hours a week. He and many other child indentured servants are under clothed and malnourished. His family receives as little as twenty dollars a year for his services. Why would a family send a child to live such a horrid life? In Ghana, the idea of a nuclear family is not central and often children are sent to relatives if a brighter future is more likely there. Some families believe that learning a trade will be more helpful than staying home, where they would simply starve. Sometimes it is the choice between sending the child to become an indentured servant and having their family starve to death. Another reason that this policy is occurring is that people in Ghana do not see it necessary to educate children. Furthermore, they need the children in order to succeed with their businesses. Reports about mistreatment of children have pushed forward legislative acts against trafficking children.

The child labor laws in America are much stricter and longer established than those in Africa. However, before the child labor laws were enacted children in America also suffered in hazardous work settings. Before the laws were passed, the workweek varied from sixty eight to seventy two hours. Similar to the situation in Ghana today, the employment of poor children was seen as a benefit to the community. In the end of the nineteenth century, child labor laws were being passed on the state level. They were often ignored and attempts on the national level were stopped by talk of the laws being unconstitutional. Finally in 1904, the National Labor committee was founded. Oftentimes, companies under inspection were quick to hide children because violations of labor laws were occurring. In 1941, The Fair Labor Standards Act was made constitutional. The act set many regulations, such as how many hours a child could work and minimum wage. Africa is working on passing similar laws to protect their children.

Names of the Dead - Will another Wall that Heals be needed soon?

The Department of Defense has identified 2,796 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. The list can be viewed here. The increasing death rate due to the War in Iraq isn’t accelerating quite as quickly of that of Vietnam, but thousands of American lives have been lost and even more American lives have been torn apart by fatal wounds cause by the war. The War in Iraq has been going on for three years now and, aside from the capture of Saddam Hussein, has not shown much benefit to the United States. Let’s just hope that the death toll will not escalade for the United States soldiers and there will be no need for another Wall that Heals at the end of the War in Iraq.

Student activists against war in Darfur

The Darfur genocide is one of the major wars facing our world today. It is a great conflict between the Janjaweed militia and the Christians of Darfur. This ongoing war began in February 2003, and is still happening today. It has become even more violent during July and August of 2006.
In an article by Matthew Clark, the article greatly talks about students who are organizing campaigns to speak out against the war in Darfur. What is great about these campaigns is that they have accomplished a great deal, such as getting the government and the United Nations to fully act against the war. One action the United Nations have done is approving the Security Council resolution which called for 22,000 UN troops to replace the underfunded 7,000 member African Union force, but this action got rejected by the Sudanese government. The article also discusses how much pressure this puts on the United States, that want to put force on the Sudanese government as well, but fear that if they do they will not gain any help from them against terrorists.
These protests are also similar to the student protests against the Vietnam war during the 1970s. In the spring of 1970 alone, more than two hundred college campuses witnessed demonstrations, including violent incidents and strikes that ended up canceling classes at colleges. Some students were so violent that they burned buildings and some activists ended up killed because of their rallies. An example of their protesting was on April 16, 1965, when 25,000 students marched on Washington against the Vietnam war, when 25,000 troops were in Vietnam. Both the student protests against the Vietnam war and the student protests against Darfur are similar because both movements had a profound effect on the wars and the country.

korean missile crisis?

Connecting North Koreas Arms Race to The Soviet's in 1963

Exactly 44 years ago, The United States , ExComm, and the rest of the world, was in fear of a nuclear war initiated by the ever so powerful Soviet Union. For 13 days in October of 1962, Americans were on the edge of their seats awaiting for the reign of nuclear crisis to end. Peace sanctions were attempted to be put in order for the purpose of demobiliizing the missiles in cuba and the USSR. However, the stubborn Russians thought it was key to be protected from the super power America. Similar to this incident in the past, the world is currently plagued with nuclear development and testing in the communist nation of North Korea. Kim Jong Il, the nations leader, has persisted to manufacture nuclear weapons with Russian intelligence for several years and fears that his country will be attacked by the USA. In 2003, North Korea backed out of the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty), leaving them eligible to conduct a missile test underground on October 9, 2006. The US and United Nations are on a path to stop the race in arms in North Korea and to put a ban of imports into North Korea on luxury items. Many nations across Europe have expressed their concener and disillusion to the nuclear testing, protesting that it is harmful to all people and could lead to a bloody war. It is uncertain, at this point, that North Korea will back out. Like The Soviet Union, North Korea feels that nuclear weapons are its only safety. However, they promote fear in the country and surrounding nations. Recently, Condeleeza Rice has met with Japanese officials to assure them that they should have no worries of North Korea and that the Bush regime is working diligently with the UN to de-escalate this nuclear crisis. "The international community has said that it is unacceptable for North Korea to have a nuclear program, that denuclearization of the Korean peninsula remains the goal of the international community", "We have no desire to see this crisis escalate," Rice said. "In fact, it is our goal to see a de-escalation of this, despite North Korea's actions. But North Korea now needs to understand that the international community has spoken."

North Korea Pushes Limits

North Korea rocks Asia's status quo
On October 9, North Korea completed a set of nuclear tests that caused serious tensions. Responses from several Asian nations that are within missile range of North Korea seem to have revealed a changing view on North Korea. The consensus among these countries is that the UN should take harsh action against North Korea for imposing a threat to the world. Exhibiting the power of North Korea through atomic weapons may just prove to be a warning to neighboring countries to stay out. However, the Asians nations in potential danger believe that the test is a sample of what it yet to come. The UN unanimously condemned the testing. Many relationships between the nations and the United States may grow, with South Korea working closely with the U.S. to pressure North Korea. South Korea may also join the Proliferation Security Initiative, designed to stop proliferation of WMDs.
This article brought several historical events to mind. Most evidently, the testing of North Korea’s atomic bomb can be compared to the United States’ test during operation Trinity. The Trinity was the first test after the completion of the Manhattan Project. The tests required planning and execution to avoid damage. However, while North Korea’s test was rumored and publicized, the U.S. test of an atomic bomb was covert. The U.S. test was kept secret even after it had been executed. The world did not know about the weapons the United States had created until it dropped the first true bomb on Hiroshima, but not until Truman’s address. There were similar reactions to the realization that atomic weapons were in use. Parts of the world feared what the world was turning into. North Korea defied a worldwide opposition to a nuclear test. The U.S., before fully receiving a world reaction, continued to use nuclear weapons. Also questionable was the decision by North Korea to test the bomb on its own soil.

North Korea

On October 9, 2006, the United States recieved information that North Korea had tested a nuclear bomb. North Korea with nuclear bombs is the worst thing that could happen to the world. Another situation like this in American history is the Cuban Missile Crisis. North Korea is most likely to threaten the US with their nuclear bombs because of the bad history the US and North Korea share. When Russia had nuclear bombs they threatened us right from Cuba. The last thinf the US needs is another scare like the Cuban Missile Crisis. In today's world if a nuclear war was to occur millions of people would lose their lives and the world would be in another world war. If Russia had ever launched their nuclear bombs in the 60's the US would have changed forever. If NOrth Korea does have nuclear bombs they can't be trusted with them and need to be stopped immediately.

Amish School Shooting

On Monday, October 4, 2006 a dreadful shooting happened in an Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pa. The shooter, Charles C. Roberts, pounded on the school doors with chains, clamps, and guns. When he finally entered into the school, he tied up several girls from the ages of six to thirteen. He eventually shot ten of these girls and killed five of them before committing suicide. He threatened several others by separating the girls from the boys and forcing them to line up in a specific order. Roberts made these children fear for their lives, leaving permanent damage to those who survived. Teachers and students were equally terrified because they had never experienced something remarkably horrific in their lives. Roberts however left suicide notes claiming that his behavior had been affected by his child who died twenty minutes after birth. Even though he was not Amish, he was familiar with the area because he drove a milk truck in the Amish community near the school. The Amish had made peace with what had happened and forgave Roberts for what he had done. They welcomed his father-in-law and accepted his apology. This is an important current event because it affected so many lives within a community. It is terrible that a specific group was targeted, and that the victims were none other than children.

The Amish community is a relatively old religious sect of the Anabaptists who challenged Martin Luther’s reforms. The Anabaptists fled to Switzerland, and then Jakob Amman broke away from the Swiss Mennonites because he believed they were not strict enough. There were several matters that angered Amman which caused this separation. The Amish came over to the New World in the 1730s to the land where William Penn was in charge. There were also several other locations where the Amish settled, such as Indiana, Ohio, and other sections of Pennsylvania. There are several different orders of the Amish and the older the order, the stricter it becomes. The Amish base their lives on the Ordnung, their set of rules. It dictates to them their faith and helps them live an Amish life. The way they dress is symbolic and meaningful to their religion and their beliefs, and it promotes separation from the world. The Ordnung also tells them refrain from using technology. The Amish strongly believe in education for all children and family life is exceptionally important. They are not allowed to divorce and Amish can only marry another Amish, no exceptions. The Amish are deeply religious and worship God.

Masons reveal a plot to take over America!...Sort of.

Officially as of October 4th 2006, the society known as the Free Masons have decided that in order to attract new members they will open their doors to regular tours and open houses as a form as advertisement. For many years the Free Masons have been a sign of protestant Anglican life in America shrouded in secrecy stretching back to the founding fathers like George Washington, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin. The founding fathers firmly believed in the values and secrets of the Free Masons and would have never allowed for non-members to come into their halls and meeting houses for tours.
The founding fathers used the free masons symbols and ideals to help mold the country into shape. The Free Masons' symbols such as the eye atop the pyramid on the back of the one dollar bill and the first cornerstone at the Statue of liberty had the Masonic compasses engraved into it.

Today, the numbers of Free Masons living in the U.S. have been steadily dwindling. In the state of New York, the Masonic temple in New York City has hired a private firm to advertise and spread as much informaton on these tours as possible to stir interest. However, the library head, Thomas Savini, at the Masoonic temple in New York City sees ita as a slightly less commercial strain," We're still not thinking of it as recruiting or trying to amass people, but I think we've reached a point where we realized that not saying anything is not making it any easier." What the Free Masons are trying to flaunt to the public is that the society is all about helping its community its community being partons to medical research as well as donating top notch American Flags to many public schools. Not only are the Free Masons flaunting community but they also want people to realize that they are not about trying to take over the world, but they are trying to help people understand the liberal arts such as arithmetic, rhetoric, geometry, logic, grammar, music and astronomy, in addition to living the four virtues of fortitude, prudence, temperance and justice day to day.

Man Made Mud Bath in Indonesia

Man Made Mud Bath in Indonesia
On October 6th, a natural gas well exploded in Indonesia leaving eight villages submerged in residue. The mud has already spread over a square mile and a half and it shows no signs of slowing. There have been 13,000 people evacuated from their homes and this number is constantly rising along with the residue. The company drilled thousands of feet to get to the natural gas and if charged the damages amount to about 1 billion dollars.
This recent event can be paralleled to the not so recent eruption of Mount Lamington in Papua New Guinea. On January 18th 1951, Mount Lamington began to erupt. Three days later the northern side of the island had been blown away from the devastation blows. The damage extended for a radius of 14km. The few people in this perimeter were burnt to death. While the volcanic eruption of Mount Lamington was a natural disruption, the situation in Indonesia was a man made one. However the manner in which they sequence of events got progressively worse is very similar. While both parties were completely unaware of the impeding events, once alarmed of what was occurring, little was able to be done on Mount Lamington to prevent further casualties. In Indonesia however, they were able to evacuate people from their houses who were slowly being submerged. The two events mentioned show that natural disasters tend to repeat themselves and as time passes it becomes apparent that people have become more aware of how to deal with these given situations.

Has North Korea Crossed the Line?

North Korea’s Claim Is Met With Doubt and Anger

Since 2003, the Bush administration and North Korea have been in a heated conflict over the nuclear development of North Korea. On October 9, the country announced that the nation had effectively tested a nuclear weapon. This statement immediately received disapproval from its allies as well as international condemnation. President Bush denounced the test as a "provocative act,” and one that required an “immediate response.”

While there is no doubt that the explosion was nuclear, there is still dispute over the strength of the blast and the size of the weapon. Where a successful test would have the same force as between 10 and 60 kilotons of high explosive, American results have reported that the blast was less than one kiloton. This data contradicts with that of Russia’s, which believes that the strength of the weapon was from 5 to 15 kilotons.

Bush also declared that he had spoken to the leaders of China, South Korea, Russia and Japan. All five nations felt that the actions taken by North Korea were unacceptable. At a preliminary discussion that morning, there was a unanimous feeling of disapproval within the Security Council. North Korea’s closest ally, China, had called the actions a “flagrant and brazen” violation of international opinion. The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated that “Russia absolutely condemns North Korea’s nuclear tests.” The world community is finally taking action, even when action was required sooner.
This can easily be paralleled to Germany in the year 1942. On June 28th 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Marking the end of World War I, the treaty defined all of the conditions that Germany had to comply with. The treaty stated that land was to be taken away from Germany, their army was to be reduced to 100,000 men with no tanks or air force, and Germany was to compensate for all the damages inflicted during the war. As it would seem, the document infuriated the Germans. It was not until the 1930’s that Germany would find someone to pull them out of the conditions they were in.

For the beginning of his reign of power, Hitler pointed the German economy towards war. He ordered an increase in armament production and the creation of factories and industrial plants to produce vital war materials. The Treaty of Versailles limited the German military to only 100,000 men, but by October of 1934, the army consisted of 300,000 soldiers. He also ordered the training of air force pilots and the design of military aircraft. All of these actions received little response from Europe. Germany would continue to push the limits on March 7th, 1936 when a small group of men moved across the Rhine bridges and into demilitarized areas of Germany, in the direction of Aachen, Trier and Saarbruecken. In doing this, Hitler broke the Locarno Pact of 1925. Eventually World War II began and the world jumped into action.
Much like Hitler did prior to World War II, North Korea continues to push the limits and so far has received little resistance. Furthermore, North Korea in the possession of a nuclear weapon could result in the death of millions.

Rules of Engagment: What Were They at Haditha

The article, Rules of Engagement: What Were They at Hadita?, discusses the supposed slaughter of 24 Iraqi “civilians”. To understand this story one must first understand the area in which the “massacre” took place? It is in the very dangerous Sunni triangle in Iraq. This is said to be one of the most dangerous places on earth. Also, Haditha is one of the main places that terrorists gather to plot against the US forces in Iraq. A roadside bomb in the city killed an American soldier. The soldiers that were with him went to attack the suspected perpetrators of the attack. In doing so they killed 24 “civilians”. Another interesting fact is that the people who are testifying in the case are Iraqi “civilians” themselves. In all likelihood these “civilians” are insurgents themselves. You know that there is something wrong when Iraqi “civilians” are thought to be more truthful than US marines. However, this is not the first time that this has happened. No, believe it or not it has happened before. The first incident was in the Vietnam War. U.S. soldiers were sent to the village of My Lai in Vietnam. It was a hotspot for the Viet Cong fighters. When the soldiers arrived they found no men of fighting age, just women, children and old men. The soldier’s proceeded to kill hundreds of civilians. This was, in no way, the proper course of action. However, it is not as wrong as many people would lead one to believe. One must always realize that in a country were guerilla warfare was a way of life one must always be alert. This may have just been an example of trigger happy Americans who were just very scared. Amazing parallels can be drawn between what happened in Vietnam and in Iraq. What one must realize is that these people are human. When faced one is extremely emotionally charged sometimes irrational decisions are made. To put it simply, one must not have one hand tied behind their back to fight and war and quite frankly, since Vietnam, the US does.

1) The Foley Scandal

On Friday September 29, 2006, Representative Mark Foley of Florida’s sixteenth district resigned after serving six terms. After Foley resigned, he checked into a rehab facility in Florida, alluding to alcoholism and other issues concerning his behavior. Foley had resigned because ABC News found e-mails and instant messages containing sexual content that Foley had sent to male teenagers. These e-mails to former male pages date as far back as the year 2003. Pages are juniors in high school who come from all over to work as messengers, passing notes and delivering documents on Capitol Hill. All pages are sponsored by a member of the House or Senate and spend one or two semesters, or sometimes the summer. Pages are paid to do this work and even attend a “page school” during the academic year. On Thursday, the 28th of September, the House of Ethics Committee discussed Foley’s behavior and the House GOP leadership's handling of warnings of Foley’s actions. The committee approved four dozen subpoenas, or formal documents requiring appearance in court to give testimony, for witnesses and documents. The Florida law enforcement and the FBI are trying to figure out if Foley is violating any laws. All records relevant to the case are being preserved.

Representative relations with pages are not entirely unheard of. It was found in July of 1983 by the House Ethics Committee that Representative Gerry Studds of Massachusetts had sexual relationships with a seventeen-year-old male page. Also, Representative Dan Crane of Illinois had sexual relationships with a seventeen-year-old female page. Crane was voted out of office in 1984, after apologizing for his actions. Studds, on the other hand, was not voted out of office. He claimed that the relationship was purely consensual. The next year he won re-elections and served in Congress until 1996, the year he retired. After these scandals, a board was created to monitor actions made by representatives. This was done in hope to stop the scandal. Unfortunately, by looking at the Foley scandal, it did not work as well as it was planned to.

North Korea Nuclear Weapon test

An article in the New York Times described the claim made by North Korea regarding their Nuclear weapon test. This claim was met with dismay even among North Korea's allies. In response to this announcement President Bush has met with leaders from China, South Korea, Russia and Japan who all agree that this act was unacceptable.
Scientists noted that while an explosion did occur, the size and power should be questioned. While this explosion had power equal to approximately one kiloton, a successful nuclear test would be expected to have about ten to sixty times as much impact. Philip E. Coyle III, former head of weapons testing at the Pentagon, said “As first tests go, this is smaller and less successful than the other nuclear powers.” He continued to comment on how this may or may not have been intentional, which remains to be seen. Russia’s minister of defense’s assessment of the explosion was quite different; it recorded the blast as having a power of five to fifteen kilotons.
While this action has put North Korea under the microscope, President Bush is also receiving some criticisms. Senator Harry Reid, a democratic leader in Nevada showed his disapproval of the trial, but also said that the Bush administration had been in denial about North Korea. The senator shared his opinion that a comprehensive review of American policy towards North Korea is necessary. Senator Dodd of Connecticut, and Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts both think that a diplomatic approach in which the allies of the US are involved is an important step. However some think that it is important that along with a diplomatic offense a nuclear-detection device should be developed by the United States.
If this test was a nuclear device, North Korea would be one of eight nations who have openly tested a nuclear weapon, and of the eight they would be the most dangerous and unstable.

This historical event is reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis, during which the possession of nuclear weapons caused a major uproar. Like the test done in North Korea, Russia was very involved during the crisis (in this recent development Russia has been commenting on the size of the explosion, they have the largest estimation). In any situation where nuclear weapons are involved there will be a great deal of interest. It is interesting to see that once again the political administration is turning to diplomacy in hopes to deter the possible effects of the nuclear device testing in North Korea.
Also, in both situations the US has looked to its allies in order to build up a stronger front. Both today and in 1962, the importance of allies has been an essential factor in dealing with other countries. North Korea is at a disadvantage due to the reaction of their allies who were among those that did not agree with North Korea’s recent actions.

The Electoral College

On October 2nd, 2006, in Sacramento California, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that ran “counter to the tradition of our great nation.” The bill would allot the state’s fifty five electoral votes to the candidate who won the popular vote. It was developed by a computer scientist, John R. Kozea, who visualized a system in which states with the 270 electoral votes needed for election would join together behind the candidate with the popular vote. In doing this, they would disregard individual voters. He thought that this strategy would force candidates to campaign nationwide rather than just in the battleground states. California, considered mostly democratic, is often forgotten when presidential candidates are campaigning. Proponents of the bill, such as Thomas J. Umberg, felt that in vetoing the bill Arnold Schwarzenegger chose to “maintain the status quo.”

The Electoral College is a process that is part of the original U. S. Constitution. It was part of the compromise among the founding fathers between allowing Congress or the popular vote to elect the president. It works in a way that the people vote for the electors that then vote for the president. The Electoral College thus plays a large role in U.S. history. In the election of 1888, the candidates for president were Benjamin Harrison and President Grover Cleveland. On Election Day November 6, Grover Cleveland won the popular vote. However, Benjamin Harrison won the Electoral vote with 233 electoral votes to Cleveland’s 168. This election illustrated the importance of an Electoral College.

Conservation efforts on Amchitka Island

< map of Amchitka Island

Amchitka Island is an uninhabited island about 1,400 miles southwest of Anchorage , Alaska. This Aleutian Island is home to an abundance of sea life. Alongside the island are fish-affluent waters that support some of the world’s largest commercial seafood companies. Deep beneath the waters of Amchitka Island, which is now part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, are three bomb-carved cavities that are filled with radioactive waste.
The Atomic Energy Commission discharged three bombs between 1965 and 1971. This was the last underground U.S. nuclear-weapon test. The final and the most powerful bomb was the five-megaton Cannikin blast in 1971. This bomb was almost 400 times as powerful as the one that destroyed Hiroshima. The fulmination of the Cannikin was equivalent to a magnitude 7 earthquake and killed thousands of sea otters. These nuclear-weapon tests angered politicians and environmentalists alike. The tests sparked the creation of Greenpeace, an environmental group. People were frustrated over the secrecy of the scientists, which in turn spurred the creation of the Freedom of Information Act.
Decades later, there is still worry about radioactive leakage, especially because Amchitka is now the site of a marine refuge. The waste pits and the drill holes made by the blasts are covered with a multilayered mat that’s in turn topped with new vegetation. Peter Sanders, a Department of Energy project manager, says, “If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you wouldn’t know what had happened out there.”
Under the new Legacy Management program, Amchitka Island will be monitored quinquennially, to see if any radioactive waste has leaked. After a five-year environmental restoration program, the Department of Energy determined that there has been no evidence of radioactive waste contaminating the food chain of the marine life. However, there has been a different effect on many of the people who once worked on Amchitka Island . Some have high rates of various types of cancer, according to medical studies.
Amchitka Island is a former site of nuclear-weapons testing that is now being used as a marine wildlife refuge. Los Alamos , New Mexico is also a former site of nuclear-weapons creation and testing. However, the buildings themselves are going to be preserved, instead of wildlife. Though slightly different, the two events are definite parallels to each other.
Preservationists have skirted around security barriers to conserve a building in which the Manhattan Project scientists did their work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Manhattan Project refers to the effort to develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II by the United States. Preservationists say that the building is as significant as a Civil War battlefield or as George Washington’s home.
A wooden, garage-like building is the site where the world’s first plutonium bombs were assembled. This plain and uncomplicated structure serves as a reminder of the urgency with which scientists gathered to assemble and design the first atomic weapons. McAllister Hull, who was a 21-year-old Army sergeant back in the 1940s, recalled working in a casting building on the site. Hull ’s job was to supervise crews that were casting explosive lenses that would direct pressure to compress a plutonium core in “the gadget.” “The gadget” was the prototype of the “Fat Man” bomb. This gadget was put together at the “high bay” building, one of the buildings on site.
The bomb was fully assembled and discharged at the Trinity Site, 200 miles south of Los Alamos , in July of 1945. A similar bomb was dropped on Nagasaki less than a month later, and three days after a uranium-based bomb was dropped on Hiroshima . The “high bay” building is said to cost about $1 million to restore and is currently inaccessible to the public. However, weekend events include a reception and dinner, bus tours, and a conference featuring artists and writers.
Greg Mello, anti-nuclear activist, ‘objects to the celebratory aura’ surrounding the events. Mello protests that the events should have a more somber tone because they commemorate work that led to the bombing of two Japanese cities. Several other sites at Los Alamos besides the “high bay” building are also going to be preserved.

Lee Boyd Malvo

Lee Harvey Oswald is not the only “Lee” who is a famous sniper, Lee Boyd Malvo, a convicted Washington-area killer, is pleading guilty to 2002 shootings that he has been recently linked to. Malvo is planning to plead guilty to six Maryland murders and is said to receive six-life sentences. It has been said that Malvo could plead guilty to the October 3, 2002, shooting of Pascal Charlot in Washington and serve his life term in the federal system. Malvo, 21, is already serving a life prison term in Virginia for his 2003 conviction of murdering FBI analyst Linda Franklin at a Home Depot parking lot in Falls Church, Virginia, in October 2002. He later pleaded guilty to another Virginia sniper shooting. Another Malvo attorney, Timothy Sullivan, said Malvo has accepted responsibility for his part in the shootings and wants to make amends.
Lee Harvey Oswald was convicted of shooting President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Although he did not plead guilty, he was taken into custody by authorities after the shooting. Jack Ruby later shot Lee Harvey Oswald before he could plead innocent or guilty, because of his love and support for the president.
Both men tried to kill innocent victims, one the president of the United States the other six innocent Maryland residents and both were taken into custody unwillingly. Although Lee Harvey Oswald was older and wanted to particularly kill the President, Lee Malvo was only twenty-one years old and now begs for forgiveness from his victims’ families and friends.

Iraq War...coming to a computer near you!

Sara Mercuro
Mod 2 Due October 9, 2006


Current Event
Iraq War Online

Today, in the United States, horror films are among the most attended movies in the country. Many people find it thrilling to be scared, and sickened by blood and gore. That is why it is not to surprising to read that videos of the war in Iraq are being posted on sites such as youtube.com and Google. These sites are working to remove the videos; because they do not want the same reaction to war that was received in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, people were beginning to use televisions in their everyday life, especially as a source of news. Since the television was so popular, the media felt it was a good idea to air footage of Vietnam on the news. The effort to get Americans to sympathize with the war failed, viewing the violence actually hardened the U.S. citizens against it. It turned America away from the war, and in doing so, the U.S. rejected the bravery shown by the troops fighting in Vietnam. That is part of the reason why Vietnam veterans are never viewed as heroic; they are more commonly portrayed as violent flashback victims who cannot let go of the war. It is because of the horrible reaction from the footage of Vietnam that we cannot allow war to be publicly accessed, as if it were just any old horror movie. War will become something to be watched with popcorn and drinks, rather than the tragedy it is.