Stock Market Reaches High Once Again

After having a brutal month of August the stock market has managed to regain itself to its July highs. September was a good month to the stock exchange and was able to bring it back from a terrible end of the summer.

As the nation approaches the 78th anniversary of the stock market crash of 1929 it is very noticeable how much the world of stocks has changed.
Yes the market has its ups and its downs but never has it reached the low it reached in 1929 when everyone panicked and sold their stocks sending the country and the world into what came to be known as the Great Depression. FDR was able to bring back the nation from this Great Depression and brought the stock exchange to prosperity with his set of New Deals which provided the poor and unemployed with jobs that were not available to them before.

78 years later the US has been able to keep itself out of a depression like the one they entered on that Black Thrusday and has never seen such a panic in the stock market like the one that day.

Naturalization Redefined

For the first time in twenty years, the naturalization test to become an American citizen has been redesigned. One hundred new questions, which have been debated over for the past six years, now focus on what it means to be an American citizen, rather than basic facts about the United States' geography and such.
The new test contains such topics as September 11th and Nancy Pelosi. A statement made by Alfonso Aguilar, a senior official at Citizenship and Immigration Services noted, “We don’t seek to fail anyone". For years the degree of difficulty has been debated. The Immigration offices argued that the test was too easy while immigrant representatives took the stance that the old test was too hard. The redesigned test will be put into use on October first, 2008.
In the pilot testings of the new questions, 94% of the immigrants who took it, passed, while the current test only 84% usually passes.
To become an American citizen, one must legally live in the country for five years (three if in the country with a spouse), pass an english proficiency exam, earn a 60% on the Naturalization test, have good moral character and no police record. On top of all the previously mentioned requirements, there is a fee of $675. Despite all of these regulations and constrictions, over 200,000 immigrants have become American citizens over the past two years.

Blackwater Shooting

On September 16, senior American officials were being evacuated by Blackwater USA after an explosion near their meeting. At least eight Iraqis were killed during the evacuation. According to those participating in the investigation of these deaths, at least one guard continued to shoot at the Iraqis after he was ordered to stop. The guards killed a family, including a mother and infant, and set their car on fire. If this is really what happened, the guards who fired at the Iraqis were not in compliance with human rights. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” (http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html). They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. It appears that the Blackwater guards fired without reason and with disregard for the lives of those Iraqis in the area.

This article reminds me of events that happened in WWII’s labor, concentration, and extermination camps. Many of the concentration camp leaders were very malicious to the Jews. Some of them would beat the Jews without reason. The Gestapo could send anybody they wanted to these camps without a trial. This gave them power which many of them abused. They killed or caused the deaths of many people without caring for their human rights. After WWII many more people realized the need for human rights and some governments created new laws that granted everyone human rights.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/28/world/middleeast/28blackwater.html?_r=1&ref=us

9 Deaths in Myanmar

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/world/asia/27cnd-myanmar.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

September 27th the second day of the armed crackdown in Myanmar was brutal. The military junta tried to stop a protest and today there were nine confirmed deaths including a Japanese photographer. The violence towards peaceful protesters began yesterday when Buddhist monks were fire upon. The scene was very similar to a 1988 mass killing of peaceful protestoers made by the same junta when it first came to power.
According to the editor of a magazine based in Thailand “The military is the one who proudly claims to preserve and protect Buddhism in the country, but now they are killing the monks,”. He continues “The military trucks, I was told, just drove in, and soldiers jumped out and started shooting,”. This has been the general description of the shooting by multiple sources and is interesting because they say the soldiers did not warn the protesters or anythign they jsut jumped out of their trucks and fired.
These past few days ahve had outbreaks of violence towards peaceful protestors. It seems throughout history peaceful protests have a tendency of doins so. China has veoted the United Nations attempts to enforce economic sanctions until the violence stops. President bush has stated that he adrmries the protestors and feels the government shouldstop using for on its own people, especially those who just want a change and are doing it peacefully

Rep. Brings Hammer Down On Lyrics

On September 25th, a Congressional hearing was called by Representative Bobby L. Rush, Democrat of Illinois, about the explicit content of one of the America's most listened to music genre, rap. After having executives from the music industry read out some lyrics of the popular rapper, 50 Cent, the question of has the music industry done all it could to protect younger listeners to this graphic and explicit content was raised. Mr. Rush stated that he was not against rap, but the negative influence that the lyrics enforces, he is totally against. Edgar Bronfman Jr,, chairman of the Warner Music Group, rebutted that the essence of the lyrics is "in the eye of the beholder". After Bronfman and Chairman of Universal Music Group, Doug Morris, were questioned about the explicit content of the music they are putting out, they said that all efforts would be futile due to the easy access of downloading the same content on the internet. Either way the children would hear it. Viacom, the parent company of MTV and Bet, Radio One, and the video game company, Take-Two Interactive Software were questioned over the content they air out to younger viewers and listeners. Rapper David Banner told reporters that there has been gang violence in the U.S even before rap became popular. "I can admit that there are some problems in hip-hop, but it is only a reflection of what is taking place in our society. Hip-hop is sick because America is sick.”



This cracking down on questionable content in music isn't the first time this has occurred in America. Many bands of the 60's, during a time of America's Sexual Revolution, where sex and drugs were a prominent force of the country, were forced to censor many of their lyrics that had to do with getting high or sexual acts. Many blamed juvenile delinquency on bands such as The Doors or Led Zeppelin who sung about sex and drugs. During the mid 70's, bands such as Black Sabbath ruled the airwaves which brought a scare too parents who thought that the bands lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne, was a Satan worshiper to the Gothic way he would dress and his fascination of death and hell.









http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/washington/26rap.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

http://www.noisebetweenstations.com/personal/essays/music_censorship.html

Israelis Kill Up to 9 in Gaza

September 26 from Jerusalem, up to nine Palestinians were killed in Gaza from military strikes of about 30 Israel rockets and shells. Israel has declared Gaza, controlled by Hamas as of June, hostile territory. In the West Bank, it was reported that previously, two Qassam rockets were found by Palestinian security and gave them back to the Israeli Army for inspection. This was a sign of trust after years of tension. General Tirawi claimed that the rockets were unarmed and unfinished, equipped without explosives so they could not have launched them if they tried. Up to five members of a small armed group, the Army of Islam, were killed in an airstrike in Gaza City, Palestinian officials and witnesses said. The others were citizens, from a shell that struck a house. The army spokeswoman said the air force had hit a vehicle carrying five “terror operatives with rockets ready to be launched.” The Hamas are now seen as a terrorist organization and Israel refuses to deal with them.


There is a long history of violence in Israel, being the Holy Land for the three major world religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Since the Crusades the land has been fought over, and eventually in 1917 the British declared Palestine as the "national home" for Jews in the Balfour Declaration. This caused much tension and led to quite a few wars like the Six Day War and the Israel War of Independence and hundreds of terrorist attacks. Therefore Israel has been forced to have a very solid military in order to fight off attacks from the long-time enemy nations that have surrounded them.

Future Cost Of Iraq War

A war that started over Weapons of Mass Destruction, but is mostly concerning oil has quickly become one of the most costly wars in American history. The price is continuing to increase into the billions. By the end of the year experts conclude that the total will exceed into the trillions. This excess of spending has even affected the American dollar by decreasing its value. If this spending continues then this war will easily become the most costly war America has experienced.

The cost of the Iraq war continue to increase. Steven Kosiak, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington think tank estimates the costs of the War to be $450 billion for the Iraq War itself and $127 billion for the movement in Afghanistan. This makes the combined total $577 billion dollars but by the end of the next year the estimated total will rise up to about $808 billion. If this fighting were to continue on for a decade then the totla could exceed a trillion dollars which does not include the debt Washington would pile up to pay for this endeavor. If those were added to the total there would be an additional $700 plus million.

This war has many costs especially the increase in oil. Oil used to be $26 a barrel but has not fluctuated to over $81 a barrel in this current week. Oil is increasing the strain on the United States' finances and if Iraq is a protectorate of the US as is predicted they will remainthat way for a decade until they can become stable. This will increase the amount of money the US has spent in Iraq most likely intoover $2 trillion.

Churches Promise To Shelter Illegal Immigrants

Several churches close to the Kansas City area are contributing refuge to illegal immigrants facing deportation if they have no criminal records, American-born children, and have worked in the United States for no less than five years. The New Sanctuary Movement is making it's way to churches nationwide. This is putting many churches at jeopardy considering the fear of immigration officials raiding the premises to make arrests. According to Alexia Salvatierra of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, which helps organize sanctuary cases, more than 600,000 families nationwide face deportation. There are 20 churches in the Kansas City area who have signed up to give support and shelter if needed. Not one of the churches has taken in an illegal immigrant yet.
The churches said that granting shelter is not against the law since church members wouldn't obstructing with officials stepping onto church property.

Churches in Long Beach are also becoming a part of The New Sanctuary Movement. "The movement as a whole is responding to families being broken by a broken immigration system," said Salvatierra. Churches cannot block law enforcement from coming into the church and taking out those who seek sanctuary, it has yet to happen. "There's a moral and spiritual circle that's created that the government has decided not to cross," Salvatierra said.

Providing sanctuary is an ancient system and was normal in Europe throughout the 18th century. Recently in U.S. history, sanctuary became an issue in 1982, when 500 churches and religious organizations took refuge in Central American refugees fleeing the civil war by helping them cross the border and live underground. Associatesof the new movement say they are not violating the law because they are advertising the movement and they are not making an effort to hide the immigrants.

Opinions on Voter I.D. laws run down party lines

The Supreme Court officially decided to hear an Indiana case against voter identification laws on Tuesday, September 25th. The case will be examined in January 2008, and should be resolved by the summer of 2008, with plenty of time before the 2008 Presidential Election. Since the controversial Florida presidential election results in 2000, over 20 states require a valid form of identification, such as a driver's license. This is a far cry from the basic laws that require only the voter's signature.

However, support for these laws is split down party lines. Democrats are the harshest critics of these laws, citing that they deny underprivileged,and elderly Americans who do not have a valid driver's license their constitutional right to vote. They have also implied that republicans are using these laws as a way of blocking votes for democrats. This is due to the idea that those who cannot afford photo i.d.'s are more likely to vote for a democratic candidate. Most republicans refute claims that these laws will deny anyone their constitutional rights. Also stating that these laws are necessary to deter any possible voter fraud, and to protect the democratic process.

The New York Times reported that this divide by party affiliation is shown in the appeals court decision which was 2 to 1 in favor of these laws. The 2 votes for the i.d. laws were republican appointees and the 1 vote against it was a democratic appointee. Hopefully, such partisan conflicts between judges will be put aside in January, and settled fairly by the supreme court.

G.M. Workers, Walk the Line

In September of 2007, General Motors employees went on strike. It was one of the biggest strikes in General Motors history since the 1970's. It was a union strike for UAW. Over 73,000 factory-represented UAW members went on strike. General Motors has been negotiating contracts for ten weeks as they try to re-shape the company's money losing operations in the United States. They are also trying to free themselves from a $50 billion dollar health-care obligation. General Motors claims they have enough vehicles on the assembly lines for the immediate future and they will continue spending money on advertising and sales. But the impact from the UAW-ordered shutdown of more than 80 GM facilities in the United States hit GM's plants in Canada and Mexico, which are closely aligned to the U.S. operations and they depend on the United States' factories for parts. If the United States strike drags on, over 100,000 Canadian workers could be laid off from work. This strike is causing an international affair. "It does not take long for a significant work stoppage to ripple across the entire globe," said Scott Watkins, an Anderson Economic Group consultant. "The longer this goes, the wider the impact across the country and the globe." UAW President Ron Gettelfinger told WJR radio in Detroit on Tuesday that the strike could bring a quicker end to the impasse between GM and the union. "Obviously, we did not want to strike, but that's what was required, and in many ways it may be a good thing because it'll bring an end to this thing quicker, we hope," he said. The UAW has said the automaker pushed the union into striking by not showing a willingness to meet it half way on crucial issues such as job security. At GM's massive Lordstown, Ohio, complex, one of the U.S. factories at the forefront of the UAW's push for job security, dozens of strikers stood vigil at plant entrances.
The 40-year-old plant, which makes the Chevy Cobalt, faces an uncertain future since GM has not committed to keep Lordstown running beyond 2009.
"If we don't get another product here it will devastate the community," said Will Adams, chairman of UAW Local 1714. "For us it's about being able to come to Lordstown every day and provide a living for our families."

The Great Flint Sit-Down Strike 1936 - 1937 UAW United Auto Workers GM strike in Flint MI by The Sit-Downers (sitdowners) changed American Labor History and World Labor History by taking a stand for workers rights during this Flint Strike with General Motors . The picket lines had been quiet for nearly 25 years between the UAW and General Motors when a 67-day strike broke out. Concerns included poor working conditions in both the areas of health and safety. At the end, and despite a failing economy, the UAW was granted a historic settlement: not only were their initial safety concerns addressed, but they were given a contract which included “cost of living” allowances and a new pension plan. Above, Ivory Jackson holds the picket line through the night.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-gm-uaw.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Halo 3 Blows 'Em Away

Video-gamers everywhere are proud to now have the extraordinary video game,"Halo 3," in their possession, some a little too proud. This science-fiction game which is set in the imagined future, as all humanity battles for survival against aliens.The Xbox 360, produced by Microsoft, video game console is putting out this game as one of the most anticipated games of 2007. Halo 3 is the game to keep the Microsoft company running as the Xbox 360's lately have been outsold by the less expensive Nintendo Wii.

While the Xbox 360 plays remarkably in many aspects, it also plays DVD's and movies downloaded directly onto the console from the internet. Things like these you'd think would be in the Jetsons! However, even with these great qualities, the machines have just not been selling. Microsoft is hoping with the release of Halo 3, they can keep the system alive and beat the competitors such as the Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii. All that mattered as of 12:01 A.M. on Tuesday Sept. 25 was the game. In over 10,000 stores across the country, hardcore video-gamers camped out waiting for Halo 3 as early as Sunday night. Before stores opened, well over 1 million across the country reserved a copy of this chapter in the legendary Halo saga. Sony is attempting to compete with these soon-to-be record sales, but doesn't have anything to put out on the PS3. This could well set the record for most sales of all-time very soon.

Supreme Court to Consider Lethal Injection

In 2004, Ralph S. Baze and Thomas Clyde Bowling Jr. sued the state of Kentucky claiming that lethal injection is equal to cruel and unusual punishment. They are both death row inmates at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. On Tuesday, September 25, 2007, the Supreme Court agreed to examine the case of whether lethal injections constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Out of the thirty eight states with the death penalty most of them use some type of lethal injection. Experts say that this Supreme Court consideration will stop executions until the court makes a final decision. Earlier the court had ruled that inmates could challenge lethal injection in federal courts. The petition asked the Court to accept their case because many inmates had already tried to go to the federal courts.

In 1878, Wilkerson vs. Utah was the first death penalty case to reach the Supreme Court. The method of execution being argued was death by firing squad, which is today still a method that remains an option in Utah. Wilkerson thought that death by firing squad broke the Eighth Amendment. Justice Clifford, of the Supreme Court, stated that Utah had several execution methods available, such as being shot, hung, or beheaded. Clifford said that if no method of execution has been stated, then states are free to use any option as long as it is not cruel and unusual. Clifford explained that cruel and unusual punishment only related to torture. Execution by fire squad was not cruel and unusual punishment because others, like the military, have used it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/25/AR2007092500680.html?hpid=topnews

http://books.google.com/books?id=vz8SEbbZfrgC&pg=PA20&ots=PgzAaOuMqZ&dq=1878+court+method+of+execution+is+constitutional&ei=cYz5RtOWGpOK7ALEvs22CQ&sig=N9J4-OIRUvYqkZzftVMh8cLMxPw#PPA20,M1

Bloomberg Visits Flight 93 Crash Site on 9/11 Trip

The disastrous affect of 9/11 is unforgettable. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 23, 07 Major Michael R. Bloomberg made his first visit to the field where the United Flight 93 crashed on September 11,2001. After successfully raising $325 million for the ground zero memorial in Pittsburg, Bloomberg decided to take upon a new approach. “There’s no difference between New York City, a big city of 8 million people, and Shanksville. Pa., a town of a few thousand.” The Flight 93 National Memorial fund- raising was not successful. With only $12.5 million collected towards a goal of $30 million was overwhelming. Committee members were worried that their goal of having a memorial for the 10th anniversary of the crash was out of the question. Bloomberg being generous donated $15 million from his own fortune to the Sept. 11 memorial. Bloomberg said he was open to helping Flight 93 memorial.
The Sept. 11, 2001 incident was a devastating time for our country. It is only right that we support the many memorials that are dedicated to this attack. Remembering that New York was not the only area affected, but also Pennsylvania. So many people died from the attacks and should be recognized as citizens of the United States. Protecting the memories of our country can educate future generations after us about the past.

A Fight for Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia

A first since 1990, Saudi Arabia experienced a petition for the rights of women to be able to drive at the beginning of this week. This particular demonstration was spread quickly by foot, text messaging, and emails - collecting, 1,100 signatures that were sent to King Abdullah last Sunday. The Committee for Women's Right to Drive's cofounder Wajeha al-Huwaider stated, "... we will not stop campaigning until we get the right to drive." Traditionally, Saudi Arabia is a strict Islamic, patriarchal country that does not allow women to travel, marry, or rent a place to stay without a male guardian. With a strict system of gender separation, Saudi Arabia is the only country that does not allow women to drive. The ban affects both locals and foreign women. Most women have to depend on taxis, public transportation, or hired drivers - which can cost nearly three-hundred U.S. dollars in one month. In the last petitioning of Saudi women's right to drive, forty-seven women protested by driving together through Riyahd and were detained, banned from traveling, stripped of their jobs, and segregated by their families. King Abdullah is known as a supporter of reform in Saudi Arabia. However, opinions of clerics and senior princes may change his mind otherwise on the matter of women mixing freely with unrelated men while driving.

The fight for equal rights has been a struggle for women in every country throughout history. Similar to the movements beginning in Saudi Arabia, women in America had to fight for their own rights as equals to men. In the duration of the 1840's, the United States experienced both cultural and economic changes resulting from the Revolution. Many issues of the time were not accepted by most Americans and reform groups attacked problems including slavery, the abuse of alcohol, and the rights of women. Throughout the Revolutionary era, women had the capability to establish themselves throughout society while the men were out fighting on the war front. Women began writing, publishing works, and attending reform organizations. The trigger that inspired the discussion of women's rights was the abolitionist movements where female members were in great numbers. Women took advantage of this and used their participation in this movement to promote female rights. The first women's rights convention in America took place at Seneca Falls, New York, July 1848. The result of this convention was the Declaration of Sentiments, which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. Under the Declaration of Sentiments, "all men and women were created equal."



Sources & links
Saudi Women Petition for Right to Drive (Original Article)
Saudi Women Demand the Right to Drive
Women's History in America
Timeline of Women's Suffrage in the United States

Segregation Still

Segregation Still

Due to overcrowding in the schools of Tuscaloosa, a well diverse city in Alabama, a couple of parents who happen to be white, complained to school authorities about these conditions. In result the school authorities come up with a rezoning plan to move hundreds of children to other schools. Although this seemed to have been a good solution to a bad problem, many black parents seemed to think otherwise. It so happens that not only is the majority of these children who have been moved are black, but they also been moved to all black, low-preforming schools. The parents of the rezoning children are now calling it resegregation, and illegal at that, for moving students from good schools to worse ones is simply against the law. The parents are now using the federal No Child Left Behind Act as their weapon. This law allows students in bad schools the right to move to better ones. The schools superintendent, and president , who are both white, are claiming that their goal was to " Draw more whites back into Tuscaloosa’s schools by making them attractive to parents of 1,500 children attending private academies...." Currently less then two percent of our nations population are taking advantage of the No Child Left Behind Act, and because of this many children are not receiving the better education that they deserve.

This events could be best compared to the events occurring in the 1950's and 60's when our nation, more notably the south was filled with escalating racial tension and a policy of racial segregation was practiced in the schools. Then, whites received better books, desk, classrooms, supplies, and ultimately the better education, leaving the worst for the black and other racial minorities. During this time was the Civil Rights movement, this time was noted for the many African Americans who stood up for their rights and protested the many injustices that was occurring throughout their cities and towns. One of the most infamous stories concerning racial segregation in the school system was the story about Rudy Bridges. She was the first black person to ever enter in an all white school in the south. This she accomplished at the very young age of 6. Although we, as a nation, have come a long way since this time, there is still evidence of racial segregation in our schools today. Even with the laws protecting people's right, many people's rights's, however, are continuing being over looked and abused.

The King Memorial: Dreams at Odds

Since 1968, after the death of Martin Luther King Jr.there have been suggestions of a King memorial and now in 2007 almost forty years later a sculpture of King is finally taking shape. Unfortunately there is controversy that accompanies this stone statue. Critics have been complaining now for several months about the selection of the sculptor who has designed the statue. His talent is not in question but rather his ethnicity. Lei Yixin is the Chinese sculptor who was chosen to carve Dr. King's statue. There is concern that a man such as Mr. King who fought for the rights of African-Americans should have a sculpture in his honor created by an African-American. One black sculptor Ed Dwight, is concerned about the misinterpretation of Dr. King as a black man. He says about Mr. Lei that, "He doesn't know how black people walk, how they stand, how their shoulders slope." Dr. King's ideas have of course been invoked to support both sides. His insistence on equal opportunity for black Americans as well as his exhortations to judge people not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Since 1886 the statue of liberty has stood in New York Harbour. It is a symbol of freedom in America. Many people forget that it was given to the united state by France as a symbol of friendship. It was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and funded completely through donations from the French people. After Bartholdi finalized the design in miniature, The statue was created by Gustave Eiffel who later built the Eiffel Tower. This was also controversial at the time that Lady Liberty was rebuilt in New York Harbor after her voyage over the Atlantic ocean. Many people opposed having such a large sculpture representing the country only because it wasn't a USA original. This is now overlooked 120 years later, but created a lot of controversy just as Martin Luther King Jr.'s statue is doing now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/arts/design/24statue.html?_r=1&ref=us

Another Shooting On Campus ?

On September 21, 2007, just before 1:00 a.m., Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, was locked down after two students were shot and wounded. Shaltita Middleton, 17, and Nathaniel Pew, also 17, were the two victims shot. Witnesses say that a group of 8 t0 10 students left the cafeteria after an argument. After meeting again on a nearby corner, one student took out a gun and began shooting, Ms. Middleton was shot twice in the torso, and Mr. Pew was shot once in the ankle.

Officials recall that after the Virginia Tech incident, Officials from Virginia Tech were criticized for not alerting students more quickly. They did not want to have a huge crisis on their hands, so within 15 minutes, students were alerted and most buildings were locked down. Within two hours, (which was the same amount of time that 32 people were shot at Virginia Tech) fliers had been posted at dorms, a message had been posted at the school website, and University Officials telephoned campus dorms and told them what was going on and let them know that classes would be canceled that Friday. Unlike Virgina Tech, Delaware State was well prepared if something major was to occur.

Allen L. Sessoms, President of Delaware State, said that the incident was “a case of our own students making really poor choices and acting incredibly badly.” He also went on to say that a lot of the students came from troubled back rounds and resolved most of their problems with violence. Hopefully, in the future, more Universities and Colleges will act as quickly as Delaware State did.

School violence is a very new topic to history. The Little Rock Nine, whose 50th anniversary was September 25, were a group of 9 black students who were escorted by federal soldiers to Central High School in September 1957. President Eisenhower insisted that the 101st Airborne escort the students to classes because when Governor Orval Faubus dismissed the Arkansas National Guard, the "Little Rock Nine" exposed to an angry white mob. They were to first black students to ever go to that school after the Supreme Court's ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional. School violence, however, has changed for the worse over the years.

Is Big Brother Watching You?

The Washington Post is reporting yes.

If you traveled abroad or took a trip this summer, he just might have you documented. The Department of Homeland Security has been keeping tabs on the habits of millions of American travelers. An Automated Targeting System was put in place over a decade ago to screen passengers on airlines. But post- 9/11, has caused for a wider net to be cast. Now information is gathered from people taking cruises to those traveling inside the United States borders. Civil liberty groups are saying that some of the information gathered violets the Privacy Act. Information does not just include the traveler's name, date of birth, etc., but also the personal items carried on the plane, who they are traveling with, and even the size of bed requested in the hotel room. Some deem that some of the information gathered is unnecessary. Michael Chertoff, DHS Secretary, says the system helps to cut down the "inconvenient screening of low-risk travelers", while comparing the gathered information to terrorism intelligence.

J. Edgar Hoover was the first FBI director, after he helped make it what it is today. Under the orders of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. was tracked beginning in 1961. The reason for this was the Kennedy administration apparently believed that King was a Communist. The connection was made after his lawyer Stanley Levison had been involved with the Communist Party USA. Wiretaps were placed on both King and Levison. This caused some major issues after all the tapes and transcripts were ordered to be held in the National Archives on January 31,1977. The contents of the tapes will never be known until the year 2027. But, many believe that the FBI might have had something to with assassination of Dr. King because of these wiretapping tapes and transcripts.

Blast From the Past: Civil Rights Protest

On Sept 20th 2007 people from all over the United States went to Jena LA for the debate on the racial bias in the judicial system, and to protest for Civil Rights. Last year six black teenagers "The Jena Six" were arrested for beating a white schoolmate unconscious and kicking him and then the prosecutor charged them with attempted murder. Last year white students hung nooses from an oak tree were the black students would sit under, and the tree has been cut down. One of the black students Mychal Bell, 17, was convicted in June of aggravated battery and conspiracy. Those charges were voided and appealed by the courts last Friday, and Bell is still in jail.
More than 10,000 demonstrators went to Jena, and starting to protest. People were chanting slogans that were used during the Civil Rights Era. Some of the protesters like Eric Depradine said, "This is the first time something like this has happened for our generation". Charley Caldwell said, "You always heard about it from history books and relatives. This is a chance to experience it for ourselves". April Jones, one of the protesters, could not understand why the white students were not punished as badly they were only suspended. District Attorney J. Reed Walters said on Wednesday, "That the action did not appear to violate any state laws” taking about the white students not going to court, and he also said "I cannot overemphasize what a villainous act that was. The people that did it should be ashamed of what they unleashed on this town".



The 50's and 60's were the Civil Rights Movement. The start of the Civil Rights Movement was in 1945 Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka it was a fight for the equality in the school system. Before the Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka black and white students were separated, and had to go to different schools. This did not break the 14th amendment, because blacks were still getting an education. The Supreme Court made it legal for white and black students to go to the same school. In the Southern parts of The United States mothers and fathers would protest for their kids not to go to school with another kid of the opposite race. The protest would get violent. Then the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it outlaws decimation and separation. This Act made everyone equal including women, for races, and religious views.

Is that so?

President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University this week. He answered questions on topics from the holocaust to the killing of homosexuals in Iran. He said there was "not one" homosexual in Iran. He claimed they did not have that phenomenon. Ahmadinejad said the holocaust should be treated as a theory and be further researched.
Ahmadinejad, possibly the worlds leading terrorist supporter, accused the Americans of being supporters of terrorist groups.
During the speech Ahmadinejad made multiple contradictory remarks. One of those remarks was on the subject of Israel. At one point he said that he could not recognize Israel as a country because it threatens its neighbors and is based on ethnic discrimination, occupation, and usurpation. When he was asked later on about Israel he said he loves all people, they are friends, and there are many Jews living peacefully in Iran.
The President of Columbia, Lee Bollinger, told Ahmadinejad that he "exhibited all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator" and that he doubted that he would "have the intellectual courage to answer these questions." After answering a question Ahmadinejad added that he would like ot visited ground zero, but the police denied his request

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/world/middleeast/25iran.html?ref=world
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=209042d27fafd29f57de207a287287f1d77ccc83
http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/CARI.Ahmadinejad.gif