Mason the wonder dog...

Hey guys,                                                                                

 

The devastating tornados that have ripped through the Midwest and Southern areas of the country have left hundreds dead and still many more missing.  However, yesterday, a story coming out of Alabama has provided a little positive energy from this disaster.

Mason, a scruffy mutt of a dog, was whisked away by the strong twisters last month causing his owners to believe that he had been lost along with most of their possessions.  The family returned to their home in order to go through the rubble to see if they could salvage anything.  

What they found was Mason, who had apparently crawled for days with two broken legs back to what was left of his porch.

Mason underwent surgery and is expecting a full recovery.

The loyalty of dogs never seizes to amaze me…

What do you think?

  

No trial...

Hey guys,                                                                          

Yesterday U.S. District Judge Larry Burns ruled that Jared Loughner, the man who opened fire into a crowd in January killing six, including a federal judge and a nine year old girl, and shooting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head, was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Judge Burns’ ruling comes after Loughner’s legal team described him as “gravely mentally ill.”  The ruling essentially means that Loughner is incapable of understanding the charges against him and is incapable of assisting in his own defense.

Loughner, who has a history of mental instability and schizophrenia, had to be dragged from the court room yesterday as he screamed, “thanks for the freak show, she died in front of me!”  It is unclear who he was talking about.

Family members of Loughner’s victims say they support the ruling, and that it is clear he is not mentally stable. 

So what does this mean?  It means Loughner can be held indefinitely by the state in a prison controlled hospital for the mentally ill. 

Some have expressed disappointment that Loughner may never officially by found guilty for the crimes…

What do you think?

Men Behaving Badly...

Hey guys,

Recently a number of high profile politicians have been in the news for their less than honorable behavior. 

Dominique Strauss Kahn, French presidential hopeful and current head of the International Monetary Fund, has been accused of trying to rape a New York City hotel maid, and was arrested shortly before leaving for France.  This is hardly the first time Kahn has made headlines for his behavior towards women.

On the same day Kahn was arrested, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that his wife Maria Shriver, niece of President John F. Kennedy (who himself was known as a bit of a lady’s man both before and during his time in the White House), left him because he had fathered a child with a member of his staff more than ten years ago.

In the cover story of the May 30, 2011 issue of TIME Nancy Gibbs discusses why people in power, usually men, feel that the rules of morality and sometimes law do not apply to them.  She cites research from Psychological Science claiming that when people attain ultimate power in their profession they simply are willing to take more risks believing they are untouchable.

Why do these people continue to make such poor moral and legal choices?  Well frankly, why would they stop?  We live in a society that promotes people despite their moral shortcomings, and men of power are not likely to change their ways until society refuses to accept such behavior.

What do you think?

Historical Examples of “Men Behaving Badly”

1.      Thomas Jefferson fathered children by one of his slaves.  (Who may also have been his wife’s half sister.)

2.    John F. Kennedy had numerous affairs including Marilyn Monroe and the girlfriend of a Chicago mob boss.

3.    Newt Gingrich (former House Speaker) led the impeachment against President Clinton for lying about an affair, while he himself lied about an affair.

4.    Italian President Silvio Berlusconi  has been charged with paying a 17 year old for sexual favors.  (He is 71)

5.    Elito Spitzer (Former New York Governor) patronized prostitutes while prosecuting other prostitutes.

6.     Rod Blagojevich (Former Illinois Governor) is being tried for attempting to sell President Obama’s Senate seat which was left vacant when he won the Presidency.

7.    Clarence Thomas was still appointed to the Supreme Court after allegations came out that he sexually harassed his former employee Anita Hill.

8.    Ted Haggard, the Evangelical pastor vocally opposed same-sex marriage while visiting gay escorts.

9.    Research published in the last ten years cites examples of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s infidelity while he fought for civil rights.

10.  Tiger Woods… well, let’s just leave that one alone…

And unfortunately there are MANY MANY more examples…

Prisoner Release...

Hey guys,

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court ordered the state of California to reduce its inmate population by approximately 46,000. 

The decision comes in response to evidence of overcrowding, poor sanitation, and high percentages of mental health issues.  According to reports, California’s 33 prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 people, yet currently have more than 145,000. 

Prison populations began to grow in the mid 1990’s after the state adopted much harsher penalties for all types of offenders.  Now with the overcrowding of its prison system, California needs a plan.

The solution mandated by the Supreme Court has many in California concerned about the safety of the people in the state once thousands of convicted offenders are released.

With no money to hire more staff, repair existing facilities, or build new prisons, California has some difficult choices to make.

The question still remains, what type of offender will be released?

What do you think? 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110523/us_nm/us_california_prisons_court

Tattoo...

Hey guys,

If you drove past Walgreen’s in Hoxie last Saturday, you would have noticed a small, but vocal group of people picketing in front of the store.  The reason for the demonstration… tattoos.

Nathan Hardisty claims that he was fired because a customer objected to his tattoos.  Walgreen’s instructed Hardisty to cover his ink with either clothing or makeup, Hardisty declined to do either, and was then fired.

Does Hardisty have a right to have tattoos and display them whenever he wants?  Sure he does.  Does a business have to employ a person who refuses to adhere to store policy?  No.

Hardisty is attempting to sue Walgreen’s on the grounds that he was hired with his tattoos showing, received great performance reviews, and thus Walgreen’s had no right to terminate him.  Does he have a case?  The ACLU thinks he may…

What were the offensive tattoos?  Some reports claim that the tattoos display a swastika, a “SS” and other Nazi era symbols.  Though there are some conflicting reports of what the tattoos actually are…

What do you think?

Guest Speakers...

Hey guys,

For those of you who attended yesterday’s guest speaker discussion, I’m curious as to your impressions and opinions.

I want to thank all the speakers for volunteering their time to come and speak with us. 

A very special thanks to,

Imam Ansari

Cantor Perlmann

Father Najim

Pastor Kohl

A few of you asked some questions but unfortunately we ran out time.  What were some other questions you may have had, but didn’t have time to ask?

an eye for an eye...

Hey guys,

This weekend, a court in Iran postponed carrying out a sentence for a 2004 conviction.  30 year old Majid Mohavediwas was convicted of assaulting Ameneh Bahrami, a 26 year old woman who repeatedly refused his many offers of marriage.

Mohavedi apparently blinded Bahrami by throwing acid into her face.  Under Iran’s strict Islamic law imposed after the 1979 Revolution, Bahrami has the right of retribution, meaning she can seek the ancient right of “an eye for an eye”... in this case literally.

The court granted Bahrami’s request that her attacker be blinded in the same way she was... the court even granted that Bahrami herself would pour the acid into the eyes of Bahrami in a hospital.

Iran has postponed carrying out the sentence after receiving protests from many western countries, including the United States.

What do you think about this type of punishment?  Is “an eye for an eye” justified in the modern world?

NYPD stop terror...

Hey guys,

Yesterday two men were arrested in New York City after police discovered a plot to bomb several Jewish synagogues in the city.  The arrests were the culmination of a seven month long sting operation. The men were finally caught when they attempted to buy several guns and grenades from undercover police officers.

The police eventually discovered the men had plans of attempting to destroy the Empire State Building as well. 

Authorities claim that the men were working alone and were not part of al-Qaida or any other known terror group.  Police want to make clear that these men were not acting in response to the death of Osama bin Laden as this investigation has been ongoing long before bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan.

According to reports this is the 13^th attempted terror plot since 9/11 that law enforcement officials have stopped. 

Take some time to read the attached article (it’s not that long)… then read the comments from other readers.  You will see some comments from frightened people, some comments from educated people, and then you will see some statements made by people who simply do not understand the difference between faith and extremism… faith and extremism of any religion.

After reading the comments, I’m convinced that our discussion with the religious leaders of our community taking place next week in school is more necessary than ever.

What do you think?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110512/us_nm/us_newyork_security_2

Never too late for justice...

Hey guys,

It would seem that justice may have finally caught up with some of the last surviving Nazi war criminals.

John Demjanjuk (photo) was found guilty of war crimes this morning; the verdict comes one day after he refused to make a final statement in court.  The verdict marks the end of the 18 month long trial. Demjanuk, age 91,  is guilty of 28,060 counts of accessory to murder, the number of people who were killed while he was a guard at the Sobibor death camp in Nazi occupied Poland.

“The World’s Most Wanted Nazi”, Sandor Kepiro, a 97 year old former Hungarian police captain proclaimed his innocence last week as his war crimes trial began.  Kepiro has been accused of leading and participating in raids which targeted Jews, Serbs, Gypsies, and other “undesirables.”   Kepiro acknowledges that he participated in the raids, but denied any responsibility in the killings.  Kepiro had been living in hiding in Argentina.

Klaas Carel Faber, age 89, is currently living freely in the Bavarian city of Ingolostadt.  Faber was a member of Hitler’s SS and was convicted in 1947 of the murders of 22 Jews in the occupied Netherlands, his sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment.  Faber escaped in 1952.  Germany currently refuses to extradite Faber back to the Netherlands as they recognize citizenship granted by Hitler for members of his SS, and Germany does not extradite its citizens.

It is too late to go after these men for their crimes?  What is the point of prosecuting such old men for crimes committed over 70 years ago?  However old a person is, do authorities have a responsibility for making these people answer for what they have done?

What do you think?

New threats...

Hey guys,

This past weekend saw two potential “would be” terror incidents in the skies over the U.S.  On Sunday Rageh Al-Murisis, a 28 year old from Yemen, charged the cockpit door of an American Airlines flight traveling from Chicago to San Francisco.

According to reports, about twenty minutes before the plane was to land, al-Murisis tried to open the cockpit door by ramming his shoulder into it.  He was quickly subdued by flight attendants and passengers.

Also on Sunday, on a Continental flight from Houston to Chicago, Reynel Alcaide tried to open the emergency door mid-flight.   He too was taken down by passengers and the flight was diverted to St. Louis where it landed safely.

Investigators are looking into possible links between the two cases.

This morning information was released that the leader of al-Qaida’s Yemeni offshoot has warned the United States that the death of bin Laden does not signal the end of the fight, and that even worse attacks will be carried out in the future. 

The leader, Nasser al-Wahishi, who was once a close friend of bin Laden, posted a eulogy and the warning on Islamic extremist websites on Tuesday.  Al-Wahishi claims that “Jihad is growing brighter…”

What do you think?

The only thing we have to fear is...

Hey guys,

Tourists in Rome may find the eternal city a bit quieter than usual this week.  The reason… a predicted earthquake.  Now I know what you are thinking, there is no way to predict an earthquake… and you are correct, that is the official scientific stand on the topic.  But that is not stopping thousands of Roman citizens from getting out of the city ahead of the May 11^th “D-day.”

According to Raffaele Bendandi, who died in 1979, earthquakes can be predicted by analyzing the movement of the planets, the moon, and the sun.  Though the scientific community disagrees with Bendandi, history records that he did predict the 1923 earthquake which hit the eastern coast of Italy.  So impressed with Bendandi was fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, that he knighted him in 1927.

National television stations in Italy have been running television promotions and commercials trying to calm the fears of the populous, but the fear still grips Italy…  and Rome in particular.

Even odder, Bendandi probably never even predicted a May 11 earthquake.  According to Paola Lagorio, the president of an association dedicated to Bendandi, there is no reference to any earthquake around Rome in 2011 in any of Bendandi’s writings.

Thousands of Romans are not taking any chances… the government expects mass work stoppages and a huge exodus from the city today…

I guess we will wait and see… bum bum bum…

Never the victim's fault...

Hey guys,

On January 24, 2011 a Toronto police officer gave a speech to hundreds of university students.  One of the topics of the speech was on how females could better protect themselves against assaults.

The advice given by this member of the city’s police force was as follows and I quote, “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.”

These comments have lead to an international movement; one which pledges to stop the myth that when a woman is the victim of a sexual assault it is somehow her fault. 

Being assaulted is not about what you wear, or how you speak… placing the blame on the victim is irresponsible and dangerous!  It gives the impression that under certain circumstances it is somehow acceptable to force a woman into actions or acts against her will…

In response to the comments made by the Toronto police department, several “SlutWalks” have been organized in Canada and the United States to spread awareness – the message…  it is NEVER the victim’s fault. 

This past Saturday, Boston held its first “SlutWalk”.  Events are planned for all across the country including New York, Chicago, Reno, Philadelphia, and Austin.

When asked why they chose the name “SlutWalk”, organizers said they want to take the power away from the word… if the word has no power, it becomes just another word…

What do you think?

 (For information on how to better protect yourself from sexual assault, clink the link below)

 http://www.rainn.org/get-information

(If you or anyone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, click the link below for the national sexual assault hotline)

http://www.rainn.org/get-help/national-sexual-assault-hotline

Threat still exists...

Hey guys,

Just a few days after the death of Osama bin Laden, we are reminded that the threat of terrorism did not die with him.

New information has come to light that the terror network once headed by bin Laden had planned to launch attacks on trains in the United States on the 10^th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.  According to U.S. officials they have no information on an “imminent threat” but that they were aware that such an attack was at least in the planning stages.

In addition, information is coming to light yesterday over twenty letters were sent to Washington D.C. school containing suspicious white powder.  The FBI is investigating but claims that the powder appears to harmless.  This reminds us of the Anthrax scare of a few years ago…

The White House issues a statement in regards to the potential train attacks and the mystery letters saying, we must still be on guard against the threat of terror, both foreign and domestic.

What do you think?

New Cyber Crimes Laws...

Hey guys,

According to recent studies conducted by various online task force teams and confirmed by an independent investigation by local news channel NBC 10, Rhode Island has the highest number per capita of people participating in the trading of child pornography.

According to the investigation, every minute of every day there are hundreds of adults trading illicit images of children, and lawmakers are trying to figure out new ways to combat this cyber crime.

State Police are seeking the authority to issue something called an “administrative subpoena” which would allow the Superintendent of State Police to issue a subpoena based on evidence developed at the Cyber Crimes Unit. It would allow police to identify the account holder of IP addresses of suspected child pornographers or other sexual predators.

Members of the Rhode Island ACLU are arguing that such authority is dangerous as it would lead the officials using the IP addresses to illegally track other criminal activity; they argue that the law in an invasion of privacy.

In other related stories, last month a man in New York was arrested for trading illegal images when his unsecured wireless internet connection was hacked by a neighbor.   The police tracked the images to his home router and arrested him.  When they examined his computer they found nothing illegal.  Instead his neighbor was found with thousands of illegal images which were downloaded using the connection from his neighbor’s internet.

Aaron’s furniture may be in some trouble as well.  They have been found to be secretly installing tracking software on the computers they rent out to customers.  The software records key strokes, visited websites, and even takes picture and video images of the users in an effort to ensure no illegal activity is conducted.

How can we better protect our children while still securing the rights of the individual?  Is the ACLU correct or the State Police?  Does Aaron’s furniture have the right to secretly install such software? 

Whatever the case… make sure you secure that internet connection!!!!

What do you think?

***If you have any information about child predators, you can call the Cyber Crimes Unit tipline at 401-275-5100***

Offensive...

                                                             Hey guys,

Since the news late Sunday night that Osama bin Laden was killed, there has been an ongoing debate as to whether or not the White House should release photographs of the body of the fallen terror leader.  Many have argued, including White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, that the photographs are graphic and gruesome, and that their release could instigate violence against Americans at home and abroad.  Carney claimed that the photographs could be offensive to some.

I question that logic.  While I have no real desire to see those pictures, I can see why the American public is demanding their release.  How offensive could the pictures be?  And who are we afraid of offending?  Other extremists?  Friends and allies of bin Laden? 

Can the pictures of a dead bin Laden be any more offensive than video footage of aircraft being flown into skyscrapers?  Can the pictures be more offensive than images of people running from the Pentagon and the World Trade Center?  Can they be more offensive than a smoking crater in a field from Shanksville, PA?  Can they possibly be more offensive than people jumping off the Twin Towers to escape the fire inside the building?  Can they be more offensive than the towers crumbling with New York City police and firefighters trying to help the thousands of people trapped inside the buildings?

I’m offended by the events of September 11, 2001.

What do you think?

UPDATE:
This afternoon the White House announced that it will not release the photos citing national security issues.

Gay rights....

Hey guys,

Recently law makers in several states have been trying to pass legislation which would profoundly affect the homosexual community in this country. 

Sally Kern, a republican lawmaker from Oklahoma City was quoted in 2008 as saying, “I honestly think it’s the biggest threat that our nation has, even more than terrorism…”  The gay community is more of a threat than acts of mass violence and terror?  Kern has also gotten some attention lately for making comments about black women being lazy and that blacks in general simply want things handed to them instead of working like everyone else.

Over the past few weeks in Tennessee, lawmakers have debated a “don’t say gay” law for public school teachers.  The author of the bill, Stacey Campfield, argues that discussion of homosexuality, homosexuals, or any related issues have no place in a school setting.  The law would make it illegal for teachers to talk about gay issues even with students who identify as gay, or who have gay parents.

Closer to home, Rhode Island State Senator Gordon Fox has been pushing through a bill to grant gays the right to legally marry in Rhode Island.  Fox has allowed the bill to die however saying that the votes are simply not there; as a result Fox has begun to push for a “civil union” bill.  Fox, who is gay, has taken some criticism from the gay community saying that he gave in too easily, that he should not have backed down.

What do you think?

Congrats!!!!

For those of you who still are not aware, our very own Mr. Mullen has won Principal of the Year for the State of Rhode Island!!!

Congratulations to Mr. Mullen!!!!

bin Laden dead...

Hey guys,

Late last night President Obama addressed the nation to report that in an operation at a compound inside Pakistan, American troops had killed Al-Qaida leader, and September 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the White House as the word began to spread that the United States had confirmed the death of its greatest single enemy.

In the President’s announcement he said the remains of bin Laden were being handled in accordance with Islamic Law and tradition. 

What does bin Laden’s death mean for the War on Terror?  That is not clear yet, but President Obama made it clear that while the United States did achieve a great victory, the fight against Terror is not over as it is unlikely that followers of bin Laden will simply lay down their weapons.

I’m not normally one to celebrate the death of anyone; however I would be less than honest if I said I did not take some satisfaction at this news.  I also became emotional as I watched people dance in front of the White House chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” 

Only time will tell what bin Laden’s death will mean in the bigger picture of the global War of Terror… will the terror network that bin Laden set upfall apart because of lack of leadership,  will another, perhaps Ayman al-Zawahri take over, or will smaller more independent terror cells begin operations as a result of bin Laden’s death…?

What are your thoughts on bin Laden’s death and the future of the War on Terror?

Tornados...

Hey guys,

April 27 and April 28 have gone down as the most tornadic months in United States history.  Tornados ravaged the southern areas of the country leaving a path of destruction and death.  Hundreds of tornados stretching from Alabama all the way to upstate New York claiming the lives of over 300 people, and the death tolls are expected to rise as rescue workers begin to comb the debris.

Some tornados were reported as being over a mile wide with winds over 200 miles per hour.  Entire towns have been erased from the map, millions of people are without power or clean water and proper shelter and need help.

The National Guard has been mobilized in an effort to help those in the direst need.  President Obama has said that the Federal Government is going to help every single person affected by this tragedy, that the government will not forget them.  Hopefully we have learned from the mistakes of Hurricane Katrina on how we should help to take care of our own people…

Below are some links to pictures and videos of the tornados and the damage caused by them.

What can we do to help?  Post some ideas and maybe we can do our small part in helping some Americans in their time of tragedy and need.  

How can you help?

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/28/6550893-tornado-relief-how-you-can-help

Photos and Videos

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Storms-pummel-South/ss/events/us/042811southernstorms#photoViewer=/110428/photos_ts_afp/012675157a85f35cd579692e80a8ffe0

http://news.yahoo.com/video/weather-15749664/25050565

http://news.yahoo.com/video/weather-15749664/25050570

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/raw-tornado-thrashes-alabama-25050183;_ylt=AjDSkmEt5UX0zY2rSGQ2_xuz174F;_ylu=X3oDMTE3dG80N2NzBHBvcwMyBHNlYwNtb3N0LXBvcHVsYXIEc2xrA3Jhd3Rvcm5hZG90aA--

The President can be president...

Hey guys,

Well, the lead news story on NBC Nightly News, CNN World News, Fox News, MSNBC, and a host of online news agencies was… any guesses?...

Massive unemployment?  Gas prices of over $4 a gallon?  Tornadoes in the southern areas of the country which killed over 30 people?  Government violence against peaceful protestors in Syria and Saudi Arabia?  The failing public education system?... no no no…

The thing which occupied the most time was finding out that President Obama was in fact born in Hawaii… if you are not surprised by this, it is because it’s not a surprise.

Over the past two weeks potential Republican candidate Donald Trump has been on a crusade claiming that President Obama was not born on U.S. soil, and thus not eligible to be president. 

Yesterday President Obama released his full birth certificate to finally put all the nonsense to rest.  What took so long for him to do this?  Well, his argument is that he should not have to jump through the hoops set up by Donald Trump.

The “Birthers” who made it their mission to prove Obama not eligible for the presidency are unlikely to put the issue to rest however.  Already some are questioning why the 1961 birth certificate lists Obama as “African” not “Negro”. 

Book publishers who have rushed to produce conspiracy theory books to press say that they are not convinced so they will still ship their books…. (I wonder if the cost of thousands of books on a dead issue has anything to do with their decision…)

It seems some of the “birthers” have a short memory however… in 2008 during the election between then Senator Obama and Senator McCain, it was McCain’s eligibility not Obama’s which was the issue.  McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, prompting some to inquire whether he was eligible as the constitution says a person must be born in the United States in order to become President.  An independent team of lawyers determined McCain was eligible and the issue was put to rest…

 I wonder… if President Obama was a Republican, would people like Donald Trump and the other “birthers” create such a media circus surrounding what many believe is a non-issue and nothing more than political games and smoke screen?  And would Democrats be the ones demanding a birth certificate and calling themselves “birthers”? 

Politics at its worst…

What do you think?

- X

Good with the Bad...

Hey guys,

So much has been written in the last few years concerning the dangers of social media that some of the benefits of it have been lost along the way.

David Harstein is a partner at JG Visual, an internet strategy company, is a former teacher from New York.  He notes that while he was teaching, school officials made it very clear that teachers were to be careful about what they post on their personal social media pages.  Anytime professional life and personal life merge it can indeed be dangerous.

Harstein is arguing that while it is important for schools to highlight the dangers of social media,the schools also have a responsibility to promote the positive uses of such technology.  Harstein claims that by completely ignoring FaceBook, schools take away a vital communication tool with the community, parents, and students.

“By setting up a Facebook Page, schools can establish a controlled, professional presence that allows them to capitalize on this social space in many important ways, while still protecting their students…”

Click the link at the bottom of the page to see some suggested positive uses of FaceBook which could be implemented in a public school setting…

Feel free to post any other ideas you may have concerning positive productive uses of social media for schools….

-      X

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20110426/tc_mashable/how_schools_can_use_facebook_to_build_an_online_community

Little Town of Bethlehem...

Hey guys,

I am always struck on how truly courageous some people are.  I recently saw a film entitled “Little Town of Bethlehem”, which discusses the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  The film follows three men, an Arab-Christian living in the occupied territory of Bethlehem, an Israeli combat pilot, and a Muslim Palestinian.

The film was released last November and is truly inspiring… I encourage all of you to try to find a copy of it…

Below is just a small piece of what is so moving about the film… combat pilots refusing to conduct anymore acts of violence against a civilian population… they refuse to follow orders causing them to face court-martial and imprisonment… how many of us would choose to be so brave?

Take a few minutes and read the story below as well as the letter written by the pilots themselves which was dropped instead of bombs...

http://www.seruv.org.il/english/article.asp?msgid=55&type=news