Sad as it is, but I want to state this on the side with JD's stance on juvenile crimes and punishment in her article. No matter how we try to relate it to the underdevelopment, environmental abuses, faults of others, pressure of fellow students or family, psychological disposition, or whatever the excuse might be, I contend that juvenile offense is no different from an adult's with the same malice and be dealt in the alikeness of that of an adult, even in capital punishment.
You can't deny the past and the depictions in scripts, studies, and criminial records listed here, a crime is still a crime and in the ages of 11-12+ they are fully aware of the notion of pain, death, and calculated, methodological murder, as modern psychologists in scrupulous studies. I've read the news and the ones that are embedded in me with most striking force are the killing in April, 1999 in Colorado where two teenagers (Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris), armed with contempt and with homicidal plans they had formulated more than an year ago, a cold blooded killing spree that was carefully planned and carried out all the way, killing 13 acqaintances and injurying 24, and dispatched themselves out with a gunpoint to their heads.
There can't be any excuses, the teenagers were fully captivated by their delusions or act of violence I might not comprehend, but can attribute to my own innate emotions of anger and murderous thoughts and I'm not shy to admit them. Even though I cannot, no I do not, vent my disconcerted exasperation and frustration, I can always find a way to simply ignore or walk away from the scene before violent acts may follow up, and I forget about it. We're not in the age of the gentry where we can formally challenge the offender to a duel or anything, we're in a painstakingly litigious society where the pen champions the sword, the law attacks and defends the people, not by a gunpoint. I cannot comply enough to show empathy for those juvenile offenders who might've acted in a haphazard act and blame on their genes and hormones for it. But the hormones and genes ARE essentially a part of you, the good and bad, all the little detail forms the human existence. It is just simply not result of childish implications, it is an act of corrupt violence the child acquired or familiarized with oneself in his/her own experience, and it cannot be condoned.
I cannot be conviced of the systematic rehabilitation quality the nation can provide now for the convicted. Because the inculcated ideology and uncontrollable anger cannot be easily suppressed once it has settled down during the age where development of abstract thought and self-awareness is established firmly. There are several movies I watched depicting juevenile homicide such as in "Blood Diamond" (the would-be doctor kid who is forced and brainwashed to a militant during the South African Border War) and another movie I can't recall the title but a teenager who gets his attorney to receive protection from charges of homicide (an adulturous and corrupt priest I recall) and feigns dissociative identity disorder until his makes a single blunder and the attorney walks away. Children are aware and may exploit its advantage of their nature of their vunerability. We just can't tell when they're telling the truth or not, really, and that's the grey area when the children are not perceptive of their own actions and consequences, but the offense have been made; the verdict will be made.
JD's blog: http://jdusgovblog.blogspot.com/
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Murder_committed_by_minors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/juvmurders/timeline.htm
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml
http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/columbine.htm
2010년 8월 13일 금요일
2010년 8월 10일 화요일
Selfless Sacrifice
The Congress, by constitutional rights, have the legislative power to declare war on a different nation, but in past U.S. warfare history, it has done only five times. In the times of national crisis, an emergency that demands swift response from the federal government, the our presidents, bestowed with the War Powers Act establish in 1973 during the Vietnam war, can prompt war without congressional consent for 60 days. And the presidents weren't shy to command such rise up in the time of need. America's iconic figure of political clout and success, also as a dependable ally and aegis of the citizens, the speech of the Presidents engenders national unity and comfort for the battalion troops and the homestead citizens. Such is the case with the President Obama's speech in D.C. on The Washington Post.
President Obama, in his acknowledgement to his audience and on behalf of the civilians and military personnel involved in the Afghan war, opened up with a general status report on the outstate war campaign. The "new strategy" he points out is what caught my attention, seemingly simple yet effective as long as the other ends meets its cost. It involves the idea of gradually, and eventually, pushing the responsibilities and garnering the Afghan nation to be manageable and cooperative, basically self-capable of bringing its forces and intelligence to a level where U.S. and NATO wouldn't have to worry about Al Quaeda and its spawning franchise of violent terrorist groups hiding in the safeguard of the regions of Afghan and Pakistan.
Since september 11, 2003 U.S. and NATO, with other nations, have launched a series of operations to battle aginst the dangers of terrorism sperading through the armed, multi-national, extremist group, namely Al Quaeda, founded by Osama Bin Laden. It is still unbeknownst to us whether he is still alive and and on the run but the federal intelligence denotes to his infrequent video messages to his survival in the safehavens of his muslim advocates, and trying their best to root him out. The threat is still hiding and waiting for retaliation like thieves in the night, and we want rid of it. But the mounting costs and number of troops sent to hostile grounds are formidable and citizens are getting tired of the war.
In response, President Obama announces this new comprehensive and smarter strategy to zoom in on the war without overhauling resources. The common enemy is quartering and moving throughout the clandestine regions of Afghan/Pakistan, so the president plans to integrate civillian and military effort with the international allignance with the NATO nations and most importantly, support of the Pakistan democracy with the infrastructure, medical services, and education offered by the U.S., specifically and gradually assimilating them and coaxing them out of extremism of the Sunni ideology and bring relief to the violence-infested areas in the aftermath of the war. It is a costly payment, and the taxpayers will express dissent in a already deteriorating economy, but such level of commitment is required to reach this goal.
The other part of the "comprehensive strategy" quote, "we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban's gains and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government." An obvious but complicated and obscure task that is no easy task. But this is such a necessary step to make long-term goals plausible, which is ultimately suppressing the terrorist groups and taking our troops back, by making their government capable to withstand and counter internal conflicts and manage to oversee the adversary's movements. This is the plan that will allow returning resources and impose responsibility for the Afghan as well, again quote, "we will prepare Afghans to take responsibility for their security and how we will, ultimately, be able to bring our own troops home."
The burdens of the citizens and military are heavy but the national security is at stake. To borrow the president's words, "We cannot turn a blind eye to the corruption that causes Afghans to lose faith in their own leaders." and "there will also be no peace without reconciliation among former enemies." These are true words that exhorts people to contribute support into the hopeful conclusion of this costly war and unyield to the justice that the American society believes in. Sacrifices have been made, and will continue to spill blood as the time of conflict ensues, but the commitment is shared and in the remembrance of those lost and girding the cause, the "selfless sacrifice" will be upheld to fight and defend America.
Source:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/obama-speeches/speech/40/
Since september 11, 2003 U.S. and NATO, with other nations, have launched a series of operations to battle aginst the dangers of terrorism sperading through the armed, multi-national, extremist group, namely Al Quaeda, founded by Osama Bin Laden. It is still unbeknownst to us whether he is still alive and and on the run but the federal intelligence denotes to his infrequent video messages to his survival in the safehavens of his muslim advocates, and trying their best to root him out. The threat is still hiding and waiting for retaliation like thieves in the night, and we want rid of it. But the mounting costs and number of troops sent to hostile grounds are formidable and citizens are getting tired of the war.
In response, President Obama announces this new comprehensive and smarter strategy to zoom in on the war without overhauling resources. The common enemy is quartering and moving throughout the clandestine regions of Afghan/Pakistan, so the president plans to integrate civillian and military effort with the international allignance with the NATO nations and most importantly, support of the Pakistan democracy with the infrastructure, medical services, and education offered by the U.S., specifically and gradually assimilating them and coaxing them out of extremism of the Sunni ideology and bring relief to the violence-infested areas in the aftermath of the war. It is a costly payment, and the taxpayers will express dissent in a already deteriorating economy, but such level of commitment is required to reach this goal.
The other part of the "comprehensive strategy" quote, "we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban's gains and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government." An obvious but complicated and obscure task that is no easy task. But this is such a necessary step to make long-term goals plausible, which is ultimately suppressing the terrorist groups and taking our troops back, by making their government capable to withstand and counter internal conflicts and manage to oversee the adversary's movements. This is the plan that will allow returning resources and impose responsibility for the Afghan as well, again quote, "we will prepare Afghans to take responsibility for their security and how we will, ultimately, be able to bring our own troops home."
The burdens of the citizens and military are heavy but the national security is at stake. To borrow the president's words, "We cannot turn a blind eye to the corruption that causes Afghans to lose faith in their own leaders." and "there will also be no peace without reconciliation among former enemies." These are true words that exhorts people to contribute support into the hopeful conclusion of this costly war and unyield to the justice that the American society believes in. Sacrifices have been made, and will continue to spill blood as the time of conflict ensues, but the commitment is shared and in the remembrance of those lost and girding the cause, the "selfless sacrifice" will be upheld to fight and defend America.
Source:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/obama-speeches/speech/40/
2010년 8월 4일 수요일
The Relationship We Seek (with our government)
This is a commentary on my colleague's work on
Indeed, the government have undergone many tweaks and redefined itself over the years, and in the years to come, continue to do so as the social patterns of its constituents continue to change. But I would like to call out the title of this commentary and its address in ambivalence and confusion. The title, "Today's United States government", I would like to pull out and with all due respect and proper permission, criticize on various topics of the author's writings.
First of all, the title itself mentions and positions the article to express the current state or denote a change in today's government. The sentence I could not bring myself to agree on would be the "Most things remain the same: U.S. Constitution grants citizens unalienable rights, Checks and balance system." most of the foundation our current constitutioin is based upon would be very likely the same as it was devised in 1989, but the slight renovations have been made in the national law-bound architecture. Through the course of history, our rights have been challenged and reinterpreted many times. Just a few to note, one of the innate, unalienable rights of the citizenship would be the freedom of speech. This is also included in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution but has been ruled out by the Supreme Court to be inhibited and abated ineffectiveness and subject to governmental control as it may noted from the "clear and present danger" opinion of Oliver Wendell Holmes in the case of Schenck v. United States (1919) which prohibited citizens from making harmful comments on the government or the public in "immediate" effect and "obvious" harm. This can be considered as a change and impediment upon the inalienable rights of a U.S. citizen. Notwithstanding, that's not all, the limits of free speech is further subject to tighter regulation by the Miller test and the Bad Tendency test. So many changes are made to just one amendment, and some states outright rebuke the rights in their jurisdiction by a selective process.
The development of technology and the coming of Infomation Age do improve the proliferation and swiftness of polls and surveys, but at the same time makes us vulnerable to exploits such as push polls and lack of participation in the public issues on foot and actual experience for some. It has both pros and cons in the changing public participations and available utilities.
The change for open-mindedness and diversity of the people in the government is exciting matter that would probably make the older generations to jump out of their shoes, it is fascinating that the general public is getting more and more accepting people of different nationalities, sexual orientation, and age groups to become active in political life and live in this so-called "free nation."
More or less, better or for worse, the government is indeed changing today and in the lives of people, adjusting itself as fit. But definitely so, a government that can represent better and adhere to the voice of the people would become even more efficient and effective towards the idealistic democracy as our Founding Fathers envisioned it. Representation among the many of us can be definitely achieved through many mediums and actions such as political participation through lobbying, endorsing and supporting political parties and their upholding views, participating in a jury, protesting out in the streets, do community service, or even taking up a seat in office in the government eventually. The more intimate the citizens are with the government and informed of its affairs and vice versa, the better the life for all of us.
2010년 7월 30일 금요일
Stepping over the borderlands
The controversial Arizona law of immigration ruling is all over the news now. The border state of Mexico, Arizona is facing difficulties with increasing and the difficulties and problems arise in observable amount in national & border security, identity and forged documents pose leeways for inadvertent yet greater increase of terrorism threat, and there are also the generally higher rate of high school dropouts and a lower shortage in few fields of labor and business.
The big 2 problems people find in illegal immigration is unemployment and economy, criminal threats and national security. I deter with the negative implications of the encroachment on the economy but cannot seem to ignore the possible threats that arise with the borderline and instate security.
I graduated my high school from El Paso, far west of Texas, and it is a border city with Juarez city in Chihuahua, Mexico. Ciudad (City) Juarez is not a safe place anymore to travel. In 2008, I could drive over the inspection bridge for a visit to the dentist who doesn't require a medical insurance for a discount or to get a bite of chimichanga or menudo on the sidewalk, it was a fairly peaceful and friendly city just few years from now. Before I came to attend college in Austin, I have countless testimonials and side stories of the atrocious affair involving gang activity, claims of organ trafficking, widespread drug dealings, and many violent kidnappings and gunfires in the street even in broad daylight; I attended a few mournings due to that unpleasantry, it is hardly an experience you would want. Nevertheless, while all the happenings in Juarez, the other side of the fence was calm as usual, the city of El Paso seems to be under no threat of security or peace during this shift in social corruption in Juarez over a few years, that's because it's over the fence, it's U.S. not Mexico. It doesn't matter if the population on both sides are 99.9% Mexican (I'm just exaggerating, it's actually 80% Hispanic/ 75% Mexican) the living conditions and domestic and public security contrasts dramatically differ as of now. It has been long known and I could still remember high school teens calling each other "wetbacks" which is a slang to the illegal immigrants who crossed the Rio Grande river to get to U.S. when there were lower levels of security few generations ago. No wonder people drive up every single day to cross the bridge as few aren't authorized and decide to be creative. Time to time you hear about findings of people inside trunks, car seats (ingeniously sewn in after taking the fillings and even more ingeniously found under auspiciousness or scrutiny of the border patrol), compartments where you put your car insurance (yes adult males somehow fit in there, probably a yoga guru), and other outrageous attempts to get in. It also bears the non-comical incidents such as a whole truckload of family found dead in the metal container due to fatigue and lack of vent and air-conditioning as they attempted to gain access to U.S. grounds in the hopes of a better life and employment.
The priority to illegal immigrants include minimum pay labor (employers are usually who are empathetic or lack documentation and law integrity who take in illegal immigrants who works more for less pay) and benefits of security and hopes of American Dream for their children with better status (if they are able to forge one for the parents or pay enough to get one) and more opportunities. But regarding the many concerns of the U.S. citizens who are wary of the economic crisis and unemployment rates in the states right now, the immigrants, not necessarily illegal immigrants but in general, boost gross domestic product, so it is discrepant to say illegal immigrants are hurting the U.S. economy. It is to my opinion that people shouldn't be overly alarmed at the rate of Hispanic growth in America and the affects on economy because they're moving in to this country, for now. (my History professor showed a cartoon a white man shouting "Illegal immigrants should be taken out of this country!" at Hispanic illegal immigrants while a Native American looks with disdain from the side saying, "I'll help you pack.")
The main problem with which I'm concerned is that there is a rise to high security cracks within the current system and situation taking account that the the country is on war. It is overwhelmingly easier for the the malicious terrorists and underground drug dealers and forgers to become active and blend in while there are 3 out of 100 "Americans" who are undocumented aliens. Other than that, to the congressmen's dismay, many of the grassroot mobilization can observed as the Hispanic groups are protesting on the street regarding the Arizona law change. It is no small matter, and consequentially vital to the elections of the seats, that the Hispanic which makes 15% of the representing population in U.S. With this matter at hand, there should be actions taken from the current Congress as an action that might compromise to abate the angry citizens and to inform and provide solutions to the current immigrant problems. I believe some of the listed below have been considered and killed in one the houses in Congress and lobbyists and law reformers and trying to bring it back up again.
1. The passage of the law that would provide immigration process and documents to be facilitated or at least evaluated and confirmed faster. Many people are in hopes of visiting U.S.A. and hoping to stay, but it takes too long for settlement to take place due to procedural complications and tight constraints. But I guess this is understandable since of the War on Terrorism going on.
2. Strengthening the law against the forgery of illegal documentation and encroachment of the border and requests to the abutting countries to keep their citizens in and encourage them to take formal processes to move to other countries.
3. Not segregate, but set apart the current illegal immigrants and grant them a separate status to identify them somehow, provide incentives to find jobs with local, traceable, and applicable employers with official documentation.
If the tensions should rise and the conditions worsen for the Hispanic and other ethnic immigrants, problems of illegal methods would further complicate matters. It would be in better light to understand and empathize or at least feign understanding until the law can be solidified for such the Hispanic population is a fast growing and a necessary demographic for U.S.
Sources:
2010년 7월 27일 화요일
Reasons for Indifference
Still many stories go unheard, the death are grieved by families and empathized with those who've lost their own as well. But the one article protests and rebukes about The Forgotten American, Ahmet Dogan, a 19 year old teen killed in gunfire by Israeli forces while en route to gaza for charity aid, who didn't receive as much coverge as anticipated from the columnist. The author's criticism is derived from institutional racism and directed towards the media and congress alike. But I cannot come to support, not in its argument in the deference of the teen's death -I would be sort of taken aback as well if I was killed in a good cause somewhere and not reported at least few times in the news in my country- but its justification pointed at the cold detachment of the public concern because the guy had a foreign-sounding Muslim name and the preventive silencer the Jewish U.S. establishment. I think it's a much broader and now much more inherent flaw integrated into our attitudes in deaths of those in foreign lands.
We've heard stories and will continue to see them time to time from the media about the wars, confrontations, and unavoidable in such hostile military environment, deaths of all the soldiers and civilians alike in the territories of Middle East, including Iraq, and Afghanistan. I observe from aside the initial casualities from the beginning of the war, we're is getting less and less often that we read of the many laments. I think it is not just the detachment of the non-battlion familiar public that's in need of arousal or lack of demoralizing sentiments, but it is the longevity of the war and indifference to the deaths altogether. It may be so as the casualties rise as the military action continues and exposure to the stories of those dead in and out of combat goes on, most of us seem to become indifferent and immune to heartfelt empathy with the grievances. There are more than 850,000 civilian deaths since the war on terrorism and many goes unpublished even though aware, you cannot hope to account for every single death in this state of war that's still faraway from the states, people get callous to these events.
With the House passing support and more funds to the Afgan War funds, we cannot but imagine when this will ever end. One of the most often heard questions in regards to foreign policy and events between discussions of teens and and college students is: "Why are we still on war with Iraq/Afghanistan?" It is regrettable, but even with the economic crisis going on for years now in the states, the Congress wants to keep sending the guns and soldiers over to the conflict zone. If we cannot hope the dissolve the critical problem and find a long-awaited conclusion to the war, we cannot but become indifferent to many undeserved death of those outside the borderline.
2010년 7월 21일 수요일
Every corner you see them; no more wrong turns
Addressing the article noting current economical crisis and criticism of the stimulus bill Pres. Obama claimed to have its effects, a former chair member of the Council of Economic Advisers under President H.W. Bush, Michael Boskin lists the incompetency and ineffectiveness of the policy issued by the current president.
It is not new to us or unbeknown to us that the unemployment and jading economy within the states were becoming more and more apparent since the 2007, and it may be true the people tried to believe in a president with fresh, undaunted, unfaltering manner in the light of the first African American hold top office in the White House and the overwhelming support of the younger generation and the minority seemed confident and able enough to wade us out of the financial crisis.
However, Mr. Boskin lists the economical issues such as the enduring recession and blatant numbers of unemployment and the curtailing problems we are witnessing today, even in familiar streets of Austin and everywhere else in the U.S. His holds the main argument that the stimulus bill has assumed its place and implemented with no viable result, stating, "the effect of the stimulus was puny". He discerns and contrasts the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts of the Bush Administration with the impending and possible arrival of the second or more (although, I personally deem quite improbable) stimulus bills from President Obama, borrowing his own sources and speculations of dire outcomes of the restored increments of tax rates, to sink the economy lower to eventually insuperable mire.
Not a republican fan, but I genuinely and inherently agree with Mr. Boskin's observation and criticism toward the current plans the U.S. government is heading with. It's a more than a temporary relief or inconsequential stimulus we need to bring back the already withering economy that has been steadily falling over the years. It is the necessary plan we need to stop the foreclosures, increase earnings and GDP, and find a way to keep the bosses from kicking people without warning or means of making a living anymore. It could not be Mr. Obama's fault entirely, for the system was already broken, and he took the boat with the hole and I suppose he knew it himself. I just hope for a probable solution or any solution out there can be reached and implemented before the double, or triple dip we might have to face.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwEnA8HXNl4&NR=1 youtube obama's stimulus passage
2010년 7월 16일 금요일
Standing Regards to Spillage
The New York Times published an article covering the recent findings of the harbinger of the The tar and oil clots dotting washing up the seashore found to be benign, just slightly eye-catching and bothersome; nonetheless, deemed innocuous by the shoreline residents for now. The Texan residents are generally undaunted and composed of the effects of spillage on their shores and find no immediate damage to their daily activities, only few are concerned to raise doubts and dire premonitions due to the spill and the bp.
To have not been in the separate and absence of relationships with the big oil companies, and the likelihood of being generally informed of the effects of the oil spills on the shores of oil rigs throughout the Gulf of Mexico, it might be surprising to see that the majority of the business owners of the seaside-dependent residents are not worrying to much than what the relative public is foreboding. To extend further into the past industrial accidents involving mass oil spill such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, whereas the environmental and economical costs were detrimental overall. The remnants and lasting effects are still observed and unforgotten over 20 years still.
The obvious alarm would be such that the estimation of the oil spill is largely undetermined but held to be more than tenfolds greater than the 1989 spill. It is not of the feasible estimation of the oil tanker, but the drilled portion of the well is leaking constantly and spewing up an estimated -and alarming for many- amount of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels everyday. It is by far, the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The damage of the oil spill and already taking toll in different environmental and economic consequences, but the overall extent cannot be measured fully due to the inviable location and unfinished containment of the leakage, and the proliferation of oil clots and slicks on the surface of the water is one thing, the non-visible oil-water in unpredictable deep waters is nigh-impossible to track, even more so to contain. The effects of the spills are still unseen but worsening all the same.
It is not to relieve the tension or worries the environmental groups and researchers, but studies show that the oil seep deep within, on the seabed would generally be comparable to the natural oil spills occurring due none to human intervention. It is not a positive effect to be considered in natural environments, but the spills are generally dispersed through sea currents and eventually return oceans to their healthy states.
It is not just the lack of preemptive actions or the amount of oil spill to be overly concerned about the most. The lack of girding and standing attitudes of the residents of the shores already witnessing the effects might be viewed as disdainful and ignorant as in comparison of oil spills with tremendous negative effects that occurred in remote locations offshore may be reasonably compared to the possible catastrophe that might hit the fishery, ecology, tourism, and health effects the nearby spill might have on their lives. The generous compensation given by the British Petroleum might not be even close to cover the possible extent of its damage throughout shores not just the states alone.
The general relief and containment process is still going on, and the difficult is well shown in all kinds of media. It is regrettable that many of the industrial disasters could have been prevented, but once it breaks out, the fatality is beyond measure and its restoration is exponential to its preventive cost and time. It might be, and would be relieving to know if the stoic standing of some people to disregard and shrug off as the natural regeneration and recovery of the gulf coast will be plausible over time. We just cannot be sure to know how many generations will it be or if we can cope with it in the interim.
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