A recent report by the I.A.E.A. (International Atomic Energy Agency) has many countries on edge. The report which was given on November 8^th stated that there is a great deal of evidence suggesting “Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device”. The report does not offer any confirmation of an actual bomb. However, it does support the fact that Iran’s nuclear program is making more progress than previously thought. This is of concern to the U.S., who spoke with Israel and other countries about what should be done.

Nuclear weapons have been around since World War II, so they are not a new threat.  Many countries have weapons of mass destruction in their hands. Countries such as China, North Korea and Russia are all in possession of weapons.  Therefore, it would not be unusual for Iran or other countries to have nuclear devices as well. In fact, it’s probably inevitable.

Iran might say they would be used for protection, but most would argue that they would be used for harm. This is why people are becoming so worked up about the issue. On November 23, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied all claims that they were developing a nuclear weapon saying “The West tells us, you should prove you don’t have atomic bombs. How can something that doesn’t exist be proved? It’s nonexistent.” He went on to say that if they were developing any weapons they would openly say so.  He said the U.S. is making false allegations and that what their program is trying to achieve is nothing of anyone’s concern. The program is apparently being used to develop nuclear energy as a standard power source, not a weapon, and it would help to conserve oil.

The U.S., Canada, and Britain decided that sanctions would be a good form of pressure because provoking another war would just be crazy. The sanctions were applied on the 22^nd and were mostly aimed at Iran’s central and commercial banks. There were also some sanctions placed on companies involved in Iran’s nuclear industry. Iran is of course unhappy, because they say they are doing nothing wrong. There’s no telling what the outcome will be.

Any country that has nuclear weapons is a problem, because a weapon of that size could do so much harm. That is why nuclear weapons in Iran scare a lot of people. But right now it’s nothing to be extremely worried about. With Iran, there are just a lot of “ifs”. Will they have one in the future? Quite possibly. Will they use it? Maybe. The world will just have to wait and see.

Sources

• http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/iran/index.html
• http://articles.cnn.com/2011-11-08/middleeast/world_meast_iran-nuclear_1_nuclear-program-iaea-report-nuclear-weapons?_s=PM:MIDDLEEAST
• http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/weekinreview/14sanger.html
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/gerald-caplan/why-everybody-except-iran-can-have-nuclear-weapons/article2249596/page1/
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2011/11/23/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-west_n_1109756.html

“The fact that the moral fabric of America and Europe has been put under siege by the supporters of this creeping evil of homosexuality should not suggest that we follow suit.”

            This earthquake hit 15 miles out of Haiti’s capital and unleashed disaster in its wake; it was the worst earthquake in over 200 years.  The tremors lasted throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Haiti’s president, René Préval, told The Miami Herald, “Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed.” 

As Mr. Préval stated, the earthquake plunged the country of Haiti into a state of misfortune.  The government’s infrastructure was fragile already and many important cultural symbols were destroyed, including the National Palace and the main cathedral.  This earthquake was definitely not the first blow to the island.

In 1942, when Christopher Columbus first discovered the island, it became a Spanish colony where disease and harsh working conditions devastating the native population.   When Haiti is handed off to France in 1697, the island’s forests are torn down as slaves clear them for sugar fields.  The nation of Haiti is born in 1807 after 13 years of revolution; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines takes the title of Emperor but is assassinated two years later by rebels and a civil war breaks out.

In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson orders the U.S. Marines to occupy Haiti, citing the Monroe Doctrine.  The United States did not help out well, standing with the biracial elite over the black Haitians, and they withdrew in 1934.

By 1957, voodoo doctor Francois Duvalier is elected President and turns the country into a police state.  Duvalier’s son declared himself President for life in 1971.  Jean-Bertrand Aristide wins the country’s first free elections in 1990, but is disposed of in less than eight months.  This causes tens of thousands of Haitians to flee for Florida via small boats. 

Bill Clinton sent in 20,000 U.S. troops in 1994 after the militaristic government agrees to give up power, followed by an outbreak of HIV and entrenched poverty.  In 2001, Aristide returns to power but is forced into exile in 2004. 

Many natural disasters hit Haiti one after another, especially hurricanes in 2005 and 2008.  This earthquake that occurred in January of 2010 certainly is not the first disaster to hit the island nation of Haiti.

The impact of earthquakes in the Caribbean has been quite extreme, due to the fact that most of the islands rest on the Caribbean and North American plates.  One earthquake in 1692 caused Port Royal, Jamaica, to disappear underneath the Caribbean Sea.  It is still there today.  Not only was this earthquake very powerful but it was also very shallow.  Combine that with the soft ground and the muddy hills around Haiti’s capital made the impact of the whole event even worse. 

The worst part of it all was that it “struck at a rare moment of optimism,” writes Time Magazine reporter, Michael Elliott.  “After decades of natural and political catastrophes, the U.N. peacekeeping force an international investment campaign headed by former President Bill Clinton, the U.N.’s special envoy to Haiti, had recently begun to calm and rebuild the nation.”

The Haitian Red Cross has estimated the death toll to be between 45,000 and 50,000.  As with all earthquakes, the toll is merely an estimate.  Many bodies are trapped inside school building and others that collapsed due to the tremors.  Nearly 3 million people have been affected. 

Fifty percent of Haiti’s population is children.  Dr. Irwin Redlener, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University’s medical school, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, and the president of the Children’s Health Fund, states, “Kids are much more fragile—a 30 pound block of a wall that would only seriously injure an adult will kill a child.  They die much more rapidly of dehydration, of loss of blood, of shock.  An infection will cause explosive diarrhea, which can kill a trapped child.  Everything about this is devastatingly worse for kids than for adults.” 

Many countries throughout the world are pulling together to send any relief to this island nation.  The United States alone is donating $100 million for rescue efforts, with President Barack Obama stating that financial assistance will increase throughout the coming year.  He says this to this to the people of Haiti in an address on January 14: “You will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you.” 

Germany is sending $2.2 million for emergency assistance and China is sending 60 rescuers and sniffer dogs along with $1 million in aid.  The European Union pledged $4.4 million and various groups such as Doctors Without Borders have set up clinics and open-air triage centers to treat the injured. 

Relief is making its way to Haiti.  Although large shipments can be sent, they cannot be received as of yet due to heavy damage to the sea port in Port-Au-Prince.  Much relief cannot make it into the interior due to no railroad network.  It can be transported via trucks but it is a long and difficult journey due to debris.  The biggest challenge of it all is getting the relief effort coordinated in an orderly fashion—getting things unloaded and giving it to the people who need it.  The United Nations World Food Program plans to distribute200 tons of food to 95,000 people at eight location on January 18.

Day by day, more relief makes its way to Haiti.  For those of us who are unable to make the trip to Haiti to help out can do so here at home.  There are many legitimate websites that are raising money as well as other efforts:

American Red Cross— redcross.org

AmeriCares Foundation— americares.org 

Catholic Relief Services— crs.org

CARE— care.org

Doctors Without Borders— doctorswithoutborders.org

UNICEF— unicefusa.org 

There are many other organizations out there as well who are donating money to Haiti.

            For those of you who have an account on Facebook, there is a group called “Operation Help Haiti – Division: PHS.”  There you can also access information on how to help out here at Park, as well as other updates.  During Snow Week in February, all proceed from the Valentine Match results will be sent to Haiti. 

            If you do not have any money to donate, please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers. 

ALL INFORMATION WAS COMPLIED FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES AND TIME MAGAZINE.  PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES.

            These are the memories of child soldiers. A child soldier, as defined by UNICEF, is “any child under 18 who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed forces or armed force or armed group in any capacity.” Any job a child does against his or her will that is affiliated with an armed militia is considered to be the task of a child soldier. Being a child soldier is not only limited to being in combat. This includes tasks such as cooks, porters, messengers, lookouts, spies, etc.

            There have been over 2 million children killed in wars involving over 20 countries. These countries include Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, and Columbia, but the problem of child soldiers is most severe in Africa.  It is estimated that there are currently about 300,000 child soldiers fighting in armed conflict. In Liberia, children make up a quarter of all civil war combatants.

Most children who are serve in armed conflicts are between the ages of 14 and 18, but children as young as 9 have been known to be recruited. These children are often kidnapped or unwillingly recruited from their homes and villages. Recruiters sometimes use violent and threatening tactics to collect child soldiers. Some enlist “voluntarily”, mainly because they see their only hope for survival in joining the armed forces. Young boys are ideal soldiers for these militias, as they are easily manipulated and not yet mature enough to understand their actions. They are given drugs such as cocaine to make it easier for them to cope with murdering other people. Girls are often used as cooks or domestic sex slaves and endure copious amounts of domestic abuse and violence. One Ugandan girl recounts her experiences in the armed forces:

“One boy tried to escape, but he was caught.  They made him eat a mouthful of red pepper, and five people were beating him.  His hands were tied, and then they made us, the other new captives, kill him with a stick.  I felt sick.  I knew this boy from before.  We were from the same village.  I refused to kill him, and they told me they would shoot me.  They pointed a gun at me, so I had to do it.  The boy was asking me, “Why are you doing this?” I said I had no choice.  After we killed him, they made us smear blood on our arms.  I felt dizzy.  They said we had to do this so we would not fear death, and so we would not try to escape.”

                                                                                    -Susan, 16

Without the aid of government infrastructure, it is very easy for children to become involved in civil conflicts.

The long term effects that participating in an armed war can have on children are devastating and hard to treat. Most children become orphans or refugees when the conflict ends and those who do still have family are often not welcomed back to their village due to cultural superstitions. Relief for children usually becomes the last priority in war. Many child soldiers suffer from diseases caught in combat and lasting disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress. Since the governments of the countries with these child soldiers have neglected them, the question arises, who is responsible for taking action to help these kids?

International documents and institutions have been developed to protect children’s rights. The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of a Child have 21 articles that are put in place to assure that children’s rights are not violated. When these articles are violated, it is seen as a war crime and the criminals are put on trial.

There are also many agencies dedicated to rehabilitating and protecting child soldiers. Amnesty International is a global movement that campaigns for internationally recognized human rights to be respected for everyone. Members are made up of individuals who support these causes and exert influences on governments, political bodies, and companies. UNICEF is an organization focused on protecting children from abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation. They’ve provided camps for refugees and their families, as well as establishing rehabilitation centers for former child soldiers. The Children and youth in Organized Armed Violence (COVA) works to raise awareness and share solutions to the problem of child soldiers.

The issue of child soldiers is one of the most neglected of this century. Every child has the right to freedom and a safe, secure childhood as well as the resources to fulfill their maximum potential and survival. It is crucial that we take action against the violent groups that instill terror and chaos into the lives of these children. Provided below are links to organizations that help fight against the issue of child soldiers and information on the issue:

http://www.child-soldiers.org/childsoldiers/child-soldiers

http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/links.html

http://www.amnestyusa.org/children/soldiers

            It happens to all of us. Sitting in class, nursing your sore throat and feeling sorry for yourself, you begin to realize: “I’m sick.” All week you’ve tried to convince yourself otherwise. It’s only a cough, you say, as you struggle through the cloud of fatigue and discomfort that can only mean one thing: the flu. Once denial is no longer an option, your parental units call you in sick for a couple of days. And then it’s over. You’re back to school, feeling good, with only sunny skies in sight. But just when you think you’ve got the disease cycle under wraps, nature hurdles a curve ball your way.

            The Swine Flu (perhaps known better by its other alias, H1N1) began making headlines earlier this year as a new, killer strain of the traditional Influenza. Reports were sketchy. Some called it just a slightly different version of everyone’s favorite headache. The symptoms were to be mild and the only real danger lies with the very old, very young or immune deficient. Others, however, snatched up the story and ran with it like a gazelle. With limited factual information, these startled media outlets printed alarmist headlines saying that a pandemic (a global epidemic) of disastrous proportions would soon ravage the globe, killing freely and mercilessly. It was starting to sound like the bird flu all over again (remember that?). But rest assured, swine lovers, this flu ain’t yo daddy’s flu!

            There are a couple of main reasons that some are showing legitimate concern as this year’s flu season approaches. One is this strain’s history. 1918 is a year everyone around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) office knows as the year nature stamped its cruel foot on all of humanity. It was the year of the Spanish Influenza pandemic. The exact name of the strain was, you guessed it, H1N1. Millions the world over perished from this disease, and some say that is a real possibility in today’s world. Those with common sense tend to reply, “nay.” 90 years ago there were no antibiotics, no indoor plumbing, few received proper nutrition and hygiene was an afterthought. I would be legitimately surprised if no virus seized the opportunity to earn its place in history.

            Another key difference between this flu and bird flu is that bird flu never really got off the ground. Its potential for mutation was great, but perhaps it was too lazy or something, because it remained unchanged for the most part. Once the media found something else to terrify you with it slipped out of the collective consciousness of America and into obscurity. This flu, on the other hand, has already mutated and can now easily spread from person to person. Cases have been confirmed all over the globe. But so far, the deaths toll hasn’t been catastrophic: according to the European Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the H1N1 virus has killed 4,494 people worldwide as of October 5^th of this month. Less than 1,000 in North America have succumbed to the piggy. Right now it’s behaving just like a normal flu, just on a global scale.  Still, one can’t help but think that we could be on the precipice of something potentially devastating. But never fear, for your federal government is here!

            The modern vaccine arrives almost as quickly as the disease in some cases. To prevent panic and uncertainty, the government rolls out a giant shield to hinder the progress of our dreadful enemy. The swine flu vaccine, in this case, is more of a precautionary measure because most victims recover from the illness in only a few days time with limited treatment. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. Again, this flu has massive potential. And with anything big, like the vaccination effort, it can a get a little complicated.

            People never change. The government, corporations, and anyone trying to make a buck will use fear as a weapon. And not even the swine flu vaccine is immune to this (haha, get it? Immune? Never mind…). While some corporations make enormous profits over the production of the vaccine, others (mostly anti-vaccine advocates) are fear-mongering people away from even considering it. They print exclamatory stories about how the vaccine is deadlier than the real flu. Sometimes it’s hard to discern the facts from the flab.

To be fair, no one really knows what will happen this winter. Experts can spend weeks coming up with algorithms and hypotheses to predict the future, but no one knows. My advice? Take what you’ve learned from this article, expand your knowledge, and formulate your own opinion. If you are adamant about the need for a flu shot, they will be available in most doctors’ offices as early as October 5^th of this year according to The Associated Press. Regardless of your viewpoint, you should form some habits for the common decency of those around you this winter. It’s very simple: just observe proper hygiene as you would in a normal winter. That means washing your hands, staying home when ill and (as funny as it may be) don’t sneeze all over people.

            Good luck this winter, and remember, it isn’t all bad. After all, swine may give you flu, but you can still eat bacon!

Sources

http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/Documents/091005_Influenza_AH1N1_Situation_Report_0900hrs.pdf

http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/

http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=825202&catid=18\

                Jackson, who began his music career at the ripe age of 8 with his four brothers in the Jackson 5, exploded into popularity in the 1980’s with his trendy album Thriller, which featured classic songs Thriller, Billie Jean, and Beat It, and is still the highest selling album in history. He was also well known for his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which he utilized when performing his song Billie Jean on stage. Throughout the decades in which Jackson entertained, he became an international phenomenon, and was more popular in other countries than the United States. He is also famed in breaking down racial barriers and opening the door to several of today’s popular artists including Beyonce and Justin Timberlake. Unfortunately, as Michael’s career grew bigger and bigger, the man became involved in and accused of many bizarre affairs, most notable the accusations of child molestation in the early 1990’s. Therefore, when the generation of students currently attending Park High School think of Jackson, the first thing that several think of is his disturbing past.

                “I received about 3 or 4 jokes about Jackson and children the day after his death” replied one upcoming Park senior, “It was a little disrespectful but that’s how most of us knew Michael Jackson.”

                Fortunately, many of the students at Park had only respectable things to say when hearing about the unexpected death of Jackson. Facebook messages and texts flew like mad displaying messages like “OMG, the king of pop is gone!” or “RIP Michael Jackson.” One girl even admitted that she and her friends had a moment of silence when they heard the shocking news. These displays show that while Jackson was extraneous throughout their lives, his music and legacy overcame and really did have an influence almost 4 decades after first appearing in the music scene.

                “I had just done a report about music of the 1980’s so I learned a lot about Jackson in his glory days” admits senior Samantha Hartfiel, “therefore when I heard about his death, I thought about the Thriller music video. I forgot all about the child molestation accusations until I was reminded by the specials on TV, which was kind of unfortunate.”

                To some other students, the death of Jackson really did not make much difference.

                “I find it a little annoying all the coverage about Jackson. I could really care less” replied one anonymous student.

                Overall, the death of Jackson appeared to be a shock to many. News spread quickly and most people knew about it within 20 minutes of the confirmation. It appeared that whether people found Jackson’s death to be good, bad, or indifferent, most people had something to say about the occurrence.

                “I got three consecutive texts about his death,” said one Park female. “I even got one that was marked as urgent. It was amazing how everyone saw it as such a big deal. Jackson really did make his mark in the world. ”

   There is another side to this story, however, and it is that of the pirates.  The Somali pirates did not originally start out kidnapping sailors and demanding steep ransoms for the return of foreign vessels.  In fact, they actually began as fishermen.  Somalia had been involved in a civil war for several years.  As a result of the fall of the Somali government, foreign fishing boats began catching tuna off the country’s coast.  Since this caused some issues within the economy, local fisherman with access to small boats and weapons, courtesy of the civil war, attacked the other fishing ships.  Thus began what would eventually turn into the highly lucrative pirating business. 

   And the business is lucrative.  The pirates are described by resident Abdi Farah Juha of Garowe, the regional capitol, as having money, power, and are getting stronger by the day.  He goes onto say that piracy, in many ways, is socially acceptable. 

  “They have become fashionable.” He says.

   There may be a benefit to the pirate’s prosperity, however.  As a result of their wealth their hostages are very well looked after, which puts a silver lining on this rather dismal looking cloud.  How long the pirates will continue to capture foreign vessels sailing near the coast of Somalia is unknown.  What has become quite clear, however, is that they do not see themselves as pirates.  Abdulkadil Mohamed, another Garowe resident, says “Illegal fishing is the root cause of the piracy problem.  They call themselves coastguards.”

On April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court voided the ban on same-sex marriage, for it had found an unconstitutional state law permitting marriage only between a man and a woman.  The decision made by the Iowa Supreme Court will be final by the end of the month. 

Citizens are also recognizing something else:  making an amendment to the state constitution could take up to a minimum of two years.  As true everywhere, there are those who oppose and those who agree. 

One other state in America has also created some controversy on same-sex marriage.  On April 7, 2009, the state of Vermont lifted the ban on same-sex marriage, joining Massachusetts and Connecticut. 

The Vermont legislature overrode the governor’s veto with one vote more than they needed.  In doing so, Vermont became the first state to lift the ban through legislature rather than through a court ruling. 

So what is next for our country?  Arguments about same-sex marriage will continue to be made and one can only wait to see the outcome.