News For the Week of April 26th

Baltimore protests turn violent

Summary

On April, 12th Freddie Gray was arrested and suffered severe spinal injuries. He died a week later. He had a knife on him it is unclear if it was a pocket knife or a switchblade but, it is illegal to have a dangerous weapon in the state of Maryland. He was chased by Baltimore Police. Once cornered he gave up peacefully and when he exited the van he could not or was straining to breath. Protest started peacefully said his death was the cause of police brutality. The protests have grown in size and subsequently become more violent. Over a thousand protesters have rallied everyday in front of city hall.

Response

This article mainly focused on the current rioting and I don't provided a good background on the situation so I had to look at other articles. I am glad that people are out there asking for police reform and confronting the divide between the racial divide. This case I think is more unclear than some of the previous major protest. In Ferguson it was obviously a cop who killed mike brown and as well as New York. This case though we just do not have all the evidence yet and that becomes an awkward position. I say this because the people investigating are the coworkers of the one's who might have killed Freddie Gray. I think that an impartial police force such as the F.B.I should take over. Even than though would it not be in the best interest of the F.B.I if they found those cops innocent? Who can fairly police the police? What can the government do to hire officers who are impartial as possible? Is there even anyway to do that?

"Baltimore Freddie Gray Death Protest Turns Violent." BBC World News. BBC World, 26 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

The News For the Week of April 12th-18th

Should We Use the Death Penalty on the Boston Bomber? 

There is no doubt that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is guilty on the thirty charges that were laid upon him. Usually people's objections with the penalty is there is no way to reverse the ruling if found innocent but, that is not going to happen here. The United States like to appear as a beacon or a standard for human rights. If you go by the United Nations numbers there are one hundred and ninety-three nations, and there are one hundred forty that have abolished the death penalty. How can we hope to be that standard for human rights when there are so many other nations ahead of us? On, Tuesday the jury will decide life imprison or the death penalty for the convicted.

This article brings up that very few national cases have ended in a death penalty. So, it seems that the national level is more progressive than the justice system on the state level. This article neglects to provide context for example, Texas the state with the highest number of death penalty sentences has one of the lowest crime rates of any state. This article also, neglects to mention how poorly it is often conducted. There have been numerous accounts of prison  running out of supplies for lethal injections. This in turn has led states to other solutions such as electrocution, hanging, gas chambers, and even a firing squad. I would say the idea of the death penalty by lethal injection is unethical but, gas chambers and firing squads are barbaric. The whole country is watching this could be a time to end the death penalty in America. Most importantly should we live in a country where the answer to murder is murder?  Is it justice for one crime be answered with another or should the government be above the execution of it's own citizens. Maybe I am wrong and the bomber should die but, I was always taught that two wrongs do not make a right.

Malone, Scott. "Boston Marathon Bombing Jury To Decide Life Or Death For Tsarnaev." Huffingtonpost. N.p., 19 Apr. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/19/dzhokhar-sentencing-sentencing_n_7094856.html>.

The Possibility of a Greece exiting the Euro Zone

In Riga, Latvia there are currently talks occurring on the issue of Greece's debt crisis. On April, 24 the Greek government must adequately convince the European Central bank, EU, and IMF that is is creating enough reform that the they continue to sending economic aid to Greece. If that does not happen a number of things are possible. The Government could default on it's loan and be removed from the Euro Zone. That could lead to serious inflation, and instability in Greece. It is unlikely but, it could also lead to instability in the Euro Zone. Greece owes several billion euros in the next month and it is had to see if Greece can hold on any longer.

This article presented this as a doomed situation. Although, many countries seem to be done supporting Greece I think that they extend Greece's loan payments. Ultimately it would be embarrassing for everyone if Greece left the Euro Zone. It could drop the already declining value of the Euro, as well as forcing Greece through another recession. This article talked of another possibility which I expect they will take where Greece defaults on there loans but, they basically lose control of their economic policy is would be at the will of the EU. That way Greece can stay in the EU and continue to take care of the infrastructure of their own nation.

Kirby, Paul. "How Close Is Greece to Grexit?" BBC World News. N.p., 17 Apr. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32332221>.

News for the week of April 5th to April 11th

Summit of the Americas Conference an update on US-Cuban relations

This week I looked into the outcome of the Summit of the Americas in Panama city, Panama; it was from tenth to the eleventh. This Summit of the Americas is historic. This is because of the evolution in U.S.- Cuban relations, as well as it being the first summit of which every nation invited has attended. Cuba has not chosen to come to earlier summits because of their diplomatic status with the U.S. The United States and Cuba have had no diplomatic relations for over fifty years. This because Cuba became a communist nation during the cold war. One of the main reasons why Cuba came to this Summit of the Americas is because President Obama stated that their current status as a state that sponsors terrorism is outdated.

Article One

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32273750

Summary

This article main feature is about the developing relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The article goes into furthers discussion of other events that occurred at the summit such as Venezuela's and U.S. relations. President Obama sat down with Castro and in truth this meeting was only symbolic nothing was actually done. Though, both leaders say acknowledge their differences but, are hopeful for a mutually beneficial relationship. One thing that was decided upon was that the U.S. should remove Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism. This has not been done yet but, is expected to be done in a few days. It has become evident that the current political status of Cuba is from an era past and now it time to look to the future.

Response

This article was I would say was unbiased. It told like it is that there was no major breaks through but, there is change ahead. This article also, included a portion where the Ecuadorian president criticized the U.S. for having torture and the death penalty. This was not relevant to the over arcing topic of the article but, it was reporting what had occurred. This article was not about denouncing or trying  President. Nor was the rest of this article glad handing him the progress that was achieved at the summit.

Citation

"Obama-Castro Summit Caps Thaw in US-Cuba Relations." BBC World News Latin America [London] 12 Apr. 2015: n. page. Web.

Article Two

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/12/obama-makes-further-attempts-to-closen-ties-with-cuba-still-undecided-about/

Summary

 This article also, talks about the talks at the summit between the U.S. and Cuba. This article presents the news more based on what was said than the importance of what was said on a larger scale. The first half of the article states what was said by Obama and Castro about one another. The second half is about the deals that were discussed and what is the cost to America. The article says that this deal only favor Cuba even. This article makes it seem that the U.S. is getting the shorthand of the stick because Cuba has asked that it no longer considered to be a country that sponsors terrorism. Then goes on to point out a recent speech by Raul Castro where Castro complained of previous in justice done to Cuba by the U.S. that this article claims are only perceived. The article makes a point to mention that Ted Cruz is Cuban American and that he said that the Castro brothers are cruel dictators.

Response

This article is heavily biased. The first half reports what was said but, not its significance. The second half is composed of imagine slights and distrust of a Cuba that no longer exists. The  second half of the this "news" article relies on the prejudice held against Cuba from the cold war era. The human rights standards in Cuba are low and Cuba suppresses dissidents. Though, the U.S. has lower sanctions on countries with worse human rights standards.

Citation

"Obama Holds Historic Meeting with Cuba's Castro, Pledges to 'turn the Page'" Fox News [New York] 12 Apr. 2015: n. page.Web.

Star of David Pin Artifact of the Holacaust

The yellow star of David was pinned to the clothes of all Jewish people in German occupied territory during almost all of the time Hitler served as Chancellor. The star of David pin was a used by the Germans to single out Jewish people; it was used to condemn them as lesser and ultimately dehumanize them. In Night, Wiesel talks about the dehumanization and the systematic shedding of their previous life until there is nothing left except surviving. One of the reasons why the holocaust is considered to be so sadistic is because of what dehumanizing Jews did. For the guards it rationalized their violence, it broke bonds that Jews had with their religion, and caused prisoners to turn on each other. We know this occurred from multiple instances of abuse in Night whether it was from a guard or fellow prisoner. We also, learned from the scholarly article if the violence can be rationalize people will perform increasing inhumane acts on other humans. This was one of Hitler’s first steps in the process of the holocaust consistently through the initial stages building up to being sent to a camp is about the dehumanization. There is instance in the book when Elie is looking back at the ghetto and there is all of their personal belongings piled up. Elie says “It no longer belonged to anyone. It was there for the taking. An open tomb.” (Wiesel 17).  This is reflection on how dehumanized they become how vulnerable. The tomb references the death of their pre-Holocaust lives. Elie writes that they no longer belong to anyone because of that death of the pre-holocaust survivors. The usage of the star of David in this way also, supports Jewish people’s loss of faith it takes the symbol of their religion stigmatizes it. The negative connotation attached to being Jewish were so intense that it makes people resentful of their own faith.