Liberia's Taylor Found Guilty of Aiding, Abetting Sierra Leone War Crimes

Liberia's Taylor Found Guilty of Aiding, Abetting Sierra Leone War Crimes:

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JUDY WOODRUFF: For the first time since World War II, a head of state has been convicted of war crimes. The verdict came today at The Hague in the Netherlands against Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia.


Recalling Horrors in Liberia Wrought by Taylor: The soldiers of Charles Taylor, who on Thursday was found guilty of war crimes, ripped apart the lives of a reporter’s family members in the 1990s.

College Tuition and Student Debt Reaching Crisis Proportions

From NBC Nightly News

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Zimmerman Out on Bail

The controversy over this case continues - George Zimmerman was released on bail after unexpectedly apologizing to the parents of Trayvon Martin.

Some details from the CBS morning news:

Are Ted Nugent's comments protected by the 1st Amendment?

So the rock "star" from the 70's, Ted Nugent, has become an active political conservative.  Apparently he also has a radio talk show and he made remarks about President Obama that have caught the attention of the Secret Service.

The report from last night's NBC news:

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After Rocket Failure, North Korea's Leader Speaks

After the embarrassment of the failed rocket launch a few days ago, Kim Jong-un spoke in public at a big rally/parade.  A first ever for the young leader.

First, the story on the failed rocket launch that North Korea went ahead with in defiance of the United Nations:

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As a result, the United States halted shipments of food aid that were going to be sent to North Korea. But that didn't spoil the party for the Party. The government went ahead with a big celebration of their military might anyway.

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Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas

A week after Catholic and Protestant churches celebrated Easter, the celebrations took place around the world for Orthodox Christians.  Here are scenes from celebrations in the Middle East:





And here in Seattle, the Ethiopian Orthodox community celebrated as well:

More photos can be viewed at the Seattle Times website by clicking here.

Violence Continues in Syria

Even though the government of Bashir al-Assad has promised to withdraw its military from population centers by April 10th, there has been no slow-down in the violent crackdown on its citizens who are demanding change.

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A more detailed report was aired by the NewsHour on PBS:

Watch In Syria, Shells Rain Down Days Before Cease-Fire Deadline on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

New Video of Shooter on night Trayvon was Killed

From CNN's Anderson Cooper's program:

Update on Trayvon Martin Shooting

Video from CNN posted on Wednesday, March 28:



Also, Trayvon Martin's parent's spoke out on the conflicting accounts of the incident that have emerged in recent days:

Obama Speaks Out on Trayvon Martin Shooting

President Obama made these remarks in response to a question from a reporter last week:

Meanwhile, some have started wearing hoodies as a tribute/protest:

Congressman tries it too:

Tragic Death of Trayvon Martin - Was it the result of racial injustice?

Over the course of the last week, I've been learning more about this case from Florida, and it is full of disturbing details.  Some of those involve race, as the shooting victim was an unarmed black teenager, shot and killed by an armed white man serving as a community watch volunteer.  The shooter claimed that he feared for his life, and the shooting was in self-defense.  But there are a lot about this case that call this version of of what happened into question.

Outrage is building and today, there were protests in Florida and almost half a million people have signed an online petition calling for an arrest of the shooter, George Zimmerman.

An ABC News report on the release of the 911 tapes of the incident:

Afghan Massacre

A horrific tragedy has cast new doubts on the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and the timetable for withdrawal. 
First from NBC news the March 12th report on the shooting:

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A report from NBC news on the U.S. soldier accused of committing the massacre:

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Sgt. Bales' Lawyer interviewed him on Monday, March 19th:

Be Thankful for the Fourth Amendment!

The Supreme Court issued three different opinions in this case, but I really think the Court made the right decision on this case of police putting GPS tracking devices on suspects cars without first obtaining a warrant.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. 

Watch Want to Use a GPS-Tracking Device? Get a Warrant, Supreme Court Tells Police on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

MLK Was More Than a Dreamer

MLK Was More Than a Dreamer:
In the years since his assassination I have been troubled by what I consider to be the co-opting of Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision. What has troubled me over the years is how his revolutionary message has been hijacked, compromised and relegated to being that of just a dreamer.

People are comfortable with dreamers. Why? Dreamers are safe and in a restful state. Dreamers are docile and easy to manipulate. To cast King in the light of a dreamer allows people to be convinced that substantive change resulting from clear vision and direct action is not necessary.

Read full article...

Why can't we have civil discourse in our politics?

For those of you thinking about the themes of civil discourse, compromise, political parties, etc. this article just posted by USA Today  is a must-read.  I actually think it is good for everyone to read.

After Giffords shooting, civility still elusive: One year later, Americans and their elected leaders still struggle to show each other respect when opinions differ.

From a previous posting, here are some links that deal with the issue on modern American politics.

President Obama Asks Americans to Reflect on How We Talk to Each Other

Last school year, I showed most of the speech.  If you are interested in watching it, here it is:


University of Arizona to Open Civility Institute - NYTimes.com

http://nicd.arizona.edu/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june11/publicmedia_01-13.html?print=

Evaluating 2011 for Obama' - and Congress

The conservative Washington Times criticizes Obama for making America weaker in 2011.

On the other hand, National Public Radio ran a story yesterday claiming After A Year of Struggles, Obama Finds His Footing.  One note in his favor after a very hard year is that his poll numbers have risen a bit since the battle with House Republicans over the bill to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits for another two months.  Gallup: Obama's approval rating at 5-month high

Obama has been putting a lot of the blame on Congress - more specifically Republicans in Congress for not being willing to compromise.  As the New York Times reports this morning, running against Congress will be a part of his election year strategy.

Was Congress that bad?  Well, I might be biased, but I think the polls showing the approval rating for Congress at about 12% tell us a lot.  NPR also ran a very interesting story asking experts to evaluate the job Congress has done in the past year.  This Year In Congress: Much Drama, Little To Show

How would you evaluate the job the President and Congress have done?

News of Interest from Dec 24

Some news stories that caught my attention:

Justice Dept. Cites Race in Halting Law Over Voter ID

By CHARLIE SAVAGE

The department said a new South Carolina law that would require voters to present photo identification would disproportionately suppress turnout among eligible minority voters.

Obama Challenges Provisions in Budget Bill

By CHARLIE SAVAGE

When President Obama signed a budget bill on Friday, he issued a signing statement claiming a right to bypass dozens of provisions that placed requirements or restrictions on the executive branch, saying he had “well-founded constitutional objections” to the new statutes.

The Death of a Tyrant - Kim Jung-il

Only the second leader of communist North Korea, Kim Jung-il died yesterday at age 69.  Most believe he will be succeeded by his son, Kim Jung-un.  The first leader of communist North Korea was Kim Jung-il's father.

University of Arizona to Open Civility Institute - NYTimes.com

University of Arizona to Open Civility Institute - NYTimes.com

http://nicd.arizona.edu/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june11/publicmedia_01-13.html?print=

Notice here, one simple example.  Republican Senator Lindsay Graham refers to Obama's new regulatory agency as "something out of the Stalin era":

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Michael Jackson's doctor sentenced

From NBC news:

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He was convicted of manslaughter defined as: the unlawful killing of a human being without malice.

Was justice done in this case?