9/11 2010

As everyone is aware, there has been a huge political shitstorm leading up to this year's 9/11 anniversary. All I have to say is let's remember those that so tragically lost their lives that day. This is not about where a mosque should or should not be built or the childish reactions of a hateful pastor in "Po-dunk" Florida. Michael Daly of the NY Daily Times sums it up gracefully:


"Ground Zero is a mosque.

It is also a church and a synagogue and a temple and an ashram on ground made holy by those of all faiths who died there.

The God of this hallowed place is the one to whom I heard even atheists appeal as the towers burned and innocents trapped in hell on high leapt to certain death"... read more.

How far have we really come?

Women's rights and social equality are very sticky topics today; in my opinion this topic is easily discounted and dismissed because the average person whether male or female will lump it in the category of "crazy lesbian feminism". I say there is a very deep rooted inequality in our culture that seeps through to modern culture even though the general consensus is that women now have the same opportunity as men; there is a similar comparison to the progression of equal rights for minorities, specifically civil rights.



I think it is healthy to examine the progression/lack of progression- as this will challenge complacency and laziness. Case and point: House republican Tom Price makes an obscene and appalling scene trying to shut out the Democratic Women's caucus. Unbelievable. Ostensibly, this childish attempt at censorship has other political implications but I won't open that can of worms.

Now compare that with the second video where muslim protagonists argue why "light beatings" are ok and human rights cannot refute what they interpret to be the final "truth" in the Koran. I have to say the comparison between the outburst on the House floor and the strain of thought in modern muslim cultures is very disturbing.

I ask myself how this is relevant to me today in my everyday life and I find it a hard question to answer. On the one hand I live a pretty comfortable life but in order to not regress we need to be critical of civil injustices that seep to the surface. My hope is that we can at the very least keep this debate from being buried and our generation can criticize and challenge the status quo.

N. Korean tension

North Korea is preparing for a missile launch and doing everything it can to make it happen. Two American journalists from Current TV (founded by Al Gore) reporting on North Korean refugees who fled inhumane conditions, were arrested and indicted on charges of "hostile acts" against the communist state. Details on nytimes.com.

All this amidst tensions surrounding North Korea's test launching for a long-range missile. The North claims this missile will carry a satellite and responded to Japan's order to shoot down any missile that enters Japan's airspace; North Korea will consider an interception as Japan waging war on the North. More on current tv. Another report on Bloomberg.com.

This is serious shit. All the while the North Korean people have absolutely no say in the matter. As much as the rest of the world looks down on this country, the real story is the injustice and inhumanity that goes on continuously at the cost of the people. It is not their fault they were born into the conditions they live in. And when reporters try to bring to light these realities, they are used as pawns to further a nuclear agenda by the North's government.

I wish the best for the two reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They don't deserve to be punished for engaging the world "in a discussion in a knowledgeable way". This segways into a discussion on the roles of a journalist. Check out this article on the Knight science journalism symposium on reportr.net.