Social Chat

I read this ARTICLE yesterday about a conference at Stillman College in Alabama on the topic of the “N” word. I must admit this seems quite intriguing. Apparently the conference is hoping to educate younger people to the history of the word and engage in a debate regarding whether or not it’s ok to use derivatives of the word in everyday speech. I’d be interested in reading results from the conference creators, especially if they were surveying the audience about the use of the word as well as other derivatives. What do you think? Should society condone the use of words very similar (the article uses the example of “nigga” instead of nigger)?

So, I’m sitting in Caribou Coffee Shop in Lake Geneva watching people drive their cars and trucks onto Geneva Lake. That could be a blog in itself. There is also a plane landing on Geneva Lake giving people rides (yes, the full-size airplane is landing on the ice and picking people up).

Anyway, the CIA is back in the news regarding their alleged participation in extraordinary renditions. Apparently, the agency kidnapped an alleged terrorist (or at least terrorist sympathizer) from Italy some time ago. Anyway, a judge has ordered several individuals (all who are either military or CIA) to stand trial in the kidnapping of this individual. Click HERE to read this article.

What’s going on with “Big Brother”? I’m beginning to get a bit paranoid while walking down the street (look out for the black SUV or van with the men in black). So now we’ve got allegedly 39 individuals who’ve been formally charged with kidnapping or at least conspiracy to kidnap. One has to wonder if our govt has always been doing this (and not been called on it) or if this is a new form of strategery. What do you think?

I found this ARTICLE and thought it might provoke some interesting comments. The article focuses on a the worlds oldest newspaper ceasing its paper publication beginning this past January.

I must admit I’ve never been much of a newspaper reader (I don’t like getting all the ink on my hands). I do read alot of news on the Internet, however. So what do you think? Is this a disaster? Do you think we need newspapers? If not, what about books (ebooks are becoming popular too). Let me know what you think.

I first heard this story last week on NPR (yes, I listen to NPR). I found this article on the topic and thought I’d blog about it. It sounds like a story out of a Tom Clancey Novel, but it’s actually a true story that is unfolding and involves our blessed USA.

The article involves the topic of extraordinary rendition, which is a procedure devised by the USA that involves the kidnapping of suspects allegedly involved in terrorism or supporting of such groups to countries other than the United States for imprisonment and interrogation (& more importantly torture). Suspects are taken to other countries to avoid US laws prescribing to such cumbersome things as due process and laws prohibiting torture. All this occurs while the USA has treaty agreements with many of the same countries against torture and the like.

So what do you think? Should our country be hopping around the globe snatching alleged terrorists? If so, under what conditions? Additionally, if we are to snatch people off the street, could we at least have the guts to bring them to the USA? Of course I guess that’s the only way we can “rationalize” torture or indefinite detainment. What do you think?