Social Chat

Today’s blog stems from an ARTICLE I found on CNN. The article focuses on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s current visit to the United States. Recall Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a man who has stirred up controversy both publically and privately.

Publically, he is president over a country that is arguably next on the USA’s hit list due to their alleged creation of nuclear weapons. Also the country has been a foe of Iraq for many years. Privately, Ahmadinejad has proposed that the Holocaust never happened.

My question is “Should we allow such a character into the US to give presentations at prestigious universities such as Columbia?

The ARTICLE I want you to check out this week focuses on the relationship between poverty and terrorism. The article is from a recent interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Here’s the main thing I’d like to hear each of you comment on: What’s the relationship between poverty and terrorism? More importantly, why does Tutu say we can never see an end to terrorism while extreme poverty still exists? I’ll read over your comments this coming week and make a general reply this coming weekend. See ya soon.

So I’m sitting at Panera Bread on this beautiful Sunday afternoon trying to craft my first blog for the semester. Nothing better than some java, sun, and blue sky to get the blogging juices flowing.

The ARTICLE here focuses on the professional football player Michael Vick and his recent dealings with the Federal government.

Recall Vick is a member of the Atlanta Falcons Football Team and had recently signed a multi-year and multi-million dollar contract with the franchise. Being the quarterback for the team, he’s also rec’d a lot of other lucrative endorsements that amount to no telling how much dinero. Still all that was evidently not enough…

Aside from his wealth and super-star status, Vick, admittedly became involved in yet another sporting event: dog fighting. This new endeavor has also proved profitable, but not for Vick. He’s the one now paying Fines, Atty Fees, and most probably restitution to the Federal Government for his involvement in dog fighting. This doesn’t even address the amount of money he may have to return to the Atlanta Falcons (and maybe his endorsers).

It seems one of Vick’s biggest problems was that he evidently owned the land where dog fighting and dog killing were occurring (oops). The question of whether or not Vick actually took part in the killing of these dogs is somewhat less certain (I believe he denies it, but others claim he did take part in the dog murders). And last, he’s been busted for wagering on the sport, which is evidently a “no-no”.

Now I must say I haven’t followed this story that close, but admit I’m a bit intrigued by it. Here’s the thing: How many people believe Michael Vick needs to spend prison time for his behavior? Don’t misunderstand I own two dogs (Finn and Champ actually consider themselves humans) myself but wonder if there might not be a better use for the 8×10′ cell. Still the killing of well over 50+ dogs is pretty bad. What do you think?

The article I’m blogging on today (which, by the way, is the last blog for the semester) focuses on immigration. Today, thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people have taken to street to call for illegal immigrants to be given citizenship.

There are numerous issues concerning our immigration policy (economic, security, humanitarian) and many groups deserve some blame for the problems we find ourselves in (immigrants themselves, the governement, society in general). Two questions:

Do you think individuals who are currently already in the USA should be given citizenship? Why/whynot?
To what do you attribute as the main problem regarding the immigration issue?

As i stated earlier, this is the last blog for the semester

As I figured, the debate on the name-game continues. This CNN article makes some interesting points with regard to the use of the word wetback when referencing Mexican Americans. At what point do we have double standards going on with such words? Moreover, should we simply begin firing all the talkshow hosts who use these terms (Sometimes I’d like to just fire the all regardless)? What do you think? Where does it all lead?

No surprise! This weeks blog focuses on the Virginia Tech U. Shooting. The ARTICLE I’m blogging on today focuses on safety techniques used/not used by universities. Here two questions:

How much security do we need at the university?
What are some things we could do to make the university more safe?

The following story is pretty interesting. Kevin Durant, an 18 year old freshman at the University of Texas at Austin recently announced that he will be entering the NBA June Draft. Now I’m just not sure this is a good thing? An 18 year old kid going into the NBA?

What do you think? If you think this is wrong, whose to blame?

If you think this is ok, what are the advantages (besides the $$)?

Click HERE to view what I think is a failry interesting video showing a police officer pushing a skateboarder into a rather large bunch of bushes. This video was recorded in Charlotte, NC where it is apparently against the law to skateboard on “public property”.

So, the police officer was suspended without pay for 10 days for her actions. What do you think? Was such an action appropriate? Let me know.

There will be no entries this week or next week. The next entry will be made March 31.

I saw this article on CNN and thought it was interesting. The conservative writer, Anne Coulter, referred to Edwards as a faggot at a recent talk in D.C. What do you think? Is this type of speech wrong for Coulter to use?