Kenneth Bae's capture in North Korea.

North Korea is once again in the news. Kenneth Bae, an American businessman, visited Rason, a town in North Korea and was arrested in November, on the charges of 'hostile activity' towards North Korea. The hostile activity has not been defined as of yet. Bae was allegedly helping orphans in the streets of North Korea. He was also allegedly leading a group of Chinese businessmen to North Korea. The motives of Bae to come to North Korea, one of the most reclusive, dangerous countries in the world, are unknown. North Korea released a message several days ago that it does not wish to use Kenneth Bae as a political bargaining chip. He was recently sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

I do not know what exactly Bae did to anger the North Korean government but it wasn't very wise of him to try to step foot into North Korea anyways. This arrest could have easily been avoided if he didn't visit North Korea in the first place. In regards to North Korea arresting him, they are in no position to arrest an American citizen. We will do our best to get him returned to us.

In similar news: Dennis Rodman defiantly asks Kim Jong-Un to release Bae on his Twitter feed.

At the moment, I am putting my faith in Dennis Rodman's recent request. Seeing as he is so "friendly" with Un, maybe Bae will be returned to us.

Ricin attacks

In the midst of all the chaos in the aftermath of the Boston Bombings, two ricin letters addressed to Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker and President Barack Obama were intercepted in Washington D.C. at the off-site mail facility for the U.S. Capitol building. Each letter was mailed from Memphis, Tennessee and were tested positive for ricin at the place of interception. A third letter sent to a Mississippi judge was also discovered and tested positive for ricin. All 3 letters contained very similar language like: "No one wanted to listen to me before", "Maybe I have your attention now", "To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance" and finally "I am KC and I approve this message". Two suspects were arrested and one was released, on the grounds that he had been framed by the other suspect. Everett Dutschke was arrested on April 27, 2013 and charged with attempted use of a biological weapon. The suspect has faced molestation of three girls under the ages of 16 in 2007.

I applaud the Secret Service on the interception of these letters and the prevention of harm done to our President, a Senator and a judge. It is this kind of security that should be administered everywhere, not just on high ranking officials. Hopefully, the suspect will be convicted to a jail sentence, so he doesn't attempt to harm another human being.

The Boston Bombings Tragedy

On a Monday afternoon, April 15, 2013, 2 bombs exploded near the finish line in a Boston Marathon. America's original response was shock, as is usually the case with tragedies. The search began that day for the suspects in the bombings. For three days, there was no identification on the suspects other than a picture taken by a street camera the day of the bombings. The FBI had asked the public to help in identifying the suspects. On April 18, 2013, the FBI finally identified the two suspects as Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, thanks to the help of the public. After the two suspects were identified, the authorities (a combination of Boston Police, Swat team, and other enforcement) scoured the city, searching for clues and evidence as to where the two men may have run off too. A firefight engaged in the early hours of April 19, 2013 and the result ended with the death of Tamerlan, the older brother and the escape of Dzhokhar. The city of Boston was shut down for that day during the day-long manhunt and clues to the suspect were few. The suspect was finally found and captured, heavily bleeding in a boat in a suburban backyard and was immediately sent to a hospital.

I do not know how to react to such a devastating tragedy. Four months following the Sandy Hook tragedy, another tragedy occurs. It is believed that the two brothers were Islamic extremist, originating from Chechnya. I do not believe it is possible to prevent all extremist or psychopathic people from causing such tragedies. We cannot always provide enough evidence to convict any "suspicious" people. However, I do believe that those that are suspicious should be monitored. Therefore, what I do believe is possible is stronger security at any and all public areas and events. We do not necessarily need security guards or the army storming the streets. Video surveillance of public areas is sufficient enough. If it is possible, cities could recruit people to watch the surveillance at all times and shifts. However, if that is too much, video surveillance on its own is already useful in tracking down and identifying criminals quickly. If possible, undercover agents can roam the streets of large public areas and look for any suspicious characters. All in all, stronger measures of security and surveillance can and should be implemented nationwide, in order to prevent future attempts at mass destruction or murder.

Obama's struggle for gun control measures

This week, President Barack Obama visited Hartford, Connecticut to give a speech on his plans to get gun-control legislation passed. After the devastating Sandy Hook tragedy, gun control legislation has been a major debate in our nation. President Obama is currently fighting to get gun control legislation passed in Congress, however his main obstacle is convincing the unyielding Republicans in Congress. Republicans are currently working hard to prevent gun-control measures "from even coming up to debate". The threatened filibuster has so far been effective as 14 Republicans have vowed to block consideration of gun control. While Obama's promise of "common sense" gun control measures that would be fair to gun owners, the Second Amendment,  and the victims of mass-shooting tragedies seems a bit impossible (You can't please everyone), the Republican party has stubbornly refused to consider the gun control measures. 

Although Obama tries to show to the country that our nation is led by a unified Congress, I do not believe this is the case. To me, it is the same political shpeal that has been happening in the last decade. Republicans vs Democrats. Neither listens to the other. I believe the Republicans are being unfair in shooting down every single proposed idea that comes to them (even if this statement may be an exaggeration). All proposed bills should be considered fairly among the Houses and the Senate and there should be no "party bias". 

Whatever happened to the Guantanamo Bay promise?

Looking back on President Obama’s presidential campaign, he made many promises to the public. One major promise that has yet to be fulfilled is shutting down Guantanamo Bay. Recently, Guantanamo has been in the news due to a hunger strike, initiated by angry inmates since February. This hunger strike was meant to send a message to President Obama to follow through with his promise to shut down the controversial prison. The reason it has evaded being shut down for so long is because of the strong risks that it might pose on the American public. Congress has managed to add on to the original defense bill, which has made it more challenging to close down the facility. “Obama should muster the political courage to stand up to Congress on Guantanamo”. I disagree with the author of this article because I do not believe Guantanamo should be shut down at all. Instead of shutting down Guantanamo, it should be repurposed as a prison that abides by American law. All current and new perspective inmates, regardless of their crime, should be given a fair trial because America’s legal equality is what separates it from the enemies and the oppression in other places throughout the world.

North Korea: How long until they run out of threats?

The North Koreans are in the news again this week. This time, the North Korean government threatened to shut down a major factory complex that it jointly operates with the South Koreans. By doing so, the North Koreans shut down the last essential symbol for cooperation. “The fate of Kaesong is seen as a crucial test of how far North Korea is willing to take its recent threats against the South. Its continued operation was often seen as a sign that Pyongyang’s verbal militancy was not necessarily matched by its actions”. Indeed, the last few weeks have all seemed like North Korea was throwing empty threats at the United States and South Korea. By shutting down a complex that withstood generations of North Korean tensions, North Korea can possibly be taken seriously. Personally, I think North Korea has not yet proven to anyone that they are in any position to be threatening the United States and South Korea. We have no indication of successful nuclear weapons and I personally don’t think the North Koreans have a well-trained military to engage in warfare. Kim Jong Un does not know who he is dealing with and eventually he will go too far and not be able to recover. 

Middle East Relations: Should U.S. be involved?

In the news this week, President Barack Obama has started engaging in Israel-Palestine relations once again. However, the difference with past visits is the fact that Obama has started appealing to the young Israelis and Palestinians. The goal in his new campaign of peace is that the Palestinian and Israeli youth can convince their respective leaders to make compromise with the other nation on any variety of disagreement. “Speaking as a politician, I can promise you this: political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do…You must create the change that you want to see”. Obama is attempting to bring about a democratic approach to the rising tensions between the two governments. Personally, I think this is a wise move on Obama’s part. However, there is no guarantee that any peace between the two governments will hold. The Middle East is notorious for its constant tensions. Some may argue that it’s none of Obama’s business nor is it America’s business to partake in Middle Eastern problems. However, I believe Obama’s involvement in Middle Eastern tensions is vital because without an arbitrator with as much power as the United States, the violence in the Middle East will only escalate.

Hazing

This week, we began the topic of hazing. Surprisingly, hazing is very prevalent in fraternities and sororities today. Hazing often leads to injury and even death. It has been identified as criminal activity and many perpetrators have been punished. Suspects charged with felony hazing could have anywhere from 1-3 years in jail. This week, we focused on several articles about hazing as well as a movie called Haze. After reading and watching, I learned how drastic fraternity pledging is. Many freshmen hope to join fraternities/sororities to fit in and establish a name for themselves. They are willing to do whatever it takes to get into the fraternities/sororities even if it involves injury. Some freshmen join because their relatives had once been a part of the fraternity or sorority. Others join to simply fit in. And still others join because they feel without those fraternities, they can’t achieve success in the real world despite what grades or activities they have. As a Dartmouth Sigma Alpha Epsilon member puts it, “Having a 3.7 and being the president of a hard-guy frat is far more valuable than having a 4.0 and being independent when it comes to going to a place like Goldman Sachs. And that corporate milieu mirrors the fraternity culture”.

An often popular method of hazing a pledge is to force pledges to consume large amounts of alcohol in order to prove their worth. This is often what results to the serious injuries and deaths of pledges. Many pledges are left alone by fraternity members because they ‘don’t want to bother them’. These members are often afraid or not in the right state of mind to call an ambulance for the sick pledges. Many universities have programs called medical amnesty that allow students to call 911 for medical emergencies without fear of being punished by the school. This creates an atmosphere where more students are willing to call for help when they need it. However, universities are worried that this policy does not punish students who behave inappropriately.

Personally, I think hazing is a very serious issue facing the American youth. I think that kids are more likely to listen to their peers than adults. Their peers are often the ones that pressure them into doing stupid things. Fraternities are often to blame for incidents of pledge abuse, and I think universities should be working to eliminate these abusive behaviors. I believe that fraternities should continue to exist but without all the extreme hazing rituals implemented by the superior fraternity members. Though I do not know what previous generations went through in fraternities, I can assume it was not as serious as the rituals now. In conclusion, I think it is up to administrations, the students, the fraternities and the parents to prevent future tragedies from hazing.

Chicago Homicide Rates Falling?

Homicide rates have fallen across the country over the last 20 years but in Chicago, in 2012, there was an increase of homicides by 16%. Chicago historically has been known as a place of high crime. It has become so common, with an estimated 5 deaths a day, that local Chicagoans have become desensitized to hearing it on the news. According to the Washington Post, crimes have been drastically falling so far this year. “February saw a huge drop, with only 14 homicides reported, the lowest monthly total since 1957”. The Chicago Police Department credits this drop to their “saturation policing”, in which police units are more focused on high-crime zones. Up to 200 officers have been sent on overtime patrol in these zones. This “saturation policing”, or as criminologists call it “hot spot policing”, is a method still in effect in Chicago’s police department. However, most nationwide police departments use a method called “problem-based” policing, in which there are focuses on specific criminal activity (I.e. Drug dealing, gang violence, etc.) and try to incorporate government services in the process. The question is whether or not ‘police zoning’ is an effective tactic? I think it might be an effective solution to crime rates. Preventing crime in high-crime areas is important because of the higher volume of illegal activities. However, it is important to also police low-crime areas because crime can occur anywhere.

Dennis Rodman the Diplomat

A peculiar event took place this week, as news of former-NBA star Dennis Rodman’s visit to North Korea was publicized. Dennis Rodman had originally gone there to film a documentary of a North Korean basketball exhibition game along with three Harlem Globetrotters. Kim Jong-un met Rodman at the game and expressed his love for basketball. The leader then invited them to his palace for a party. Some speculate Kim Jong-un’s public meetings with Dennis Rodman are a way to hide his true intentions from the world. Kim told Rodman that he hoped their encounter would improve North Korea to American relations. However, it is most likely not one of his true goals to befriend the U.S. I think this event is more of a public stunt rather than a diplomatic meeting, as some people joke. In one trip, the mysterious North Korea was suddenly visited by a former NBA star who probably was unaware of what was going on around him. It just seems funny to me.

North Korea's threats to U.S.-South Korean military

North Korea continues to remain as the top news priority this week. The isolated country issued a warning by phone to a top U.S. commander stationed in South Korea. They promised that the commander’s forces would “meet a miserable destruction” if they continued training with the South Korean forces. This training is an annually-held series of defensive military exercises for the South Korean troops. In recent months, due to the growing tensions with the U.N., United States, China and South Korea, the North Korean government sees these military exercises as “rehearsals for invasion”. Seeing as North Korea hasn’t been very co-operative with the U.N. nor its Chinese ally, I don’t think North Korea is in any position to give any demands to the United States government.

The effect of North Korea's third nuclear test on Chinese citizens

The tensions between North Korea and China have escalated over the past week. Citizens in China have begun to put pressure on the Chinese government to rethink their relationship with North Korea. This week, after warnings from the U.N. and China not to launch a third nuclear test, North Korea announced that it had conducted its third test, roughly 100 miles from a Chinese town near the border. Chinese citizens felt a tremor on the morning of the test, which was measured by Chinese scientists to be at a 5.1 magnitude. It is unclear whether the test was in fact a nuclear test or an explosion designed to mimic a nuclear blast. Citizens in Yanji City feared that the Chinese government was lying to them about the radiation levels being normal. They feared that radiation might spread to their towns eventually. Citizens are asking the Chinese government to limit oil and food shipments to North Korea. I believe that the citizens are right because the North Korean government isn’t considering negotiations with any country or even the U.N. This could be dangerous to its neighbor countries and it might be beneficial for China to stop supplying them.

China's deteriorating relationship with North Korea

In recent events, China is extremely concerned about North Korean actions and rhetoric over the past few weeks. North Korea has threatened to launch a third nuclear test, which China has opposed. China fears that the once strong allied relationship between them and North Korea is becoming more and more strained. “China is the North's sole remaining major diplomatic and economic benefactor but has been showing signs of exasperation with its isolated neighbor”. A tabloid Chinese newspaper known as the Global Times suggests that the Chinese government be strong against North Korea. "If North Korea insists on a third nuclear test despite attempts to dissuade it, it must pay a heavy price”. The threat of the third nuclear test arose after the United Nations disapproved publicly of the December long-range missile launch. I believe North Korea should be heavily monitored as they might pose an actual threat to their neighbors. For years, it has been a very isolated, mysterious country and no one really knows what the North Koreans are capable of yet.

Reform plan on Immigration Policy

This week, President Obama has been discussing a new immigration reform policy. Obama hopes to provide a ‘path to citizenship’ for more than 11 million undocumented immigrants. Obama is trying to carry out a plan, crafted by the Senate, which requires undocumented immigrants to educate themselves, provide background checks and pay a penalty. The plan will also strengthen border control and security. The American Latino populations are not sure what to think of this plan. Obama had promised to focus on immigration policy as a first priority in his 2008 campaign, but it was never carried out. Now he hopes to get his policy implemented immediately in order to amend the legal immigration system. I believe that this is a good move for Obama because it helps both his approval ratings and the country’s future legal immigration system.