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.