Climate change catastrophe

The United Nations Climate Change Summit currently taking place in Copenhagen has been hyped up since the start of the year as what would amount to the next critical step in helping the environment. Over the last week, however, the Summit has been hampered by a series of missteps: African delegates walking out of proceedings; protesters breaking into the chambers; thousands of un-green limos used to transport a limited number of delegates; and today the President of the Summit stepping down.

Much like its mother organization, is the Summit becoming quickly obsolete? Is it becoming apparent that the United Nations, bogged down in bureaucracy, has bequeathed to the Summit a set of procedures which do a disservice to the environmental needs of the globe?

An open letter to a New York State Senator

Dear Senator,




It is with great shame and disappointment that I write you. Your actions yesterday regarding the Senate marriage equality vote are abhorrent and instigate a culture of fear and hatred for millions of Americans. The need for a separation of church and State is especially troubling, given that the basis for arguing against the equality vote resides in the religious definition of marriage. The Bible should stay out of the legislative process, as should personal convictions. As Senator, you have a fiduciary trust to represent the people of your district, not those that lobby you the hardest. As Senator Savino so eloquently alluded to, religious institutions may do what they like with marriage but the civic institutions must not preclude unions.

The annals of history will not look at these times favorably. When future generations speak of this issue, your name will certainly fall in the same breath as George Wallace, Jefferson Davis, Nathuram Godse, James Earl Ray and the countless others who would stand in the way of equality, subjugating a portion of the populace to live like second class citizens. In a time not so far removed from the great civil rights struggle of the 1950s, it is disheartening that our elected officials would not learn from history. Perhaps this is the fault of those who placed their trust in you, but rest assured that the next election will certainly wake you up to the real opinion of your constituents, not the fringe groups you so ardently serve.

Kars-4-WHO

We have probably all heard the jingle on the radio for the charity Kars-4-Kids, which claims to use car donations towards rehabilitation for children in need. Recently, however, attorneys-general offices in Pennsylvania and Oregon have found that the charity isn’t all it claims. According to tax returns, all funds raised by the organization have been funneled to a group which promotes the education of children in Jewish heritage. The ad also claims to give free vacations for those who do donate their cars. These vacations have turned out to be a ploy for timeshare opportunities.

Given that regulations on charities are different state-by-state, is this simply an issue of caveat emptor? Or, on the other hand, should the state get involved to protect those who might want to donate to charities?

Intelligence treasure-trove

Former Justice Department official John Yoo argued in this week’s Wall Street Journal that holding the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the U.S. will amount to an “…intelligence bonanza for al Qaeda”. The crux of his argument stems from the need for full disclosure of evidence during a trial, including U.S. intelligence methods and sources. KSM and his co-defendants will be afforded the same Constitutional rights as resident aliens, including the full disclosure clause. Yoo also cites the trial of Z. Moussaoui, and the way lawyers were able to string along the trial for four years. This created a forum for him to air his anti-American grievances, and gave al Qaeda critical information on who the Government saw as threats to national security.

Barring one’s personal opinions on whether or not the trial should be held in the U.S., is Yoo’s argument sound? Does the trial represent an intelligence flub when taking judicial procedure into account?

Being perfect

A recent BBC documentary, “My Supermodel Baby”, reveals that airbrushing is a pervasive practice among magazine companies, particularly those dealing with babies and infants. Is the ideal of perfection becoming obscene, or are magazine companies simply looking after their product?

STD rates among U.S. teens

The CDC released a report saying that the U.S. has among the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in the developed world, especially among those aged 15-24. Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, the three big curable diseases, have all risen significantly in the past year. In addition, the CDC claims that over 19 million new infections take place each year, half among the teenage sector.

John Douglas of the CDC states that "…we haven't been promoting the full battery of messages…we have been sending people out with one seatbelt in the whole car." This allusion to the policies of the previous decade begs the question: how well is abstinence-only education working? What policies should be in place to prevent the resurgence of STDs, especially among the younger generation?

National UN Peacekeepers

Ciudad Juarez, one of the most dangerous places in the world, has a murder rate of 7 people per day. It is embroiled in a cataclysmic drug war which, although violent, is an issue of national security for the Mexican Government. While the Government has sent troops to the area to quell violence, local businesses are not content with the progress made. They are requesting that the United Nations send in peacekeepers to facilitate an end to the conflict.

Chapter VII of the UN Charter clearly states that all matters involving peacekeeping forces must be international in nature. In fact, the UN was created upon the basis of State sovereignty being held in highest regard. Although the nature and definition of peacekeeping has changed over the past decades, the preeminence of sovereignty has not. Has the UN gone too far in allowing peacekeeping forces to deal with national matters, thereby stretching its already thin budget? Should it focus its attention to matters of an international concern? Is the UN trying to do too much, with too little?