Byron Otis-Senator Denies Obama Had Knowledge of Merkel Spying

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/28/politics/white-house-stopped-wiretaps/index.html?hpt=hp_t1


It has recently come to light that German president Angela Merkel has been the subject of some spying and wiretapping by the US. This puts the rock-solid relationship between Germany and the US in some jeopardy. Merkel has said in a statement that she had before conveyed to Obama that "eavesdropping among friends is never acceptable." Wiretapping on Merkel and the leader of Brasil has led to them both drafting a UN resolution to regulate electronic security.

I find it upsetting, not so much that we were wiretapping leaders of countries we're on good terms with (although that is disturbing), but that we're wiretapping leaders of countries we're on good terms with and the president doesn't know about it. I realize that the president is a human being and that he can't possibly be aware of everything that goes on under his command, but wiretapping, specifically the wiretapping of these powerful leaders, seems like the sort of large project he should be aware of. However, this article didn't make very clear how large of a project this spying was, and if it was very small, perhaps it's appropriate Obama didn't know about it. I can't imagine that WIRETAPPING ANGELA MERKEL could have been something so small Obama didn't need to be notified, though.

Sam Schwall 1st period- Theme Park Called 'Insensitive' For 'Miner's Revenge' Attraction

            I chose the article, Theme Park Called ‘Insensitive’ For ‘Miner’s Revenge’ Attraction, by Howard Berkes, posted on NPR.org. The story discusses a Halloween maze built in Doswell, Virginia based on a coal mine explosion. Many have taken offense to this attraction due to the death of 29 miners, in the Upper Big Branch coal mine, located around 300 miles from the park. Families of those lost have spoken out against the “Miner’s Revenge” attraction feeling that the park is profiting off of the death of those close to them. King’s Dominion theme park says that the maze doesn’t depict any specific situation, while the connection is very clear

            I believe that the theme park is wrong for creating something designed for “Halloween fun” with such a close connection to a real-life tragedy. The disaster happened extremely close to the park and not long ago, so depicting buried miners taking revenge on the “men who left them to die” is tasteless. As much as the park may deny, the attraction is too closely related to the actual issue to not be connected.

Little Boy Survives Hit and Run- Victoria Lennox 2nd Period

On October 26, 2013, 7-year-old Lorenzo Cantu hit by a truck. Lorenzo was at his grandfather’s house when he ran across the street with his dogs in West Dallas Saturday afternoon. Surveillance video shows that when Lorenzo ran back he was it by a pickup truck that kept going which left him in the street. Lorenzo survived and came home the next day to celebrate his 7^th Birthday that he missed because of the accident. Since being home, Lorenzo has had some trouble walking because his toes were run over, however, there were no broken bones, just bumps, bruises, cuts and scratches. Dallas Police are investigating the case. Family members burned a copy of the surveillance video for the officers. Lorenzo’s grandfather was able to blow up the pictures to get a better look of the truck. The car is a white Ford pickup truck with four doors, dual tires with fender flairs and a reinforced bumper on the front. Police are encouraging anyone with information to call them.

I think this story is so sad. What is wrong with people? I just don’t even see how it’s possible to run over a child and have the audacity to keep going leaving him helpless and vulnerable in the street. I think that people are becoming more and more insensitive to the people around them and becoming way to selfish. Our society needs one big reality check. Stories like this are outrageous and so unnecessary.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/23802622/boy-celebrates-birthday-1-day-after-being-hit-by-truck

Griffin Johnston, 4th period, "Woman carries wounded pit bull down mountain"

            Dorrine Mendoza, writing for CNN.com, reports on a woman and her daughter finding a badly wounded dog alone in the Arizona Mountains and carrying the dog safely down the mountain to safety. The mother, Andi Davis, found the black and white pit bull badly injured from bullet wounds, and fed the dog water before making the hour long hike back down the mountain carrying the 47-pound dog along with her. Once she descended the mountain, Andi took the dog to the Arizona Humane Society where veterinarians discovered multiple bullet wounds. The dog, named Elijah by the Davis family, was successfully treated and upon seeing the daughter “responded…as if ‘they had been best friends their whole lives.’ Elijah is know apart of the Davis home.

            In another recent article, scientists, by doing various MRI scans on canines, discovered that dogs have many of the same emotions to those of humans, more specifically children. Towards the end of the first article, Elijah responded to the daughter, Jessie (and most likely the mother as well), with love and compassion. This shows that dogs not only have some of the same emotions to those of humans (love, attachment, etc.), but they also know who shows them love and who does not. Being an owner of two dogs, it is heart breaking to see a dog suffer and be neglected, and heartwarming to see him/her saved and cared for by a loving family. It is important to always treat dogs with love and affection for they experience the same feelings we do. All life, whether they feel emotions or not, is sacred.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/us/arizona-woman-rescues-dog/index.html?hpt=us_t5

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/08/neuroscientist-uses-mri-scans-to-show-that-dogs-have-emotions-similar-to-humans/?intcmp=obnetwork

Deportations: missing parents, scared children~ Ashley Barnes 2nd

In this article, teenage kids came home to see that there father was missing. Eventually, they had realized that he had been deported. They managed to have some communication with their father, who assured them that everything was going to be okay. However, the man was still deported, leaving these two children homeless, and parent less. Their mother had been deported earlier. The teens are now living with a foster family  in Miami.

I believe that this article was written to serve as a realization to common people that deportations  effect people. It is something that is heard about very often, but not something that everyone experiences. In my opinion, I think that it was terrible for these two teenagers to come home to their father being gone. It's interesting to see how immigration acts have played out in America. We go from wanting vast amounts of immigrants, to closing doors and opportunities to people for a great amount of time.

cnn.com/2013/10/26/us/immigration-parents

Teacher Under Fire for playboy Spread: Devon Travis

A new spanish teacher in a magnet school in Dallas is now under controversy for once appearing in Playboy, online, for being "Coed of the Month" back in February of 2011. Parents have looked into her profile and Cristy Nicole Dewesse has been seen posing nude for Playboy. The school didn't have much comment on the matter, but Dallas ids's school policy says that "teachers must have good moral character." So the question is, does Dewesse have good character?

I think that this mistake posing nude TWO YEARS AGO should not have affected Dewesse this much. She has studied spanish and originally known that she wanted to be a spanish teacher, so I feel like the district could be more forgiving of her. A lot of people in America have made the mistake taking pictures minus clothes, and although it's technically morally wrong, the public should not have worked to get her fired. Now she will have trouble finding jobs because of one thing she did in her teens. I don't know, I just find it to be cruelly punished for something that happened before she even began teaching, but that's my opinion. How do you feel?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/spanish-teacher-posed-naked-playboy-fired-article-1.1487060 if you want more information on the topic ^^^^

Condoms in a Pediatricians office? Joan Milburn pd. 1

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/28/pediatricians-support-condoms-for-teens/?hpt=hp_t2

The question of whether to give teens condoms remains a controversial issue... but since doctor supervised condom distribution, as well as sex-ed and awareness.... teen pregnancy rates are declining. Not only do condoms help prevent teen pregnancy.... but also STD's and STI's. Although sexual abstinence is the best form of birth control and infection prevention, it is inevitable that teens will still have sex and it is best for them to be prepared.

Response
I think that condoms in a pediatricians office is a good idea. The earlier we educate kids about safe sex, the more they will know when it comes time for them to cross that threshold. Though I do not personally support sex at a young age, I'm not against it either... and it is indeed inevitable that frisky teens with continue sexual behaviors whether they are protected or not. I think better safe than sorry.