Fighting in Libya

Beginning this weekend, the United States and other allied forces have joined together in an effort to protect the rebellious civilians from Colonel Gadhafi and his Libyan forces.  This show of force comes weeks after many of the Libyan citizens began protesting the current government and demanding massive reform.  Their cries for change have been greeted with violence from Gadhafi. 

In early statements Gadhafi has claimed to be a patriot, fighter, revolutionary and a martyr.  He has vowed to burn the country to the ground before he would be willing to give up his reign.  He has held true to his words and continues to promote violence while protecting his power.

While the United States is not the only country committing troops to this action, President Obama’s actions have come under criticism at home.  Congressional members are questioning the president’s authority to commit troops to military actions without congressional approval.  Constitutionally speaking only Congress can declare war.  But is this war or is this military action required to halt an actual or imminent threat to civil liberties?  Presidents throughout our history have called the military to action without congressional approval when facing probable threats to the safety of individuals. 

The War Power Act of 1973 allows the president to utilize military force only when the United States in under attack or once Congress has voted to engage in war.  Every president since Nixon has questioned the War Powers constitutionality.  The president is constitutionally allowed to protect national security and protect and promoted the United States interest in foreign policy situations.

What are your thoughts concerning the United States and military action in Libya?  Do you think President Obama was justified in calling our military forces into action, or should he have asked for congressional approval first?  How would you like to see things end in Libya?

Tragedy in Japan

As people across the United States woke up on March 10, we were informed by the local, national, and cable news channels of the devastating earthquake which shook Japan and created a tsunami which made its way all the way to the coast of California.  The 8.9 earthquake was the fifth largest in recorded history and the biggest to ever shake Japan. 

The initial earthquake struck at 2:45 in the afternoon.  The epicenter was on the northeastern coast of the island nation.  Its effects were felt as far as Tokyo, hundreds of miles away.  The nation not only received substantial damage from the quake, its strength triggered a 23 foot tsunami.  The tsunami wreaked havoc on everything in its path including boats, cars, farmland, highways, airports, and rails. 

Japan continues to feel the aftershocks.  About every fifteen minutes aftershocks, some registering more than 6.0 on the Richter scale, have continued to disrupt the nation.

We are now many days past the event and the bad news continues.  In addition to surmising the devastation, thousands of people are still missing.  The death toll constantly increases as more people and bodies are discovered.  The people are without electricity, shelter, and basic necessities.  If you are lucky and have the means, you can wait upwards of five hour to purchase gasoline.

In addition, there is an ongoing threat of nuclear meltdown.  Japan has invested in nuclear energy to power its nation.  While a reasonable alternative energy source, it comes with concerns.  Those concerns are front and center in the cities across Japan as nuclear meltdowns become a possibility.    There have been multiple explosions within the plants.  The crews have worked diligently to prevent dangerous levels of radiation from being released in the air.

This story is far from over.  The death toll will continue to rise, the tragic tales seem to be endless, and while foreign and domestic aid will be there to help, it will be many years before Japan will be returned to it prominent state.

What have you heard about the earthquake in Japan?  How should the United States help the Japanese people?  What can we do here at St. Joseph’s to aid the people of Japan?

Idaho Education Reform

The most dominating story in our local news has to be the education reform bills proposed by Idaho Superintendent, Tom Luna.  The series of bills are intended to address to stagnant or even declining performance of our state’s school along with looking for ways to address budget issues.  The budget issues not only include reducing the total amount of money spent on education in the state, but further review where is the money best spent.

The highlights of the bill include increase the average class size across the state, reducing the number of teachers by over 700, and increasing the usage of technology in our education system by providing laptops access to high school students and requiring a certain number of classes to be taken on-line.

The proposals have caused uproar from parents, teachers, administrators, and students.  There are many questions about the research, rationale, and benefits from the proposal.  While most public debate has been civil, there have been a few acts of vandalism committed against Tom Luna and his family.  Most recently, high school students have organized walk outs from school to protest the bills.  While the pessimist would say the students left school for the sake of leaving school, the optimist says it is great to see students take an active part in their education.

What have you heard about education reform in Idaho?  What do you think about people’s reactions to the bills including the recent student walkout?  What do like about your education to date?  What do you think could be done differently to enhance your education?