In a reproach to President Bush’s administrative and supposed “anti-terror” policies, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba deserve habeas corpus. In order words, the detainees must know the reasons they are being held. Furthermore, the prisoners have the right to appeal to U.S. Civilian Courts to challenge their indefinite imprisonment without charges. Of course, President Bush disagreed with the Courts’ decision and even suggested the he may seek further laws that could keep terror suspects detained in various prison camps, as his lame duck presidency comes to an end. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has repudiated his executive decision on Guantanamo Bay several times, our great President seems to not get the clue of what the American people truly wants.

Writing the opinion of the court, Justice Anthony Kennedy said “The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times." As if anyone was shocked, Justice Antonin Scalia dissented in saying "this will make the war harder on us. It will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed." I disagree with Scalia’s comments and believe the reason so many Americans are being killed is because the Bush administration fallacies on terrorism. Not only do they bring misleading notions to the forefront, they take hundreds of people, detain them, torture them, and act as if there hands are clean because they put them on a naval base not directly on U.S. territory. Furthermore, hundreds of prisoners were released because lack of evidence, but this torture camp was still active. Our government continues to have “bloody hands” and I am glad the U.S. Supreme Court came to this deeply divided decision.  

Bush has argued the detentions are needed to protect the nation in a time of unprecedented threats from al-Qaida and other foreign terrorist groups. The president said Thursday, "It was a deeply divided court, and I strongly agree with those who dissented." He said he would consider whether to seek new laws in light of the ruling "so we can safely say to the American people, 'We're doing everything we can to protect you.' If the administration were truly doing everything to protect the American people, it is my belief that we would not be in this predicament in the first place. Doing everything you can to protect the American people would be to actually investigate and find people who are harming American values, not to find anyone who wears a head scarf and “looks like a Muslim,” whatever that may mean.

Chief Justice John Roberts criticized the decision of the court for striking down what he considers “the most generous set of procedural protections ever afforded aliens detained by this country as enemy combatants.” I am so sure that the prisoners detained are thanking the United States for the generosity our government has given them, especially when they use interrogation tactics, a.k.a. torture tactics that they pretend don’t exist.

Either way, I have not been to thrilled with recent decisions of the Supreme Court (mainly Baze v. Rees), but I am pleased to know that the Court decided to grant habeas corpus rights to the detainees held at Guantanamo Bay and recognizing a rule of law established hundreds of years ago – the right for a court to determine whether a prisoner is being detained lawfully.

For reference: Senator Barack Obama was in support of the Court’s decision, while Senator John McCain expressed his disapproval of the Court’s decision

Majority Opinion: Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter, John Paul Stevens, and Stephen Breyer

Dissenting Opinion: Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito

Grapevine High School senior, Anjali Datta, holds the highest grade point average of her 471 person graduating class. Unfortunately, she will not receive the esteemed recognition of being the class valedictorian. Why you may ask – because she had the audacity to graduate high school in 3 years, instead of the 4 years, as indicated in the school district’s policy. As encouraged by guidance counselors, Datta started taking high school courses in middle school and was assured that if she had the highest grade point average, then she would be named valedictorian.

Although Datta’s grade point average of 5.898 is the highest of the school’s 103 year history, it is not enough to name her valedictorian, which brings a one-year college scholarship. Her closest competitor, Tyler Franklin, is graduating with a 5.640, which is a great accomplishment, but in no comparison to Datta’s. Ironically, there is no argument over who has the highest grade point average numerically; the disagreement is over something entirely different.
 

The school district’s policy states: “The valedictorian shall be the eligible student with the highest weighted grade-point average for four years of high school." The question for administrators is whether this means four calendar years of the students’ attendance, or completing the credits that should take students’ four years to earn? My answer definitely falls on the latter of the two.
 
While Franklin’s grade point average is incredible, it does not surpass that of Datta’s. Personally, it is sending a wrong message to students who want to do exceedingly well. I certainly understand that something could occur in her fourth year of school that would make her coursework suffer, but I seriously doubt that would deter her from her studies. People are writing on web logs saying “she needs to get a life,” “her parents are pressuring her,” or my personal favorite, “she needs to stop whining because she was not involved in anything else, but schoolwork.” Although someone balancing schoolwork, a social life, and extracurricular activities are admirable, like Franklin, the title of valedictorian is strictly about the highest grade point average. It is not about popularity – there are already superlatives for that. She is a phenomenal student and should be recognized as such. Did I forget to mention that she is being honored with an award for having a perfect ACT score as well?

Anjali’s father, Deepak Datta, was outraged when he heard of the news. "I have not heard of any educational institution penalizing a student for excellence – for completing a demanding set of classes 'too quickly,' " he said.”Anjali's experience will surely send a strong negative signal to other talented students trying to excel."

What makes this so sad to me is it seems that bureaucratic high school policies are more important than academic excellence. As said before, Franklin did an amazing job and should be recognized with the salutatorian title, but this policy should be revisited in case someone else does great work and graduates in three years. I wonder what would happen if a student with disabilities needs an extra year to get credits and earns the highest grade point average – would they receive the coveted valedictorian title? It does not appear so.

According to a recent study published in Proceeding of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, a mother’s diet can determine the gender of her child. Fiona Matthews and a team of scientists wanted to test if a certain foods would impact the woman’s offspring. Matthews and her colleagues asked 740 first-time mothers who did not know the gender of their baby, to provide detailed records of eating habits before and after the pregnancy. Depending on their calorie intake, the women were split in three categories.

"This research may help to explain why in developed countries, where many young women choose low calorie diets, the proportion of boys is falling," Mathews said.

The link between a rich diet and male children may have an evolutionary explanation. This could eventually lead to a process of “natural” gender selection, which to some, can be a major problem. Personally, it is not such a problem unless the woman is putting herself and the child in danger. Someone purposely giving birth to either a boy or a girl is never a good thing. But, “to each their own,” I say. I have learned that everyone has their own reasons for doing particular things, and I am certainly not the one to judge.

"I still have trouble sleeping some days," Erin Sheehan said. "It really does bother me because I still understand I could have been killed so easy, and there is no explanation why I wasn't.”

The statement above is from a student who was in her German class when Seung-Hui Cho opened fire on the professor and fellow students. It really saddened me to read her testimony. I could not imagine what I would do in their situation. It is something that many college students typically do not expect to happen, so there is really no preparation for it. "

The gunman entered my room. He shot my German teacher and then proceeded to shoot the students in the classroom pretty thoroughly," she said. Sheehan was only one of four students in the room not to get shot. She jumped on the floor and remained quiet while Cho went on his rampage. "I thought if I played dead then he hopefully would think I was already hit."

In remembrance of Virginia Tech, thousands of items (flowers, cards, condolence books, etc) have been sent to the Hokie Community. The archivist, Tamara Kennelly, is responsible for documenting how everyone beyond the campus dealt with the tragedy, when the world was joined by four words: "We are all Hokies."

I really hope all colleges and universities continue to send their condolences to Virginia Tech. This is a horrific tragedy that could have occurred anywhere. I admire the strength and optimism in the students at Virginia Tech.  They continue to be passionate about their school and this unfortunate incident showed how strong they truly are.

I would just like everyone to please remember that this could happen at any university. Let us all remember the victims and wounded individuals of any mass shooting. We are all Hokies.

A birth control pill for men is now a reality. You have read this right. An international consortium of physicians has revealed that the pill is a “safe, effective, and reversible” contraception for men. Gentlemen, don’t forget to take your pills once a day, or else a mishap may occur.

The preparation includes progestin, a key ingredient found in women's birth-control pills. It appears to function in an analogous fashion for men, suppressing "both rate and extent" of sperm production. Some men say they are ready for more participation. I guess using a condom is not enough and that is for the people who make the right decision to use one.

I have to be honest. I do not think I would ride this bandwagon of using this “male birth control” pill. I would be willing to take it but not enthused about it. Personally, I feel bad for women when they have to remember to take the pill everyday and if they forget, let’s not think about what could happen. If I am in a deeply committed relationship, I guess it would have to be some kind of compromise of course. I think there are enough preventive methods from contracting diseases; it is a matter of outreach and educating everyone on what measurers they can take.

General David Petraeus, the man commanding the Iraq War, called Tuesday for an open-ended suspension of the United States withdrawals this summer, arguing that an immediate withdrawal would destroy security “gains,” according to the Associated Press.

Gen. Petraeus told a Senate committee that he recommends a “45-day period of consolidation and evaluation.” This will happen once the extra combat forces that President Bush ordered to Iraq last year have completed their pullout in July. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Petraeus described the security situation in Iraq as improved since he last appeared before Congress this past September. President Bush is expected to accept Petraeus’ recommendation.

It bothers me slightly that Gen. Petraeus understands that we are in a predicament and will “pause” our mission in Iraq, but will not pull our troops out. I will honestly admit, it is an idealistic thought to want ALL of the troops withdrawn. In a perfect world, I would want this to happen as well. However, since we do not live in a perfect world, the best method is to withdraw troops in increments. Instead of taking this pause, I wish we could somehow admit that we went into this war for essentially no reason. Oh yes, I forgot, it was to fight the evil terrorists. Either way, I hope this means the United States are a step closer to realizing that we lost 4,000 troops for nothing.

I knew that would get your attention. Sorry to deceit, but the government actually expects gasoline to peak at $3.60 a gallon. These rising gas prices will force many Americans to reconsider traveling this summer.  According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), high prices and a weak economy are expected to cut demand for gasoline by about 0.4 percent during the peak summer driving season. The government previously predicted that gasoline prices were supposed to peak at $3.50, but many analysts believe prices will rise higher than the EIA’s last estimate.

Ironically, or not so much, while prices of gas prices are consistently increasing in the United States, they remain stable in China, India, Russia, and the Middle East. I could easily offer many criticisms on what the government should be doing to solve this problem, but for some reason, I think we all know that answer.

Photo courtesy discoverblackheritage, used under a creative commons license

Today is the 40th anniversary of the tragic assassination of the beloved Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. I hope that we can all take time and remember all the great things that he has done for this society; a society that sometimes seems unwilling to change the status quo. It is imperative that we never forget his general teachings. Dr. King not only fought for civil rights, but humanity of all. Although 40 years have passed, I still cannot believe that we had a man who believed in a cause so much that he died for it.

Martin Luther King Jr showed so much passion and committment to equality, and if he never stood up for civil rights, I don't know where we would be today. In honor of his 40th anniversary, people will be gathering in Memphis to march for the legacy of Dr. King. May his words continue to inspire us and may his “dream” continue to motivate us to do what is right for our family, friends, and ourselves.

I am incedibly thankful for those before us that have sacrficed their lives so that the things we are doing today are possible. When you think about it 40 years is not that long ago... We have definitely come a long way.

Approximately three weeks from now (on April 16th), flashbacks from where we were sitting during the shootings of Virginia Tech will be remembered. As a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Co-ed Honor Fraternity, I will have to re-visit this tragedy because one of our members was shot in cold-blood by Seung-Hui Cho. Although I am sad when I hear about this, I mourn for the family members of the victims of this horrific event.

Those close to the victims of the Virginia Tech mass shooting offered mixed reactions yesterday to a proposed multimillion-dollar state settlement and whether it would properly honor their loved ones. Personally, I am sure that no amount of money will heal their hearts every April 16th, Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

Families of the victims will have until this Monday to say whether they will accept the settlement, which amounts to $100,000 to representatives of each family. Under the proposal, students who were wounded can also expect money. I guess I can understand why someone is receiving money, but I don’t know how the state or even administrators at Virginia Tech are expecting the family members to feel. Twenty-two families have filed notice with the state that they may sue. They have until April 16th to file, which I am sure is the last thing that they are thinking about this day.

In exchange for accepting the proposal, family members would give up the right to sue the state government, Virginia Tech, the town of Blacksburg, Montgomery County, and the New River Valley Community Services Board. It sounds to me that the state government is only worried about covering themselves. If I am wrong, I wish someone would enlighten me. This is disappointing that after the worst tragedy in college history, people will not take time to worry about the victim or their family.

Well, I know this won’t probably help at all, but I have to say it . . . I am with you.

There are many reasons I am against the death penalty. First, it is a violation of the Eight’s Amendments cruel and unusual punishment. The death penalty is a clear hypocrisy to the original purpose of our justice system, which is to rehabilitate. Why would a state kill their own people to prove that killing other people is wrong? The idea in and of itself is preposterous. Secondly, the death penalty repeatedly proves itself to be racist, discriminatory to the poor, and a system that has convicted the innocent. Statistics have shown that racial bias exists in the application of the death penalty, including the fact that although over 50% of murder victims are Black, over 83% of the victims in death penalty cases are White. Unfortunately, there are cases in which mentally ill patients are on death row and have been executed. One of the most critical cases that can set precedent for the Supreme Court is Panetti v. Quarterman (2007). Although I severely disagree with the actions of Panetti, I am a believer in equal justice and human rights in the legal system.

Scott Panetti has been hospitalized 14 times in 6 institutions for symptoms of schizophrenia, manic depression, auditory hallucinations, and paranoid delusions marked by religiosity. He is responsible for murdering his estranged wife parents and holding her and their daughter in hostage. Before his capital murder trial, he decided that his attorneys were part of a conspiracy against him and insisted on representing himself in court. Dressed in a purple cowboy outfit, Panetti came into the courtroom rambling incoherently and “preaching the gospel.” During trial, he attempted to subpoena John F. Kennedy, Jesus Christ, Anne Bancroft, and many other “witnesses.” I cannot believe the judge even let this continue. He was clearly showing that he had no clue what was happening and all of these problems were ignored. When asked did he know why he would be executed, he replied, “. . . they say it’s because of the murders, but I know it’s because they [the state] does not want me preaching gospel in prison . . .” Apparently Panetti never showed a clear sign of competency from the beginning.

Just make the decision yourself, which I hope its the progressive one... Part Four.

Earlier I mentioned that there were four series of "trials" that we had against the cruelty of the death penalty. Through each one, the opponents of the death penalty offer valid reasons of why the death penalty should be abolished: it's racist, classist, convicts the poor, it's cruel and unusual, and there is NO sign of deterrence.

Just make the decision yourself, which I hope its the progressive one... Part Three.

Earlier I mentioned that there were four series of "trials" that we had against the cruelty of the death penalty. Through each one, the opponents of the death penalty offer valid reasons of why the death penalty should be abolished: it's racist, classist, convicts the poor, it's cruel and unusual, and there is NO sign of deterrence.

Just make the decision yourself, which I hope its the progressive one.

From March 10th-14th, the Texas Students against the Death Penalty and Campus Progress has an Alternative Spring Break entitled "The Anti-Death Action Penalty Conference." This conference brings many students from around the nation to protest, lobby, and develop plans on how to get the death penalty abolished. I had the pleasure of attending this conference, and it was a life-changing event. I always knew I was against the death penalty morally and holistically, but now I have the information to present in front of proponents.

As part of this Action Camp, we were visited with people who have a family member on death row, and also victims' family members. This was a rewarding experience to hear people who witnessed a crime and still oppose the racist and classist death penalty.

Four videos will be uploaded throughout the week when we were on the Capitol Hill steps putting the death penalty "on trial." Here is part one of the video.

Good Afternoon Representative Kern. My name is Preston Mitchum and this email is in regard to the disrespectful and discriminatory remarks about the homosexual community.

I am offended by your rude remarks about the homosexual community and believe you should apologize immediately. As a State representative, you are supposed to be of integrity, intelligence, motivation, and perseverance. I cannot believe that you uttered hatred words about GLBT's. I am sure there are other issues that State representatives and members of Congress can worry about, besides sexual orientation. For instance, the wiretapping bill, the Iraq War, issues with Guantanamo Bay, etc. You made really harsh comments and I for one am deeply offended.

Comments such as: "Studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it's the death knell of this country." Additionally, "I honestly think it's the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam, which I think is a big threat." 

If you believe homosexuality poses more of a threat than terrorism, you should reconsider your position. God forbid (yes I said God) that someone is gay or lesbian. I would hate if they touched you because I hear that this "disease" is contagious. Furthermore, I am bothered that you are an educator. Excuse me for assuming, but I hope you are not telling children that homosexuality is an abomination. This will force children to hate the GLBT community and whether you believe it or not, they  are not born to hate. They grow up in a society that teaches them that homosexuality is wrong and believe it so much, they murder other children who are comfortable enough to “come out.” Case in point - Lawerence King -a 15-year-old Junior High School students that was shot in the head for being openly gay.

To make it worse, you also compare being gay to "toe cancer." How can a woman with such stature, be so unkind to a group of individuals who were born into a lifestyle? Why would one person choose to be gay and ridiculed by people in high positions like you? No one questions why you are a straight woman, and therefore, you have neither the right nor authority to question another's sexual orientation.  

Our nation is supposed to be progressive and dedicated to improving the lives around us. Progressives believe that narrow self-interest should not be what defines America. Something that the Center for American Progress mentions on their website is that a progressive is NOT: naïve, short-sighted, narrow minded, selfish, arrogant, and xenophobic. I can only hope that today's youth listen to your comments and get as offended as I am and writes numerous emails. There are no facts behind your words. It is simply frustration for an opinion that will never be changed.  

Honestly, I appreciate the work you are doing as a State representative, but this in no way overweighs your criticism of the homosexual community. I am personally disappointed that we have representatives speaking for constituents, especially if they are as discourteous as your words.

Attention all college students: Do you think you wish you had more time to text, surf the web, and explore the new phenomenon of G-MAIL chat? Apparently some higher education administrators want the same things for you and Abilene Christian University is taking the initiative in assuring this happens (for the freshmen at least). Best thing about this now is you can do it in the classroom.

 "We are not merely providing cutting-edge technology tools to our incoming students," said Roberts. "We are also providing the web applications that ensure these tools will become critical to the students' learning experience. Because 93 percent of ACU students bring their own computers with them to college, we are choosing to take them to the next level by providing converged mobile devices."

This is what can be termed interruption at its finest. It is admirable that colleges and universities want to provide their students with the best “cutting-edge” media and tools possible, but what happened to laptops. The university claims that 93 percent of ACU students bring their own computers from home; therefore, I am having a difficult time understanding why they would use that cutting-edge tool and not use money from tuition to purchase these devices. According to Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen, ACU provost . . . “research will be ongoing as we expand the program in the future." A university administrator said students can receive/answer online surveys, get homework alerts and even take quizzes. Wow! How cool. Everything you can do on a compute/laptop, except in a mini-version. I wonder if this has anything to do with raising applicant numbers, but I won’t step over that cynical line though. Not yet anyways.

I wonder how privileged these freshmen will feel after they will receive their great technology. For some reason, however, I am not sure if it will make much of a difference. Speaking to my fellow students around me, we do not feel any less “technologically-challenged” because of the lack of an iPod or iPhone. Thank you though ACU. We, the upper-classmen appreciate your concern for how we get our homework, surveys, and above all, tools for the future.

In response to criticism from Sen. Clinton that her rival was only about delivering good speeches, not solving problems, Sen. Obama responded “Don’t tell me words don’t matter. ‘I have a dream.’ Just words? ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.’ Just words? ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words? Just speeches?” This statement caused an immediate reaction from the crowd. One problem, the Clinton’s were listening. Not trying to make a mistake like her earlier campaign managers, Howard Wolfson, recognized these words two years ago, from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s 2006 campaign. Mr. Wolfson said it was important for voters to realize that Obama’s rhetoric, in this case was not original.

Afterward, Obama was asked were these accusations correct. He replied that they are and that he and Gov. Patrick “trade ideas all the time.” Furthermore, he notes that he should have referenced him, but he doubted that voters were concerned by the dust-up. Gov. Patrick was asked how he felt about Sen. Obama uses his words, and he confirmed that they were good friends who trade ideas and words all the time. Should the public then be worried about this plagiarism if the person who originally said it doesn’t mind? Apparently some think so.

All in all, maybe calling it plagiarism is going a bit too far or perhaps not. Is Sen. Obama using the “rhetoric” of his political friends to gain votes, or is this just a tactic for Sen. Clinton to win states, since she has lost the previous eight? I would offer my opinion, but you hear enough of them. I am interested in finding out what everyone thinks.

Being located in Washington, D.C. this semester, I have become semi-infatuated with politics. I have always had a strong interest in the matter, but never realized how much I loved it until this semester. Thank goodness I had this realization three months before graduation. At any rate, this atmosphere is amazing. There are so many political rallies, fundraisers, and events to support “your” candidate. Today is February 12th and I thought this blog would be about the Potomac primaries, or as some would call the good ol’ crab cake primaries. Unfortunately for most, it is not. It is about the CRUEL, HYPOCRITCAL, and CONTRADICTORY treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba.

In case no one knows what is going on . . . the tragic attacks of September 11th struck fear in the eyes of many Americans, especially in the Bush administration. Thereafter, the Patriot Act was passed as well as doing away with anything to make our country feel “safe” inside our borders. I do not really think anyone would disagree that an event similar to this could reoccur, but many of our actions reached an all-time low. Muslims were constantly harassed for wearing a hijab, or for having the courage to not make the switch to an Americanized version of their last name. Later, the Bush administration did the un-thinkable. They arrested people who had some kind of a connection with Osama Bin-Laden, or ones that they thought did. I am not naïve, so I am fully aware that some of these detainees had something to do with attacks, but definitely not all of them. As a matter of fact, hundreds of prisoners have been released, but that does not get mentioned. On television, the detainees who are actually “guilty” of committing an atrocity are the only ones who get mentioned. In Rasul v. Bush (2004) and Boumediene v. Bush (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that the United States had jurisdiction and although Guantanamo Bay is a Naval Base in Cuba, the United States has to give habeas corpus rights to detainees.

Years later, however, the United States disagrees. Ironically, newly-appointed Attorney General discussed water boarding and essentially said it is not a practice of torture. I would love to see someone pour excrements on his face and see how much he loves it. Okay, I am done venting now. Today, I was reading the newspaper and go figure, six Guantanamo detainees were charged in connection with terror. Take a wild guess by whom . . . “our” administration. No need to restart the computer because you have read this right.  How ironic is it that the United States do not want to grant habeas corpus rights to detainees at Guantanamo Bay because they feel they do not have the proper jurisdiction, but turn around and charge and want to persecute someone found guilty?

Today is probably one of the best days ever. No, it is not my birthday. I still have 26 more days until that great day. Today is SUPER TUESDAY, or as I call it “Nerve-wracking Tuesday.” Although I love today, it is arguably one of the most stressful days. And not just for the candidates. The news is filled with whom to vote for, exit polling data, number of delegates to win the nomination, and of course, the ever-so-popular super delegates.

Sometimes I wonder why we even have national primaries, or a day that is geared toward finding out the Democratic or Republican nominee, when we may not know until one month later who will be representing “us.” Four years ago, Senator John Kerry clinched the Democratic nomination on March 2nd – the earliest day in modern times – with a succession of Super Tuesday primary victories. In 2000, George W. Bush and Al Gore clinched their party’s nomination in March 14th. What I am saying is, there will probably not be a clear front-runner. Of course, I have been wrong in the past, but the results are still exciting to watch for the day. The Republicans will probably have more of an idea of a nominee because some of their states have an “all or nothing,” delegate process. The Democrats, on the other hand, typically split up their delegates, making it harder to be determined.

I bet McCain is extremely excited right now. It will probably take a miracle for Huckabee, Paul, or even Romney, to pull the rabbit out of the hat. It may take Obama or Clinton a while to reach a majority (50% + 1) of the delegates. If this is the case, I anticipate the great state of Ohio cannot wait to cast their vote on March 4th. As we can all see, anything is possible with the election. I just hope it doesn’t drag all the way into conventions. No matter what happens, just make sure to GET OUT AND VOTE!!!