Bronwen Vogel 4

International:
A sting of attacks continued today when fifteen Pakistani soldiers were killed in Lahore. It has been reported as the result of a suicide bomber attack. At least twenty-five other soldiers were wounded in their mess hall at Tarbela Ghazi military base. The unit of soldiers hit had taken part in a siege on the Islamabad's Red Mosque last July. The siege lasted a week and protected the capital from Taliban rule. In the siege and storm on the Red Mosque over 100 people died, but it did not stop there; there was a raid following that left dozens dead. Areas around the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan are said to be a lawless safe haven for the al Qaeda and Taliban.

When people say they wish President Bush would give the war a deadline I wonder if they have read stories like this. Not only did these people attack us in our own country, but they are also killing each other! This war should not be fueled by revenge, but by a desire to protect ourselves and our posterity, and to give the innocent in the middle east a better life. This war, or hunt as it seems to be, is going to take time and funding but it is completely necessary. It reminds me of Palestine in the way in which the Pakastani's are fighting each other more than other countries. Maybe that will protect us a little. The root of this problem their religion, but in a politically correct country like America no one is going to say so. Another thing no one is going to say: we need to monitor how many Arabs we allow into our country. Their religion is more murderous when they are a majority.

National:
Democratic Presidential candidate Mike Gravel attended a forum moderated by comedian Bill Maher today. Gravel wholeheartedly to told Maher "I'm prepared to tell you that Americans are getting fatter and dumber.... I have no problem saying that." Maher added that obesity rates are up and reading is down and "a friend is someone who tells you the truth." Gravel promises to be earnest with the American people- one hundred percent. To further prove this, he goes on to say "I've also said that Americans are going to get the government they deserve... And so if things are going bad[ly], just remember who put these people in power."

This made me laugh- and almost want to vote for him! As a person who tutors two obese kids in phonics I would have to agree with Gravel. I also agree with him about the last part. As we learned yesterday, Jefferson said the government gets it's power from the citizens. If we have a bad government chances are it's because we voted for it. If he wasn't against the Vietnam war (and quite a few other things) I might root for him just a little. But as it is I think obesity and honesty are the only things we agree on.

*I noticed Gravel is fat and has been fat ever since he was elected to the Senate in 1963. I can see a South Park episode coming out about this.

International:
Alexander Pichushkin, a 33 year old Russian man, was arrested in Moscow a year ago. After his arrest he confessed to murdering 62 people and keeping track of them on a chess board; his goal was to fill all 64 squares. In the coarse of 5 years the victims were murdered in a park on the edge of Moscow. Pichushkin requested a trial by jury which is relatively rare in Russia. This week the jury and six alternates were chosen and the suspect did not object to any of them.
In an interview Alexander Pichushkin blatantly said "For me, a life without murder is like a life without food for you. . . I felt like the father of all these people, since it was I who opened the door for them to another world." The defendant would lure the his victims (mostly men) into the park and get them drunk. If the drunk victim complained about life Pichushkin would throw them into a sewer pit. Three people survived this and were able to identify Pichushkin. Others were killed by being hit with a hammer. Pichushikin has been dubbed sane and if convicted, will face life in prison.

I don't think he is sane and I don't think he should get life in prison- Pichushikin should receive the death penalty. If they give him life in prison I bet he just kills two more people while he's in there and gets numbers 63 and 64 to complete his board. How messed up must the Russian government be to let this guy kill so many people in the same place before they catch him! But of all places I suppose Russia would be one of the most likely countries to have this happen.

National:
Warren Jeffs was flown to a courthouse in Utah and charged with the responsibility of a 14 year old girl's rape. He is the head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which branched off of the Mormon church about 100 years ago. He forced an unwilling fourteen year old girl to marry her cousin. The girl testified to not wanting sex in her marriage, but Jeffs threatened her with loosing her salvation unless she slept with the man. Since 2002 Jeff's has been forcing men and boys out of the church and assigning child brides to older men. He is called a prophet by his followers and is said to receive direct revelations from God.

This ridiculous problem has been going on for years. I remember reading about how the attorney general Terry Goddard cracked down on these people. They consider themselves the object of this horrendous civil rights fight, but really they're just sick. I hope he is convicted and sent to jail for a number of years.... but at the same time, what is happening to the girls cousin whom she married? He ought to be tried as well. The Fundamentalist Church (not the Mormons) rely heavily on federal aid. If they cannot be trapped with polygamy they should be trapped with fraudulently collecting this support. I don't understand how this has gone on for so long.