Bronwen Vogel

International:
Australia's Prime minister John Howard said he would like to hold a referendum and add constitutional recognition to the native inhabitants of Australia. This is just a week before elections. Howard feels an apology is in order and said: "The time is right to take a permanent, decisive step toward completing some unfinished business of this nation, the worst blemish of all has been our treatment of indigenous Australians." He went on to say that an apology would not be enough. Australia's aboriginals have the highest rates of unemployment, imprisonment and infant mortality. The biggest complaint was that Howard is not making any steps to help aboriginals in the areas of health care, housing, and employment.

If the aboriginals are paying taxes then they should reap the same benefits as everyone else- no more, no less. Having this referendum would only encourage an attitude of entitlement. Sure the natives should be treated well and acknowledged as the first people on the continent, but i do not believe from what I have read that they deserve a surplus. Give them the same chances in school and jobs to work their way up and make a life for themselves like everyone else. It sounds like Australia is breeding a group of people expectant and reliant on government for all of their needs.

National:
Ann Coulter, a conservative author, made objectionable comments in an interview with CNN. When Donny Deutsch asked Coulter what America would look like in her dreams, Coulter said it would look like the Republican National Convention in 2004- full of tolerant Christians who defend America. When asked if it would be better if all people were Christians Coulter responded affirmative adding "it's a lot easier. It's kind of a fast track." When asked if she believed there should be Jews in the world Coulter said "No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say... We [Christians] believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws. We know we're all sinners." After being called anti-semitic Coulter continued explaining Christianity as perfected Judaism.

Well she sounded like an idiot. At the start of the article it sounded like the publisher was just combining all of Ann Coulter's worst quotes, but what she said is pretty awful, especially considering Deutsch is Jewish. I would never tell someone I'm just like them only perfect and they should get on the fast track perfection plan. Yes, Jews are spiritually lost, but her witness sounded more like a condemnation and marketing strategy.

International:
Questions are arising in Russia as to what should be done with the mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin in Red Square. "Of course, a necropolis in the center of the capital is nonsense. But whether it should be there or not, let others decide," Vladimir Kozhin, head of the Kremlin's property department said. Taking care of the tomb and the body costs the government hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Putin's predecessor tried to get rid of the mausoleum and bury Lenin, but communist supporters view it almost as a holy ground. Putin did not touch the subject because he was afraid of disturbing the peace, although he did other things equally as forward.
Lenin's body has been on display in the mausoleum since 1924!

I believe that country is most definitely communist bent and a future threat. If a vote of the people is taken to decide what to do with the body there will still be people who are unhappy and cause an uprising. What someone needs to do is destroy the mausoleum in a way that looks like an accident... or even if it doesn't it should just be done in the middle of the night with explosives when no one is around. I've done blogs about Russian crime before and learned that their police and detective force is not all that great so I doubt the perpetrator would be caught. Lenin is not a god, and his body should not be preserved in the middle of a big city.

National:
George Gipp's body was recently dug up in to test for DNA testing at the request of the family. Gipps, who was a Notre Dame football player was buried in 1920 after dying from pneumonia and a strep infection his senior year. George Gipp scored 83 touchdowns and held the school career rushing record for more than 50 years. After being resurrected, Gipps was returned to his grave the same day. Reasons for the tests have not been released, nor has a specific account of who asked for them.

I didn't know there would be anything to test after so long. It should be an extremely pressing reason to disturb someone in their grave. Such tests must be expensive as well. It does not seem that there could be any money involved or the body would have been tested 9 or 10years ago when DNA testing came out. The family ought to have a really amazing reason for this.