Bronwen Vogel

National:
In an effort to "promote racial unity" Clinton promised to improve economic opportunities for blacks if elected president. “‘Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by those who are doing it,” Clinton said, quoting African American James Baldwin. Clinton has plans to create "green collar jobs" and pledged $200 million over five years to help ex-offenders transition from prison. “A lot of our young people, disproportionately young people of color, are in our prison system and they don’t belong there. They are nonviolent offenders,” Clinton said. Her target race for unity were African Americans.

I am surprised how fervently Clinton is kissing up. I agree with the idea of preparing criminals for life outside of prison, but we also need to punish them. I would ask Clinton what she means by "nonviolent offenders" and why people involved in elaborate, nonphysical crimes should not be punished as severely. Clinton is obviously trying to get votes from Obama. She cannot sincerely promise some of these things because even if she is elected she will need the approval of Congress.

National:
Dennis Kucinich asked the Supreme Court to block the Texas Democratic Party from using a loyalty oath to keep him off the presidential primary ballot. Kucinich and Willie Nelson are pushing the case. Last week a federal judge ruled against Kucinich in Texas. The Texas deadline to print ballots is this Saturday. Kucinich said if the ballots are printed without his name on them his rights “will be forever lost”.

This does not need to go to the Supreme Court. Kucinich would not receive any sort of nomination even if his name was on the ballot; he is running against an African American and a woman! His statements and endorsement by Willie Nelson seem childish. Texas should just put his name on the ballot and let him come in spades behind.

International:
In Calcutta, India there are plans to kill hundreds of thousands of birds to prevent the spread of bird flu. Nearly 56,000 birds have died from the disease in eastern India and the slaughtering of 400,000 more animals has begun. "We are not taking chances and have sent samples to laboratories for testing for bird flu," the state's animal husbandry minister, Anisur Rahman said, speaking of recent unexplained deaths. The disease has killed at least killed at least 217 people worldwide since it was first noticed in an Asian poultry farm in 2003.

This epidemic is driving people to extreme measures, but I still believe it should be taken more seriously. While it is hard to quarantine birds, infected areas should be sterilized and blockaded. My brother used to travel the world from a base in Ukraine. He went to India and lived in a rural area and contracted bird flu and almost died. I realize a disease like this is difficult to control, but local cleanliness is definitely a part of it. They need to be taught to have different standards.

International:
Prince William is going to learn to pilot helicopters and spend four months in the royal Air force and spend his summer with the navy. William will have temporary assignments after training as a specialist armored reconnaissance troop leader in the Blues and Royals where Harry serves. The brothers were both commissioned as officers. It was to be that Harry would go to Iraq, but because of the publicity, military chiefs did not want to put Harry's unit at risk.

It is fantastic that the royal children are not looking for a free ticket and an easy life. I would hate to be in either of their units, although it would be interesting to see what kind of treatment they get. I do not believe there should be favourtisim or as much publicity surrounding it as there is. In a way, it downplays the contributions of other soldiers. Whatever the royal children are going to attract media attention whatever they do, it is certainly not their fault. It raises the danger for the two boys and their fellow soldiers considerably.