Kaylen May Gerkey

International
Woman Sold For 2000 Euros

Summary:
Anna a young woman was sold for 2,000 euros into prostitution in the UK. Anna is one of an estimated 4,000 women thought to have been trafficked into the UK into a life of prostitution. At twelve she ran away from her home in Albania after befriending an older man. After that she was forced into prostitution with scare tactics and other harsh treatments. The first time she cried, she had never seen a naked man before. Her pimp slapped her around and told her no more at was bad for business. After years of prostitution she got into drugs and was employing more than 20 men a night. It was either prostitution or starve.

Opinion:
I know stuff like this is very prevalent throughout Europe but it is still very sad to hear about all these girls abused and manipulated by older men to get money and sex. I think one way to at least minimize prostitution and selling of women would be to deem prostitution illegal. In many European countries prostitution is legal and if the local police would crack down and illegalize prostitution I think it would help solve there problem on the outside and hopefully give them a step in the right direction and save these young girls who are being hurt by this system.

International
Korean Leaders Sign Peace Pledge

Summary:
The Leaders of South Korea and North Korea recently met to discuss a new armistice between the two countries. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun signed the agreement after three days of meetings in the North Korean capital. They agreed to closely cooperate to end military hostility and ensure peace and easing of tension on the Korean peninsula. As the peace treaty progresses it would require the participation of the US and China. "The South and North shared the view that they should end the current armistice regime and establish a permanent peace regime," their pact said. They also "agreed to cooperate to push for the issue of declaring the end" of the Korean War by staging a meeting of the "three or four heads of related states." The United States has already pledged to discuss peace, the summit ended a day after an agreement between North Korea and the U.S. along with other regional powers at China-hosted arms talks.

Opinion:
I’m kinda shocked actually, but to be honest it’s probably a publicity stunt or something like it. I know Kim Jong Il will do anything to further his North Korea so why should this thing be any different? I believe it is good what the two are trying to insure but it almost seems too good to be true. Why would a man work so hard to control the country then turn around and sign a treaty with his most hated neighbor, unless he got something out of it. I hope it turns out for the better and really is as good as it sounds, but nothing ever is anymore, not even in this country so why should that be any different?

National
Teacher Fired Over 'Butt' Art Files Lawsuit

Summary:
Stephen Murmer a teacher was fired for inappropriate art work done on his own private time. The art teacher likes to paint with his bare buttocks pictures of flowers and tulips. Officials discovered a YouTube video of the teacher, under a pseudonym, painting pictures. They brought the teacher in, in 2004 and had a talking. The teacher agreed to remove all videos and deemed “inappropriate” art off his webpage, and that was that. But two years later after discussion, the teacher was brought in again and later fired. The ACLU claims the school deprived him not only of his right to free expression but his rights to due process.

Opinion:
I agree with the ACLU and Murmer because for one he has the right to free expression and it’s not like he promoted his art at school or in front of his students, he did it in private under a psuedonym specifically to protect himself and his students. His technique may be a bit unusual but it’s what makes him and his art unique. In college students take classes where he or she paints pictures of naked human beings why is this any different? How does what Mr. Murmer does make him a bad teacher or worthy of being fired compared to those that paint naked people? A lot of people do stuff in their private lives that they specifically keep private for personal reasons, just like Mr. Murmer. Art is his proffession and his passion and although his technique may be a bit unorthodox it is how he makes his money and he had no intentions of hurting people.

National
Rare but Deadly Amoeba Infection Hard to Prevent

Summary:
Jack Herrera a young 12 year old boy, returned from summer camp in Texas and five days later died. Doctors say it’s from a rare but deadly amoeba that enters through the noise and plant itself in the brain and slowly feeds off the brain. A symptom exemplifies the flu but within 1-14 days kills the person. Young Jack was said to have swum in Texas' Lake LBJ, aparently that is where he picked up the microscopic bug. Jack is one of six people to die this summer in the United States from the naegleria fowleri amoeba. Although exposure to the amoeba is usually fatal, Sherin says a cocktail of drugs can fight the amoeba if administered in time. The key, he says, is identifying the amoeba early. In the hot summer months when the amoeba flourishes, he said, doctors need to learn to look for the symptoms of an amoeba-related illness.

Opinion:
My first thought is I’m never going in the water again. Even though this little amoeba has only killed six people it sounds extremely deadly and I think more people need to know about it or at least warned before they get into lakes or rivers. I feel bad for the Herrera family because no one knows about these bugs or what they can do and all of the sudden they lost their son to this virus. I do believe that with more research doctors will figure out more about the amoeba and how to fix this problem but the main issue is the thing is so microscopic people have no idea when they get it and its symptons are so similar to that of the flu they won’t know even when they do have it. It’s a good thing the death toll is only six because if it were any more people would never be going in the water anymore, afraid of dying or losing their mind to this stupid little amoeba.