America is so many things. It is wealthy, it is advanced, it is growing and most of all; it is powerful. We American’s are powerful, and as with all great power, it comes with a responsibility. We American’s have a responsibility and a duty to fend for those who are not as strong, to give aid where it is needed and to stand up for those who cannot fight alone.
I think we have a responsibility to help the people in Libya.
Opinion 2
According to ABC news the President of the United States said, “To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and –more profoundly- our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as president, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.”
Opinion 3
According to ABC news, critics have said that America going into Libya is a bad idea. Some say that the United States should not use military intervention or “police the world”.
According to the New York Times our President had to be convinced that the United States had to act and do something about Libya.
The president did make a decision though; he gave the ok for American’s to join in with Europeans and Arabs in fighting against the Libyan government.
However, A senior White House official recalled the President saying, “The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited – no ground troops – and finite. ‘Days, not weeks,” According to the New York Times.
Why is the President being so indecisive? You can’t help someone halfway. The President is basically saying “here Libya, give me your hand and I will help you stand up; but only half way.”
Are we going to help or not? Are we going to go in and do something about what is going on? Or are we going to sit out? Right now I don’t have a strong enough opinion on which one I would rather but I would like a firm decision from our President.
Opinion 2
The startribune.com said, “The former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, came down hard on the President,” saying that he was, “Mocking him as a stuttering weakling when it come to Libya. He declared that Obama has displayed the worst presidential decision making on foreign policy he’s ever seen.”
According to the New York Times, Muammar el-Qaddafi gave the United Nations plenty of reason and push to vote on authorizing military action in Libya when he said:
“We will come house by house, room by room. It’s over. The issue has been decided,” he said, offering amnesty to those who laid down their arms. To those who continued to resist, he vowed: “We will find you in your closets. We will have no mercy and no pity.”
According to Dan Bilefsky and Mark Landler from the New York Times, Qaddafi said the above when he was speaking on a radio call-in show. He was talking about his forces beginning an assault on Benghazi that very night.
Qaddafi as I have said before is delusional, but after hearing that quote I feel very safe in my saying he is both delusional and dangerous.
I am glad that the United Nations voted the way they did, I think it will help the people in Libya by keeping them a little more safe.
I have been hearing a lot of people say they think we should be helping more in Libya and that the President is being to undecided about everything.
I do think that we need to help the people in Libya and I think that the President should be more decided on whether or not America is going in to help.
According to the New York Times the President gave the ok for America to go in with Europeans and Arabs in military strikes on Libya, however, a senior White House official remembered the President saying, "The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited — no ground troops — and finite. 'Days, not weeks.'"
If we are going to help then we need to help all the way. We can't offer our hand to Libya if we are going to just let go when they are almost standing.
To read more about the United Nations decision visit, www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/world/africa/18nations.
For those of us who have seen the movie K-19 Widowmaker we have a look, probably an exaggerated look, but nonetheless, a very scary and emotional look at the facts of nuclear radiation. The K-19 Widowmaker is about the first Russian nuclear submarine voyage and its malfunctions. During the movie, after a malfunction occurs, the crew takes turns trying to fix the nuclear problem. The radiation is so bad that none of them can stay in the room for very long. The side effects are horrifying, and look very painful.
The crew and captain of the K-19 Widowmaker are now forever at the forefront in my mind when I think or talk about heroes. However, these heroes are characters in a movie and the actors are not real heroes. The real heroes of today can be seen in Japan.
According to Keith Bradsher and Hiroko Tabuchi from the New York Times, “A small crew of technicians, braving radiation and fire, became the only people remaining at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on Tuesday.”
The 50 workers are braving the dark tunnels full of radiation in order to try and fix the Reactors and stop further radiation problems.
It is not certain whether or not the crew members were assigned or if they volunteered, either way, they are heroes because they are trying.
Much like the movie K-19 Widowmaker, a lot is resting on the shoulders of these heroes. According to the New York Times, they could be Japan’s last hope of preventing further nuclear catastrophe.
If you have a hard time imagining what these workers are sacrificing and risking, watch the K-19 Widowmaker, though dramatized, I think it can help us all come to a better understanding of what they are going through and why they are real heroes.
These 50 will be remembered for what they are doing, because no radiation suit or breathing equipment can shield them from the exposure they are taking. In essence, it's a death sentence for them all, most likely. While we all sit at home tonight in the USA, these people are trying to save countless others from a terrible outcome.
"It's a moving story, one that comes on top of one of the most graphic scenes of suffering imaginable. How can anyone define what the human spirit really can be when you see acts like this 'last line of defense?'"
Opinion 3
Another comment from the New York Times Article has a different view.
John M. Durham, NC said,
"It's nice to call these workers heroes -- and they are, in a way -- but we should recognize that their situation is bad. They probably don't have much personal choice about what they are doing. If they refuse now, they will likely be fired from the company. Assuming they are from the area, their houses have likely been damaged. At least they have an excellent national public health care system to rely on if they suffer from radiation poisoning. It just feels odd to be cheering for people whom a company has sent into an arena of potential death. Between cheers, can we ask quo vadis?"
The traditional thought “all good Mormons are good conservatives” is not true anymore.
According to the New York Times, Susan Southwick, state coordinator for a group called Utah Patriots, said, “My mother says, ‘If he’s a bishop, he must be a good Republican,’” “I say, ‘do your homework,’”
Many Mormons are conservative and many Mormons are republicans, however, there are also many Mormon democrats. Not only are they democrats, many are in good standing with the church and hold leadership positions.
These are a few famous Mormon democrats; Berkeley Bunker, a US Senator, Howard W. Cannon a US Senator and Ralph Harding, a US Congressman from Idaho.
The stereotypes in this area of the church need to be brought down. Not all Mormons are republicans, just like not all Mormons are white. In our religion we have conservatives, republicans, liberals, democrats, whites, Hispanics, blacks and more; with all different kinds of languages, backgrounds, histories and opinions.
Respect others and their opinions, just because they are different doesn’t mean they can’t be a good mormon.
