Margaret Thatcher's Death Celebration

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130413/AP15/304139952#anti-thatcher-protest-in-london-s-trafalgar-square

The recent death of the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher, is very sad and shocking. Many people are taking time to mourn her death, while others are celebrating it. According to omaha.com, a very large crowd of Londoners have been partying in Trafalgar Square, because of the recent death of Thatcher. People have even been chanting the famous song from The Wizard of Oz, "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead." As a representation (effigy) of Thatcher was being taken out of the National Gallery, a crowd of people began celebrating even more shouting, "Maggie! Maggie! Maggie! Dead! Dead! Dead!" Part of this huge show of hate and resentment comes from the division of support of Thatcher. Many people liked her, and many people did not like her. This division is still seen even after her death. And, although people are celebrating her death, all they wish to do is "mark their opposition to what she stood for."

This whole situation came as a surprise to me. I could not believe that people actually had the audacity to celebrate someone's death. They obviously do not have any respect for Margaret Thatcher, or any of her family members who are in the process of grieving over this tragic death. I really think that this is wrong and disgusting. I believe that no one's death should ever be celebrated. Dying is a horrible part of life, and out of respect for others, a death should never be celebrated. I think that these people who were not a big fan of her could revel quietly without making a big scene. What they have done is uncalled for. I hope that the people celebrating Thatcher's death publicly will stop and realize that they are just making this whole situation worse, especially for the family of Thatcher. I think that these protestors could show their dislike for her in another way, that is not horrible and hurts other people.

Ethnic Tensions in Myanmar

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/world/asia/myanmars-ethnic-minorities-grow-pessimistic-about-peace.html?ref=asia&_r=0

Ethnic issues in Myanmar are beginning to emerge, which is what happened years before, that sparked a civil war. These issues are centered on ethnic and religious problems. The most recent case is between the Muslims and the Buddhists of Myanmar. In the city of Meiktila, groups of Buddhists went on a rampage, killing at least 32 people, destroying property, and wreaking havoc. This violence could possibly spread. A few miles away from Meiktila, houses were burnt down in a dominant Muslim neighborhood. Another instance that this violence is spreading is attacks of arson on a mosque and a school affiliated with a certain religion.

As mentioned before, these problems are not new to Myanmar. Religious conflicts have always been present, especially when Buddhism became the official religion of the country. This resulted in ethnic, minority religions being Muslim, Christian, and a few others. Peace was promised and talked about when the new president came to power in Myanmar, but this was only false hope. Everything talked about concerning creating peace among ethnic groups has yet to amount to anything. And, according to leaders of ethnic groups, there is an extreme need for peace. The unrest between groups and their hope in peace has been the worst ever seen. A main reason for no hope is the way the military has been acting. They have been going on campaigns in Myanmar, killing many people of different ethnic groups. So, the government is trying to stop this murder through force, but what the people want to see is the government stop it through peace.

This came as quite a surprise to me. I had no idea that there was still so much unrest in Myanmar. Unfortunately, some of this unrest seems as if it could be solved quite easily. I think that if the government would realize that trying to stop the military's violence peacefully would result in some peace in the ethnic groups, then many of these problems could be solved easily. In order to run a country well, you need to know what the people want and be able to respond to those needs. You need to keep the citizens happy, which is not what Myanmar is doing. Keeping at least a small amount of the population happy is always an improvement. Giving promises to people and then not following up on them is very annoying, and will most definitely not win the people's trust. It seems as if Myanmar is creating more and more problems that they need to deal with, because of their own negligence and lack of ability to realize that all of these problems could be solve very easily with peace talks and peaceful actions.  

A Need for Cleaner Air in China

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/07/opinion/sutter-china-air-can/index.html?hpt=us_mid

Clean air is necessary for survival, that should be quite obvious. So, when the air of a place a person lives in is so polluted that people are being transported to the hospital because they are breathing it in, there needs to be a change. This is the case for the most populated country on Earth, China. Because there are so many people living in the cities of China, the air is loaded with smog. In Beijing just a couple of days ago, the polluted air was so bad that children were sent to the hospital, plane flights were cancelled due to low visibility, and people were ordered to stop driving their cars for some time. The air has been described as have a hazy, green-gray color and smelling of factory filled with chemicals. It is a normal part of everyone's day to walk around outside wearing a gas mask. This dirty air can also be the cause of many deaths.

Luckily, there are people who are trying to do something about this unfortunate situation. For example, a citizen of Beijing has invented a can filled with fresh air. All you need to do is open it up, breath in the fresh air, and you should be good for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, a "Clean Air Act" is out of the question, because it is a little to late for that kind of change. Others that have helped the situation include students signing petitions, Chinese celebrities calling for a change, and even the government of Beijing has created emergency facilities for people affected by the air.

This really came as a surprise to me. I knew that China's air was bad due to pollution, but I had no idea that is was this bad. It really is sad to know that some people are dying, because of being outside and breathing the air that surrounds them. No one should be afraid of stepping outside their own home, because they might die if they breath in the air for too long. The article also mentions other places in the world that have had the same issue and have found a way to cure it. So, eventually, China will hopefully catch on to this scary situation and make a change. Not only does this problem affect the people of China, but it also affects the economy of China and its public image. Tourism, I'm sure, is not really thriving, because I don't think that anyone would want to go to a place that could possibly kill them. Other countries are probably afraid of China and the products they export. For all we know, the dirty air could affect food that other countries buy and sell to their citizens. All in all, China needs to change, and quick, before this issue gets even more out of hand.  

Addiction Leads to Suicide

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/concerns-about-adhd-practices-and-amphetamine-addiction.html?hp

A Virginia family is speaking out about their son, Richard, who committed suicide due to an addiction to Adderall. The story begins with Richard, a highly successful college student, who was lying to doctors to gain Adderall, which is medicine used for people who have ADHD. After taking this medicine for some time, it became hard for him to think straight, so he was put into a hospital to help him. After being released from the hospital he got more Adderall. When this new dosage ran out, he hung himself in his dorm room.

This is just one of the many stories of kids lying to gain access to Adderall and other drugs. According to IMS Health, in 2011, about 14 million young adults in America were prescribed medicine for ADHD. The young adult ages ranged from 20-39 years old. This large number is from the people who actually have ADHD, but the number also includes the people who are free from parents and smart enough to gain medicine for a condition they do not have.

When I first read this article a couple things stunned me. The first thing that was very surprising was how young adults can lie their way through a doctor's visit and convince the doctor that they have a condition they have never had in their life. These students have to be very smart and savvy to have achieved this. Another thing that surprised me was that doctors do not notice that these students are faking a condition that can be very serious. I would think that a doctor is trained enough to notice whether or not someone is lying to them. So, either the doctors aren't very smart, or the students are just good actors. Either way, I think that there needs to be something done about the people faking their way through an appointment at the doctors to get a drug for their own personal needs. It's scary that people can get suicidal tendencies from taking these drugs, and the last thing anyone would want is another death. Somehow doctors need to be taught how to spot out the fakers and be more careful when distributing drugs to their patients.

North Korean Threats

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/world/asia/north-korea.html?ref=global-home&_r=0

The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, made orders to retaliate against the penalties put on North Korea by the United Nations. It is not clear what he is planning to do, but there have been some speculations that he has indicated launching more rockets and having a third nuclear test. These facts came out when Kim Jong-un called a meeting to talk with various officials to heighten the impasse between North Korea and the United States. Kim made this meeting very public, putting it into news stories, which was unlike his secluded and private father. At the meeting, Kim Jong-un said that he wanted to take action against what was happening with the United Nations. He said that the only thing he could think of doing was performing a nuclear test. Now Kim Jong-un is using North Korea's economy and a rocket program, which was said to be for space exploration, to obstruct opposition from the United States. North Korea is also feeling resentment towards another country, China, because they have been backing the United States against North Korea. If North Korea decided to act on this resentment it would be a serious blow to both countries, because China helps North Korea in many ways, and it would cause turmoil in Asia.
As of now, relations between North Korea and other countries of the world are not very good. There is much hostility and many threats from North Korea. I think that we should try more to fix our relationship with North Korea, because I think that they are a hazard. I think they could possibly have a nuclear weapon, and would launch it at other countries. But, no one really knows for sure what North Korea is planning, so anything could happen. There should be more peaceful talks with North Korea to improve relations, so they aren't such a looming threat anymore. North Korea is very unstable, and if pushed the wrong way could explode. We need to be sensitive with North Korea, and always watch for any developments in their position as a country.

Britain Could Leave the EU

The Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, announced that he had a speech prepared to give on Thursday concerning Britain's future in the European Union (this speech was unfortunately cancelled due to the hostage crisis in Algeria). The speech is centered on why Britain is considering leaving the Union, and what there is to come. Excerpts from the speech have been released since Thursday. These excerpts say that if there aren't any changes in the EU, then Europe might fall and England will begin to stray away from the rest of the continent with no intent of doing so. In response to these leaked excerpts, President Obama advised Britain not to separate itself from the European Union. The speech also contained a plan drafted by Britain to make the role of the country stronger in the Union, help struggling countries with economic crises, and call a meeting to discuss these issues and others. Before the speech was to be made, Cameron contacted the Barack Obama and the President of France to tell them what was going to be said. President Obama is now worried that Britain might leave the EU, because of the close alliance the US and Britain have and this could make trouble with European affairs and affairs concerning them. One of the main reasons this speech was being given was the way the citizens of Europe and the European Union have grown apart, and Cameron says that the people of Britain have been feeling this pull and he does not wish for Britain to drift away.
I think that this announcement is a bit shocking. I could not see the European Union without Britain, which is a leader in Europe. I also think that if Britain would turn out to pull itself away from the EU, that it would affect the alliance of Britain and the US. I really hope that Britain does not leave the EU, but we will not know for sure until the speech has been given. My prediction is that Britain will not leave the EU, because I think that it would not be a very smart move for them especially in what is going in the world right now which includes a deteriorating economy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/world/europe/david-cameron-delays-talk-on-new-role-in-europe.html?ref=europe

About Me

I am Brett Jesse. I was born on September 3, 1996. I attended St. Vincent de Paul elementary school. An extra curricular activity that I am involved is speech. My event is giving an informative speech on the topic of memory. I also enjoy traveling to different places and experiencing life there. My two favorite places in the world are Kona, Hawaii and San Francisco, California. Something else that I am fond of is listening to music. I like all kinds of music, and enjoy discovering new music. Some of my favorite groups are Mumford and Sons and Fun. Something that many people may not know about me is that I like to read. The last book I read was “The Casual Vacancy” by JK Rowling. Some of my favorite books include “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “The Fault in out Stars,” and “Looking for Alaska.” I have 2 siblings, 10 aunts and uncles, and 15 cousins. I love Christmas time. I am not the most enthusiastic person. When I grow up I hope to be in the medical field. I hate milk and the letter c. I used to be a swimmer, but stopped before I came to high school. I appreciate eating food and learning about other people.