Commentary #2

The author of this post and I seem to be on the same track; regarding President Obama’s decision of deploying an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. This post has a lot of detailed information of the war strategy. Therefore it gives the reader a clear idea of what is expected to be accomplished. The strategies primary focus is send more troops so we can partner with the Afghan people and create a secure government, and defeat Al Queda.

The author stated “Poppies are the largest crop grown by the Afghan people. This war is very different from others the United States and NATO forces have been involved in.” So is the author trying to state that this is a drug war? Overall the author did a well job on this commentary. The flow of the post meshed well all together, it made it interesting to read. However I wish that the author would have made an argument or a statement of their opinions of the new war strategy.

Obama's New War Strategy

Recently President Barack Obama had to address one of the most difficult issues he has had to face in his first term, Afganistan. A crucial issue that not only hits home for millions in our nation, but affects a collition of nations around the world as well. Shockingly, he announced that we will send an additional 30,000 troops to the middle east country, who is the worlds leader in poppi production. Although he ultimatley hopes to with drawl troops in July 2011, there are many factors at play. According to a recent Gallup Poll that was taken, 35% of Americans approve of this, and 55% disapprove. I’m not surprised that half of the citizens in this country want to end this war and send our troops home as soon as possible. That being said, I don’t blame them because I myself would love see this war end and have our troops back at home.

However, I don’t think it would be a wise decision, nor a realistic one. I believe President Obama is taking this drastic action simply because it’s in our vital security interest as a nation. We have been at war for 8 long years, yet we still have not reached a resolution, not to mention Al Qaeda is still on the rise. If we leave now, we would not have accomplished anything signifigant in the eyes of the world or hearts of our citizens, and we would potentially have far greater problems in the end. Commander in chief stated that “They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.”

Some may disagree with the new war strategy, but I for one, support it due to the fact that the President is right we need to come together and support, grow, and develop a strong Afghan army, police force, and a government. Once this is acomplished, and Al Qaeda can be eliminated, the Afghan people can handle their own sovernty and take responsibility of the situation. I would like to conclude my editorial with a moving statement taken from President Obama “"We must come together to end this war successfully. For what's at stake is not simply a test of NATO credibility - what's at stake is the security of our allies, and the common security of the world."

I agree with my fellow colleague Kosi. The war with Afghanistan has been going on for years now. But she forgot to mention the invasion on Iraq as well. However she makes her point clear that “we should be focusing on better things, like bringing the troops back”. She is right about the war; it is hurting a lot of people. But it’s not only hurting people and their families, it’s hurting our economy. The US is spending millions if not billions of dollars to fund a senseless war, and it’s not a wise decision in my opinion. Especially if we are in a recession. Kosi stated “Instead of putting time and money into the war, we should be focusing more on other things like global warming and things that matter”. The writer is confident and supports her view with prime examples that are vital for our society. I couldn’t have said it better myself; we should focus more on the economy, healthcare, and global warming. In conclusion she ends her commentary by “we need to do something about it; we have to come up with a plan to stop the war”. I agree that we need do to something about it and come up with a plan so the war will end. But it’s better said than actually done.

Tragedy at the "Great Place"

We live in a very conflicted world today. Millions if not billions of people living in poverty, and unfortunately war is a reality for almost everyone. However, thankfully it’s not something that we all actually have to participate in. Our soldiers are the ones who courageously volunteer to risk their lives for our freedom. Today there has been horrific tragedy. There has been a massive deadly shooting on Ft. Hood . 12 killed, 31 injured, and 2 in custody. When I first heard about this my heart dropped. I have friends who are actually stationed on Ft. Hood. Immediately I tried to call them but didn’t have any luck unfortunately. I would assume since they were on a lockdown that they cut off all communication to the outside world.

Shockingly to top it off the alleged shooter was a U.S Major Nidal Malik Hasan. It’s a tragedy that shocks us all. It’s horrifying to loose brave soldiers over sea, but it’s even more horrifying when we lose them on our own ground especially when the shooter was a fellow soldier. Hasan was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq "and appeared to be upset about that," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison stated. Some say that’s why he acted like he did. But there also is investigation taking place to see if this was a possible inside terrorist attack.

Furthermore, we should never hate or suspect a nation or its citizens as whole, but considering recent events, it would be naive of the U.S. government not to investigate the background and motives of this military psychiatrist murder and any of his cohorts. I know I shouldn’t be writing a commentary article about this topic, and I was actually writing about another topic that was more in depth about the functions of the U.S national government. But this topic affects me persoanlly. So I figured I could take advantage of this opportuinty and use it as some sort of outlet for me. Still to this moment I don’t know if any of my friends are safe or not. I can only hope and pray that they are ok. My prayers also go out to all the victims, soldiers, and familes affected from this heart breaking tragedy.

Legalization?

Recently the Obama Administration implemented a new marijuana policy. Medical marijuana users and suppliers will not be arrested as long as they conform to state laws, and new policy guidelines. I came across a post regarding the logic of legalization and it caught my eye. In the begging, the author stated “Why do we need to make it all about sick people?” When the fact is the new policy is about finding ways to help sick people manage their illness, and pain in the most effective way possible without encountering problems with the law.

Furthermore I do agree that a very small portion of marijuana is used to manage sickness. For example the author stated it bluntly themselves “I do want to get high…What’s it to you?” The majority of the people whom are supporting the legalization of marijuana movement have the same attitude. But don’t get the impression that they all are bad people or drug dealers. In the second paragraph the author states “We need to assert our freedom to engage in an activity that harms very few people and results in needless jail time and wasted tax dollars.” The author has a valid point, but only to a certain extent. One of our founding fathers of this nation Thomas Jefferson emphasized on “Life, Liberty, and pursuit of happiness.” Some “stoners” believe legalizing marijuana is one step towards there pursuit of happiness and asserting their freedom. Then the author is deliberately naïve when comparing themselves to a cancer patient struggling with chemo-induced nausea. In the last paragraph the author mentioned prohibition. It’s unfortunate that they did not elaborate on it more. Due to the fact many years ago our nation was facing the same problem. But today’s substance is more momentous than alcohol.

Overall the author made some valid statements, and even made some irrelevant/naive statements. The author also could have gone into more detail on some certain subjects. It’s obvious that the author supports the legalization of marijuana movement.

Economic Crisis

As we all know we are going through an economic crisis. The unemployment rate has sky rocketed. Hard working citizens are loosing their source of income, and not being able to provide for them selves and their family. Due to that it's resulting in people falling behind on their mortgage payments which lead to foreclosure. On a better note the U.S government has established the Homeowner Affordability Plan $75 billion dollars that will aid homeowners. "The plan will help as many as 7 million to 9 million families refinance or restructure their mortgage." The author of this article is right to a certain extent it will help many families but not all. For most mortgage companies in order to refinance you have to be current on your payments. I actually work for a mortgage company so I familiar with this plan. I have the opportunity see what really goes on behind the scenes. "Those at risk of loosing their homes to foreclosure can convert their mortgages into affordable ones...and the ability to stay in their homes." When the reality is the majority are losing their homes due to foreclosure. The plan will not assist homeowners who purchased homes they could not afford for the term of their mortgage in the first place. Not everyone has a loan with Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae whom are the only two investor’s participating in this plan. The author makes some valid statements but he fails to mention the reality of the situation.

Excel in life

Controversy swirled across the nation on President Obama’s speech to students. The president highly encouraged students to take responsibility for not only their education but for their future too. Many conservatives say that the president was overstepping boundaries, and it was an act to boost his political agenda. When the fact is he didn’t mention anything related to politics. Some of the speech even consisted of his own personal education experiences. There were even some parents that kept their children home the day of the speech. It amazes me that some people are so arrogant and naïve. I understand that everyone has their own opinion when it comes to politics, and not everyone may like our president. But they should set aside their differences and focus on the purpose of this speech which is for students to excel in their education. The article is worth reading because the speech doesn’t just apply to students K-12, it applies to us college students as well. That’s why I would encourage you to watch the speech or read the article. We all can make a difference in this world if we all set our minds to it.