Face it! The Iraq War is going nowhere

No matter how many times the Democrats are going to pass a bill with a timetable for troops to leave Iraq, President Bush is going to veto it. No matter how many soldiers are going to die, Bush won’t listen.

 It is clear to many of us that the 2006 election outcome doesn’t send our lovely and stubborn President the message. Americans are sick and tired of the war. We want out, period. Bush loves to give two excuses: (1) If we leave Iraq now, terrorists will come back and attack the United States again and (2) by leaving Iraq, it will send a message to Al-Qaeda that they have won. I personally don’t know what the prize is if either the United States or the terrorists win on this so-called “War on Terror” and the war in Iraq. More 3,000 U.S soldiers died there. Don’t you think, it’s time to start to leave and let the Iraqis run the country?

The United States is going nowhere when it comes to the Iraq War because both sides aren’t listening to each other. President Bush has to realize what the Americans want. It seems to me that Bush prolongs this process because he doesn’t know what to do or how to deal with Iraq.  Probably, his plan is to let the troops stay in the war zone until the next President comes it and finish it up, what a loser.   

Both parties need to come together to deal on this issue. I don’t think the world can wait until the 2008 elections. The President needs to learn how to compromise. Bush, you want the money? You will get the money if you approve to the timetable.

Just think about it.

Filed under: American Politics, International Politics, Iraq, News, Politics, Thoughts

Tribute to Virginia Tech (My Way/ Queens College Way) II

Filed under: News, Random, Thoughts

Tribute to Virginia Tech (My Way/Queens College Way)

The Political Science Club at Queens College is holding its annual event on War on Hate.  War on Hate is a series of events on racism, homophobia, bigotry and all forms of hate. This year, instead of giving white ribbons, the club is giving out orange and marron ribbons (Virginia Tech’s colors) to the Queens College students.

I will post up pictures and info about this event and what Queens College is doing to show our support for Virginia Tech.

Filed under: Random

As a victim of bullying, I can never understand Seung-Hui Cho

Today, the Virginia Tech killer’s family made a public statement for the very first since the shooting earlier this week. Sun-Kyung Cho, Seung-Hui’s sister released a written statement through a family lawyer. The family apologized for his action. Ms. Cho went on to say that she feels that she “didn’t know this person [her brother].” On her statement, it reveals that her brother has been struggling to fit in because of his language barrier.  

From what I know from news reports, Seung Hui Cho was a quiet person since he was in South Korea. When he came to U.S, he spoke less. Later on, his family was told that he had autism. Cho was a victim of bullying. His classmates made fun of his accent, the way he spoke, and his shyness through out his middle and high school years. I don’t think that Cho has autism. I think he started to develop mental problems after he arrived to the U.S because of the bullies that picked on him. That’s why he became who he was before he died. He was shy, afraid, hide himself into a corner of a room, etc.  

As a victim of bullying myself, I don’t and will never be able to understand why Seung-Hui Cho did that to the 32 innocent people at his college, Virginia Tech. When I first came to the United States 8 years ago, through out my first 6 months in the U.S before I moved to New York, I was picked upon by 6th graders in California for my shyness and quietness because I couldn’t speak English. What worse was that my classmates were asking me if I was a boy or a girl. Unlike Mr. Cho, I did not seek a plan to kill them or hurt them. I planned to diligently learn how to speak English and become successful later on in life. I used this adversity to my advantage as a way to motivate myself to be a better, stronger and wiser person.  When I look back, I heard about kids who picked on me back in 6th grade in Californiadropped out of school. They don’t even go to college. Some even become fathers and mothers without a GED. On the other hand, I am in New York, working very hard to pay off my tuition and get a degree. That’s right, I send myself to school.

I could only wish Cho could have done the way I’ve been doing. Instead of holding his anger and his desire to get back at them in a most painful way, why couldn’t he just stand up and be strong? What he did on that Monday was a senseless act. That’s not a way to get back at them. That’s how a loser does. Victims of bullying will always be victims of bullying if they don’t stand and speak up for themselves.

Filed under: News, Rant, Thoughts

McCain, You’re not funny

I don’t wish to know what was on John McCain’s mind that made him sing “Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb” at a local town hall meeting in South Carolina. When confronted by a journalist, McCain simply brushed it off. He said that his comment was a joke and that reporters should go “get a life.”

McCain’s response/defense to that journalist was unprofessional. It seems to me that McCain is damaging his image and chance to run for President in 2008. When you’re campaigning for the most powerful position in the world, you must be aware of what you’re doing or saying. You are being watched for everything you do by the media. What McCain sang at the town hall meeting has sent a message to voters that he would go to war in Iran if he became the President. Americans no longer want to be in a war. They want the troops of out Iraq so badly. I don’t think anybody wants a war in Iran or do you?

McCain should not have made a joke on a sensitive and serious issue such as this one. The joke wasn’t even funny anyway. I’m getting a hunch that his run to the White House is about to end anyway. Just watch.

Filed under: American Politics, Election, News, Politics

Dear the state of Virginia, this is how you can prevent another deadly shooting

Update (Edit): CNN has confirmed that the gunman is Cho Seung-hui, a 23-year-old English major from South Korea, and a U.S resident alien. Not a Chinese student at I reported earlier.

I don’t think I have to go into details about the massacre at Virginia Tech. 33 people died and more than a dozen injured. The gunman was an Asian student at the school. He was student from Korea.  He was 24 years old. He was a senior, an English major at Virginia Tech. Many questions are left unanswered: what was his motive?, Why was the police slow to respond? Why did the school officials decide not to cancel classes after the shooting? and why didn’t they inform about the first shooting earlier? I guess, only time can tell.

As a college student, I believe that more security on the campus should be in place. My college, Queens College doesn’t have many active security officers. One-two of them  station in school buildings. What do they do?  I see them eating, talking on the phone and sometimes, I catch them sleeping. The rest of them, they sit in the office. I barely see them patrol on the campus. As much as I like the openness of my college, however, when it comes to situation like the Virginia Tech, what is the school’s security going to do? I would love to have more school police officers patrol the campus.

What don’t I want? I don’t want another school massacre in the United States, period.

Back to the topic, the state of Virginia must pass tougher laws on gun. For the last two hours, I’ve been doing a research on the state of Virginia’s gun laws, check this (you will find it disturbing as well),

According to stategunlaws.org:

1) There is no license or permit required to purchase guns.

2) The state of Virginia doesn’t required gun owners to register their firearms.

3) Kids as young as 12 years old can purchase firearms except for handguns. They have to 18 to get handguns.

4) There is no background checks at  gun shows and private gun sale. That means, you can just go into a gun show and purchase a gun.

5) There’s no requirement for gun owners to go through a gun safety training.

Many countries around the world criticize the U.S gun culture. I agree that the U.S gun laws should be changed. This time is now. I don’t think any one would like to see another inncocent lives killed.

To the governor of the state of Virginia, please change your state gun laws. It’s ridiculous enough that someone as young as 12 can buy and carry weapons. 

Update: CNN has confirmed that the gunman is Cho Seung-hui, a 23-year-old English major from South Korea, and a U.S resident alien. Not a Chinese shooter as I reported earlier this morning.

Filed under: American Politics, News, Politics, Thoughts

The following is a trailer to a video called American Blackout.  This movie exposes massive amounts of Voter Disenfranchisement in the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections.  I think it is important that we know whatis going on so that we can be prepared to make sure that everyone that is legally able to vote doesn’t face what these people faced

Filed under: Uncategorized

From Paddidda to Don Imus: What is a free speech?

What is a free speech? Who determines it? Does it include hate, racist and insulting statements? Does it have a standard?

Before I reveal you my definition of what a free speech is, allow me to say few things in regards to Paddidda, Thailand, Youtube, and Don Imus.

Despite the removal of Paddidda last week, the mocking clip of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand is still circulating within the Youtube community. There are also a lot of clips that made fun of the King Bhumibol Adulayadej in which are more insulting and offensive to me and other Thai people. I’m glad that Youtube and Thai government are working together to solve this issue although I dislike how Youtube approach it. It is making itself seems that it supports for free speech when it decided not to take down any other King Adulayadej’s offensive clips.  Yet, it is trying to teach Thai ministry’s Information and Technology how to block certain clips that the government finds it offensive. Do you see any contradictions here? (Story) What Thailand asks, is for the site to remove these offensive clips because they are giving a wrong impression of the King of Thailand not asking the site how to block these clips from being viewed in Thailand. In the end, it seems that Youtube is promoting censorship, at least to me.

For those who emailed me saying, Thai people and I are being brainwashed by the Thai government’s propaganda. Let me say that you need to take “Understanding Other People’s Culture 101″ or go study abroad to understand where I’m coming from. No, I am not being brainwashed like how the North Koreans are.

As for Don Imus, I agree with other bloggers, students, activists and news analysts that Imus should be fired for his comment on the Rutgers’ Women’s Basketball team. I’m happy that MSNBC axed him out. Many people that I have talked to for the past week about this incident, they said that what Imus said was offensive and not the practice of free speech because he attacked women especially women of color. When I heard that from them I immediately thought, “So what Imus said was not a free peech, yet what Paddidda did was fine.”

So what is a free speech? My definition, a free speech is the ability to express yourself freely with the respect of other people’s culture and backgrounds. People determine what materials should be considered as free speech or not. In the case of Paddida, many foreigners think that his clip on the King of Thailand is an example of a free speech while I think, it’s not because it’s insulting and offensive. For those who may say that a free speech allows people to insult anyone, then hate speeches should be considered as free speech as well. Therefore, there should be no punishment towards those who make racist, apathetic and ignorant comments/remarks, right? 

You tell me.

Filed under: International Politics, News, Politics, Random, Thoughts

Don’t Let The Polls Fool You – Giuliani Aint The Man

I believe that the reason polls are showing such good results for Giuliani is because people do not know him very well.  All they know him for is for his leadership during 9/11/01 and not anything during his time as Dictator, I mean Mayor, of New York City from 1993-2001.

As an “abrasive, stick-in-your-eye” kinda guy, Giuliani created many more problems in New York, rather than solving them.  His attitude was not to negotiate on behalf of the city, but to confront, demand, or maintain a stony silence.  This approach meant key missed opportunities for the city. 

He does not have the temperment to be a President; he does not work well with other people.  In fact he would have to completely overhaul his style of working to effectively work with Congress and the international community.  Giuliani was able to accomplish much for New York City because he was a strong personality in a strong-Mayor city.  He was astoundingly less successful in getting the State legislature to enact the reforms he wanted, such as handing control of the schools to the mayor. 

He was critical of community leaders such as Al Sharpton, whom he simply viewed as a rable-rouser.  He refused for years to meet with frican-American elected officials, such as state Comptroller Carl McCall and Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields.  

During his reign, Giuliani set himself up as “an art arbitor” by threatening to cut funding for a local museum because of a painting that he declared “anti-religious” [whatever happened to freedom of speech].  The leaders of a number fo arts organizations relucntantly and courageously signed a protest letter, some fearing retaliation by the mayor through a slash in public funding.

Giuliani dispatched one of his aide’s to tell Yasser Arafat to leave a concert at Lincoln Center celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.  Now, I do not support Arafat as a person or defend his actions, but Arafat was there at the invitation of President Clinton.  Lincoln Center does not belong to Giuliani, and this action did nothing to bring progress towards “Peace in the Middle East.”

For the past seven years, we have had a President who shares some of Giuliani’s least likeable qualities.  President Bush seems to live in a bubble, closing himself off from people whose opinions and advice could be helpful.  He has shown recklessness by taking us into war, and our stance in the world today reflects this.  I do not want four more years of the same politics.

Filed under: American Politics, Election, Politics, Uncategorized

McCain is simply wrong on Iraq…

In reaction to the Democrats strong stance against Bush’s war, McCain has followed the steps of our commander in chief in calling out the Democrats,  saying in prepared remarks…

“Democrats, who deny our soldiers the means to prevent an American defeat, have chosen another road…It may appear to be the easier course of action but it is a much more reckless one, and it earns them no credit even if it gives them an advantage in the next election. This is an historic choice, with ramifications for Americans not yet born.” 

I must emphasize…There is no militrary solution to the crisis in Iraq. American troops are stuck in the middle of a Civil War, and the best thing we can do for our military [and our interests in the region] is to pull our combat troops out of Iraq, give them time to rest and re-arm, and re-deploy them to Lebanon, Jordan, and Kuwait to allow the Iraqi’s to handle themselves, while ensuring that Iran and Saudi Arabia dont get pulled into a regional war.

Opponents to what i have said argue that to pull out American troops would allow Iraq to fall into the hands of terrorists. I contest this argument strongly. Already, Iraqis are starting to resent the presence of Al Qaeda in their country; they are more concerned with fighting eachother than fighting Americans. They simply view us as an occupier to their land. If we leave their land, they will not follow us to the United States, they will focus on being able to fight their own war that has been going on for the better part of a thousand years.

We may be hit, however, by angry muslims of other nations that have become enflamed at the fact that the United States now occupies a muslim country and has waged a war that has knocked the coutry back – ecnomically, socially, and politically - 100 years.

I find it disconcerting that while McCain was giving his speech proclaiming that the surge “is working” that the cameras scrolled back to expose that he was being guarded by scores of armed and armored soldiers, and that the following day, those Iraqi civilians that appeared with McCain were rounded up and executed.

It is true that violence, abductions, and murder have gone down in Baghdad, but the levels of these violent crimes have skyrocketed in the neighboring cities from which over 30,000 american soldiers were taken to feed this “surge.”

Each day, I become more and more worried about the future of this nation, and its power to take upon its leadership role around the world, and how this is being thwarted by the debacle of Iraq.  With this war, America has become alienated amongst the Western powers and lost its ability to lead the world into a cause because it is “the right thing to do.”

Filed under: American Politics, Iraq, Thoughts, Uncategorized