Innocent Victum Gets the Beatdown By A Hammer ?

As of Sunday, two juvenile’s at the ages of 15 and 16 were taken into custody due to age 32 Zemir Begic and his injury’s caused by them. The alleged victum was reported to be traveling in his vehicle when several juveniles approached his vehicle and began damaging it. The incentive at this point is the big question.  Begic then exited his vehicle and the teens began yelling at the Begic and striking him with hammers. According to the police, Zemir suffered injuries to the head, abdomen, face and mouth. By the time the police arrived he was unconscious and was taken to a near by hospital, where he was then pronounced dead.

The third Juvenile Turned himself into the police. The 17 year old was convicted of murder and charged with 1st degree murder. He was also given a charge with an armed criminal action. He is also being tried as an adult.

The police concluded that there was a dispute between Begic and the teens. Begic had entered his car and one of the attackers kicked his car. That’s when he exited the vehicle and the violent assaults took place. The assuclts first started verbally, yelling and harassment, then they started striking him with hammers to the head. Begic had been in the car with his fiancé and two others. All the witness watched the fight go down.

The other two suspects will be charged as adults or juveniles.

The violent death sparked a bright protest in their Bosnian community with partakers blocking off the traffic in their city as of  Sunday night. Demonstrators said the reasoning behind their protests were in response to recent violence in the neighborhood. In early November, a robbery occurred at their local Bosnian café and In the summer of 2013, a Bosnian store clerk was murdered. They fear their city is becoming increasingly violent and want to reach out to put an end to it. As of the night of the attack a large memorial of flowers and teddy bears is grow at the edge of the parking lot where Begic was killed. The incentive is the recognition of the innocent lives being lost for surreal reasons.

A St. Louis Police Chief, Sam Dotson, in response said:

“I want everybody to know I take your safety and everyone in the community’s safety very seriously.”  “I heard your message loud and clear. You want to make sure you are safe. I want to make sure you are safe in every neighborhood in our city.”

Dotson also made a claim that the Ferguson riots have created a response in his department. His workers and his greatest officers have been working 12 hour shifts and no days off, but he assured the crowd that the police will be there to protect the citizens.

Due to the obscure outbreaks and violent attempts, the police are cracking down on security and protection to ensure safety in their city.

For more info about the Hammer attacks visit these sites:

Third teen in custody in deadly hammer attack in St. Louis

Teen suspect charged as adult in hammer beating death of South City man

A video regarding this incident can be found here:

http://www.kmov.com/news/crime/Homicide-investigation-underway-after-man-hit-in-head-in-south-St-Louis–284248091.html

Routine Trip Goes Fatal:

A couple known as Mr. and Mrs. Kwok’s headed to China Town in New York City from their little Bronx home not knowing what the next few minutes would bring. Their journey consisted of a walk to the D train, and a waiting period on the platform before they’d be on their way. As of 8:45 the man disappeared  beneath the screeching downtown train. He was pushed to his death. The assailant (attacker) fled up the stairs and onto the street. Before Sunday’s attack, Mr. Kwok and his wife had been on their way to Chinatown, a weekend ritual for the couple.

There were no relations between the assailant and the victim. He was said to have preformed the act out of random. Investigators of the scene have come to believe as of late Sunday, that the attack was the sort that fears many New York City subway riders. Simply, yet scarily a random, purposeful and fatal shove at the platform’s edge by a stranger. An act done out of complete insanity, just for the fun of it.

The police released surveillance video of a man described by witnesses as the assailant. The video  shows the  “suspected” man exiting the station and riding a local bus. Then he stops by a store to smoke a cigarette. Even without surveillance video of the push though, the police said other evidence made it clear that Mr. Kwok, who last worked for a kitchen supply company, had not fallen on the tracks by accident or jumped into the path of the train. The conductor (or motorman)  of the Southbound D train told the detectives that he witnessed the push and tried to stop the train, but wasnt able to in time. he said the body just flew in front of the moving train, helplessly.

A home health aide, had been returning from work when her train stopped halfway into the station. She heard an announcement, but understood little of the English. As she climbed the stairs out of the station with the other passengers, a woman could be heard screaming and sobbing on the platform. When she returned home that night, she found out why.

Kwok’s wife was was unharmed, however she was taken to a nearby hospital after witnessing the incident. The fact of the matter is that this act was done out of fun. An act to kill someone was done just to do it. There isn’t any proof that the man was related/knew  the assailant. So there’s no proof it was a hate crime and they haven’t captured nor do they know who the man actually is. This crime has taken a toll on subway riders. They are on up stead awareness about riding the subway and their in fear of the possibilities when it comes to riding public transportation.

This is the Kwok family. To the left is Mr. Kwok ( the victim ), their son in the middle, and to the right Mrs. Kwok. She witnessed the accident. The haven’t done any harm to the world, yet his life was taken.

  This is the alleged assailant

For more information about the topic follow these links below:

Man pushed to death in New York City subway station

Dad pushed in front of train as horrified wife watches

The Bomb Goes Boom:

A suicide bomber dressed as a student killed at least 48 people at a school assembly in northeastern Nigeria on Monday, said a hospital official. Most of the victims involved in this act were students. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the town of Potiskum in Yobe State. It however, is a territory that has been hit by Islamist Boko Haram rebels during a five-year insurgency. The militant group Boko Haram is believed to have carried out the attack due to its construction. They have initiated violent attacks to prevent children from going to school. They believe girls should not attend school and boys should only receive an Islamic education.

“So far, the number of the dead is 48, while 79 are injured,” a nurse at Potiskum General Hospital told officials. A teacher who survived the blast with minor injury said the bomber dressed like a student and was also on the assembly ground with the students. Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sinful” in the local Hausa language, has targeted schools, abducted students and killed thousands in its campaign to carve out an Islamist state. The act itself was terrifying, putting harmless students in critical heath conditions and for some even taking their lives away. The act killed at least 48 students known for sure. Hospital records show 79 students were admitted and health workers said they include serious injuries that may require amputations. The hospital was so overcrowded that some patients were squashed two to a bed.

A suicide bomb attack in the same city killed 30 people one week ago, when suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked a religious procession of moderate Muslims. So are these attacks acts of terrorism? They are acts of an extremest group. The survivors that witnessed the act said the bomber appeared to have hidden the explosives in a type of sack/backpack popular with students in the country.

Due to this attack, the government has decided to tighten way down on security and schools will withhold new procedures to further protect the lives of students and keep their schools/environments safe.

The following photos have been uploaded to Google images within the past 12 hours: the fact that these were taken so recently should show its importance

 

For more information on the Suicide Bombing that killed 48 students vist the house sites:

US and World News_ 

TODAY.com_

Economic Systems:

When one thinks of Monopoly, they most always conquer with the board game. However, Monopoly was created to show the evils of capitalism. When referring to an economic system we are acknowledging a system of production and exchange of goods and services as well as an allocation  of resources in society. With better understanding, its a more organized way in which a state or nation allocates ( or distribute ) its resources and apportions goods and services in the nation. In one view, every economic system represents an attempt to solve these three questions/problems:

• What goods and services shall be produced, and in what quantities?
• How shall goods and services be produced? That is, by whom and with what resources and technologies?
• For whom shall goods and services be produced? That is, who is to enjoy the benefits of the goods and services and how is the total product to be distributed among individuals and groups in the society?

Capitalism is an economic system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. Some of the main features of free-enterprise are individuals and how they engage as customers and citizens. Businesses and what and where production arises. The Market known as the central exchange of goods, influences of it as well. Income is also a main feature in which skills acquired and non control from the Government.

The benefits of Capitalism:

• Economic freedom which helps with political freedom
• Its efficient ( produce goods in which are demanded)
• Economic growth (incentives to be innovative) *this helps to increase real GDP and lead to improved living standards
• Health/ choices
• social good (everyone benefits from each other) * invisible hand theory by: Adam Smith
• Freedom (live the way you want)
• Built on democracy
• growth of economy
• Class division

The costs of Capitalism:

• Monopoly power (firms with monopoly power can exploit their position to charge higher prices)
• Monopsony power (pay lower wages to workers)
• social benefit ignored (pollution from production and harmful living standards)
• Inherited wealth (based on legal right to private property)
• fails to create equality of outcome and equality of opportunity

Acknowledging the cots of capitalism, I feel the benefits outweigh them. With capitalism you receive health benefits and much freedom. Your economy grow and expands with everyone benefitting from one another. Capitalism is also very efficient, in which demanded goods are produced with maximum variety.

Lava’s Heating Up The Big Island:

      A 2,000-degree river of molten rock is streaming towards 12 homes and businesses in Pahoe, Hawaii.  Lava from the Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island inches towards homes and businesses in Pahoa. Officials are now preparing families to begin evacuations. The dark ooze from the exasperating heat of the lava has swallowed up fences, flowed over a cemetery and neared major roads. On Tuesday morning, it set a wooden garden shed ablaze. The damage its causing is very fatal and can, in affect burn down peoples homes to nothing. In some places the lava is chest high!  The Hawaii officials haven’t issued a mandatory evacuation yet. But many residents in the community have already chosen to leave on their own. The evacuations, if they occur, would be among the first to take place since the slow-moving lava flow began moving towards Pahoa in June. A result of the lava flowing is the liquid rock left behind in its trails. This is very dangerous for those who own homes, and to the environment.

The smoke is a problem for residents, especially those with respiratory conditions. Some evacuated homes are being targeted by looters and taking advantage of this situation. This eruption and lava flow is not a surprise though.  It started June 27 and has advanced about 13 miles since then and is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

Visit this link to see a video:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/weather/2014/10/27/cnni-cabrera-lava-threatens-hawaii-town.cnn&iref=allsearch&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fsearch%2F%3Fquery%3Dlava%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bbig%2Bisland%26primaryType%3Dmixed%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26intl%3Dfalse%26x%3D0%26y%3D0

Some images of the lava flow are shown below:

S9ome debriefs given in the relating articles:

• Civil Defense reports that at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, the lava flow entered onto private proprty. It went 20 yards in about 4 hours. Shortly after 7 a.m. on an adjacent property, the flow burned down a 115 sq. ft. wooden structure being used for agricultural purposes. There were no hazardous materials inside.
• The residential building identified yesterday as being 100 yards away from the advancing flow is still standing.
• Pahoa Village Road remains closed between Apa’a and Post Office Road. On Pahoa Village Road, utility companies are working on their infrastructure.

A Messy Mess-Up:

One mess-up or seven intentions?  Our person of interest for the seven ( seeming to be connected ) murders of women in Indiana has been held in prison. The Indiana-born Vann has a past as a convicted sex offender from Austin, Texas however, he is not registered as a sex offender. He was convicted for aggravated rape in 2009 and spent the next five years in jail. He was released in 2013 and headed for Indiana. The court also obtains records of a breaking and entering attempt made by Vann.

Vann confessed to killing the 7 women and may be responsible for several other victims in Northwest Indiana dating back to the 1990’s. Van is 43 years of age and he claims to officer John Doughty the he had ” messed up” in committing the latest killing of Afrika Hardy. The police in Hammond we’re let to Vann after finding Hardy ( age 19 ) at a motel 6 on Friday October 17th. She had been strangled, according to the Lake County coroner’s office. Vann’s solicited scheme, through a website called Chicagobackpage.com is what lured her to him. The information regarding the Motel incident came from a friend of Hardy’s and phone numbers used to track down Vann. During a police interrogation, Vann allegedly admitted his actions in Hardy’s killing, and then led them to other several killings he took part of.

Vann led the police to three more killings in Gary. Among the victims were Aniths Jones (35), Teairra Batey (28), and Christine Williams (36). The “facilitator” allegedly the one who went to check on Hardy when she didn’t return home, found her body in the bath tub of the motel. Using a phone number provided by the facilitator, police electronically tracked Vann down. The police sent out for a search warrant Vann had driven to the motel, and to search his home. The search turned up similar clothing to the clothing worn by a man captured on surveillance video at the hotel, the same brand condoms found inside the room, and a cell phone that matched the description of Hardy’s.  As well as these three items, vann was wearing a shirt with a missing button. There was one button found inside the room where Hardy was killed. The shirt the police questioned Vann in had the same buttons, with one missing. The button in the room was a match.

Th read more about this case and keep up to date with it click on the links below:

Chicago tribune

CNN News

For videos on this case and news following please visit these websites to view the media. They are informational and give you the basic run down as to what Vann is really all about.

http://wgntv.com/2014/10/19/3-bodies-found-in-three-separate-homes-in-gary-in/

http://fox59.com/2014/10/20/serial-killer-in-gary-man-in-custody-after-bodies-of-7-women-found-over-the-weekend/

Foreign Policy:

Foreign Policy is the government’s strategy in dealing with other nations. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries. Thus, being called foreign policy analysis. U.S. foreign policy affects almost every aspect of our daily lives. Prices, jobs, the supply of gasoline, taxes, and the life and death of our nation’s soldiers are impacted by how we interact with the rest of the world.   Foreign policy is important because the world relies on others for economics and military support.

The goals of US Foreign policy consist of national security, free and open trade, world peace democratic government, and concern for humanity. Henery Kissinger was a key figure in articulating U.S. foreign policy. Americans think protecting the U.S. is most important because they want to focus more on challenges at home. I however feel that we should focus more on terrorist attacks and trade with other countries. We also should build our ally’s to help protect us when were in trouble. Our country on a whole should have a say on global matters, issues, and decisions. National interest, Democratic ideals, and Defense Department (originally War Dept) vs. State Department determine U.S. foreign policy. some facts that influence foreign policy are geography, military needs/power, economic needs/power, ethnic/cultural ties, and history.

The four phases of foreign policy are

1. ISOLATIONISM (1789 – 1890s) Nonentanglement
2. CONTINENTAL EXPANSION (1830 – 1890)Manifest Destiny
3. THE COLD WAR (1945-1991) anti-communist
4. IMPERIALISM (1890s to ….) Expanding U.S. Power, Land, Values around the world

Some foreign policy guidelines are:

1. Humanitarian Relief: sending help to other countries to relieve suffering after a natural disaster or other tragedy
2. Protecting Human Rights: using military force to protect people from having their human rights violated
3. Stopping Aggression: using military force to protect other countries from attack by others
4. Establishing Democracy: Intervening in other countries to help them develop democratic government
5. National Security: taking action to protect US borders or US citizens against attack
6. Economic Interests: getting involved in other countries to protect profiles of US businesses and resources US economy needs.
7. Preserving World Peace: mediate disputes to solve international conflicts between others

Fundamentally, I believe the ultimate purpose of our foreign policy must be to protect the liberty of the United States. The American Revolution was fought to establish a nation of liberty. That liberty has been defended in many wars since that day and has enabled our people to increase steadily their material welfare and their spiritual freedom. To achieve that liberty we have gone to war, and to protect it we would go to war again. Overall, foreign policy is important in the decisions and courses of action used to solve problems.

For fun facts on Foreign Policy click here.

Filibustering in the Senate: Blog # 3

The first senate filibuster took place on March, 5th in 1841. A filibuster is the use of obstructing tactics, including prolonged speech making to delay legislative actions. A senator or series of senators, to speak as long as they wish about any topic they would like. In a nutshell, filibusters are used to stall the legislative process and prevent a vote. The first filibuster that occurred in 1841 was based on a debate on a bill to charter the second bank of the US. The longest filibuster lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes.

Filibusters are more frequently used now than ever before because as the parties drift apart in decisions during a debate, the majority party will more likely introduce legislation that the minority party can’t accept. Using the filibuster then becomes a rational response when a part finds itself in the smaller half of a polarized chamber, which is more likely to be the case today than 45 years ago.

The filibuster is a powerful parliamentary device in the US Senate, which was strengthened in 1975.  In the past decade most major legislation (apart from budgets) requires a 60% vote to bring a bill or nomination to the floor for a vote. In recent years, the majority has preferred to avoid filibusters by moving to other business when a filibuster is threatened and its attempts to achieve cloture have failed.

The Senate then adopted the “cloture” rule to limit filibustering in 1917. Initially, the rule required a two-thirds majority to limit debate, and if cloture was approved each senator was limited to one additional hour of speaking. After several modifications between 1949 and 1986, the most recent of the cloture rule allows a three-fifths majority to limit debate to a total of thirty hours for most issues, with a two-thirds majority necessary for rules changes. Senators have adopted rules and passed laws exempting a number of key issues, such as trade agreements and key budget legislation, from filibustering.

Filibusters are used now more than ever! For more info regarding filibusters click here.

For a video on “The History of Filibustering” click the link.

Political Socialization:

Political Socialization is the way Americans get their social beliefs. The four influences are parents, peers, media, and school. Family is generally viewed as the most significant agent of political socialization. For example, when parents teach their children to respect the authority of police officers, they are showing  political socialization by teaching the importance of obedience to government officials. When families gather together on July 4 to watch fireworks shows, they are teaching their children about the significance of historic national events. When parents take their children to voting booths on election days, and even let them go into the voting booth with them to flip a switch or push a button, parents are socializing their children about the importance of voting. As children grow older, the patterns of political socialization may become more specific. While sitting around the dinner table, parents tend to discuss the policies of people currently serving in or running for office.  Most children adopt the same political affiliation as their parents. Today there are many reason to political socialization and there are plenty ways of spreading it. Friends and the wider communities can also play a significant role in socializing individuals about the political world. Friends often reinforce for each other the opinions each holds. This influence is particularly significant if they hold opinions that are not popular within the larger community. People within communities have tended to share similar opinions on political matters. Individuals are politically socialized by such groups as their family, peers, and social class. Furthermore, they are socialized by existing laws, media, religion, education, their own gender, and more. This is a main reason why communities agree on certain aspects. They all collaborate with another.

Political leaders and the parties they represent can also be significant influences in shaping one’s political socialization. Both individuals and their parties attempt to hold together public opinions and increase support for policies Some examples are Bill Clinton and George W Bushes press conferences. Everything we see and collaborate with in today’s society affects how we think and portray our future.

The news and television companies decide what we see as current or important news. Today Brittney Spears’ outrage is “more important” than the water shortages in Africa. In the United States, young people are socialized to accept specific American values. This includes acceptance of democracy, rule of law , respect for authorities, and the capitalist system. An example of the future generations viewing the wrong motives of importance based on the news can be explained in this article.

Political Socialization in our daily lives:

While family and school are important early in life, what our peers think and what we read in the newspaper and see on television have more influence on our political attitudes as adults. Schools partake in political socialization influences by introducing students to elections and voting when they choose class officers, and the more sophisticated elections in high school and college teach the rudiments of campaigning. Political facts are learned through courses in American history and government, and schools, at their best, encourage students to critically examine government institutions. Schools themselves are involved in politics; issues such as reforming education, funding, and government support for private schools often spark a debate that involves students, teachers, parents, and the larger community. The media is another huge way in which ideas are spread and opinions are formed. Much of our political information comes from the mass media: newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet. The amount of time the average American family watches TV makes it the dominant information source, particularly with the expansion of 24-hour all-news cable channels. Not only does television help shape public opinion by providing news and analysis, but its entertainment programming addresses important contemporary issues that are in the political arena, such as drug use, abortion, and crime. The growth of the Internet is also significant; not only do essentially all-news outlets have their own Web sites, but bloggers present a broad range of political opinion, information, and analysis.

Blog: 1 U.S Constution and Its 27 Amendments

The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world. Even though, there are 27 actually ratified amendments in the Constitution, there are four that seem most significant to me. I find Amendments 13, 16, 22, and the 25th to be the most important out of the 27 administered. A Constitution without these four Amendments would be highly disorderly.

    The first Amendment with high significance is obviously abolition of slavery (13). This Amendment was passed in 1865 and was a revolutionary change in the way society acted. Before this, slavery was protected in the original Constitution by clauses like the Three-Fifths Compromise.  This Amendment put an end to one of the worlds most difficult acts in racism to this day. Slaves had been taken away from their families and treated like animals. With this Amendment slaves were finally given rights to live like human beings.

    The second Amendment extremely important to our Constitution would be number 16. The U.S. could only collect taxes based on how much income is made by each citizen. With this, the poor people wont have to pay as much as rich people because their lifestyles and spending choices are so different. Those who make a lot of money are taxed more than those who make less money because they have more to give. This keeps our community fair and gives other opportunities to make money in the end.

    The third Amendment that deserves direct attention would be number 22. Its function is to set a limit on the number of time a President could be elected. Their allowed two- four year terms. With this restriction, our country can keep a consistent method of ideas flowing. Our society wouldn’t have to be set on the same ideas for too long of a time period. This also gives those elected a fair opportunity to serve their duties.  

    My fourth and final amendment is number 25. This amendment states that “shall a President resign or decease, the Vice President then will take his or her place. This gives a fair chance in which the situation occurs there’s a formal and a selected back up plan. We prepare for future possibilities and everyone agrees on the circumstance decisions once they occur.  

    I feel that we should add a few more amendments regarding social media and what is released, exposed, and extracted. There are many TV shows, websites, and social media sites in which young children have easy access to that can be inappropriate. There should be more restrictions on what is released now a days . If I could institute a 28th amendment, I would make it regarding electronic GPS’s and surveillance on mobile devices. The would be restrictions on what is monitored and people would be given more privacy. The link below supports my claim.