Little Gitmo on the Prairie

Guantanamo Bay detainees may be heading to Illinois. The Thompson Correctional Center has the capacity to hold the detainees and this will allow for the close of Guantanamo Bay. Republicans are opposed to having detainees "in their backyards", while democrats back Obama in getting Guantanamo closed. Governor, Pat Quinn thinks this is a good move as it will provide people with jobs and may help boost the economy. Other facilities are being looked at in Montana and Colorado as well. With this delicate issue people don't want the prisoners here yet we want Guantanamo closed, what to do? Bottom line is Guantanamo Bay needs to cease to be open, and by buying the Thompson Center or placing them in another facility I think it is taking a step in the right direction.

By: Lindsay Weidling

U.S. set to pay Taliban members to switch sides

"You can rent an Afghan but you can't buy him." This old saying implies just that. So with Obama signing a $680 billion defense appropriations bill to aid with military operations in assistance with the Taliban, we are attempting to purchase an Afghan. This is a temporary fix and does not seem to be a realistic way to diminish the ongoing problem. While it is beneficial because it separates the Taliban members from their leaders, which weakens the group, it will only last us so long. However, this short term plan is the only plan implemented that shows some effects. There is no simple long term plan which will eliminate the hatred and violence, hence there being no world peace. Plus with this program we are putting trust into an untrustworthy group so it really is a short term plan and cannot be trusted to alleviate all Taliban problems for the U.S. but it is a start.

By: Lindsay Weidling

New Medical Marijuana Policy Issued

Barack Obama has issued a new policy saying that prosecutors should stop arresting people who use medical marijuana. However, the federal government can still prosecute people for this illegal activity there are state laws that need to be followed, and state prosecutors will stop wasting their time with medical marijuana cases. Overall, marijuana should be legalized because we spend tons of money each year imprisoning people for minor marijuana charges. The Obama administration has said to make changes and this seems to be the first talk of changes since in office. It appears that the administration is starting to delve into issues that have been placed on the back burner. Whether or not the legalization of marijuana across the United States will ever transpire is questionable but I think it is important that the president realizes the waste of money and time it is to prosecute those using marijuana for medicinal purposes.

By: Lindsay Weidling

Obama to gay group: 'Still laws to change, hearts to open'

Obama addressed the largest gay rights policy in Washington Saturday telling them he is their biggest ally in the fight to change gay rights. He is in favor of allowing gays to have the same rights as married couples. "Obama called for the repeal of the ban on gays in the military -- the "don't ask, don't tell" policy." While those listening remain hopeful they are also growing impatient. While there are other pressing issues; this one, too, affects many peoples lives and needs to be taken care of.

By: Lindsay Weidling

Tackling the New "Rape" Law

Post by Bri Roozen

After checking the news this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that our President is currently visiting troops in Iraq.  However, as I continued reading about his surprise visit to the Middle Eastern country, I also learned he has no plans of stopping in Afghanistan.  Now I know the president is busy and all, but due to the recent rape law passed in Afghanistan, one would hope that the president would be a little more forthright.  

This new law was put into effect by the new Afghanistan government (that's the government we put in place) and it basically gives an Afghani man permission to strip his wife of basic human rights such as being able to leave the house and declining to have intercourse.  To put it in layman's terms, Afghani women have less rights than that of an animal.  To make the situation even worse, many of these Afghani 'wives' are little more than children, allowing in the further abuse of women and children in the Middle Eastern world.  What is Afghanistan's current defense to the passing of this law? "Most members of the parliament did not know what they were going to vote for" a woman member of the Afghani parliament, Koofi, said.  "Even some of my friends... voted in favor without knowing what happened."  Is this supposed to instill confidence in us?  To know that the Afghani parliament is unknowingly voting through laws that violate some of the most basic human rights?  President Obama called the new law abhorrent, and let it be known that the current administration opposes the law.  Perhaps if the President could take a little side trip from Iraq and put the pressure on Afghanistan to revoke the law now, maybe the women of Afghanistan could be treated like people again, before too much damage is done.

Putting Afghanistan back on the front burner

by: Justin Lynch

http://www.slate.com/id/2214726/

Barack Obama campaigned with the promise to make the battle in Afghanistan more important. With the promise of at least 17,000 additional troops to "take the fight to the Taliban in the south and the east and... go after insurgents along the border," Obama seems to be making good on his word. However, as odd as it may sound, Afghanistan is probably a more complicated war than Iraq. Where Iraq is mostly flat, Afghanistan is in a mountainous region where the clear advantage lies with those who know the terrain (look at how Bin Laden has been able to hide in the mountainous region somewhere in Afghanistan/Pakistan and how the Taliban have been able to stay alive.) Also, with numerous tribes and regions where government is basically non-existent, Afghanistan as a whole is going to be almost impossible to nail down. Obama's strategy, as described by Fred Kaplan, is basically part counterinsurgency and part counterterrorism, which seems like a good mix to start bringing stability to the country we started fighting more than seven long years ago.