The Olympics Bringing the World Together..or Not..

Just about every night for the last two weeks I have been enjoying the excitement of the Olympics. I'm watching sports I never really thought I would be into, such as diving or men's gymnastics. I feel really patriotic watching the games and rooting for my Country, the United States of America. We continually hear in the media that the Olympics is bringing the the world together, in unity. I believe that the Olympics is bringing a certain part of the world together. At the same time, everyday we hear of death and destruction going on. The fighting between Russia and Georgia has since "subsided" but there is still much turmoil in that region. Now it's more like guerrilla warfare breaking out, people are breaking into homes and killing families just because. The remnants are fresh, villages had been burned and houses broken; unburied bodies lay rotting; fresh graves were dug in gardens and basements. There is still much turmoil in the Middle East, and deaths are reported just about everyday. Sudan is still falling victim of genocide and the government isn't doing much to stop it because the country's President is basically orchestrating it.

It's fun to watch the Olympics and root for your country but we can't forget that the world is still happening. The Olympics lasts for two weeks and when it's over we probably wont hear much about Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. I guess until then we should soak it up and enjoy it, when it's over the world has two years before we're brought together again. I'm not trying to be a downer but we need not forget what is really going on in the world today....

Going After Crime and Guns

The National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign have finally agreed on one thing, supporting a law enforcement program in Richmond, Virginia that targets gun crimes. After the Supreme Court’s decision that struck down any restrictions on individual gun ownership caused officials to get a little worried. They were worried that there could be a rise in gun violence. But in fact they have seen a drop of 31% in gun crimes in the last ten years. Richmond is one of the easiest places to buy a gun, but the state severely punishes those who commit gun crimes. The project entitled “Project Exile” involves a series of local, state, and federal law enforcement partnerships. The focus is on the most violent part of the city by cracking down with harsh punishments for crimes involving guns. Richmond is the only city with “Project Exile” but officials are trying to push it to other cities, such as, San Francisco and Chicago. The NRA challenges most gun laws that will affect them but support the cause for “Project Exile.” NRA Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre says, “Leave the good people alone and lock up the bad people and dramatically cut crime.” He supports this project because the people that are being punished are drug dealers, gang members, and felons. It’s good to see action being taken on the street to combat such a huge problem. I know that we don’t live in a perfect world but we can do our best to make the best of it.