My article is about the Togo national team. They were going to Cabinda to play in the African Nations cup when they were attacked by rebels. The bus driver was shot and killed and two players were injured and have recovered from there injuries but the team doesnt plan on playing anytime soon. The rebels intended to shoot the team but the Togo National team took two buses. The bus for there baggage was in the front which is the bus the rebels thought the team was on which took basically all the damage. Players said they were fortunate to be on the second bus. This article is very important because it shows that teams or other countries and people cant come into other countries for sports events and not be safe.
My article -
The Togo national team bus has been machine-gunned by Angolan rebels on the Congolese border ahead of the African Nations Cup.
GettyImages
The attack happened just after players entered Cabinda.
• Carter: Attack did irreparable damage
• Paper round: Big shadow over ANC
Two players are reported to be injured and a Togolese sports ministry spokesman in Lome said that the bus driver had been killed in the attack. The Sparrow Hawks are in the country ahead of the African tournament, which gets under way on Sunday.
"The Angolan driver was killed on the spot," the Togolese official told Reuters.
"I am fine but several players are in a bad way," FC Nantes striker Thomas Dossevi told Radio Monte Carlo."We are still at hospital. We were attacked like dogs and had to hide for 20 minutes under the seats to avoid the bullets. We were shot, although we had two police coaches on our sides. There are two injured players and also some staff."
Giving more details on the attack, he said: ''We had just crossed the border five minutes before, we were surrounded by police buses, one in front of us another behind. Everything was fine and then there was a powerful burst of gunfire.
''Everyone threw themselves under the seats and tried to protect themselves but some couldn't escape the bullets. It lasted a good 15 minutes, the police fired back but really, it was hard to handle and it still is now. I'm shocked. When we got off the bus we were asking ourselves why us and not others? We were asking ourselves what had happened, we were crying and thanking God.''
According to RMC, the attack happened around 3.15pm just after players entered Cabinda, one of the four host venues of the African Cup of Nations and an oil producing region that has been the target of attacks in the past by a separatist group called FLEC.
The Angolan minister in charge of affairs in Cabinda, Antonio Bento Bembe, called the attack an act of terrorism. However, he denied the attack on the squad had been done by FLEC rebels.
"FLEC no long exists, the attack comes from certain individuals who want to cause problems for us," he said.
But FLEC later claimed responsibility for the attack.
FIFA released a statement speaking of their concern about the attack.
"FIFA and its President, Joseph S. Blatter, are deeply moved by today's incidents which affected Togo's national team, to whom they express their utmost sympathy,'' said the statement.
"FIFA is in touch with the African Football Confederation (CAF) and its President, Issa Hayatou, from which it expects a full report on the situation.''
The two players injured are reported to be GSI Pontivy goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilalé and Vaslui FC defender Serge Akakpo. Others reported injured are an assistant coach, a doctor and a journalist who was following the team.
Romanian side Vaslui confirmed Akakpo was shot and badly injured in the attack, although said the 22-year-old was out of danger after being treated by doctors.
A statement on the club's website read: ''Badly injured in an ambush in Angola, Serge Akakpo is now out of danger. Akakpo was struck by two bullets in the attack and has lost much blood. His condition was stabilised by doctors. FC Vaslui have been in touch with relatives of the player, who confirmed he has undergone surgery, which went very well.''
Alaixis Romao, the Grenoble player, told RMC he could count seven people injured and admitted Togo are now likely to pull out of the tournament. "We are not thinking about possible actions yet, but it's true no one wants to play," he said. "We are not capable. Before everything we have to think of the health of our injured. There was a lot of blood on the floor. We haven't had a lot of updates about their health since they were dispatched to local hospitals. In this case, we think of families, of the people we love because we really could have died there."
Midfielder Richmond Forson believes the number of injuries could have been much worse had the gunmen not originally fired on the wrong bus.
''It was the bus carrying our baggage which was in front of us which they fired on the most,'' he told Canal Plus. ''They thought we were in the bus in front.
''Fortunately for us. That's what saved us. Then they fired on our driver and those who were in front. The windscreen was shattered by the first bullets. It's disgusting to take bullets for a football match.''
Emmanuel Adebayor was unhurt in the attack, Manchester City have confirmed. A statement posted on City's official website read: ''Manchester City can confirm that striker Emmanuel Adebayor is uninjured after this afternoon's attack on the Togo team bus in Angola. Club officials have spoken with Adebayor and though shaken by the terrible events, he is unharmed.
"The club would like to send its condolences to the family of the driver and sends best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured. We are currently in talks with the Football Association over what may happen next.''
A spokesman for Portsmouth, who have four players away on African Nations Cup duty, said: "We will be asking the FA to talk to FIFA to ensure the players' safety. That is paramount, and if the players' safety can't be ensured, then the players should be sent home.''
Aston Villa also confirmed that their 26-year-old midfielder Moustapha Salifou was ''shaken but okay'' following the attack.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill told his club's official website: "I am really shocked to hear about this. Obviously I am pleased and relieved to hear that Moustapha is okay and that he is not among the injured people.
"The club have been in contact with him and he has reassured us that he is okay but he is extremely shocked and upset, which he would be in these circumstances.''
The Football Association issued a statement on the situation in Angola which read: "Following the terrible attack on the Togo national team in Angola, the Football Association is in contact with various English clubs who have players involved in the African Nations Cup.
"We will continue to ensure we are kept up to speed with all developments and do all we can to assist our clubs and those players involved.
"The FA is currently contacting various organisations, including FIFA.''
Chelsea, who have Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel away on Nations Cup duty, released a statement which read: "We are sure that the national teams and federations along with the authorities are taking every necessary security precaution to ensure the safety of the players and staff.''
Monday, January 11, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Article summary
My article is about a Civil rights hero caught in corruption probe to begin serving sentence.
Bobby Delaughter is the one being punished. He secured the infamous Medgar Evers Mississippi murder case -- is himself now headed to prison.
I think this article is trying to show that someone who was one a hero for a good cause is now be charged for some type of fraud. I dont really think this article is going to affect me but probably the people that he helped when he did he good deeds in 1994 or helped with the civil rights.
He got in trouble because he lied to a FBI agent. This article is very confusing to me :)
(CNN) -- Bobby DeLaughter -- the prosecutor who secured the conviction in the infamous Medgar Evers Mississippi murder case -- is himself now headed to prison.
It was DeLaughter's dogged 1994 prosecution and the subsequent conviction of Ku Klax Klan member Byron De La Beckwith that helped trigger the reopening of dozens of civil rights cold cases.
DeLaughter became an instant hero of the civil rights movement. Alec Baldwin portrayed him in the 1996 movie, "Ghosts of Mississippi," and his closing statement was once dubbed one of the greatest closing arguments in modern law.
"Is it ever too late to do the right thing?" DeLaughter told the jury of eight blacks and four whites. "For the sake of justice and the hope of us as a civilized society, I sincerely hope and pray that it's not."
DeLaughter would go on to become a state judge in 2002. His years in the robe came to an end in 2009, when DeLaughter pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for lying to an FBI agent in a far-reaching corruption probe that has rocked Mississippi's judicial system.
When he was sentenced in November, Byron De La Beckwith's son sat in the chamber wearing a Confederate flag pin on his red blazer. His father had also worn a Confederate pin during the 1994 trial.
DeLaughter is to begin serving his 18-month prison sentence today at a facility in Kentucky.
"The man has now been destroyed, politically and economically. It's that serious," said Charles Evers, the brother of Medgar Evers.
He said he is trying to raise money to help pay DeLaughter's expenses while he's in prison. "What can we do but fight for a man who fought for us?" he said. "I want DeLaughter to know I'm behind him 100 percent."
The man has now been destroyed, politically and economically.
--Charles Evers
RELATED TOPICS
Mississippi
Racial Issues
Federal Bureau of Investigation
DeLaughter's attorney, Tom Durkin, refused CNN's request to speak to the prosecutor-turned-judge ahead of his incarceration.
"Bobby DeLaughter remains a civil rights hero, and nothing is going to tarnish that," Durkin said. "The penalty he's paying is enormous, and I think it's sad and unfortunate. But that's simply the way it is."
Over the last month, CNN spoke with more than a dozen lawyers in Mississippi about DeLaughter's fall from grace. They paint a picture of an ambitious man with a brilliant legal mind who ran afoul of the law -- of friends betraying friends and of big-time money corrupting the system. Some take delight in his downfall; others call it a tragedy that has stained the legal community.
In the end, the lawyers said, DeLaughter trusted one man too much: His mentor, Ed Peters, who exploited their friendship and then turned on DeLaughter to avoid prison.
"This is a Shakespearean tragedy in the sense that a person falls from grace due to their own character defects -- in this case, misplaced trust in a friend and, perhaps, some combination of ambition and hubris," said Matt Steffey, a law professor at Mississippi College School of Law.
The story of DeLaughter going from civil rights hero to convicted felon is complicated, involving years of contentious litigation in his courtroom.
At the heart of the case is Dickie Scruggs, a high-powered lawyer who made tens of millions of dollars in tobacco and asbestos litigation. Scruggs is the brother-in-law of former Sen. Trent Lott and is now serving seven years in prison for trying to influence Mississippi judges, including DeLaughter.
According to prosecutors, Scruggs wanted to get to DeLaughter through his mentor, Peters, to try to influence DeLaughter's ruling in a high stakes case, potentially worth $15 million. Peters received $1 million in illicit payments as compensation for his actions, prosecutors say. Peters was granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation.
This is a Shakespearean tragedy ...
--Matt Steffey
"Mississippi would like to shake its image of being tied to civil rights crimes and the good ole boy network, and we see these two things overlap here," Steffey said.
"It's enormously unfortunate for a person like Judge DeLaughter who, at the very least, accomplished heroic things with bringing Byron De La Beckwith to justice. And it's tragic for the people of Mississippi -- that the end story here is that he is a corrupt judge in prison."
DeLaughter has denied taking any money in the case or that he was improperly influenced. In his guilty plea, he admits to only obstruction of justice; the more serious charges of involvement in a bribery scheme and mail fraud conspiracy were dismissed as part of the deal.
"To me, he is a tragic figure because he had a good career and he threw it away," said attorney Bill Kirksey. "He became an embarrassment to the legal community, to the judicial community and, I would hope, to himself."
Kirksey has an axe to grind with DeLaughter. He was one of the attorneys representing the client who stood to gain millions in the case at hand.
Kirksey and DeLaughter also trained under the same attorney several decades ago; Kirksey believes DeLaughter turned his back on everything they learned.
"Bobby DeLaughter betrayed every single oath he ever took. He betrayed the whole system of justice that we live by," Kirksey said.
"You measure a man by the whole of his life, not part of it. When the measure of the man is that he's dishonest in the end, then you have to wonder why he did anything in the beginning."
Bobby DeLaughter betrayed every single oath he ever took.
--Bill Kirksey
Merrida Coxwell was one of two lawyers who represented De La Beckwith in the 1994 trial. He has known DeLaughter for three decades, first as a defense attorney, then a prosecutor and finally as a judge.
"Quite frankly, I thought he was a very moderate, straight-down-the-line judge," he said.
He was shocked when allegations first surfaced. For a judge to be caught up in such a scandal, Coxwell said, is unfathomable. "If you can't have justice inside the justice system, then it's no good at all."
Morris Dees, the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, represented Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers -- the NAACP leader who was gunned down in his driveway on June 12, 1963.
He says only one man had the guts to seek prosecution in the case when two previous trials years before ended without convictions.
"If Bobby DeLaughter hadn't been around, it would never have happened. I can guarantee you that," Dees said. "It was the first modern-day prosecution of one of these old civil rights-era murders, and it resulted in the prosecution and convictions of a large number later."
DeLaughter's bravery in seeking justice in the Evers case, Dees said, makes it tough to swallow his more recent failings as a judge. "Certainly, when a judge is put in prison and pleads guilty," Dees said, "it certainly tarnishes his legal and judicial reputation."
Charles Evers said he will continue fighting for the man who fought so valiantly for his brother. "We will do whatever's necessary to help him get over his dilemma, and I'll say that over and over again."
Evers blasted prosecutors for offering immunity to Ed Peters, DeLaughter's mentor who avoided jail time even though he was the one accepting illicit payments. "The man who squealed on him should be going to jail," Evers said.
"I hope that some day justice will be fair and equal. ... It's not fair and equal in this case."
Bobby Delaughter is the one being punished. He secured the infamous Medgar Evers Mississippi murder case -- is himself now headed to prison.
I think this article is trying to show that someone who was one a hero for a good cause is now be charged for some type of fraud. I dont really think this article is going to affect me but probably the people that he helped when he did he good deeds in 1994 or helped with the civil rights.
He got in trouble because he lied to a FBI agent. This article is very confusing to me :)
(CNN) -- Bobby DeLaughter -- the prosecutor who secured the conviction in the infamous Medgar Evers Mississippi murder case -- is himself now headed to prison.
It was DeLaughter's dogged 1994 prosecution and the subsequent conviction of Ku Klax Klan member Byron De La Beckwith that helped trigger the reopening of dozens of civil rights cold cases.
DeLaughter became an instant hero of the civil rights movement. Alec Baldwin portrayed him in the 1996 movie, "Ghosts of Mississippi," and his closing statement was once dubbed one of the greatest closing arguments in modern law.
"Is it ever too late to do the right thing?" DeLaughter told the jury of eight blacks and four whites. "For the sake of justice and the hope of us as a civilized society, I sincerely hope and pray that it's not."
DeLaughter would go on to become a state judge in 2002. His years in the robe came to an end in 2009, when DeLaughter pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for lying to an FBI agent in a far-reaching corruption probe that has rocked Mississippi's judicial system.
When he was sentenced in November, Byron De La Beckwith's son sat in the chamber wearing a Confederate flag pin on his red blazer. His father had also worn a Confederate pin during the 1994 trial.
DeLaughter is to begin serving his 18-month prison sentence today at a facility in Kentucky.
"The man has now been destroyed, politically and economically. It's that serious," said Charles Evers, the brother of Medgar Evers.
He said he is trying to raise money to help pay DeLaughter's expenses while he's in prison. "What can we do but fight for a man who fought for us?" he said. "I want DeLaughter to know I'm behind him 100 percent."
The man has now been destroyed, politically and economically.
--Charles Evers
RELATED TOPICS
Mississippi
Racial Issues
Federal Bureau of Investigation
DeLaughter's attorney, Tom Durkin, refused CNN's request to speak to the prosecutor-turned-judge ahead of his incarceration.
"Bobby DeLaughter remains a civil rights hero, and nothing is going to tarnish that," Durkin said. "The penalty he's paying is enormous, and I think it's sad and unfortunate. But that's simply the way it is."
Over the last month, CNN spoke with more than a dozen lawyers in Mississippi about DeLaughter's fall from grace. They paint a picture of an ambitious man with a brilliant legal mind who ran afoul of the law -- of friends betraying friends and of big-time money corrupting the system. Some take delight in his downfall; others call it a tragedy that has stained the legal community.
In the end, the lawyers said, DeLaughter trusted one man too much: His mentor, Ed Peters, who exploited their friendship and then turned on DeLaughter to avoid prison.
"This is a Shakespearean tragedy in the sense that a person falls from grace due to their own character defects -- in this case, misplaced trust in a friend and, perhaps, some combination of ambition and hubris," said Matt Steffey, a law professor at Mississippi College School of Law.
The story of DeLaughter going from civil rights hero to convicted felon is complicated, involving years of contentious litigation in his courtroom.
At the heart of the case is Dickie Scruggs, a high-powered lawyer who made tens of millions of dollars in tobacco and asbestos litigation. Scruggs is the brother-in-law of former Sen. Trent Lott and is now serving seven years in prison for trying to influence Mississippi judges, including DeLaughter.
According to prosecutors, Scruggs wanted to get to DeLaughter through his mentor, Peters, to try to influence DeLaughter's ruling in a high stakes case, potentially worth $15 million. Peters received $1 million in illicit payments as compensation for his actions, prosecutors say. Peters was granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation.
This is a Shakespearean tragedy ...
--Matt Steffey
"Mississippi would like to shake its image of being tied to civil rights crimes and the good ole boy network, and we see these two things overlap here," Steffey said.
"It's enormously unfortunate for a person like Judge DeLaughter who, at the very least, accomplished heroic things with bringing Byron De La Beckwith to justice. And it's tragic for the people of Mississippi -- that the end story here is that he is a corrupt judge in prison."
DeLaughter has denied taking any money in the case or that he was improperly influenced. In his guilty plea, he admits to only obstruction of justice; the more serious charges of involvement in a bribery scheme and mail fraud conspiracy were dismissed as part of the deal.
"To me, he is a tragic figure because he had a good career and he threw it away," said attorney Bill Kirksey. "He became an embarrassment to the legal community, to the judicial community and, I would hope, to himself."
Kirksey has an axe to grind with DeLaughter. He was one of the attorneys representing the client who stood to gain millions in the case at hand.
Kirksey and DeLaughter also trained under the same attorney several decades ago; Kirksey believes DeLaughter turned his back on everything they learned.
"Bobby DeLaughter betrayed every single oath he ever took. He betrayed the whole system of justice that we live by," Kirksey said.
"You measure a man by the whole of his life, not part of it. When the measure of the man is that he's dishonest in the end, then you have to wonder why he did anything in the beginning."
Bobby DeLaughter betrayed every single oath he ever took.
--Bill Kirksey
Merrida Coxwell was one of two lawyers who represented De La Beckwith in the 1994 trial. He has known DeLaughter for three decades, first as a defense attorney, then a prosecutor and finally as a judge.
"Quite frankly, I thought he was a very moderate, straight-down-the-line judge," he said.
He was shocked when allegations first surfaced. For a judge to be caught up in such a scandal, Coxwell said, is unfathomable. "If you can't have justice inside the justice system, then it's no good at all."
Morris Dees, the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, represented Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers -- the NAACP leader who was gunned down in his driveway on June 12, 1963.
He says only one man had the guts to seek prosecution in the case when two previous trials years before ended without convictions.
"If Bobby DeLaughter hadn't been around, it would never have happened. I can guarantee you that," Dees said. "It was the first modern-day prosecution of one of these old civil rights-era murders, and it resulted in the prosecution and convictions of a large number later."
DeLaughter's bravery in seeking justice in the Evers case, Dees said, makes it tough to swallow his more recent failings as a judge. "Certainly, when a judge is put in prison and pleads guilty," Dees said, "it certainly tarnishes his legal and judicial reputation."
Charles Evers said he will continue fighting for the man who fought so valiantly for his brother. "We will do whatever's necessary to help him get over his dilemma, and I'll say that over and over again."
Evers blasted prosecutors for offering immunity to Ed Peters, DeLaughter's mentor who avoided jail time even though he was the one accepting illicit payments. "The man who squealed on him should be going to jail," Evers said.
"I hope that some day justice will be fair and equal. ... It's not fair and equal in this case."
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
diversity article
My article is about Uganda attacking homosexuality. East Africa is fighting for a bill to pass. Some gays in Uganda say that they are scared to walk anywhere because anywhere they go they get attacked by mobs or even beatin. The authority isnt doing anything ova there. Here is some of the stuff people can get convicted for:• Gays and lesbians convicted of having gay sex would be sentenced, at minimum, to life in prison
• People who test positive for HIV may be executed
• Homosexuals who have sex with a minor, or engage in homosexual sex more than once, may also receive the death penalty
• The bill forbids the "promotion of homosexuality," which in effect bans organizations working in HIV and AIDS prevention
• Anyone who knows of homosexual activity taking place but does not report it would risk up to three years in prison
I think this bill should be passed because these laws or whatever are very extreme i mean im anti gay but killing someone because they have sex with another person of the sam sex is outrageous. This article affects alot of people because gay rights is a huge issue in america.
The leader of Africa said its going to weakin the african civilization by passing this bill.
Here is my article
(CNN) -- As a gay man in Uganda, Frank Mugisha is used to the taunts, the slurs and the daily harassment of neighbors and friends.
But if a new bill proposed in the east African country becomes law, Mugisha could be put away for life, or worse, put to death for having sex with another man.
"Right now, you can't go to places that are crowded, because the mob can attack us or even burn us. We can't walk alone. We are ostracized by relatives. But if this bill passes, it will become impossible for me to live here at all. And that part hurts the most," Mugisha said.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill features several provisions that human rights groups say would spur a witch hunt of homosexuals in the country:
• Gays and lesbians convicted of having gay sex would be sentenced, at minimum, to life in prison
• People who test positive for HIV may be executed
• Homosexuals who have sex with a minor, or engage in homosexual sex more than once, may also receive the death penalty
• The bill forbids the "promotion of homosexuality," which in effect bans organizations working in HIV and AIDS prevention
• Anyone who knows of homosexual activity taking place but does not report it would risk up to three years in prison
"Who will go to HIV testing if he knows that he will suffer the death sentence?" Elizabeth Mataka, the U.N. Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, told reporters last week. "The law will drive them away from seeking counseling and testing services."
Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda under colonial-era laws. But the bill, introduced in October, is intended to put more teeth into prosecuting violators.
It applies even to Ugandans participating in same-sex acts in countries where such behavior is legal.
"They are supposed to be brought back to Uganda and convicted here. The government is putting homosexuality on the level of treason," Mugisha said.
Lawmakers have indicated that they will pass the bill before year's end.
It has the blessing of many religious leaders -- Muslim and Christian -- in a country where a July poll found 95 percent opposed to legalizing homosexuality.
The Rev. Esau Omara, a senior church leader, said over the weekend that any lawmaker opposing the bill will pay for it during the next election, according to local newspaper reports.
And a leading Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ramathan Shaban Mubajje, has called for gays to be rounded up and banished to an island until they die.
Several media outlets also have inflamed sentiments in recent months by publicly pointing out gays and lesbians.
Who will go to HIV testing if he knows that he will suffer the death sentence?
--Elizabeth Mataka
In April, the Observer newspaper published tips to help readers spot homosexuals. And over the summer, the Red Pepper tabloid outed 45 gays and lesbians.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has not publicly stated his position on the bill, but last month blamed foreign influence in promoting and funding homosexuality.
"It is true that, if the president has said that, he must have information that European nations are promoting (homosexuality) and recruiting homosexuals," government spokesman Fred Opolot said. "You must note that the president or the legislators are responding to the concern of the citizenry of the country."
At the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago late last month, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he pulled aside Museveni to deplore the bill.
"We find them inconsistent with, frankly, I think any reasonable understanding of human rights, and I was very clear on that with the president of Uganda," Harper told reporters.
In the United States, a coalition of Christian leaders released a statement Monday denouncing the bill.
"Regardless of the diverse theological views of our religious traditions regarding the morality of homosexuality, in our churches, communities and families, we seek to embrace our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as God's children, worthy of respect and love," the statement read.
Human rights groups have called on Western nations to withhold aid from Uganda if the measure passes. About 40 percent of the country's budget comes from international aid.
"This draft bill is clearly an attempt to divide and weaken civil society by striking at one of its most marginalized groups," said Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program at the New York-based Human Rights Watch. "The government may be starting here, but who will be next?"
Opolot, the government spokesman, said consideration of the bill in parliament is merely "democracy at work."
"We as a country are engaging and debating a pertinent issue," he said. "So if a foreign country chooses to cut aid simply because Uganda is debating its destiny, then it is quite outrageous and quite wrong."
Mugisha, who now heads the group Sexual Minority of Uganda, said he is working with lawyers and other activists to change minds and defeat the measure.
"I have put a lot of effort in this struggle. I just want to live freely every day," he said. "I want to be happy knowing that if I'm going to meet someone, I'm not going to be taken to jail forever."
• People who test positive for HIV may be executed
• Homosexuals who have sex with a minor, or engage in homosexual sex more than once, may also receive the death penalty
• The bill forbids the "promotion of homosexuality," which in effect bans organizations working in HIV and AIDS prevention
• Anyone who knows of homosexual activity taking place but does not report it would risk up to three years in prison
I think this bill should be passed because these laws or whatever are very extreme i mean im anti gay but killing someone because they have sex with another person of the sam sex is outrageous. This article affects alot of people because gay rights is a huge issue in america.
The leader of Africa said its going to weakin the african civilization by passing this bill.
Here is my article
(CNN) -- As a gay man in Uganda, Frank Mugisha is used to the taunts, the slurs and the daily harassment of neighbors and friends.
But if a new bill proposed in the east African country becomes law, Mugisha could be put away for life, or worse, put to death for having sex with another man.
"Right now, you can't go to places that are crowded, because the mob can attack us or even burn us. We can't walk alone. We are ostracized by relatives. But if this bill passes, it will become impossible for me to live here at all. And that part hurts the most," Mugisha said.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill features several provisions that human rights groups say would spur a witch hunt of homosexuals in the country:
• Gays and lesbians convicted of having gay sex would be sentenced, at minimum, to life in prison
• People who test positive for HIV may be executed
• Homosexuals who have sex with a minor, or engage in homosexual sex more than once, may also receive the death penalty
• The bill forbids the "promotion of homosexuality," which in effect bans organizations working in HIV and AIDS prevention
• Anyone who knows of homosexual activity taking place but does not report it would risk up to three years in prison
"Who will go to HIV testing if he knows that he will suffer the death sentence?" Elizabeth Mataka, the U.N. Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, told reporters last week. "The law will drive them away from seeking counseling and testing services."
Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda under colonial-era laws. But the bill, introduced in October, is intended to put more teeth into prosecuting violators.
It applies even to Ugandans participating in same-sex acts in countries where such behavior is legal.
"They are supposed to be brought back to Uganda and convicted here. The government is putting homosexuality on the level of treason," Mugisha said.
Lawmakers have indicated that they will pass the bill before year's end.
It has the blessing of many religious leaders -- Muslim and Christian -- in a country where a July poll found 95 percent opposed to legalizing homosexuality.
The Rev. Esau Omara, a senior church leader, said over the weekend that any lawmaker opposing the bill will pay for it during the next election, according to local newspaper reports.
And a leading Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ramathan Shaban Mubajje, has called for gays to be rounded up and banished to an island until they die.
Several media outlets also have inflamed sentiments in recent months by publicly pointing out gays and lesbians.
Who will go to HIV testing if he knows that he will suffer the death sentence?
--Elizabeth Mataka
In April, the Observer newspaper published tips to help readers spot homosexuals. And over the summer, the Red Pepper tabloid outed 45 gays and lesbians.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has not publicly stated his position on the bill, but last month blamed foreign influence in promoting and funding homosexuality.
"It is true that, if the president has said that, he must have information that European nations are promoting (homosexuality) and recruiting homosexuals," government spokesman Fred Opolot said. "You must note that the president or the legislators are responding to the concern of the citizenry of the country."
At the Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago late last month, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he pulled aside Museveni to deplore the bill.
"We find them inconsistent with, frankly, I think any reasonable understanding of human rights, and I was very clear on that with the president of Uganda," Harper told reporters.
In the United States, a coalition of Christian leaders released a statement Monday denouncing the bill.
"Regardless of the diverse theological views of our religious traditions regarding the morality of homosexuality, in our churches, communities and families, we seek to embrace our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as God's children, worthy of respect and love," the statement read.
Human rights groups have called on Western nations to withhold aid from Uganda if the measure passes. About 40 percent of the country's budget comes from international aid.
"This draft bill is clearly an attempt to divide and weaken civil society by striking at one of its most marginalized groups," said Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program at the New York-based Human Rights Watch. "The government may be starting here, but who will be next?"
Opolot, the government spokesman, said consideration of the bill in parliament is merely "democracy at work."
"We as a country are engaging and debating a pertinent issue," he said. "So if a foreign country chooses to cut aid simply because Uganda is debating its destiny, then it is quite outrageous and quite wrong."
Mugisha, who now heads the group Sexual Minority of Uganda, said he is working with lawyers and other activists to change minds and defeat the measure.
"I have put a lot of effort in this struggle. I just want to live freely every day," he said. "I want to be happy knowing that if I'm going to meet someone, I'm not going to be taken to jail forever."
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Trais song lyrics
song is called Does it really matter
its by K'naan
genre is rap
The song was released in 2009. The songs message is basically just talkin about where your from and saying it doenst really matter where you are from or like what you look like and where you go. I think the artist tried saying that he is from somewhere different and when he goes places and who he hangs with it doesnt really matter. People shouldnt be judge by where there from and who they hang with and where they hang. This verse in the song basically explains the song and my point of view on the song-
If the beat is hot does it matter where or who its from?
If the flow is hot does it really matter where I'm from?
If the song is hot does it matter 'cause the DJ dumb?
If the girl is hot does it really matter where she's from?
If the beat is hot does it matter where or who its from?
If the flow is hot does it really matter where I'm from?
If the club is hot does it really matter how we bump?
If the girl is hot does it really matter where she's
from?
I think the song basically takes place in our time but talks about the rapper as he grows.
I think the issue affect mainly African Americans but thats just my opinion because he talks about African American rappers.
The url to my song is
http://www.metrolyrics.com/does-it-really-matter-lyrics-knaan.html
The song to me seems like it takes place in like a rougher area of time. Because he talks about running the streets im mean people just dont run the streets in like all white rich neighborhoods if that makes since.
its by K'naan
genre is rap
The song was released in 2009. The songs message is basically just talkin about where your from and saying it doenst really matter where you are from or like what you look like and where you go. I think the artist tried saying that he is from somewhere different and when he goes places and who he hangs with it doesnt really matter. People shouldnt be judge by where there from and who they hang with and where they hang. This verse in the song basically explains the song and my point of view on the song-
If the beat is hot does it matter where or who its from?
If the flow is hot does it really matter where I'm from?
If the song is hot does it matter 'cause the DJ dumb?
If the girl is hot does it really matter where she's from?
If the beat is hot does it matter where or who its from?
If the flow is hot does it really matter where I'm from?
If the club is hot does it really matter how we bump?
If the girl is hot does it really matter where she's
from?
I think the song basically takes place in our time but talks about the rapper as he grows.
I think the issue affect mainly African Americans but thats just my opinion because he talks about African American rappers.
The url to my song is
http://www.metrolyrics.com/does-it-really-matter-lyrics-knaan.html
The song to me seems like it takes place in like a rougher area of time. Because he talks about running the streets im mean people just dont run the streets in like all white rich neighborhoods if that makes since.
Monday, November 9, 2009
terroist article
I think what this guy did was very bad. It just makes it even more worse because he was Muslim so it makes it look like he was a terriost. I think the would be alot of pressure on him since he believes in Islamic stuff so when people come back from the war with lots of stress they tell him stuff that has to do with his religion and probably bad stuff about his people.
I dont really think there is terroisim in this because its just a stereotype that every muslim or dark skinned person from middle eastern is descripted at a terriost. But i guess any foriengn attack it considered as a terroist attack.
A lot of racism played in this article im pretty sure when people came back from the war they pry didnt trust him just because of what he looked like so people could of even said racist comments as a joke. Also the media around him could of played a big role. Lots of people bash middle eastern people.
I dont think all of american muslims have those problems but im pretty sure they get lots of racist comments. Also he might of done this because he was getting deployed and if he would of went to the war it would of been tough for him because of what he looks like.
Well there were no signs that he would do this except that he was middle eastern. I dont think he should of been deployed why would you have a pshcaritist go to the war he should stay home.
I think the women that stopped him had lots of leadership because usually in this type of situation people just freak out and run around and nothing usually get done. But this woman risked her life to save others.
Well we are in a war with them so it is probably very tough for them
I dont really think there is terroisim in this because its just a stereotype that every muslim or dark skinned person from middle eastern is descripted at a terriost. But i guess any foriengn attack it considered as a terroist attack.
A lot of racism played in this article im pretty sure when people came back from the war they pry didnt trust him just because of what he looked like so people could of even said racist comments as a joke. Also the media around him could of played a big role. Lots of people bash middle eastern people.
I dont think all of american muslims have those problems but im pretty sure they get lots of racist comments. Also he might of done this because he was getting deployed and if he would of went to the war it would of been tough for him because of what he looks like.
Well there were no signs that he would do this except that he was middle eastern. I dont think he should of been deployed why would you have a pshcaritist go to the war he should stay home.
I think the women that stopped him had lots of leadership because usually in this type of situation people just freak out and run around and nothing usually get done. But this woman risked her life to save others.
Well we are in a war with them so it is probably very tough for them
Thursday, November 5, 2009
second leadershiop article
My article is about being successful. It talks about how people want to be successful and how attractive people are successful. It says you dont have to have loads of money to be successful. The true way to being successful is about being valuable to the people around you. There one quote in my article that says its better to be a failure at something you love rather than be successful at something you hate. I think that quote means that dont do something you dont like doing. Because if you succeed in something you dont like its not gonna be fun for you in the long wrong. Also when you fail at something you love you want to keep trying and trying to succeed at it. Another quote in my article is that "Its not what we get. But who we become what we contribute.....that gives meaning to our lives" i think that means that it doenst matter how much you have but what you do that affects other people. Usually very successful people are selfish and only help people with money and not love. To be successful you have to fail once. to me i think this article is basically saying that just do something you really like not something you dont. ;)
Friday, October 23, 2009
msi weekly article
Real star Ronaldo targets Milan return
Real Madrid have pencilled in Cristiano Ronaldo for a return to action against AC Milan in their crucial Champions League clash at the San Siro in November.
GettyImages
Cristiano Ronaldo is injured playing for Portugal
Ronaldo limped out of Portugal's World Cup qualifier against Hungary on October 10 with an ankle injury and Bernabeu medics predicted to £80 million forward would be sidelined for a month. But the 24-year-old is confident he will be on the pitch at the San Siro a week ahead a schedule.
"The ankle already doesn't hurt me," he told Marca. "I think I am ready to play."
The news will be greatly welcomed by the Spanish giants who have struggled in his absence, while he would also be available for Portugal's two-legged World Cup play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Before his injury Ronaldo had scored nine goals in his seven competitive games since moving from Manchester United. Madrid have lost two of the three games he has been sidelined for, including a 3-2 defeat at home to Milan on Wednesday.
This article is about a very good soccer player who plays for Real Madrid. He got injured in a World Cup Qualifying match agaisnt Hungary. He also plays for his National team of Purtugal. He is tellin everyone he is ready to play a week before he is scheduled to be healed.
I think it is news because he is a famous spanish star people look up to him. Also because he is the highest paid soccer player as of signing a deal with Real Madrid coming from Manchester United. Without him playing is a huge loss to Real Madrid who is playing there second leg against AC Milan another powerhouse of a soccer team. He also would be missing out on his World Cup Match against a Bosnian team. Ronaldo wants to be healed before his very important match against AC Milan in November. It affects everyone because young people look up to him i mean why wouldnt you he was the leading scorer in past years.
I think he should wait awhile before he plays because if he get injured again then it will be another loss for his teams.
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