Dallas Shootings, Philando Castile Killing, and Alton Sterling Murder: Is the Job Too Much?7/11/2016 Civilian deaths at the hands of police, soldiers, and other security forces are so common in war-torn countries that it is called collateral damage. One objective of war is to limit collateral damage enough to ensure the civilian population supports the security forces instead of the combatants. As neighborhoods and highways become warzones, or at least are perceived as warzones, the police are being “militarized.” Accordingly, the mission of the police is no longer to “protect and serve.” Their mission is to eliminate the combatants in the war on terrorism and the war on crime while minimizing civilian deaths.
The Mexican Drug War, which serves as an example that happens to border the US, has resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people. Where the Mexican military has been asked to help “police” the drug cartels, the Mexican police have been asked to fight a war with well-armed, well-funded terrorist organizations that often enjoys strong community support. The result has included a mounting number of civilian abuses and murders at the hands of security forces. In the US, the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling help illustrate the hazards of a militant police force.
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The 2016 US Presidential Election takes place at a time when the United States, as well as the rest of the world, faces mounting crises built on deeply entrenched issues that have been treated with inadequate “solutions” and kick-the-can-down-the-road policies. As the leader of the world’s most influential nation, the next US President will play a critical role in shaping the future of the United States and the International Community. Unfortunately, essential leadership skills, including the ability to take responsibility for one’s decisions and actions, appear to be lacking in both the Republican and Democratic Nominees.
Not only does Republican Nominee Donald Trump explode into a tirade of abusive, personal attacks without considering the consequences of his slander remarks on a regular basis, his now defunct “Trump University” is the subject of numerous fraud complaints. He has chosen to lash out against the federal judge overseeing the case while he has seemingly threatened to abuse his power as President to solve his legal troubles. Although the legal system punishes people for taking responsibility for specific wrongdoing, i.e. lawsuits, showing some humility and recognizing some kind of wrong, or mistake, was done is a leadership essential. Hillary Clinton, during her time as US Secretary of State, used her personal email servers to send eight email chains, which contained Top Secret information, 36 email chains, which contained Secret information, and 8 email chains, which contained Confidential information. She also sent 2,000 additional emails, which contained sensitive information that was later “up-classified” to Confidential, according to the FBI’s investigation into Secretary Clinton’s use of her unsecured personal email servers.
On April 5, 2012, whistleblower and former-CIA Agent John Kiriakou, who confirmed in December 2007 the US was using water boarding to torture terrorist suspects, was indicted on one count of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, three counts of violating the Espionage Act, and one count of making false statements to the Publications Review Board of the CIA. On October 22, 2012, Kiriakou pleaded guilty to disclosing classified information that connected a fellow CIA officer to a specific operation and received 30-months in the Loretto, Pennsylvania Federal correctional facility. The Fourth of July holiday is not just America’s Independence Day. In many respects, it marks the beginning of independence for the world. Reviving the dream of Athenian democracy, the British colonies, that would become the world’s most influential and powerful nation, not only rejected the traditional rule of a monarch, they put forth a philosophy that resonates throughout the entire world today. As such, we always need to spend a little time on the Fourth of July contemplating the meaning of democracy and freedom.
Freedom is the power and responsibility to make one’s own choices in life. Through their Declaration of Independence, America’s Founding Fathers rejected the notion that all people are born subjugated to those endowed by their creator to rule and nations exist solely to serve the powerful elites. In doing so, they laid the foundation for our modern understanding of society. We know recognize nations are built on a balancing of interests while we believe our governments solely exist to serve the interests of their People.
Illegal immigration has long been a staple of US politics, but economic uncertainty and growing fears of potential national security risks fuel a renewed push to deal with illegal immigration. Between the Syria Refugee Crisis and the Brexit, Europeans are just as focused on the issue of immigration. Despite liberal European attitudes on immigration and residency, European leaders are finding open border policies no longer palatable. Recalling situations like the Rohingya and Bangladeshi Refugee Crisis of 2015, it is clear that much of the world’s population sees immigration as a major public policy issue. Immigration policies are strongly influenced by economic and national security issues. This is why the United States was forced to eventually adopt restrictions on immigration. Ever since then, it has struggled with an increasing illegal immigration problem. The post-Cold War Era was, however, a time of peace and prosperity, which allowed liberal views that favor open borders and immigration to become popular enough to be embraced across much of Europe. As the role of the European Union and international governance expanded, many started to assume freedom of movement across borders was accepted as a human right by all. |
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