Nay Marriage (Get it, it's supposed to be "Gay" but it's not, thus resulting "Nay")

The chief justice of Alabama stated his opinion of his state trying to implement gay marriage laws in an article on February 12, 2015 (link to article).  Chief Justice Roy Moore told the media that he would fight same-sex marriage efforts, even if the Supreme Court will favor the change later this year.  He stated "he will follow the law as he interprets it" because if it is an "unlawful mandate you can refuse to mandate it."  The Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage on Monday, but Moore told the lower courts not to implement a federal court ruling.  Moore states Alabama recognized the "divine" nature of the definition of marriage.

I feel that Chief Justice Moore is correct in his stance on the issue.  His beliefs and interpretation of the law represents a man who cannot be changed by changing times, which can be good or bad depending on the issue.  But Alabama allowing gay marriage?  Really?  I was surprised by this article, and I seriously thought this would be one of the last states to legalize it.  But, as it is now, I feel that Moore should continue his fight against it.

DOWN WITH ISIS

In the article "Fight Against ISIS Needs Troops to be Effective, Michael Morell Says," the former No. 2 of the CIA stated what he believes to be an effective measure to take against the terrorist group (link to article). Morell stated that the only way for a response to occur is if the "coalition is willing to put more ground troops in Iraq and possibly into Syria, or ISIS."  After the release of the graphic video of the Jordanian pilot burning alive, Morell says there is not a will to commit such a large group of troops (100,000) that exists in the U.S. or Western Europe.  Word has reached the media that ISIS now holds an American woman captive as well.  The United States would be willing to spend the money and use the resources to find her, but there is a chance she may not be alive anymore.  Another possible strategy that exists is to take out the leadership, since the organization is hierarchical.

I think Morell is correct: we NEED to take action against ISIS.  There are reports of ISIS contacting freshman... let me repeat that - FRESHMAN - in the United States to start a terrorist attack.  Now I think 100,000 troops is extremely unnecessary, but I do believe a large amount should be fighting for not only our peace, but for those in the Middle East as well.  These savages who are controlling that area now need to be wiped off the face of the earth.  First off let me clarify by large amounts of troops.  I think the Arab nations should put together a large fighting force to begin the attack on ISIS. Then, the U.S. can contribute some troops to assist the cause.  There are several reasons why I am so fired up about this.  First, this weekend I watched "American Sniper" and it was fricken good. Second, I watched the murder of the Jordanian pilot and I can honestly say I've never been more sick to my stomach/pissed off in my whole life (sorry for the language).  Finally, I'm tired of people living in constant fear of another terrorist attack.  Yes, it's impossible to completely get rid of terrorism, but we do have the power, if other nations help, to rid ourselves of an issue that can be snuffed out with diligence.

Lethal-Rejection

The article "The Humane Death Penalty Charade" by the Editorial Board in the NY Times discusses the constitutionality of lethal-injection and capital punishment as a whole (link to article).  The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Warner v. Gross lawsuit that is fighting lethal-injection as it puts the inmates at risk of pain and suffering.  Warner was convicted of rape and murdering an 11-month old child in 1997.  His execution was scheduled for April last year but was postponed due to a botched lethal-injection of Clayton Lockett right before his.  Lethal-injections have been deemed constitutional in the past, but currently there have been several cases against its humanity and possibility of inducing suffering and pain.  Those against capital punishment do not want to find more "humane" methods, but those who support it don't care what a condemned person is going through in his final moments.

I find this to be quite interesting.  As Catholics, we are supposed to fight for all lives no matter who the person is, but when I read an article discussing what sickening deeds someone does, such as Warner, makes me all for capital punishment - for certain people.  I think those whose crimes are bad enough to be put on death row are there for a reason.  I do feel humanity is an important part of how you kill someone, but for those who dislike lethal-injection, I find it to be possibly one of the quickest ways to get the process over with.  If lethal-injection is so bad, then heck, why not go back to using the electric chair?  The process is faster, and the person wouldn't feel anything that long.  Honestly, I have mixed feelings from this article.

Where have you been?

President Obama's State of the Union Address this week surprised a lot of Americans as discussed in the article "Obama: 'Tonight We Turn the Page'" (Link to article).  Beginning his speech, Obama started by saying that "the shadow of crisis has past, and the state of the union is strong."  He stated that new plans such as a tax on wealthy Americans is necessary to keep the economy growing, since our economy is growing significantly according to him.  He favors the middle-class and says "middle-class economics works."  Of course, he was met with opposing views from the Republican party, especially from Mitt Romney.  They see a "president in denial who hasn't learned anything from last year."  "He is more interested in politics rather than in leadership" (Romney).

Since I still have yet to watch the State of the Union, I cannot say how the president's speech was. From what I have read, I disagree with Obama.  The Union is not at its strongest point and we have a long way to go before we get there.  Our nation is still in crisis; civil rights activists and conflicts have damaged society and we cannot get any better if nobody steps up and helps, and I think Obama should have to do this to calm the black communities.  ISIS is also a scary thing that could impact our nation horribly in the near future.  So from what I have read, I disagree with Obama's 2015 State of the Union.

Rebellious Actions

The article "114th Congress Opens with Tea Party Rebellion, White House Fight" discusses the events of the kickoff of the new Congress (Link to article).  To start things off, John Boehner was elected for a third time to be Speaker of the House.  Surprisingly, there were 25 Republican members who opposed him, the most since "at least 1923."  In the Senate side, Mitch McConnell ascended to Majority Leader, and introduced a bill to approved the Keystone XL Pipeline.  Since this is the first time in the Obama era that the GOP has controlled Congress, Republicans are hoping they will be able to get things onto Obama's desk as to be either signed or vetoed.  The Pipeline was looking hopeful as it received some Democratic support, but it the president would not sign it as "it would bypass the State Department's ongoing evaluation of the project."

It's interesting to see what is going on in Congress as everyone gets situated.  I was quite surprised to see so many Republicans against Boehner.  Since I don't pay that much attention to the leaders' actions, I cannot take a specific stance on each situation.  I hope the Keystone Pipeline gets passed because it will give many Americans jobs and the possibility of a leak is significantly low.  As the 114th Congress continues, I am interested to see what will arise.

"Don't Do It Sally!"

On October 11th, a kindergarten girl was put on homicide and suicide watch for a reason that you won't want to believe.  In the article "Kindergartener Forced to Sign Anit-Suicide Contract After Pointing Crayon", a girl only identified as Elizabeth was placed on suicide and homicide watch after pointing a crayon at a fellow student saying, "Pew! Pew!"  She was then forced into signing a "safety contract" without her mother knowing.  The mother, Rebecca, did not agree with the policy.

I really don't know how to respond to this article.  The absurdity of the situation is so mind-blowing that I honestly can't believe how this could have happened.  Because of the actions that the teachers took, Elizabeth now knows what homicide and suicide is.  I think schools need to calm down on their security policies because all it is doing is scarring the kids for a long time.

ISIS isn't so Hospitable

The FBI has just warned the military that ISIS may attack the United States at home (link to article), and it's going to get ugly.  "FBI Warns Military of ISIS Threat" describes the situation at hand that could cause a lot of damage to the U.S.  The extremist group is looking for likeminded Americans who want to cause harm to homeland America.  The FBI is currently spotting and assessing individuals who may be connected to this contact and/or have the same intentions.  ISIS somehow has gotten a hold of some soldiers' addresses and personal information, which is deeply concerning to the FBI and intelligence.

This article scares me deeply.  I know that there are individuals in the U.S. who want to destroy our country, but this being so prevalent is frightening.  I'm glad that the FBI is already seeking these people who would try to possibly hurt our nation.  I hope that they find out how ISIS knows some of the soldiers' information because that is a breach in our national security.  With the increase of events, I will remain scared until it is resolved.