Free Speech or Terrorism?

Taken from NPR Online

During the past few weeks in class, we have been researching civil liberties during wars, and how certain rights have been changed for the good of the country. I was assigned World War II, so today, when my teacher showed me an article involving the restriction of free speech, everything became more real. It seems that things hold more of a weight when they are during your lifetime. The particular case is of Tarek Mehanna, a 29 year old Muslim from Pittsburgh. Mehanna is charged with conspiring to plot terrorist attacks using the particular medium I am writing right now, his blog. The interesting part of the case is his defense, the first amendment.

 Tarek is also charged with a few other crimes, but most of the evidence in those cases is circumstantial though. The primary source of evidence in the prosecutors case is Tarek's blog, where he has recently translated Islamic texts, one of which, "39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad", is a text commonly used and referred to by Al Qaida. 

What was interesting to me about this case was that it is made off to be much more severe than it actually is. All of the evidence in the case is circumstantial, and the prosecution's case seems to be off of paranoia. It is one argument that civil liberties need to be suppressed during wartime, but I believe there needs to be a strong reason for those civil liberties to be suppressed. Mehanna only translated a text, and for that reason he is being silenced? The prosecution's argument comes down to if the interpretation supports Al Qaida, which is a stretch to try and prove that. This case is unnecessary and is an example of America's constant paranoia. 

To read the entire article, click here.

 

Where's the Line?

I never really seem to know what to blog about, and I constantly think of possible ideas, but nothing really seems to stick. Earlier today, in a break from my quest to write the "perfect blog" I decided to watch one of my favorite TV shows, Dexter, a show about a serial killer, who only kills other killers. It isn't as confusing as it sounds. The show makes Dexter, a father and forensic "lab geek" for Miami Metro, out to be the good guy, while he still is a serial killer himself. I started to think about how far television shows and overall media in America has gone.

Does anything fly in this society? If a television show about a serial killer is a common favorite show for many Americans, has the line for acceptable and unacceptable become blurred? Believe me, I am one of the biggest Dexter fans around, and am not saying that it shouldn't be aired, but it feels like media in America has no limits. I understand that scary shows and movies have been around almost forever, and that a show about a serial killer isn't that big of a deal in most peoples' eyes, but its not just shows like Dexter that are pushing the boundaries for media. Reality TV is everywhere, from shows like Teen Mom to Jersey Shore, there are no limits. Media these days is bouncing off the walls, and in my personal opinion, it provides for some great shows and programs, and just some awful, awful programs as well.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Today in class we talked of how other than coming in first, nothing is good enough for Americans. Whether it be in sports, school, new technology, Americans want to be the best and have the best. This got me thinking of how it all started, and got me thinking of my favorite movie Miracle.

The movie Miracle is about the story of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team. All odds were against them. They were a team of young Americans going up against the veteran Soviet team, who had been dominating the hockey world for years. In a scrimmage prior to the Olympics, Team U.S.A. was embarrassed and lost to the Soviets 10-0. They were seen as a joke, and when the 1980 Winter Olympics came around, they weren't expected to win, they weren't even expected to get to the medal rounds, but they shocked the world and beat the Soviets 4-3 in the semi-finals in a come behind win. They went on to beat Finland in the finals in another come behind win to win the gold medal.

My theory is that once the highest level of winning is achieved, nothing else is comparable. The 1980 Olympic hockey team proves that anything is always possible, therefore is always expected. Is the expectation of winning a generational thing? Has it always been an American value? But the real question is, "Do you believe in Miracles?"