Taiwan Language Becoming Extinct?

Recently in Taiwan there has been talk about saving the Kanakanavu language which only 10 people today know how to speak and is said to be the beginning of languages spoken by four million people today. An 80 year old woman by the name of Sung Li-may wishes to continue the language that was started over 4,000 years ago. An archeologist also explains that “Taiwan is where it all starts”. The youngest person known to be able to fluently speak the language at this moment is 60 years old and the second youngest is 73, will they be able to keep this language from becoming extinct?

                This is one of the most interesting stories I have heard lately, this ancient language from over 4,000 years old is about to become extinct, and it was the basis of a language that over 4 million people speak today! That is incredible and the fact that the only people that know the language are all 60 years and older. I believe that the people that know the language right now should teach it to the younger generations now before it becomes extinct. I believe that if it is the basis of a popular speaking language today that they should also teach it to them as well, so they can know where their language came from and learn the history of it. The youngest of all of the speakers should be able to teach many the language and so should Sung Li-may, because she seems the most passionate about the language, and she wants to see the language carry on to the next generation. If they can teach the younger generations now, they language should be able to carry on for at least another couple hundred years. They should bring the language back into the schools, so that it can be taught for more generations to come. (313)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/01/09/taiwan-language-kanakanavu-linguistics/1819613/

Saudi Arabia Update

After much controversy in Saudi Arabia over the 70 year old man and 15 year old girl being wed they were finally granted a divorce today. They had been much turmoil between the 70 year old man and his 15 year old bride, so much that it made her run away, back to her family. After receiving so much hate for marrying a 15 year old girl, the 70 year old man claimed that the girl’s family told him that she was 25 year old not 15. The man was also upset that he had paid a 20,000 dollar dowry for her also.

                After hearing this news, I was so happy. I had written about this before and how much it upset me because she was so young and because he was so old. Even Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission commented on the matter “The large age difference makes it seem like it was not a marriage and more like the girl was sold” they also said that the parents should be held responsible for this. I completely agree with them, although I am very glad that they are getting a divorce so now she can live her life as a normal teenage girl, her parents pretty much sold her to an angry, grieving man. This marriage should not have happened in the first place, she was only 15, not even a legal adult, I know that in some countries that may be tradition or may not be against the law but that does not justify it in any way. I believe that her parents should be getting some of this bad press and be held responsible in the courts eye anyway, than the man that married her. I think that he was an idiot and shouldn’t have married her because you can tell the difference between 15 and a 25 year old, that was just a poor excuse but I also think that her parents should be getting some sort of bad press for letting it be done in the first place. This marriage was a mistake from the beginning  and should have never happened. (356)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/meast/saudi-teen-divorce/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

New Delhi Rape Victim's Father Speaks Out

    After the New Delhi gang rape, the victim’s father has come out to saying that India has to change in order for the horrible things to stop and thinks that India needs to be “Awakened”. "Society can no longer turn a blind eye to these sorts of incidents, which are happening every day," the woman's father told the British television network ITV. "We have to change ourselves. If there are no changes, then these horrible things won't stop. The public has to wake up now." His daughter was studying to be a physiotherapist and was said to have an internship beginning later this month.

                I agree with everything that her father is saying, this needs to wake up India and help them realize that if they turn away from the situation, and try to move on and forget it, nothing is going to change and these horrible crimes will not stop. This girl was innocent, was simply coming home from a long day when 5 men kidnapped her and raped her, leaving her for dead. I think that part of the reason why this is all happening is possibly because of the lack of respect for women in India. They do not respect them as much as they should, they still live in traditional ancient times that don’t really allow women to do what they are capable of, they most likely still stay at home and take care of the kids when they could be out working and helping pay the bills, women are capable of just as many things as men are, and it is time for society to see that. I think that this girl’s father put it in perfect words that India needs an “awakening” so that horrible things like this don’t happen again or at least not as often. These crimes against women need to stop. (310)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/asia/india-rape-case/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Cameroon Gay Rights

Recently in Cameroon two men were acquitted of charges of Homosexuality after being arrested in 2011 for dressing in drag and were accused of “looking gay” outside of a night club. The men who arrested them had not seen them in any homosexual acts; they had only saw that they were dressed In women’s clothing. Cameroon has a law against homosexuality that has been there since colonialism. This is not the first case that they had arrested someone who had not committed homosexual acts, in 2011 they also arrested a man who texted his guy friend saying he “loved him very much” and the so called “friend” tipped off the police later that night. My conclusion of Cameroon is that they are way back in the Stone Ages and they need to get with this century.

                Cameroon may have traditions or religions that may seem to make them feel this way but seriously? Arresting a man because of his sexuality? What is wrong with you? It has absolutely nothing to do with you. It is what makes him happy! Why should it bother you? Think about it! He is a human being, he has committed absolutely no crime! So what if they were dressed up as women? Maybe that’s what they like to do in their free time! Just like you may like to collect rocks! It’s may not be what you like to do but it doesn’t make it wrong. Why can’t gay people have the same rights as straight people? We are all humans and they obviously love each other so what is the problem? In my opinion they should have never been arrested and these stupid laws should have never been made, it just shows society’s ignorance even more.  These men deserve to live their lives happily outside of jail with the same rights as straight people. It is time for the people of Cameroon to grow up. (321)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/africa/cameroon-gay-men-freed/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Too Much Violence in Ireland

Recently in Ireland there has been much controversy over there Union Flag, and whether or not it should be flown all the time or if it should be taken down at times. This has caused much violence throughout Ireland, for instance in Belfast, the pro-flag protestors threw fireworks and petrol bombs at the police when the flag was taken down last Wednesday. The Unionist Forum had an organized a meeting to discuss whether or not the flag should be flown all the time on December 3 and when they came to the conclusion that the flag should not be flown all the time, protestors became outraged and accused them of ending long time traditions.

When I read this story I was shocked by the incredible violence that was happening all because of a flag, I understand that the point of protesting is to get your point across to the people that don’t have your same opinion but taking to violence is NEVER the answer, especially for the men that protect you and your city every day, there comes a point where that is crossing a line and that is exactly what they did. There is no reason they should be throwing explosives at the police because they aren’t listening to your opinion, in my honest opinion that isn’t going to change their mind it’s just going to piss them off, at least that is how I would feel if ungrateful people threw bombs and explosives at me. In my last sentence I used the word ungrateful which is my next point, how could you be so ungrateful to those men for always protecting you and your city that you throw bombs at them? That is just not right, taking to that much violence to get your point across? Violence will not get you anywhere and will never help you be heard. (311)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/09/world/europe/northern-ireland-unrest/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Suffering in Syria

Right now in Syria there are over one million people starving because the UN does not have enough food supply because of the restrictions of so many food distribution countries that the UN has paired up with to help, these people are not getting the food they need because of the war and conflicts in Syria at the moment. As if it isn’t enough that there is so much friction and wars over in Syria the people are going to suffer even more because of the lack of food and nutrition over in the Middle East. Most of the UN can feed about 1.5 million of the people in Syria but there is still another million starving over in Syria.

                This is just another example of why all the war and the battles and friction between countries need to stop, although that sounds like a dream that will never come true, I believe that something should be done about it. Because of this friction and war there are one million people that are starving to death everyday on top of the people that are going to be killed in the war, there are too many people dying! Why can’t the people of Syria that want the war see that they are just going to kill more people if they keep continuing it. They need to broadcast and advertise the suffering going down in Syria, to see if they will open their eyes to all the people that are dying and suffering. Also if they advertise this they may be able to get more people willing to help the cause. There is only so much the UN can do. Almost four million people need aid in Syria and it’s time that the people who are suffering to be heard, they need help. (301)

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/08/16412882-one-million-syrians-going-hungry-as-fighting-rages-says-un?lite

70 Year Old Man&15 Year Old Girl Married

Recently in Saudi Arabia a 70 year old man and a 15 year old wed. According to the 70 year old the family of the 15 year old owed him a huge dowry (20,00 approximately) and claimed that the family said that she was 25 years old and not 15. In Saudi Arabia there is no laws on how old you can be to marry, so the marriage is legal, and there is nothing anyone can really do about it, even though this outraged many people in Saudi Arabia. The man was said to be lonely after his wife had recently passed, there was also said to be an altercation between the two and this made the 15 year old to run back home to her family.

                This story was shocking for me to hear because this girl is younger than I am and she is married to a girl who is her grandfather’s age, I know they say that age is just a number but ew, that’s just gross and not only is it gross, it’s just not right, this girl hasn’t even got to live her life yet! She is 15 years old, a freshman in High School! Her husband should feel guilty for depriving her of her life as a teenager! She should be in school not taking care of her old husband who could probably die soon.  What if the girl does end up getting attached? What is she going to do when he dies? What if they have children, he’s going to leave her with too much to handle. They have already had a rough start, she has already ran away from her husband and he’s is getting a lot of scrutiny for marrying a 15 year old girl anyway so why keep the marriage going? They are both going to be miserable, he should just let the family pay him back over time and let her grow up and be happy with someone her own age, instead of living a miserable life with a guy who is older than her own father. (348)

 http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/08/world/saudi-arabia-teen-marriage/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Virginity Auction

Recently in Brazil an 18 year old girl, Rebecca Bernardo posted a YouTube video auctioning off her virginity. She had been debating on whether or not to auction her virginity but when her mother had a stroke she made the decision to do it. She needed the money to help her mother and without her high school diploma she cannot make enough money to support her mother. In my personal opinion this should not have even been an option, even if you are desperate for money. After the video was posted a TV network in Brazil offered to pay her mother’s medical expenses if she did not go through with the auction, initially she accepted but then later turned it down. This just makes the situation even worse, now that she’s actually getting noticed she won’t accept the money or help that others have offered, she just wants the attention and honestly this is the problem with society today, we think it is a good thing to promote things like selling your virginity or advertising teen pregnancy, that’s what MTV does with their show “Teen Mom” and it has got to stop, this encourages more teens to do the same thing because they are getting attention but what they don’t realize is that this attention is not good! This girl should have accepted the money from the TV network and she would have been fine but now she’s doing it all for the attention while her mother is still sick at home. I think once she got the attention she forgot about her mother and got wrapped up in it, I think in a few years when no one remembers who she is she is going to think that what she did was stupid and that she should have accepted the money, she is honestly coming off as an idiot trying to sell her virginity, I don’t think her mother would want help that way. (325)

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/02/world/americas/brazil-teen-sells-virginity/

Gang Rape in New Delhi

Recently in New Delhi a 23 year old woman was gang raped by multiple men and murdered, these men have been brought up on multiple charges these include rape, murder and kidnapping. The people of India are outraged at these crimes, they have been protesting for women’s rights and are questioning whether their justice system is taking care of sexual assaults and the treatment of women in India, some lawyers are refusing to represent the men that did these hate crimes. I think personally that they are in the right to protest their rights; this woman was murdered and raped because the lack of respect men have for the women in India. Rape happens in other countries but the fact that many people are protesting because of what happen may be a sign that India isn’t taking care of sexual assault crimes the way that they should. The fact that some lawyers are refusing to represent the men that committed this crime because they are so disgusted with them means something, lawyers deal with horrible criminals every day, and they are refusing to represent  these men. I think that the women in India should keep standing up for their rights so that crimes like this do not happen as much.  (210)

 http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/03/world/asia/india-rape-case/index.html?hpt=wo_c2