Blog #13: 26 bodies found in Guadalajara, a sign of rising mafia violence

This past Thursday 26 dead men were found in Guadalajara Mexico as a sign of escalating mafia violence among drug cartels. The bodies were bound, gagged, and stuffed in three vehicles left near a prominent land mark in the city. Each one was shot in the head. The previous day another similar gruesome scene was found in Mexico’s Sinaloa state. “These barbaric acts show that the war between the criminals is getting even more brutal,” said Jorge Aristoteles Sandoval, Guadalajara’s mayor. Guadalajara has not been known as a drug-war battleground, but investigators believe it may be a push by the Zetas cartel into territory that has long been the domain of the Sinaloa Federation, which is the reigning criminal power along Mexico’s western coast. It is also believed that the Zetas may be budging into Guadalajara to fight for a bigger piece of Mexico’s billion-dollar drug trade.

The prevalence of drug cartels is at an extreme high for Mexico, with no end in sight. The violence that occurred raises many questions that no one can answer for sure. It is uncertain why those 26 men were brutally murdered, but all that can be said is that this was a sign. The rampage of deaths and tragedy in Mexico has had a major impact on its people as well as the world. It is sad to say, but Mexico is becoming a place specifically known for its drug crisis. Safety is becoming less and less of an assurance for the people in the major drug-trafficking areas. How can Mexico put an end to these deadly drug cartels? It seems the answer to this question may be bleak, but if other nations band together then this war on drugs may have an end.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/19-bodies-found-in-mexicos-second-largest-city/2011/11/24/gIQAaIUwsN_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop

Blog #12: German justice minister pledges full investigation of neo-Nazi group linked to murders

For ten years a group of neo-Nazis flew under the radar in Germany, allegedly killing 10 people and robbing many of banks. One quote from Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger stated “We are all asking how it could be that the security authorities allowed it to be possible for a known group of neo-Nazis to go underground at the end of the ‘90s and apparently over 13 years murder people in various German cities, carry out bombing attacks, and lethally attack police officers.” Germany’s domestic intelligence agency is tasked with tracking extremists, but each state has its own branch and its own police forces, which critics say resulted in a lack of coordination that helped the neo-Nazis remain undetected since 1998. The case came to light earlier this month when two members committed suicide after police closed in on them following a bank robbery. Federal prosecutors took over the investigation and decided to look at the group as a domestic terrorist organization.

This type of terrorism has been thought of as a thing in the past, but the world is realizing that these neo-Nazis have been lurking in secrecy and causing damage to innocent people as well as their own nation. It is shocking that this terrorist group was able to fly under the radar for so long. The government had an ill-equipped system of which to track groups such as these. What are people supposed to do when their government isn’t able to protect them from harm such as this? No system is perfect, but in this day and age with so many other terrorist groups, it is vital that governments are prepared and synchronized in order to help its citizens. Hopefully it was a flaw in German security that led to the continuation of this terrorist group, and not terrorists who had internal power with authorities all along.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/german-justice-minister-pledges-full-investigation-of-neo-nazi-group-linked-to-murders/2011/11/17/gIQAX1xyTN_story.html

Blog #11: Jury convicts US soldier of murder, conspiracy in thrill-killings of Afghan civilians

Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs of the U.S. army was the highest ranking of five soldiers charged in the deaths of unarmed men during patrols in Kandahar Province of Afghanistan early last year. In addition to numerous mutilations of the corpses, the 26-year-old acknowledged cutting fingers off corpses and yanking out a victim’s tooth to keep as war trophies. But he insisted he wasn’t involved in the first or third killings, and in the second he merely returned fire. Prosecutors said Gibbs and his co-defendants knew the victims posed no danger, but dropped weapons by their dead bodies to make them appear to have been combatants. Many other soldiers in the platoon were convicted in assisting with the murders, but some claimed they would have been killed themselves if they had refused. The prosecutor told jurors that Gibbs was supposed to protect the Afghan people, but instead caused many to lose trust in Americans, hurting the mission.

It appears to be a reoccurring theme within the news of soldiers violating others’ human rights, and this is usually in the form of torture and murder. When the first great civilizations arose, there were no such things as human rights. This idea is relatively new, and it took many attempts in order to become a clearly defined principle. Though human rights has been acknowledged, that doesn’t mean everyone believes in its message. This obvious negative response was done by a soldier who was sent there to help the civilians, but instead turned out to be a blood thirsty monster who killed innocent people for sport. This has shed some negative light on America and as a result the rest of the world cannot help but judge harshly. Human rights are given to everyone, and it is shocking when someone completely ignores this fact of life.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/jury-convicts-highest-ranking-us-soldier-on-all-charges-in-thrill-killings-of-afghan-civilians/2011/11/10/gIQAjaNj9M_story.html

Blog #10: Israeli air strikes kill nine militants

Nine Palestinian militants and one Israeli civilian were killed on Saturday because of Israeli air strikes and rocket fire from Gaza. The Israelis targeted a militant group in southern Gaza who were thought to be preparing to launch long-range missiles into Israel. Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, who served as senior commander in an Islamic Jihad operative, was also killed. The Israeli Defense Forces said that the air strike on Saturday targeted a squad responsible for the firing of a Grad missile last week, which fell in an open area and caused no deaths or damage. No Palestinian militant group claimed responsibility for the launch. The Israeli Air Force continued to fire missiles through Saturday evening that killed four more militants. Hamas has largely adhered to a ceasefire that came into effect at the end of a three-week war in Gaza in January 2009. However, smaller militant groups such as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees have continued sporadic rocket fire.

The incessant warfare between these two regions has a profound effect on the world. It seems as if these conflicts will never be resolved. Most may think that this topic relates more to war, but it is sometimes easy to forget the innocent people who are harmed and even killed during war. Killing, even in the middle of cross fire, is murder. After viewing the documentary about the struggles in Sri Lanka, it is apparent that war is a commonality for many areas all over the world. Ethnic tensions are at an all time high. Pakistan and Israel have unsettled issues that cease to be resolved, and the use of violence as retaliation is only making it worse. Will there ever be peace in the Middle East?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/30/israeli-air-strikes-kill-militants

Blog #9: Man pleads guilty to brokering kidneys

Levy Izhak Rosenbaum admitted in federal court that he had negotiated three illegal kidney transplants from people in Israel for U.S.-based customers in exchange for payments of $120,000 or more. His attorneys claimed that he performed a lifesaving service for people who would most likely not have survived, while the prosecutors claimed he affronted human dignity at the expense of desperate people. Under US law, it is illegal for anyone to knowingly buy or sell organs for transplant, and it is illegal just about everywhere else in the world. Demand for kidneys far exceeds the supply, with 4,540 people dying in the US last year while waiting for a kidney. As a result, there is a thriving black market for kidneys around the world. About one quarter of all kidneys appear to be trafficked, but until this case, it had not been a crime recognized as reaching the United States.

In the eyes of the government Levy Rosenbaum committed a crime that violated strict laws, formal norms, and morality. So much attention has been given to this case because it’s the first to appear in America, but in reality this type of black marketing happens all over the world. Technically no one was harmed during his services; in fact, people’s lives were saved. Would this be considered a victimless crime? Yes and no. Though Rosenbaum saved the lives of many he also took advantage of Israelis and Americans who were desperate for life and money. The real question is did he start this business because of a need to help others or for to capitalize on such an in-demand dealing? Either way the world, and now especially the U.S., recognizes that this is a sort of crime that will not be going away any time soon.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10762241

Blog #8: Black people blatantly excluded from Alabama juries, lawsuit claims

It was recently brought to light that parts of Alabama have been excluding black people from jury service for almost 140 years, specifically those entailing the death penalty. Blacks who have personally been excluded have raised awareness for this pressing social inequality. Houston County has one of the highest death penalty sentencing in the nation. Prosecutor Douglas Valeska , who is also a district attorney in Houston County, has been accused of systematically and effectively excluding blacks and deeming them as second class citizens. The lawsuit has been filed by the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit group that provides legal support to prisoners unfairly treated by the system. Many prosecutors want people to sit on the jury who are so trusting of the police that they will not question the charges, and there's a presumption held by some that black people don't fit that definition. An Equal Justice Initiative lawyer has revealed that this discrimination over juries is very high because a large number of defendants in death penalty cases were themselves black.

A discovery of this proportion is not something that is surprising, but it is still shocking to learn that discrimination of this proportion has been kept in effect for so long by individuals with high-standing positions. The lawsuit against Douglas Valeska is pending at the moment, and what the verdict will be at this point is hard to predict. Are the jurors for his trial going to be fairly obtained, unlike the trials for so many death penalty victims? Or will the unjust vicious cycle just keep repeating under wraps? There are many depictions of what racism entails, but no matter what, there is a global understanding of what is right or wrong. This case grabbed the world’s attention because every society experiences some form of racial issues, even a well developed and seemingly equal nation such as America.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/21/race-discrimination-alabama-death-penalty