Blog Post #13: Ireland Drug Bust

The Police Service of Northern Ireland interceded in an attempted drug smuggle of 441 pounds of cannabis across the Ireland border this past Wednesday. A truck carrying 100kg of the cannabis was discovered in Greece which then lead to the addition cannabis being discovered in a warehouse in Athens. As a result of this bust, both sides of the Irish border was searched. In addition, homes and businesses in Armahg and Tyrone have been raided by police in Northern Ireland. A total of four men have been arrested, two of whom were from Northern Ireland and the others of Greek nationals. Police in Northern Ireland say this is one of the largest drug related seizure in several years.


Drug smuggling has been a global social problem since around the 1970s. Over 158.8 million people use the cannabis drug and it is cultivated in more than 172 countries around the globe. Of those, the largest producers have become Mexico, Paraguay and Afghanistan. The top user nations are not those listed but Micronesia and Papua in New Guinea. Recently, a larger bust was discovered in a tunnel running through Mexico and California where over 14.5 tons of marijuana was seized. It is estimated that each year, citizens spend over 38.5 billion dollars on the production and distribution of cannabis, surpassing the amount spent on corn and wheat. This does not include of billions of dollars spend to promote against the use of the drug and the crime rates caused by the selling and distribution.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/23/police-cannabis-haul-ireland

Blog Post #12: Marijuana Tunnel Discovered

Authorities discovered an estimated fourteen tons of marijuana in a tunnel along the United States-Mexico border on Tuesday. The tunnel stretched approximately 400 yards which linked warehouses in San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Untied States authorities found most of the marijuana, nine to ten tons, Tuesday while the rest was discovered by the Mexican authorities on Wednesday. This was reported as one of the most significant smuggling passages, for dugs, along the border. Drug smugglers have been caught with more than seventy tunnels since 2008, which is more than the previous six years. Most of the tunnels uncovered were developed in San Diego and Nogales, Arizona, in which smugglers interfere with the underground drainage canals. At the same time last year, authorities discovered two more tunnels that linked San Diego and Tijuana which contained a combined fifty tons of marijuana, making it the largest seizure in United States history.


Approximately 158.8 million people worldwide use the cannabis drug. The United States and Mexico are the biggest producers along with Canada making North America the largest producers of marijuana. Drug use is a global social problem with most of the exports coming from South America, particularly Colombia. Over twenty nine countries are involved with the drug world and thus increasing the spread of violence. Mexico has been given most of the attention but others countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have much higher crime rates. Since 2002, more than 900,000 murders have occurred worldwide, those of which are all related to drugs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/us/us-mexico-tunnel-leads-to-tons-of-marijuana.html?_r=2&ref=americas

Blog Post #11: Somali Lawmaker Killed

A lawmaker in Somalia was gunned down on a Mogadishu street by the suspected Shabab. Aden Bule Mohamoud, a Parliament member, was gunned down only a day after four explosions occurred in Somalia’s capital which killed at least one person and injured several others. The Shabab admitted responsibility for the explosions but denied any affiliation with the Parliament member’s assassination. After losing against both the African Union peacekeepers and Kenyan troops, the Shabab returned to guerrilla warfare in Somalia and Kenya. In the attacks that occurred before the killing, grenades were thrown at government residences and peacekeepers in the capital after evening prayers. These attacks came after the Shabab held a rally in which they flaunted their military strength and threatened to attack Kenya. Focus has been set also on Kenya due to their supporting of Somalia which has caused attacks on churches, tourists and police officers. However, Kenya has vowed to remain in Somalia until it rids the south of the terrorists group.


The Shabab are believed to be linked to Al Qaeda, one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world. Terrorism is one of the largest global social problems that has been faced for decades. Numerous groups have developed such as Al Qaeda, the Shabab, Al-Badr, LTTE, the Taliban and The Real Irish Republican Army which threaten countries worldwide. These systems of coordinated violence increase fear in countries and threaten innocent citizens. As of 2005, the annual number of attacks was 300 per year which seems to have increased with the forming of new groups. Countries are trying to prevent this risk by launching war on terrorism and increasing border and air control.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/world/africa/somali-lawmaker-killed-in-mogadishu-shooting.html?_r=1&ref=world

Blog Post #10: Human Trafficking in China

Police in the city of Zoucheng, in eastern China, have shut down a human trafficking ring that involved low-income migrants who sold their children. Just last month, police reported that seventeen infants had been sold to other Chinese buyers. Thirteen of the infants were rescued and placed in welfare centers and the remaining four are currently being searched for. Investigators reported that the parents involved in the trafficking were migrants who moved from the poorer area of Sichuan to Zoucheng to seek better work opportunities. The husbands would go to work while their wives stayed home and sold their baby, sometimes babies, to raise money. One couple was even reported to have sold three of their children. During the month of July, China rescued 89 trafficked minors and arrest 369 suspects after discovering two child trafficking gangs. One of the minors uncovered was as young as ten days old. Prices for the children would vary with boys begin sold up to 50,000 Yuan and girls up to 30,000 Yuan.



Human trafficking has become a global social problem with annual profits of approximately $31.6 million and an estimated 2.5 million people being trafficked. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that human trafficking is the third largest sector of organized crime, coming after drugs and weapons. Asia and the Pacific top the statistical chart with 56% of humans being trafficked and the United States coming in at 10.8%. Of the 2.5 million people trafficked, children make up 1.2 million every year for labor and sexual exploitation. Asia makes up most of this population due to the one child policy which states that families can only have one child, preferably a boy, unless the first child is a girl or is born with a disability. This policy also touches another social issue occurring in two of the largest countries, India and China, which is Gendercide. Families often take part in this Gendercide through female infanticide which is the intentional killing of baby girls in preference for boys. Nearly 6,000 baby girls have been killed in the past ten years due to this trend.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/04/china-baby-trafficking-ring-shut

http://www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/issues_doc/labour/Forced_labour/HUMAN_TRAFFICKING_-_THE_FACTS_-_final.pdf

Blog Post #9: U.S Infiltrating Drug Cartels

In recent years, the United States has set up sting operations in Mexico to infiltrate some of the country’s most powerful drug cartels. They use Mexican informants such as law enforcement officers, elected officials and cartel operatives to hide their involvement due to the fear of corruption and laws prohibiting American security from getting involved on Mexican soil. However, the United States has helped Mexican authorities capture and kill about two dozen high-ranking drug traffickers and have even given them access to top cartel leaders. Mexico’s feelings towards the involvement have softened due to the some 40,000 deaths that have occurred due to these drug cartels. The United States is trying to prevent the cartels violence from spilling over the border by taking measures such as flying drones over Mexico. These efforts have caused several cartels to disband and form into smaller, less dangerous groups. Many of the informants law enforcement turns to are often those who have committed crimes and want to lessen their troubles or those who are being offered bribes.


The Mexican drug cartel is just a small chunk of the International Drug Trade which is becoming a problem across the globe. Over 6,475 million people are involved in drugs whether is be taking them occasionally, becoming addicted, or selling them which causes a spread a violence. Cocaine and Cannabis are the two most widely used drugs, mainly across the eastern portion of the globe. The trade became a social problem in the 1980s when countries began seeing the effects of the drugs and countries creating preventative methods such as the War On Drugs. The International Drug Trade has caused in increase in murders due to disparities among buyers and sellers. Many gangs have formed around the world, such as The Zetas in Mexico, who have not only extorted drugs but also humans and money.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/world/americas/united-states-infiltrating-criminal-groups-across-mexico.html?ref=americas

Blog Post #8: Chinese toddler killed in hit-and-run.

A two-year old girl, Wang Yue, died this morning after a hit and run accident in China. She was hit by two oncoming vans where she sustained a brain injury after laying unconscious for seven minutes. Doctors report that she died from organ failure and being brain dead. They also said that there was no effect from the treatment she was given. Cameras at the scene, show the girl being hit by the two vans and eighteen passersby’s not doing anything to help the toddler. The first van struck the little girl, slowed down, then hit her again with the back tire. She was then hit by another van before being pick up by a scrap picker. Of those eighteen people, not one stopped to help due to the countries fear that if a Good Samaritan helps, they will be blamed for the injuries.

When I first decided to cover this story, Wang Yue was still alive but brain dead and on life support. This really upsets me to see that there is not as many good people in the world as I thought. This reminded me of the videos we had to watch about shopping while black and being Hispanic in America. People not willing to help those in need it is becoming a global social problem. Whether it’s something as simple as being harassed for being a different race or as violent as getting gang beaten or hit by a van, people are not stopping to help. This may be due to the fact, like in China, that there are not laws to protected those who help or people simply do not care to help or feel like someone else will. Crimes like this happens in many developing countries with their corrupt bureaucracies and an overbearing state. People do not step up in fear of getting entangled by corrupt officials and police. It's even so bad in some countries, that hospitals refuse to provide care. If I saw this poor toddler laying in a pool of blood, my first instinct would be to call the police. Even if there is no protection, passerby’s could have called the police then left the scene. Each country needs to establish better laws to protect Good Samaritans so something like this will never happen again.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/toddler-in-china-hit-by-2-cars-then-ignored-dies/2011/10/21/gIQAmamL2L_story.html?hpid=z4

Blog Post #7: Shabab attack in Somali

Gunmen of Somali kidnapped two European Aid workers from a refugee camp near the Kenya-Somali border on Thursday. These men are believed to be working with the Shabab which is an Islamist insurgent group that has pledged its allegiance to Al Qaeda. This is the fourth time in five weeks that gunned kidnappers have successfully invaded Kenya. According to officials, the armed men attacked a truck containing the two women and wounding the Kenyan driver before driving off to the Somali border. The two women were part of the private agency, Doctors without Borders. The country insists that workers travel with armed security in case of such attacks. However, on this day the team had no security. The Kenyan police believe that the group’s motive was money and have been known to hold their victims for ransom.


Not only kidnapping but state terror has become a global social issue. The Shabab is part of Al Qaeda who has been terrorizing countries since the early 1990s. Al Qaeda has struck fear in several countries such as Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Turkey and the United States. State Terror across the global has risen since the early 1990s due the in over thirty attacks allegedly by Al Qaeda. While reading this article, I discovered that on September 11, 2011, the Somali gunmen attacked on couple in Kenya killing the husband and kidnapping the wife. I found this ironic because this was the ten year anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks which were performed by the Shababs higher power. Like I’ve stated before, I’m not much into politics but I know enough to determine that this group needs to be stopped. However it seems like the more countries try to stop the group, the harder Al Qaeda attacks. Even when the founder Osama Bin Laden was killed, the group did not disband which proves how strong their allegiance is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/world/africa/kidnappers-again-target-europeans-in-kenya.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print

Blog #6: Gay Hate Crimes

Brandon McInerney, who was 14 years old at the time, will be retried on murder charges for the death of 15 year old Lawrence King who was an openly gay teen in Los Angeles. The 2008 shooting came after students reportedly said King had a crush on McInerney and that King flirted and taunted with him. McInerney will now be charged with first degree murder, a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and a special allegation of use of a handgun. However, the former hate crime charge was dropped due to prosecutors wanting to narrow the focus. The shooting occurred in the middle of a junior high classroom that was filled with two dozen students. McInerney allegedly shot King point blank in the back of his head then stood over him and shot again coup de grace. During the first trial, seven of the twelve jurors were in favor of finding McInereny guilty of involuntary manslaughter. However the judge declared a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury.

Gay hate crimes are becoming a global social problem. Not only in the United States but places across the globe, such as Honduras, Brazil, Iraq, Mexico and Africa, are seeing in increase in murders and hate crimes related to homosexuals. In Brazil, the rate of homosexual murders spiked from 52 to 250 in just one year. Between 1980 and 2009 in Brazil, there has been an estimated 3,350 murders. In Mexico, between 2001 and 2009, there has been an estimated 60 murders a year of homosexuals. Here in the United States, there has been an increase in not only murders but suicides by homosexual individuals. The most shocking bit of information I found was in Uganda who has been trying to pass a bill for two years that states that anyone who commit’s the “crime” of being gay will receive the death penalty. I am disgusted that people can take someone else’s life because of the lifestyle choices they make. It really bothers me that children and teens are being killed and commit suicide because they are not accepted. I’ve always been taught that love is love and I firmly believe that gay individuals should have the same rights as heterosexuals.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/justice/california-gay-student-murder/index.html?hpt=ju_c2

Blog #5: Pakistanis fault U.S.

Pakistan has become a direct target for suicide bombers due to their ties with the United States. Since 2001 there has been 335 suicide bombings whereas there was only one before. Many families, such as Muhammad Malik, have dealt with loses due to these bombings and blame it not only on the United States but also on Pakistan’s failure to confront Islammist militants. A large majority of Pakistanis view Washington as the enemy and believe that if Pakistan never allied with the US, that these bombings would have never occurred. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and Pakistanis no longer feel safe due to this increase.


While reading this article, a student asked a very good question, why does the American government interfere in every country? Since 1890, the United States has been interfering in other countries and we are currently involved with 9 countries with the most recent being Libya. I’m not much into politics but it seems that the US invades for minimal reasons. It seems to me that the United States wants to show its strength without thinking of the affects on both sides. These intrusions have caused wide state terror and the government constantly fears terrorism. We fail to see that a weakness of terror is it inability to make lasting changes and that repercussions do happen. Maybe if the United States minded their business, September 11 would have never happened. Maybe we would not be in wars over the globe and maybe we would not be in so much debt and have such as bad economy.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/shaken-by-increase-in-attacks-since-2001-many-pakistanis-fault-us/2011/09/19/gIQAFe9D0K_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend

Blog Post #4: An eye for an eye.

After much controversy and twenty two years on death row, Troy Davis was executed by lethal injection on September 22, 2011 at approximately 11:08pm. Davis was convicted of shooting and killing police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989. He was originally set for execution in 2007 but the state parole board granted him stay due to some doubt by the members. This also occurred in 2008 by the Supreme Court stepping in. His last attempted for stay was denied after four hours of deliberation by the Supreme Court. Many believe that this was not only a battle over the death penalty but a matter of racial barriers in the justice system. Davis’ lawyers, 630,000 petitioners, and a list of people, such as former President Jimmy Carter and 51 Congress members, all asked for clemency. His conviction came after a severe lack of evidence and many witnesses recanting their stories. Leading up to his death, Davis claimed his innocence and told the MacPhail family that they had the wrong man.

This case plays on many global social issues such as race and cruel and unusual punishment. While gathering information and hearing the case on television last night, it is clear that racial boundaries still very much exist. Recently in another controversial case, Casey Anthony was released due to lack of evidence in the disappearance of her daughter. That same lack of evidence in the Davis case went unnoticed and cost, possibly an innocent man , his life. Even the vigil efforts of his lawyers still could not get Davis the fair trial that he is promised in his constitutional rights. All because Davis killed a white officer he gets to pay with his life. This brings up the issue of cruel and unusual punishment. Who in this world has the right to say whether someone dies or someone lives? Who makes the decision that a black man dies because he possibly shot a white cop? Like a wise man once said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/us/final-pleas-and-vigils-in-troy-davis-execution.html?ref=us

Blog Post #3: Homicides become leading death in Mexico.

The number one cause of young deaths in Mexico has now become homicides, caused by the drug war, whereas the leading cause use to be car accidents. It is reported that the deaths of young citizens, between the ages of 15 and 29, have risen by 150%. Those states hit worse by these violent homicides consist of: Chihuahua, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Baja California and the state of Mexico which is near the border of Mexico City. The Mexican federal government depicted that 1,638 young people were murdered from suspected drug incidents in 2008. The following year the number of deaths increased to 2,511 and by 2010, the death count rose to 3,741. Drug cartel memberships increased by 23,000 young people in 2006 after President Felipe Calderon declared war on the cartels. Many believe that this sudden increase was due to poor education and lack of jobs. Not only do the cartels result in more young deaths, it has also left at least 10,000 orphans.

Drug cartels have been a global problem for many years. Places such as South Asia, Afghanistan, Colombia, Brazil, Jamaica and the United States have all had issues with these cartels. The United States has had somewhat of a decrease in these cartels due to tighter border security. In the United Kingdom, drug use was responsible for 85% of shoplifting and 54% of robberies. As mentioned before, many join these cartels due to the lack of jobs. In some third world countries and even developed countries, it is easier to sell drugs than find a job to stay out of poverty. From my personal experience, I have known people to sell drugs just to make a living and put food on the table.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2011/09/youth-young-people-mexico-drug-war-homicide-accidents.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LaPlaza+%28La+Plaza%29

Blog post #2: Shoot to kill.

Last month in Tottenham, London, Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police officers. His family are now speaking out saying that his death should be considered a murder and that they were uninformed about Duggan’s death until two weeks after the shooting. His family members stated that they were informed about the shooting through the media instead of being contacted by police officers. Duggan was shot in the chest after officers stopped the taxi he was riding in. Cops released misinformation saying that the accident was a shootout but no forensic evidence showed Duggan’s fingerprints on the gun found inside the taxi. A witness says that the taxi Duggan was occupying, moved from the scene of the crime then returned. His family believes the gun, which was found inside a sock, was planted in order to cover for the police officers mistake. The family lead a march to the police station to report his death as a murder and riots soon broke out. The media portrayed Duggan as a gangster who was on remand but his family insist that he had no criminal record.

Police officers shooting to kill has become somewhat of a global problem over the last 10 years. Places such as the United Kingdom, United States and Africa are showing an increase in deaths caused by police officers. The United Kingdom has reported approximately 53 deaths since 1990 due to police shootings. In Kenya during the 2008 election, police officials adopted an unofficial shoot to kill policy which killed an estimated 575 people. There has been a proposed bill in New York City which states that police officers shoot with intend to wound instead of kill. The NYPD was furious over the bill saying it was unrealistic during a spontaneous shooing. Claims-markers such as the Independent Police Complaints Commission(Wales & England), Inquest(London) and the South African Human Rights Commission(Africa) all fight for civilian rights and justice to those families who have lost someone due to the shoot to kill policy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/07/mark-duggan-family-police

Blog Post #1: Jack Toplin sentenced for drunk-driving death.

Jack Tobin, the son of former Newfoundland Premier Brian Toplin, was sentenced to three years in a Canadian penitentiary and a seven year driving ban for a drunk driving accident that killed his friend. On the night of Christmas Eve 2010, Toplin and six other friends were under the influence of alcohol while fooling around in an empty parking lot which caused the crash that left Alex Zolpis pinned under Toplin’s pickup truck. Judge Lise Maisonneuve based her sentencing on Toplin’s past driving history which included three license suspensions and eleven speeding convictions and also on the remorse and shame felt by Toplin. The prosecutor in the trial originally requested five years in prison and a ten year ban on driving but Judge Maisonneuve saw the sentencing as too harsh.

This sentencing was extremely too light for Jack Toplin due not only to killing a person but also because he committed a serious offense in Canada. In Canada, if an impaired driver killers someone, the judge can sentence them to a life-sentence in prison. Toplin’s act goes against the social norm all around the world. Driving under the Influence is a serious crime throughout the globe due to the increase in deaths and accidents Countries all over the world are cracking down on DUIs and are even going as far as lowering the Blood Alcohol Limit or banning alcohol all together. In some areas, such as Italy, your vehicle will be sold and you will be sentenced to up to five years in jail.


http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1047211--judge-sentences-jack-tobin-to-three-years-in-prison-for-drunk-driving-death