Its a Crazy World Out There

Many people are upset that the recent events in Israel have not been given enough coverage in the media. As far as the Itamar massacre goes, i think without a doubt the earthquake in Japan had an effect on coverage of that tragedy. However, it's a shame that such a tragic event was not given the attention it surely warranted. With so much chaos going on in the world these days, it isn't reasonable to expect the Itamar massacre or the bus bombing in Jerusalem to receive complete attention. As a Jew and a supporter of Israel it saddens me when tragedy in Israel isn't fully recognized. However, i understand that it's a big world out there and other events that are happening such as the earthquake and it's aftermath in Japan, the conflict in Libya, and the current revolutions in the Middle East are going to take attention away from events in Israel.

Rush Limbaugh on Japan earthquake

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366866/Rush-Limbaugh-mocks-Japan-earthquake-refugees-recycling-natural-disaster.html

On his show this week, Rush Limbaugh has been completely out of line regarding the recent earthquake in Japan. He has mocked refugees for recycling their garbage, laughing about how ironic it is that a country with environmentally friendly policies has been hit with the enormity of this natural disaster. He called the quake an "ironic payback". In addition to this absurdity, Limbaugh questioned whether environmentalists would be happy or sad about this, because the disaster wiped out the car-manufacturing area of Japan. He also claims that the media has exaggerated the damage of the earthquake, because they want stuff like this. "These people are looking for disaster. They want the nuclear meltdown. They want the Japanese syndrome, if you will. They want this stuff." With over 5,000 dead (to date) and such enormous damage, there is no room for humor or sarcasm. Shame on you, Limbaugh....

Obama and oil reserves

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-japan-quake-gas-prices,0,5891791.story

This article from The LA times discusses President Obama's stance on rising gas prices in the country. Obama does not plan on releasing oil from U.S reserves right now, however, he said he would consider it at a certain point, refusing to say when that point is. The president is confident we can fill any gaps in the nations fuel supply as a result of the current unrest in the Middle East. The article mentioned that Obama is under attack from Republicans, who say that he has done very little to help the production of oil in the country. I thought the article did a great job of showing Obama's side of things and making him look good in general. The headline, "After Japan quake, Obama holds firm on oil reserves and drilling"is already pretty kind to Obama. While the article provided quotes from the president defending himself, it did not quote a single Republican attacking Obama. To me, this is clearly unfair. Also, the article mentions that the president is under attack from Republicans as if everyone else is in support of him. I think many people, not only Republicans, are upset with Obama.

An Objective Article

I found an article from the New York Times about juvenile crime. The article discussed how many states have raised the age of adulthood in criminal matters. By years end, New York may be the only state where the age of adult criminal responsibility is 16.

i thought the article was fair and objective. They gave reasons supporting both an older and a younger age cutoff. Prosecution in juvenile courts is more expensive, and because states are facing budget deficits, many are opposed to the recent changes in raising the age. Also, would the juvenile courts have the means to cope with another two age groups? On the other hand, it was mentioned in the article that the juvenile justice system is better able to rehabilitate young offenders due to the greater availability of social services.

In my opinion, 18 is a good age. It would cost more, but because the juvenile system focuses more on treatment and rehabilitation, it would be more beneficial. Also, Juvenile court records are sealed. This means that people who stay out of trouble as adults would have an easier time finding jobs.

Graphic Footage

When it comes to war and showing graphic footage on the news, there is much debate over how much is too much. Should the media even hold back at all? While you want to show the realities of war, you also want to have respect for peoples sensibilities. I think graphic footage should be aired, but to a certain degree. You should show enough to get the message across, to give people an idea of what war actually is. But at a certain point enough is enough. I don't have to see the nastiest footage that's out there, and i really don't want to. There should also always be a warning before any really graphic footage is aired.