week4- American Sniper

Dr. Ada Fisher: ‘American Sniper’ raises difficult questions

Bradley Cooper does a fantastic job in “American Sniper” portraying the life of a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper, based on recollections of the life of Chris Kyle. The brutality of war and the job of killing, though bothersome to some, depicts what war is truly all about — death and destruction towards an end which is often unclear.

Having worked in the VA and for veterans, one often is confronted by those who have been taught to kill with unclear parameters of how to put one’s life back together when the killing is done. The film also does a decent job in depicting how families may be impacted by this work.

Citizens need to know what is at stake when they send their loved ones, including their sons and daughters, off to fight.

It was the scene of amputated heads stacked on shelves by reported Islamic extremist groups which was most bothersome. If this was known as alluded to before Osama Bin Laden was captured, why are people so shocked now by the revelation of this savagery?

The bigger question and problem is how do you effectively respond to terrorists who don’t necessarily reflect a nation but are fulfilling a philosophical itch which can only be scratched by a blood sacrifice?

When I watch solicitations for the Wounded Warriors program, I question why the V.A. isn’t delivering these services to wounded military personnel. That is their purpose, with a mission obligation to those who have borne the burdens of war per Abraham Lincoln.

The most disturbing thing about the “American Sniper” film was that it was made at all. You don’t broadcast to possible enemy combatants what you have done. Given the skills of this one man, such revelations put his family at risk.

Those who have taken an oath to serve in classified positions for this nation — including spy agencies, the SEALS, the Special Forces and many special operations which may never be known — pledge their lives to protect and defend the United States without revealing that which may have been done. For their service we are grateful but must appreciate the costs involved both to liberty and personal constitutional freedoms.

http://www.salisburypost.com/2015/03/29/dr-ada-fisher-american-sniper-raises-difficult-questions/

who: Dr. Ada Fisher 

when: not given

where: not given

what:Citizens need to know what is at stake when they send their loved ones, including their sons and daughters, off to fight.

how: not given

Keyword:

sniper(n.)狙擊手

depict(v.)描述

brutality(n.)野蠻;殘忍

savagery(n.)野蠻人

week 3- Charlie Hebdo, Paris, magazine

Charlie Hebdo Attack Fails to Kill Satire, Stop Muhammad Cartoons

FRANKFURT, Germany — For the first time in years, German satirical Titanic magazine has sold out in many cities.

The February edition's cover draws inspiration from multimillion selling children's favorite "Where's Waldo" and poses the question "Where's Muhammad?"

But readers searching for the Prophet Muhammad were left disappointed. He was not depicted on the cover.

However, Muhammad is shown inside the magazine. A photomontage depicts the prophet going to a synagogue. "Out of shame over attacks: Muhammad converts to Judaism," the headline reads.

Last month's terrorist attack on the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo — which had also published Muhammad cartoons in the past — triggered debate about satire, humor and free speech.

Image: The February edition of German satirical magazine Titanic CARLO ANGERER / NBC NEWS
The February edition of German satirical magazine Titanic reacts to the Charlie Hebdo attack by asking "Where's Muhammad?" on its cover. However, it does not depict the Prophet Muhammad.
Tim Wolff, editor-in-charge of Titanic, said the magazine had little choice but to comment on the Charlie Hebdo attack and refer to controversy over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad — which some Muslims regard as blasphemous.

"We had to make these jokes," Wolff said. "You cannot do satire in a way that Islamist terrorists are content with it. It doesn't work."

He added: "We want to make fun with the prophet, not of the prophet."

Like Charlie Hebdo, Titanic in 2006 reprinted controversial Muhammad cartoons that sparked global protests after they appeared in Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.


Before the Attack: A Timeline of the Danish Muhammad CartoonsNBCNEWS.COM



Last weekend, a gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon outside a Copenhagen cafe hosting a free speech event featuring Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who received death threats after drawing Muhammad in 2007.

While the Charlie Hebdo attack sparked protests around the continent backing freedom of expression, Wolff said public support seemed to evaporate amid further threats of violence.

"The fear has come back fast and the 'Je suis Charlie' signs disappeared quickly," he said.

According to Wolff, Titanic has received no complaints over its latest issue. Instead, it's reporting record newsstand sales and a rise in subscriptions.

"There was a wave of solidarity — quite a surprising one," he said. "It's nice that satire is getting attention, but it's horrible that this was the reason."

The Charlie Hebdo attack provoked soul-searching across Europe.

"The killings have been a shock to French journalism," Jean-Paul Marthoz, the Europe representative at the Committee to Protect Journalists, wrote in a blog post. "The shooting may be claimed by its perpetrators as revenge against the magazine, but many commentators see it as an attack against a cherished fundamental freedom."

Ian Hislop, editor of British satirical magazine Private Eye, issued a statement saying that victims of the Paris attack "paid a very high price for exercising their comic liberty." Representatives for the magazine declined interview requests from NBC News.


Eyewitness Video Shows Paris GunmenNBC NEWS



Meanwhile, security concerns prompted the removal of a "Je suis satire" sign from a float before the start of a Carnival parade in Wiesbaden, Germany, last weekend.

Andreas Taschler, one of the people behind the float, told NBC News that the event's organizing committee had tried to restrict media coverage of the Charlie Hebdo-inspired float. In the end, the float showing a pencil cannon was part of the parade but without the direct reference to the Paris attacks.

At Cologne's parade, a planned Charlie Hebdo float was banned, even though Facebook fans had overwhelmingly voted for it to be part of the event.

The Festival Committee of the Cologne Carnival said in a statement that it had cancelled the float so that everyone would be able to celebrate "without concern."

In Braunschweig, a Carnival parade was cancelled after police said there was a "concrete threat" of an Islamist attack.

However, Titanic's editor-in-charge insisted he would would remain defiant.

"I would say that at least for us not much changed, and not much will change," Wolff said. "For once we have a high feeling of a threat, but people in other jobs have that all the time, and they continue to work normally."



who:Charlie Hebdo
what:The Charlie Hebdo attack provoked soul-searching across Europe
when:not given
why:some Muslims regard as blasphemous
where:Paris, France
how: by gun

KEYWORD:
1.satirical(a.)諷刺的
2.depict(v.)描述;描寫
3.prophet(n.)先知
4.synagogue(n.)猶太教;猶太教會堂
5.satire(n.)諷刺文學
6.blasphemous(a.)褻瀆神明的;不敬神的
7.evaporate(v.)失蹤

week 2 -Sydney cafe hostage

Australia PM: Hostage-Taker Was Dropped From Watch List

A gunman responsible for a deadly siege in a Sydney cafe was once on the national security agency's watch list — but was dropped off it years ago for reasons that remain unclear, Australia's prime minister said Wednesday.

Man Haron Monis, a 50-year-old Iranian-born, self-styled cleric described by Prime Minister Tony Abbott as deeply disturbed, took 17 people hostage inside a downtown Sydney cafe on Monday. Sixteen hours later, the siege ended in a barrage of gunfire when police rushed in to free the captives. Two hostages died along with Monis.

Abbott said Wednesday that Monis was on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's watch list in 2008 and 2009, but had dropped off. The agency was watching Monis because he had sent a series of offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers, Abbott said. "I don't know why he dropped off the watch list in those days, I really don't," Abbott said. The Australian government has launched an inquiry into how the former refugee was granted citizenship, and how he came to be in possession of a firearm.

who: Haron Moniswhat: the man took 17 people hostagewhen: on Mondaywhy: not givenhow: not givenwhere: in a Sydney cafe 

keyword:cleric(a.)書記的barrage(v.)火力攻擊(或狙擊)captive(a.)被俘虜的;被監禁的inquiry(n.)調查;詢問firearm(n.)火器;槍砲

Week 1-Eric Garner; Chokehold

Police: Chokehold Victim Eric Garner Complicit In Own Death

NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Garner was overweight and in poor health. He was a nuisance to shop owners who complained about him selling untaxed cigarettes on the street. When police came to arrest him, he resisted. And if he could repeatedly say, "I can't breathe," it means he could breathe.

Rank-and-file New York City police officers and their supporters have been making such arguments even before a grand jury decided against charges in Garner's death, saying the possibility that he contributed to his own demise has been drowned out in the furor over race and law enforcement.

Officers say the outcry has left them feeling betrayed and demonized by everyone from the president and the mayor to throngs of protesters who scream at them on the street.

"Police officers feel like they are being thrown under the bus," said Patrick Lynch, president of the police union.

The grand jury this week cleared a white patrolman, Daniel Pantaleo, who was caught on video applying what appeared to be an illegal chokehold on the black man. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the case underscores the NYPD's need to improve relations with minorities.

But Lynch said: "What we did not hear is this: You cannot go out and break the law. What we did not hear is that you cannot resist arrest. That's a crime."

At the noisy demonstrations that have broken out over the past few days, protesters have confronted police who had nothing to do with the case. Signs read: "NYPD: Blood on your hands," ''Racism kills" and "Hey officers, choke me or shoot me." Some demonstrators shouted, "NYPD pigs!" More than 280 people have been arrested, and more demonstrations were planned Friday.

In private and on Internet chat rooms, officers say they feel demoralized, misunderstood and "all alone."

Some are advising each other that the best way to preserve their careers is to stop making arrests like that of Garner's, in defiance of the NYPD's campaign of cracking down on minor "quality of life" offenses as a way to discourage serious crime.

"Everyone is just demonizing the police," said Maki Haberfeld, a professor of police studies at John Jay College of criminal justice. "But police follow orders and laws. Nobody talks about the responsibility of the politicians to explain to the community why quality-of-life enforcement is necessary."

The fatal encounter occurred in July after Pantaleo and other police officers responded to complaints about Garner, a heavyset 43-year-old father of six.

The video showed Garner telling officers to leave him alone and refusing to be handcuffed. Pantaleo, an eight-year veteran, appeared to wrap his arm around Garner's neck and take him down to the ground with the help of other officers.

Garner could be heard saying, "I can't breathe," several times before he went motionless.

The medical examiner later found that a chokehold resulted in Garner's death, but also that asthma, obesity and cardiovascular disease were contributing factors.

As the video sparked accusations of excessive force, the police unions mounted a counter-narrative: that Garner would still be alive if he had obeyed orders, that his poor health was the main cause of his death and that Pantaleo had used an authorized takedown move — more like a headlock than a chokehold — to subdue him.

While the grand jury proceedings were secret, Pantaleo's lawyer has said that the officer testified that he never tried to choke Garner and did not believe the man was in mortal danger.

Pantaleo's defenders have included Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who argued that the grand jury outcome would have been the same if Garner had been white, and that police were right to ignore his pleas that he couldn't breathe.

"The fact that he was able to say it meant he could breathe," said King, the son of a police officer.

"And if you've ever seen anyone locked up, anyone resisting arrest, they're always saying, 'You're breaking my arm, you're killing me, you're breaking my neck.' So if the cops had eased up or let him go at that stage, the whole struggle would have started in again."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/police-chokehold-eric-garner_n_6277790.html



who: Eric Garner
what: no give
when: in July
why: when police came to arrest Eric Garner, he resisted
where: New York City
how: no given


Keyword:
1.nuisance(n.)討厭的人(或事務)
2.enforcement(n.)強制
3.demonstration(n.)示範;表示
4.choke(v.)阻塞;使窒息
5.lock up(ph)關起來,鎖起來

week 7-himalayan avalanche

German killed in Himalayan avalanche

A European team of elite mountaineers were 100 metres shy of summiting the world's 14th-highest peak -- China's 8,027-metre (26,335-foot) Shisha Pangma peak -- when Wednesday's avalanche hit.

"Two climbers -- one German, the other Italian -- were swept away in an avalanche on Shisha Pangma," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, presidentof the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

Mountaineering equipment company Dynafit, which sponsored the team, named the two dead men as Italian Andrea Zambaldi, 32, and German Sebastian Haag, 35.

In a separate accident, Japanese climber Yoshimasa Sasaki fell to his death on Friday when he slipped during an ascent of Mount Manaslu, the world's eighth-highest peak, located in northwest Nepal, according to a tourism ministry statement.

The 59-year-old, an experienced mountaineer, lost his footing at 7,300 metres after summiting the 8,156-metre (26,759-foot) peak.

"Rescuers are working to recover the body... (which) will be brought to Kathmandu as soon as possible," the tourism ministry said.

Dynafit said the force of the Shisha Pangma avalanche threw the two victims, along with German team-mate Martin Maier, across steep glaciers, dragging them down for around 600 metres before landing them in an inaccessible section of the mountain.

Their teammates attempted a rescue but were forced to turn around because they could not reach the victims, the company said.

"Sebastian and Andrea disappeared with the avalanche and their bodies could not be found."

Maier, who miraculously survived the accident, was receiving medical attention.

Haag, a former veterinary surgeon, had accomplished several speed climbs and high-altitude ski challenges during his mountaineering career. Zambaldi worked in the sales and marketing division of Dynafit.

Switzerland's Ueli Steck, the most experienced mountaineer in the team, made headlines last year when he and two other Western climbers traded blows

with a group of furious Nepalese guides over a climbing dispute on Mount Everest.

The Dynafit team had planned to speed-climb and ski down Shisha Pangma and the 8,201-metre (26,906 foot) Cho Oyu peak, located on the Nepal-China border,

via foot, ski, and bicycle in under a week.

Haag and Zambaldi had been forced to turn back during their first attempt ten days ago due to heavy snowfall and the threat of an avalanche, according to the official expedition blog.

As they neared the summit last Tuesday night, Zambaldi blogged: "The snow makes progress really tough. In steep sections we sometimes sink in up to the hip or chest."

"Let's hope the mountain gives us a chance."

By early Wednesday the weather was worsening, with team-mate Benedikt Boehm writing: "We are so close, but... the avalanche situation is still a bit tense and the deep, windblown snow is killing us."

Shrouded in mystery and closed to westerners until 1978, Shisha Pangma is considered a relatively accessible peak to summit with many expeditioners recommending that climbers attempt it as part of their training before turning their attention to higher mountains.

At least two dozen climbers have died on Shisha Pangma, including US mountaineering legend Alex Lowe, who was killed in a massive snow and ice avalanche in October 1999 while attempting the first American ski descent of an 8,000-metre peak.

Sixteen Nepalese guides were killed last April in an ice avalanche on the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, in the worst disaster to strike the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) peak.

http://www.thelocal.de/20140928/german-killed-in-himalayan-avalanche

who:a European team of elite mountaineers

what:German killed in Himalayan avalanche

when:Wednesday

why:windblown snow is killing them

where:Himalayan

how:the snow makes progress really tough and in steep sections they sometimes sink in up to the hip or chest

keyword:

avalanche(n.)雪崩

elite(a.)優秀的

summit(n.)峰頂

expedition(n.)探險隊

week 6 - Scottish independence referendum

Scottish independence aftermath: Cameron ignored Darling's 5am plea to not restrict voting rights for MSPs

David Cameron reportedly ignored Alistair Darling's plea not to restrict Scottish lawmakers' voting rights in the immediate aftermath of the country's referendum in September.

According to the Guardian newspaper, the Better Together campaign leader phoned Cameron at 0500 GMT on the morning of the referendum, warning him not to restrict Scottish MPs' power to vote on English laws in Westminster.

Darling said that this course of action would conflating the issue of English-only votes with the devolution of further powers to the Scottish parliament, and would risk letting Alex Salmond back in the front door.

The issue of restricting Scottish MPs from voting on English matters in Westminster should be addressed but not in the immediate aftermath of the independence referendum, he added.

Cameron went on to congratulate Darling for "a well-fought campaign", as he promised to deliver on pledges. The PM "made clear to Darling that it was important to achieve a 'fair settlement' for the rest of the UK".

All the mainstream political parties promised that Westminster would grant Scotland enhanced devolution if Scots voted against independence during September's historic referendum.

This has led to some politicians calling for "English votes for English laws".  This comes in answer to  the West Lothian Question, which asks why MPs from other parts of the UK should be able to vote on certain English issues, when English MPs have no say on those same issues in the devolved national assemblies.

On 18 September 55% of Scots voted against independence while 45% wanted to break the union.

A day later, the UK government appointed the panel, led by Lord Smith, to analyse what extra powers Scotland could be given over taxation and social issues, without creating an imbalanced schism within the union.

Cameron confirmed that English Votes for English Laws would be addressed "in tandem with, and at the same pace as, the settlement for Scotland".

Within weeks the SNP surged in popularity and racked up thousands of new members.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/scottish-independence-aftermath-cameron-ignored-darlings-5am-plea-not-restrict-voting-rights-1479699

who: David Cameron

what: Scottish independence referendum

when: in September

where: Scottish

why: not given

how:  55% of Scots voted against independence while 45% wanted to break the union

keyword:

1.aftermath(n.)後果

2.referendum(n.)公民投票權

3.conflate(v.)合併

4.pledge(v.)保證

5.mainstream(n.)主流

week 5 - Ebola virus

Ebola: 250 Nigerian Volunteers Depart for Liberia, Others Today

As the world fights against the scourge of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) that has plagued Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, Nigeria is finally set to join forces with the volunteer teams from other countries by deploying 250 volunteers who have been specially trained to offer vital services to contain the spread of the virus.

This was made known at the formal departure programme of the 250 Nigerian volunteers held yesterday at the Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday.

Present at the event were the Head of State, President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador. Aminu Bashir Wali, Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr.  Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

It was revealed that the volunteers are part of a team of a 1,000-strong health personnel force being deployed under the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA). 250 of the volunteers have concluded their training yesterday in Lagos which is a mandatory step before they can be deployed.

The contingent will depart Nigeria on today and will undergo another round of training in their country of deployment in the neighbouring West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone where the disease is most prevalent.

The health team consists of doctors, nurses,  pharmacists and other cadre of health professionals.

However, President Jonathan who was represented by the Supervising Minister of Health, charged the volunteers on professionalism.

He cautioned them not to see themselves as heroes, but persons who would explore their skills to combat the disease.

He reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to assist Africa and indeed the world wherever there is need to do so and thus save humanity.

Also at the event, the consortium of business institutions in Nigeria, including the Africa Development Bank, donated about $34 million to help fight the Ebola virus disease.

The fund came following increased calls for financial aid by the African Union to bring continued agonies arising from the disease in the West-African region to an end.

The donations were announced by Chairperson of the AU, Dr Dlamini Zuma, during the launch of Africa against Ebola Fund where African Development Bank and MTN donated $10 million each to the fund.

Meanwhile, one of the leading service providers in the country, Airtel, donated 250 phones and lanterns to the volunteers.

The company also promised them free recharge cards to call their relatives

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ebola-250-nigerian-volunteers-depart-for-liberia-others-today/195757/

who:250 volunteers & some officialswhen:on Wednesday
what:Nigeria is finally set to join forces with the volunteer teams from other countries

why:As the world fights against the scourge of the Ebola Virus Disease
where:Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone
how:President Jonathan charged the volunteers on professionalism

Keyword:

vital(a.)生死攸關的
departure(n.)出發
union(n.)工會;聯盟
reiterate(v.)重身
combat(v.)反對;與...戰鬥