name: Aaliyah
Brokering a Peace Reslution Between Israel & Palestine-NO BORDERS
02 December, 2011
Disclaimer-In lieu of the fact that I personally feel that Israel should have been created on German land after WWII (the Germans should have had to sacrifice THEIR land) and I don't believe God would put His "chosen people" in a hornet's nest with enemies on every border- I believe I have a solution:
Everybody needs to back up. This may sound simple and it can be; but I fear pride and prejudice will keep the two sides fighting forever; and if they won't do this-I think the U.S. (I can't speak for other nations) should walk away from the "peace" process because we shouldn't send our sons and daughters to die for NOTHING.
Now, I believe the Israelis should ask the Palestinians to allow them to stay as refugees-now intergrated citizens- from Nazi Germany with rights to govern their affairs.
-S Garner-Giordano
I believe the Palestinians should offer the "Israelis" (I'll tell you shortly) as an act of zakat, piety and as an humanitarian effort to stay. The "Israelis" will give up the West Bank and their borders and the two peoples will live with one another in Palestine.
Israel will be in the hearts of the Jews and if a real peace is achieved then it will indeed be the "Promised Land."
Open Letter to Albert Gore, Jr. Run! Gore Run!
25 November, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Open Letter to Former Vice President and Fellow Tennessean Al Gore, Jr. :
My name is Sylvia T. Garner-Giordano. I am a Tennessean. I am a thirty-nine year old divorcee with three wonderful children and I am terrified for their future. I am writing to you to beg you to run for the Presidency of the United States in 2012. Issues like The Patriot Act, torture, the decrease in civil liberties since 9/11, debilitating poverty, hate crimes against Muslim-Americans, the still horrible situation in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, the situation with legalities of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the over-looking of the cases of so-called, by some, political prisoners still in our jails since the civil rights era, the disproportionate number of African-American males in prisons, the building of detainee camps in places like Texas, the mismanagement of funds in Social Security and Medicare programs, the issues facing the Latino community and legalization, and the still horrible depletion of funds, resources and the decline of the educational system in The United States keeps me up at night.
The last election cycle produced a myriad of candidates and they all made their promises on the aforementioned issues; but many of these issues have not yet been addressed or resolved. I have confidence that you have not only the resources and connections to make a real case for these issues and the wherewithal to make a real difference in this country. You can win Mr. Gore. Run. Do it for me and my post high school eldest son who doesn’t see his future, my daughter who hopes to be college bound and my youngest son who is receiving an elementary education in a system that it failing its students. Tennessee just increased the cost of a college education and the poverty in this country is on the rise. While some communities are, I am sad to say, familiar with this condition, new faces are being hit hard with the economics of the past 11 years as represented by the Occupy movements all over the United States. It is a shame that their voices were not heard before; but it is better late than never.
So, again, Mr. Gore, I- and I am sure that I am not alone in my thinking - that you are just the man for the job to clean up the mess that has been made of the economy, repealing The Patriot Act, restoring our higher moral values on torture, speaking out against hate crimes, creating an inclusive attitude toward the victims of natural disasters in the Gulf Coast region, detangling the legal issues of the Guantanamo Bay detainees, addressing the cases up or down on the of prisoners from groups during the civil rights era, getting at the root causes for the disproportionate number of Black men in prisons, keeping the governments hands off programs like Social Security and Medicaid that people have worked and paid for the whole of their working careers to have at retirement, immigration and the Latino community, and courageously restructuring the educational system. You have to run. We all need you now.
-Sylvia T. Garner-Giordano
United States Citizen-All Rights Reserved
Torture: The Invisible Hand
19 October, 2011
All of the world has seen pictures from cases of persons who have been tortured in what we call 'Third World" nations- unsophisticated and obvious physical torture; but what about the sophisticated unobvious torture conducted by seemingly developed nations? Torture by the unseen hand. Torture technology that allows a computer to do the hands off dirty work. Torture like "bleeding out," broken bones, germ/disease injection, poisoning, mental manipulation, silent rape,etc. Torture that allows the so-called developed nations to show one face to the world and secretly torture their people and others for whatever reasons they seem fit.
-S.Garner-Giordano
Foreign Language Education: Satellites in the Classroom
19 October, 2011
With the world continually getting smaller, it is time that the arrogance of the educational system in the United States stops its flagrant disregard for the importance of foreign language education. While most of the world is at least bilingual; and most of the world speaks English as a second language, The United States is sadly, embarrassingly, lagging behind in foreign language skills. Cuts are being made in a lot of areas in education in the United States; and the arts, particularly language arts are unfortunately on the chopping board when it should be stepped up on a grand scale. The United States is the country of immigrants but the wealth of "foreign" languages spoken in the United States doesn't leave the barrios and neighborhoods of the groups that make up the country. Secondary school students must learn at least two credits of a "foreign" language to qualify for university level education. The teachers are not there and the majority of the ones there are not native speakers. While immersion is the best way to learn a new language, another possibly great alternative would be to have satellite hook-ups in the classes so that they are exposed to native speakers no matter whether their school could find a native speaker to teach in their classes. As stated above, the global community is getting smaller and smaller; and foreign language skills will be the key to making it or breaking it in the global arena.
-S. Garner-Giordano
Barack Obama: Allergic to Black People?
03 June, 2011
I'm fed up. I don't know why journalists, particularly black journalists, have given President Obama a "pass", so to speak, on issues that affect black people. I have yet to see him hire or nominate any black people to his cabinet or positions in the forefront of his administration. I have yet to hear him tackle or champion any black issues (i.e. affirmative action or the voting rights bill). I now see what Jesse Jackson saw in the then, presidential nominee, Barack Obama. This is something that should be said and now I've said it. I am contacting the Congressional Black Caucus on this matter.
-S. Giordano
The United Nations: Sovereignty of Member Nations
21 March, 2011
With what is happening in Lybia now and The United Nations' decision to move forward in ousting Gaddafi, what people must realize is that the member states of the United Nations relinqiushed some of their sovereignty upon admission into the organization. Member states that want to move unilatteraly are frowned upon. The United Nations want to take a part in the decision making to go to war, oust a regime or head of state they deem to be oppressing the peoples of a nation, etc. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya joined The United Nations on December 14. 1955. Gaddafi has reigned for, if not 40 years, pretty close to 40 years. Some people may be asking "why now?" Something some people don't realize about muslims is that they do not see borders. The Ummah is a real thing. It is link to all those who are believers in the Quran and brotherhood/sisterhood because the book unites them. With war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, possibly Iran and now, Lybia too-some in the Islamic community will see these actions as against Islam and Muslims. If Al Qaeda is not there in Lybia, they will be soon. President Barack Obama said that he would not do a ground war there. That is smart; but what is smarter is this-petition some of the Islamic member states/united arab emirates to seek a diplomatic approach. Should that measure fail, at least the United States can say they expired every diplomatic avenue they could BEFORE going to war.
Islamic Rules of Engagement: Lest We Forget
07 March, 2011
In this modern world some people may argue that all is fair in love and war. Well. let us focus on the former, not the latter. Islam has very clear and strict rules of engagement when embattled in war. Muslims who engage in war are not allowed to kill women, children or farmers. Lest we forget the rules that seperate the humane from the savage, there is no true victory.
-S.Garner.Giordano
Bankrolling the War on Terror: War Bonds
17 January, 2011
Taking a page or two from history, with past wars where the United States was enthralled in battle, the administration sold war bonds to bank roll their efforts abroad. This War on Terror is a different kind of animal, so to speak, but would benefit from the selling of war bonds. This way will free up other monies to balance the budget and fuel other programs, etc.
The Patriot Act: Repeal, Revisit & Revise
20 November, 2010
Post 9/11 fear led Americans to fork over a lot of their rights concerning privacy, profiling, and immigration-just to name a few. The civil liberties comprimised in the Patriot Act, as it stands, has stifled many freedoms like the freedom of speech and laws to protect citizens from being targeted because of their race or their religion. NSL letters are not being used properly for investigations. It is time to repeal, revisit and revise The Patriot Act.
-Sylvia T. Giordano
The Obama Administration: Buyer's Remorse?
29 August, 2010
Is the United States having a case of Buyer's Remorse where the Obama Administration is concerned? Rasmussen Reports.Com reports the daily numbers on President Barack Obama. Rasmussen has the president's approval index at 45% of people who strongly disapprove of the president and at 25% of people who strongly approve of the president. The President Obama's was at 65% in 1/21/09 and now he is at 48% today.
With these declining numbers, it might lead some to believe that the country is suffering from buyer's remorse.
-S. Garner-Giordano
Education in The United States-Reform
15 August, 2010
The Primary and Secondary school system in The United States has not changed in years. The No Child Left Behind program started by the Bush administration has failed to yield any significant changes in the drop out rate in high schools and some on the primary level as well. Children are in primary and secondary too long. At the end of their high school education only some children are receiving diplomas. A lot of high school students, nowadays, are leaving high school with only a certificate of attendance in their hands at age 17 and 18.
Primary School should begin at age four and end at age eleven. Secondary school should begin at age 12 and end at age 16. Vocational tracks, so to speak should be offered on the secondary level with students graduating at 17 and 18 with at least an associates degree. Vocational classes like machine shop, wood shop, early childhood education, upholstory, accounting, lawyers, etc. should be available to secondary students.
Students can leave high school with an associates degree to transfer into a four year program ahead of the game, so to speak. Other students could, instead of asking for a job, make jobs. Students should be encouraged in the entreprenuerial arena for the sake of themselve and their country.
Can the current educational system keep up with evolution?
-S. Garner-Giordano
Small Businesses: Backs Against the Wall
10 August, 2010
Double Dip Depression. People become very creative when faced with financial woes. The United States economy is driven by the small businessman and woman. With record breaking unemployment numbers and layoffs, people are turning to different skill sets to make money. The bus driver that was laid off starts selling hand sewn pillows to make ends meet, or the policeman that was fired starts a security company. If you want to pull the country out of a depression you must throw money at the small businesses. The amount of money a company can make should be lowered so that you are giving money to the real small businesses. The farmers of the nation get tax breaks but does that money really go to the small family farmer?
-S. Garner-Giordano
Iran: A Seat at the Table
10 August, 2010
Iran associates power with the proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. They believe that by having a nuclear weapons program, they will get "a seat at the table," so to speak- globally. While countries like The United States, which has nuclear weapons, is commited to drawing down its own weapons stockplile. Countries like North Korea and Iran must discontinue its nuclear weapons aspirations if it they want to be taken seriously as soverign nations.
-S. Garner-Giordano
Balance the Budget: Time to Call in Some Markers
03 August, 2010
With the U.S. "in the red," it is time to find a solution to balancing the budget. So, what to do? Breaking this problem down to is lowest form, a solution can be found. One option is to call in some markers, so to speak. Loans the United States have issued should be brought to maturity until the country is back in the "black". That is what many Americans do everyday when they are "in the red." It's that simple. This is only part of the solution. Another suggestion would be to do what was done during the Clinton years-and pay as you go. Instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul, the United States could import less goods (especially the ones that can be made in the U.S.) and export more goods.
Another way to help the country get back "in the black," is to purchase war bonds. That is a way to bank roll the War on Terror.
-S.Garner-Giordano
Afghanistan: Air War
31 July, 2010
The United States foot war in Afghanistan is over. It is now time to pull out the American troops and transition into a mostly air war. Except for the elite forces of all branches of the United States military, the foot soldiers job is over.
The air war's main purpose now, will be to draw out Osama Bin Laden. It is now time to blow up some caves in the region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Come out- come out, wherever you are."
The ideal thing would be to get Bin Laden alive so that he can face the victims of September 11, 2001. A crime against humanity trial would be best but at this point, the victims' families may see his death as closure. He has violated Islam's rules of war and should face the Islamic community as well.
-S.Garner-Giordano
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recently...
- Brokering a Peace Reslution Between Israel & Palestine-NO BORDERS
- Open Letter to Albert Gore, Jr. Run! Gore Run!
- Torture: The Invisible Hand
- Foreign Language Education: Satellites in the Classroom
- Barack Obama: Allergic to Black People?
- The United Nations: Sovereignty of Member Nations
- Islamic Rules of Engagement: Lest We Forget
- Bankrolling the War on Terror: War Bonds
- The Patriot Act: Repeal, Revisit & Revise
- The Obama Administration: Buyer's Remorse?
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