St. Louis Issues Brainstorming

Car Theft in St. Louis

http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=St.+Louis&state=MO

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=203412

I like this issue because I believe that it is a very big deal in St. Louis that I don't think alot of people realize just how common it is. The research I have done so far have shown that we have six times more car thefts in St. Louis than the national average. Also that something like 20 cars a week in St. Louis are stolen. I personally did not realize what a big issue this was until I did some research on it.

Unemployment 

EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION

http://www.employmentstl.org/aboutus.html

I like this issue because it is a huge part in all of our lives. The unemployment rate has reached 9.4 whcih is very relevant to St. Louis. I believe that  organisations like this one above is a fantastic way to help our the St. Louis community by helping people find work who really need it most.

Copper Theft in St. Louis

http://thresholdstl.com/apartments/copper-theft-season

http://www.kplr11.com/news/kplr-copper-brick-theft-north-st-louis-081810,0,3992130.story

I like this issue because copper theft is a huge issue in St. Louis because of the down economy people will do almost anything for money and copper is valued for so much right now that people are breaking into houses and stealing all of the copper pipes etc. Then selling them for money. The one article above is a talking about how someone broke into a house to steal the copper pipes and the man who lived there came down and shot them. Just how big of a deal this is becoming.   

Research Question

How has freedom of movement in North Korea changed over time?
How does not having freedom of movement affect the people living in North Korea?
How do North Koreans not having freedom of movement differ from the Cubans not having freedom of movement?
Is there anything the people of North Korea can do to change the no freedom of movement?
Can the North Koreans move freely within their own country or are they regulated?

Human Rights

http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/April/200704051355461xeneerg4.133242e-02.html

http://www.ishr.org/Detailansicht.697+M50569ffa200.0.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Cuba

Getting more specific into how Cuba censors everything.
Which is a complete violation of their human rights.

http://www.cpj.org/censored/censored_06.html

I am interested in the censorship in Cuba or North Korea I am still undecided on the two.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_South_Korea

Democratic Republic of Congo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1076399.stm
Im finding that the DRC just got out of a huge war in 2003 that had been going on for years. Millions and million of people died in the war and it devastated most of Africa including the DRC. Now the DRC is in serious debt and their country is devastated by all of the fighting that has been going on. They just a couple years ago received a 8 billion dollar debt relief. Also that they are still having mass rebellion still to this day. One question that I have about the DRC is the DRC still receiving alot of outside help from the UN and surrounding countries. Just answered my own question yes they still are still majorly involved in the DRC.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2010/1004/In-Congo-mass-rapes-UN-guilty-of-negligence-not-complicity
In this article I am finding how the DRC is blaming the UN for not protecting and being aware that while the UN was there in the DRC supposably to help there were mass killings and rapes. And the DRC says that it is all the UN's fault. Over 200 people were raped. They are having a trial which sounds like it is going to be going on for months due to the fact that they have over 1000 witnesses. A question I have is if the DRC did win the trial what would they get out and from the trial?

2 Questions On Small Group Discussion

1) A question that I have after the discussion is about the poem on page 138. Just a small one is where exactly is Suez? and also the a man can raise a thirst what that exactly mean is it his thirst for power and control? or something else?

2) The small group discussion went pretty well it took a little to long to pick out the discussion questions but once we got rolling I believe that it went pretty well. People got a little restless at the end. I also found that I am ALOT better in these smaller groups. I feel alot more comfortable speaking and expressing my ideas and thoughts. I really like the smaller groups.

King Leopold's Ghost 3 Quotes 33-60

1) "What mattered was the size of the profit. His drive for colonies, however, was shaped by a desire not only for money but for power" (39). Quote capturing the essence of King Leopold.

2) "Stanley was always uncomfortable with anyone whose talents might outshine his own... for Stanley, continual combat was always a part of exploring" (49). Quote capturing the essence of Stanley.

3) "There were to be national committees of the association set up in all the participating countries, as well as an international committee. Leopold was elected by acclamation as the international committee's first chairman" (45). Arguble

King Leopold's Ghost 3 Questions

My first question that I have is when Diogo Cao discovered the congo how long did his journey actually take him to get that far?

My second question during the time when everyone was trying to discover Africa just how many people died trying to discover it? What was Europes casulties trying colonize Africa?

My third question is why did the europeans deny the Africans even the most basic human rights?