11 Year Old Maid Beat By Cricket Star

11 Year Old Maid Beat By Cricket Star

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/10/asia/bangladesh-maid-abuse-child-labor/index.html

Mahfuza Akhter, 11 year old, was a former live-in maid for a Bangladesh cricket star. She claims that the star, Shahadas Hossian and his wife, physically abused her while working in their home. "They used to beat me with sticks, kitchen utensils, punch me, and scratch me. I would be slapped a lot," she said while pointing to a distinct scar on her face. Hossain and his wife are both in police custody and are charged with child repression and employing a minor. The lawyer claims that Hossian is innocent and that he wasn't home the day this happened. The wife was granted temporary bail on humanitarian grounds because she has a young baby. Mahfuza, also known as Happy, says that she was sent to work in the couple's home by her grandmother. She claimed that her and her family needed the money. She claims that she was locked in their home and forced to sleep in the bathroom. "They wouldn't give me proper food. They'd usually give me leftovers or food that had gone bad," she said. She was looking for a chance to escape, she would rather of lived on the streets than live in the home. She took a chance when the couple's other servant opened the door.

First off, I think that this was very wrong in the first place. An 11 year old child shouldn't be working. There are laws against that kind of thing. She was a little girl, she didn't deserve to be working. She had other family members, they should have gotten a job first. The only job that a child should do is scooping snow or raking leaves for like $10 or so. It's not fair for a child to go to work everyday like adults. Secondly, I think that this couple should go to prison. I also think that they should lose custody of their baby. They obviously don't know how to treat a child, so they shouldn't have one of their own. That's just my opinion. I'm glad that this girl got away and finally got taken care of. I feel sorry for her.

Planned Parenthood Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty

Robert Dear Has Outbursts At Hearing

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/09/us/colorado-planned-parenthood-shooting/index.html

On Wednesday, Robert Dear made a series of outbursts at a hearing saying, "I am a warrior for the babies." Dear was accused of killing three people last month at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The prosecutors filed 179 felony charges against him. He had made nearly 20 interjections during the proceeding. "You'll never know what I saw in that clinic" he said. Other times, he stated, "I am guilty. There is no trial." A bailiff sitting nearby several times placed a hand on Dear's shoulder in attempt to stop the disruptions. When the lawyers read off a list of the victims in the incident, Dear blurted out, "Could you add the babies that were supposed to be aborted that day? Could you add that to the list?" The District Attorney, Dan May, said that litany of charges against Dear, including eight options of first-degree murder and 131 counts of attempted first degree murder. Nine people were wounded. May said that the decision on whether to seek the death penalty would come within two months after the arraignment. 

I think that this is important because he's not the only person in the world that would attack a place like this. He thought that he had the right reasons, but the way he went about it was wrong. There are a lot of people out there that would do something like this because they are upset. Abortion is a very important topic in our world today. There are people who are very against it, also there are people who are for it. It's a huge controversy and there are a lot of crazy people out there that would act in violence to seek a common ground. By the content of this man's outbursts, it shows that he thought that his actions were okay. What he doesn't understand, is that he was killing innocent people, which is very wrong. 

Beijing, China - Pollution Red Alert

Smog In China Closes Schools and Construction Sites, Cuts Traffic In Beijing

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/07/asia/china-beijing-pollution-red-alert/index.html

Most of the Chinese capital shut down Tuesday after Beijing's city government issued it's first red alert for pollution, closing schools and construction sites and restricting the number of cars on the road. The BMBEP warned that severe pollution would affect the capital for several days. According to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the air quality index stood at 250, classed at very unhealthy and 10 times higher than the WHO recommended levels. Car usage is being cut in half. Heavy vehicles are banned from the streets. Other polluting industrial activity has been curbed. Also fireworks and outdoor barbecuing is banned. 

I think that this is important because it could happen anywhere. It's because people aren't caring about what will happen if they pollute. They just think that it will affect the earth, they don't realize that it could affect them. This could really harm someone. I'm surprised that it hasn't been addressed until now. I think that we really need to take measures against pollution that way the United States doesn't end up like this either. 

Another Ghost Ship Discovery

Japanese Authorities Make Another Grim Ghost Ship Discovery

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/07/asia/japan-ghost-ship/index.html

Four bodies have been found inside a capsized boat. The boat was discovered floating off the north coast of Japan's main Honshu island. This is the latest ghost ship that has washed up in Japanese waters. The vessel was found on Sunday, 10 kilometers south of the Ushitaki fishing port in Sai Village. They were unable to definitively identify the boat, but they said that it looks similar to the boats that have been found in October in the same region. They believe that these ships came from North Korea. Some of the Japanese media think that the vessels were fishing boats that strayed off course. Others believe that they could be transporting defectors. 

I think that this is interesting. It's not every day that you hear about a ghost ship. There have been a lot lately, all in the same area. I don't think that it's a coincidence. I think that the ships are from North Korea and they are transporting defectors, like some of the media says.

Salvation Army Donation

Anonymous Donors Drop $500,000 Check in Salvation Army Kettle

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/01/us/salvation-army-donation/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool&iref=obnetwork

In Rosemount, Minnesota a couple dropped a $500,000 check into the Salvation Army kettle at a Cub Foods on Saturday. The couple wants to remain anonymous. They told the agency that they hoped their large donation will encourage other donors to be more generous. Twin Cities Salvation Army says that it is the largest single donation that they have ever received. 

I think that this is important because it is something that all people should do. Not that they should donate that much, but that they should donate. Even a small amount can make a big impact. I think that this couple was very, very generous. I like the fact that they want to stay anonymous, because it's not about them. It's about the money they raise for the people who need it. Being from a family that knows what it's like to need something, but can't afford it, I think that this is very sweet. 

Happy Birthday Cake Goes Viral

Happy Birthday Cake Goes Viral

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/02/us/happy-birthday-cake-viral/index.html

Over the weekend, Lisa Aldrich posted a photo on Facebook of a birthday cake she had bought for her sister at a Michigan supermarket. The white frosted cake was decorated with pink icing on the edges and a somewhat legible "Happy Birthday Mandy" written on top. Aldrich explained in the post that she asked a bakery-looking employee to write on the cake for her. She told the worker thank you and then looked at the cake. She decided to buy it anyways because she thought that people would think that it is funny. Cashiers and other employees, even the manager, gave the cake a once-over before they told her why the cake was so special. One cashier had told her that the woman who wrote on the cake had Autism and that she wasn't supposed to write on the cake anyways. Aldrich was thanked for being so polite and well-mannered towards the girl. This post has been shared over 70,000 times. 

I think that this is important because it shows a kind-hearted person being polite to a worker, even though she wasn't absolutely happy with what she got. You don't see this too much any more. It was very sweet of the woman to act the way she did. I think that this gives us hope in humanity. There are a lot of people in this world that would have freaked out on the girl and made a big deal because it wasn't done to perfection. You need to know a person's story before you judge them. This is very important. 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Segregation Poll

Race and Reality: The Scourge of Segregation

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/01/us/milwaukee-wisconsin-segregation-poll/index.html

Milwaukee is a city where isolation has a huge impact on the relationships people have with each other. Reginald Jackson lived in Milwaukee for a while and he stated that the people there are afraid of each other. A person of one race is afraid of another race. A freeway was needed in the city and that created on of America's most segregated metropolises. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and CNN teamed together to take a poll. Nationally, 2/3rd of younger whites say that the people they socialize with are mostly white. On every indicator of racial equality, Milwaukee ranks among the worst five cities in the country. 

I think that this is important because our nation is becoming more diverse. We have many different races here and I think that we all have our views on each other. I'm not afraid of black people because of what I've heard. I think that we are basing everything off of stereotypes and what we hear on the news. It's not right to have segregated cities, but if we can't help it, then we can't help it. I know people that will intentionally take the longer way home because they don't want to drive through the black neighborhood because they are afraid. I think that our views on this need to change because it's stopping our nation from growing and becoming more and more diverse.