VAWA, we had such high hopes for you…

On May 16, the US House of Representatives’ passed what many recognize as a flawed bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  According to Tahirih Justice Center’s website, “The House bill (HR 4970) will actually harm immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence because it: Rolls back vital protections which have for nearly…

Ratko Mladic on trial

The former Bosnian Serb military commander who instigated the atrocities of the Bosnian war is finally being prosecuted at the Hague.  Where has he been all these years? Hiding out with friends-comforting to know there are little Mladic followers out there who have successfully kept a mass murderer safe for sixteen years. Maybe they were under…

How close to being terrific?

Obligatory post on Obama’s declaration of support of same-sex marriage: Many have said that though this is not an outright success because the law is yet to follow (much later, but more Americans are working on it), it’s still a risky, brave, essential step for progress. The word “evolve” has been used everywhere, rather appropriately, because change…

Life in “Murder City”: Part II

Some numbers from “A Tale of Two Cities: Ciudad Juarez and El Paso”: Deaths in Juarez in 2010: 3,110 Deaths over one weekend in January 2012: 20 2600 homicides in 2009 1-3 percent of murders are investigated “80-96 percent of the killings in Mexico go unpunished.” Continuing from the previous post, I think it’s fair to…

Life in “Murder City”-Part I

Truthout.org has done a probing series looking at U.S. immigration and Mexican border policies. I’m going to attempt to summarize their reports here. According to truthout,  Mexican citizens do not hesitate to name President Calderon, who took office in 2006, a primary perpetrator in the bloodshed of Ciudad Juarez, the infamous “Murder Capital” of the world. But first, it…