Stuff YOU Should Know
International Response to Syria
The conflict in Syria has been going on for more than two-and-a-half years. The United States has tried to avoid military intervention. However, the president made a statement last year that use of chemical weapons would change the nation’s position. Even though Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denies having used sarin nerve gas on Syrians outside of Damascus on August 21, more evidence appears to contradict the Syrian leader. Over 1,400 people were killed and many more left permanently injured. President Obama has asked Congress to vote on whether or not to go forward with a limited military strike. Meanwhile the rest of the world has a variety of differing opinions on the subject.
France is currently the U.S.’s only major European ally supporting military action by the United States. In January, President Francois Holande led a successful military offensive against Islamic rebel in northern Mali, and the French president is committed to dismantling Assad’s regime. Great Britain’s Parliament, on the other hand, does not support a U.S. strike. Russia and China have significant relationships with Syria, both military and economic. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the accusation that Syrian forces used chemical “utter nonsense”. China publicly urged the United States not to take action for fear that it further complicates the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
One of the biggest concerns against military action is that the rebels who are fighting the Syrian government are Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qaeda. There are currently millions of Syrian refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. This places a strain on those nation’s economies and placed them in more need of outside financial and humanitarian aid. Syria’s representative to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, has called on the UN to prevent any military aggression and hopes to achieve a political solution.
Dig Deeper President Obama has insisted that action would only be a punishment and deterrent to would-be dictators, not an attempt at a regime change. Continue to follow developments in this story, noting the pros and cons of a full-scale military intervention.
March on Washington Celebrants Let Freedom Ring
Last month, btw presented a few stories leading up to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. On August 28th, thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in our nation’s capital to pay tribute to those who participated in the original march. After attending an interfaith church service, crowds retraced the original route from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, where they held the “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony. Several members of Martin Luther King Jr.’s family were present, including sister Christine and his son, Martin Luther King III. Political dignitaries included former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, former first lady Ladybird Johnson, and Republican House of Representatives member, John Lewis, who is the only person to have spoken at both ceremonies.
President Obama also spoke at the event. He acknowledged the enormous impact Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech had on people, especially those who went on to dedicate their lives to civil rights. He reminisced of the great journey the participants made, but also noted that even with all of our advances, the nation still has a long way to go to ensure equality in this country and achieve Dr. King’s dream.
Dig Deeper Read the transcript of President Obama’s speech or watch the video. Find a section that particularly speaks to you and write a paragraph about why. Share with your class.
NFL Concussion Settlement
Credit: McGraw-Hill Education. The Guardian Cap fits over a football helmet, to help prevent head injuries
The National Football League (NFL) recently agreed to pay $765 million to more than 4,500 former professional football players who have suffered long-term effects from concussions suffered during their careers. The players who brought the suit said that the NFL hid the risks of brain damage that may occur after experiencing repeated concussions. The league is also accused of promoting violent play in its training videos.
Part of the settlement money paid by the NFL will compensate the players in the lawsuit and their families. The rest will fund medical exams and research into concussions, in the hopes of finding ways to reduce the head injury. The NFL will not admit fault or liability as part of the settlement deal. In a partnership with youth league USA Football, the NFL is involved in a prevention program called Heads Up Football. Players are taught to hit using the front of their shoulder pads, while lifting their heads up and to the side. The program is endorsed by the National Federation of High School Associations.
What Do You Think? The NFL says it is committed to safety. Critics, however, think the NFL is more concerned about cleaning up its image. Do you play a sport? If so, what measures are being taken to address concussion concerns on your team? If not, how concerned do you think players at your school are about concussions?
Fast Food Walk-Out
Workers in almost 60 U.S. cities, including New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Boston participated in a walk-out to protest low wages at many fast food chains such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, Subway and Burger King. This action comes soon after a similar one-day walkout held earlier this summer that involved 2,200 workers. The average wage for fast food workers across the United States is $9.08, which is above the federal minimum wage. However, for people whose only source of income is this wage, they often fall into the federal definition for poverty. Advocates are calling on restaurants to raise wages to $15 an hour. In response, many of the restaurants targeted say that they do not make decisions regarding pay because many of their restaurants operate as independent franchises.
Some argue that these types of jobs are not intended to support families, that they are entry-level positions and historically performed by younger workers with little-to-no experience. However, in recent years, many of the positions are no longer filled by teenagers, as fast food and retail have made up most of the job growth in the four years since the recession. Others say that raising wages would lead to higher prices. While the protesting workers are not part of a formal union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) supports the strike.