Florence

The attacks of September 11 was one of the most cowardly, vicious attacks in world history. The attacks were executed by a group of murderers who know nothing about the concept of the dignity of human life. We send condolences to families who lost loved ones and we send solidarity with the survivors of that terrible occurrence. Also, it is important to show the total truth. The person Osama bin Laden was an evil person who not only did murder, endorsed terrorism, and believed in extremist including erroneous views. He was once an ally of the American government back during the late 1970's. Osama was never some revolutionary. He was born in wealthy privilege and he traveled the world. Back during the 1970's, he was working with the Mujahadeen (who was given encouragement to attack the Soviets by Zbigniew Brzezinski) to fight the more secular Afghan government. That government was aided by the Soviet Union. The CIA's funding of the Mujahadeen to attack the Soviets in Afghanistan was called Operation Cyclone. During the 1980's, Reagan funded the Muhajadeen (filled with Taliban mullahs and Osama bin Laden) in that decade to drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden hated America during the Persian Gulf War since he believed that American soldiers had no right to have military forces to be based in Saudi Arabia (as Saudi Arabia is the nation that is the location of the genesis of the Islamic faith). From that moment onward, al-Qaeda (or Osama's personal organization) executed a massive amount of terror attacks in Africa, the Middle East, and America.

After 9/11, there has been a massive debate about civil liberties and terrorism. I was 17 and a freshman in college when 9/11 happened. Immediately, I opposed the Patriot Act based on civil liberty grounds. To this very day, I support the preservation of our civil liberties. Many of the neo-conservatives exploited 9/11 as a means for them to advance the war in Iraq. Books and sources document how neo-cons in the Bush administration wanted to attack Iraq long before 2003 even though Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. The Iraq War caused a huge amount of more conflicts in the Middle East that we're dealing with to this very day in 2018. The hijackers had links to numerous Saudi Arabian people. Today, the war on terror is much more complex than ever before (with issues in Syria, Libya, etc.). I don't agree with extreme Russian nationalism from Putin (as the Russian government is dominated by oligarchs and Russian Mafia figures. These entities are executing evil deeds) which violates free speech rights and I don't agree with U.S. imperialism either.

Ultimately, U.S. imperial entities desire, at the end of the day, to prevent China from being most powerful hegemony on Earth. In the 21st century, Pentagon leaders and others in the military industrial complex have mentioned this. That is why you see agitation by Trump against China all of the time. It is beyond just about trade. It is about which nation will be the most powerful superpower for the remainder of the 21st century. That is why we must maintain our independence and unite with workers and the rest of freedom lovers (in America plus worldwide) in desiring a real future wherefore health care, human rights, economic justice, and other blessings are instituted for future generations. We want America to be strong and filled with justice & liberty. Plus, we want the same for the rest of the world as well.

With climate change, we have a new era of powerful, destructive hurricanes. Hurricane Florence is not to be played with. If anyone is living in a zone where a Governor has issued an evacuation order, then that person should leave. A life is more important than man-made property. Preparation is important involving this situation. That is why a great response to handle the disaster of a large hurricane must equate to a concise, thorough collaboration among federal, state, and local governments. Also, neighbors working together is also very important in developing great evacuation protocols plus saving lives. Florence is expected to reach the North Carolina and South Carolina region of America. Its impact is to be meant to reach to Virginia and to as far north as Maryland. Right now, it has a speed of about 130 mph. In this decade alone, America has witnessed some of the worst hurricanes in terms of power in American history. Some have compared Florence to Hugo and I live in Hampton Roads, so many places are closed in my area in preparation for the storm. A hurricane's damage is not just about its winds, but about it's about its storm surge too. The reason is because a storm surge can facilitate a massive amount of flooding in communities. Over one million people have evacuated from the Atlantic coast too.


For years, she has amazed us with her versatility including her immense talent as an actress. Also, she is a total philanthropist who cares about our community seriously. Today is the Birthday of Sister Taraji Panda Henson. She is now 48 years old. As an actress, a singer, and an author, her polymath dispositions shine through. She is all DMV as she was born in Washington, D.C. Also, she graduated from Howard University, which is a great HBCU. Her maternal grandmother inspired her. Dramas like Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow have her playing significant roles in both films. She has been in action films like the Karate Kid. According to her, the explorer Matthew Henson is the brother of her great-great grandfather. An extensive television show career encompasses her life. Shows like The Division, Boston Legal, Person of Interest, and Eli Stone include her completely. It is also important to recognize her role in the drama film called Hidden Figures which celebrates the accomplishments of African American women mathematicians. These brave black women used equations to cause NASA space missions to exist in success. In Hidden Figures, Taraji P. Henson played the STEM expert Katherine Johnson, who is now 100 years old. Down to Earth, loquacious, honest, and strong are words that always accurately represent Taraji P. Henson to the fullest. She is always the around the way Sister that makes laugh and makes us think about the world in general with an enlightened perspective. I wish Sister Taraji P. Henson a great Birthday.

By Timothy