U.S. campaign takes on anti-gay bullying in school

Recently, the hate crime against homosexuality has been the hottest topic; Many suicide cases caused by discrimination of homosexuality has been featured to the public, causing many attention to the issue. Obama administration is now launching a new campaign in order to prevent many discrimination and bullying at school, including gay bullying. The administration have advised the many educators that students are protected by the federal law from discrimination

The advisory from the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, to be made public Tuesday, does not break new legal ground, officials said. But the officials described it as the federal government's most comprehensive guidance to date on how civil rights law applies to the sort of campus situations that in some cases have led persecuted students to commit suicide. President Obama is expected to help promote the initiative.
"We've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage," Obama said in a video posted last week on the White House Web site.
"Our goal here is to provide school districts, colleges and universities with details about when harassment can rise to the level of a civil rights violation and what they should be doing about it," Russlynn H. Ali, assistant education secretary for civil rights, said Monday. Ali wrote the advisory. As an example, Ali noted in the advisory that a gay student might withdraw from school activities after being subjected to anti-gay slurs and other intimidation. If the school reprimands the perpetrators to stop the bullying, her advisory said, that would not necessarily be enough to ensure that students are free from harassment based on gender stereotypes. "The school had an obligation to take immediate and effective action to eliminate the hostile environment," Ali wrote. 

It is good to see the federal taking a step to promote discrimination free zone, especially for the school. Considering public school as a miniature version of the society, this is a big win for not only the gay people, but everyone in the society. Every single students deserves a fair environment for their education and the minorities do not deserve any hate crimes or harassment. This made discrimination and bullying an illegal act against the federal power, and I hope this takes a positive influence on the education and the society as a whole.

Obama's closest advisers, likely to leave in White House shuffle

Today, America is facing a time where decision making is critical. Especially, the president's decisions. President Obama has been relying on his advisers almost for two years now. However, that will change soon as White House Staffs are being shuffled soon and Obama will be surrounded by new people.

 

As one of his advisers bluntly put it, the president "doesn't like new people."

Like it or not, he will soon be surrounded by them as an expected staff shuffle will

deprive Obama of two of his closest aides and an influx of replacements will take their places within the West Wing. 

Obama will soon lose other top advisers. His chief economic adviser, Lawrence H. Summers, announced that he will return to Harvard, where he is a professor; Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina is expected to join Axelrod in Chicago; and national security adviser James L. Jones is said to want out by the end of the year. 

 According to this article, Obama is known to dislike "new people." As his reliable source changes, his decision can be influenced differently. Not only that, the fact that he is losing his economic adviser, during this recession, is a big change. However, the article also mentions that it seems Obama has already chosen his new advisers. Will the advisers help the president differently? What will happen to Obama's next move? All we can do is watch.

Pastor Cancels Koran Burning After Defense Secretary Calls

In the book, Hot, Flat and Crowed, the author Thomas Friedman points out the reality of "where the birds don't fly" referring to the American society. This article from the New York Times shows how close we got to putting ourselves in danger.

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who set the world on edge with plans to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11, said Thursday that he had canceled his demonstration.

But the global controversy he started — drawing pointed criticism from President Obama and an array of leaders, officials and celebrities in the United States and abroad — stirred new questions and concerns even as he announced its end (which he later in the day threatened to retract.)

Mr. Jones said he called off the burning in return for a promise to move a proposed mosque in New York City to a new location far from ground zero.

That supposed deal, announced here on the lawn of Mr. Jones’s church, does not appear to exist.

This cancellation of Koran burning just saved numerous lives of innocent people. A media showing the world a white American man burning the most sacred book of Muslim? Would trigger more anger from the Muslim people all over the world and this can be the b

est tool for the terrorists to recruit more terrorists. This is a global relief.