text:
Talk:Iranian President Ahmadinejad speaks at Columbia University

Original reporting notes
User:David Shankbone attented the event and took the pictures.
 * No photos from inside the debate, by chance? Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 00:24, 26 September 2007 (UTC)
 * No, reporters weren't allowed in the debate. --David Shankbone 03:54, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Is this...
Is this an article about the protests or about the actual speaking engagement? --SVTCobra 01:19, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * It's about both. --David Shankbone 02:16, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I really think both topics would be covered better in separate articles - one about the protests, one about the debate. Right now neither gets the full coverage it deserves. Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 23:19, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * I split them up, see Protests mark Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University - hopefully I didn't step on any toes with this - I just really want to see both issues get full attention. Also hopefully this will help "quiet" those who complain about the "role" given to specific protestors - since it won't appear that "omg, only communists protested!" or anything, they're now being quoted in an article *about* the protest. Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 23:50, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

as it is now ...
... this article is very POV. Some kind of pro-NYC because NYC is so cool and progressive POV. It hardly deals with what Ahmadinejad (or even Bollinger) said at the event. --SVTCobra 01:33, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I think that's more your bias than anything. People always assume New Yorkers think "we're so cool" and in reality we just have local pride, like everywhere else.  I think few people consider that the United Nations has a drastic affect on the city, and I think it is surprising to many that every day that operatives of the governments of Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, et. al. work and walk among us on American soil.  It's not a "we're cool" it's context put forth for consideration.  Let's leave the anti-New York crap out of this.  --David Shankbone 02:16, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * It's still very POV, you can't go (as the reporter) referring to a country's "horrific treatment of gays", that's for editorials. Learn the difference.  You're not Bill O'Reilly or Michael Moore - you're a reporter, report the facts - don't colour it with your own views. Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 03:05, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * Note also that unless you can tell us what line of the Quran he was reading, it isn't relevant at all - and just serves to try and paint him as varelse. In all likelihood he was opening his speech with an invocation - it's hardly newsworthy in and of itself.  Let's not descend to tabloid barbarism ourselves. Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 03:20, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * I think User:David Shankbone is a great asset. The article is well-written.--Crzy 03:15, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Quran reading by Ahmadinejad
Article 16 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic stipulates, "Arabic...must be taught after elementary level, in all classes of secondary school and in all areas of study.".

"After reading in Arabic from the Koran" shouldn't have been removed.--Crzy 03:09, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Unless you can tell what passage it was, it isn't relevant. See above. Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 03:23, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * See here about "reciting verses from the Koran in Arabic."--Crzy 03:31, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Hey!
This isn't very neutral. It's not very wiki style either. It acts like the U.S. is evil. Contralya 07:31, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * The Iranian president was certainly not neutral. Just because he was here, doesn't mean he likes the US. Remember he only came here to speak at the UN, regardless if Colombia invited him or not. Hard to make a POV speech NPOV. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 07:36, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * The article acts like "American Imperialism" is a real tangible thing, for instance. It may be a common belief to anti-americans, but it is not a neutral fact. This article would probably insult some 200 million people. Contralya 07:39, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * The insult is allowing an international criminal into our country, then letting him walk out of here without so much as a slap on the wrist. I think its more insulting to the 200 million people who never wanted him in the country to begin with. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 07:47, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * But what I am talking about is a un-neutral statement in the article, it isn't in any quotes or the fact that it happened. I think I can fix the statement. Contralya 08:08, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * To me it sounds a bit anti-Ahmadinejad. Every quote is followed or preceeded by a qualification of his words. Overall, the article is very informative and easy to read. Another thing: I think Wikinews might have misquoted him: "In Iran, tradition requires that when we invite a person to be a speaker, we actually respect our students and the professors by allowing them to make their own judgment and we don’t think it’s necessary before the speech is even given to come in with a series of claims..." I had read, on CNN and Reuters something along the lines of: "there is no need to vaccinate students..." I'm not sure which is the correct quote. --98.199.206.122 11:27, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * The American imperialism "issue" was one of the protesters, so it belongs in the article. In fact, a photo and quote deals directly with it.  By including that as an "issue" we aren't saying that it is real or not real.  Just that it's an issue of the protesters.  Regarding the quote, it was taken from the New York Times.  I can check it later.  Thanks for inquiring about it.  --David Shankbone 12:40, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, it DOES imply to a casual reader that it is a fact, rather than a theory (it is a theory). I am not against mentioning it, but it should have words accompanying it that show that it is a theory or opinion, rather than a fact. Contralya 12:53, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * In his mind, Iranian President's, this is NOT theory, but fact and thats what they teach/tell their people. Just because they don't follow the same thoughts as we (Americans) do, does not make it false. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 12:57, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Than the article should more clearly state that it is what he was thinking, and not saying that the idea is a valid fact. Contralya 12:59, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * No because in their culture, this is a fact. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 13:00, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * But the ARTICLE acts like this is a fact. It needs to state that it is what HE was talking about. It is really not such a good sentence.Contralya 13:03, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Well reword it :) But if this is an exact quote from someone, then technically we cannot reword it... DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 13:05, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

It isn't an exact quote! It needs to be said in the sentence that the sentence is describing what he talked about. There are lots of things the sentence could mean, it could mean the facts that those things were happening, that the protesters were talking about, what the guy from the school talked about, or what that Mockme Imanutjob guy talked about. Contralya 13:07, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * The sentence is not about what Ahmadinejad was talking about, but what the protesters were protesting about. Hence, "American Imperialism" --David Shankbone 14:44, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

He spoke in English
Can someone confirm what language he spoke in? Thanks. --Bill3 11:53, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Not sure. But it was not english. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 11:54, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I would think that he opened in Arabic, since Islam believes that Arabic is the correct tongue when reading from the Koran, but more likely he spoke in Farsi, which is what they speak in Iran. But I will see if I can find out.  --David Shankbone 12:42, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * It was Persian. Iranians dont speak Arabic.--Zereshk 14:47, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Unless they are reading the Koran... --David Shankbone 16:38, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Letter from top 6 universities of Iran to Bolinger
If someone has the time, please translate this letter, which has been signed and sent to Bolinger by the presidents of Iran's top 6 universities. In it, they challenge Bolinger with 10 questions, and demand to know why Bolinger was so disrespectful toward a guest of the university. The 10 questions written are:
 * 1) Why is the US media so adamant on spending hours everyday attacking our president, yet they have such a hard time allowing him to come there and defend himself against levelled accusations?
 * 2) Now that youre in the habit of giving your opinions to everyone, please explain also why did your govt topple our elected govt in 1953?
 * 3) Why did your govt support Saddam against our country even when he was using chemical weapons against us?
 * 4) Why does the US govt oppose our solution of a referendum in all of Palestine as a solution to the mid-east crisis?
 * 5) Why has your govt not yet captured Bin Laden, in spite of having the most sophisticated intelligence of the world? How do you explain the trade ties between Bush and the Bin Laden family? Why does he oppose further investigations into 9-11?
 * 6) Why do you support the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq (MEK) organization when it openly admits to killing Iranian civilians?
 * 7) Why did the US invade Iraq? Where are those weapons of mass destruction? How do you justify the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis because of your invasion?
 * 8) Why are the most despicable dictatorships in the Middle-East also close allies of your govt?
 * 9) Why does your govt oppose the proposal to make the ME a nuke free zone, including Israel?
 * 10) Why does the US govt seem so unhappy with any improvement Iran makes with the IAEA?

I think it would be worth a mention.--Zereshk 14:18, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * Naw, it wouldnt make the article better. But this questions should be read and contemplated by all editors to this article. Specially read by the majority of contributors on wikinews, those from usa-dominated culturs who just cant make articles NPOW when their feelings get little scratched. Myself i see the similarities between Ahmadinejad and Bush alarming and distastfull. international 00:08, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

can never be neutral
This article would be almost impossible to be truly neutral. It is not like wikinews has anywhere near as much coverage of the event as TV news services did...

For example, there are facts that some people won't agree on that need to be in the article, like how he said the holocaust was a myth before, and now says that the most investigated event in history needs to be re investigated. He said that there are no homosexuals in Iran, which is a lie, or based on the fact that they kill them all. He FLAT OUT LIED about cooperating with inspectors of the nuclear facilities. And, you can't take the words of random protesters and act like they are extremely relivant...

This article is too much trouble and there is NO WAY that it can be right. Wikipedia doesn't have the sources, coverage or processing that big news agencies have, and it is impossible to look at this with a STRICT POV. All the news agencies have people that they interview to show various sides of an argument, wikinews doesn't.

With this sort of thing, it probably should be left to the professionals. I mean, it seems like they don't go 20 minutes without talking about the event. Wikinews is good for most things in the news, due to the wikipedia links and the neutrality, but this event is not for us.

What he says contredicts himself, and known facts. This needs to be pointed out, but how do we do that without compromising POV? We can't very well. But if we leave it out, than we act like his contradictions and lies didn't happen, which would mislead many.

By the way, do we have an article on the 'general betray us' ad? That event is similarly controversial.Contralya 17:17, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I completely disagree that this article cannot be neutral. At Wikinews we report what was said, not whether what was said is correct or not.  The quotes are attributed and make up a seemingly-accurate description of events.  It is not our place to judge the validity of opinions, and I think the article no longer makes such a judgment.  It would be helpful to note when any speaker makes a contradiction, but by presenting different points of view in an article we let the reader make up her or his own mind given other information they know or have gathered over their life.  -- IlyaHaykinson 17:57, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Well I think there are two views: The world view of how he contradicted himself, lied, made a fool of himself, and only wanted propaganda for his homeland; and the stuff he says.

I don't know if that 'communist' traitor's comment really belongs in the article, it clearly doesn't reflect the views of very many people. Would you put the comments of a Nazi party or KKK protester on wikinews for something that has nothing to do with them? It is not relevant information, it is just the opinion of ONE protester, the communist party is extremely small, and I think most other protesters would be offended by us implying that most protesters think as the communist. And I maintain my stance (by the way, I am NOT the person who put the neutrality tag up, check the recent history). Contralya 18:23, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Some context
I have tried adding some context to this story, about why people are so upset with Ahmadinejad and his visit. Two sources that have been covering this story in detail include 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, which is written by a group of 9/11 family members and Michelle Malkin who covers things from a more conservative perspective. While I may disagree with some of her politics, she's done good work in covering 9/11-related topics. These sites point to additional sources covering the story. Aude 17:48, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Communist?
I think the communist party comment should be taken out of the article. It is clear that most of the protesters aren't communist party. The communist party is a SMALL radical group that doesn't represent the views of very many Americans. They are sort of like the Nazi party. Having the comment of that individual who's view doesn't reflect the crowd deludes the article. I am sure most of the people in the group would be offended if they were thought to be all communist party. And it gives casual viewers the idea that the communist party is actually in an active revolution and has numbers! Why not just leave the comment of that person out? Contralya 18:43, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * This is your opinion, and you weren't the reporter on the scene, I was. It was my responsibility to find a broad range of opinion. And if you Google "Sonsara Taylor" you'll see there is a lot information out there, including appearances on The O'Reilly Factor, et. al.  We aren't here to determine who is most representative of the protesters; we are here to report what and who we find, and that's what I did.  I request you stop trying to change the article to reflect *your* POV.  --David Shankbone 18:46, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Sorry, but the article implies that a number of the protesters are communist party! And they are a small insignificant group. Are you communist party? They have little or no influence on the government, and there is no revolution. And I am sure Fritz Kuhn had his share of recognition in his days... that doesn't mean he represented the people or government. Contralya 18:49, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Taylor
Having hjust reviewed his speech, unless I missed something, he never quoted Sunsara Taylor, so he wasn't "echoing" her at all - he was offering his own views. Any issues if I remove this, or did I just skip over that part of the tape? Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 23:25, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes, that's a dead reference from an earlier draft that should be removed. --David Shankbone 23:26, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

While quoting Ahmadinezhad's views on the "holocaust research", the article fails to mention his main refrain on this theme: During his Columbia speech, more than once, he said things to the effect that "granted that the holocaust did happen, what did the Palistinians have to do with it? Why should they pay for somebody else's mistakes?". From his speech and earlier comments it is clear that Ahmadinezhad is not questioning the historicity of the holocaust. He is critical of the fact that holocaust is being used to justify aggression against other people who had nothing to do with it. This, however, is very efficiently filtered out in the western media. 85.229.29.179 04:04, 30 September 2007 (UTC)


text:
Talk:Iranian President Ahmadinejad speaks at Columbia University/Comments

"For those expecting to hear denials of reality, Ahmadinejad did not disappoint."

This is not a neutral persepctive. This implies that the United States is superior in this respect. Although it is impossible to deny the fact that the Iran government has committed great atrocities against its people, it is still important to approach this from a neutral perspective. And if the US truly cared for human rights in the Middle East, why not start with Saudi Arabia or any of the countries in the Gulf where there are already US bases?

Other Considerations:

What is interesting to note is that the Iranians are likely afraid of the United States. One of the effects of the Iraq was was that it gave Iran an incentive to go nuclear (The war in Iraq backfired badly ... that's why North Korea accelerated its plans too for nuclear ambitions after the war, although they've disarmed recently). It demonstrated to Iran, and many other dictatorships that the way to fight the US is to go nuclear. The United States has an overwhelming superiority in conventional arms. That much is clear (although if they are having a hard time pacifiying Iraq at the moment, how will they fare in Iran, a nation 3 times bigger in area?). However, the situation changes with nuclear arms. True, any use of nuclear arms will provoke a devastating response from the US, but it will also deter the United States. The Iranians probably realize that going nuclear will provoke an arms race. However, I believe that they need just the ability to build an a-bomb within a short space of time, which is almost as good as having the bomb. Israel will have a fit over this, and probably try to repeat what it did to Suddam in the 1980's: conduct an airstrike. Another lesson: decentralize your program too much for any strike to do much harm. Iran has scattered much of its facilities underground.

This is reality: the Iranians are afraid of the US, and like other dictators, realize that the only effective way to deter the US is to go nuclear. Unfortunately, the sad thing is, it shouldn't have been like this. Counter-proliferation has replace non-proliferation. If the United States wants to end this, then it means following the treaties that it signed (like the Geneva Convention - should a US soldier ever be captured and tortured, it is possible that many people around the world will say "serves him (or her) right for toturing its POWs"), giving up unrealistic projects like the Ballistic Missile Defense (which will never work), and disarming the majority of it's nukes (it won't lose much firepower anyways, there are about 10000 US nukes today, plus any in the so called Special Access Programs). Ultimately, if America wants to villify Iran and other dictatorships, it must accept that it is not above International law.

 * I have no idea of what is on an Iranian person's mind. If it is 'ohh' these people come over here and mess with my world, which I doubt it is, it is don't tell me what to do. Well do it, may you not live to regret it. -Edbrown05 06:09, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

 * Which is saying that Iranian people should be able to do what ever the heck they want to do. Not so sure by government leadership positions, you know, the duds that don't count, that they have anything to say. Iran isn't right next door, your neighbor is there. -Edbrown05 06:23, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * And the neighbor is saying, "i'd like to bark at the bitch". Ahmadinejad, your gov, will you let them?

 * I don't know what all the whining is about. What are we so afraid of, that we moan about letting him speak?  Do we fear he has 'magic hypnotic POWER!' and can sway our children to put on black turbans and chant 'Death to America!'?  I don't fear Mahmoud Amhadinejad and his lies, let him speak.  Some people may lack confidence in the strength of mind of the American people... Actually, my confidence is dwindling, too, if we're this cowardly about a man simply SPEAKING.  I'd hate to see how we react to something more intimidating than words.  Sticks and stones, you wimps.  This statement, utterly lacking in fear of a petty dictator, was made by Jachra. 209.129.85.4 17:22, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

I saw the speech...
For anyone who doesn't know, that guy is full of it. He dodged all the questions, and he is a pathological lier. Most of the stuff the guy from the school said before he talked was based on EVIDENCE and most was fact. I hope that people don't have sympathy for this evil guy because of this speech. He hates all Americans, Israelis and probably others for sure. Contralya 07:28, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I saw it too. And the only question he answered even in the slightest bit of truth (in his mind/culture) was about homosexuals. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 07:44, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * In a way he was probably telling the truth about that, but not in the way he suggested. One, there could be no gay community, with anyone who is gay hiding it. Two, they could of killed most of the gay people driving the rest underground. Contralya 12:49, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I suggest watching "V for Vendetta" for an idea of what being homosexual within a fascist society would be like. Steven Fry plays a character who is a closet homosexual TV presenter (art imitates life). --Brian McNeil / talk 18:22, 26 September 2007 (UTC)
 * V for Vandetta=most overrated movie ever. Form your own political opinion not what hollywood feeds you. As for this guy theres no doubt that he is scum that the world would be better without but in the end its not our fight. I only hope that we are smarter than our previous actions have made us seem and return home to isolationalism.208.39.169.124 20:07, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

U.S. got opportunity to catch this varmint. Bush prefer to look for him like doing with Bin-Laden
n/c

It may seem like the right thing to do, but in modern politics, that would be an outrage and make everyone hate the U.S. Contralya

Letter from top 10 universities of Iran to Bolinger
If someone has the time, please translate this letter, which has been signed and sent to Bolinger by the presidents of Iran's top 10 universities. In it, they challenge Bolinger with 10 questions, and demand to know why Bolinger was so disrespectful toward a guest of the university.--Zereshk 14:18, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

A little bit of ballance
First Iran is not a normal dictatorship,and even the election is not very democratic, the most of the Iranians might support theire President. Some Minorities are supressed, I call them Zeitgeistminorities like Homosexuals. Nobody realy knows how hight their actual numbers are and if it is a cultural ore a social Phenomen. The west shurly is helping in increasing their number by its own ideology, witch has nothing to do with democracy and is a strange mixture of capitalistic and leftwing legends combined with the pseudoscience soziology. A kind of Trash ideology is leading the west now and I can understand that not every body wants to follow that trash witch they dare to call freedom.

The Zaradustrian beliefe witch is supressed is a rassist ideology and from the Bahai I have not heared good things either. The women are doing worse in Saudi Arabia, witch is an ally of the USA. So where is comming the hate on the Iran witch never attact somebody last 300 years only was attact by the russia nd the british and missused by the US in the fiftys. The jews are living their fine, what is the problem. Iran is independent and does not want to sell its richness to the west and its freemarket trash culture witch is plundering the whole world for the richness of some People in the US and England and the small groups witch are licing their parts in every country. The President of Iran has blood on its hand, witch blood could you define this, It would be so interesting to hear about this because i can imagine in witch direction this is going.

I would like that the West is leading the world but with an idologie witch is thus more of the 19 th century witch is realy longing for values and not for trash. A consumption orientated west will never be superior to any nation with a strong will and its power will only create death, but this can have a sudden end by the forces of nature witch we are ignoring. Johann

I heard that there was a large group of monarchists there.

Monarchists/Pahlavists
I heard that there was a large group of monarchists there.

Death penalty for non-existent citizens?
If homosexuality does not exist in Iran, then why are Iranian citizens still being executed under Islamic law for practising gay sex? According to estimates by exiled Iranian homosexual rights group, Homan, over 4,000 lesbians and gay men have been executed since 1980- Source http://www.iranian.com/Letters/1999/September/gay.html. Amnesty International reports that at least three homosexual men and two lesbians were publicly beheaded in January 1990. The Islamic Penal Law against Homosexuals, approved in July 1991 and ratified in November of that year, is simple. Article 110: “Punishment for sodomy is killing; the Sharia judge decides on how to carry out the killing.” Article 129: “Punishment for lesbianism is one hundred (100) lashes for each party.” Article 131: “If the act of lesbianism is repeated three times and punishment is enforced each time, the death sentence will be issued the fourth time.” Source - http://www.ecpm-us.org/issues_homosexuality.shtml. It is no wonder that there is concern over Iran attaining nuclear power status. People have fought long and hard for the rights we have and currently enjoy. The freedom of consensual sexual expression and individuality is one of the most prized rights we have and it is a right that distinguishes the intellectually developed modern world from those societies that have not evolved and therefore do not allow their citizens to do so either. The way to go is forward, not backwards.MB2007. —NitraM42 21:26, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

There is a difference between homosexuality and homosexual acts. I am a straight male. If I had sex with another man that would be a homosexual act, but I would not be a homosexual.--71.141.118.69 13:09, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

 * This last comment is a non-sequitur. You could be a homosexual and live within Iran. It is the committing of what you call a "homosexual act" that is going to get you in trouble. It is a long and complex debate to decide whether or not forcing suppression of what is essentially "instinct" is acceptable in any circumstance. What is not accepted within Iran is that consent is a major factor. Non-consensual acts are unacceptable, at its mildest that is forcing someone to kiss you - at its worst it is a serial killer and a rapist. Islam, and its scholars and clerics are not "refined and sophisticated" if they cannot make this distinction. Homosexuality is a fact. It exists within the animal kingdom, and - to be blunt - human beings are just animals with big brains. Trying to edit the gene pool to stop this is called Eugenics. --Brian McNeil / talk 18:32, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Applause?
I would hardly call it 'met with protest and applause'. They were just being polite, everyone is always expected to clap after parts of lectures. It doesn't mean they applauded him. Contralya 03:31, 27 September 2007 (UTC)
 * That's applause....... it would be a story if they weren't being polite, and there wasn't applause. There was... enough said. It's not like he said there was a standing ovation and 13 encores. Lyellin 03:34, 27 September 2007 (UTC)

Ahmadinejad : "The precious existence of women as the expression of divine beauty and peak of kindness, affection and purity has been the target of heavy exploitation over the past recent decades by the holders of powers and owners of media and wealth. In some societies, this beloved creature has been reduced to mere instruments of publicity and all boundaries and protective shields of chastity, purity and beauty have been trampled."
 * And look at how woman are treated in Iran.

Legend
Ahemdinejad is a f@#king legend!

And I am a Christian and I'm writing this!

Necessary reading for a serious article to be written for Wiki entry on the Columbia affair
I'd like you to bear with me until the very end of this comment. It's all sourced and based on Human Rights Watch reports. I'm Jewish and all for Israel's security and existence. That's why I can't, for the life of me, understand Bollinger's behavior even before his guest, a head of state, could begin his speech: how does it help Israel? Increasing the tension between Iran, Israel and the U.S could likely lead the three countries to a war that'd be a disaster for the whole region, just as the war in Iraq has been. I think people who really want Israel to live in peace should consider why President Musharaf was so well received in Columbia. People in the Middle East would find at least strange that the Iranian President must be subjected to insult and ridicule while Pakistan dictator Musharraf, whose Human Rights record (just as Bush's, for that matter) is far worse than Iran's (Pakistan is, after all, a powerful nuclear state), is treated gently and nicely by the same University President. Bollinger said: ""Rarely do we have an opportunity such as this to greet a figure of such central and global importance. It is with great gratitude and excitement that I welcome President Musharraf…," according to Columbia's Web site records. -(http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2007/09/28/Opinion/Columbia.U.Uses.Double.Talk.With.Dictators-2998761.shtml)

I just want you - by you I mean those who care about Israel - to read carefully the following statements taken from Human Rights Watch's reports on Pakistan: Human Rights Watch, let's not forget, has just been charged of being Pro-Israel and Pro-U.S and they had to produce a report to challenge the accusation (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/10/10/lebano17059.htm). Human Rights Watch is as neutral a organization as you can get: they have dreadful reports both on Iran and on Pakistan. Let's just take a look at Pakistan's Human Rights record (I pledge you to read it all and, especially, the last report in its entirity - I'll provide the link):

“General Musharraf has brazenly flouted international law in forcing Sharif back into exile. He has violated Pakistan’s constitution and defied a direct ruling of Pakistan’s Supreme Court,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have colluded in bundling a Pakistani citizen into a plane and forced exile.” -(http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/09/10/pakist16832.htm)

"Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Musharraf's political adversaries have disappeared. Some, as Human Rights Watch has documented, have been sent to secret CIA-controlled detention facilities. But many more, unconnected to the war on terror, remain in the hands of the Pakistani military's feared Inter-Services Intelligence agency." -(http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/27/pakist16263.htm)

"Pakistani journalists are regularly threatened, beaten and tortured — and several have been killed. Moderate political parties, which command an overwhelming share of the popular vote, have seen their leaders, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, hounded into exile. Political activists have been harassed and jailed for not accepting Musharraf's supremacy. Such brutal repression has triggered an insurgency in mineral-rich Baluchistan province and helped push the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan into the embrace of the Taliban." -(http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/27/pakist16263.htm)

"The Pakistani military has a long and well-documented history of prioritizing its economic empire, estimated to be worth at least $20 billion, over any ideological considerations. Paid by the U.S., it nurtured radical Islam in the 1980s to fight the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan — and then embraced just as quickly the opportunity to be paid to dismantle the same. Of course, putting that genie back in the bottle has proved difficult, but the effort guarantees continued U.S. political engagement and financial aid. Musharraf's successors — military and civilian — are unlikely to want to commit economic and political suicide by adopting radical Islamism." -(http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/27/pakist16263.htm)

"It is time for the U.S. to insist on a return to civilian rule through free and fair elections, for which the return and participation of Pakistan's exiled political leaders are a prerequisite. Musharraf must take off his uniform and restore the presidency to its largely ceremonial constitutional role in a parliamentary democracy. Only then can he legitimately run for president by seeking election from a truly representative parliament." (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/27/pakist16263.htm)

"If the Bush administration actually believes its high-minded rhetoric about the spread of democracy, there is no better place to start than Pakistan." (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/27/pakist16263.htm)

"IS THERE A HUMAN RIGHTS DOUBLE STANDARD: US POLICY TOWARDS SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN, UZBEKISTAN AND PAKISTAN". (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/14/usint16481.htm). I pledge you to read this report. -Yara Ginzburg 02:02, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Template:Ip long block

 Your account or IP has been blocked for  days as of. It is possible you were blocked in error, or you are currently using an IP which was used by another person who was blocked with reason. If this is the case, or for any other reason, please contact me via e-mail (if you've registered an e-mail account), or after the block has expired user: user talk:. Other administrators are also available, or you can check if anyone is in the IRC channel if you have access to IRC.

title: Template:Ip long block


text:
Category:Interwiki templates

These are templates for making formatted links/boxes for other Wikimedia sites.

cs:Kategorie:Šablony:Odkazy na sesterské projekty de:Kategorie:Interwiki-Vorlage en:Category:Interwiki templates eo:Kategorio:Ŝablonaro frataprojekta fr:Catégorie:Modèle interwiki nl:incubator:Category:Wn/nl/Sjablonen zusterproject uk:Категорія:Шаблони:Інтервікі-посилання

title: Category:Interwiki templates


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Category:Calendar templates

These templates can be used to create calendars.

title: Category:Calendar templates


text:
User:Iridibot/Plugins

Plugins
I will, one by one, be adding plugins to this bot. Sadly, I'm only saying "plugins" because the term sounds cool; they don't really plug into anything. It's a cron job for crying out loud. irid t i [mailto:ironiridis@gmail.com e] 03:33, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

List

 * 1) wizardBot

title: User:Iridibot/Plugins


text:
User:Iridibot/Plugins/wizardBot

wizardBot
This plugin to iridibot is designed to check the spelling of recently modified articles and try and identify mistakes. The bot categorizes every word it has seen, and filters them into white or black lists. Keen. irid t i [mailto:ironiridis@gmail.com e] 03:35, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User:Iridibot/Plugins/wizardBot


text:
Gay World Cup begins in Buenos Aires

With more than twenty-eight teams from across the world, the 10th Gay World Cup begins in the city of Buenos Aires. These events are held in part to aid in the fight against sexual discrimination. This year marks the first time the World Gay Cup will be held in a Latin-American city. Twenty-eight teams will participate, and some countries will be represented by more than one team.

Some of the countries that will participate in this championship are Uruguay, Chile, Australia, Iceland, United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada and Argentina, represented by the Dogos, the Amerika team and SAFG. Also, the United States is one of the countries that will be represented by more than one team. A few of the American teams are: Boston Americas, New York Ramblers, Seattle Rain, Florida Storm and Philadelphia Falcons. The World Cup that began yesterday, is being held in the Parque Sarmiento (Sarmiento Park), located in the Saavedra neighbourhood and has the support of the AFA (Argentine Football Association), the secretary of sports of Buenos Aires, the Ombudswoman of the city and the INADI (National Institute Against the Discrimination). The championship will last until next September 29.

In an interview with Wikinews, the president of the Homosexual Community Argentina (CHA) César Cigliuti expressed that this is an opportunity to show the fight against discrimination, for example in an area like football, where sexual discrimination occurs each day in the fields of the Argentina, Cigliuti said. The final will be played in the Defensores de Belgrano's field.

title: Gay World Cup begins in Buenos Aires


text:
Talk:Gay World Cup begins in Buenos Aires

Check the grammar, please. Thank you. Loco085 03:57, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Instead of making a note to check grammer why not do it yourself?
I went ahead and did a few adjustments but nothing to alter the info. Left some stuff alone since this is my first time editing anything on wiki.

 * Author's mother language is Spanish rather than English, that's why. Regards, Jurock (reply here) 20:15, 25 September 2007 (UTC)


text:
John Howard sets green energy targets

September 25, 2007

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has announced a national "Clean Energy Target". The target requires that by 2020, 30,000 gigawatt hours of electricity each year comes from low emissions sources. The plan is an attempt to consolidate the different state-based targets.

"What this initiative will do is gather up all of the different state schemes, many of which are contradictory or at the very least dissimilar," Mr Howard said.

The announcement was criticised by Labor environment spokesman Peter Garrett. "This is just piggybacking on the hard work of state Labor governments," Mr Garrett said. "The Howard Government has an appalling record on renewable energy and cannot be trusted to deliver on this commitment.

The Greens pointed out that the target did not take account of an increase in demand. “Under the Prime Minister’s target, greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector will blow out to be 44% higher than the present day, because this feeble addition of low emission technology won’t be able to keep pace with growth in electricity demand," said Greens Senate candidate Scott Ludlam.

title: John Howard sets green energy targets


text:
John Howard announces $560 million for medical research

September 25, 2007

Australian Prime Minister John Howard today announced medical research grants totalling AU$560 million. The grants are the result of the Australian Government's 2008 National Health and Medical Research grants. According to a government media release, the grants will fund research into heart disease, obesity, cancer, child health, depression and chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma.

Howard said that the grants were possible because of the good state of the economy. "It's an extraordinary human dividend out of good economic times," he said. "You couldn't do it if you were paying off debt. The fact that we're not paying off debt [means] we've got $8-9 billion a year in saved interest that we can spend on good things like medical research."


text:
Aid for Australian farmers increased to $1 billion

September 25, 2007

The Australian Federal Government today announced an additional AU$714 million in aid to farmers affected by the drought. Prime Minister John Howard announced $430 million on September 17, bringing the total aid to over $1 billion.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile has said that the farming sector is important to the Australian economy. "There's about 130,000 farming units across Australia that contribute over $100 billion into our GDP - up to about 18-20 per cent of our exports in a good year," he said. "We cannot afford as a nation to lose our agricultural industries."

Opposition primary industries spokesman Kerry O'Brien has stated that if elected Labor will honour drought assistance measures put in place by the present government. "But I have given the assurance wherever I have gone that we don't see the midst of a drought as a time to undo settings in relation to Exceptional Circumstances funding, so the horticultural community can be assured they can rely on settings in place for this drought," he said.


text:
File talk:Phillips rbbw.jpg

PD?
No. This was NOT taken by an employee of the FBI nor a police officer. It was taken by a man that happened to come across Bucky when Bucky was evading police. Bucky walked up on this guys property and he took a picture, to which he turned into the FBI. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 08:02, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: File talk:Phillips rbbw.jpg


text:
User talk:88.153.203.132

Welcome
Welcome!

88.153.203.132, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information, and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages, please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 08:41, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Iranian PResident Speech article
Edits like these are not productive. Not only is it unsourced, but it is also bad grammar. Please see the above welcome message on how to edit Wikinews. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 08:56, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:88.153.203.132


text:
Template:PD/doc

Usage
If you specify no parameters (just use  ), it will display as shown above (same as PD-media).

However, setting parameters can change the text, image, or category used on the file.

 * image= can add an optional image to the right side of the table.
 * image_width= can change the width of the custom image (default: 64)
 * category= can change the category images go into (default: Public domain)
 * explanation= can change the text inside the table (default: This file has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. This applies worldwide.)

This would make:

title: Template:PD/doc


text:
Volcano erupts without warning in New Zealand, two injured

September 25, 2007

Mount Ruapehu, a volcano in New Zealand, erupted at 8:20 p.m. (local time), without any warning and the government has closed all roads and railways surrounding the volcano including Desert and National Park roads. The eruption lasted for nearly ten minutes and is at this time considered to be a "minor eruption"; so far no state of emergency has been declared.

"At this stage it's not a civil defense emergency," said area councilman Paul Wheatcroft. Volcanologist Craig Miller calls the eruption a minor "Level 2 eruption." Level 5 is considered a major eruption. The eruption also caused a minor magnitude 2.8 earthquake.

At least two people have been injured, one believed to be a climber who was climbing the volcano and was hit by a falling rock at the time of the eruption. Authorities are searching for that individual. One other climber was also on the volcano, but it is not known what the extent of his injuries are.

Lodges and resorts near the volcano are currently being evacuated as ash lahars and flowing mud could be seen coming from the volcano on the east and north sides. Authorities have told everyone to stay away from and off the volcano.

So far there have been no reports of damage to homes or businesses.

There are concerns from local authorities that houses and towns may be affected by the eruption.


text:
User talk:59.165.135.78

Welcome
Welcome!

59.165.135.78, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information, and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages, please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 11:38, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:59.165.135.78


text:
User talk:98.199.206.122

Welcome
Welcome!

98.199.206.122, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information, and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages, please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 11:40, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:98.199.206.122


text:
Wikinews:CommonsTicker/20070925

25 September

title: Wikinews:CommonsTicker/20070925


text: User:Zachary/Sandbox/logo

title: User:Zachary/Sandbox/logo


text: User:Zachary/Sandbox/IRIN

title: User:Zachary/Sandbox/IRIN


text: User:Zachary/Sandbox/ESA

title: User:Zachary/Sandbox/ESA


text:
Category:Non-free media

This category lists all non-free media files on Wikinews. Do not add subcategories here. __NOGALLERY__

fa:رده:رسانه غیر آزاد

title: Category:Non-free media


text:
User talk:Crzy

Thanks
I appreciate the compliment. I wrote the article rushed to get it up, so I could have done better. But that was a nice thing to read this morning. --David Shankbone 12:44, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:Crzy


text:
User talk:121.247.12.157

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions; I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome!
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Additionally, thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 12:51, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:121.247.12.157


text:
User talk:59.95.169.220

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions; I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome!
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Additionally, thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles may disrupt the site's working and will be reverted quickly. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 13:03, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:59.95.169.220


text:
Canadian soldier killed in southern Afghanistan

September 25, 2007 On Monday, a 24-year-old Calgary Reservist became the 71st Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Four others were injured in the incident, which killed Corporal Nathan Hornburg, who was operating as part of Operation Sadiq Sarbaaz, a joint Afghan-NATO mission designed to "set the conditions for a continuous security presence and the establishment of a new police sub-station in the northern part of (Panjwaii)."

Media reports indicated he died from mortar fire at around 16:30 local time while he was repairing the track on a Canadian Leopard tank near a cluster of villages known as Zangabad. Brigadier-General Guy Laroche stated "The terrain was very rough and (tank treads falling off) is something we see on a regular basis."

One of the soldiers was injured in the mortar attack, while three others were hurt in a nearby armoured vehicle by a rocket propelled grenade during the ensuing firefight. The injured have not been identified, but a military official says two are part of the Royal 22nd Regiment based in Valcartier, Quebec, and one is from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa near Pembroke, Ontario. The injured were evacuated to a hospital at Kandahar Air Field, where their injuries are described as non-life threatening.

Corporal Hornburg was a member of the King's Own Calgary Regiment, a Reserve armoured unit based in Calgary, Alberta, and was serving with the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) while in Afghanistan.


text:
User:Zereshk

This is Zereshk from English Wikipedia.

title: User:Zereshk


text:
User talk:Greeves

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! Brock contact... 15:15, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * Audio Wikinews could always use more contributors
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Spelling fix
Thanks for the odd spelling fix. Usually, we don't fix errors in other users' user space here. But thanks anyways :)  —Fellow Wiki  Newsie 00:21, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

My RfA
I dunno if you do RfA thanks here, or if it's just a Wikipedia thing. If not, I reckon the trend needs broken. Many thanks for participating in my RfA, which was successful. Unfortunatly, I can't use the excuse of testing my shiny new buttons to see what they do as I have them on Wikipedia ;). So, I guess that rules out any rogue-adminish behaivour ;-). Seriously, though, cheers, and see you around on-wiki! Blood Red Sandman (Talk)   (Contribs) 15:33, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

title: User talk:Greeves


text:
User:ArielGold

Ariel ♥ Gold  Visit me on English Wikipedia

title: User:ArielGold


text:
User talk:ArielGold

Ariel ♥ Gold  Visit me on English Wikipedia

title: User talk:ArielGold


text: File:Billy Murrell.jpg

title: File:Billy Murrell.jpg


text:
Comments:Canadian soldier killed in southern Afghanistan

Not fair! If we are going to report this, than we should report every soldier that dies in the middle east. I think having this article in the face of so many other casualties is insulting. Contralya 17:08, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Wikinews does not restrict users from contributing about what they want to write about. If a user wants to write about every time a hard working soldier dies let them. You can't do anything about it. 69.157.3.133 20:06, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Insulting?? Shame on you. Jcart1534 00:13, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

...Canadian newspapers are carrying the same story, why would we be any different? Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 00:22, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

lol remember now, one death a tragedy, a thousand a statistic!

You guys ignore my point. It is one person. What about all the others killed? And just because another news has a story about something, doesn't mean we need to copy it. In fact, we seriously need stories that AREN'T copies of other news services. Contralya 01:51, 4 October 2007 (UTC)


text:
Transport for London wins first Anti-Social Behaviour Order against graffiti vandal

September 25, 2007 Billy Murrell, a persistent graffiti vandal from South East London, has become the first recipient of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) granted to Transport for London (TfL) by Greenwich Magistrates. The civil order also bans him from the top deck of buses throughout England and Wales for three years.

Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport, including vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens.

This is Transport for London's first Anti-Social Behaviour Order against a graffiti vandal — TfL was granted the power to apply for Asbos by the Home Secretary in September 2006.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Order was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 12 September and also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider's property.

Metropolitan and Transport police have been made aware of Murrell's Asbo, and have distributed his photo.

In detail, Murrell is prohibited from:

 * Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any transport providers property which is not expressly open to the public whether on payment or otherwise throughout England and Wales
 * Carrying the following articles, in any area specified (above) or in any public place, namely any form of unset paint in any form of container, any form of permanent marker pen, any form of shoe dye or permanent ink in any form of container, any form of paint stripper in any form of container, any form of grinding stone, glass cutting equipment, glass etching solution or paste, throughout England and Wales
 * Aiding, abetting, counselling or encourage any person who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales

 * Travelling on the top deck of the any public transport bus within England and Wales

If without reasonable excuse the defendant does anything which he is prohibited from doing by this order, he shall be liable to a detention and training order, which has a maximum term of 24 months - 12 months of which is custodial and 12 months in the community

Upon turning 18 he will be liable to imprisonment up to five years.


text:
Judge rules stem cell proposal to remain on New Jersey ballot

September 25, 2007 Superior Court Judge Neil Shuster ruled that a New Jersey ballot proposal to fund stem cell research would stay on the November 6 ballot. Under the proposal, previously approved by the state Senate and Assembly and signed by the governor Jon Corzine, New Jersey would borrow US$450 million over a ten-year period to be used to fund stem cell research. Shuster's ruling was in response to a suit by the pro-life Legal Center for the Defense of Life on behalf of 15 New Jersey residents and the anti-abortion group New Jersey Right to Life.

The suit asked for an injunction to keep the proposal off the ballot, arguing that the ballot measure was deceptive since it did not reveal that the funding might go to human cloning and that property taxes might be raised as a means of paying off the debt. Proponents of the measure argued that the bill would not in fact allow cloning and that allowing the use of property tax to pay off debt was standard for similar ballot measures.

Shuster ruled that the plaintiffs had waited too long to file their case and that they did not made a convincing enough claim of imminent harm to justify the unusual and disruptive measure of removing an item from the ballot. An injunction now would create complications to military personnel who vote by mail as well as civilians who use absentee ballots.

Stem cell research has been a controversial topic in the United States, where it is wrapped up in the abortion debate. Opponents, principally religious groups, have condemned such research when it would use embryonic stem cells which they view as endorsement of abortion. Since many of them view abortion as murder, the use of embryonic stem cells is in their eyes tantamount to murdering people for scientific research. Also, some have expressed concern that the research is a slippery slope to reproductive cloning. In response to funding restrictions on federal money to stem cell research and an earlier veto by President Bush of a federal bill for stem cell research a number of states such as New Jersey and California have adopted measures to fund stem cell research, which proponents argue could be useful for curing a variety of diseases, including Alzeimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes.


text:
User:Aude

See w:User:Aude

title: User:Aude


text:
User talk:74.12.183.42

Yes, the Greens (while extremely popular in advance polling so far) have little chance of getting seats in most ridings. However, they are just one of many voices that must be heard in order for this province to fully be considered a democracy. -- Zanimum 18:00, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:74.12.183.42


text:
Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Progressive Conservative candidate Jim Chapman, London-Fanshawe

September 25, 2007 Jim Chapman is running for the Progressive Conservative of Ontario in the Ontario provincial election, in the London-Fanshawe riding. Wikinews' Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

Interview
'''Why have you chosen to involve yourself in the political process? Why did you choose to run in this constituency?'''
 * I believe Ontario is at a crossroads. We will elect either a Liberal government pledged to continue a high-tax, high-spend policy that has increased taxes by 33% over four years, or a Progressive Conservative government that believes there is generally more to solving a problem than throwing money at it. I was born and raised in London Fanshawe and when the PC Association invited me to stand for nomination, I accepted and was subsequently acclaimed.

'''What prior political experience do you have? What skills and insight can you bring to office, from other non-political positions you may have held?'''
 * As a member of the local news media for fifteen years I have been a keen observer of the political process and have studied and written extensively on provincial politics. I have known both Dalton McGuinty and John Tory personally for years, and have watched and analysed their development as political leaders. I am an effective communicator and a Type A worker, both attributes I believe to be vital to being a successful representative of the people at Queen's Park.

'''Which of your competitors do you expect to pose the biggest challenge to your candidacy? Why?'''
 * The biggest challenge to any candidate is voter apathy, brought on by years of broken promises and political bafflegab.

What makes you the most desirable of all candidates running in the riding?
 * My record of public service and advocacy for ordinary people is well-known across the city. I do my homework, I know the issues and I have the ability to speak for those who can't, or won’t speak for themselves. I am not afraid to speak truth to power, I’m not anybody's yes-man and I get things done... And, I believe the proper job of an M.P.P. is to carry the message of the riding to Queen's Park, not the other way around.

'''What do you feel are the three most important issues to voters in your riding? Are these the same top three issues that are most important to you? What would you do to address these issues?'''
 * The continuing decline in health care delivery is number one on my list, and at the doors. People are also very concerned about job losses in the riding, and the perception that our streets are no longer safe. These, too, parallel my own priorities.

Improving all of them will require the same first step- we must regain control of public spending, institute strict financial controls on every ministry and require public servants to account for every penny of public money they spend.

 * With a provincial budget that has increased by a third in four years, there is plenty of money flowing through Queen's Park, The challenge is to direct it where it will do the most good for the most people.

 * Regarding my three priorities, a greatly oversimplified "to do" list would include involving front-line nurses and doctors much more actively in health care delivery reform, reducing red tape to create an environment that attracts more job-producing investment, and bringing the justice system more in line with the wishes of the people by advocating tougher treatment for crimes of violence and tighter bail for potentially dangerous offenders.

What should be the first order of business in the 39th Legislative Assembly?
 * Financial reform, as outlined above.

Are the property taxes in your riding at a fair level for the amount of services received in the municipality?
 * No. Provincial downloading and contentious local policies have seen costs rise much faster than service levels.

How can the province lead the way in stimulating job creation?
 * As above, by creating an environment that is more conducive to attracting job-creating investment. Having the highest tax rates in Canada and one of the most cumbersome economic bureaucracies is not a combination likely to bring new jobs to Ontario. That must change.

What are your views on the mixed member proportional representation (MMP) referendum?
 * While I understand the concerns with the existing system that led to the referendum, any system that proposes appointing rather than electing members of the legislature does not get my support.

'''What role, if any, does "new media" play in your campaign, and the campaign of your party? (websites, blogs, Facebook, YouTube videos, etc) Do you view it as beneficial, or a challenge?'''
 * Utilizing new technologies beneficially is always a challenge, but in this election they have allowed me to reach more people, more directly, through a website, YouTube videos and hundreds of e-mails back and forth with constituents.

'''Of the decisions made by Ontario 's 38th Legislative Assembly, which was the most beneficial to your this electoral district? To the province as a whole? Which was least beneficial, or even harmful, to your this riding? To the province as a whole?'''
 * Indexing certain support payment programs to inflation had a positive impact, but still left most recipients far short of what they need to live in dignity.

 * The Health Tax paved the way for a wholesale assault on taxpayer pocketbooks and as such was the least beneficial to Ontarians in general. It also further eroded public confidence in politicians, based as it was on an untruth. The tax was not required because of an "unexpected" deficit, as the Liberals have claimed. Mr. McGuinty was very well acquainted with the deficit months before the election, and months before the famous "I won’t raise your taxes" whopper. In fact, he repeatedly complained about it as a guest on my radio and TV programs. More to the point, the deficit disappeared relatively quickly after an economic upsurge, yet McGuinty not only left the Health Tax in place, he added $19.5 billion in additional taxes on top of it.

 * The Health Tax is particularly burdensome for the lower-income residents of London-Fanshawe because the less you earn, the higher the percentage you pay. I have yet to hear an explanation as to how that is supposed to be fair.


text:
Talk:Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Progressive Conservative candidate Jim Chapman, London-Fanshawe

Published as received, except for some minor changes in punctuation. -- Zanimum 18:04, 25 September 2007 (UTC)


text:
Comments:Gay World Cup begins in Buenos Aires

Awesome!!! —152.13.250.182 18:12, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

What a gay idea


text:
Comments:New species of dart frog discovered in Colombia

Excelente artículo. --190.90.107.120 18:14, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

It is always great to see new dart frog species discovered. And a beautiful frog.

Marc,


text:
User talk:202.83.161.247

Welcome
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title: User talk:202.83.161.247


text:
Comments:Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Progressive Conservative candidate Jim Chapman, London-Fanshawe

It seems like there are a lot of 'Ontario votes' interviews. It would be nice to have a wikinews interview with say... Hillary Clinton? Contralya 19:28, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * As I commented on your user talk page on a previous occasion, "I've been trying to work on those interviews, however I got distracted after some of the odd questions posed turned me off. If you'd like to help sort out the questions, be my guest, and I'll start contacting them. Story preparation/US 2008" --  Zanimum 20:00, 25 September 2007 (UTC)


text:
Interview with U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo

September 25, 2007 Tom Tancredo has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing the 6th Congressional District of Colorado. He rose to national prominence for his strong stance against illegal immigration and his announcement that he was a Republican candidate in the 2008 Presidential election. David Shankbone recently spoke with the Congressman and posed questions from Wikipedia editors and Wikinews reporters:

'''DS: Throughout my life my father, a lifelong Republican and an avid listener of Rush Limbaugh, told me that all we needed in this country was a Republican Congress, Republican Senate and a Republican White House to get this country on the right track. Last year he expressed his disappointment to me. So many Republicans, like my father, feel lied to or let down by the party. The rationale for the Iraq War, the sex and bribery scandals, the pork barrel projects, and, as Alan Greenspan recently pointed out, the fiscal irresponsibility. People feel there have been many broken promises. Why should someone vote Republican today?'''

 * TT: The best reason I can give:  we’re not the Democrats.  The best thing we have going for us is the Democrats.  Maybe that’s as far as I can go; I hope that there are candidates out there who will reflect and carry out the values that your father believes in when he votes Republican.  To the extent you can ferret those people out from the others, that’s who he should vote for.  The party was taught a pretty harsh lesson in this last election.  I have noticed in the last several months we have done a better job of defending Republican principles as the minority than we ever did in the majority.  I feel more in tune with the party now than I have throughout the Bush Presidency.  Even before he came in, we were in the majority and we were still spending too much.  Hopefully we can say that we were spanked by the American public and that we learned our lessons.  There are true believers out there who will stick to their guns, and it’s a matter of principle.  What’s the alternative?  Hillary Clinton?

'''DS: You yourself said you would only serve three terms in Congress, but then broke that promise. What caused you to reverse yourself?'''

 * TT: What happened was this: having ‘lame duck’ stamped on your forehead in Congress when they know you are not going to be around.  Then the committee assignments become less meaningful.  That was just one of the factors.  Far more significant was my becoming the most visible Congressional member on the immigration issue.  When I came into Congress I approached Lamar Smith, who was “The Man” on immigration, and said to him, “I’ve come to help you on this issue.” I felt it was one of the most serious we face as a nation.  Lamar said, “It’s all yours!  I’ve had it with 10 years of busting my head against the wall!”  I started doing special orders---that’s when you speak to an empty chamber and whoever is watching CSPAN--and I did that night after night and wondered if it was worth it; was anyone paying attention?  Then I’d go back to my office to pick up my keys and I’d see all the telephone lines illuminated, and the fax machine would be going, and a pile of e-mails would be handed to me the next day.  I realized:  people pay attention.  I started picking it up, speaking around the country, leading the caucus on it.  In time it became apparent there was nobody to hand the baton to; there were supporters, but not one single soul was willing to take it on as their issue.  It was the first year of my second term that I sent a letter to every supporter I had.  I said I had come to this conclusion that at the end of my third term (which is three years away) I don’t know if I will run again or not, but that the decision would not be based upon the term limit pledge, because immigration issue makes me feel I have a responsibility I can not shirk.  I said that if anybody who gave me money based upon my term limits pledge wanted it back, I would do so.  I received maybe three requests.

'''DS: There are an estimated 12 million illegal aliens in the U.S. To round up and deport millions of people would be a major government undertaking, requiring massive federal spending and invasive enforcement. What level of funding would be necessary for U.S. Immigration and Customs to achieve the level of enforcement that you'd like to see?'''

 * TT: Only a relatively slight increase because the only thing you have to do, other than building a barrier on the southern border, is go after employers.  We need to go aggressively after the employers, and try to identify some of the more high profile employers who are hiring illegal aliens.  Go after them with fines, and if they are not only hiring them but also conspiring to bring them in, then they could go to jail.  A perp walk would have a chilling effect.  If you break that magnet, most illegal aliens would go home voluntarily.  An article in the Rocky Mountain News stated there has been an employer crackdown in Colorado, and that they are going home or moving on to other states.  If we did it nationally, they will return home, because the jobs are no longer available.  It doesn’t have to happen over time or instantaneously.  The costs to the American public for 12 million illegals are enormous and far more than are paid for by the illegal immigrants themselves in taxes.

DS: How long would full enforcement take for you to succeed?

 * TT: It would be a couple of years before employers were weaned off illegal immigrants and then a couple more years before you saw a really significant reduction.

DS: Can you explain your remarks about bombing the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina as a deterrent to terrorists operating against the United States.

 * TT: The question I was answering was "What would you do if Islamic terrorists set off on or more nuclear devices in the United States?"  My response was that we would need to come up with a deterrent, and that deterrent may very well be a threat to take out their holy sites if they did something like that in the United States.  I still believe it is something we must consider as a possible deterrent because at the present time there are no negative consequences that would accrue to the people who commit a crime such as a nuclear, chemical or biological attack.  There are no negative consequences; they may die in the attack but that is not a negative consequence for them.  Usually they aren’t going to be state actors.

DS: But wouldn’t an attack on Mecca and Medina be an attack on a sovereign state?

 * TT: You are not attacking the state, but the religious ideology itself.  Holy sites are not just in Saudi Arabia; there’s a number of them.  In fact, Iran has one of the holiest cities in Islam.  And I never used the word nuclear device; I was talking about taking out a physical structure.  The reason I suggested it as a possible deterrent is because it is the only thing that matches the threat itself.  The threat is from a religious ideology.  Not just from Islam, but from a nation whose requirements include jihad against infidels, and we are a threat to their culture, which is why they believe we need to be destroyed.  We must understand what motivates our opponents in order to develop a successful response. I’ve received death threats, enormous criticism, and I’ve been hung in effigy in Pakistan, but nobody has given me an alternative strategy that would be a deterrent to such an event.  I guarantee when you read the national intelligence estimates, you would be hard pressed to not walk away from doing something.

DS: Aside from becoming President, if you could be granted three wishes, what would they be?

 * TT: It was the other night that I saw for the third or fourth time Saving Private Ryan and in the last scene Private Ryan asks, "Have I been a good man, have I earned it?"  My greatest wish is to be a good father and to have earned everything I have been given in this life.  And to be a better Christian.

'''DS: Farmers rely heavily on seasonal manual labor. Strict enforcement of immigration laws will inevitably reduce the pool of migrant labor and thus increase costs. Do you support tariffs or other government intervention to keep American farm products competitive?'''

 * TT: No, I don’t, because I challenge the premise of the question.  The ability for farmers to obtain workers in the United States is only minimally hampered by the immigration process because there is, in fact, H-2A, the visa that is designed specifically for agricultural workers.  We can bring in 10,000,000 if we want to.  There are no caps.  There are restrictions in terms of pay and healthcare benefits, and that’s what makes hiring illegal aliens more attractive.  The costs would increase for certain agricultural interest, but it would be regional.  You would also see a very aggressive movement toward the mechanization of farm work.  We are seeing it today in a lot of areas.  We saw it in the tomato industry with the Bracero Program.  That was a program many growers relied heavily upon:  workers, primarily from Mexico would come up seasonally, work,  and then went back home.  It was successful.  But liberals ended the program as a bad idea because the immigrants couldn’t bring their families.  When that happened, tomato growers said they’d go out of business.  Lo and behold they developed machinery that can harvest citrus fruit, and now they are genetically engineering trees that have a thicker bark but are more flexible so they can be shaken by these machines.  You’ll see it more and more.

'''DS: Do you agree that our forefathers intended birthright citizenship? '''

 * TT: No, the Fourteenth Amendment, upon which the concept of birthright citizenship is based, was a response to the Dred Scott decision.

 * During the original Senate debate there was an understanding that it wouldn’t be provided to people simply because they were born here, but instead to people under our jurisdiction. For instance, nobody assumes a child born to an embassy employee or an ambassador is a citizen of this country.  There was an understanding and a reference to "under the jurisdiction" of the United States.

'''DS: You and Karl Rove engaged, in your words,  in a screaming match over immigration, and Rove said that  you would never again "darken the doorstep of the White House." Are you still considered persona non grata at the White House?'''

 * TT: Yeah, even though he is gone, the President’s feelings about my criticism of him have not changed.  It wasn’t my stand on immigration, it was my criticisms of the President that have made me persona non grata.

'''DS: Psychologist Robert Hare has discussed in his work the use of doublespeak as a hallmark of psychopaths, and social scientists have pointed out that the use of doublespeak is most prevalent in the fields of law and politics. Do these two trends alarm you?'''

 * TT [Laughs] Yes and no. Unfortunately doublespeak is all too characteristic of people in my profession.

DS: What is the proper role of Congress in the time of war?

 * TT: To first declare it, and then to fund it or not.

'''DS: Politics is dominated by lawyers. What other group of people or professions would you prefer to see dominate the field of politics and why?'''

 * TT: I can’t think of a particular profession from which I would be more comfortable drawing politicians from.

'''DS: Do you think lawyers are better for handling legislation and as politicians? '''

 * TT: No, they don’t offer anything particularly advantageous to the process.  I don’t think it should be dominated by one profession.  I’ll tell you what this profession is, and it doesn’t matter what field you come out of.  There’s something I noticed here.  I tell every single freshman I come across that there are very few words of wisdom, having only been here for ten years, that I can pass along to you but there is one thing I can tell you: this place is Chinese water torture on your principles.  Every single day there is another drip, and it comes from a call from a colleague asking you to sign on to a bill you wouldn’t have signed on to; but it’s a friend, and it’s not that big a deal.  Or a constituent who comes in and asks you to do something and you think it wouldn’t be such a big deal; or a special interest group that asks you to vote for something you wouldn’t vote for.  After time it erodes the toughest of shells if one isn’t careful doesn’t think about it.  Even if you recognize that these small steps lead to a feeling that remaining here is the ultimate goal; that the acquisition of power or the maintenance of power is the ultimate goal, that really does… it doesn’t matter if you are a lawyer or not, it does seem to have an impact on people.  It’s a malady that is very common in Washington, and you have to think about it, you really do, or you will succumb to it.  I don’t mean to suggest I’ve been impervious to these pressures, but I’ve tried my best to avoid it.  One reason I am persona non grata at the White House is not just because of immigration, but because I refuse to support him on his trade policy, his education policy, Medicare and prescription drugs initiatives.  I remember leaving that debate at 6:30 on a Saturday morning, after having the President call every freshman off the floor of the House to badger them into submission until there were enough votes to pass it.  I remember a  woman, a freshman colleague, walking away in tears saying she had never been through anything like that in her life.  Here was a Republican Congress increasing government to an extent larger than it had been increased since Medicare had come into existence.  Your dad should have been absolutely mortified, because it was against all of our principles.  And I know the leadership was torn, but we had the President pressing us:  we had to do it, we had to stay in power, the President is asking us to do it.  Principles be damned.  There were people who caved in that night who I never in a million years thought would.

 * And the threats! “You like being Committee Chairman?” Yes I do.  “Do you want to be Chairman tomorrow?”  And that’s how it happens.  I was called into Tom Delay’s office because I was supporting Republican challengers to Republican incumbents.  I had a group called Team America that went out and did that.  He called me and said to me, “You’re jeopardizing your career in this place by doing these things.” And I said, “Tom, out of all the things you can threaten with me that is the least effective because I do not look at this place as a career.”

'''DS: You have supported proposed constitutional amendments that would ban abortion and same-sex marriage. You are also a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Why do you believe that the U.S. Constitution should regulate medical procedures and personal relationships, but not gun ownership?'''

 * TT: The issue of medical procedures and relationships: I don’t really believe the federal government or any level of government has any business in determining about who I care about, or who anybody cares about, but I do believe they have a legitimate role, and the federal government has a responsibility, because of reciprocity.  We are only one federal judge decision away from having gay marriage imposed on all states.  That’s why there is a need for a Constitutional Amendment.  I really believe a family--male, female, rearing children--I believe that is an important structure for the state itself, the way we procreate, which hopefully provides a stable environment for children.  That is important to the state, and that’s why I think it’s legitimate.  The reciprocity clause forces us into thinking about a Constitutional Amendment.  I believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned because I think it’s lousy law, and many liberal jurists think it’s lousy because it read into the Constitution a right to privacy.  I don’t’ see a connection between these things and the 2nd Amendment.  Same-sex marriage and abortion, perhaps, but I don’t see a connection to the Second Amendment question.  I support the 2nd Amendment because it is one of the most important we have.  It’s a right we have to protect a lot of our other rights.  And in our urban centers…and I don’t’ believe as some Second Amendment radicals believe that every single person has that right.  I don’t think so!  If you have committed a felony, or if you are a danger to yourself or someone else, then you shouldn’t be able to obtain a firearm, but law-abiding citizens should because it gives them a sense of security and protection against people who would do you harm.  I don’t believe urban communities are more dangerous because people are allowed to own guns, but because dangerous people have guns.  I would feel more comfortable if in the District of Columbia I could carry a concealed gun.  I have a permit.

'''DS: You recently spoke out against the Black and Hispanic Congressional caucuses, stating, "It is utterly hypocritical for Congress to extol the virtues of a color-blind society while officially sanctioning caucuses that are based solely on race. If we are serious about achieving the goal of a colorblind society, Congress should lead by example and end these divisive, race-based caucuses." Do you also believe there is no longer a need for the NAACP?'''

 * TT: No, I think it’s fine, because it’s a private organization, and people can belong to whatever private organization they want, and the need will be determined to a great extent by reality.  If in fact people feel committed to an organization that they believe represents their interest, and it’s a voluntary association, that’s fine.  All I’m saying is that for Congress to support these things, that run on money that is appropriated--though they fund them in a convoluted way, but it gets there-- my point was about leading by example.  If people said we don’t think it’s a good idea, maybe that would have an impact on how people feel about things like the NAACP.  I would hope there would be, and I would assume Martin Luther King hoped--that’s his quite about a colorblind society--that there will come a time we don’t need them.  That it’s an anachronistic organization.  I also don’t believe in the creation of districts on race.

'''DS: You were one of a handful of Republicans who voted for a bill proposed by Maurice Hinchey and Dana Rohrabacher to stop the Department of Justice from raiding medical marijuana patients and caregivers in states where medical marijuana is legal, citing states' rights concerns. On the other hand, you have suggested state legislators and mayors should be imprisoned for passing laws contrary to federal immigration law, and you support the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban gay marriage nationally. How do you reconcile these seemingly contradictory positions?'''

 * TT: We are talking about issues that are legitimately based upon the Constitutional roles of the state and federal government.  I believe there is no Constitutional provision that suggests the federal government has a role to play in preventing states, or punishing states, over laws with regards to medical marijuana.  I believe absolutely there is a role for the federal government for punishing states or laws when they contravene federal jurisdiction.  For instance, protecting states against invasion. Immigration is federal policy, and there’s a law actually called “Encouragement”: you can’t encourage people to come in illegally or stay here illegally.  I believe that is constitutionally a federal area.

DS: If you had to support one of the Democratic candidates, which one would it be and why?

 * TT: Although I couldn’t vote for him, if I had to support one for a nominee it would be Obama, and I would do so because first, I believe we could beat him [laughs], but secondly, and less cynically, I think it would be very good to have a black man, a good family man, and a very articulate man, to have him as a role model for a lot of black children in this country.


text:
User talk:Sarahmcgarrigle~enwikinews

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title: User talk:Sarahmcgarrigle~enwikinews


text:
Talk:Interview with U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo

Great interview
Nicely done. How did you get in contact with Tancredo and how did you interview him? --+Deprifry+ 21:21, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Got in touch with his press office, and it was conducted over the phone.  --David Shankbone 22:20, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Agreed, if we can get more of these, we'll be set ;-). Nicely done! Thunderhead - (talk - email - contributions) 23:14, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Another agreement, a well-conducted interview that offers both "relevant" questions (Mecca/Medina situation) and "interesting" ones (...he quoted Saving Private Ryan?!). Great work on this piece. My only constructive criticism is that since this is a print interview, not video, your "background" about your father listening to Limbaugh, needn't be recorded as part of the Q/A.  But I'm not absolute on the matter, it could go either way. Sherurcij refusing to add Original Reporting until PD Articles are allowed'' 23:21, 25 September 2007 (UTC)