Salute

On this eleventh day of the eleventh month, we honor all who served our country, offering them a warm thank you for their service and sacrifice. We must note that our nation can only be the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave.

Petraeus's Departure

An affair that would normally have repercussions that reached only so far has now caused CIA director David Petraeus to resign from his post, only a few days after the 2012 presidential election, and a few days before he was scheduled to testify about the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. Many politicians have reacted negatively towards his resignation, and even more so towards the cancellation of his testimony. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King, R-New York, who is also a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, says Petraeus should testify regardless. 

King insists that Petraeus is "an absolutely essential witness." He goes on to say during an interview on CNN, "David Petraeus' testifying has nothing to do with whether or not he's still the CIA director, and I don't see how the CIA can say he's not going to testify." The conspiracy theorists have already emerged, claiming that Petraeus's resignation is part of a large scheme by the Obama administration to cover up the events in Benghazi. 

Petraeus's actions were indeed irresponsible and scorn worthy, but let us not overlook the bigger picture. His resignation is a watershed event, after which the US Intelligence Agency cannot fully recover. His expertise in the field and his adroitness in international relations has been key in the United States' success in foreign policy; his shoes are simply too big to fill. Whether this has negative implications for US security or not, I am not quite sure yet. But it is absolutely necessary for this issue to be handled sensitively, and resolved immediately. I will update on this story as more information emerges. 

Zimmerman Tells his Side of the Story

The shooting of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in February had repercussions that were and will be felt far beyond the normal confines of a murder case. The shooting of the black, unarmed teen challenged a Florida law, brought together the Sanford community, and begged the question: is racial profiling an all too real part of American society? Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who took Trayvon's life and has been charged with second-degree murder, says no.

Zimmerman's legal team has released his written statements and audio and video interviews with investigators, which recount the February 26th incident from Zimmerman's perspective. In the documents, Zimmerman says that he was attacked by Mr. Martin, who was walking home from a convenience store with an iced tea and a bag of skittles. However, police records reveal that Zimmerman was following Trayvon, who Zimmerman said looked suspicious. After calling the police, and being told to stop following the teen, Zimmerman says he pulled over, and that's when Trayvon confronted him. He also claims that Trayvon reached for his firearm, punched him in the face, and banged his head on the ground.

With only one side of the story available to the public and to the police, it is improbable that the truth will be uncovered. The facts are, however, that the 17 year old African-American athlete was unarmed, and was walking home from a store when the 28 year old began following him. The rest of the night is a blur, and in this case, Lady Justice truly is blind.