Outside Reading Post number 2

"After Hurricane Ike, Finding the Coastline Rearranged, Again". About two days after hurricane Ike hit the gulf coast on September 13th 2008, some scientists from the United States Geological Survey were unable to find Ship Island even though according to their maps they were right above it. After further searching, it turns out that the whole eastern half of ship island had been submerged and only half of the island remained. Ship Island is an important island in the area because brown pelicans used to build their nests there and now all those pelicans will have to find somewhere else to live for a while. This is just the latest blow to the Chandeleur Islands (the group if islands that Ship Island is a part of ) which have continued to steadily submerge over the past few decades. Scientists mostly blame storms and global warming for the submerged islands, but also say that government dredging projects are hurting the islands. Scientists also say that building the Chandeleur Islands back up is a costly and difficult project, and will likely not happen.

I think that this is a big problem not only in the gulf coast but also around the world and yet many people still aren't even aware that it's a problem. I think that the government needs to be at least mindful of the problem and not just ignore it by taking their dredging projects somewhere that is away from islands that could be hurt. I also think that the government needs to do more about global warming so effects like this can be slowed down as much as possible. I also think that people in general need to be more aware of islands disappearing  so they can make little changes in their lifestyle to keep it from happening.

Outside Reading Post #1

"Mother to ask Congress to Award Son Medal of Honor" A marine named Rafeal Peralta who died in 2004 in Iraq was denied the medal of honor and given the Navy Cross, the second highest award for a Marine, instead. His mother, Rosa Peralta, was told in 2007 that her son would get the Medal of Honor and is now going to appeal congress on the decsion and says she may not accept the Navy Cross. Allegedly Rafeal Peralta grabbed an enemy grenade while searching a house in Fallujah and took the blow himself, saving his fellow Marines' lives. The argument is whether or not Peralta was alrady shot in the head before this and if his body just fell on the grenade instead of him grabbing it. I think that Rafeal Peralta deserves the Medal of Honor either way because he died bravely for his country and either way his actions saved other Marines' lives. I also think that it is ridiculous that it takes over four years to get the Medal of Honor and the $1,000 a month pension for his family that comes with it, because his family seemed poor, immigrated from Mexico and has moved often. I realize that not everyone who dies in wars could get the medal of honor because that would take the greatness out of the award, but I do think that anybody who sacrifices their life for others deserves the award. I also think that congress doesn't need a say in the awarding, and the awarding could be done by the military themselves.

Carter,Chelsea."Mother to Ask Congress to Award son Medal of Honor".Yahoo.com.2008.