vanzandt

Singapore executes Australian

2005-12-01T16:52:00.000-05:00

The Singapore government executed Australian Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, at 6 a.m. Friday morning, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Nguyen's twin brother, Khoa, arrived at Changi Prison in Singapore 45 minutes before Nguyen's execution to choose the spot where he would die.

Nguyen was sentenced to death after allegedly attempting to smuggle 396 grams of heroin out of Singapore in December of 2002.

Although I am not traditionally one who is fervently against the death penalty, this particular case disturbs me very much. I don't know how anyone can say execution is a justifiable punishment for drug trafficking. What really upsets me is the fact that this man was imprisoned and sentenced by a foreign country, and there was nothing his native country could do about it. I can't even begin to imagine the sickening panic Nguyen's family must have felt knowing he was all alone very far away and could be subjected to any kind of punishment that the Singapore government saw fit. I understand that he brought the situation upon himself by smuggling drugs, but it's very scary to think that one mistake in a foreign country can get you in so much trouble, and that your native government can do nothing to save you.

What I find very interesting about this whole thing is the fact that, according to a press release from Joseph Koh, Singapore High Commissioner in Australia, "the overwhelming majority of Singaporeans support this" punishment for Nguyen's crime. In Australia, where the death penalty doesn't exist, much of the population feels quite differently.

I do admit Koh makes some good points in his statement (such as the fact that Nguyen was not an unsuspecting victim), but many of his remarks seem callous and almost sarcastic: "We are touched by the pain and anguish of Mr. Nguyen's mother," etc.

In a Reuters article publised in 2002, Amnesty International spokesman Tim Parritt said that the Singapore people might scrutinize these executions more if they really knew what was going on.

Sinapan Samydorai, the president of Think Centre (an NGO in Singapore that fights against the death penalty), agreed.

"The whole education (system) doesn't touch, from very young, on human rights at all," he said.

China coal blast kills at least 88

2005-11-28T10:27:00.000-05:00

A coal mine explosion on Sunday is responsible for the deaths of at least 88 miners in Heilongjiang, a northern province of China.

Only 97 of 221 workers have been rescued as of Monday, according to China Daily.

Officials have said that the blast was caused by a coal-dust explosion that damaged ventilation systems.

China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal has long been known for its high rate of mining-related deaths and injuries, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

According to a Washington Post article written by Cecil E. Roberts, the international president of the United Mine Workers of America, 6,000 Chinese miners died in fires, floods and explosions in 2004.

In February, a blast at a state-run mine in the northeastern province of Liaoning killed 214 people.

Singapore to execute foreigner on drug charge

2005-11-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

An Australian man will soon be executed in Singapore for drug trafficking, according to a Bernama.com article.

Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, was sentenced to death by a Singapore court after he allegedly attempted to smuggle 396 grams of pure heroin out of the country in December of 2002.

Think Centre, “an independent, multi-partisan political non-governmental organization” based in Singapore which examines human rights and civil society (among other things) has been actively campaigning to keep the Singapore government from executing Nguyen. The organization has repeatedly stressed its view that sentencing Nguyen to death is “unfair, cruel, inhuman, degrading and disproportionate punishment.”

Back home in Australia, Nguyen’s legal team has tried to have the case taken up by the International Court of Justice (the judicial arm of the United Nations), but Singapore has refused to play ball, according to a News.com.au article.

According to Amnesty International, the death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking offenses. Anyone over the age of 18 found to be in possession of more than 15 grams of heroin, 20 grams of morphine or cocaine or 500 grams of cannabis is considered to be engaging in drug trafficking. Between 1991 and 200, Singapore executed 247 people for drug trafficking offenses.

Nguyen is scheduled to be hanged Dec. 2 at dawn.

Australian women detained over weapons charge

2005-11-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

Four Australian women and a young boy were detained in Syria Thursday after airport officials uncovered a dismantled gun in one of the women’s carry-on luggage, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The women, who are Iraqi-born but Australian citizens, were trying to board a plane for Bahrain, an island nation located off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

As Australia was recently threatened as a “next target” for potential terrorist attacks, authorities world-wide should be taking this matter very seriously.

This week, news organizations across the globe reported on a video which named the United States, Great Britain and Australia as future targets for terrorism.

The video was found last week in Jakarta, Indonesia, in a hide-out believed to belong to Noordin Mohamad Top, according to an article in The Times of India. Noordin is named as a “key leader” of the al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah. Occupants of the hide-out managed to flee before the raid

Double jeopardy, British style.

2005-11-14T12:20:00.000-05:00

Forget the Ashley Judd version of Double Jeopardy.

In the 1999 Bruce Beresford flick, Judd’s character, Libby Parsons, is told that she can lawfully kill her husband after previously being convicted for his murder when he wasn’t truly dead.

In truth, the definition of double jeopardy, according to Law.com dictionary is:

“Placing someone on trial a second time for an offense for which he/she has been previously acquitted, even when new incriminating evidence has been unearthed.”

In April, the British overturned their own form of the Double Jeopardy law with Part 10, Chapter 44 ("Retrial for serious offences") of the Criminal Justice Act of 2003.

Now a British man who had been acquitted of the 1989 murder of a pizza delivery girl is expected to be headed back to court, according to a Reuters article.

William Dunlop is accused of murdering Julie Hogg in November 1989. Hogg’s body was found hidden by a bath panel 80 days after she went missing.

Dunlop was acquitted of the crime in 1991 after two separate juries in two separate trials failed to reach a verdict in the case.

Dunlop’s case will be referred to the British Court of Appeals, according to Ken Macdonald, the British Director of Public Prosecutions.

Survey: Many Israelis ignorant about STD's

2005-11-10T18:53:00.000-05:00

Here’s something a little off topic but still kind of interesting:

It seems that in Israel, Americans are known for their “exhibitionist tendencies.”

According to the Jerusalem Post, 21 percent of Americans enjoy having sex in front of a camera.

This was just one of the many “pearls of wisdom” revealed in Durex condom company’s annual sex survey (in pdf form).

Aside from the comment about Americans’ sexual habits, the Post’s article is interesting in that it gives unique insight into the Israeli culture. It appears the Israeli culture is one of the most ignorant when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases – about 23 percent of the population has never even heard of the most common STD’s.

This is kind of scary considering that the reported number of cases of Chlamydia, has risen 10-fold since 1994 when the STD was identified as a nationally “notifiable” infectious disease, according to a report featured on the Center for Disease Control Web site.

This coupled with the fact that the survey found 56 percent of Israelis admit to having one-night stands (compared with the average of other countries, 40 percent), is all quite disturbing.

Paris is burning...

2005-11-07T19:20:00.000-05:00

Monday marked the eleventh day France has suffered at the hands of arsonists and rioters. Spurred by the deaths of two youths, malcontents have turned their attention to protesting poverty and perceived discrimination, according to Agence France-Presse.

Since Oct. 27, when two teenagers of North African descent were accidentally electrocuted in a Paris substation, rioters and arsonists, primarily of Arab-Muslim origin, have targeted churches, nursery and primary schools, town halls, police stations, warehouses and car dealerships, according to the AFP.

Unrest among France’s large Muslim population is nothing new. According to Answers.com, the Paris suburb of Seine St-Denis has one of the largest concentrations of Muslim people in the country and it is also home to high rates of unemployment and violence.

According to US Department of State background notes, there are more than 5 million Muslims, largely of North African descent, currently living in France.

Controversial politician Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Front National party is known for its stance against immigration, particularly Arab-Muslim immigration. In the AFP article, Le Pen says the current situation in France is nearing “the brink of civil war.”

In a 2002 BBC article, he is quoted as saying, “Massive immigration has only just begun. It is the biggest problem facing France, Europe and probably the world. We risk being submerged.”

Although I do not agree with Le Pen’s radical views about immigration, perhaps France is currently being submerged, in a way. Though such horrific violence can not be excused, perhaps it will help French leaders realize there is, at long last, a need for social change.

Journalist and wife murdered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2005-11-03T21:26:00.000-05:00

A political columnist for the Kinshasa-based publication “La Référence Plus” and his wife were murdered early Thursday morning in what was likely a planned hit on the couple, according to Journaliste En Danger (a press freedom organization) via allAfrica.com.

At around 1 a.m., Franck Ngyke Kangundu and his wife, Hélène Mpaka, were shot to death at point blank range within their home. Apparently the couple had just returned from Kangundu’s workplace and were entering the home when three masked men forced their way in after them and started shooting.

Witnesses have said that Kangundu offered his attackers both money and his car, but no valuables except the victims’ cell phones were taken.

This certainly isn’t the first time journalists have been threatened or attacked in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Just last week, L’Alerte newspaper editor Jean-Marie Kanku was abducted by the national intelligence agency (ANR), and Le Journal publisher Patrice Booto was arrested by Democratic Republic of the Congo security forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The CPJ is an independent, non-profit organization started by U.S. foreign correspondents in 1981.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire, has been in a state of political strife and civil war since dictator Mobutu Sese Soko seized power in 1965, according to Anup Shah for GlobalIssues.org. Today, Joseph Kabila is president, and in June, the country will have its first free vote in 40 years.

Halloween in the eyes of the Welsh

2005-10-31T19:38:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of Halloween, here’s something interesting from the Western Mail, a major Welsh newspaper featured on ic Wales, the national web site of the country:

In Wales, Halloween is the third biggest holiday of the year, raking in £120 million, or the equivalent of about $212 million in dollars. By comparison, the American National Retail Federation predicts that the US spent more than $3 billion on the holiday this year. In the US, that puts it well behind winter holiday spending ($222.23 billion), Valentine’s Day ($13.19 billion) and even the Super Bowl – is that really a holiday? – ($5.56 billion)

According to an ic Wales poll, 75.08 percent of those who chose to vote online believe that Halloween is a waste of money.

And apparently the Welsh blame alluring American culture for making the holiday so popular abroad. The article calls Halloween “one of the US’ major festivals, which people start preparing for as early as September.”

Now that’s truly frightening.

Brazil's Cattle Woes

2005-10-27T22:26:00.000-04:00

Brazilian officials are urging the extermination of cattle herds that run the risk of contamination from hoof and mouth disease, according to Brazzil Magazine.

The country has been in a state of panic ever since Oct. 8 when the highly contagious disease was detected among cattle herds in the Midwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Brazil has the world’s largest commercial cattle herd with an estimated 190 million head, according to the Associated Press via The Los Angeles Times.

More than 40 nations have banned Brazilian beef imports, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was expected to sign a Temporary Executive Order Thursday to allocate resources supplementing ranchers for cattle they may have to put down.

Thousands of Brazilians participated in a massive barbecue feast Thursday in Sao Paulo to demonstrate to the rest of the world that Brazilian beef is safe, according to the Associated Press. More than 20,000 pounds of beef were consumed by participants.

According to the Environmental Literacy Council, an independent, non-profit organization based out of Washington, D.C., hoof and mouth disease is a viral infection that affects animals with cloven hooves like cattle, sheep and pigs. Side effects include fever and blisters inside the mouth and on the feet. Although the disease isn’t necessarily fatal, it can cause animals to become under-nourished and disabled. Humans cannot contract the disease, but they can transmit it.

Nigerian Plane Crash

2005-10-24T20:05:00.000-04:00

Nigerian officials have finally located the remains of the missing Bellview Boeing 737 jet that disappeared after take-off Saturday, according to The Guardian, a Nigerian newspaper.

The wreckage was found near Lissa Village, 30 miles north of Lagos, the large coastal city from which it departed Saturday evening en route to the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The plane was buried about 20 meters into the soil, and all 117 passengers are believed to be dead.

The plane lost contact with the Murtala Muhammed International Airport about three minutes after departure, and authorities have so far deemed the crash an accident.

News of the tragedy came the day after Nigerian First Lady Stella Obasanjo, 59, died in Spain due to complications following surgery. According to Fox News, she was in the country on a “private visit.”

Malaysia mourns death of first lady

2005-10-20T21:08:00.000-04:00

Malaysia's beloved Endon Mahmood, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, died Thursday morning, succumbing to breast cancer, according to Malaysiakini.com

She was 64.

Thousands gathered to honor the first lady with funeral prayers before her body was buried at the Putrajaya Muslim Cemetery early Thursday evening.

Endon had been seeking treatment for the disease in the United States and had returned from chemotherapy just 18 days before her death.

Endon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 after her twin sister, Noraini, discovered she had the disease. Noraini passed away in January 2004.

Since her diagnosis, Endon had been a strong proponent of awareness programs for breast cancer, the leading cause of illness-related death among Malaysian women, according to the Associated Press, via The New York Times.

Her death occurred during the holy month of Ramadan in which devout Muslims believe the dead receive special blessings, according to Reuters, via Yahoo! News.

When I was researching this post, I noticed an advertisement next to the Yahoo! article. It was an ad for Femara, a drug for post-menopausal women with breast cancer. I was a little taken aback -- here we have a sad story about the passing of a prominent lady from breast cancer, and it looks like a drug company is trying to benefit from the readers' renewed fear of the disease, as perhaps presented in the form of the article. This is either an example of complete thoughtlessness on the part of Yahoo! or a clever (but, in my mind, unethical) marketing strategy.

Bird Flu and Circus Doves

2005-10-17T19:32:00.001-04:00

A dead bird found in downtown Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, has put the city into a tizzy, according to The Sofia News Agency.

The bird, a snipe, was found Monday near the National Palace of Culture by a passerby, and representatives from the National Veterinary Medicine Center later took it in for testing.

Bulgaria is seen as a potential destination for the deadly flu because it’s on the same migratory bird path as Romania and Turkey, two countries already suffering from the flu’s effects, according to Reuters, via Yahoo! News.

A flock of Bulgarian circus doves was barred from re-entering the country after the flu’s outbreak in Turkey. The 20 birds were on tour with Balkanski & Sons Circus and will probably have to remain in Turkey until the ban is lifted.

Cool New Gadget

2005-10-13T18:32:00.000-04:00

As both a person’s fingerprints and iris pattern are unique, it appears a person’s gait is as well.

According to NewsRoom Finland, the country’s Technical Research Centre (VTT) has come up with a device that can recognize the way in which a particular person walks. The group hopes to market the motion sensor system as a security device for cell phones and laptops.

If, perhaps, my hp laptop is stolen, the device would be able to recognize that the person strolling away with it isn’t me by the differences in our walking patterns. When such values differ, the user is asked to enter a password.

According to the VTT:

“Gait-based identification is based on advanced computation, where the measured signals are first filtered and then certain parameters, the so-called ‘gaitcode,’ are calculated. In initial tests the identification rate was over 90%.”

Although this gadget sounds really cool, I think it is highly likely that an experienced hacker could most likely crack the “gaitcode” if they really wanted to. Though, why a thief would bother with my broken, outdated computer is beyond me.

Asian Earthquake

2005-10-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

Although Saturday’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people, there may be a faint glimmer of light amongst the predominant despair and destruction.

It appears that longtime rivals Pakistan and India might put aside their differences in order to work together toward a common goal of relief, according to the Pakistan Times.

“While parts of India have also suffered from this unexpected disaster, we are prepared to extend any assistance with rescue and relief which you deem appropriate,” Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a message to the President of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

An estimated 450 people perished in India, but Pakistan received the brunt of the impact with approximately 35,000 dead.

Since 1947, when British India was separated into Muslim Pakistan and the largely Hindu India, the two countries have fought over possession of Kashmir, the region located at the earthquake’s epicenter. Following Saturday’s earthquake and subsequent landslides, much of Kashmir is in rubble.

In recent years, Pakistan and India have moved toward establishing peace, but maybe this horrendous disaster will expedite the process as the two countries work together.

Belize Drug Bust

2005-10-06T23:25:00.000-04:00

Because I am in Belize for the week, I thought it would be appropriate to make this blog about a current hot topic in the country.

According to an article published by Belize Times Weekly Newspaper Online, it took Belize authorities only 15 hours to burn and dispose of approximately $83 million of cocaine recently.

The cocaine – 5,234 pounds of it – was discovered on the island of Tobacco Caye. Following a tip from the Garifuna village of Dangriga, police and anti-drug units uncovered 99 bales of cocaine buried in the sand under a house. Although several suspects have been questioned in connection with the crime, police have yet to officially charge anyone.

The cocaine was most likely being transported from Columbia to Mexico when it was apprehended.

According to the Sept. 26 article it was the biggest drug bust ever in Belize.

In comparison, activity on Belize’s Placencia peninsula – where I am staying – is decidedly less eventful.

To see a map of Belize, click here.

Climbing to Freedom

2005-09-28T23:22:00.000-04:00

At nearly the same time their neighbors to the east roam freely across the Gaza-Egypt border (see Gaza), sub-Saharan Africans have been scaling the barbed, double-wired fences separating Morocco from the Spanish-controlled Melilla, according to the syndicated news database, AllAfrica.com.

Although Spanish law mandates jurisdiction over aliens -- a stipulation that has allowed many to successfully escape deportation -- the Moroccan Civil Guard has been illegally ushering some of these migrants back to Africa.

Migrants from Morocco generally attempt to leave their homeland in search of a better life (and better money) in European Union-controlled Melilla.

Though Spain has held the city since 1496, the Moroccan government still objects to their control, according to encyclopedia.com.

I think the article’s Priest Angel Garcia said it best: “It is incredible that after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, more walls of shame are being built now.”

Homemade bomb injuries 12 students in Thailand

2005-09-27T20:39:00.000-04:00

According to the Bangkok Post, Thai police forces are currently investigating the explosion of a homemade bomb that was accidentally detonated from within a high school student’s backpack.

Though 12 students at Vichian Klinsukhon Upatham School in the city of Ayutthaya, within the Wang Noi district (See Map of Thailand), were injured by the bomb’s mix of shrapnel, glass and nails – one boy may lose an eye – the suspect, 16-year-old Visanu Katabutr, has not been arrested and police are merely considering whether to charge him with “carelessness which caused injury to others.”

Although Visanu and his parents have both denied having knowledge of the bomb’s existence, it has been reported that the boy had recently gotten in a fight with another student and allegedly planned to use the ping-pong sized bomb to get even.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand how someone suspected of such a serious crime could be facing a charge of “carelessness.” In my mind, such a charge would mean that Visanu knew about the bomb in the first place, and he failed to either keep it contained or set it off at the right time (?!). Who knows – maybe bringing bombs to school in Thailand is common place and acceptable as long as they’re kept under wraps.

Somalia: Divided as ever

2005-09-25T23:17:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching a documentary film called “Dying to Tell the Story.” Although the film follows several international correspondents in an attempt to discover how and why they risk their lives for stories, its main focus is Daniel Eldon, a young photojournalist killed in Somalia while on assignment.

Hoping to learn more about this nation and its war-torn people, I’m focusing on a Somalian story this week.

According to an article appearing on SomaliNet News, “Somalia: Divided as ever,” the country is currently at odds in regard to the United Nation’s arms embargo against Somalia. Somalian President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed has been trying to convince UN officials to lift an arms embargo so that peacekeeping soldiers can defend themselves. Anti-government forces are against lifting the embargo and are discussing methods of defeating Ahmed and his government in Jowhar.

Somalia’s civil woes seem to have started in January 1991 when Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted from power, according to the CIA World Factbook. Pro-government and anti-government forces are now fighting over control of the capital city, Mogadishu.

Dan Eldon was stoned to death on July 12, 1993 while covering the resulting political turmoil for Reuters.

Dutch rail company apologizes for Holocaust role

2005-09-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

Sixty-two years after Nederland Spoorwegen (NS) helped the Nazis transport Jews to Eastern European death camps, the Dutch rail company has decided to apologize with the aid of an anti-racism campaign.

According to Expatica, a Dutch online publication, the acknowledgement will take place September 29. Posters at 66 train stations will read: “Previously the train to Auschwitz left from here. When will the world become wiser?” and “Then the Jews had to go. Who is next…”

Of important note is that the Central Jewish Board of the Netherlands (CJO) is fully supporting the NS campaign.

At the time of the deportations, Nazi occupiers had taken over the Netherlands, and, as I see it, it is difficult to tell how willing NS was to take part in these transportations, though they did take place nonetheless.

I applaud NS for their honesty -- After all these years, it’s still very important to acknowledge the past (so we don’t forget it), even if it is difficult to swallow. However, this gesture, with the full support of the CJO, is both meaningful and hopeful. Perhaps it will help shed light on current racism issues and force on-lookers to privately address their own prejudices.

As a last note, I thought the headline for Expatica’s story, “Like a slow train coming,” was very clever. (Better late than never).

The Aboriginal Child Bride

2005-09-18T23:43:00.000-04:00

The Bulletin, an Australian newsmagazine associated with Newsweek, recently revisited the story of a 14 or 15-year-old Aboriginal girl who was assaulted and raped by her 55-year-old husband.

A Northern Territory chief justice considered the tribal beliefs of the Aboriginal people (who sometimes promise children to older men), and sentenced the man to only one month in prison, enraging many of the people of Australia.

This case immediately reminded me of a similar scenario much closer to home: that of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

A recent Associated Press article, appearing in The Arizona Republic, discussed two Colorado City residents – one a former police officer – who pleaded innocent to sex charges involving minors in a polygamous relationship.

Many, if not most, Americans, would consider polygamy (especially if it involves a minor) to be distasteful. I agree, but a small part of me does want to consider the “tribal customs” of both the Aborigines and the religious beliefs of the Mormons. If such behavior is truly fundamental to these cultures, should outside forces really dictate otherwise? To the extent that these customs are hurting children, yes. Americans fiercely believe in the rights of free expression and religion, and it would appear Australians operate on a similar wavelength. But thankfully, neither nation is willing to look away when innocent children are being exploited.

News of the Weird: Dead cats as a fuel source?

2005-09-15T23:09:00.000-04:00

As fuel prices continue to rise, a German inventor may have stumbled across a new and cheaper energy source: dead cats. According to Ananova, a British online newspaper, Christian Koch, 55, of Kleinhartmannsdorf, Germany has successfully created his own concoction for diesel fuel consisting of old tires, weeds and kitty cadavers. The mixture is heated to 300 degrees Celsius, to filter out hydrocarbon, and then turned into diesel by a process called KDV 500 Catalytic Pressureless Depolymerisation.

"Koch said the cadaver of a fully-grown cat can produce 2.5 liters of fuel - meaning around 20 cats are needed for a full tank,” Ananova reports.

The web site for Koch’s firm, Alphakat Technologies, makes reference to using “organic material” and “animal waste” for the procedure, but no mention of felines can be found.

“These hydrocarbon materials are contended in biological raw materials, like wood and plants, but also in the waste products of our civilization, like animal and plant wastes, waste oils and to other organic residual substances, which we can convert with high efficiency to a valuable material in form of fuel.”

Perhaps that’s because the whole thing was a hoax.

Bild, the German tabloid that originally printed the story under the headline “German inventor can turn cats into fuel – for a tank he needs 20 cats,” later recanted, stressing that they just wanted to show that Koch COULD use cats if he wanted, according to Reuters. The reporter for the piece also said that Koch made no mention of using kitties.

“It’s an alternative fuel that is friendly for the environment. But it’s complete nonsense to suggest dead cats. I’ve never used cats and would never think of that. At most the odd toad may have jumped in,” Koch told Reuters.

Better be careful, Koch – you’re going to get the toad lovers complaining next.

Belfast Riots

2005-09-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

According to the Belfast News Letter, a largely unionist or pro-United Kingdom newspaper, (visit News Letter) the "Madness Goes On," in Northern Ireland where members of the Protestant Orange Order continued their incessant rioting Monday.

The loyalists (or staunch unionists) have been creating problems since Saturday when their annual Whiterock parade through Catholic turf was redirected to a less-volatile stroll through a Belfast factory site.

But petrol bombs and Molotov cocktails not withstanding, I find part of the Orange Order's "mission statement," as depicted by the Orange Chronicle, quite amusing:

The Orange Order unashamedly believes in old fashioned values and morals whilst at the same time standing up for civil and religious liberties.
He should cultivate truth and justice, brotherly kindness and charity, devotion and piety, concord and unity, and obedience to the laws.

To see a map of religious divisions in Belfast, click here.

In other news...a recent poll reveals that 53.3 percent of Belfast News Letter readers believe Northern Ireland will beat "Mighty England" Wednesday night.
As no sport is specifically mentioned, I'm hoping they don't mean Orange Order members continuing their murderous rampage on police forces and civilians.

Greetings

2005-09-06T20:39:00.000-04:00

Welcome to vanzandt!