A Pike County WDA Publication

Volume 3, Issue 2

Page 14

Current Events

Front Page

Saddam Threatens Invaders

By - William Traverso

      August 8th Saddam Hussein said to his nation that if the United States and any other nations were to attack Iraq there would be a "disgraceful" military failure and many deaths. Saddam said in a televised ad, that he sent to the president of the United States,   "All empires and bearers of the coffin of evil, whenever they mobilized their evil against the Arab world or against the Muslim world, they were themselves buried in their own coffin, with their sick dreams and their arrogance and greed." The President however dismissed the speech after viewing it but the analysts said that Iraq has a new fear about the U.S.  trying to oust  Saddam.
     Saddam, in his generals uniform, stressed the survival through challenges and boasted that the call to anyone was to confront the enemies with either a gun, a cannon, on a tank, in a plane, or on a boat. Saddam however has heard that the military and the tribes will come together and support the United States.
     The strategy for the U.S. is to separate Saddam from the Iraqi people.  Saddam knows that this is his weakness and can wrap the Iraqi flag around himself and say that "an attack on me is an attack on all of you.". Saddam called upon all  of the Iraqis, Arabs, and the Islamic people worldwide to  confront "the enemy who wants to hurt Iraq, with no regard for God or man." Saddam said that "the issue was not Iraqi behavior but the U.N. councils refusal to not respond to his questions about the inspections."          Before Saddam's speech yesterday 15,000 members of his army marched through a 90 minute display for their President. They were dressed in uniforms and had rifles in their hands while they carried photographs of Saddam and placards with sayings like "Long live Saddam" and "Down with U.S.A."
     I think that Saddam is an idiot because we have not had a problem with him for a few years. I think that the last time we had a problem with him was in 1989 to 1990 and now he wants to start something with us again. I don't think this situation is the Iraqi people's fault because Saddam is a brutal dictator they are forced to do whatever he says.

WHAT THE PEOPLE REALLY THINK OF THE VOTING SYSTEM
By: Derek Hinkel

The voting system was devised to create a better way to elect officials, but does this system work? Some say no and others say yes. Here is what some people that I interviewed had to say about the voting system.
James B. 15- " I feel that secret ballots should be just that secret."
Kevin C. 14- " I believe that we should vote. I also believe that no one but God should know what you are voting for and if you  think that G. W. Bush is the greatest president since Ronald Reagan, that's your business. If you think that Bill Clinton spent too much time flirting with his interns. That's your business. But I believe in a secret ballot. This country is going to pieces, simple as that. If we cannot secure the right to a secret ballot, why should I believe that our other rights and freedoms shall remain?"
Derek Hinkel 14 (writer)- " I think that the voting system has its flaws and its good side but yet most of the time people see it for its flaws and not what the system is really about like making the United States of America a better place in society. Yeah-right people will say any thing to get elected into an office and most never accomplish anything they say like the most common words are "I will" or "To the best of my ability".
Nick M. 15- " I would have to say that our voting system is completely messed up. The ballot asks if we're Republican or Democratic and that practically makes us choose then and there whom we are voting for. I think that they should let us vote in any way we want instead of making us specify what party we belong to and who we have to vote for."
Roger M. 30- " I don't agree with it because they make you sign up for certain political parties. I also feel that the person with the most amount of money gets the vote."
Robert R. 14- "I feel that our voting system is not as secret as it appears due to the fact that they ask you what political party you belong to so they pretty much know who are going to vote for. But I do think that certain people have the right to know like the candidates and the senators."
Joe Se. 16- " I think that it is good because it gets the job done…. except in Florida."
Joe Sc. 14- " I feel that no one but the people who tally the votes and yourself should see the ballots."
Jeff T. 14- " I feel that even though we are young we should be allowed to vote for the best president we think."
William T. 15- " I think that ballots should be completely secret and we should be the only ones who know who we vote for."
As you can tell every one has a different opinion about the voting system so it is neither right nor wrong. Sure it has its flaws but people still vote even if they don't agree with the system all of the time.  Voting is an American duty.  Many people died protecting our right to vote.