Korea Armistice Anniversary: Families Still Separated 60 Years After War

Ever since the Korean War sixty-three years ago, many Koreans still wait for a chance at reunion with their relatives living in the other side of the Korean peninsula. Those who have escaped North Korea to avoid being drafted in the North Korean army still wait in South Korea, signing up for a lottery that might give them a chance at reunion with their family still in North Korea. One eighty-eight year old woman, Hong Jong Soon, has been waiting all sixty-three years for her husband, never failing to sign up for the lottery run by the South Korean Red Cross. She tells her sons that she will wait for her husband, despite how old she will get, if she can see him just one more time.

Despite the Korean War having six decades ago, North and South Korea have still not signed a formal peace treaty. Because the tensions between the two sides have gotten stronger, North Korea is refusing to let its people and South Koreans to see each other. This scene plays reminiscent of the Cold War, between America and Soviet Russia. Berlin, split between the Allies and Russia with a wall, was forced to be divided into two separate lands, East and West Berlin, separating the people as well. The Berlin Wall kept families from seeing each other, where on the Russian side of the wall, anyone who got close to the wall would immediately be shot down. It's ironic that history keeps replaying itself though we study it in order to prevent same mistakes from happening. Luckily, this time, the South Korean Red Cross allows for some people to gain a chance at being reunited with their families, though for a short time. However, even this can be emotionally draining for other people, such as Jong Soon, who have also been waiting. It's upsetting that two the problems between two countries inevitably affect their people as well.

Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/24/korean-armistice-anniversary-families-separated_n_3643602.html?utm_hp_ref=world

Federal Judge Blocks N. Dakota’s Most-Restrictive Abortion Law

North Dakota recently wanted to pass the most restrictive abortion law, "banning abortions as early as six weeks after fertilization." However, a federal judge in the state temporarily blocked it, calling the ban "clearly unconstitutional." Anderson, a director of the group's U.S. legal program, was satisfied with the ruling, stating that it got the message across to hostile politicians that such women's rights which have been protected by U.S. legislation for forty years cannot be taken away now.

Abortion has always been a topic of debate for many people. Different states of America have different abortion bans, the average being 24 weeks after fertilization. Abortion is a constitutional right given to women for many years, and it would be unreasonable to take away a right that has already been in legislation for so many years. Politicians trying to take away previously assigned rights from women while women are still fighting for full equal rights, are sending an unwanted message to women.

Though I personally feel that abortion is not the right way out of an unwanted pregnancy, there could be many reasons why a person would want an abortion so desperately. If such is the case, it would be unconstitutional of America to deprive women of this choice. Judge Hovland's ruling was very well put, firmly stating that "a law restricting abortions...is a blatant violation of the constitutional guarantees afforded to all women." For a state to arbitrarily set up a legislation protecting the state's politicians' own believes would not be a fair decision to all the women who think otherwise but didn't have a chance to say so.

Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-n-dakotas-most-restrictive-abortion-law/2013/07/22/f3620458-f2f3-11e2-bdae-0d1f78989e8a_story.html