There was a glimmer of hope last week in Sudan. A peace agreement was signed between the Sudanese government and the largest rebel group in Darfur. Two other rebel groups refused to sign the agreement. Even without their involvement, this is the first glimmer of hope in this war ravaged nation.
The conflict which has been raging for three years. Hundreds of thousands have been killed in the genocide. Another 180,000 is estimated to have died from disease and malnutrition. There are over 2 million refugees who have fled their villages.
Groups have been in talks for over two years. Divisions run deep. More work needs to be done. Until all factions have reach a compromise, there will probably be little change in Sudan. Their is great hope that the refugee protections granted in the agreement may pave the way for UN relief workers return to the region.
During World War I, Montana instituted the harshest sedition laws in the United States. You could not speak out against the country, the president, the military, or the flag.
Showing signs of German ethnicity could get you in trouble too. Speaking or writing in German was banned. People took it upon themselves to find these traitors and sometimes public displays of loyalty were extracted from those of German dissent.
1918 was a particular dark time when accusations were loudest. In all, 79 individuals were convicted during that dark time. 41 went to prison. Their sentences ranged from one to twenty years in jail with fines as high as $20,000. Although the law expired at the end of World War I, only one individual was pardoned.
Governor Schweitzer of Montana wants to make things right. He has decided that all 79 individuals will be pardoned posthumously. Their will be a special ceremony and family members of those being pardoned will be on hand.
A special website explores this period in Montana’s history. The website includes information and photographs of those convicted. Some were convicted on conversations overheard in a bar or store. One person was Janet Smith, a 42 year old native of Iowa. She and her husband were both charged under the sedition laws. Janet was accused of making disparaging comments against the United States and the Red Cross. She denied the charges but still received a 5-10 years in prison. Her husband’s sentence was 10-20 years. Visit the Sedition Project website for more information on the law and those convicted.
What were your physical accomplishments before the age of 5?
Budhia Singh, of Orissa, India, is 4 years old. He comes from one of India’s slums. His family lives in poverty. At one point his mother was going to sell him.
The tyke has made a name for himself by running 65 km. That’s approximately 41 miles!!! There are days when walking around the block is a challenge for me. I don’t think many adults would be up to the task.
It’s the farthest a 4 year old has run and it’s gotten Singh in India’s record books. Officials are checking to see if this is a world record. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is!
Thousands of fans cheered the child as he completed the challenge. He even had a coach to help him out. Originally, Singh wanted to go farther, but doctors halted the run out of concern for the child’s health. It took him 7 hours-2 minutes to run the 65 km.
George Henry Johnson is a rare breed. He just celebrated his 112th birthday, making him the oldest person in California. Johnson was born in 1894 in a California very different from the one he lives in today! He resides in the home he and his wife built in Richmond over 70 years ago.
Johnson is also a World War I veteran. He served in the infantry. As of November 2005, there were only 50 WWI veterans still alive.
Friends and family threw a party for Johnson. They traveled from across the US just to be there. He spent the celebration sharing stories about his time in the war and working in the shipyards afterwards.
Gerontology Research Group of Los Angeles, California, has confirmed Johnson’s status in the “over 100″ club.
