...Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner, age 22. Who is he? No one really knows. He was arrested a day before his 19th birthday in 2007 for drug paraphernalia, he also has 2 other minor infractions. He tried to join the U.S. Army in 2008, but he was denied. January 8, 2011 he killed 6 people including a 9 year-old girl and injured 13 including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords(D). All day there were conflicting reports. Was she dead... Was she alive... Many publications posted online that she had died, we all thought she had died. Hours later a doctor set the record straight by letting us know she was alive and that she was out of surgery and while she was in very critical condition, he was optimistic. Jared basically tried to assassinate her. He shot her point blank in the head and then unload his semi-automatic gun into the crowd. He killed 8 people, a child, a judge, staff members on Congresswoman Giffords. Some say that he planned to kill himself, he maybe even had a suicide note on him, but 2 people tackled him and thwarted that plan. The Congresswoman received death threats last years after voting in favor of the Health Care Bill. Her offices in Arizona were shot at as well. She was re-elected in a tough campaign, in a state like Arizona that leans Right she managed to win. She is well liked and respected on both sides of the isle so it is still shocking that someone would want to do this to her. Jared did not just come up with this attack out of nowhere, he planned this, he knew what he was going to do. Police think that he had an accomplice, but he is not cooperating at all. From his postings on YouTube and other social sites you can obviously tell he has some mental issues, which is a shame. He will probably get off on a legal technicality, that legal technicality being insanity. I also find it a little sad that a guy with his mental issues and his criminal past was able to get a gun within days of this shooting. I know Arizona is a Red state and I know every state has its own requirements, but maybe more should be done. I like guns, I know why people like them as well and I am all for people having them, but the people that are responsible and reasonable do not do things like this with their guns and we need to weed out the good from the bad before they ruin it for everyone. Jared is going to get punishment. If not justice will not be served at all whatsoever. I am giving Jared Lee Loughner 2 Digits Down.

...Uganda

While we are somewhat celebrating the possible dismissal of Don't ask, Don't tell but still struggling to help gay kids get through being bullied there is a country in Africa that is going through something much more than a purple shirt can solve. The nation of Uganda introduced a bill a year ago that would have made it legal to sentence homosexuals to death for some homosexual acts and prison for others. This was brought on a some Christian ministry visited the country claiming they could turn homosexuals into heterosexuals. Many Christian groups around the world have dismissed the claims and the bill that Uganda introduced. After many other nations and organizations condemned the bill it was shelved. Well it is a year later and although the bill never became a law many homosexuals are living in fear. A magazine printed an article with the names and pictures of Uganda's "Top 100 Homosexuals" and told it's readers to hang them. A year after the bill was introduced 20 homosexuals have been attacked and 17 have been put in prison. Uganda is a conservative nation of about 32 million people. Homosexual acts are considered illegal there as well. The magazine that printed the issue was told to stop publishing, but not because of the issue, because it did not have a license to print, shame. In the magazine it spread a lot of propaganda such as homosexuals had a deadly disease and it could not be stop and the one that we all have heard, that the homosexuals were going into schools and recruiting young kids, so far they recruited 1 million. So far 4 men from the list have been attacked, no deaths yet though. Many Ugandans are living in fear of being outed and put in prison or beaten or killed. This is a sad truth but many nations in Africa are like this. It may be 2010 here but that has yet to reach that Continent. Here in America we worry about gays in the military and gay marriage, but around the world they cannot even live a life without possibly being killed! The same goes for the Middle East as well, the Muslim countries that is. I cannot fathom this life, but I will try. I am thankful that I live here in a nation that may not be perfect but it is light years ahead of some other countries. We can only do so much here because we have our own problems, many, and we are no longer the superpower we used to be. Hopefully int he future someone or some organization will take action and put an end to this not only in Uganda but other nations like them. I am giving Uganda 2 Digits Down.