Citizens of Cuba seem hopeful for the reform that acting president Raul Castro will bring once his brother and long time Cuban president Fidel formally steps down on Sunday. Fidel's worsening health as well as his age have forced him to step down as leader of the Communist nation, although he had wished that he would be able to lead until the day of his death. Raul, who is only younger than his brother by five years has hinted at reform but not made any action, critics say this is because Fidel was still the official leader. When Fidel was sidelined in 2006 when he needed intestinal surgery, Cuban citizens became hopeful that Raul would bring the reform that Cuba needed, however they still lived in relative fear due to the fact that the Castro family was still in charge. A major statement Raul made was in regards to the extremely poor wages, acknowledging the fact that $19 a month is not enough for a family to survive. Raul has even tried to mend the relationship Cuba has with the United States, but Washington has turned down these attempts, claiming Raul is simply a "lite" version of Fidel.
This article is important because Fidel Castro is a historical figure, one that will go down in the history books. While this week has been full of shocking news, whether it be the second school shooting in less than a year or Barack Obama's continuing winning streak, this story is the one that will be featured in history books. Fidel's legendary run over Cuba has spanned a period of almost 50 years and has made headlines throughout. While Raul may only be leader for a few years himself, the fact that Fidel is stepping down after everything he's done is a major shock to the world. Things may not change all that much between the United States and Cuba right away, but Fidel's resignation is a major step forward. (Newsday.com, 2/20)
My personal favorite article of the week was that two Taliban commanders were killed this week in an attack lead by Afghan and NATO troops. I think that the Taliban has kind of sunk beneath the surface as far as relevance is concerned, as many people don't seem to take much interest in the little things that happens with them ever since the crisis in Iraq took precedence over that in Afghanistan. With that being said, it's good to know that the fight against these terrorists is continuing. The two men killed were responsible for several suicide bombings. It is good news to hear that people responsible for taking several lives are gone, although the means may have been controversial, the job is done. (Newsday.com, 2/21)
Five people were killed and several others were injured by a gunman who later committed suicide at Northern Illinois University (Newsday, 2/15, p. A5)...Hillary Clinton urged voters to stick with her after Barack Obama took a strong lead in many states (Newsday, 2/21 p. A6)...Three people were shot, one died and two are in critical condition after a gunman fired outside of his car at a night club in Westbury on Tuesday (Newsday.com 2/18)...After a Ronkonkoma karate instructor was charged of sexually abusing a 13 year old boy, similar cases are coming through the woodwork (Newsday 2/21 p. A4)...A missile hit a dying U.S. satelite over the Pacific ocean that may have contained a chemical that would have been dangerous to humans had it landed in a populated area (Newsday 2/21, p. A22)
