I'm not going to start talking about shootings here because frankly, I can't keep up with the sheer number of such things in my own county, let alone the country.

The problem has stood that students are seen as "punks" and effectievly as the enemy by our principals, our assistant principals, and other school personnel. The problem is that instead of showing empathy or attempting to understand students, we see these individuals have higher hopes of climbing the ranks, and everyone on their way there is but an obstacle. I just graduated last year, under a principal who could NOT have cared a damn bit less about our education or anything else. Unless something was cheaper and more convenient for him, in which case it helped build his resume. This has to change. Anytime our students try to show whatthey think in high school's they are disciplined and heavy handed force is used.

First off, this is not a hit piece on our three candidates or a piece for Gravel. It's about something that's going on that needs your attention, your time, and some small amounts of efforts. But without you picking up a phone and doing it, then thsoe three candidates, irrespective of who wins likely won't win.

On Monday this story came out in the Miami Herald. That was a start.

Browning said that once Florida switches over to paper ballot systems that then the recount rules should be then changed that during a manual recount that all ballots are counted. Right now if the margin falls under one half of one percent it triggers a machine recount. If that recount shows that the margin is under one quarter of one percent then there is a manual recount of overvotes and undervotes only. (Which is of course useless with electronic machines since the manual recount would be the same.)

Do you need to think about 2000 anymore? No? Well guess what happened yesterday?

He's on my campus at Florida International University. I stumbled upon his speech.

The lovable Senator from Connecticut spoke on behalf of John McCain. He's spoke about McCain being the strongest on the Economy, about National Security, and on how he was an ethical man (whe cited Habeus Corpus later on and how he came to a balanced view".

I got angrier and angrier. Then he began to take questions from the audience. After 4 or 5 pointless questions (Does he believe McCain's Iraq strategy works [he does], should puerto rico become a state [he's not sure, and McCain hasn't released a statement on it].

They were about to end the questions, when a bit of drama occured.

What's happened on Kos? I came on here in '05 and I would sworn each one of you walked on water, I loved this place for the Midterm election. But I'm getting rather annoyed with one thing, that doesn't make sense. I know some Clinton supporters are annoying. I know some Edwards supporters are annoying {I'm probably the most annoying one}. But for some reason the Obama people not just on Kos, but in Real Life (RL) seem to be the biggest collection of jerks out there. After Iowa it was impossible to talk coherently with them, and tonight is the same thing.

Fair enough, if I was in their shoes and would have won, I'd probably be the smuggest little bastard on here. So I'll give them that much. But here's what I don't understand:

There's no need for constant spin. Some nights will be good, some will be bad. Tonight Edwards won, mostly due to not coming out bruised like the other two. He's getting mentioned a lot more today.

I'd like for you guys to stop spinning. Kos members are intelligent enough to the point where they don't need to be fed Obama was amazing, he counter punched or Hillary's fantastic because she took the punches and hit him harder. Edwards folks going, his message of change was strongest tonight are  wrong too. I felt he didn't talk about change as much as previously. He had the easiest job. Good stuff this was the best debate yet.

What I consider a pretty balanced view?

Now I know you try to pander to your audience when you run for office. But this is on another level.

Mike Huckabee isn't the only candidate trying to portay himself as a Christian leader.

Barack Obama in a mailer in South Carolina says that he will be guided by prayer when he's in office. The mailer shows Obama with his head bowed in prayer and has the words "Christian" in large letters. A second mailer shows Obama with his family and says he's a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years.

On the heels of a Nevada result, where she won Latinos and women -- but not African-Americans -- Hillary Clinton will go to church at one of Harlem's most important black churches Sunday morning, Abyssinian Baptist.

Her campaign is focusing on the African-American vote ...as they head toward South Carolina.

Source is First Read, MSNBC

Good strategy by Hillary.

I'm not the sort to write blogs, but I can't help thinking of our movement's progress today. We've made it so far, we can make Senators change votes, we're considered powerful by the media, and the Right's radio medium finally found an adversary worthy of a fight. In 4 short years we've come from a political wilderness to where we are now. And our movement continues to gain traction, we get more "mainstream" and the the rabid Right begins to sound and be exposed for what it is: a desperate, shrill noise machine that can't match up to us on the real issues.

At the age of 14 I found a passion- politics. The first candidate I ever volunteered with was John Kerry, 3 days prior to the general election. I was an Edwards' supporter in the primary. I can honestly say that the only thing I truly thought about Howard Dean was that he was an utter nut, as were his supporters. The media told me so, I saw his scream and frankly, he was so far out on the left that his campaign didn't seem to be able to react to anything. It was as though Dean and his Deaniacs were in a world all their own, where they couldn't really see the playing field.

Then on a humid, hot Miami day Kerry lost. That moron had won again.

   *  Reject the Bush Agenda: Oppose Mr. Bush's Speech at Miami Dade College

Many of you are aware of Mr. Bush's planned visit to Miami, FL to give the commencement address at Miami Dade College on April 28. With an approval rating in the 20's, and a disastrous six year administration of corruption, abuses to all of our civil liberties, the torture of detainees without trial, and the loss of respect abroad, it is time that we send a message loud and clear to the administrators of Miami Dade College and the community at large.

Today was one of the weirdest days of my life. I was in the middle of my 6th period (which runs from 12.30-2.30. We get out of school at 2.30. then we went into a code red.

More on the flip

Today, Leonard Pitts Jr. wrote probably one of the hardest striking pieces our newspaper has had in a long, long time. By today afternoon it was on the front page of miami.com the story, after readers POURED in emails in support. It's influential enough that I decided to write my first diary entry.

I PLEAD you to read this tremendous article. Text is below or article can be found online at:
http://www.miami.com/...