Possible Epidemic

The past few weeks there has been an outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, which seems to be spreading up the United States with even a few cases in Canada. The swine flu acts much like influenza, which is a disease that attacks the respiratory system. Leaders are very worried that this might lead to a possible epidemic much like the Spanish influenza epidemic in the early 20th Century. So far there have only been 8 deaths reported in Mexico, and the United States has taken on 20 cases to find a possible cure. According to CNN there are 1614 cases of the swine flu, and as many as 103 total deaths, but most are unsure of how many.
Like most diseases out there the symptoms of the swine flu are coughing, fatigue, runny nose, fever, sore throat, vomiting, and diarrhea. So in essence, there could be thousands of people that are alreaddy infected by the disease, but still only believe it is the common flu. This disease is spread through coughs and sneezes that are transferred between humans. It is still unclear how the disease was transferred from pigs to humans. Some officials have thought about closing the bus and subway systems to try and contain the virus, or even quarantine some areas. All that is known is that this new disease could potentially spread all throughout the Western half of the globe. Should the United States be involved in these 20 cases to try and help out Mexico? If not what should be done?

What is considered torture?

The former Bush administration made international news as current President Obama is putting some on trial for possible torturing of human beings. We all know that the United States is "against" torture because it is inhumane. This article has a few of the quotes from a press conference held earlier. What is torture of another human being? Is it simply inflicting physical pain? Or is it something more?

Also I would like to know what the United States position on torture should be. Some say that it is against the fundamental rights of a human being. Others say that it is a way to get usefull information. What do you think? Is torture wrong, right, or both? And what should the U.S.'s position be on it?

Holidays Losing Meaning???

Okay so here is the deal. I just got back from the Easter Vigil at my church. Some people know that the Vigil is the time that you sit in church for hours upon hours and the mass seems to drag on. But I realized that Easter is a lot more than i remember. That I seemed to lose sight on what Easter was all about. So my question to you is what is Easter like for your family? Are you the family that goes to the Vigil, or do you go to only the Easter Sunday mass with your family? This article really makes a good point as to what Easter should and should not be like.

Another question that I would like to ask is what other holidays in our society seem to be losing their meaning? And if there are any what changes should be made to them? When writing your response try to take into account what you were raised up to believe what the holidays meant.

Is the World Baseball Classic better than the World Series?

Many people argue that the WBC is the most prestigious tournament in baseball. Then there are others that say that the World Series in October is the best there is. According to an article on USA Today this years tourney was one for the ages. To you was this years World Baseball Classic more exciting than last years World Series?

Most people say that the Classic is much like the Olympic Games. It is a world event that brings us all together for a brief period of time. So in addition to your opinion on whether it is better than the World Series, what does it compare to? What other events in the world could compare to the World Baseball Classic if there are any out there?