Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Why Killing Bin Laden was bad.

Undoubtedly there are some good things that that come from Bin Ladin's death. One less mastermind fear monger plotting war. But here are some of the reasons why killing Bin Laden was a bad idea.

1. Dead men can't stand trial. Unlike Sadam Hussien who was captured, tired, and then executed by a jury of his peers, Bin Laden can't go through the cathartic experience of going through a thorough trial.

2. Evidence collected from Bin Laden's house can't be used in court. If raiding a house without a warrant is illegal, then certainly flying covertly through another Nation, and breaking into, and killing the private residences breaks just about every Law that I can think of. So any actionable evidence that leads to another terrorist will just lead us to another Assassination.

3. Catch 22. The United States Government can't bring those fugitives before a court, so they will be forced to Assassinate them. This is exactly how we got into the Guantanamo Bay mess. By going outside the law, where we have become the very Terrorist we wish to catch. Is this how will we "bring to justice" other members of Al qaeda? Is Justice now just another Euphemism for being shot in the face? This is just another recruiting tool that will be used by used by Extremist groups against the US Government going forward.

Where do we go from here? Now that Bin Ladin is dead the cycle of killing has to stop. If we continue drone attacks, assassinating suspected Al Qaeda members, we will only continue the mistrust and hatred. However if the United States has to prove that is can apprehend people and give them a trial. But in order to do that do we really think the US will be grown up enough to do it? No. Just like when President Obama tried to close Guantanamo Bay, we can't trust the US to do the right thing. So perhaps the best thing is to compromise. Military Tribunals are not enough, but a full public trial on US soil won't work either. Perhaps their is a middle ground, where we could have a partially public trial, that will lead to proper trials in International courts, or on US territory.

Protecting yourself while holding your baby.

Dylan's parenting tip #2: Alternate arms when holding your baby. Getting into a good habit of switching the sides you hold your baby on can save you from back, neck, and head pain. When you hold your baby too much on one side, it can tighten your muscles on that side, causing your vertebrae to come out of alignment. This can then compound your back problems, as your muscles on the other side will be too weak to compensate the the shifting bones. Migraines and muscles ache can result from miss aligned backs. 

In the medical world this is called Repetitive strain injuries or RSIs. Can result in swelling, pain, and muscle and tissue damage. Most commonly associated with carpel tunnel syndrome,  RSI's are not only associated with mouse clicks. Just like making thousands of click with a mouse on one side of your body can give you serious headaches, picking up and holding a child on one side can have the same effects.

If we do a rough back of the envelope calculation of how many times you pick up and put down your baby, a baby  needs to be fed 5 times a day. These feedings usually last about half an hour each. Already you are looking at 2.5 hours per day holding your baby. Factor in 10-15 diaper changes, where you may hold your baby for an average of a minute per change; and bathing and changing clothes. Your looking at a minimum of 3 hours every day. If you go shopping, go to the park, or if your a brave parent who works with your newborn, these hours holding 10+ pounds can rapidly accumulate, and leave you stressed out.  

So take care and move that baby around :D !