mr rocky top

Today has certainly been quite a busy day. I started working at about 8:30 this morning and it has been basically non stop since then. I say many of you have no idea what I am doing so maybe I should inform you. I'm a student worker at the Global Ed Department here at CN, and I have been helping with the orientation of new international students. It has been somewhat fun. I do like the campus better right now. People are right off of from summer break and are much chippier than they are once school gets rolling. I've had some really nice conversations with some staff that I usually dread having to see. Maybe it will last? Probably not though. It has been kind of hard with these new students; their English isn't that good and my Korean is certainly worse so communication can be hard sometimes. I really feel for them! They are half way around the world away from the people and customs that they know; they are having to learn a whole new way of life. They certainly have some guts and should be commended for their efforts! I swear, though, that two of them look just like Michael Jackson (sort of scary). Tomorrow it will end; I might go home and I might not...I'm not quite sure right now.

With this CAFTA trade deal that was approved by the House today, I certainly disagree with Bush and the Republicans on this one. Bush is claiming that this deal will help with "national security issues." The President claims that these Central American countries will benefit with less restricted trade with the United States. He believes this will, in turn, give those countries better economies and will reduce the "threat" from those countries. I have problems with that reasoning. Does Central America really prove a huge threat to America? Sure, many of those countries have been struggling democracies for a while and have been trying to fight off rebels for quite a while, but there are other countries that provide bigger threats to our country. How many times have you heard of a terrorist coming from the Dominican Republic? I'm sure it could happen, but I think they are more likely to come from the Middle East and Europe, places that countless numbers of terrorists come from. And since when have you heard of Honduras trying to obtain nuclear weapons? I believe that threat comes from the countries like North Korea and Iran. Bush was certainly wrong to say that this trade agreement would help with the "security issues" of Central America. These countries should be the last on our mind when it comes to national security. Another reason not to support this agreement is the treatment of workers. Not only will more American jobs be moved to these countries where cheaper labor is available, but these Central American workers will probably not be treated with dignity. We have all heard about the sweat shops and kids working in horrible conditions for cents a day. This is more likely to happen to those workers than Bush's promise of better jobs for those people. This agreement also threatens the workers of America. Expect more and more manufacturing jobs to be sent to these countries. If Bush wants to improve the American economy, he should not make outsourcing so easy for American companies. I would have to agree with the Democrats on this issue. This agreement is wrong and threatens our way of life. (note, this is not common for me to support the ideas of a Democrat so don't get used to it, further proving my "independent spirit")