So apparently Libya wants to change its ways and join "the community of nations." I think this is great! I understand the complaints of the families of the Pan Am 103 victims, but I think when we live in a world with SO MUCH history of violence and bad, bad choices, we really need to learn how to forgive and move on. Or else we will just propagate violence like that committed in 1988, allegedly supported by Col. Moammar Gadhafi (I really don't know the evidence of this claim too well, so I won't...

I am currently participating in a group blog, and all my posts for the next few weeks will be at the following site: http://equipobolivia.org/blog.html I am currently in Cochabamba, Bolivia, working wish orphaned children, and this blog is about our experience there. Please follow along, and let us know what you think! Thanks. -rob

Anyone who opposed the Iraq war should go online now and read the interim Iraqi constitution. For a summary of it, go to BBC's website , or read the whole thing here . Compare this document, for instance, against this brief description of Saddam Hussein's "constitution": "This is a regime that will gouge out the eyes of children to force confessions from their parents and grandparents. This is a regime that will crush all of the bones in the feet of a 2-year-old girl to force her mot...

A recent report that the Pentagon has produced a study on global climate change reminded me of an article I published in 2002 in Student Life, the newspaper at Washington University in St. Louis. I thought I'd reprint it here because it's still very topical: The war on ourselves: stop global warming by Robert Guinness "You are either with us or against us." These are the harsh, truthful words of President Bush regarding his international coalition against terrorism. Tackling such...

So on NewsHour they were talking about debt forgiveness of Iraq. I don't understand it! Why should we even entertain the thought that Iraq has to pay back countries like France, Germany, and Russia?! Those countries should be ashamed at even the thought So on NewsHour they were talking about debt forgiveness of Iraq. I don't understand it! Why should we even entertain the thought that Iraq has to pay back countries like France, Germany, and Russia?! Those countries should be ashamed at even the ...

I'm relatively new to web publishing, but thus far have been pleased with my meager but promising results. I was talking with a friend today, however, who just broke into the periodical publishing industry, and he offered a negative criticism of web publishing, saying that it fails to weed out the trash. I agree with him to some extent. I believe, however, that readers can choose for themselves who is trash and who isn't. What I do hope though is that web publishing does not become a replace...

I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom, but I taught her never to dishonor her family. --Amerigo Bonasera from “The Godfather” (Film, 1972) Military Action in Iraq is a deeply controversial issue, but ultimately it is an issue of competing values: Freedom vs. Peace; Democracy vs. International Order; and even, as we will see, Law vs. Family Values. I have great respect for both sides of argument for ...

Just in case you can't wait for my personal account of today's rally, here is the article from our local paper: Kerry, Edwards greet thousands at rally BY JAKE WAGMAN AND JO MANNIES Of the Post-Dispatch 08/05/2004 Sen. John Kerry (left) and Sen. John Edwards (AP) The Democratic presidential ticket chose the site of Harry Truman's 1948 victory speech to launch its 1,800-mile campaign tour. Campaign workers said one of the cars on the train was used by Harry Truman on his whistl...

Article from our St. Louis newspaper. Check out Brian Diehl's quote, it's pretty funny. Gay marriage ban gets voter OK By Matt Franck Of the Post-Dispatch 08/03/2004 Missouri voters gave resounding approval to an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage, putting the nation on notice that similar proposed bans in other states could be difficult to defeat. The Missouri Constitution will now state that ``to be valid and recognized in this state a marriage shall exi...

1:23 am I woke up suddenly from a dream, and I am no longer tired. I was in the Catholic Student Center office, along with a group of many other people meandering about. The CSC was a little different though. It was as if it was in a dorm or something. It seemed like it was in one of the “new dorms” Two men, a large one and a scrawny one, walked into the office and yelled something. It was something incomprehensible. Or at least I don’t remember what it is now, but it was sort of lik...

Are there any Bush backers here that were swayed by Clarke's testomonies? Is anyone really buying the Bush administration's pathetic attempts to smear Clarke? -rob

If you haven't heard the news, it's a terrible day in Madrid. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3500452.stm Link Let our thoughts and prayers be with those in Spain today.

Did anyone else see that Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, called Bush an "asshole"? Well, that's what the press is reporting anyways. Actually he called him a "pendejo," which basically means idiot or imbecile (and also can mean coward). ("El muy pendejo se lo creyó." Link ) He also went on to say that "We have enough balls here to defend this land," referring to the recently fleeing Aristide (although some are now saying he was kidnapped and forced to leave). Chavez is generally ...