Tillman was the only professional athlete to die in the Iraq-Afghanistan war theater since September 11th, 2001. He walked away from fame and a multi-millions dollar career to join the U.S. Army because of how 9/11 impacted him. On the day after the September 11^th attacks, Tillman remarked in an interview, “My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing.”

Twenty-two months after enlisting, Pat Tillman was dead. His memorial service was aired on national television. The Army awarded him a Silver Star for his “gallantry in action against an armed enemy.” Army officials claimed Tillmanʼs convoy was ambushed in Afghanistan. They said Tillman charged up a hill to protect his men but was struck down by Taliban forces. The NFL in turn created statues and commemoratives in his honor.

In fact, the Pentagon’s official story, and the one adopted by the NFL, was proven false. Tillman died in friendly fire, and the event was knowingly hidden from his family, his fans, and the broader public. It is also known that Tillman began to turn against the war before his death, telling fellow soldiers that the Iraq war was “illegal.” An avid reader, Tillman’s final months included evaluating the works of anti-war authors in an attempt to understand the conflict he was in and how he had become America’s most famous solider.

Source:

“Where was the Pat Tillman Story on NFL Sunday?” Edge of Sports, September 13, 2011
Author: Dave Zirin
URL: http://www.edgeofsports.com/2011-09-13-649/index.html

Student Researcher: Kirk Moncol, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic University

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The 99 Percent Movement was born out of the fact that the country has grown incredibly unequal and millions of Americans are struggling to get by. The richest 1 percent of the country now owns more than 40 percent of the wealth and takes home nearly a quarter of national income.

The American economy wasn’t always structured in a way that so generously rewarded the one percent while giving the 99 percent less and less. Following the Second World War, widespread unionization, higher and fairer tax rates on the wealthiest Americans, and New Deal policies helped craft an economy with widespread prosperity. In fact, if you look at income growth in period between 1947 and 1949, it was approximately equal across the board. Meanwhile, income gains between 1980 and 2007 went overwhelmingly to the richest

Not only should Americans be concerned that only 1 percent of the country owns majority of wealth, but that there was once a time when everyone was semi equal and there was not such a large gap between classes. The author, Jilani, explains that since there was a time wealth among people were similar, it’s optimistic to assume that one day it can be possible for people in America to be equal once again.

Title: It Wasn’t Always This Way: America’s 99 Percent Used to Have a Much Greater Share of The Nation’s Riches

Source: ThinkProgress.org, October 25, 2011

Author: Zaid Jilani

URL: http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/25/351981/it-wasnt-all-this-way/

Student Researcher: Brianna Santo, Sonoma State University

Faculty Evaluator: Marco Calavita, Sonoma state UniversitySimilar Posts:

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At some point this year, student loan debt will exceed $1 trillion, surpassing credit card debt. Students accepted a home mortgage worth of debt before they ever even had a regular income. This is based on phony promises, and that the debt is inescapable, regardless of life circumstances or ability to pay. Due to the 2005 bankruptcy bill, debtors cannot discharge student loans through bankruptcy. The government is shielded from the risk, and creditors are licensed to collect by almost any means they deem necessary.

This student loan epidemic is going to lead to a generation of wage slavery. If students are lucky enough to find a job during our economic crisis, they will be spending a lot of their money paying off their student loans, and the banks will continue to see massive profits. Different institutions are encouraging people to take out student loans through mainstream media, when in reality taking out these loans are a big scam.

Title: The $1 Trillion Student Loan Rip-Off: How An Entire Generation Was Tricked Into Taking On Crushing Debt That Just Enriches Banks.”

Source: Alternet, October 20, 2011

Author: Alex Pareene

URL: http://www.alternet.org/story/152809/the_$1_trillion_student_loan_rip-off%3A_how_an_entire_generation_was_tricked_into_taking_on_crushing_debt_that_just_enriches_banks/?page=1

Student Researcher: Joshua Nervis – Sonoma State University

Faculty Advisor: David McCuan, Sonoma State Uinversity

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Student Researcher: Gabriela Hery
Faculty Instructor: Elliot Cohen
Evaluator: Suzyn Elaine
Indian River State College
Sources: “Editorial: Financial Aid Qualifications Unfair”, The Ranger, November 16th, 2006

http://www.ac-ranger.com/2.6711/editorial-financial-aid-qualifications-unfair-1.976909

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Unsurprisingly, many Kenyan women who suffer from fistula are either poor, uneducated about obstetric, don’t establish safe sex, are treated badly by medical staff members, or don’t have access to a surgeon, or medical support. The Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope, and Dignity Restoration Act, empowers the President of the United States to establish universal organizations, and universal and local nongovernmental organizations primarily to uncover health issues that lead to obstetric fistula.. Obstetric fistula is preventable if the United States and surrounding countries take a stand to stop pregnancy-related complications.

Student Researcher: Jessica Capers
Facility Instructor: Elliot Cohen
Indian River State College

Source:
Odhiambo, Agnes . ” AfricaFiles | No more suffering in silence: the human rights dimensions of obstetric fistula .” AfricaFiles | HOME PAGE . N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. .

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The state of California has been dramatically affected by the most recent budget cuts. In California there was already an estimated $25 billion plus budget gap and now the government is calling for some $12.5 billion in cuts. This cut will affect all aspects of society in California and their future. The projected amount being cut from schools and colleges alone is around $6 billion and is predicted to possibly increase. Another growing projection on California’s future is a $4 billion cut in prisons, and the majority of that cutting is human health and social services programs which are detrimental to changing the conditions of today for an improved future.

Student Researcher: Jessica Drew
Faculty Instructor: Elliot Cohen
Indian River State College
Sources:

Bechtell, Marilyn. January 23, 2010. “Californians Fight Back Vs. Budget Cuts”
http://www.peoplesworld.org/californians-fight-back-vs-budget-cuts

Bechtell, Marilyn. February 16,2011. “Doomsday Scenario for California Budget Cuts”
http://www.peoplesworld.org/doomsday-scenario-for-calif-budget-cuts

Bach-Lambardo, Jordan. March 4,2011. “Activist Standing Atop Cal’s Wheeler Hall Demand Change.” 
http://uwire.com/2011/03/04/activists-standing-atop-cals-wheeler-hall-demand-change

Wheeler, Tim. March 16,2011. “Attacks on Public Workers”.
http://www.peoplesworld.org/attacks-on-public-workers-put-women-in-bulls-eye/

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That report also documented at least two dozen other cases of gas seeping from old wells, including three where the drilling of new wells “communicated” with old wells, leaking gas into water supplies and forcing the evacuation of a home. Such incidents rarely receive much attention outside the states and neighborhoods they affect. But as the nation’s latest drilling boom continues, abandoned wells have begun attracting more attention, particularly in states where the earth is already pockmarked with holes left by earlier waves of extraction. New wells sometimes disturb layers of rock and dirt near fragile old wells, leading to new cases of contamination. It found that states had located nearly 60,000 wells that needed to be plugged — and estimated that as many as a million more may be out there. In Pennsylvania alone, regulators estimate that 184,000 wells were drilled before records were kept. Many of those wells were plugged with stumps, rocks or nothing at all.

Title: Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Contaminate US water supply

Author: Nicholas Kusnetz
Publication: Huffington Post, April 4, 2011

URL: HYPERLINK “http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/abandoned-oil-gas-wells-water_n_844662.html”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/abandoned-oil-gas-wells-water_n_844662.html
Student Researcher: Nzinga Dotson-Newman

Faculty Evaluator: Peter PhillipsSimilar Posts:

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Title: Giving Chase: Egypt, OK – But What About America’s Oligarchs?
Author: Russ Baker
Publication: WhoWhatWhy.com, February 10, 2011
URL:  HYPERLINK “http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/02/10/giving-chase-egypt-ok-but-what-about-america%E2%80%99s-oligarchs-3/”
Student Researcher: Aluna Soupholphakdy, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

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Simply because the narcotics traffickers would be foolish not to take advantage, or ruthlessly exploit, the increasing inter-dependency in trade and commercial activity, or an increased integration of the continent into what is officially known as the NAU (” North American Union”). North America, therefore risks becoming “narcofied” in the not too distant future.

Professor Geroge W. Grayson’s College of William and Mary Mexico academic warns that in this perilous context there’s a chance the Mexican government might be forced to cede power to the narcotic’s syndicates. And thus a regime of “dual sovereignty” might emerge. Grayson describes this hybrid polity, by referring to a classic work by Crane Burton called “The Anatomy of a Revolution”, as state where the government remains in “control of certain political, economic, social and cultural areas,” while at the same time, ” abdicating responsibility and domination of organized crime to others…” A possibility which most U.S and Canadian officials or anti-narcotics specialists , including many in the law enforcement community , might not relish. And least of all, the Mexicans themselves who are caught in the crossfire of this conflict. They are terrorized and besieged by state para-military and federal army troops, while also being subjected to drug- war related violence in their neighborhoods and streets almost routinely these days.

Title: “Is Mexico a Narco-State?”
Author: Michael Werbowski
Source: Global Research, 3/29/11
URL: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19430

Student Researcher: Erica Chavez, Sonoma state University
Faculty Advisor: Peter Phillips, Sonoma State University

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While majority of the World rejoiced the event and supported the protestors actions, back home in America right-wing propaganda machine lead by Fox News openly denounced the pro-democracy movement. They claimed the protestors were acting as communists, socialists, leftists, and even marxists going against their own leader. They call themselves news but in reality are a propaganda outfit deceiving Americans into believing they are balanced and a fair source of information. This emerging corporate power structure lies to Americans helping them create their own America based on free market. Right-wings intertwined with it such as corporate managers, elected officials and others who spread their propaganda have become extremely wealthy lying to the country.

This right-wing propaganda machine does not want America to know their real goals of transforming the country into a corporatocracy. As with the situation in Egypt, the right-wings made extreme accusations of the pro-democracy protestors creating a misleading perspective towards them by Americans to keep them from doing the same. Fear of Americans rising up against the propaganda machine demanding real democracy without influences of corporate lobbyist swept through them. These right-wings become wealthy off a big business dominated democracy and cannot face the idea of Americans realizing their goals and overthrowing them.

Title: Right-Wing Denounces Democracy
Source: Daily Censored, 2/13/11
Author: HurricaneDean

HYPERLINK “http://dailycensored.com/2011/02/13/right-wing-denounces-democracy/” http://dailycensored.com/2011/02/13/right-wing-denounces-democracy/

Student Researcher: Craig Cekala, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Peter Philips, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

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