National & World News

Russian Missile Hits Poland 

On November 15, 2022 something very drastic happened. On that day, Russian missiles hit Poland and two innocent people’s lives were taken for no reason. The Russian and Ukrainian conflict, which has been going on for 8 years with a recent surge in aggression over the past year, has reached even further now. Poland is a member of NATO and this recent Russian missile strike has the potential to lead to worldwide military involvement…possibly WWIII. 

The reason Russia is attacking Ukraine goes back to when the Soviet Union separated. Ukraine was part of the USSR until it gained its independence in 1991. Russian President Vladimir Putin has always wanted more land and access to bigger ports. These are the main reasons he is waging war on Ukraine. He illegally annexed Crimea, a part of Ukraine, in 2014. On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin started firing missiles at Ukraine killing civilians and destroying cities. They first attempted to take Kyiv, the former capital of Russia, and then continued to gain more land. They failed miserably because they tried to push forward, but were pushed back by Ukrainian forces. 

Now nine months later, Russian missiles were fired and hit Poland, killing two people. Russia has claimed that they did not fire these missiles. Some sources say that Poland was hit by Ukrainian Air Defense, which I do not believe. If Poland decides to call on NATO support, this could be WWIII. Ukraine is not part of NATO and that is why they have not been able to call for military aid from NATO. 

If it was Ukraine or not, thank goodness that Poland is in NATO so they can help. The war between Russia and Ukraine could lead to WWIII if NATO got involved. It could be one of the biggest wars since WWII. The missile that hit Poland was identified as an S-300 air defense missile, which means that it was a Ukrainian missile that probably glitched and hit the wrong target. The S-300 missile was produced by the Soviet Union that was passed down to the Russians and the Ukrainians so it is difficult to decide if the missile was fired by the Russians or Ukrainians. Let’s hope that everything works out without turning into WWIII. 

By: Olawadarasimi Quadri

Should We Trust The Vaccine For Covid 19?

The Covid-19 Pandemic has everyone worried because they don't want to get the virus. The vaccine has now come out and become available to a number of groups. People are saying one thing and then another about the vaccine. People are believing all the positives and negatives that have been broadcast regarding the vaccine and people’s reactions to the vaccine. So many different stories pulling people in different directions causing them not to trust it. Will they have an allergic reaction? Will they get Covid 19? Will they be protected? Which vaccine is better? Is it safe as it was created so much quicker than previous vaccines?

Previously, on the topic of the Covid-19 vaccine everyone was hoping that the vaccine would be the end of Covid-19. We would be able to walk around without uncomfortable masks because of the vaccine working so well. Maybe the vaccine will not be the end of the world. 

On the other hand, there are some people that think the vaccine is the end of the world because they don't understand the new material used to create the vaccine, MRNA. One of the earlier groups to get the vaccine have been seniors. Covid-19 vaccines can be more harsh on older people since their immune systems are very delicate. However, they are the most at risk to die from Covid-19 if they became infected with the virus. 

With 23 people dead from the vaccine should we be Concerned about this? What about the children? We know that there's a vaccine for teens that are 16 and up, but why not the younger children?  Can we trust this vaccine? We don't know yet, for sure. We are not completely convinced. We are hopeful that it is a good thing and these horrible deaths and reactions are rare. New York City had the Covid-19 vaccine sitting in reserve waiting for weeks until it could be used, the mayor says which is really good. What do you and your family think about the vaccine? How long will it be until people are calm and assured of the vaccine and its safety?

By: Jasmine Agustin

Capitol Attack Poem

To the people at the capitol I am sorry you got attacked. I hope that you also didn't get whacked.

To the people at the capitol please don't go away we all need you to stay.

To the people at the capitol thank you for being strong and mighty so please don't go tiny. 

To the people at the capitol please don't be rude, try to have a good attitude. 

To the people at the capitol to have a good life there will always be a price.

By: Cohbey Farley Treadwell

The Capitol’s Riot Changed My POV Of This Country 

The United States of America is the 3rd most populated country in the world.  About 332 million people live here and 25% of the population are republicans. On January 6, 2021 the Capitol was attacked by republicans.  I do not support  President Trump and there is a long list of reasons why I don’t. 

Before this riot, I thought “2021 will HOPEFULLY change the way people see President Trump. Since President Elect Joe Biden won everything will be fine, everything will change.” I was wrong. I had no idea the republicans thought they had power over democrats, until January 6th,  the day of the riot. I was confused, yet angry. I was confused as to why they rioted on January 6th specifically. They rioted because both houses of Congress were officially counting the electoral votes officially determining that Joe Biden won the election on the 7th of November and would be inaugurated on the 20th of January. 

I was still not satisfied. I decided to dig a little deeper out of curiosity. I discovered that President Trump influenced the rioters to storm the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election results. Oh My Goodness. During this riot five people died including an officer (Brian Sicknick) who was beaten and overpowered, two rioters (Ashli Babbitt and Rosanne Boyland) who were shot and strangled and crushed by republicans, and two trump supporters (Kevin Greeson and Benjamin Philips) who had a heart attack and stroke. Three fifths of these deaths were all because President Trump lost reelection.  Following these events, Twitter permanently suspended President Trump’s account.

There is one thing that is making me super frustrated though. If this were a “Black Lives Matter” protest the police would’ve been prepared. This time they were not. A police officer even posed for a selfie with a rioter. There have been pictures of some police officers brutally shoving, kicking, and mistreating BLM protesters. If police officers were overwhelmed and outnumbered with BLM protesters, instead of moving the barricade like they did with the mob that attacked the Capitol, the BLM protesters would've most likely been beaten or shot. After this research, I am sorry to say that the America of January 6th is the country that I live in. I am hopeful that President elect Joe Biden will change and restore my faith in America.

By: Laila Ogletree

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