Many consider Manuel Noreiga to b e the most famous graduate of the School of the Americas. Noriega ruled and ravished the country of Panama throughout the 1980's. While a student at the School of Americas, he was considered outstanding and graduated with a degree in engineering. In 1983 he returned to Panama to become the Commander of the Panamanian Defense Forces. He then worked his way through the system until eventually reaching his goal in becoming the leader and dictator of Panama. Although a one time operative for the United States CIA, he became involved in drug trafficking, selling U.S. secrets to Cuba, embezzlement, and murder. In January of 1988 the United States urged him to step down, to which he refused. After Noriega ordered the murder of a U.S. marine on the streets of Panama City in December of 1989, President Bush sent troops to invade and expedited Noriega to the U.S. to stand trial. In April of 1992 Manuel Noriega was convicted of racketeering, money laundering, and drug trafficking and was sentenced to fourty years in prison. Since Noriega's demise, democracy is flourishing in Panama and the economy is producing jobs and prosperity. After 18 years in a U.S. jail cell, in Spetember 2007, Noriega was expedited to France to face charges against him there.
Are these the kind of people that our hard earned tax dollars are going to educate? Are these the kind of people we're promoting for the world? It is completely and utterly unjust that we, in essence, are subjecting innocent people internationally to suffer. It must end.
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3 comments:
Well, if this is not your best post all year, it certainly IS your most passionate one! The question is, of course, what are we (or even more personal) you going to do about it? Jesus was non-violent, but courageous. He always stood directly in the face of injustices, whether they be against the weak, like the Man Born Blind, the disinfranchised, like the Woman cought in Adultery, or the powerful, like the Temple Authority. The problem with being Christian, is that once we KNOW, we are called to action. That is the Jesus model! Perhaps we, as a class, should join the Wheeling-Jesuit bus next year to go to the annual SOA Protest in Georgia! Good work!
The invasion of Panama and the arrest of show that the United States is willing to correct its mistakes in dealing with Latin American countries.
Wow! This is a very good post Kylie. Lets do something about it!
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