15 years and it still hurts

This article is about the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. On September 11th 2001, over 2,996 people died in terrorist attacks from an Islamic terrorist group, al-Qaeda. The Pentagon and world trade center were hit by hijacked planes, and another was heading for the white house before hitting the ground. The passengers on that white house plane heroically stopped the plane from hitting it. The costs to repair all of the damages took over three trillion dollars. Today President Obama held a moment of silence at 8:46 Eastern time for the victims, and many Americans took time out of their day to think about the attacks.

I was too young to remember the attacks, but it's by far the most famous date in American history. It is a terrible tragedy, and it is so hard to watch video footage of it. I took an elective in middle school studying this specific event, and it was pretty horrifying to hear personal stories about it. It's a day that changed many people's minds about security threats and Islam. This event was huge and impactful, but there aren't that many other cases in the past 15 years of Islamic terrorism happening on American soil. There are many more cases of domestic gun violence than that. I can understand though how people can think that that kind of terrorism is more prominent because of the scale of this attack. Airline security has gotten a lot better since 9/11, because of the outcry. The bigger implication of this 15 year anniversary is that people really aren't going to forget for some time. This case of terrorism hurt the American economy and killed so many more lives than most terrorist attacks. It also showed resilience for the city of New York, and the bravery of those men on the plane headed towards the White house. I wish that people didn't use this case to support the fact that Islamic terrorism is an imminent threat because this was quite some time ago, and a lot has changed. Most cases of terrorism in the U.S would be prevented if we fixed our gun control issues, in my opinion. Rest in peace to all of those lost in these attacks, and even though I have nothing to remember, I will never forget. 

Hillary Clinton Didn't Help Herself With Recent Comments

http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37329812

This article/video is about democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. At a recent fundraiser she said that she would put half of the trump supporters into the deplorable category. She then went on to say that that group are racists, homophobic etc. These comments have caught much of the attention of the media. Donald Trump responded to the comments, tweeting that he supports any American no matter who they are voting for.

This wasn't a good move from Hillary Clinton, in my opinion. Even if it is true, which I do believe it is, you shouldn't say that about another campaign. Donald Trump is always unprofessional, so she should use that to her advantage, and not sink to his level. Most people who support Clinton, have an idea of some of the subconscious thoughts of Trump supporters. Hillary isn't enlightening anyone by saying these things. I do have similar thoughts like this, but I wouldn't say it officially like how she did at this fundraiser. People who are in between candidates will be driven away from her. President Obama was never that quick to lash out at his competitors in 2008 and 2012, and granted those were better candidates, but she needs to have the same composure as the president for her to win. In the end, I think that people in the middle will vote based on policy, and seeing as Donald Trump doesn't have any real policies, they will vote for Clinton. The bigger implications aren't too huge. 

He's Back (Landon Donovan)

http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/2946015/landon-donovan-ends-retirement-to-rejoin-la-galaxy

This article is about USMNT and MLS legend Landon Donovan. The article is mainly about how he is coming out of retirement after almost two years of not playing soccer to play with the LA galaxy in MLS. The article mentions his amazing stats such as leading the U.S national team in goals, assists, and starts. It also mentions his amazing MLS stats and contributions for the Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. Current coach Bruce Arena and Landon Donovan have spoken and discussed that he may not have the same superstar role that he had before in his career. Landon Donovan's motive to return was after seeing the injuries that hurt the Galaxy's depth. He says his goal is to win the championship in December with LA. U.S fans are all hoping that he will return to the national team too, if he can get a call-up from Jurgen Klinsmann.

I just had the chance to interview this man a couple weeks ago, when we all thought he was long retired. He said his love for soccer never changed, and that he wants to do what he can to help the game in this country. He's doing just that. La Galaxy are currently 2nd in the western conference, but Landon Donovan is going to change the team. Whether he's coming on a substitute or starting the game, he will make a huge impact on the field assisting or scoring goals. Personally I do want to see him return to the U.S national team in November. Fans like me, love watching him play and he can help the team a lot on the field. He'll also help the game grow in America because if Landon Donovan is playing more people are going to tune into the game, and more people are going to buy tickets. That is a bigger implication of all of this. No matter what happens with Donovan I wish him the best in the rest of this season. 

The U.S win is a good sign of things to come.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/09/06/usa-trinidad-tobago-world-cup-qualifying-pulisic-altidore-kljestan-hex

This article is about the U.S' 4-0 defeat over Trinidad and Tobago in their last preliminary world cup qualifying match. They move on to the last qualifying round now, thanks to goals from Sacha Klejstan, Jozy Altidore, and Paul Arriola. Three out of the four goals came in the second half. Many fans were excited as 17 year old Christian Pulisic of Borussia Dortmund got his first start for the senior men's national team. The next world cup qualifying match will be on November 11th against Mexico.

After watching the match, I can say that this is one of the best performances the U.S has put out. We looked like we played very attacking soccer, and our front line looked more energetic than ever. It's great to see that our striker, Jozy Altidore is back in form and scoring. Christian Pulisic is only 17 years old, and he's starting for the U.S national team. Some of my friends are the same age as he is, and they play for my high school's team. It's incredible that he's standing toe to toe with the opposition at this level. The back line looked rock solid, and even though these four have never played together, they looked like they had great chemistry. The bigger implication of this match is that Jurgen Klinsmann will start playing a 4-4-2 and starting Jozy Altidore up top, now that he is healthy. I think the U.S has finally found a look that will work for us in the upcoming world cup qualifiers.

Pollution will affect our kids, but it also affects us.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37276219

This article is about a new scientific discovery regarding brain tissue and pollution. It has now been found that little particles of pollution called "nanospheres" can enter the brain and cause problems. They are 25 times as thin as a particle of hair. Now scientists are estimating that 50,000 people have died in the United Kingdom as a result of pollution from the air. It's probably that they enter through the lungs or nose and get into your bloodstream. It's still being debated as if this can be linked to genetic diseases like alzheimer's, but as of right now there's substantial evidence suggest that they are a threat to the brain.

This is really scary. We are going to have to start being even more environmentally conscious if we want to avoid more deaths like this. A lot of us are aware of the damage that pollution can cause over time, but aren't aware of many short term affects. This is a very short term affect that can affect you and me, just as easily as it does to the many people talked about in this article. I think that a good way to stop air pollution is get rid of fireworks. I know that they are a historic tradition in the U.S, but it's unnecessary in my opinion, and there are other ways it could be celebrated. Certain states like Colorado have already instituted restrictions on certain types of fireworks, which is a step in the right direction. Using that many fireworks on one day of the year is like using a decent amount everyday, and it has a use impact on the air that we breathe in. The bigger implication of all of this is that now we have legitimate fear of something that has short term affects, and as always science is helping us move forward and detect things in terms of health. 

Is England's win vs. Slovakia a sign of things to come?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37281801

This article is about the English national soccer team. In their first 2018 Russia world cup qualifier they beat 10-man Slovakia 1-0 thanks to a late 95th minute goal from Harry Kane. The article outlines how the team lined up and played. They played in a 4-2-3-1 with Harry Kane playing at striker. Captain Wayne Rooney played underneath him in a center attacking midfield role. He also took the corner kicks for the team, and a reporter asked Harry Kane about if he is going to be taking the set pieces again. He said that he doubts it, and that he already joked around with the manager about that. The reason that it's funny is because it was a big reason that England lost to Iceland over the summer in the 2016 European Championships. This game is also significant because it's the first game under new head coach Sam Allardyce. The former head coach Roy Hodgson was fired after the Iceland loss. Many England fans hope that this result can be one of many to come, and that it will be smooth sailing on their way to Russia in 2018.

England fans do have reason to be excited. They've got a fairly young team, and a lot of potential. I watched the game, and they did look decent at times, but they really should have gotten since more goals since they had one more player than Slovakia. It starts with the defensive midfield, which in my opinion is a little bit weak. Jordan Henderson is not going to be able to match up with the better midfielders in Europe, and Eric Dier still has a lot to learn. Their attacking midfield is solid, and Raheem Sterling, a Manchester City player who has been in great form, has his best years ahead of him. Harry Kane has the ability to score a lot of goals, but they have to get him more acclimated. In term of the bigger implications for this qualifying campaign, I think that they should win the group. They have one of the easiest groups, and they've already played one of their toughest matches (away to Slovakia). English fans are right to be frustrated with recent results. They lost to Iceland in the euros, a country that only has 400,000 people. In their last world cup they failed to qualify for the knockout rounds. England should be a bigger threat on the world's stage, and if they can figure out a couple of things and Allardyce can manage the team properly, I think they'll get there. 

Three Months Is NOT Enough for Brock Turner

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37259537
This article is about Stanford swimmer and sex offender, Brock Turner. On Friday morning, he was released from the Santa Clara jail in California. He was sentenced for six months because in 2015 he sexually assaulted an unconscious women outside of a fraternity house.  He was freed from the jail after only serving three months in prison, and is now returning to Ohio to live with his parents. He now faces three years of supervised probation, and will be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Most sex offenses, like this one, only live out half of their prison sentence.

Three months in jail is too short for a crime like this, in my opinion. This is a complete violation of another human being, and I'm sure it is scarring for the women involved. I've seen people go to jail for marijuana for longer than this, which doesn't even make sense. Rape is something that is illegal everywhere in the U.S, but marijuana isn't. Yet when someone does do marijuana, they go to jail for longer periods of time sometimes? The whole justice system is broken in this country, and it may never be fixed but I definitely think it's realistic to think that it can be better. Brock Turner committed a crime that should not be acceptable at all, and I'm ashamed to live in a country where someone can get off like that for doing something so evil.

Packers being favored in every game makes sense, but a couple things need to go right

http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/123395/green-bays-packers-are-now-favored-to-win-every-game

This article is about the NFL football team, the Green Bay Packers. They are now statistically favored to win every 2016-2017 regular season game, according to the ESPN Football Power Index. They have the highest chance of any NFL team to make the playoffs. A big part of this is the fact is that quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater of the Packer's division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings tore his ACL. The only game that the packers were favored to lose was in Minnesota, but now that
Bridgewater is injured the odds have changed in the Packers favor. In general, the projection of their success is due to their powerful offense, starting 2 time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. Last year he didn't have the luxury of throwing to one of the best receivers in the league, Jordy Nelson because he was injured. The article runs down how and why they are favored, and everything aforementioned in my summary.

The Packers can be one of the best teams in the NFL, but as a fan I can say that I am a little bit concerned about a few things. Jordy Nelson may be back, but that doesn't mean he's at 100% fitness. We've seen countless times that when an athlete tears their ACL, it doesn't mean they'll be the same player once they recover. Aaron Rodgers didn't have the best season last year, and Jordy Nelson being out was a big reason for that. He needs to turn 100% for the passing game to be a legitimate threat. The running back for the Packers, Eddie Lacy needs to get back to how he played in his rookie season. He dropped 20 pounds in the offseason to get a little bit faster. If the offense can be dominant, the problems with the Packers defense won't be as evident. A bigger implication of going 16-0 is that they will be the first seed in the NFC and play every playoff game at home, barring the super bowl. The Packers in their home, Lambeau Field are always harder to play against. We deserve to get more than one super bowl with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. The last one we won was six years ago. Let's change that.