Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich explained the recent crime problems in Chicago:

"Violent crime in the city of Chicago is out of control. I'm offering resources of the state to the city to work in a constructive way with Mayor Daley to do everything we can possibly do to help stop this violence."

Chicago has laws in place for gun control. Not surprisingly, the laws aren't working. So naturally, to reduce the crime, tougher laws have been put in place. The criminals will no doubt give up crime because they don't want to break the law. Gun control works - if you obey the laws in the first place.

In years past, we've looked upon Israel as a staunch defender against terrorism. Alas, today we can say that no more. A horribly lopsided prisoner swap occurred in which Israel gave Hezbollah five terrorists in return for the bodies of two soldiers. Mind you, the terrorists given in the exchange weren't just petty men. One of them, the brutal Samir Kantar, is one of the most despicable people I have ever heard of. He killed a man in front of the man's four year old daughter, then not satisfied, killed the four year old girl by smashing in her skull in with the butt of his rifle. This man didn't deserve to breathe let alone be placed in jail, and then released nearly 30 years later. As in the past, all that negotiating with terrorists will do is breed more terrorism:

"What we've done now has made kidnapping soldiers the most profitable game in town," said Israeli security expert Martin Sherman. That Israel paid such a high price for dead bodies could provide an incentive for militants to kill future hostages, said Yuval Steinitz, a lawmaker from the opposition Likud Party. "This is a very dangerous precedent," he said. "We are telling them that they don't have to do their utmost to keep captive soldiers alive, to save them if captured."

If all the terrorists need to do is kidnap Israeli soldiers, kill them, and then give back the dead bodies for living terrorists, what do they have to lose? Israel needs to change the policies involved in this. If they wanted to crack down on Hezbollah, after receiving the two bodies, they should have simply killed 200 terrorists, in a show of "good faith." Sadly, the Israelis are on the defensive now, rather than the offensive, and being a tiny blip on the map in the middle east, with every other nation gunning for you does not bode well for them. It makes me wonder now, if the talk about Iran is simply that - talk.

Out of all the ideas for reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and to use alternative energy, I find the most promise from T. Boone Pickens' plan. Part of the reason I am so intrigued by his ideas are because they aren't politically motivated. Pickens is eighty years old and is a billionaire, so he doesn't have any financial aspirations from this - by the time his plan is implemented, he'll probably be long gone. He isn't trying to attack "Big Oil" but simply find us an alternate method to reduce our dependence, which is a good thing. I highly recommend checking out his plan. You'll see the commercials soon enough if you haven't already.

Canadian teenager Omar Khadr's story has been receiving more attention in the media, thanks to the recent release of his Guantanamo Bay Interrogation Video. While I am against torture if unwarranted, and certainly a child pulls at our emotions, this propaganda piece to free Khadr from Guantanamo by using the media and bad publicity is simply shameful. First, the video in question is not any atrocities being committed by the United States.

It shows Khadr weeping, his face buried in his hands, as he is questioned by Canadian intelligence agents over four days in 2003.

When looking at the history of Omar Khadr and his family, the connections to terrorism are undeniable. While connections aren't enough to convict someone, a tape of him burying landmines in Afghanistan played on 60 minutes sure enough should be.

The video shows Khadr toying with detonating cord as other men including Abu Laith al-Libi assemble explosives in the same house as had just been destroyed, identifiable by its walls, rugs and the environment seen out the windows in the video, and planting landmines while smiling and joking with the cameraman. It has been suggested that these were the same landmines later recovered by American forces on a road between Gardez and Khowst.

The only reason this is getting any play is because of his age, pure and simple. Had this simply been another terrorist - he is a terrorist - then he would be sitting in Guantanamo, rather than being given sympathy. Worse in my opinion than his actions, were those of his "role models" who led him down this path. His father, Ahmed Said Khadr, was a known terrorist and close associate of Osama Bin Laden, as noted by the United Nations. In fact, Omar Khadr had previously met Bin Laden. The hunger strike Omar Khadr participated in while in Guantanamo was most likely due to watching his father do the same thing in 1995. It isn't hard to find more details on the atrocities committed by the Khadar family. The fact that Omar Khadr is still alive after killing some of our brave soldiers is a testament to how fair we really are. Had we granted him his wish and killed him after finding him wounded, the world would have one less terrorist. We would, however, be no better than Omar Khadr. The media found a sensational story, and unfortunately tried to put a human face on terrorism. Here's hoping that Khadr will cooperate to help stop the terrorism, and turn his life around, rather than throw it away with the terrorist lot he has joined with.

Barack Obama held an town hall meeting in Dayton recently speaking about a "secure energy future." During the meeting, he made the following statement:

If Iran decided to shut down the petroleum-rich Strait of Hormuz tomorrow, they believe oil would skyrocket to $300-a-barrel in minutes, a price that one speculator predicted would result in $12-a-gallon gas. $12 a gallon.

While "one speculator" may have predicted this, it needs to be looked at in perspective. For starters, of the eighty-six million barrels of oil produced per day, Iran produces merely four of those - 4.6%. However, the Strait of Hormuz, relatively small at a length of 26 miles, has 25% of the world's oil supply pass through it. In itself, this poses a major problem, should Iran shut down this area.

However, Iran simply doesn't have the power, militarily speaking, to do this, and would have many other countries outside of the US breathing down their neck should this happen. In fact, the United States is on the record saying they will not let this happen. Vice-Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet had the following to say regarding the Strait of Hormuz:

Iran will not attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz and we will not allow them to close the Strait of Hormuz. I can't say it anymore clearly than that.

Like the earlier story about Iran's photoshopping issues, this is simply Iran, and Ahmadinejad trying to flex their muscle on a global level. Unfortunately for Iran, like the earlier story, it is simply smoke and mirrors. Iran at the worst could take four million barrels of oil off the market. At best, they would be smart to take no action, for I believe if they were to try to impose their will upon the Strait of Hormuz, it would lead not only the United States, but other allied nations to hostilities with Iran - A battle the Iranians cannot win.