I’ll keep my soap box oration short and to the point. The news during the current administration has frequently been depressing. Below are a couple articles you should read. One is about the Bush administration supporting torture in the form of simulated drowning as a viable interrogation technique. The other article is about U.S. soldiers in Iraq who murdered an Iraqi civilian who stumbled upon their sniper nest while he was going to get water. They then planted an AK-47 on his body. The soldier’s attorney is making the argument that this sort of thing is common in Iraq and why should these guys be punished? These news stories make me feel ashamed that I’m an American who’s tax dollars support the people who perpetrate these things. This leads to the last photo of the Obama supporter(holding my poster design). Just like the poster says, this gives me HOPE. Hope that young people can make a difference. Hope that a new president who believes in human rights can make the U.S. something to be proud of again. I think there has not been a more important time in my lifetime to be politically engaged. Please pay attention to what is happening and think about what you’d like to happen for your future. If November goes well maybe we can return to a larger dose of our regular programming of nice pictures.

-Shepard