ISIL offshoot takes another Western life

In the article titled "Jihadist video claims beheading of French hostage", Frenchman Hervé Gourdel was reportedly beheaded in Algeria after the ISIL offshoot demanded a stop to French airstrikes in the Middle East. After the French president refused to back down, the terrorists released a video of Gourdel being beheaded. This, if the video is real (which I'm sure it is), will be the fourth time that terrorists have beheaded Western hostages and ISIL threatens to behead another man, a Brit by the name Alan Henning.

 Like many of us, I am sickened by the events happening in the Middle East. I think that France or the US could have done more to try and save the hostages instead of just sitting around until they are dead. If we could have done a rescue mission and successfully brought back at least some of the hostages, I believe that it would send ISIL a powerful message that we will do anything to protect American lives. Furthermore, I believe that we should step up airstrikes in the Middle East and even expand them to Northern Africa, since it seems that a lot of terrorists take refuge in the countries there. Although it would violate those nation's sovereignty, I believe that it would be totally worth it in the end and besides, we already are conducting airstrikes in Syria without their permission.

Article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/09/24/algeria-islamic-state-beheading-video-french-hostage/16149609/

Dishonest media

The article written in the Journal a few weeks ago was extremely disappointing and misrepresenting. When I first read the article, the quotes seemed out of character for our school and our class. Back at school, I learned the truth behind what had happened. The journalist quoted people out of context and only put comments in that fit her article. The journalist purposely smeared our school's image just to fit her thoughts and beliefs. This is truely disheartening for me because now I see that even our own local media twists facts and just to get attention.