Politics

With 2014 now upon us, we want you to vote for your personality of 2013 before your memory of the year becomes too hazy. Regular writer Erik Redli has narrowed down his favourites for you below and you can vote here. We'll be unveiling the winner next week.

Paul Ciancia, 23, killed one and injured six others at Los Angeles airport security check on Friday, 1 November 2013. He told police that he did not want to cause any damage, only express disagreement with the government. He left a ‘New World Order' note referring to a conspiracy theory that a group of politicians want to impose totalitarian control over the world.

It reminded me of the movie Shooter (pictured above).The main character kills in retribution, after a corrupt official turns him into a scapegoat to cover up their own premeditated murder. Vengeance is mine, he could say in the end of the movie.

But is it really the end? Will there be no more soldiers dying, no more mass graves, no more pilotless-drones? It is the same reasoning that says one village being wiped out for an oil pipe is worth it for the rest to live better. It means that a human life has no value when making decisions based on the general welfare.

In a special two-part series, Egyptian international student Amr Moufid looks at the state of his home country and the ways that freedom of speech is being challenged.

Opinions may differ, points of view might well clash, but facts remain facts regardless of anyone's personal feelings. Egypt is presently, as far as I'm aware, the only country to keep two of its Presidents (out of a total of five, not counting Acting Presidents) behind bars.

It is helpful to bear in mind however that, neither of these two Presidents ever dared to use the army against the people so as to keep in power, something which cannot be said of presidents of some other countries. But still, an unusual situation exists and deserves some reflection; all living Egyptian Presidents are, in accordance to the wishes of the people, locked-up.

Political Satire Gagged

To add to their already towering heap of trouble, the Egyptian people's newly rediscovered voice is under threat yet again. An Egyptian television host of a satirical news program was suppressed for making some mild, watered-down, soft jokes, aimed at some members of the government, during the previous week's show.

MPs (members of parliament who are elected representatives for a constituency) can be of great help if you want to make some changes in your local area, or indeed in any other part of the world.

London is divided into 73 parliamentary constituencies- to find your MP and their contact details you can visit the UK Parliament website or call the House of Commons information office at 0207 219 4272.

When you write to your MP, remember to include your contact details and do not forget to mention that you are a constituent: MPS are more keen to reply and help people who belong to their constituency.

Make your letter to the MP personal and don't be afraid to state your beliefs and principles. However, remember to keep it short & write clearly, and make sure you have suggestions & explain why you need your MP's help.

The recent acquittal of George Zimmerman, who killed the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in February this year, has sparked protests across the African-American community in the US, who are protesting against the verdict of the jury.

President Obama declared during a public speech, that the protests are the result of racist discrimination against black men who are often judged by the colour of their skin:

"It's important to recognize that the African-America community is looking at this issue through a set of experience and history that doesn't go away. There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. [...] The African- American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparity in the application of our criminal laws."

Trayvon Martin might have been a ‘thug', he might have acted suspiciously and might have assaulted Zimmerman.

However, rather than focusing on whether Zimmerman reacted in self-defence (a right that is often abused and extremely hard to prove right or wrong) or not, the argument here is on the conversations going on about racial discrimination and prejudices that show still how ephemeral any integration can be.