I DoN't GeT It

I don't get why anyone would want the death penalty to be in use. If someone committed a terrible crime don't you think they should have to live with it the rest of their lives rotting in jail rather than just letting them "off the hook" by torturing them for a few seconds. I mean, I understand they need to be punished and shouldn't be living if they are that harmful to society, but that's what prisons are for. And who gave another person the right to decided when another life should die? No one has the right under any situation to be in charge of a life or death situation that is intentional. It is disturbing to think people claim this power and title to kill others based on poor actions. I do however agree with letting them live a life in prison. So I guess I want someone to justify how and why others should be in control of deciding the fate of others. Where do we draw the line if this is justified?

Death Penalty

I am for the death penalty. I believe that when a criminal has commit ed a serious crime like double homicide, raping of a child, hate crimes that end in murder, I believe that the death penalty should be used. Most of the people that have commit ed the crime, will mostly likely do it again once they get out of prison. But if their life is taken, there is no possible way for them to hurt anyone any more. Thus making a better society. But the question about lethal injection still remains " Do it hurt?" Maybe it does and maybe it doesn't but it is better than the alternatives. We could always go back to the firing line( which is still used in some states) or hanging which is widely in use around the world. So many more thing could go wrong with those executions than lethal injection. Hanging is designed to snap your neck when you fall. Some times it doesn't and they hang there until they run out of air. Which would you rather have? Having a needle stuck in your arm and feel a little pain or dangle in the air with a rope around your neck for a 45 seconds??

death penalty

It looks like the Supreme Court halted the Mississippi execution as of now. I am not a big fan of lethal injections/death penalty, but I believe that when a crime goes too far and the criminal becomes dangerous, it may be the right thing to do. Yet, it's still murdering someone and ending that person's life. However, I think it's unfortunate that the states have to go as far as the lethal injection process. It makes me sad that some criminals have to face that destiny, but if it's what they deserve, then they have no choice.

Death Penalty

i agree that the death penalty is just morally wrong to kill a person but i also believe that the death penalty really should depend on the situation itself. Just like charis said, if someone killed and murdered let's say a numerous amount of innocent people and there's evidence to prove it then i definitely believe that the killer should definitely receive death penalty. Other then that however the death penalty shouldn't be used lightly.
I also think a good solution for death penalty is to not actually use the death penalty unless it's really necessary. I think that if someone does something wrong their life shouldn't be sentenced to death but if they did something morally wrong, beyond words wrong, then i do believe that they should give them a death penalty.

I would have to say that I am somewhat against the death penalty. First off, no one deserves to have their life taken away from them by someone else, it just isn't right. Also, sentencing someone to life without parole instead of the death penatly would cost significantly less. On average, each death sentence costs New Jersey taxpayers about $4.2 million (Source: http://www.njadp.org/forms/cost/MoneyforNothingNovember18.html). Another big issue is innocence. If alleged murderes are being sentenced for death row, the court should have to look into the evidence alot more than they have been, beacuse as of July 2nd, 2007, there have been 124 exonerations from 25 different states (Source: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/). All in all, it is pretty clear that the death penalty is definitely not cost effective as well as too many mistakes are made for it to be the right thing to do.

Death Penalty

I have to say that I am not completely against the death penalty but i do not support it. I think that it is a very serious subject. I feel that if they were going to punish people to death then they have to take that persons case into extra consideration. The reason for this is because there have been so many people that are wrongfully accused that are charged to death. On the other hand like Charis said there are some situations where its not safe for some people to even be in jail and the death penalty is the only safe solution.

death penalty...

I want to say that I am completely against the death penalty, but there are some cases that the death penalty seems to be the best punishment. What if a person commits multiple grusome murders. Many would say that spending the rest of their life in jail would be punish enough, but many murderers don't find jail as bad. Yeah their locked up, but they can start gangs, fights, and trouble all together. I'm not saying this is every persons case, bne real life example would be Charlie Manson (look up his biography). He was the leader of a group that caused numerous deaths. He was sentenced to be killed, but the process took too long, and the death penalty was no longer an option, so he got sentenced to life in prison. If you read about the crimes this man had commited you would not want him living in jail. He lives for torturing, and jail won't stop him.

Death PEnALty

I have to say that I am very against the Death Penalty. I think it's so wrong especially becuase there can be mistakes. There are plenty of people in jail and on death row that are innocent and no one cares to find out since they have already been found guilty and put in line to die. No one is interested in hearing their story and that is just sad. How can our country just kill people for their mistakes? All we are doing is taking revenge on the human being who performed an unlawful act. This however also proves that society has failed which includes us because something had to lead that person to cause such a crime. Either they could have been raised wrong or just haven't been taught the right things but if that person got the attention they needed, the crime might have been avoided. Killing them off isn't going to do any good because we won't even be able to figure out what led that person to do what he did so we as a country could reduce crime rates. In addition to this it gives the killer a quick exit out of suffering for the rest of his life. No one in my opinion has the right to take someone's life away because of mistakes in the past. I hate the death penalty.

DeAtH PeNalTy

I think that the death penalty is a very serious subject. After reading some of the last posts I agree with Jory that there is a lot of issues that even occur behind the bars. Having the death penalty would limit these extra issues but at the same time jail is supposed to be feared and I think anyone who has done anything bad enough to be close to the death penalty, should have to endure all of that suffering and long hours in a cell. Jail is not something to be taken lightly and I am all for people being punished for their poor actions. It only takes one stupid person to ruin the lives of a lot of people they involved in their actions and anyone that selfish should have to sit and live with those guilty feelings the rest of their life. The death penalty is the easy way out of a life of guiltness and shame, and personally I think they should have to wake up every morning seeing bars and reminding them of why they are there. Also, the death penalty is a little extreme becuase as humans, we make mistakes and if someone were to die without being guilty then that would be a shame.

News links...

You can access the news links I updated if you need any help for this discussion...

Let's not get crazy...

Okay, so maybe some of you were a little disappointed by your last blog grade... I understand this, but today's entries have been a little crazy. We need to stay focused on one topic long enough for people to respond. In a matter of two hours time we have discussed three topics I have a headache just trying to keep it all straight.

I do think that each topic is good, but there is enough material here to keep people talking for three weeks not one evening.

Having said that I am going to go back to Pat's original post on the death penalty. This is an interesting topic and one that I feel very strongly about... so, I am going to add some of my own food for thought...

First, I should tell you that I am absolutely opposed to the death penalty in all cases. I have a lot of reasons for this, but I am going to hold off on sharing some of these until I get a chance to hear what other people have to say... so, have fun talking.

Death Penalty

The Death Penalty is a very interesting topic that I must comment on. I believe that the death penalty should replace all the criminals that recieved life in prison. Why waste someone's life by keeping them locked up for their whole life. I think that this fact would then reduce the rape and bad acts done behind bars. If someone has a chance of getting out of jail then they will most likely behave better than the one's who have no chance of being set free. This however would never happen because people want criminals to suffer in jail rather than being killed and they also want jail to be a scary place to go. This is just my opinion even though it will never happen.

Death Penalty

I aggree with patrick that the death penalty should be allowed. pepole can do crimes that deserve the person to be killed for but i also think that if the convict is put in a cell for the rest of his life or in a dark room for 23 hours of the day would be worse than being killed. because in the cell or w.e they are locked up there and they are punished for their whole life. i think tho the parents or spouse of the victim if they are murdered shoudl get to chose if they shoudl be killed or put in jail for the rest of his life.

Death Penalty

Going off of what Mr. Spoor said today in class, I decided to change to topic to the death penalty. I just wanted to know everyone's thoughts on this, is it right or is it wrong? What crime is atrocious enough to be punished with this? We talked about this in Spanish Class and I think that this penalty is not immoral because most of the people who are punished with this have murdered multiple people. I would never think that someone who robbed a bank, or something like that but didn't kill anyone, would ever get the death penalty. I think that this penalty is right in some cases when we need to use the whole 'eye for an eye' idea. Thoughts??

Iran`

In the past few years in Iraq, we have known that Iran has been supporting Iraqi militant groups by providing them with weapons and ways to build IED's. One of the deadliest IED's that Iran have given the Iraqis is the shape charge. It is a coffee size container that is packed with explosives and a layer of copper plating is laid on top. When the bomb is set off, the copper molds into the shape of a dart. This dart can pierce through any armor that the US puts on its vehicles. The question I have is , "What are we doing to stop this?" Right now we have troops on the boarder between Iraq and Iran but that is not enough. I think that we need to cut of the flow of weapons between Iraq and Iran by any means necessary. This is key to stop the bombing of out troops in Iraq

Forest Fires

I am so grateful that we live in Illinois and nothing horrible has happened like the forest fires in California or even the earthquakes and hurricanes that happen around the country. These fires sound horrible and I really hope that everyone who was affected by them is able to get back to their normal life, although that seems unlikely. I know that when Hurricane Katrina hit in New Orleans it took them well over a year to get back to normal and even now the Hurricane has left and impression on the entire city. I just hope that they can stop these fires as soon as possible so that these people can get back to their normal lives.

Wildfire

I can't even imagine what it'd be like if i were caught in a wildfire and had to evacuate my home and all my other possessions. I don't understand why anyone would want to purposely start a fire and risk the many lives of the people who may be living near forested areas. I looked up on cnn's website to find out more about the wildfire and it said that the number of people hurt in the fires increased Friday to about 85 people, including at least 61 firefighters. It's upsetting to know that the person who started the fire is out there probably safely hiding and just watching the fire spread while there are other innocent people out there getting hurt and especially firefighters who give up their time and risk their lives to help stop the spreading of wildfire. I hope whoever started the fire will get caught and get what they deserve.

The fires

On Thursday my grandparents flew into the airport at San Diago. They called me when they landed and said they couls see the fires. That is how crazy these fires have spread

California Fires

The fires in california are some of the most dangerous fires people have to deal with. For example, wildfires spread incredably fast at dont stop for anything. Plus since the land in California is very dry the fire spreads easily. Not only are these fires dangerous but they are also very hard to stop because first you have to contain the fire and then you have to remove the fuel that the fire is running on, which is the dry land, which is hard to do. All in all, the fires in California are very dangerous and are destroying a lot of things.

Here in Illinois we are lucky that we don't have natural disasters like forest fires. I couldn't imagine losing my house and having everything inside destroyed. I also don't know would would incite a person to start one of these fires. You will get in huge trouble, like a looooong time in prison, and more importantly is how much death and devastation you would cause communities and families.

Fires

Everytime i watched the news this week i saw pictures and videos of how much destruction the forest fires in California were creating. I hate the fact that there are people out there who are adding to the problems with the fires with arsen. I feel so bad for all of the families that had to leave thier homes because they were in danger. I can't imagine knowing that everything I value could be burned up.

Smoke

Not only the fire, but all the smoke thats in the air in the San Diego area is pretty dangerous.
People are buying filter masks everywhere, and they are getting hard to find around that area.
But the sad reality is the filter masks may block out the bigger particles but the carbon monoxide and other small particles will seep through, and if they get stuck in your lungs you will get sick.

New Top

I know this has nothing to do what anyone is talking about but yesterday at my Harper class we wtched a really sad video. I don't know if many people heard of little boy blue but I just found out yesterday. It's about a little boy who was found in a blue canvas laundry bag in Dupage county Oct 8 2005 and was just given a proper burial Oct.15 2007. The sad part about this is that the boy was partly decomposed when found and officials couldn't find out who the little boy was. They only had little pices of info such as the blue faded glory shirt and pants from Walmart that he was wearing, his brown hair and big eyes, he was around 3-5 years old and his weight and height. They weren't able to even figure out his race. Officals gave him the name Johnny Doe and on his gravestone they imprinted "Son/Unknown but not forgotten". This story is so sad because I don't understand how no one will give info about this boy. There has to be friends, family and neighbors that know something about this boy. I don't understand why no one will speak up especially the parents of this child. This story has touched so many people that I can't understand why someone will not speak up!

what i think...

This may just sound repetetive, but this fire situation is horrible. I don't think that my first thought would be to grab anything if my house were on fire. Besides my younger brother and sister that is. I hope that I never have to make the decision of what I treasure most, and then have to lose everything else, permanently. Clothes and furniture can be replaced, but I think it was Mindy that said photos would be very important, if you had time that is. I agree! I have a bad memory myself, and if I didn't take pictures of places I have traveled to, or accomplishments I've made, I would probably forget. I haven't heard much about the families from the burnt homes, or what they were able to save. As long as they made it safely out of the house, that is most important.

California fires

Omgoodness. I don't know what I would do if I lived in California and my house burned down because of the wild fires. It's crazy to see that the winds are so strong and human power cannot do much to prevent the destruction that the fire has done. I think the people in California are really courageous for sticking up with each other and helping each other out. I just can't imagine how I would react in their situation. What could the people pack in such a short period of time and how can they pack just a few things. I would definitely pack important documents, money, and other necessities. But what about photos and clothes and all other valuables? I don't know, but I feel that photos and things that cannot be replaced may be better off to save. I would want to save things that hold precious memories. It's hard to relate to the people in California. We just got to help them out and show/give them much support and respect as possible.

California Fires

Oh my gosh, I know, I think its the most tragic thing. Just think about it, your whole house burned, all your things, all you pictures, clothes, everything, burned to ashes. Even if your house wasn't burned, but you were asked to evacuate...what would you pack? I watched the news the other day, and the lady said she brought as many pictures as she could, making that the most important thing. At first, i thought that was dumb, i mean wouldn't your first instinct be to pack clothes, and things necessary for life? But if you think about it it makes sense, if your pictures, like your wedding pictures or pictures of your deceased parents, got burned, how would you recover them? you wouldn't be able to. personally, pictures make the memories so much more clear and so much more fun to remember. also, things that you would probably pack first, like clothes and other material things can be replaced. Things like pictures and memories cant be. What would you pack?

New Topic

I was just wondering what everyone thought about the fires going on in California. There were about 1,200 homes that were destroyed already and the damages are going to cost over $1 billion. Police belive that at least two of the fires have been caused by arsons. It is unbelieveable that people could do that to others homes and put those people in danger. It's horrible to think that so much damage could happen in just four days and that thousands of people have had to leave their homes and go to emergency shelter. It is good to see that the fires have shown signs of stopping though.

Unbelievable...

What would drive a young girl to do something like that? I haven't even heard about this incident, which surprises me because it is so horrible. I feel sorry for the parents of the Freshman girl, they won't be able to watch their child grow up because of a careless high school student. I wonder what became of the girl who did the stabbing. Does anyone know?

SAY WHAT?

High School killings happen because of bullying and cliques and the need to be accepted. The little freshmen probably was saying stuff about the senior or somebody who didn't like the freshman told the senior they said some bull which pissed the senior off to the point where they killed them. It can happen in Fremd and i don't want to be here when it does becuase our school is so currupt with rumors and drama. people need to stop harrasing someone becasue they're different. Labels are put onto everybody and you all judge. I bet that there are more than 7 people in this class who don't like me and say things about me behind my back when they don't even know me. I'm not psycho but if i was that wouldn't be good. Everyone needs to stop bulling and accept everyone for who they are and stop saying crap ass rumors!

yeah i agree with what Lauren said. its pretty hard to understand whats going through someones mind when something like that happens. i never understood what makes a person feel that they have the right to take someone else's life from them. and with those girls being so young.. no one will ever know what the freshman girl could have become, and the senior.. well shes ruined her life too. making a mistake like that at such a young age, you dont have a chance, its unforgiveable. its awful what people can do to eachother.

Stabbing

That is very scary that a senior would do that. It makes me think about how things are like that really do happen out there. Because we live in a good environment and go to a school where maybe there a a few fist fights and whatnot, that we are semi sheltered to the world that is really going on around us. I mean, look at the last few comments on this topic, including mine, they are about how we never could even imagine this would happen...well it does happen and that is probably the scariest thing about the whole situation. Even if the kids were in a fight or whatever the reason, there is nothing that can justify those actions other than self defense. It is truly sad to hear those stories, it seems like we can't even turn on the news without some disturbing story flashing across the screen. In most cases, like when watching the news, when we see the stories of murders and rapists and sick things we often just stare at the tv like nothing even happened. Until some people are personally affected, I think it is easy to just brush off and ignore what is going on in the world.

Re: Immortal Acts

That is very shocking to see that a 17-year old girl stabbed a freshman who was probably 14. You hardly ever hear about high school girls acting that violently and the fact that she did this to a freshman is shocking. How was the relationship between these bad enough for one to stab the other? This is shocking and one of the most disturbing things that I have heard in a while.

Immoral Acts

OK, so I was just searching MSNBC for a new topic, and I read that a 17 year old girl fatally stabbed a freshman. That is just scary. That a 17 year old, a senior, like us, would do that. Could you ever imagine doing that? or even THINK of stabbing someone? I couldn't I don't think I would even consider coming near to that. I don't know if I've ever been angry enough to even punch someone. Maybe its just me, but I think that's a little weird.

Horrible Mistakes

Seeing all of the evil that corrupts people in the world really scares me. This one incident where they ended up catching the pedaphile isn't like every incident because many people are still our there commiting these crimes and the victims are too ashamed or too scared to speak up about it so justice can take its course. I am very glad that this man was caught but the realizations that it took them 3 years to finally get him makes me wonder how many other children became victims in those three years. Every person no matter what age or gender should have control over thier bodies, and knowing that people can take that control away tells me that police need to do more and people should take precautions to avoid dangerous situations.

Yeah I would have to agree with Sean and I think I speak for hopefully all of us when I say that's TOTALLY disquesting!! I don't know what these people are thinking! How on earth can you think of a child as a sexual object?!! I believe there is someone for everyone so its not like these people need to do this to these little kids. If they really wanted I'm sure they could find people their own age if they really tried! If they can find people young enough to be their children or even sicker, grandchildren then they can find someone their own age!

Pedaphile

I think the whole pedaphile thing is quite disgusting. For instance, a man being like 43 and a kid being 11 and not having hit puberty yet. I mean that just isn't right at all, no matter culture you belong to it just doesn't seem right at all to me. And the whole scandel with the pedaphile hiding in Thailand, it serves him right to get caught. I mean if your dumb enough to throw pictures around and expect not to get caught with today's technology, your just stupid and should get caught. All in all, if your old just stay away from the little people in the world, that's why theres hookers.

Busted!!

Has any one seen that show on the Discovery channel where they bust people looking to have sex with minors? It is really weird. Most of the men spend hours driving to meet up with a 14 year old girl. You should see the looks on their faces when a 40 year old man walks in with a bunch of camera men. The funny thing is that these men know that what they are doing is wrong. People are just sick.

hm

Sexual Misconduct is becoming more widespread it seems. Well atleast according to the CNN news. They rated that there are atleast 3 abusive educators within each school. The sad thing is most of the abuses never get reported. I think its sick and one of the worst taboo's to sexual molest children, and the video we watched before, where the 32 year old married and 11 year old or something was really wrong. I wonder what goes on through these peoples heads..

ewwwww

That was crazy how they unscrambled his face!! I can't believe we can do stuff like that. Pedafiles are the most disgusting people ever. Over the summer I lifeguarded at Birchwood pool and we had one that came every week. He would sit in the baby pool area and do disgusting things. It was terrible. Finally, he got kicked out. It was so gross! I don't understand how you could get satisfaction from violating children...repulsive!!!

Pedaphile

the clip we saw today of the pedaphile that got caught in China was nasty. How can an older man ask kids to have sex for money. It is disturbing to know that there are actually people out there like that. I wish he got caught sooner than 3 years however it's good that he's finally getting punished. You can tell he was embarassed and ashamed of himself too because in the courtrooms he would wear shades and when walking through crowds he covered his face. He deserved people to make fun of him and he should be ashamed for what he did because that is just sad to hurt kids that way since it'll be in the back of their heads forever pushing out low self-esteem. High five to whoever figured out how to unscramble the picture.

Say What?!

SO yea that ken guy, total creep for marrying an 11 year old child who probably hasn't started puberty yet or just got it. I thing it's insulting to the girl that ken wouldn't give her their kids. and Why do they put sticks through their skin?

What?????

The thing that bothered me the most, were the pictures! of him and her....I mean they looked really perturbing, and didn't really do a good job defending him saying "I was ageist it! but I have to except there culture." SO....?! your ageist letting your kids except there culture and kill monkeys out of trees but you'll marry and take intimate looking pictures with a little 11 year old girl... Hum..........ok?

Yanamomo

I understand Ken Good was trying to be a "good" anthropologist. He just wanted to be a part of the tribe culture, so he accepted the eleven year old for his wife.. Um.. wait.. that's wrong in our culture. Really wrong! I don't respect his decision to take her for his wife. He was almost in his forties, and she's just a little girl. I don't know, but I guess I see a little parallel in our culture. Not at that extreme case, but in our culture, often parents sometimes push their children to marry someone they want them to marry.
Mr. Spoor also made a good point about how Ken Good was not a very good anthropologist in his attitude toward the Yanamomo tribe. I didn't really get a sense that Ken Good was treating the tribe nicely. I just didn't get that nice vibe from him throughout the movie.

Movie Reaction

What bothered me most about the movie was the relationship between Ken and the Yanomami girl. It is a shame that she was betrothed to him so young and did not get to grow up and pick someone that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He did not view her culture the same way as her, and so he thought that she was in a better place with him in America while she always felt like she was missing out on vital aspects of life that she used to have when living with the Yanomamis. Although her decision to go back and live with her people may have been what she needed I feel that she should have taken her children into greater consideration and not just left all three of them in the United States where she would not be able to see them without a hard journey.

movie

What I really thought was weird about this situation was the fact that people actually live in a jungle today. It seems so long ago and we had so many advancements that you wouldn't believe people would still live in a jungle. Not only that, but the fact that the girl after being exposed to life outside the jungle which is how we all live today, she actually went back to the jungle. I thought about this a lot and I think it's the freedom that counted for her, because here you need a job to survive, we all have so many stresses like college, getting a car, car accidents, cops catching you, and so on. Our world is so complicated and we have so much to worry about, while in the jungle there is no government, there is no cops, there is no school, there is just freedom. I don't know it's just what I was thinking about. Now I want to go live in the jungle. JP

The Yanomami...

I agree with Julia when she wrote about how parents should not have two people pressured into getting married. Ken was much too old for her, and he did not respect her culture. The movie made it seem like he just kept getting told to marry her, so he did. Ken mentioned in the video that his children could live in the jungle if they wanted to, but it didn't seem like they had a choice when Ken and the Yanomami girl split up, and Ken took the kids. I also don't understand how the girl could stay in the village like that, with all of the abuse from the men, and dangers in the jungle.

By the way, does someone remember the name of the Yanomami girl that Ken married?

video

I definitely agree with everyone else on this one. It was very wrong to take a bride at the age of eleven. Even though this may be a custom of the Yanomami, he should relize that, that is not his culture. Respecting a culture and living it are two entirely different things. I thought it was really kind of ironic and interesting that the lady ended up back with her tribe after it was all said an done. "You can take the girl out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the girl."

Yanomamo Video

Alright so this so called anthropologist is kinda shady. He first marries a girl that's 23 years younger than him. That means when he was 23, a legal adult and old enough to be her father, she was born. Then, when he marries her, he doesn't even respect the culture. He thinks of them as crazies who run around naked and shoot monkeys. I think that is incredibly rude to talk about your wife's culture like that. Also, I have a feeling that when he married her, it wasn't for love. In my opinion, I think marriage should be for love, not your parents choice. In other words, when you marry someone you are supposed to be with them for the rest of your life. When your parents chose someone for you, how will they know what will work for you and what won't. I understand and believe that the parents should agree on your fiance but I think that you should be the one to choose. All in all, you would think that an anthropologist would be someone that would be good for the woman from the Yanomamo tribe but, as it turns out, maybe it wasn't the best match.

anthropology my a$$

I agree with dani. How could he marry and 11 year old!!! That is what we call a pedafile. I can't believe how weird he is and how disrespectful. He has no respect for them, yet he married one of them. What is up with that? This guy is obviously a freak and I hope they ban him from visiting again. I just still cannot believe how selfish he is.

Anthropologists???

I think that it’s ridiculous that people like this Ken guy and Chagnon call themselves anthropologists. It’s obvious that they have no respect for the Yanomamo people or their culture. These men are not only poor anthropologists but they are immoral people. I agree that the Ken’s marriage to an 11 year old is just wrong. That is probably one of the grossest things that I have ever heard and it’s illegal! And Chagnon totally exploited the Yanomamo for his own good. If these men are going to call themselves anthropologists then they better start showing some respect for other world cultures.

Reaction to "Into the Heart of Darkness"

I found the video that we watched on Tuesday was very interesting. The first part that really struck me as interesting and somewhat disturbing was that the women from this tribe were given away to their husbands as children under the age of ten. The fact that Ken was 36 when he married his wife was very strange. The couple did not seem to have a great relationship because they both had different futures for their kids. What I found very strange was that the mother said that she would never be with a man from her tribe but then she wanted her daughter to come to the tribe and get married. Why would she want that horrible of a life for her daughter when they could stay in America and have a productive life?

Chagnon is a no-no

Anthropologists like Chagnon, to me, do not come up with legitimate information. Mainly because I too can come into a different civilization and cause mayhem and then record it. But by doing so, I am neither examining their culture nor learning about their lives.

Chagnon did this on a grand scale and didn't even attempt to hide it, in my opinion. He seemed to have a bias opinion even before his research which is a big no-no when you are anthropologist. You're supposed to be a student, learning about other cultures through their lenses, and the only thing Chagnon did was create situations for the Yanomami and watch how they react. It's artificial and frankly, unprofessional. No wonder he is so controversial, the way he gathers his "data" is inhumane. He points people in a direction, like fighting or committing sins, and then is shocked when they obey and something awful happens.

And Ken just creeps the heck out of me. I am almost not shocked that the woman went back to her tribe. That was her life before Superhero Ken came away and swept her off her feet! Puhleeze!

Yanomamo

I wanted to ask people what they thought about the video we watched in class, and the article "Into the Heart of Darkness." The article really upset me to know that people like Chagnon who is supposed to get to know thier culture, would disrespect the taboos of the Yanomamo peopole. I believe that the research he gathered about how violent they are is somewhat inaccurate because of the conflict he created among the people by rewarding those who violated the taboo with rewards and objects. Creating jelousy amoung members should not be a strategy that an anthropoligst uses to get information. Chagnon should have tried to understand the people without trying to manipulate them for his own benefit, or disrespect taboos of thier culture.

meth destroys lives...

Meth is destroying lives every day. People do not plan on becoming meth addicts, it is just something that they are usually pressured into. I was not in class the day that the movie played, but when driving into Chicago I saw a billboard showing a women before and after getting hooked on Meth. She almost appeared unhuman. She had rotting yellow teeth (the ones that she still had), her hair was thining, and her face looked lifeless, which it basically was. I do not understand why a person would do something that they know has such severe consiquences on themselves and those arround them. Many times addicts don't realize that their drug use affects their family and friends, A LOT! I don't want to judge anyone, but the right choice just seems so obvious... Avoid drugs!

METH SUCKS

I agree with Jory when he says that the government should crack down on all the meth plants. i also agree that i would never try that. if i would to walk in a room and see someone smoking meth i would know i was in a bad place and get out of there. people should never try meth all it does is ruin lives, there is nothing good that comes out of doing meth. One time you try it can get you hooked and your body just feels like it needs more and then it could end up to death. If you dont die from using meth you will start to look different. your teeth will mold and that is gross and no one is gonna want to be with you. and why would u ever want to get that ugly and look a lot older than you are. meth is just really bad and sucks and no one should ever try it.

Meth Video

I can't believe those people in the meth video. Why would you even try a drug that makes you look like them. I mean when you try a cigarette you get bad lungs or cancer and that is enough to keep me away from that. But if you look like the way those people do and you end up dieing then there is no way you will see me hitting out of a meth pipe. I guarantee it. I think the government needs to crack down on those manufacturing plants that have the main ingridient to meth. That would decrease the meth users a lot just like that drug that guy was talking about in the movie

METH VID

WOW.. the meth video was really shocking. The images in the video were really disturbing. I didn't think meth abuse is as serious as it actually is. It's frightening to also hear that meth abuse has become an epidemic and it's moving east. The effects are so deadly, yet I wonder why people still use it. It's sad to see how aged and ugly the meth abusers looked. They looked somewhat normal before, and after using meth, they looked hideous. I hope people make more of these kinds of videos because they can really educate people. I think this video can get so many people to not even try meth once since it is highly addicting, and I'm sure no one will want to look like the people who used meth.

Meth Video

The meth video that we watched in class definitely suprised me. It is scary to think of how big a problem meth has become in this country and that people are continuing to use it. You hear a lot about how drugs, such as heroine, can affect you but never meth. I think that Kate is right about being oblivious to these things because of were we live. We live in such a protected area we don't hear about these things as much. I was also suprised by how meth destroys your appearence and what it can do to you physically. It is sad that all these people know they are destroying themselves but can't break their addiction. I think that the government needs to step in and take more action to get rid of the meth in our country.

meth

About the meth video on Friday, i thought it was very interesting and informative. Alot of us were clueless that this drug was getting to become such a big problem nationwide.. i think that mostly has to do with our location. I think its hard for us to understand how someone can do something so devastating to themselves, but we're not living in a community where meth use is an everyday occurrance. But i think that the government, or whoever is trying to prevent further spread of the drug, is doing a pretty good job at stopping, or at least slowing, the 'epidemic'. It's a really hard thing to fight too since it is made with things anyone can get a hold of.
Another thing that i thought was interesting, was whenever the police or whoever interviewed a user, all the addicts said the same thing, they all knew that the drug destroyed their community and they all knew that they were killing themselves quite quickly. They regretted ever trying the drug becuause thats what got them to where they were then. The trick to stopping the spread of the drug is making is so unappealing that someone wont even want to try it.. because once you try it, it alters your brain and like they said on the video, there may be no way to ever get you completely clean. and yeah thats about all.

The Meth video was very suprising to me. Previously, I had next to no clue that Meth was a major issue in this country until about a week ago. In my family history I've had a few cousins and uncles that were involved with serious drugs like Heroine and Alchohol addictions. Thankfully they broke their addictions, except for my cousin who has schizophrenia and is involved with alot of drugs and gangs in L.A.

The More Quality, The More Users

After seeing the video on Meth, I was surprised on how easy it was for those people to get their hands on the key ingredients to cook Meth. There were so many people using in Oregon. Another shock that I learned from the video was how using Meth changed the chemistry of the brain. Dopamine is a very dangerous and powerful thing and should not be messed with. There are also tons of commercials on now that are trying to keep us from breaking out in another Meth epidemic.

Smart people, Stupid choices

This meth video was a huge surprise for me. I had heard that this drug was extremely addictive and a few other things, but I never expected that a drug could change you so much physically. It also kind of scared me that so many people in small towns were doing meth. Especially because when I hear of drugs, I think of the city and places with a lot of people to circulate the drugs. When I think that this drug can be so popular in such a small community, it makes me wonder what will happen when it gets to the cities, especially since its so addictive. I'm glad that I got to see this video because it scares me away from drugs even more. I can never understand why smart people do stupid things like this. It can't be to look cool..since you saw the results..you don't look too cool after doing meth.

Funny!

Well' speaking of meth. When we watched that video in class; about the part with the parents teaching there kids how to cook it! (funny thing) I cam home tiered and thirsty, so I went into the kitchen to get a drink. And what do I see!? my little 8 year old sister holding a spoon with what looked like it had some liquid substance in it that was bubbling! Shocked and amazed I asked her what she was doing. Thankfully it was her just playing with those capsules that you take when you have an upset stomach. I happen to think it was funny because, what are the odds of her doing that on the very same day we saw the video?

Meth

I thought that the Meth video we watched in class was very much needed for the teen population today. I thought it described meth and the way people become addicted and what happens to them very well. I think that video actually influences teens and people in general not to use the drug as opposed to peer pressure and people finding out first hand what the drug can do to you. All in all, this video showed me all the reasons that make me not want to try mth and ruin my life.

Hey Everyone!

Hi! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I told you all that I would be posting the website for that has the format for the book review... here it is!

This website is much more thorough than the one I showed you in class! I hope it helps you!

http://www.lavc.cc.ca.us/Library/bookreview.htm

You cook it, we will come!

I'm sorry I missed the video on Meth. I was at home, sick, very sick. Anyway, for State Speech Final last year, we went to Rock Island. Rock Island is one of the quad cities, and it's about three hours away, just west of where we live. It's not Oregon or Nebraska, but right here in Illinois, about the same three hours away as U of I. That being said, Mr. Spoor can vouch for this, there were tons of billboards "You cook it! We will come!" And it wasn't talking about pot roast. Meth. Obviously, meth is a big problem. And honestly, I think, like many other illegal substances, it happens because 1. people are bored. 2. people are unhappy. and 3. people need money. Meth will be anywhere people are. And that's something America is obviously working on, as well as other countries in the world. Just because we don't hear about it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
And to me, it's not a shock that people do it. Obviously, it's harmful. But so are cigarettes and alcohal and potentially sky-diving, perhaps Crystal Meth is just another sacrifice to have fun or be happy temporarily. Also, dough. Brings in money. So if you are bored or depressed and need cash, it's an option. And sadly, it's always been.

methity meth meth

I never realized how big meth was in Oregon and other more rural states. The statistics in the clips were pretty shocking. I just hope that they can stop it before it gets to us. I also don't know why anyone would ever want to try it. You're happy for a little while but pretty quick you become dependant and very ugly and crazed. I don't see how people could waste their life like that. I think we're on a good track though. At every store that sells cold medicines they limit how much you can buy within a certain time period, which I think is very smart. Let's just hope it is strictly enforced.

Meth Video

The meth video was really enlightening. I usually don't think about drugs in terms of consequences since our culture focuses more on the brighter side of negative things.
Taking these substances is killing the body, and the video illustrated that perfectly.
I think its good to see things like this once in awhile. Even though it may be graphic and unpleasant
it helps us realize that there are things out there thats more important then the "Hoodie" we can't afford. People are dieing and suffering yet sometimes with our busy lives we just don't stop and think that we have alot compared to the rest of the world.

Meth Video

I thought that the meth video was crazy. It so sad that people allow themselves to be so consumed by drugs. The worst thing about the video was when the one guy told the police that his mother was the one who introduced him to meth when he was only 12! The mother was ovbioulsy so obsessed with the drug that she was making such horrible decisions as to give them to her children. As for trying to eliminate the meth problem, I can see why there are problems restricting the sales of the chemicals because they are needed for medicine but I think that it should be made much more difficult for people and companies to purchase the chemicals so they can eliminate the risk of meth cooks buying them.

Drug problems

I wanted to change the topic to the video on meth that we watched on Friday because it was really interesting. I agreed with Mr. Spoor about how shocking the first part was because of the pictures. It is amazing how much the drug can change you not only physically, but also emotionally. What scares me most is that people start relying on the drug because they need it in order to feel happiness because of how it stimulates dopamine in the brain. It is unfortunate that so many people get in trouble with the law, or destroy thier families because of the dependency on this drug. I think that solving the issue with the approach of eliminating the factories that aid the drugs production is a very good idea.

school shootings

The statistics are disturbing. 37 school shootings since 1996???? That's a large number. Just last year, there was the Virginia Tech incident, and now there's the Ohio school shooting incident. Problem is, how far and what measures are officials taking to decrease this number? Are we safe in our school? I mean, we will never know when and where these incidents can take place. These things can happen anytime, and we need to be sure that we can protect ourselves and get educated in a safe environment.

School Shootings

There have been 37 school shooting incidents in the U.S since 1996, and there was just one last Friday. These school shootings have increased over the past few years especially. They happen at every type of school whether it be a poor inner city school like the one this past Friday or a rich suberban school like columbine. It's chilling to think that it could happen at a school like Fremd and take everbody by surprise. If school shootings keep happening at the current pace, i wonder what measures will be taken. Will all schools enforce metal detectors on their students? I wish all students could be treated respectfully so school shootings wouldn't happen, but that's unrealistic. There will always be bullies, loners, and violent people at school. I just wonder how school shootings can be prevented from the alarming pace they are at in 2007.

Ohio shooting

I agree that this shooting is very disturbing. What would make this fourteen year old go out and get a gun then bring it to school and actually try to injure his classmates is beyond me. I read that the kid brought in the gun because he was upset that he got suspended from school for fighting and that he had a background of violence. It scares me to think that something like this could happen at Fremd because there are a lot of students who feel that they don't fit in and people don't understand them. Hopefully stories like this will help people think about how they treat others.

Re: School Shootings

I will never forget when I first heard about the shooting at Columbine (I think we were in 3rd grade). I thought that this was something that would only happen once in my lifetime, I thought that this was something that only a very depressed, disturbed teenager could possibly do. But then we had the Virginia Tech shooting last year and now this one that just happened. The fact that the kid was only fourteen is very disturbing and makes people wonder just how young someone can be and still do something like this. I am very glad we are at Fremd, which is doing so much to prevent anything like this from happening. Some of these school need to learn what goes on with certain kids and bullying so that they can stop this from happening. I see bullying all of the time at Fremd but I never think that it could result in a shooting. We must consider ourselves lucky this hasn't happened in our school.

School Shootings

Everytime i hear about kids who bring guns to school and kill others it makes me feel so bad that nothing was done to prevent it. I think so many times violence is a result of horrible things that happen in people's lives. It is so sad to think that deaths of innocent kids could have been prevented if whatever provoked violence in people was stopped. A lot of times in high school people feel isolated, or even victimized by others. I wonder if kids who bring guns to school aren't just rebelling after feeling abused and rejected by all of the other kids around them. One part of me fears someone who at the age of fourteen would have the ability to kill another, but another part of me has sympathy for them. They are still young and the whole course of thier lives will be changed. Whatever made them angry enough to have so much hate in thier heart to want to hurt other people has to be pretty bad. I hope that in the future people can work at helping kids who might be dealing with feelings that could eventually lead to violence.

shootings....

Reading that comment about the shootings in Ohio totally caught me by surprise. It scares me to think how a 14 year old kid could get a hold of a gun, and bring it to school. it also makes me nervous for our own school. its not like these shootings are happening in large cities or places of high crime rates. they're just normal places, like palatine. i am concerned for our culture too. i wonder what other countries think of America when they hear about these shootings in high schools or colleges. if you lived in another country and heard this, would you want to see your friends or family move here? it makes it seem like its easy to bring guns to school. if a 14 year old could do it...many others could too. i guess they were just lucky that this kid didn't kill someone. he injured five, and it scares me to think that he could do that before someone could stop someone. Also, it worries me that he would do that to his own classmates. he might not have known the people he shot, but still, what would inspire you to 1) bring a gun to school and 2) shoot the people you see everyday. then again, the suspected shooter killed himself. today in my outdoor adventure class, Mr. Patton talked about how we should care about the people around us, even if we don't know them. maybe, if someone had cared for this kid, even just noticed, maybe he wouldn't have shot five people and killed himself.

????KaItLyN's PoSt????

Don't get e wrong i totally support the troops but i don't support the war and i don't even know why we are fighting them still. I mean yea they did hijack our plains (sp?) and crashed them into important building but that was six years ago. We captured sadam (even though i thought he was already dead because of the south park movie) and i think that osoma is either dead and has many copys of himself or he's board in his hole in the ground and has nothing else to do but send the US threatening movies where he looks dead.

CHANGING SUBECTS!!!

Did you see that there was another school shooting today in cleveland, ohio?? scary. the shooter was only 14 years old too. I'm afraid it could happen at fremd because it seems that a lot people outcast and dismiss other people and to much of it as well.

support for troops

I totally agree with Rita. We Americans and teens are so busy and occupied with our lives and we fail to remember that there are still troops and soldiers out there in Iraq who are fighting to protect us. It seems that the first few years of the war, Americans in general were more aware and sympathetic for the soldiers fighting in Iraq. However, as the years passed, I feel that our actions to support the troops have dwindled and Americans have definitely become more apathetic. Even if many Americans feel that the war now should be over and they may not agree with the ongoing fighting, I feel that Americans should never forget about the soldiers dying in Iraq and the courage they must have to be fighting in such a destructive place.

Iraqi support, just words?

The war in Iraq seems so far away from life here, and that is why I strongly believe that many teens do not know about it and do not try to really understand what's going on. I am not a fan of war, and sometimes I find it easier to block out the amount of casualties and problems we face in Iraq. However, I often try to educate myself because in reality, ignorance isn't bliss. I know in the back of my mind that just because I do not hear about certain tragedies, doesnt mean they arent happening.
It is extremely important for us to realize the truth in what is happening in Iraq, and that way, the troops overseas will have, I wan to to say, more motivation to fight. If they knew that fellow peers, not just adults, understood and cared about what they were doing, they would really be better off. I am not saying they aren't motivated, but I, myself, feel better about knowing what they are going through, so I can support them in a more mature and important way, rather than just saying "I support the troops" without actually knowing what is going on.

Just a Reminder and maybe something for this week...

Hey everyone!

I liked the posts about values and culture and I appreciate the comments about the current event discussion from Friday. I am glad you all took something away from the day.

I do want to remind you, though, that a post for your class credit is not one that just states you enjoyed class. You need to make a meaningful and thoughtful post.

So, maybe some of you need some direction... What about a discussion about our culture and/or values? What about addressing some concerns people have been having regarding a general sense of apathy toward the war in Iraq.

Current Events

I think it was very interesting the other day to devote a class period to learn about what was going on in the world today. I found out somethings that i didn't even know were happining in the world today like the whole Myanmar situation and what is actually happening in Iraq today. So I think that we should spend more time talking about whats going on in the world because we should know whats happening in the world around us and not just what is happening in Fremd high school. All in all, current events are interesting topics and it intrigues me to hear what is going on ouside the U.S. as well as in the U.S.

Iraqi Ignorance

According to CNN, after more than three years of combat and thousands dead, 2/3 of children actively in school, could not locate Iraq on the map.

Less than six months after Hurrican Katrina, 33 percent could not locate Lousiana.

88% couldn't locate Afghanistan after widespread news coverage in 2001 during the Taliban downfall.

Why do you think that is? Teachers? Nobody watches the news?

I think that this goes along with American ignorance. We are compassionate people during crisis, like Spoor said, but otherwise, we often do not think outside our own borders to what is going on in the world, even to places where our troops are stationed and "fighting for our freedom." It's kind of awful, in my opinion, that so many people feel like because America is so powerful and so great, that we do not need to educating ourselves about other places. It's an example that other nations that don't like us can use against us. And they do.

i also liked watching the clips and talking about current events. i have found that ive really moved away from watching the news and tv in general.. it really depresses me to listen to one bad thing after another. but the current events that we talked about in class made me realize how out-of-touch ive gotten and that it really is important to know and understand whats going on in the world today. alot of things are changing and with us being in the next generation eligible to vote, we really ought to be aware of issues today.

current events

I definitely enjoy the current events too, because it's nice to see what's really happening out there. About the guy with the flag though, I think I agree with his intentions, even though he didn't go about it in the best way. Other than the constitution, our flag is the most prized possession we have in the United States in my opinion. To me, flying another flag over it is on the same level of dropping it on the ground; Both are signs of disrespect to "Old Glory" and in turn the United States of America. Also, they said the store owner claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Using my best judgement in this case, I would beg to differ.

caught up on current events!

I agree with Mindy. Those current events were great to get caught up on, and were an interesting way to end the week. I myself am not very talented when it comes to geography, so looking at the locations of the different countries involved in the war gave me some clue. I hope our class keeps up with these current events because it is important to know what is going on arround the world. That way we can make oppinions and have discussions about them in class.

By the way, even though it was disrespectful to our country, did any one else feel bad for the store owner who had his flags ripped down by the veteran with the oddly large knife? I wonder if he even knew about the proper presentation of the flags!

current events

Along with the fate discussion, I would just like to add that I really liked the current events discussion we had in class today. It was nice to watch video clips on the internet and talk about things like the war in Iraq (since a lot of us don't know what the heck is going on there) and then other issues. I hope we can do those often because it was really interesting for me. I have to admit that I never really get the chance to watch the news or read the paper, so this was nice for keeping me updated.

FATE...

I think any discussion about fate is interesting. We all can relate to any experience or events that occurred in our life that sometimes makes us wonder if fate is the reason behind them. I also believe in fate at some extent. I'm not like one of those crazy fanatics that believe in predestination or that we all have a destiny that we can't change and have no choice in. However, I agree that our actions we choose guide us through our life like destiny. We are given choices to make every day of our life, and I think the decisions we make with them are what shapes our future.
However, I have to say that I've experienced something really crazy that I think may be fate or destiny. Three years ago, I randomly met this guy in an airport in Washington D.C. He and I just somehow met by accident. It may sound so weird, but we really did meet in the airport and that was that. We never talked ever since because he almost missed his flight and he had to leave really early. The crazy thing is, I didn't know he went to Fremd. When I moved to Fremd last year, I just happened to meet him at the school during the summer when I was getting a tour or the school. This is a true story and I'm not exaggerating any part of it. Both he and I were really surprised and we still talk about that day that we met in D.C. I still ask if this is destiny or fate acting.

fate

I agree with Julie. I believe in fate to a certain extent. I think that everything that happens in our lives is because of the decisions we make and what are choices are. I do, however, believe that there are still things that we have no control over and will happen no matter what.

Alright, so I really enjoyed the discussion we had in class today, about everyone's opinions on fate and destiny and so on, so I thought maybe we could continue that on the blog.

What does everyone think of fate? is fate viewed in America as we talked of it in class, as something that is there, but only to a certain extent? Or do you believe that it's there, and you have no control?

I think that fate is there, but only to some extent. for example, when things happen at random, and that are out of your control, i think that is the definition fate. on the other had, when you make decisions that later lead to other things, that is not fate, in my opinion. An example of fate, would be when you randomly meet this person and later you become friends with them. Also, i think that fate can be twisted, again as we talked of it in class. when you work harder or slack off, i think that you can influence your fate to be 'twisted'.

Yay Chris

I totally agree with Chris. This country has gotten so caught up in complaining and whining about this and that and we fail to remember how great we have it. We have the good life. We have the most amazing living conditions in the world, we are safe, and we have freedom. That clip really emphasized how lucky we are and how proud we should be to live in this country.

Burma in the US??

When I was watching the movie, the only thing I was thinking about was: what if that happened in the US? When is happens in Burma would be like me coming over to your house and taking control of your entire life. I'm glad we live in a country where we have a great government and that the events in Burma would very unlikely happen here. That's why I joined the Army is so those kind of events wont take place in our homeland.

The Burma video was interesting. Throughout the movie I tried to imagine being "in the shoes" of that undercover reporter. I couldn't picture myself in that situation. This reporter risked his life because of what he believed in, and he made a difference. All of those who helped him through this process were incredibly brave as well. How would you feel if you went to another country, and could be killed at any time? Would you risk your life, if it was for something that you really believed in?

myanmar: burma

I really enjoyed the Burma video. It's so real and up close to the actual dilemma in Burma. I thought it was really cool how the video was taken undercover and the reporter was so courageous to interview all the people with his life and the people being interviewed were really brave since they were putting their lives in danger. It's really scary to think that there are still some countries that are brutally run by the army and military and the military tortures citizens and kills people who cry for justice and democracy.
I think it's also crazy how this uproar has been going on for many years since the video was taped a few years back. I recently saw something on the internet saying how the army is killing monk in Burma who are protesting against the government's actions.
It makes me appreciate our country even more because we have so many freedoms that protect us everyday.

Burma video

When I saw the Burma video I couldn’t believe it. How can such horrible things be happening and no one even knows about it? The worst part is that it’s the government who is doing this to these people. These are the people who are supposed to be protecting their country. I would like to see other countries try to help these people but I don’t they can do very much about it because it is too risky. I agree that it definitely makes me appreciate my life in America.

burma

I definitely agree with everyone else. It makes me feel very lucky to be in my position. I almost feel like I live in a bubble compared to the real world watching that haha. Does anyone think more journalists will start trying to infiltrate this nation and report on it again, or is it too risky?

Burma Video

I thought that the video on Burma that we saw was very interesting. When we see how things are in a country like Burma, we realize just how lucky we are here in the US. For us to be able to make our own decisions and for us to have an influence on our government is a great thing, something that the people of Burma can only dream of. They have it so tough because they are forced to do what the government tells them and they can't do anything about it.

I think it's good that mr. spoor showed us that video because it got thoughts running through our minds that we could have never thought of before, and it also showed us other things that were going on in the world that we probably wouldn't be aware of. It is a horrible thing what the government is doing to their country. Forcing people to do things that they dont want to only makes things worse.

Burma..new topic

OK so we really needed a new topic...

Remember that video clip we watched the other day in class? on Burma and how their military was controlling their country... i just wanted to see everyone opinion on this.

Personally, i think its horrible that a government could do this to their own country, it reminds me of Hitler and WW2. i mean making your own people do things that you yourself wouldn't want to do, that's just awful. it think that it almost sets a bad example for the rest of the world. do the people of Burma think that all armies are that terrible? or do they realize that its just their own?
One way that it reminds me of Hitler and WW2 is how they force people to do things they don't want to. when the video showed the older lady working for the military, even though she had her own work to go home to. it makes me wonder if the people in the military want to be there, or do they realize that its the only escape?
Another way it reminds me of Hitler and his army is how they spend the countries budget on their military, while other people are practically dying from low income. and malnutrition It also mentioned that they send some people to camps, hopefully not as terrible as concentration camps from WW2, but plenty horrible. Also, I want to know if the ruler, or whoever controls the military, if they realize the past and what has happened in the past when the military takes over. How does the country even get to this state? what happened to their government? did they have an over powerful ruler or government?
all in all, i think watching this video has benefited me greatly. it showed me things that i couldn't even imagine were actually happening in this modern world.

Positive Perspective

Since every single American t.v station, newspaper, and website is anti-Bush and buyist against the war, Americans never hear any enlightening news about the war in Iraq. The American media does a terrible job of covering everything that has happened, and everybody only takes in the negatives. It's always about American soldiers dieing and how we should leave Iraq. However, there is some optimistic things happening in Iraq, particulary with education. 1500 schools have been renovated and rid of weapons so education can occur and school attendence is up 80% from before the war. Aside from this, girls are now allowed to go to school in Iraq! It makes me feel better that kids are now in school with a hopeful future and not on the streets hating life. Another thing that has been fixed is the sewage and water lines in every major city and Iraqis now have clean drinking water for the fist time ever in Iraq. Also, the country recieves over twice the electrical power it did before the war and Iraqis have telephones for the first time ever. Security has heavely improved with 60,000 police patrolling the streets. I think there are definitely some Iraqis who want us there. I'm not saying America hasn't done anything idiotic in the war, i'm just pointing out the unoticed positives.

oppinion on war...

I was one of the first ones to post on this topic, so I didn't really have a strong oppinion. I think that has changed. I really liked what, I think chris said, that we are doing a lot of good over in Iraq. Also, many soldiers get to learn to work in different fields, like engineering. Someone also made a comment earlier about how people who say they don't know what is going on should not just flow with the most popular oppinions, but should research and think for themselves. I think that was written by Lindsey, but I'm not possitive. All in all, the troops are working hard, so we should support them and what they are doing 100%.