blog #4

A Perfect Day for Bananafish's main character is similar to the character of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye (both by social recluse J.D. Salinger). Both characters have reached points of regression where they go back to an earlier stage in life and identify with children better than they do adults. Holden is immature and cynical towards society and has a hard time socializing and interacting with adults. After being in the war, Seymour doesn't trust or necessarily care for adults. Holden's best friend is his younger sister Phoebe, similar to how Seymour Glass' best friend is Sybil. After realizing these comparisons I wonder why J.D. Salinger chose to write about characters with such similar qualities.
    The difference between the two is WHY they act the way they do. Their reasonings are completely different. Holden is upset by losing his younger brother, while Seymour is this way because of fighting in the war. After being a part of wars, soldiers experience depression and PTSD. It changes them. Seymour is a perfect example of how you go into the war innocent and unknowing, but you don't come out the same. You see death and horrors every hour of the day and there's no way to deal with seeing so many awful things on a day to day basis. Going through tragedies and obstacles changes who you are, like how Holden and Seymour changed. In both of their cases, their defense mechanism is regression, and its how they cope with things.

#4

       Watching Apocalypse Now and reading Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong by Tim O'Brien and A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger in class made the concept of the stories easier to understand. The concept would be "War Changing the Man" or in some case, women. A Perfect Day for Bananafish  was about a man, Seymour, who was mentally scarred from war. He reaches for a gun inside his jacket when he got startled on the beach, won't show his "tattoo", he plays with a little girl like he is her age and isn't trusted driving a car. This story is more along the lines of PTSD and that is a very serious condition. Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong was about a soldier in the Vietnam war that invites his girlfriend to where he is because he misses her. She loved being in a new place, learning new things about the culture or about the war. She is very positive in the beginning but then turns dark. She learns to shoot a M-16, goes down into the village with the Green Berets and is changed. She changes, for the worse. She stopped wearing jewelry, stopped taking care of her hygiene and says, "You're in a bad place where you don't belong." She was the one that didn't belong there. She was is a dark room with decaying animal heads in the wall, skin hanging from the rafters and bones all over the floor, singing to tribal music. Her boyfriend, Fossie, saw that she was wearing a necklace with tongues hanging down! Human tongues! Apocalypse Now is kind of like Sweetheart in the Song Tra Bong. Captain Willard gets put on a mission in Cambodia during the Vietnam War to kill an American colonel. US Army believe that Colonel Kurtz has become insane and conducts his men and a local tribe on illegal guerrillas missions. Willard and his crew travel up river to try to reach Kurtz. Willard finally reaches Kurtz and unfortunately lost some of his crew, and was captured by the local tribe. Willard is held captive but later released and gained freedom of the compound, then Willard attacked Kurtz with a machete and kills him.
      Colonel Kurtz reminds me of Mary Anne from Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong because they both changed for the worse. Kurtz had corpuses and heads laying around the area and Mary Anne made a necklace of human tongues.
       War can be a scary situation to get yourself caught in. Seeing the aftermath of war, PTSD, is very scary. War ruins soldier's lives. Kurtz, Mary Anne and Seymour suffered a form of mental illness, whether PTSD or psycho-social disorder. War changed their mind, thinking that killing is fun and keeping the dead body's part is okay. For Seymour, i think its harder for him to be in society because he knows he is a grown man but is treated like a little kid.
       Visualizing the effects of war through short stories or films is a great way to understand the aftermath of what soldiers live with/through.

4. Is there hope for the future? Is there a reason to be hopeful?

     Depending on what topic and perspective we speak of, the question of whether there is a reason to be hopeful for our future is a rather confusing one.

     If you’re talking about war and if it will ever cease to end in the future, then there is probably a reason to be hopeful.  In the near future, society will still use war as a means to solve conflicts and not come to a solution. As humans, we must evolve to a point to where we are able to solve differences without a means for conflict, in a more humane and less barbaric way. On day in the far future, the human race will be able to do this. We will come to the conclusion that simple lines on a map or the colors of our skin does not distinguish us from each other, or make any of us superior in anyway.

      With our current scenario with ISIS in the Middle East and the recent outbreak of Ebola in the United States, we can only hope for a successful future.  The only thing getting through daily life is hope for tragic events such as these to come to an end. Hope is the only thing keeping us going while conflicts arise.

      As for hope for the future of our society as a whole, well that truly depends on person to person. Some may say there is no hope, and our future generations will only continue to get worse than our current “selfie generation”. Others believe in history repeating itself and that the future generations will take up the same beliefs and social skills as that of our fore fathers. Personally, with the growing development and evolution of technology, the growing population to come will become less socialize and more robotic, eventually becoming mindless zombies following the developers of the newest Apple products.

     All in all, there is hope for a better future and a better tomorrow. We should remain hopeful as a way get through our daily struggles, and as a means not to give into devastation.

Is The United States of America a Terrorist Organization?

The State Department defines three terms in the opening of their (publicly available) reports on terrorism:

I.                   “international terrorism” - terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than one country;

II.                “terrorism” -  premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents;

III.             “terrorist group” - any group practicing, or which has significant subgroups which practice, international terrorism.

The United States government has declared war on terror, but their tactic is more “fight fire with fire” than anything else. They are not treating terrorism as if it were any other threat in history. The government is using a “rhetoric of terror,” as one contributor to the New York Times put it, that is inflaming the public against its enemies. By making the “terrorists” our enemies, telling us that they are coming to kill us, that they hate us and all we love and all we live for, is inciting anger in the precise manner that the officially recognized terror groups do.

In Washington, aging white males in black suits with badges clipped to their clothes tell us to hate the enemy. In Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, among others, men clad in black with ammunition on their hip tell their neighbors to do the same. The Islamic State (IS) releases videos enticing the youth into joining their organization, as the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Navy do the same.

The State department’s definition of terrorism states that it is simply politically motivated violence against civilians. IS is surely guilty of this, beheading journalists and raiding peaceful towns in hopes of creating a new state, run under strict Islamic law. The United States of America grinds buildings to dust with explosives with the intention of setting up a democracy, with United States sympathies, in the Middle East.

How can the citizens of America hate a group of people fighting for what they believe in, while we do the same? How can we condemn them for beheading our journalists while we force liquefied food down the throats of their friends and family members who were unlucky enough to be caught? American exceptionalism, the view that America is inherently different (or better) than any other nation, is rampant in this country, and while the acts of other terrorist groups are heinous, we must acknowledge that our own government is a terrorist organization. We must decide, just as Middle Easterners do, to align ourselves with the actions of a group of people that is, for lack of a better term, above our heads. We may justify our actions, but let us not forget that those terrorists, them in the Middle East, can and will justify their actions and continue to recruit believers.  

PTSD (Blog #3)

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can occur following a life-threatening event like military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults.Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people have stress reactions that don't go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Unfortunately, many soldiers suffer from PTSD after returning to their homes. For example, almost thirty-one percent of Vietnam veterans were afflicted with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder upon their return to the United States. The same is true for twenty percent of Iraqi war veterans. 

PTSD in war veterans is often referred to as "shell shock" or "combat stress," but in reality it isn't something that either of those two terms can describe. People are forced to relive their trauma over and over again through flashbacks. They have trouble sleeping, and when they manage to fall asleep they have terrifying nightmares. During the day they are haunted with frightening thoughts. Often times they feel either emotionally numb or feel strong guilt, depression and worry. They also might feel constantly tense or "on edge," and might be easily startled. They also might have angry outbursts or have trouble controlling their emotions.Things that remind them of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms, and these symptoms may cause them to change his or her personal routine.

In the story A Perfect Day For Bananafish by J.D Salinger, we see that Seymour exhibits some of these symptoms due to traumatic events that he must have experienced during the war. Also, in the movie Apocalypse Now, we can notice some of the same behavior in Captain Willard. At the beginning of the movie, there is an especially intense scene that shows a perfect example of this type of behavior.

In conclusion, PTSD afflicts many war veterans, and it really shows how war can affect people. It is very unfortunate that so many veterans have to suffer through this disorder.

GUERNICA 3D (3)

GUERNICA 3D

http://youtu.be/jc1Nfx4c5LQ

Picasso's Guernica is a very powerful war's portray itself and I think that just with a glimpse you can understand the suffering that the innocent people of Guernica had to experience. Just glancing at it, you can see the fear and the chaos that the bomb created between the defenseless people of the Spanish town. No more explanations are really needed.
However, I find this video very effective. It made me look at the painting in a different way, it made me see every character more closely, in a less abstract way and helped me notice lots of details that I hadn't noticed just looking at the painting.
I find very interesting how the video ends focusing on the image of a hand that holds a broken sword and a flower.
In my opinion, this image has a very strong meaning. It shows how vain it is to try to stop the war with weapons, how useless a sword can be compared to a bomb. When the bomb hits the ground and the conflicts start, the sward breaks and the same does every intention to extinguish the fire with more fire.
Instead the flower remains intact, there's always a ray of hope among the distruction.

Obamacare: Not the Best Solution (3)

A recent topic that has been swept under the rug (as of all political problems) is the issue of Obamacare.  For those who don't know what this plan is, its essentially a less drastic form of Socialized Health Care. Many argue that this puss to implement this by president Obama is an outrageous and unconstitutional move. Others believe not so much.

Of course this boils down to Republicans and Democrats (big shock, right?)

But I believe that the answer lies not within one radical point or another.

Simply, is Obamacare a presently good idea?
No.

We most definiently do not have the resources to do so. Our Economy can not afford the kind of spending that comes with it. We are already in massive debt from the 2000's "War on Terror". In no way with Obamacare benefit the country before harming it.
President Obama has no experience or skilled plan to effectively carry out this reform at the time.
We, as a country, can not afford it with the turmoil that is going on in the world presently.

But, in due time, a system similar to Obamacare can be very beneficial. Socialized medicine and health care is a necessity for the middle to lower class. In a country where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, some people cant afford medicine or hospital bills. A single mother who works 3 jobs, is on welfare, and food stamps, can still barely keep a roof above her children's heads. God forbid that some accident at work causes her to break her arm and now the hospital bill is so large that now her kids cant eat for a week. That is why Socialized Health care will be beneficial if done properly.

The humanity to help others who can not help themselves is a dying act in this world. Of course we should not endanger our country the way Obamacare will, but perhaps we can find another alternative to Socialized Health Care.

Maybe one day, those in the lower class can live without the fear of crippling debt from a crippling injury.

War's long-term effects

Soldiers not only suffer on the battlefield. Veterans often needed long-term care owing to the physical and psychological impact of war. The close proximity of people in wartime conditions meant diseases such as tuberculosis could easily spread. The exertion of battle could highlight other health problems including asthma and heart conditions. Some conditions such as trench foot, an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary conditions, were very specific to the water-filled trenches of the First World War (1914-18).

War Art By John Singer

Fury (#4)

This weekend I saw David Ayer's new film, Fury, starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, and Logan Lerman. Personally, I believe it achieved its goal of presenting an incredibly gritty, accurate, and shocking representation of the lives of U.S. armored vehicle operators in World War II and it left me stunned and deeply moved by the end. Nothing was predictable about this film and it constantly had me (quite literally) on the edge of my seat.

However, one negative aspect that was prominent in Ayer's war epic was the demonization of the German soldiers. This is something I have seen in many WWII films, as it is true that many great atrocities were committed by the Germans and most movies taking place during the war are told from the point of view of the Allied Forces.

As a result, history (through the media) has stained the world's memory of the German people at that time, depicting them all as anti-semitic, heartless Nazis. While I do acknowledge that the ideals of the German National Socialist Party were heinous and, frankly, evil, the same cannot be said for the millions of German civilians who lived under the iron fist of the Third Reich.

WWII films often follow the actions and heroic deeds of several ordinary, relatable soldiers who were innocently doing their duty and were, at every turn, hindered and threatened by wicked Nazi bastards. However, the truth is, most of the time, they were hardly wicked, and even less so Nazis. Many of the German soldiers fighting for Hitler were drafted, and, towards the end of the war, many of them practically children. These people were just as ordinary and relatable as our good old boys overseas, fighting for Uncle Sam. Many weren't even members of the Party, and if they were, often it was not by choice - lack of political support for Hitler could result in lesser food rations, suspicion, and possibly arrest. Even enrolling one's children in the Hitler Youth was made obligatory during the war.

My point is that while many inhumane and cruel acts were committed by the Nazis during WWII, this does not characterize the nation as a whole at the time, the same way the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by several men in a plane did not make every American a murderer. The media needs to take a stronger stance in making this expressly clear.

On a final note, a young man I spoke to who grew up in Germany told me that every generation of Germans after the Holocaust is born with an inherent feeling of guilt. Quite frankly, that's not fair. Let's remember that there was only one Hitler and only so many Nazis, but they were all Germans.

"Every Man Has His Breaking Point" (3)

     When men were drafted for World War II, they were young and innocent, and many were eager to fight and protect our country. However, these same men did not return back home.  Although a number of men appeared to have made it out alive and well,  they had invisible scars that could not be ignored.
     World War II differed from all previous wars in one main aspect: method of warfare.  Nuclear power and missiles were used, as well as modern concepts of covert and special operations. Submarines and tanks were also more heavily used than in the First World War.  To put it plainly, this conflict was more tumultuous, or "messy", than ever before.  Fighting was sporadic and loud.  With this change in nature came a harsh change in the war's psychological effects.
     During World War I, they called it shell shock.  Men would come back from war shaky and skittish, and sometimes angry and aggressive.  A great deal of soldiers had it, but no one really knew why.  Many people said that these men were simply weak.  However, this attitude reversed during the Second World War.  Because of the changes in war methods, many soldiers were experiencing this psychological distress and it was finally addressed.
        Professionals realized that no man, no matter how strong, was safe from this Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Although they could not completely prevent it, they made more efforts to relieve it's intensity.  There weren't specialists trained in the field of PTSD, so many regular medical professionals had to step up to the plate to familiarize themselves with the disorder.  Finally, soldiers with invisible scars were not being ignored.        

#3 Ebola

Lately if you turn on the news for more than 10 seconds you hear about Ebola. The outbreak that started occuring in Central & West Africa last spring now coming to America. All over you're hearing stories about the deaths and the new cases with the flight attendent but now people are saying it's a goverment plan to have the infected victims into our country to purposly spread it just because it was mentioned on a TV show 10 years ago. In my oppinion i think that is dumb to say because then they would be at the same risk we are by being in this country. This is a serious illness and people don't seem to realize that. Right now there are no cures, just 2 vaccinations in the making, the conspiricy people who thyink the government is planning this whole thing are saying that its a man made virus and its just for population control and that the vaccine will only do harm, Although, I wouldn't get the vaccine myself i just think its so ignorant for people to say that this whole thing is planned and that its a way of executing people. However, we should be restricting flights to these countries and not just be doing 'airport checks' since the symptoms of Ebola aren't always noticable right away just like the passanger from NIgeria that reportedly vomited and died on his flight to JFK. The government needs to be smarter about their actions with this but i don't think this is some sort of man made virus to execute us. I hope it doesn't come to New York because then i'm out.

Critcism of Obama's Choice for "Ebola Czar" (2)

Two days ago, the white house named Ron Klain as the coordinator of the administration's response to Ebola patients in the U.S. This decision has caused people to question the credentials of Klain himself, and question whether he's equipped to perform the job.

A main criticism given is that Klain has almost no medical experience at all, leading us to believe that the Obama administration views the current failures of controlling Ebola as mainly managerial and not pertaining to the treatment of the disease itself. Could this perhaps be telling us that the government is underestimating the threat of an outbreak in America? Skeptics also note that many of the mistakes made by the CDC in controlling Ebola are not due to lack of organization, rather a lack of preparedness by the U.S. healthcare system.

However, could we really have expected our government to be completely equipped for such a sudden epidemic? In my opinion, having a lead administrator in charge of response to Ebola patients can't possibly be harmful- regardless of medical credentials- as long as we have successful organizations such as the CDC treating patients to their best ability.

Ebola: Mapping the Outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and has rapidly become the deadliest occurrence of the disease since its discovery in 1976. 

In fact, the current epidemic sweeping across the region has now killed more than all other known Ebola outbreaks combined. Researchers from the New England Journal of Medicine have traced the outbreak to a two-year-old toddler, who died on 6 December 2013 in Meliandou, a small village in south-eastern Guinea. 

Pacifism Through Music. #3

Inspired by a previous blog post, I noticed that anti-war is a common message in the media, not only now, but through the history of the world. As a musician, I connect to more lyrical things, so I divulged into songs that portrayed this message. Living in a war that always has been in conflict, there is a heavy belief that it is immoral and creates no solutions for either side. From the civil war to the war on terror, there are 1000s of songs that tell a story of war in different lights from different perspectives, but meet at the same conclusion of war destroying lives. How is it that over time the brutality of war is shown, but we still paint a pretty picture that it is right and a necessity. If you see an ad for the military, it shows that anyone is capable of protecting their country, no matter their skill set, yet the mist over the death and massacre that combat creates. The opposing view through popular music is creates a perspective that is closer to reality, oddly enough, even though we can only paint a picture in our heads through the words and rhythms.

Although this movement of pacifism seems to be strongest through the Vietnam War, followed by the War on Terror, this is a message that is strong and can be supported over time.

Metallica- One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8bTdBs-cw

James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich wrote ‘One’ based on Dalton Trumbo’s 1939 book, ‘Johnny Got His Gun.’ The song tells the story of a World War I soldier who has lost his eyes, ears, mouth and limbs. However, his mind remains intact, leaving him a prisoner in what remains of his body. Hetfield growls the thoughts of this wounded veteran, while the song’s furious finale conveys his anger and desperation as he prays for death.

Edwin Starr - War (What Is It Good For?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX7V6FAoTLc

There aren't too many protest songs that also managed to become No. 1 hit records, but Edwin Starr’s anti-Vietnam rant achieved this feat in 1970. Starr channeled his inner James Brown in order to shout and shriek the lyrics, while it was produced to be one of the hardest-rocking Motown singles with prominent guitar and propulsive percussion. Bruce Springsteen revived the song during his Born in the U.S.A. tour, and eventually released his live version as a single, which hit the Top 10 in 1985.

The Band- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM

Robbie Robertson wrote this Civil War song after becoming curious about the history of the war from his many tours through the American south. With help from Levon Helm (the Band’s sole American and Southerner), Robertson treated the lyrics like a book report and went to the library. The result was nothing short of extraordinary was a song that conveys the weary pride of the Confederate states via carefully chosen words and a beautifully anguished vocal from Helm.

Meditation#3

Blog post #3
According to Buddha, meditation is the "means of transforming the mind".  What meditation does is develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the true nature of things.  This focused state of mind can provide a soothing and a peaceful feel.  Oddly, meditation is a form of focusing.  It is genuinely difficult for a mind to focus on one thing at a time.  As most of high school students know, studying is difficult because although we want to focus on retaining the information, it is hard to focus with other distractions around. Meditation is a state of thoughtless awareness.  Meditation creates deep peace because the mind is calm and silent, yet completely aware. 

Everyone has their own method of meditation, but these steps seemed the most accurate with the steps we do in class.  The first step of meditation is rhythmic breathing.  As the breathing becomes rhythmic your tensions when begin to disintegrate. The second step is detached observation.  IN other words, detach yourself from the mind.  The third step is the step of peace.  for example think about a rock sifting through the waves and attain ultimate peace.  The fourth step is meditation on your immorality.  In the last step you breathe out peace and happiness, goodwill and bliss to all.
 

3. Ebola by Andre Carrilho

 While many Africans were diagnosed and dying in large numbers, American media turned a blind eye to their situation. Meanwhile, now that the virus has spread to our own soil, we begin to take major notice in the issue and publicize it where-ever. Thus justifying our narcissistic ways and how self entitled we come off to the rest of the world. 

   It's fairly clear that the point Andre was trying to get across was indeed the matter of the media only focusing on an issue, such as this, when a white person is being the one affected. In his work here, you can clearly all the patients lying in hospital stretchers, almost being completely over looked, while the two photographers/ the media is surrounding the only white person there. Making it seem as though all the others affected before or after are not of importance just because of the color of their skin. It's sad that already the Ebola Virus has gained this much attention only after a white person was infected rather than the thousands who died before it.

#3 Meditation benefits

     Meditation is very beneficial to the mind and body. Physically, meditation lowers blood pressure, lowers the levels of blood lactate which reduces anxiety attacks, releases tension-caused pain, improves the immune system, improves energy levels and more! Mentally, anxiety levels decrease, emotional stability increases, creativity and happiness increase, the mind learns to focus and expand through relaxation and gains clarity and peace of mind. All of these are very important for keeping a clear and healthy mind.

    This picture sort of shows the difference between people who do mediate and those who don't. The people in the water are struggling to stay above the surface and thats what it feels like when the mind is overwhelmed and not clear. Those people are putting themselves in a negative mindset so they feel so cluttered in their thoughts and maybe actions. The man on the board is avoiding the complications of the waves,life, by mediating. Mediating helps clear the mind and sometimes make you come to a realization of what your solution to a problem can be. The people in the water are just getting hit with the waves of life and life is trying to take them down but you are in control of those waves if one just sits for a couple minutes, does some deep breathing and just relaxes.
    Through personal experiences I can say mediation really helps with either falling asleep, de-stressing, calming down during an anxious state or to bring more happiness into the mind.

This quote from a teenager could be motivation for some to start mediating to change their life.

“I used to be very aggressive and violent, would often get into fights in college. I had no friends. I had no idea how to help myself. Meditation made me calm. Now have a lot of friends I care about and I am not violent anymore.”- Rajesh Nair

This site is full of useful tips and information about mediation, yoga or anything in that practice.(And thats where I got the quote and information)
http://www.artofliving.org/meditation/meditation-for-you/meditation-for-youth

#4 Will war ever end.

  In my lifetime and most of the people alive today war has been ongoing. I do not know a time without war besides a few lulls in conflicts. I believe that war will not cease to exist in my lifetime. That does not mean somewhere in the future it does but in my lifetime it will not end. The U.S will just move on to another enemy as each conflict fades away. Depending on the self interest of our country. This innate aggression towards other countries has been around for thousands of years and will continue at this current rate.As long as humanity exists war will not end, because as long as humans are around, they will find a reason to fight one another.it seems as though it is innate in most of us now adays. Kids can't imagine a world without war. 

    War is like a never ending game. More is never enough. The U.S has never shown satisfaction about any imperialistic voyage. If only there was a switch that tells you enough is enough. The world might be a better place with some more self control and less egotistical motives. Yes it's hard to agrugue that we are one of the most advanced countries so we want to show off what we have but isn't there other ways. Without alternative I believe war will always exist as a quick reaction to conflicts.

#4 Ebola, the 'popular girl'

As you might have heard Ebola is all over the news and the internet. Ebola has actually been around since 1976, but why has it suddenly taken the news by storm? The answer relies in the sheer numbers of the infected in the current outbreak. Currently at over 4,000 reported cases along with an estimated 2400 deaths, this is the largest outbreak of Ebola in global history and is affecting not only countries in West Africa and surrounding area(s).  Ebola’s quick and effective takedown of people and even entire towns is thanks to the culture of the people who are infected. The need to take care of a family member when they are ill is engrained in the local culture. Breaking tradition because of a deadly disease is unthinkable. It would be disgraceful to abandon family in need or even in their final moments. Tactics taken to slow the spread of Ebola will not be able to completely contain it unless the local populous complies.

Medical professionals could take the infected away from their families and homes, has the potential to reduce the number of those infected. But as previously mentioned this would be a difficult task to accomplish without using brute force. This may be difficult to understand in our views but think about it in a different way. For example what if a close family member was taken away from you and weren’t able to see them for several months only because they had a common cold. Although Ebola is a much more serious threat to humans than the common cold, the possibility of letting a family member die alone in an unfamiliar place not under family care is on a similar platform.

It is not entirely possible to completely eradicate this virus unless people on all sides work together. Otherwise even more people can become infected and potentially die to Ebola. Hopefully in the coming weeks and months a alternative way to treat those infected without crossing cultural barriers will be unveiled.

 http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/history/summaries.html

#4

The United States of America is a pioneer. Not in democracy, or liberty, but in murdering thousands of people – from a world away. In August of 1945, two planes were sent over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, each carrying atomic bombs. These single bombs created the devastation that several thousand conventional incendiary bombs would have created, and literally wiped the cities off of the earth. Currently, the United States are sending unmanned drones to Syria, to propel missiles into villages in the hopes of killing a few jihadists. As time goes on, the United States government is getting better and better at killing people across the world.

            The massacres at Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed the world by introducing a new type of warfare: a small group of people very far away decided the fates of thousands, and an even smaller group of people miles up in the air executed them. The distance, physical and mental, between the executors and executed just increases as time goes on and technology advances.

            Drone strikes are sent out by a soldier sitting at a computer, like a kid playing “Call of Duty.” They target “probable” locations of Islamic extremists and don’t care much for the civilians that are inevitably killed. The government hails these strikes as victories, but in reality innocent people are exploding in front of their families and friends.

            These attacks are beneficial to American interests, but at what cost? Is it more ethical to kill someone through a computer? Is it okay to rain hell on innocent people to avoid sending American troops to the front lines? 

#3 Is war universal?

War is a very unstable and controversial topic, however is war universal ? The definition of war as defined in Webster’s dictionary :

a (1) :  a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations (2) :  a period of such armed conflict (3) :  state of war

b :  the art or science of warfare

c (1) obsolete :  weapons and equipment for war (2) archaic:  soldiers armed and equipped for war

2

a :  a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism

b :  a struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end <a class war> <a war against disease>

War put simply is declared combat between two large forces over a disagreement. Sadly war isn’t that simple, it is a complex ordeal that typically affects all who have ties to the subject. The innocent are often times also thrown into the mix and feel the effects of war. Then those who are viewing from outside the conflict question the war and how it is being fought. Humans by nature tend to stay in groups and have a desire to protect their own from danger.

This want to protect and shelter can skew how someone feels about a topic, in this case war. War doesn’t have to be a horrific and traumatic event but this is how it has evolved over the ages. Humans with their large intellect can take alternative routes to settle disputes. Physical acts to overpower the weak and then impose views and opinions of the victorious are how most battles are fought. Brute strength is a common way to separate people, this can lead to discrepancies between nations, countries and even individuals.

The view of war varies across the globe. Some are willing to go to further extremes to achieve their means while others take on a more pacifist approach. How far a nation or country will go depends on multiple factors these include: severity of the issue, type of government or ruling power and how lethal the nature of the weapons being used are. A constant view of war might never be possible so long as humans are so divided culturally. But there is hope that as society progresses it’s strong views can live amongst one another peacefully.

 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war

Do the ends justify the means? blog post #3

          Ebola rapidly spreads throughout African countries because they don't have the proper technology or knowledge to control this deadly disease. They don't have the medical equipment or knowledge to help treat these people. Once someone in their family contracts this disease, they want to take care of them by themselves without help from any doctors. This is not good because without them being quarantined it's spreading like wildfire throughout the country and infecting a plethora of people. The more people who get treated and helped, the less this will spread and less causalities will come of this. By ignoring this and not taking proper precautions, the situation is only getting worse and uncontainable.
         The idea to go knocking on everyone's door and testing them for the disease seems like a logical way to go about this. People will lie about having it and just end up spreading it, unless the US takes charge of the situation. It seems harsh to go around taking people from their homes unwillingly and abruptly, but this way less people will get infected and that benefits more people. The less people who contract ebola, the better. The ends justify the means in this situation because although it seems harsh to take people from their homes, it'll save lives and that is the most important goal.

Peace through Better Communication

I was reminded lately of a book published several years ago that contained photographs of some of the stunning natural landscapes of Afghanistan. I had read about it in a National Geographic article, but as hard as I tried I could not find the author or the book itself online.

Now, this was not simply a book of well-taken photographs. The author and photographer had a different idea in mind. He was reminded of the breathtaking geography of the United States when he saw the looming, snow-covered Hindu Kush mountains and the crystal blue water of Band-e Amir Lake. He knew that, when one created an idyllic image of America, that image would include the majestic purple mountains and the amber waves of grain, national symbols that define our nation's roots in North America.

Working with this idea, he decided he wanted to show people Afghanistan's natural beauty so that instead of picturing a scarred, war-ravaged desert, they would see a land riddled with awe-inspiring landscapes and breathtaking panoramas. This new image, he hoped, could help the rest of the world, including the United States, see Afghanistan in a new yet somehow familiar light and maybe ease the tensions between it and so many other nations.

This can be brushed off as a typical example of good photojournalism, or one could look at it as having a greater message: that the first step towards peace is really just better communication. We live in a new world in which the ability to connect with people in every corner of the globe is at the tips of our fingers. Yet somehow we haven't yet used this gift to its full extent.

Everywhere you look, everyone, regardless of race, religion, creed, political affiliation, or social status has one thing in common: they are all human. We all share this one beautiful gift that the rest of life on this planet does not.

This gift does not always look the same, speak the same language, eat the same food or live in the same houses. Likewise, in every nation there have been strifes, wars, political upheavals, and controversies. But every nation also has its heroes, its success stories, its pride, and its natural beauty. If we could all recognize this simple fact and look past greater cultural differences, a great step could be taken in the direction of peace.

3. Meditation

      The act of meditation has been practiced for generations as a component of numerous religious traditions and beliefs.Meditation is often  an internal effort to self-regulate your mind. It is often used to clear the mind and ease many health issues, such as high blood pressure,depression and anxiety. The word meditation refers to the state of relaxation.It was originally meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life.Its a great way to clear your mind.

     Meditation give you a sense of relaxation that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. It gives you a sense of relaxation that many do not get from sleeping. It soothes and relaxes the muscles to further ease the body into a state in which many can befit from. It is a simple concept once one can leave their current mindset and clear all thoughts. A difficult task for the cluttered minds of many individuals It can be very calming to meditate 2nd period. It is a very good transition into the day. hopefully we will meditate once again.

     Will war ever truly cease to exist? Or is world peace completely unattainable? As an optimist, my first reaction is to say that yes, ending war is a realistic possibility. Is it really though?
     World peace is a beautiful concept. Any person that I know would love to believe that war could be entirely eliminated from the world; some people even do believe this. Honestly though, there is no way that war could ever be completely eradicated. Although I am at first so tempted to say that world peace is possible, the unfortunate truth is that it is not.

      The main issue that prevents our world from peace is difference. Differences in political views, religious beliefs, etc. These things are the reason that war exists. For example, our country believes in democracy, and this belief was the primary cause of us going to war in Vietnam. Every war or conflict begins due to a difference in opinion of some sort. Unless everyone in our world decides to become the same person, with the same opinions on everything, there is no way to prevent war. In the song "Imagine" by John Lennon, he sings about a perfect, peaceful world.

"Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace..."

Although he sings about world peace, he also mentions that in this world that he imagines, there is:

1.) No countries with different political views/different forms of government.

2.) Nothing to "kill or die for," meaning no source of conflict.

3.) No religion, so no groups of people with differing religious beliefs.

Without the absence of religion, politics, opinions, etc., peace is unfortunately unattainable.

So will war ever truly cease to exist? The answer is no, it will not.

Blog post #2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8TLu514EgU

This video went viral about a week ago and I guess even though it has occurred to me (like in my last blog post) its more of a threat and its something we should be taking seriously. The man in the video said they have people staged all around the united states like in New York City, which obviously is very close to where we live. Who knows how much truth is behind it, but its definitely something that should be investigated. Yes, there could be truth behind it but on another note, it could be ISIS just trying to scare us. Either way, its something scary to think about. Will there be another attack like 911 on our homeland? Will that trigger war outbreak? Possibly HERE in the states.

Also another thing that I thought about while watching this video is, why was this man allowed to go on camera and actually have that interview? Was it a publicity stunt, for ISIS maybe? I'd think that he would be scolded for talking to an american if he was seriously apart of the group. Talking out like that is a big thing, especially because he is an active member of the group and he is from canada. He said how fast ISIS is recruiting members and how easy it was for him to become apart of it. Shouldn't traveling over to the middle east be under more serious watch? Why would we let our people go over to fight with an opposing force?

Christi Raia

Humanities Period 2

Post #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezEqWYu_BNQ

Above is a link to a thirteen minute long youtube video I found revealing real footage capturing the civil war in Syria. Not necessarily the combat but it shows the tanks, and soldiers and the towns its going on in. I guess since I’ve never experienced a war being fought on my homeland, I never realized that it DOES actually go on somewhere. And that place can easily be towns, much like manorville. Kids see it, and die and it changes everyone's lives. Towns, houses, lives, people...they’re all being ruined by this civil war. Its disgusting to think that innocent lives are being taken. Something needs to be done humanitarianly. I cant help but think about teenagers my age constantly worried about what comes next, if they live to see a next...living in fear. I can actually say my heart hurts for them. I pray I don’t ever see the day that combat enters America. Seeing things like 9/11 is bad enough, but if combat was to break out in my “free” nation, I think I would actually consider suicide. I hate seeing people suffer and if I were to witness it around me I think I’d go crazy.

What scares me is foreign groups are a threat to America. But how much can we really do without putting ourselves in a position that won’t potentially hurt us. The slightest move CAN bring foreign groups (like ISIS and Al Qaeda) into America for an attack. Which yes, can lead to combat. But should we sit here on the sidelines and watch? What can we do?  We are supposed to be a free country, thats why I’m mind boggled by the fact that we have so many allies and so many enemies. Wouldn’t you think a so called free nation would stay neutral? For obvious reasons.

2. Why must media depict war different than how it really is?

     Is it simply a form of nationalism or rather are we afraid to inform others of the gruesome truths that war really holds? It seems the only way we are able to get supporters for our causes is to display what we do as almost the equivalent of a game, as to show that killing those who don't agree with our opinions is a way to settle a disagreement. Rather, than to come to a mutual understanding and compromise on the different standings, murder is definitely the option at hand.

     Humans have a tendency to shun themselves away from the bearers of bad news or negative vibes. This in turn keeps them from understanding the truth, and allowing them to live in their perfect little bubbles unaware of their surroundings. The media is the ones to blame for this evolution of human comprehension. In order to protect our feeble minds and to boost their ratings, our form of "keeping up to date with the world around us" focuses more on the lighter and more positive stories emerging all around. Instead of disguising conflicts with Syria and all of the Middle East, our media decides that it's best to show a funny animal video and brighten our day up, letting our nation believe that all is well in the world and there is nothing to be concerned over.

      Along with that, in order to get recruitments for war, we must lie to our american public. Making our military out to be a flashy and giant get together, than going off to battle. We create almost fake advertisements displaying the army as a pride, or a patriotic type of scenario. In a five minute video, they completely skip over the fact that in war there is death and pain. That it's not all sunshine and lollipops. But in order to get others to fight along our side, we have to lie.

      In general, the only reason the media feels the need not to display war and battles in the correct light it actually is, is to preserve ratings and to not disturb the zombie like american public of this day and age. But to assure everyone that there is a rainbow over head and another funny animal video to be watched.

War will prevail (2)

         It is plain to see that warfare has detrimental effects.  Cities are decimated, innocent men end their lives far too early, and civilians are displaced from their homes and sometimes killed.  Many of us can even see that there are ways to settle conflict without war.  However, with 7.125 people inhabiting the Earth, it is impossible to get everyone on the same page to end war.

        Sigmund Freud created the theory that each person is born with an "id" that harbors animal instinct.  In the wild, animals fight each other to assert dominance, protect their families, obtain food, etc.  Similarly, the id tells us to fight with others in order to get what we want.  In advanced, industrialized countries where free thinking and education prevail, it is possible for groups of people to come together and decide that war is an unnecessary evil, and propose ideas on how it can be avoided.  On the other hand, many individuals from developing countries, who are not as privileged to have such a well-rounded education, may be less easily persuaded to neglect the primitive urges of the id. 

       This is not to say that war will continue until the end of eternity.  Still, it will take hundreds, or even thousands of years for all countries to get on the same page.

Are these Airstrikes doing anything for us?

              Obama decides to use airstrikes to start the destruction of ISIS, but are we seriously killing people involved in ISIS or just innocent people? Apparently we've hit an ISIS bulldozer, two ISIS tanks, another ISIS vehicle and six ISIS attack positions. We've also hit two mortar teams, a large ISIS unit, two smaller ISIS groups, and destroyed three ISIS Humvee's.
               But as I sit down and talk to my family about this absurd attacks, we discuss on whether or not ISIS or even Syrian citizens will come and attack us. Is it just inevitable that they are going to hit us? My older sister who goes to school in Queens was told by my dad, a retired NYC police officer, that she had specific steps to follow because her life could be most at risk for my family. She's right by NYC and even though they have hit NYC already what is going to make us think that they won't hit one of the biggest cities in America?
                As I know that many of you agree with Obama's airstrike plan, I strongly disagree with it. Yes we know that there are some ISIS units over by where we hit, but is it all of them? No it isn't, so why are we going to destroy a small portion of ISIS along with millions of innocent people? I personally think we would have been better off just not air striking them and continuing the war over their where not as many people would get hurt. I'm tired of fighting and killing people that don't deserve to be killed. It's like say a loved one of yours were to get ill, but a doctor does a surgery or procedure that is risky when he has a safer method of controlling the illness. Why wouldn't the doctor use the safer method first to see if it works before using the risky procedure? It's just like the airstrikes. Why are we using such horrific methods of attack when there are simpler ways?

Afghan War Poetry

While in class, I have noticed that what sparks my interest greatly is to read poetry. The way my brain is wired has shown me over time that when I read a first hand account of a situation, I understand it much more than simply researching it. I found an amazing website that shares the stories of soldiers and those who lived through the Afghanistan War expressed in poetry. The War in Afghanistan refers to the intervention by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and allied forces in the ongoing Afghan civil war. The war followed the September 11th attacks, and its public aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda and denying it a safe basis of operation in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power. The following poem is one of many on the website. The poet, Alex Cockers, was a Royal Marines Commando from 2005-2009 and served on Operation Herrick five and seven in Helmand province for a total of fourteen months. 

Last Stand

My last day in the desert
My last day in this sand
I hope I never come back
To this tragic barren land

Many hot days
And many moons have passed
I don’t want to fight this war anymore
My sanity won’t last

Towns have been taken
Towns have been lost
Towns have been taken back again
How many lives has it cost?

This war will not end
The stakes are far too high
A few friends are gone already
How many more will die?

Alex Cockers,
2010

HE BRUTAL GA                                                            

A recurring theme seen in almost every single poem I read on this website, including this one, was sorrow from the war. These soldiers had obviously seen awful and terrible things and they were so shell shocked that they had nothing left in them. "The Last Stand" was so brutally honest and simplistic that is shows the extent of the pain without being too poetic. Its beauty comes with the truth of the war and it becomes a reality with its simplicity. Its message of antiwar is brought about through personal perspective, exemplary use of pathos, and imagery that draws the reader in to truly believe in this cause. What really gets to a sensitized person's emotions is the image of death and the suffering of others and when this number of those who are being affected is realized, such as in this poem, it becomes real and persuades the reader to believe in the evils of war. The use of diction directly correlates to the tone of depression and hopelessness of war. This first hand account has the great function of bringing the effects of the war to the common person and making it feel real and as if it affects everyone with the basic human rights of life in question. It is obvious from this personal account that these soldiers did not fully want to be fighting for this because they saw the way of life they were damaging and knew that if they went on, they would lose so much more through combat.

If you would like to check out more of these poems, check out
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/Afghanistan_War_Poetry.html