June 7, 2011

Position Paper 2

The extent to which we should support the suspension of universal rights and freedoms in order to guarantee the preservation of democracy
The author of this source believes in liberalism. He expresses that the preservation of democracy is more important than universal rights and freedoms, and that there are certain circumstances that call for the suspension of these rights and freedoms in order to preserve the democracy. The idea reflected in the source is one of collectivism; it proposes that individuals should make a sacrifice for the greater good of the nation.
In certain circumstances it is necessary to suspend the rights and freedoms of the people in order to protect them from losing those same rights and freedoms. It is acceptable for a liberal government to put a policy like this in place when a suitable situation arises, however the policy should under no circumstances be taken advantage of and used for purposes other than what it was originally intended for. Often the actual outcome of this suspension of rights and freedoms does not correspond with the proposed purpose of the initial action. A number of factors come into play when a government suspends the rights and freedoms of its people. Things such as a struggling economy and a nation of desperate or fear-stricken individuals can affect the outcome of such an act.
A good example of a time during which citizens’ rights and freedoms were suspended due to the circumstances, was the implementation of the Patriot Act in the US. After the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the government implemented the Patriot Act which was supposed to take away universal rights and freedoms of the citizens in order to protect the nation against terrorism. Because the United States had a relatively stable economy (compared to that of Nazi Germany) before this suspension of rights and freedoms, a democratic government will inevitably prevail. The implementation of the Patriot Act has not gone exactly as planned though; government officials and law enforcers have taken advantage of the power this act has given them. Because we naturally assume that terrorists have a certain phenotype, in practice the suspension of rights and freedoms is not universal. In theory, the Patriot Act would be an effective suspension of individual rights and freedoms to guarantee the preservation of democracy, but in practice the act is misused.
Another example of the suspension of the rights and freedoms of a nation’s citizens was during Hitler’s rise to power in Nazi Germany. This example demonstrates a circumstance where the consequence of the suspension of rights and freedoms differs from the position expressed by the source. World War One left Germany in a state of despair; there was a high unemployment rate, a massive debt, and a sky-rocketing inflation rate. People were desperate for better times and Hitler promised just that with only one exception – the suspension of individual rights and freedoms. After being democratically elected, Hitler prevailed as an authoritarian figure and took advantage of his power over Germany. In this case the suspension of universal rights and freedoms did not guarantee the preservation of democracy; in fact it did just the opposite. The suspension of individual rights and freedoms in Nazi Germany resulted in an authoritarian government who exploited their power over the people.
These two examples demonstrate that there are certain times and circumstances that necessitate the suspension of individual rights and freedoms, and there are other times that such a suspension of rights and freedoms results in a negative outcome. In the proper situation it is acceptable for a liberal government to take away the rights and freedoms of the citizens in order to ensure that the people are safe and the democracy is preserved. There are many factors that determine the outcome of the suspension of individual rights and freedoms. Due to human nature, it cannot be guaranteed that the initial intentions of the suspension of individual rights and freedoms are followed, and therefore such an action must be more intensely policed so that it doesn’t result in unwanted consequences.

June 2, 2011

Social Portfolio

Review Guide:


1. To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity?
Assignment that addresses the issue:
Witten response - perspectives on ideology


Graphic Organizer:
Mind Map - Collectivist or Individualist?


2. To what extent is resistance to liberalism justified?
Assignment that addresses the issue:
Prezi - Team Resistance


Graphic Organizer:
Philosopher organizer



3. To what extent are the principles of liberalism viable?
Assignment that addresses the issue:
Prezi - Aboriginal Experiences


Graphic Organizer:
Representation vs. Authority organizer




Vocabulary for all issues


Summative Assesment:


Practice Tests:
               On two of the practice exams that I completed I got 81% and 89%. I found that I had trouble interpreting some of the sources, which made it difficult to choose the best answer. I need to better understand the differences and connections between the various ideologies as well as study the contributions and viewpoints of the various philosophers we learned about this year. Overall I feel that I understand most of the material that I am expected to know and if I put some time into studying, I will do well on the Diploma exam.


Diploma writing assignments and reflections:
Witten response - perspectives on ideology
               Compared to some of my more recent writing assignments, I did not do very well on this written response. I lost marks because my interpretation of the sources was only proficient and I was satisfactory at explaining the relationships between the sources. I believe that I have improved a lot over the course of the year. I now understand the social studies concepts better and I have listened to all of the constructive criticism and advice I have gotten, which has made me better at interpreting and understanding material that is provided to me.



Position paper - economic freedom and self interest
                In my opinion – and according to the teacher’s comments – I did very well on this essay. I have learned from past writing assignments that it is extremely important to develop a position and use relevant supporting evidence. While writing this position paper I constantly thought about tying everything back to the controlling idea, which is something I have struggled with in the past.


General Items:


2 showcase items:
Contemporary Dictatorship - Egypt
The Cold War - The Cuban Missile Crisis


Bibliography:
bibliography

Visual/Presentation:
Visual Definition of Parliamentary Democracy
Prezi - Contemporary Rejection of Liberalism
Prezi - Team Resistance
Prezi - Aboriginal Experiences

May 31, 2011

Written Assignment - ideological perspectives and liberalism

The author of the first source clearly believes in collectivism. The perspective demonstrated by this source tells the reader that individuals should be free to pursue their own self interest without the fear of being taken advantage of due to competition. People should be fairly awarded for the work that they do and the talents and skills they have that let them do that work. The author is in favor of welfare capitalism and labour standards and unions; if these programs are put in place, people will be able to make use of their skills and talents in order to fearlessly pursue self interest.
The author of the second source strays towards the Right, clearly supporting the idea of capitalism. It is pointed out in this source that promoting economic equality would only result in more problems in the world. The author is arguing in favor of self interest, competition, and economic freedom by pointing out the flaws and consequences produced by rejecting these principles. If the government intervenes in order to flatten the economic hierarchy, everyone will lose; the result would be “to enforce domestic poverty and spread hunger around the globe.” On the other hand, if people are allowed to pursue self interest and competition by means of economic freedom, products can be effectively produced and world poverty and hunger can be avoided.
The third source also demonstrates a perspective of capitalism. The author of this political cartoon clearly believes that there should be an economic hierarchy in which there are rich people who are rich and poor people who are not rich. The characters in this cartoon seem angry and baffled that people at the bottom of the ladder can benefit without having worked for it, while they themselves have worked their whole lives to become rich and stay rich. It is apparent that the principle of economic freedom is supported in this source, and also that competition is needed to obtain the hierarchy produced by economic freedom.
These three sources – although having provided differing perspectives on some of the ways that society should work – have many similarities. All three of the sources agree that self interest is a beneficial way for people to make use of their skills in order to pursue happiness and economic success. The second and third sources have a lot more in common with each other than they do with the first source. The two latter sources share the perspective that capitalism is the ideology that would work best for society, and that economic freedom and competition are necessary principles to be implemented.

May 19, 2011

Position Paper

The extent to which we should embrace economic freedom and self interest

       Friedrich von Hayek is a classical liberal free market capitalist whose strong belief in the principles of economic freedom and self interest are clearly demonstrated in the provided source. The source demonstrates von Hayek’s disagreement with an economy which is directed by a socialist government. He also disagrees with the idea that the government should determine the status of each individual within a society, leaving no room for the individual to pursue their own self interest in order to move up or down on the ever-changing economic ladder.

       There have been many problems caused in the US and the Soviet Union by either too much or not enough embrace of economic freedom and self interest in combination with human greed. In the United States during the Great Depression, these two principles of classical liberalism were fully embraced, essentially resulting in the collapse of their economy. The Soviet economy also suffered, but unlike the US, it was due to their complete rejection of these two principles. Canada’s economy combines economic freedom and self interest with some additional principles of modern liberalism in order to achieve an effective system. The best amount of support of economic freedom and self interest in an economy is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum; we should neither completely accept nor reject these principles, but rather modify and add to them in order to gain optimal results.

       In the United States, the Great Depression caused many Americans to re-evaluate their thoughts on their country’s economic system. The United States is known for its unregulated, capitalist economy. This horrible economic depression demonstrated that a completely free market can be very harmful when it gets out of hand, or rather in the hands of the greedy. Some government regulation is necessary. The cause of the great depression was influenced by many factors, the biggest of which was an unregulated market in combination with uncontrollable debt and irresponsible investments. The condition of the United States’ economic system prior to the Great Depression displayed the principles of classical liberalism that Friedrich von Hayek supported in the source. The lack of any government control with regards to economic freedom and self interest is consistent with von Hayek’s views, but it is ultimately what caused the Great Depression. The responses to the Great Depression were to implement more regulation in the market, introduce a form of welfare capitalism, and stimulate the economy by creating public projects such as the construction of the Hoover Dam. These responses all demonstrate the obvious need for more government intervention in a free market economy, and the necessity to move away from classical liberalism and towards modern liberalism.

       The Soviet Union was the first country to adopt the system of an entirely directed economy. Under the control of Stalin, the Soviet Union suffered the consequences of this socialist economic structure. As Friedrich von Hayek implied in his quote, the rejection of economic freedom and self interest by a government striving toward equality results in just the opposite, “an officially enforced inequality”. Similar to the Great Depression in the United States, the main problem with the Soviet economy was caused by human greed. People have the tendency to want more than what they already have; to continuously strive for more power and money. This basic human trait is essentially the reason that Stalin, after successfully following the first two steps of Marxist Socialism, did not graciously retire to leave behind a self-governing, equal society. Stalin’s burning desire for more power sourced the ineffectiveness of the Soviet Union’s directed economic system. Stalin used his power to benefit himself and the people closest to him, eliminating any semblance of economic freedom or self interest in the country. In the provided source, Friedrich von Hayek was expressing the negative aspects of a socialist economic system like the one in the Soviet Union. Human greed causes neither the system of a directed economy, nor that of a free market economy to work effectively all of the time.

       After exploring both extremes of the economic spectrum and learning why neither one is completely effective, the conclusion can be made that an economic system which combines certain highlights from each system would work best. The Canadian economy combines the classical liberal principles of self interest and economic freedom, supported by von Hayek, with modern liberal principles such as welfare capitalism and labour standards and unions. Canada’s mixed economy works well to eliminate the consequences of the greed factor seen in the United States and the Soviet Union. For instance, during the 2007/2008 recession that hit North America as well as the rest of the world, Canada fared better than the US. Parameters have been implemented in the Canadian economic system to limit the effect that human greed has on society, where the United States’ system does not have any regulations. The lack of government control in the US economy caused the banks and big corporations there to require a bailout in order to prevent bankruptcy. In Canada on the other hand, the big corporations and banks were able to stay afloat without billions of dollars due to the policies in place which limited banks from giving out risky loans or lending money irresponsibly. Canada’s mixed economic system that combines principles of unregulated and directed economies nearly eliminates the consequences of the manipulation of the system due to human greed.

       Optimal results will be achieved when an economic system employs the classical liberal principles supported by von Hayek of self interest and economic freedom, but with slightly more government regulation and intervention. Ultimately, a successful economic system will shift away from the extremes – a completely unregulated economy in the United States or an entirely directed economy in the Soviet Union – towards a system that eliminates the greed factor and combines the best of both worlds. Ideally, there should be a mixed economy – such as in Canada – in which the principles of self interest and economic freedom are regulated by the government. This system allows the factor of human greed to be removed in order to achieve the most favorable economic system.

April 30, 2011

Canada: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism

          I believe that the best form of government for Canada is a parliamentary democracy. The form and structure of this type of government system is best suited to the values and beliefs of Canada. To be a successful country is which the majority of the people are content, everyone needs to have a say in their government; elections are a necessity. Authoritarian systems would be impractical because people do not want to be completely controlled by a single leader who has all the power; people want to have a say in deciding the choices made that affect them.
          I believe that a parliamentary democracy is the best form of democracy for our country. A direct democracy would not be practical for such a large population. Proportional representation often results in minority governments to be elected, making it very difficult to get anything done or make any changes for the country. A republican democracy would not be as good for Canada as a parliamentary democracy is because of the separation and independencies of the legislative and executive branches; Canada’s current system is effective because of the support between the branches of the government.
          Despite the few flaws with Canada’s current parliamentary democracy, I believe that it is the best choice of government system for our nation.

April 8, 2011

Team Resistance


by Omnis Contentio (Brandon, Nick, Alisha, Kelsey, Lisa, Quinnlyn)

April 5, 2011

IR 5


o   Muammar Gaddafi
·         came into power in 1969 and has ruled ever since
·         overthrew the king at 27
·         called himself the revolutionary leader of Libya
·         officially set up peoples' committees
§  although they had virtually no power
·         established the Libyan Arab Republic that was later renamed Jamahiriya
§  capitalism and socialism combined with Islamic ideas



o   Why they rejected liberalism in the first place
·         Gaddafi was someone new that they thought would lead them to a better time for the population
·         Thought that Gaddafi would be a better leader than the current king
                  ·     The king wasn't giving the people many rights, freedoms, or a good quality of life

Answer:
                Although it is not unlikely that a Totalitarian regime could be established with the rejection of liberalism, it is not a must for the rejection of Liberalism.


by Alisha and Quinnlyn

March 23, 2011

ELA Portfolio

Reflection:

          Throughout the year I have learned how to improve my work despite the many struggles I faced. I put a lot of effort into the things I already knew how to do well – like visuals and making creative presentations – and had to work extra hard on the things I struggled with – like effectively writing essays and doing a presentation in front of a group of people. I employed many strategies to improve my struggles.

          One reason for my improvements throughout the year in humanities has been my developing familiarity with the style of questions and assignments I was presented with. I was able to distinguish what my teacher was looking for so that I could do better in the class.

          For example, throughout the year I wrote three major personal responses to text. My marks on these three assignments reflect the fact that I improved on each one. On the first response I got 63%, mainly due to my lack of understanding of the question and not knowing what my teacher was looking for when marking it. I learned many things from that perceived failure. On my next personal response I scored 83%. I understood the question, but lacked on tying all of my key points back to the controlling idea. On the last personal response to text that I completed I did very well, earning a mark of 90%. When writing it, I considered all of the advice I had received during the year, making it one of my best pieces of writing thus far.

          For my critical/analytical responses I did much the same thing, constantly considering the suggestions I had received from my teacher and peers, as well as realized myself.

          I had a wake-up call after receiving the feedback from the first visual I created this year (for “On the Rainy River”). I realized I would have to put more thought and effort into my visuals in the future. After this personal insight, I created more visuals that were superior.

          Although I plan on going into the sciences in university, I believe that the skills I have learned in Humanities 30 will be extremely useful to me throughout the rest of my life. I will always take with me the ability to learn from my mistakes to improve in everything I do, to take advice with an open mind, and the ability to work successfully with others in a group. Humanities has prepared me for a bright and promising future for which I believe I am ready.




Critical/Analytical Responses to Text:

Critical Response to The Grapes of Wrath

          John Steinbeck’s thesis presented in The Grapes of Wrath is that in order for society to run best, people must not act out of self interest, but rather in the interest of the collective. Throughout the book this idea is established as characters are developed and the situation of the time period is demonstrated. According to the author, the thought of self-preservation plays an important role in an individual’s response to conflict. Every person has an ultimate objective that they constantly strive to achieve, but every person also faces many obstacles that get in the way of achieving that ultimate goal. In other words, one’s self-preservation is only attainable if one can overcome the competing internal and external demands that obstruct it.

          There are many characters and situations described throughout The Grapes of Wrath that support Steinbeck’s theory about the best way to overcome obstacles in order to pursue self-preservation. One example of this is the development of Tom Joad throughout the book. Joad started out with an individualist perspective, but as the book progressed, the author developed him into more of a collectivist. In the beginning, Joad thought mainly of himself and his family, but after gaining many new experiences and seeing new perspectives, he began to think more of others and the group than just himself. This is demonstrated when he was talking to Ma in the cave about possibly revolting against the rich owners; he said, “I been thinkin’ a hell of a lot, thinkin’ about our people livin’ like pigs, an’ the good rich lan’ layin’ fallow, or maybe one fella with a million acres, while a hundred thousan’ good farmers is starvin’. An’ I been wonderin’ if all our folks got together an’ yelled…” (ch.28 pg.571). This quote shows Tom Joad’s desire for equality between social classes and his determination to achieve economic equality and collective interest, while also presenting his seriousness about the possibility of a revolution to attain these ideologies.

          Another character who was developed into a collectivist to support Steinbeck’s thesis was Jim Casy. During the course of the novel, Casy went through multiple phases. He started out as a preacher, leading the people and advocating the word and spirit of God; he was then incredibly confused, constantly thinking about life, faith, and the spirit in everyone; finally, Casy sacrificed himself for the good of the group, believing that doing so was in the best interest of the collective. When Jim Casy was getting attacked for leading a strike, the narrator said, “Casy dodged down into the swing” (ch.26 pg.527), which represents Casy’s willingness to die for the potential that others would be able to have better lives. In Steinbeck’s opinion, this sacrifice was the ultimate solution to pursuing self-preservation – by acting to help the collective group. Casy showed his devotion to achieving self-preservation by benefitting the group many times throughout the book, offering to take the blame and go to jail when Tom Joad beat up a cop, preaching about the need for a revolution to obtain equality in the collective interest, and passing on his thoughts to Tom Joad in order for his visions to be seen through. One particular idea that Casy came up with while he spent his time constantly thinking, and then shared with Joad, was that every person’s soul is just a small piece of one big soul. Both characters firmly believed that it was imperative that everyone unite their souls and work together in order to achieve self-preservation; one individual thinking only of his own success would eventually lead to their inevitable failure.

          Steinbeck not only represents his ideas in the way of character development, but also uses the setting and events of the time period to help portray his main idea. In many of the intercalary chapters throughout the book, the author looked beyond the challenges that the Joad family and other main characters came up against, and described the general hardships faced by all the struggling people. For instance, in chapter five the narrator informs the reader about tractor drivers. He tells us that they were just ordinary people who used to struggle to find food just like the rest of the poor residents, but then, by striving for their own and their family’s self-preservation, the drivers destroyed the livelihood of everyone else around them. An angry tenant complained about a tractor driver’s greediness when he said, “…for your three dollars a day fifteen or twenty families can’t eat at all. Nearly a hundred people have to go out and wander on the roads for your three dollars a day.” (ch.5 pg.50). Steinbeck included this whole situation in the book to illustrate the negative effects that may occur if people do not think of the common good. The tractor driver was only thinking of himself and his family, never giving thought to the hundred people who would be displaced and starved as a result of his doings. Although he may or may not have realized it, this tractor driver harmed others immediately, only to harm himself in the long run.

          Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, many obstacles were presented which the characters had to overcome in order to achieve their ultimate objective; they had to conquer the competing internal and external demands in order to accomplish self-preservation. Using multiple techniques, Steinbeck presented his thesis that collectivism is ultimately better than individualism. He supported his idea by developing characters like Tom Joad and Jim Casy, who in the end thought that everyone’s souls are part of one giant soul and that no one can get by on their own; each person’s soul must be connected to the collective soul in order to prosper, or even just survive. Steinbeck also used the method of intercalary chapters to develop his theory further. He wrote about a tractor driver whose greediness and individualistic perspective caused harm to everyone around him and would eventually cause harm to him as well. As a whole, The Grapes of Wrath combines many situations that support Steinbeck’s thesis that in order for society to run best, people must not act out of self interest, but rather in the interest of the collective.



Critical – Analytical Response to the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

          Peter Jackson created a film that portrays the ways in which individuals take responsibility for themselves and others. Many of the characters developed in this film took responsibility reluctantly but willingly, making a personal sacrifice in order to help society.

          This film depicts the idea that accepting responsibility for something usually means that a personal sacrifice must be made in return for the benefit of society as a whole. Many of the characters in this film realized that they needed to take responsibility in order for their society to persist. They recognized the need to help a larger power rather that only looking out for themselves; they would be helping all of Middle Earth by accepting responsibility for their society in a time of need. In the cases of many of the characters developed by Peter Jackson in “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” the consideration of such a personal sacrifice caused them hesitate before accepting responsibility.

          Frodo reluctantly took responsibility for all of Middle Earth by accepting the burden of the ring and the task of destroying it to prevent the rise of evil forces in Middle Earth. He made many personal sacrifices in the anticipation of fulfilling this obligation. It is apparent throughout the film that the ring’s power took a toll of Frodo, weakening him almost to a point of death, but he heroically persevered to fulfill his responsibility of destroying it in order to help society. When faced with the decision to accept this important responsibility, Frodo recognized the personal sacrifice he would have to make – the many hardships he would face which could ultimately lead to his demise – in order to help his society. After hesitating slightly, Frodo ultimately made the decision to put the needs of society above his own, accepting this responsibility which was vital to Middle Earth’s persistence.

          Another key character developed by Peter Jackson who portrayed the willing acceptance of responsibility despite his hesitation of making a personal sacrifice for the benefit of society, was Aragorn. Although Aragorn was heir to the throne of Gondor, he initially rejected the responsibility of becoming king. It can be argued that his reason for this reluctance was the fear that he would not live up to society’s standards and expectations. Throughout the film, he became more confident in his beliefs and his own identity, causing him to show his heroic nature in a time of need to lead his people into the future. The turning point at which Aragorn made the decision to accept responsibility was just before the final battle for Middle Earth when he realized society’s need for his heroic leadership. He stepped up to front his army’s attack on the forces of evil from Mordor. Aragorn ultimately sacrificed his fear and doubt, realizing that the benefits that would come from his help and leadership of society would greatly outweigh the consequences of his possible future mistakes.

          Peter Jackson created a film that clearly represents the ways in which individuals take responsibility for themselves and others. It was shown through the analysis of two of the main characters, Frodo and Aragorn, that responsibility is often taken reluctantly but willingly, and with the thought that the benefit of society outweighs the consequences presented by the personal sacrifice that must be made.


Personal Responses to Text:

Pinocchio’s Free Will

          Personal well-being can be pursued differently when one is faced with different conflicts. If you are being manipulated and are under the control of someone else without knowing it, you are faced with a unique type of conflict. This type of situation can be looked at and compared to Keith Carter’s image titled Pinocchio as well as personal knowledge of certain circumstances.

          Manipulation can come in many different forms. One example of someone taking advantage of someone else who does not realize it is a sales-person trying to sell a particular product to a customer. Sales-people generally make an effort to sell the product that will produce the highest profit for themselves, and do this in any way that they can. Sales-people will sometimes only give you parts of the information to help them sell the particular product. For instance, a television salesman will tell you all the amazing features of one model, leaving out the potential cons of the choice, while only giving the possible downfalls of another model and leaving out the good features. By using this method, the customer only has biased information about the products, leading them to make the decision that the sales-person led them to. Despite the fact that the sales-person tells you to make the decision on your own, he has already practically made the decision for you. You think that you are making the choice between the two products, but actually the sales-person has manipulated your thoughts into leaning towards the product that they will make the most money off of. This is only one of many examples of manipulation which can be used to benefit, or more often, harm the receiver.

          In Keith Carter’s image titled Pinocchio, a certain type of manipulation is demonstrated. The puppet has the illusion that he can move however he wants, while actually the puppeteer has complete control of his every move. In the image, the puppeteer, or manipulator, is blurred to give the impression that the puppet is not aware of his presence or dominant control over him. Pinocchio is not conscious of the fact that there is a presence standing above him, pulling strings to control his decisions. Despite what he may think, Pinocchio does not have free-will. This image demonstrates the same concept discussed above; a manipulative presence has control over the receiver without the receiver being aware of it. The puppeteer pulls the stings to force decisions to be made which produce predetermined outcomes; the sales-person pulls strings to lift the customers’ hand to the television that will produce the highest profit. Although these examples have focused mainly on the negative aspects of manipulation, it is also possible for the overseeing blurred presence to force good decisions from the puppets as well.

          Both of these examples relate to concepts of human nature in more general terms. Humans are commonly faced with situations of competing internal and external demands. We are often forced to respond to these conflicts in the best interest of our own personal well-being. Humans generally want to make their own decisions without someone or something dictating what they can and cannot do. The examples above make certain suggestions about personal well-being when responding to conflict. In these types of situations the puppet is not aware that he is being manipulated, which means that he is not conscious of any type of conflict. Although the person who is being manipulated is not aware of the manipulation, there is still a man versus man conflict taking place. Despite the potential for positive manipulation, there is a far greater likelihood that the manipulation will be destructive. This negative influence may cause the reduction of personal well-being such as fulfillment, self-satisfaction, or even survival. Making a major decision may give the illusion of fulfillment and self-satisfaction, but like the example above, a conscious decision was not actually made by the puppet. An extreme situation involving a similar type of manipulation could even put a life in danger, threatening the vital survival of the pawn. There can be numerous effects caused by the blurred presence of a manipulator which, to a certain extent, may ruin the puppet’s ability to pursue personal well-being.

          The examples above suggest that human nature causes individuals to respond to the conflicts presented by manipulation in a certain way. We are under the impression that we can do and think anything we want, when we are actually unknowingly under the complete control of the manipulator. The understanding of certain situations as well as Keith Carter’s image titled Pinocchio has provided some insight into individuals’ natural response to these types of manipulative situations.



Balancing in the Wind of School

          The struggle to restore honour and certainty may come in different forms, from different situations, and may have different solutions. There are times when you are faced with a problem that seems out of your reach, moving too fast for you to distinguish the details, having the potential to knock you off of your precarious balancing position. What are you going to do about it? Will you simply try to stay balanced until it has passed, letting your honour and certainty slip away, or will you take action to try to slow it down, separate the details from the blur, and restore your honour and certainty?

          In the image titled 120 km/h, 1975 by Jan Saudek, a young person is balanced in a precarious position. Directly in front of them, a fast moving train flies by. The individual can barely make out what is happening in the blur, while simultaneously trying to gain some sort of balance on the level-crossing gate as the wind created by the train threatens to knock them down. Similar to the individual in the image, I struggle to find a balancing position where I will not be obliterated by the intense workload of school. There is no possible way that I can slow down the rapidly approaching unit tests, project due dates, and diploma exams in front of me. All I can do is attempt to stay balanced – to keep my head above the water – and distinguish and absorb as much of the information from the blur as I can.

          As the weight of homework gets heavier, the pressure to study gets stronger, and time goes faster, I find myself falling. But then I catch myself. My honour and certainty come back into sight as I temporarily regain my balance, until another chemistry assignment gets handed out and I don’t understand it. After catching my breath I am able to slightly make out the details of the speeding train before I remember the math unit exam that is tomorrow for which I still have to study. After barely making it through that, I must focus on the multiple projects with fast-approaching due dates in humanities. I cannot let the wind from the train knock me over as my balance is becoming more unsteady and I am beginning to doubt my honour. But then I receive a mark back in math; I restored my certainty – I aced the test. I catch a glimpse of the date and a panic attack hits me like a train going 120 km/h. There are less than two weeks until I write my diploma exams; I begin to fall again.

          I am doing everything I can to succeed in this time of overbearing pressure. Honour is achieving high marks, doing as well as I know I am capable of, and learning new things every day. Certainty is the feedback I get that lets me know I am doing well, and the fact that I will be able to get into university and achieve the goals I am striving towards in my life. In order to achieve this honour and certainty I must keep my balance and effectively make out the details of the train flying past me. I use what little time I have effectively, and I keep my focus on the task at hand. I am taking one step at a time to run the marathon.

          As life flies by like a speeding train, we balance on the sidelines trying to make out the details before it is too late. Everyone struggles to restore honour and certainty – whatever their definition of the terms may be. As the train passes we are constantly trying to slow it down in order to discover the solutions to our problems. We may never find the cure to everything, but in the process of looking we may just find a way to stay balanced until we begin to fall again. The conflicts we deal with are always against us – the wind is always threatening to blow us down – and all we can do is struggle against it to stay up.



Accepting Responsibility

          When faced with a controversial situation in which one is forced to make a decision, it is truly tested whether or not that individual is actually responsible. If one chooses to accept responsibility for themselves and others around them, they are proven guilty of being an admirable, responsible person.

          After witnessing a classmate cheat on a test, I am forced to make a decision. Will I tell the teacher about the mishap, or will I let the person get away with cheating and forget about the offense? If I choose to notify the teacher, I will be accepting responsibility for myself and everyone else in the classroom, ensuring that justice is maintained. So why would I choose to do the “wrong thing” by objecting to notify the teacher, pretending to be oblivious to the offence? There are many factors that may contribute to the reasons why a person makes a certain decision – why they choose to accept or deny responsibility.

          My situation requiring a choice to be made is similar to the situation of Hatsue in the excerpt from “Snow Falling on Cedars.” We were both forced to make a decision about whether or not to accept responsibility. In the excerpt, Hatsue makes the decision to take the situation into her own hands by making the decision to take responsibility for her actions. Similarly, I must make the decision to either inform the head of the classroom about the wrongdoing that I have witnessed, or let the student get away with cheating by ignoring my moral obligation.

          Many individuals in society are faced with comparable circumstances. When faced with this type of situation, one must make a decision to accept or deny responsibility for their own actions or the actions of those around them. It seems as though most citizens in society tend to let these types of transgressions go. Most people make multiple excuses to themselves in order to justify why they stood by as someone else committed a seemingly harmless felony. Humans have a moral obligation to report misdeeds – no matter how victimless they may be – to a person in charge.

          The real question is, why do some individuals choose to accept this responsibility, and why do others choose to remain ignorant to these situations? Although many inferences may be made, there is a possibility that no one will ever know the true answer to this question. To inform someone about a mishap that you have witnessed it would take a lot of effort and you would risk your own reputation in return for practically no reward, whereas if you simply choose to remain unaware of the situation, there may be no noticeable consequence. In my circumstance, peer pressure existed that stopped me from doing the “right thing” by telling the teacher about my classmate who was cheating. Like countless people in society, I witnessed a victimless crime and decided to let the cheater get away with their offence.

          Although it may be incredibly difficult to accept one’s moral obligation to society, it is our responsibility to report immoral situations to those in charge.



Creative Responses (visuals):



My visual response to "On the Rainy River"











My visual response to the poem “Dolce et Decorum Est”
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My visual response to the poem “The Swimmer’s Moment”
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Creative writing:













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The above image is my response to Shakespeare's play "Hamlet"



Independent Reading Assignment:



After I got into the book "Truth and Bright Water", I actually enjoyed reading it. The fact that it was narrated from the perspective of a young Aboriginal boy made it a bit more interesting and relatable.

March 10, 2011

The Cuban Missile Crisis









The Soviet Union and the US have just entered a missile crisis. In response to learning that the US had missiles that could reach the Soviet Union while the Soviet Union’s missiles were unable to reach the US, the Soviet government placed missiles in Cuba where the US was in the missiles’ range. The Cuban president, afraid of an invasion by the US, allowed missiles to be pointed at the US from within his country to honour their alliance with the Soviet Union. Sources have captured photographic evidence of the presence of the Soviet missiles in Cuba. After publicly announcing the situation to his people, President Kennedy quarantined the island. A letter has been sent to the US from the Soviet Union proposing that upon the US guarantee of surrender to invade Cuba, the missiles will be removed. The US received a second letter from the Soviet Union demanding the removal of US missiles from Turkey in return for the removal of their missiles from Cuba. President Kennedy ignored the second letter and agreed to the first letter after specifying additional negotiations with the Soviet Union. We wait for the negotiations to be honoured by both sides in order to prevent another large scale war.






As the government of the Soviet Union, it is our responsibility to protect our people. After acquiring the information that the US had missiles pointed at our people within range while our missiles would not have reached the US, we placed missiles in Cuba to show the US that they couldn’t attack our people without a counterattack. To prevent a major loss of lives not only in the US but more importantly of Soviet Union citizens, we sent a letter to the US president in hopes of negotiating a peaceful solution. The content of our first letter was that should the US government guarantee that they wouldn’t invade Cuba, we would remove the missiles that we have recently placed in Cuba. Another letter was sent shortly afterwards with new stipulations. In response, the US government agreed to the terms in our first letter after adding a few new terms of their own. We, the Soviet Union government, honored our side of the negotiations, and much to our relief, the US also came through on their side of the bargain. Our missiles have been removed from firing distance and the US has surrendered their attack on Cuba.

March 9, 2011

Tragedy and the Common Man



Team Struggle project by Omnis Contentio

March 6, 2011

Poetry to Film Comparison


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This visual project depicts the theme in Return of the King of accepting responsibility and making decisions. The poem “The Swimmer’s Moment” presents the idea that even if one option looks disadvantageous or harmful, it may actually turn out to be more beneficial in the end. One must endure the patch of hardships and charge into the unknown in hopes of discovering a better outcome. The possibility of a different and better future can only be discovered when one accepts their responsibilities and takes a risk.

February 23, 2011

February 22, 2011

Current Event

The government of Libya, a country in North Africa, has fallen under a similar state of unrest, violence, and protests as many other countries in North Africa and the Middle East recently.


Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Newsy report

January 13, 2011

Balancing in the Wind of School

Personal Response to Context

The struggle to restore honour and certainty may come in different forms, from different situations, and may have different solutions. There are times when you are faced with a problem that seems out of your reach, moving too fast for you to distinguish the details, having the potential to knock you off of your precarious balancing position. What are you going to do about it? Will you simply try to stay balanced until it has passed, letting your honour and certainty slip away, or will you take action to try to slow it down, separate the details from the blur, and restore your honour and certainty?

In the image titled 120 km/h, 1975 by Jan Saudek, a young person is balanced in a precarious position. Directly in front of them, a fast moving train flies by. The individual can barely make out what is happening in the blur, while simultaneously trying to gain some sort of balance on the level-crossing gate as the wind created by the train threatens to knock them down. Similar to the individual in the image, I struggle to find a balancing position where I will not be obliterated by the intense workload of school. There is no possible way that I can slow down the rapidly approaching unit tests, project due dates, and diploma exams in front of me. All I can do is attempt to stay balanced – to keep my head above the water – and distinguish and absorb as much of the information from the blur as I can.

As the weight of homework gets heavier, the pressure to study gets stronger, and time goes faster, I find myself falling. But then I catch myself. My honour and certainty come back into sight as I temporarily regain my balance, until another chemistry assignment gets handed out and I don’t understand it. After catching my breath I am able to slightly make out the details of the speeding train before I remember the math unit exam that is tomorrow for which I still have to study. After barely making it through that, I must focus on the multiple projects with fast-approaching due dates in humanities. I cannot let the wind from the train knock me over as my balance is becoming more unsteady and I am beginning to doubt my honour. But then I receive a mark back in math; I restored my certainty – I aced the test. I catch a glimpse of the date and a panic attack hits me like a train going 120 km/h. There are less than two weeks until I write my diploma exams; I begin to fall again.

I am doing everything I can to succeed in this time of overbearing pressure. Honour is achieving high marks, doing as well as I know I am capable of, and learning new things every day. Certainty is the feedback I get that lets me know I am doing well, and the fact that I will be able to get into university and achieve the goals I am striving towards in my life. In order to achieve this honour and certainty I must keep my balance and effectively make out the details of the train flying past me. I use what little time I have effectively, and I keep my focus on the task at hand. I am taking one step at a time to run the marathon.

As life flies by like a speeding train, we balance on the sidelines trying to make out the details before it is too late. Everyone struggles to restore honour and certainty – whatever their definition of the terms may be. As the train passes we are constantly trying to slow it down in order to discover the solutions to our problems. We may never find the cure to everything, but in the process of looking we may just find a way to stay balanced until we begin to fall again. The conflicts we deal with are always against us – the wind is always threatening to blow us down – and all we can do is struggle against it to stay up.