Invisible Children Research... One Day to be an Essay...

• Many child soldiers all over the world. Uganda hardest hit. 30,000 abducted without a trace
• Brought to attention when three college boys went to visit Uganda and revealed the reality of the people there.

• War in Uganda 23 years between LRA and Government of Uganda
• 2 million civilians caught in the middle
• Gov't isnt strong like the US government. Try imagining this situation here. We are very lucky. If a child goes missing here National Guard media. When the abductor is caught=jail time
• AIDS crisis has left many children without anyone to provide for them. They go missing and few notice= invisible children

• 1980's Alice Lakwena believed a spirit spoke to her to overthrow the Ugandan government because they were unjust to the Acholi.
• Strange beliefs. Go into war with sticks and stone and the holy water would protect you. HOLY SPIRIT MOVEMENT
• many followers and group gained momentum
• Lakwena was exiled (expulsion from land) and cousin Kony took over- LRA
• Kony didn't receive the same support from the Acholi people
• Dwindling approval → abduct children into the ranks
• 90% ranks are children
• 5-12 year olds
• easiest to train- persuade. Teach the kids to kill and be very violent. Many girls who are abducted are raped and given as wives to commanders

• 1996 Ugandan Government put people in overcrowded camps for protection – instead came poverty disease and starvation NO JOBS
• Children were still being abducted = Night commuting to verandas 1000's of people

• Conditions improving step by step
• Night commuting ended- sleep ins in the US change being made from people like us. You can help change the world
• Many peace talks
• International attention → help
• 2001- US Patriot Act declared he LRA a terrorist group
• 2004- Ugandan Crisis Act – US to provide more aide to Uganda
• 2005- ICC International Criminal Court put out an arrest warrant for Kony and top 4 commanders.

• As things were improving things then started to slip. Dec 24 2008 LRA adducted 160+ and murdered 600 to show power
• Also in 2008 Kony agreed to meet for a peace talk but then never showed up
• People continue to live in fear
• The progress already made is proof that we have the power to continue the fight to end this war and send kids home

Body Image

Dear Women of the USA,

I am enthralled to see you all independent and successful despite expectations of a male-dominated society. I am thankful for your strong-will and persistence to never settle for anything less. As a woman, I stand among all the morals and values you all hold dear. But I have a burning discontent within my heart. There are injustices and lies presented in society that distort the perceptions of reality.

Media is twisting the definition of real beauty. Photoshop, airbrush, miracle makeup, unrealistic diets and exercise are some of many ingredients of a picture perfect model. Women can never live up to any of it. From the moment we were born, we have been trained to live up to an expectation we can never achieve. If Barbie was a real woman she would have to walk on all fours due to her proportions. We must also watch out for our men. If GI-JO was a real man he would have larger biceps than any bodybuilder in history. And what about our children? Forty-six percent of nine to eleven year olds have admitted to experimenting with diets.

Every day we are presented with hundreds of images through TV, magazines, newspapers, bus stops, Internet, advertisements, you-name-it. It is bound to have an influence on us and our perceptions of the world. I challenge you to guard your heart. Know what is true about yourself. Every woman was created to be beautiful and to fulfill a purpose beyond what the world throws at us. Do not look for value and acceptance from the world. Don't look for it in magazines. Don't look for it in movies. They will only leave you feeling less than you we meant to be

I do not intend to say that diets and exercise are bad. These are one of the most healthy habits you can establish for yourself. Balanced meals and daily exercise has many benefits. It is only when these habits become an obsession, is it unhealthy. You cannot diet and exercise for the wrong reasons.

Do not choose to support the lies that media consumes us with. Be the change you want to see. Encourage others to believe that they are created how they should be. Encourage healthy habits, and eliminate obsessive habits. Bring awareness to the real beauty that the distortion of media has prevented us from seeing. I ask that you, women of the USA, redefine real beauty.

College Essay

The heart is one of the most complex organs in the human anatomy. It's sixty-thousand miles of vessels are so effective that it can push blood to the foot and back in ten seconds. And yet this organ becomes even more complex when society says, “Follow you heart.”

The perplexing statement provides insight to people of purely obedience. However, by the movement consisting of elements I define by what I consider radical, I have found it is more appropriate to “lead your heart.” Leading my heart doesn't confine me to to the limits of human instinct and rationality. An infinite amount of potential is available if one chooses to lead their heart. By leading my heart, I find that I do things that evolutionists would call “incorrect.” It has been proven that human instinct is survival. We can only reverse this by training to lead our heart. Leading my heart is the most important skill that I possess because it gives me the ability to positively manipulate any situation.

The capacity of leading your heart is much larger than that of “following your heart.” It means I put pride aside and be humble, it means I give to others before myself, it means I take risks that go outside my comfort zone, and lastly it means, I do what is good for the benefit of the situation, not the selfish desires and instincts of the heart.

It concerns me that some people may go their whole lives trying to "find themselves," when really it's all about creating yourself. Self-help books create a false illusion that one day identity will just be "found." I could wait around my whole life and see if this happens, but why do that when I can mold myself into the person I want to be, with the gifts I was given? My hope for an innovative, intellectual society is that people lead their heart and ultimately create themselves.

Wilson Essay

Edward O. Wilson Satirical Essay

Wilson addresses both sides of a controversial issue by generalizing the perspective of each group concerning conservation of the environment. Wilson's satirical language, juxtaposition, paradox, and irony convey the opposing attitudes about environmentalism. He does this to demonstrate that both arguments are unproductive and ultimately lead nowhere.

At first Wilson portrays the “People-First” critic's view on “Environmentalists.” Speaking from the place of a “People First” critic, he refers to the environmentalists as “wackos.” Wilson reveals that the “wackos” have a “mostly hidden agenda that comes from the left, usually far left.” The refers to the left movement which was especially seen in the Vietnam war when the youth started demanding sweeping, liberal changes in society. By emphasizing “far left,” Wilson is demonstrating that environmentalist go over-the-top, just as people did in the” New Left” movement during Vietnam. Wilson describes a hypothetical situation in which a college student will find and “endangered red spider on your property” and the “Endangered Species Act will shut you down.” This hyperbole immensely stretches the scene to emphasize the lengths to which environmentalist may go. The scene is also ironic because while most people think to kill a red spider, an environmentalist would endure any adversity to save it. Wilson describes environmentalists as potent and “conservation should be kept in perspective.” He then creates a paradox by saying property owners “are the real grass roots in this country.” This statement is paradoxical because the environmentalists are fighting against property owners to save land, when in reality, the property owners “know what's best for their land.”

Wilson then establishes the “Environmentalist” view on “People-First” critics. Speaking from this perspective he refers to the people-first critics as “anti-environmentalist,” “brown lashers,” and “sagebrush rebels.” Wilson creates a paradoxical statement saying “these people are the worst bunch of hypocrites you'll ever not want to know.” The strong opposition present in this statement reveals that it isn't worth the time to even know this group. He notes that “People-First” critic's of conservation is stocking trout streams and planting trees around golf courses.” This is ironic because these are also some of the goals of environmentalists. Although these actions may be limited, it is still practicing the general concept of conservation of the environment. The “People First” critics potentially put land development “über alles” (above all else). This satirical language portrays the environmentalists as the victims and their stories are never heard. This was most likely intended to poke fun at both groups to prove the unproductive nature of the issue. The argument ends with a rhetorical question, “What exactly are they trying to conserve? Their own selfish interests...” This statement, once again, is ironic because the “People-First” critics could say the same thing about them.

Both perspectives state many of the same problems concerning the issue. Ironically, they cannot see eye-to-eye because each perspective thinks that they are right. When compared, both groups discuss “power”, and “hidden agendas.” Environmentalists are depicted to “expand the government,” while People-First” critics have too much power because they are “tied so closely to the corporate power structure.” Both perspectives describe hidden agendas concerning important issues each side views has significant in society. Each view also describes the “left” and the “right” wing, emphasizing that both are too extreme either way. This juxtaposition identifies that both perspectives are more alike than they are willing to admit. There is no common middle ground despite the similarities. It is seen daily in the issue of exterminating prairie dogs or to keep them alive, to save the Poudre River, or to focus on other things.

Wilson closely identifies and establishes satirical, ironic, an juxtapositional aspects of the controversial topic of conservatism. He reveals these perspectives in a new light when contrast to each other in order to show that the issue is literally going nowhere. The opposing attitudes show the humor and satire presented in the issues and problems in society.

Mowbray Essay

Mowbray's Speech: Act 1 Scene 3

Lines 154-173

As Mowbray and Bullingbrook are about to fight after repeated acquisitions towards one another, an unexpected interupption occurs. After the trumpet sounds for them to begin the battle, King Richard II stops the fight before they even lay a sword on each other. He makes the decision to banish each of them from England. Bullingbrook is only banished for ten years or “till twice five summers” (1.3.141) while Mowbray is banished for life. Bullingbrook accepts his punishment with dignity and defiance. Mowbray's words are also dignified but are spoken in undeniable pain. He feels that Bullingbrook should also be harshly rewarded. This is apparent in his words, “a heavy sentence, my most sovereign liege, all unlooked-for from your highness' mouth.” It almost seems as if Mowbray subtly questions King Richard judgment.

Mowbray uses words and phrases such as “heavy,” “dull,”and “death,” to describe what this banishment feel like to him. He makes it apparent that the King's banishment “robs” him and “enjails” him. Mowbray is effective in his appeals to his audience to make them feel sympathy for him. Mowbray has two audiences, King Richard, and the people who came to watch the fight. He implies that he would like mercy from his King, and this speech, in a sense, is begging the King for a sentence like Bullingbrook's.

Mowbray describes the greatest pain of his banishment is he will no longer be able to speak in native tongue. He talks movingly of how his tongue will be like an “unstringed viol or a harp” or a “cunning instrument cased up.” Mowbray implies that in his banishment, important aspects of his life will ultimately die. He is not free, nor is his tongue free. He refers to his tongue as “within my mouth you have enjailed my tongue.” Without his native tongue his life becomes useless, and even like “death.” His hope becomes dim as he mentions that he is “too old” and “too far in years” to attain anything else in his lifetime.

Mowbray's attempt of gaining sympathy is effective. He portrays what his life will become in banishment. He feels the weight of his sentence with pain and outwardly demonstrates the certain “death” he experiences. However, his speech unexpectedly not effective enough. The next lines from King Richard show little empathy.

Momaday/Brown

Momaday/Brown:

Contrasting views are apparent as N.S. Momaday and D. Brown describe a similar landscape. This is evident in their use of diction, syntax, imagery, and tone. The authors ultimately convey diverging purposes resulting from the literary devices that they utilize. Momaday's passage reveals a high level of contentment and satisfaction of the land. Brown's composition shows the contrary, he sees the land as unsuitable and unsustainable.

Momaday immediately establishes a personal tone when he associates the landscape as “(his) people, the Kiowas.” He personifies the landscape as a “single knoll (that) rises out of the plain.” The word “rises,” ultimately brings the land to life, supporting his personal tone. Momaday describes the weather of the land to be the “hardest weather” in the world. He then continues to support his claim with words and phrases such as, “hot tornadic winds,” and “brittle” and “brown” grass. The words associated with heat and dryness create a vivid picture. This provides imagery to portray an intense landscape. Although he describes the weather and landscape as extreme, he seems to embrace the harsh climate. To Momaday, the plains are a home, and a comfort, despite it's harsh climate. This is evident because of his relaxed tone. As Momaday describes tortoises who live on the land, he says they are “going nowhere in plenty of time.” He asserts that in the land “there is no confusion.” This phrase implies that there is no confusion because of the simplicity of the land. This is significant as he continues to suggest that in the morning the land has the power to “lose sense of proportion.” The remarkable aspects of the land, to Momaday, have value.

Brown expresses frustration with the landscape in which “everything had turned bad.” He portrays a unpleasant and overwhelmed tone as he describes the land. Brown refers to the “whirlwind” grasshoppers and the “parched” grass. These words demonstrate the land is not suitable. He describes an “endless desolation of bones and skull.” This fulfills imagery associated with death. Brown establishes that the land is unideal because it cannot sustain life. Tribes “roamed restlessly” because the land has nothing to offer. The word “restlessly” suggests that the land has an uneasiness to it. Compared to Momaday's relaxed tone, Brown portrays and anxious landscape. The plains, to Brown, have no value.

Although both passages incorporate a general theme of “loneliness” and “desolation,” the landscape is interpreted with variance. Momaday embraces the solitude, while Brown despises it. The land offers nothing to Brown, nut a world of invitation to Momaday. These oppositions are conveyed through the literary devices of each of the authors. Diversity of diction of syntax greatly affect the purpose that the author intends to reveal. This is apparent in the distinctions that Momaday and Brown make of the same landscape.

Lincoln's Second Inagural Address

In Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address before the end of the civil war, he displays the affects of the civil war and then expresses his hope for the future. Lincoln strives for peace and unity of a torn nation. He achieves this purpose though his utilization of elemental rhetorical strategies.

Lincoln's honesty that is prevalent throughout the piece creates direct credibility to his audience. He ordains a humble perspective among his people. Lincoln connects his people to one nation by implying that “all dread it, all sought to advert it. Pronouns such as “we”and “us” link together a nation lost in strife. At the same time, Lincoln also establishes his authority as he speaks by demonstrating his knowledge of the matter. He identifies the problem and then speaks of his hope for the future though he has “no prediction in regard to it is ventured."

By intentionally establishing one common purpose among all people, North or South, he brings unity to a nation that is in desperate need for nationalism. Lincoln does not act superior to his people, instead he states that progress of arms is “... well known to the public as (myself).” He then continues to say, “…I trust, reasonably satisfactory to all.” Although Lincoln's authority is inevitable, he is able to relate to his people on a more personal level acknowledging that he is no different than them.

Lincoln displays logic to bring the civil war into realistic perspective of society. An example of this is seen when he states that, “One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves.” By implementing this, Lincoln lays a foundation which the war was based on, ultimately leading to progressing forward as a nation. Lincoln emphasizes that “neither party”wanted the war to begin, knew how long it would last, and neither is willing to compromise. Then he logically reiterates that both parties read the same bible and pray to the same God. Lincoln logically asserts that asking “God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces.... The prayers of both could not be answered." This reasoning was fundamental to Lincolns message.

Lincolns affiliation to the Lord is undeniable. Considering that the majority of people at his time were Christ followers, Lincoln appeals strongly to the moral standards and beliefs of his people. Lincoln portrays a great deal of trust in the Lord and clearly demonstrates God's sovereignty among all people. He believes that the “almighty has his own purposes” and that the judgment of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” He emphasizes that with the power and strength of God, it will become possible to “bind up the nation's wounds.” This personification of the nation shows the need for peace. Some of the characteristics of Lincolns address can be interpreted as an allusion to the bible. The objectives of Lincolns speech is much like those of the biblical character, Salomon who holds high expectations for his people and evaluates their progress.

Lincoln is effective in addressing his purpose to bring a nation together because of his sincere authority, reasoning, and his connection to his people. He gives this speech in a crucial point in the war, in hopes that peace can result from it. By addressing both the North and South as won his motivation for unity is accomplished.