Question for meeting of the minds...

Is America an imperialist country? Why? (Corday's answer)

Many countries became imperialist countries by taking over countries in Africa, just as France, Germany, and Great Britain. They took the country, because it could not say 'no' to them since their country was not as strong to defend itself, and made it into a country with similar laws, religions, way of work, etc. basically to make money off of them. These countries were forcing their ways onto these people. After awhile they even began to fight over who was getting what country, and they would use the countries that they already took over to fight so less of their own people would die.
Now in America today, some may believe that their current situation with Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan is America being imperialist onto them. I, however, do not believe that it is because if you think about what made them go over there in the first place and what started the war was because of America's September 11, 2001. Terrorists attacked them without any warning at all, America went over to stop being attacked and to save its own people. They are attempting to create a better life style for the people in these countries and yes, they got rid of their leader but only because he was the one who authorized the attacks to begin with. America may seem imperialist, but truly it is not.

Charlotte Corday

<--Jean-Paul Marat

This week in Maz's class, we are preparing for our meeting of the minds conversation and everyone has a different character from history. My character is Charlotte Corday, who died during the French Revolution, but not for reasons that you may think. She was not killed during battle, but was executed by the guillotine. Jean-Paul Marat was a person who wrote down lists of names of people to be executed, and the government thought his reasons for listing the following names should indeed be executed, so they were. Corday realized this was a killing spree of her own people that the government was allowing, so she took matters into her own hands. Preparing herself mentally, she decided that the only way this would end was if Marat died. She made a list of names, and scheduled an appointment with Marat to share her list of names he could use. Accepting her offer, Marat allowed her to come while he was bathing for a skin problem he had. Before she went, she left a letter explaining everything she was about to do for her country because she knew she would be caught in the end. At the meeting, she took a kitchen knife to Marat's throat and sliced it open, leaving him to die immediately. Going outside covered in blood, the police captured her and she was put on trial. Once found guilty, she was sent to be beheaded. On her way up to the blade, she screamed and cried because she was not ready to face a painful death. Corday made France realize two things; women needed to step up more for what they believed in and also the guillotine was not humane at all. Even though she did commit murder, she showed women how to step out of their boxes and do something for their people in order to bring peace back and less killings by the government.

Growth of Immigration

When the Communism collapse and a civil war takes place in Yugoslavia, the immigration growth begins to take notice. People moving to different countries than where their parents grew up in because of new work and more money opportunities. Once they raised enough money, they could send it to their families back in their old country to come to the new country where they are at to live a perhaps happier life. This painting capture the moment of a ship load of people coming into a new country and meeting new people or maybe even the family that already moved there for work. Everyone is running to greet someone else in the picture as the row boats come in from the ship, bringing loads of people to the land.

Rwanda Genocide

Today in our world, we are worried about many different things that are going on in our country. Swine Flu hit Mexico not too long ago, and is now spreading across America. What we do not think about is what else is going on in other countries that we may be able to help out on? To save at least one more life? In Rwanda, many different countries are in debate whether or not there is a genocide occurring or not. It started once a plane was shot down, carrying two important people who were from different types of ethnic groups in Rwanda. Once it occurred, the Hutus attacked Tutsis believing they were the ones responsible for attacking the President's plane. About 800,000 were killed in a 100 days alone. This type of situation seems like something that could have been prevented if another country had intervened. Unfortunately, Rwanda is not the only country who is having a genocide without other countries noticing because of their leaders covering it up. A foundation for Rwanda is set up so people can donate money to them to send people to school for an education, such as the orphans whose parents were killed during the attack of the Hutus. http://foundationrwanda.org/ Maybe if this foundation can raise enough money, some of these people can still have a future that does not involve someone killing another.

Connection Across Time...

On December 7, 1941, 2,887 Americans died when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Many of the sailors were trapped, being on the lowest part of the ship and when it was attacked, they had no where to go. Sadly, America lost a lot of good men and women during that day. Once Pearl Harbor happened, America decided that World War II had gone too far and needed to end before any more lives were taken. America dropped two a-bombs, fat man and little boy, in Japan and it ended the war.
On September 11, 2001, America was again attacked but not by the same people. Terrorists from Iraq had flown planes into American cities which crashed into different buildings of very populated and important places such as the Twin Towers in NYC. After this attack, Bush sent us into war in Iraq so we could get terrorists who would attack America again and those who ordered the attacks. Today, we are still in war with Iraq, even though we do use a-bombs to help out. The connection across time is, a country can be in the same situation many times... but the solution to ending a war will not always be the same every time. When we bombed Japan, WWII ended... When we bombed Iraq, the war continued.

IT'S OVER!!!!!!!!!!!

The war is over!! World War II finally came to an end on V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day), the day Japan surrenders after American A-Bombs changed their minds. In New York City, after receiving the news, a Navy sailor grabs a nurse and kisses her in Time Square. The question is, whose the couple?! For many years, everyone has been curious over who the sailor is and who the nurse is in this famous photograph after the end of the long war was over. I love this photo because it shows stress and anxiety being set free after such a long time. Navy, Marines, Army, and everyone else in the military can finally quit fighting against people who believed only certain people should override others. Nurses will have less soldier wounds to treat, citizens will no longer have to make equipment for the War, and sons and daughters won't have to die over seas from World War II. Many soldiers were killed fighting, and many citizens attacked without warning sometimes. After many years of this mystery of who the sailor was in the photo, he has finally come forward. Glenn McDuffie was identified through many different tests through the photo and himself. http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-kiss0814,0,447049.story

American Soldiers raising the American Flag

Marines showing American Pride as they place America's flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. This photograph is a memorable one for every American citizen because it showed American standing strong during one of History's most toughest times, World War II. After the identification of the soldiers in this photograph was established, we learn three of these men died during a battle while the other three were survivors of the war. Joe Rosenthal was the photographer of this image of the soldiers' flag raising. Later, a Marine Corps War Memorial was made with the three survivors posing so the sculptor, Felix W. de Weldon, could sculpt the faces of American heroes and used as many photographs as he could to sculpt the other three heroes. The photographer really captured American soldiers being proud of their country by fighting and believing in what they were fighting for.