The Witch Hunt of 2008

The word "witch hunt" wasn't used back in the 1700s. But of coarse we have all heard about it in Salem, so what was it really? In the novel "The Crucible" many people are being accused for being witches, with rarely any true evidence. The witch hunt was just a way for people to stand out. If you weren't a witch, then you could say that you were more perfect. It was just another way to single people out. Many cultures throughout the world, both ancient and modern, have reacted to allegations of witchcraft either with superstitious fear and awe, and killed anyone that seemed suspicious. How is this similar to today, you might ask?

Patriotism.

A Patriot person shows strong support and love for their country. They have the American flag on their cars and houses, they say the pledge of allegiance, and they allows follow the law and are respectful. People today are accused of being unpatriotic all the time. Many people today don't stand up at the flag with their right hand across their heart reciting the pledge of allegiance. If you don't do those kinds of things you will be alienated just like the witches of Salem.

If someone doesn't do all of this can they still be patriotic?

I think they can, in my opinion, it doesn't mean what you have to show for it, it depends on whats in your heart.

Contradicting A Bit..

New Trier teaches it's students many things about life and how to live and be better people. However, in advisory it was brought how often we often find mew Trier contradicting itself. Last year New Trier celebrated Earth Day, we learned about how humans are effecting the weather and are even causing global warming. We learned about how we should be recycling. After we spent the whole day learning how bad we were treating Earth we went to the cafeteria and ate pizza. The pizza boxes weren't being recycled and they had plastic cups, plastic forks (for the salad), paper plates, and paper napkins. There weren't any recycling bins, so it was a major contradiction. Another example of New Trier's contradictions is when a teacher doesnt grade a test or quiz accurately. Honesty and Academic Integrety has always been something that New Trier taught. Recently, however, I find that teachers are saying exactly this "If you got something wrong and I didn't mark it, dont tell me, its benefical for you." I think that if the teacher is going to make a mistake on somebody's test they should give everyone a point that got that one wrong. If they know that they made a mistake grading, then they should have done something to make it fair. I feel like they teach us to be honest but then they dont inforce it, they dont follow up with the

Limited Vs. Protected

"Congress shall make no law abiding the freedom of speech, or of the press."

Back in the day, when America was being created, the founders made reasonable rights to protect the Americans. Congress wanted America to be different from UK, they wanted freedom! Today in age, congress has slowly taken away these rights. This limits us to what we are allowed to buy, what we wear, what we say, including what we do. These rights should be limited to a few things in my opinion. Screaming "fire" in a busy building and making people panic just isn't acceptable. Its an easy one. However, when people wear t-shirts with inappropriate words, or gestures, it becomes more difficult. Why shouldn't the person be allowed to wear it? Is it really hurting anybody? What about when you aren't supposed to false advertise? Advertisers are always stretching the truth to make their product look like the best, that's how they keep their jobs. What would you think if a high school boy was running for school's president and used words that left the audience feeling uncomfortable? Congress passed the law years ago to make freedom of speech possible for him, but the audience is in school and isn't able to leave the auditorium. Which is more important?

Keeping Things Private

No doubt about it. Important things in your family should be kept there. Sarah Palin's teenage daughter is preganant, but should this really be in magazines? What does it matter to anyone? Perhaps, its beacuse she is making herself look like one of us, she calls herself a hockey player's mom and tries her best to fit in with moms in America. But does her status of being a grandma change this? Her teenage daughter being pregnant, makes her look like a bad mom. Sarah Palin is 44 years old and about to be a grandma, in American the average age to start having your own family is 21-25. So Palin is in the average age of being a grandma, but her daughter is not. Does this change at all how people view her now.

Four Score And Seven Years Ago.

My September 11, was spent in the sun on Florida, my family barely ever goes far for vacation but at that time we were in Florida. I remember I was the first one awake and I was talking on my mom's cellphone on the balcony. We were good acquaintances with the older couple that were residing next to us. I remember I saw them crying and it made me sad. I was in fourth grade and I had no idea what was happening. Until my friend on the cell phone told me. I woke up my family, my mom of course didn't know what was happening and she put on the news. My sister and I had no idea what those towers even were. We were scared and we didnt know wheather to go home or not, out plane was schedualed to leave the next day. We wanted to get home as soon as possible. We spent the rest of that day sitting by the pool, me just wondering if we were all going to be okay. That night we packed all of our belongings and my mom decided to rent a SUV and drive home.

I know today what happened of course. Thousands of people dieing in three airplane planned accidents, to attempt to ruin our nation. That's my Septmember 11, 2001 story.

Did the terrorists that sacraficed themselves live their life to the fullest? Grizzly Man did in my opinion he lived to his life dream. Most of the suicide bombers die for thier religion and believe that they will have paradise in the afterlife. If their life on Earth sucks so bad, then it's their life dream to die for their their religion. Either way I think that whatever you are inspired to do with your life should only concern you and should cause no harm to anybody else.

"Just World Phenomenon"

In class the other day, we watched a movie called "Grizzly Man." The movie is about this man, Timothy Tredwell, who believes that bears are simply misunderstood and goes out every year to Alaska to live with them. On his thirteenth year however, a bear killed him and his girlfriend. Is it okay to say that of course he died, he got what he deserved? Think about someone that did something amazing with a story to tell, when you hear their story do you think they deserved to die, or do you think that what they did was admirable? The documentary interviewed with a pilot who made it quite clear that Timothy got what he deserved and did more harm then good when living with the bears. You could however, turn it around coming from a pilot and say that if he died in a horrible crash he deserved what he got.

I think that what happened to Timothy was unfortunate, he said he wouldn't mind if he was killed by a bear, but he hoped that never had to happen. I think that he lived to his full potential and life dream. Unlike Chris McCandless, he was older and it was a dream for him, the bears helped him stop drinking and he tried to help them not be hunted.

Is it okay to die from old age and be on your couch for the rest of your life, rather than die a bit younger doing something you love?