Getting Your Licence

I'm sure as you all know at the age of 16 teenagers can write the test to get their G1.  Although in Alberta, teenagers only need to be 14.  G1 drivers in Alberta must be accompanied by a driver who has only had their full G for 2 years.  I have heard that this is because there is more agriculture so kids grow up driving tractors therefore are able to drive cars at younger ages.  Is this true and do you think it is fair that in Alberta you can get your G1 at the age of 14?  Also, why do you think that each province has different licensing regulations?

No More Child Soldiers

   As seen in this picture, it is evident that this young child has been recruited as a child soldier to fight because of the clothing he is given to wear along with his gun. The teddy bear is symbolizing his childhood and is his only hope for what is left of it. Through his emotion he express’ , it is apparent that this young boy is upset and has lost his adolescence due to the commanders recruiting him as a child soldier.  Not only does this image show the fighting child soldiers endure, but it displays the poor living conditions and environment these children experience. It is significant that this image is on a beach as is shows children should be playing with their toys on the beach rather than holding a gun in a dangerous area.  In the back ground, an army tank is visible which further suggests this boy is in war and enduring life threatening situations. From this picture, it is proved that children living in captivity lose their innocent childhood.

What other aspects of this image lead you to believe that this child lives in captivity and has lost his childhood?

A Long Way Gone

I recently finished the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah which I have decided to do for my ISU assignment.  Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier recalls his life and writes this book from his perspective.  I have never understood the hardships these child soldiers have faced until reading this novel.  This novel takes place in Sierra Leone and is about Ishmael Beah who is forced to separate from his family as he runs from the rebels for years.  Over the years he endures starvation, abuse, mental deterioration, witnesses gruesome deaths and most importantly he loses his childhood.  After many years of running from the rebels, Ishmael Beah is left with no choice but to join the army.  From here he is handed a gun at the age of 13 and demanded to fight and kill the enemy.  These young children become brain washed by their elder soldiers.  13 year old Ishmael Beah becomes addicted to cocaine, drugs and killing.  At 15, UNICEF came and took many children including Ishmael to a rehabilitation center.  The conditions he endured will forever remain with him.  After struggling through many months there, Ishmael began to recover and had the chance to travel and speak at a conference in New York.  This book is inspiring and very captivating.  I highly recommend this book as it is an educating and extremely touching story.      

The Importance of Soliloquies

Throughout Macbeth, William Shakespeare has incorporated soliloquies into his writing.  Soliloquies are important because they allow the reader to understand the thoughts and feelings of characters.  Through this, we can understand what they are thinking and allows foreshadowing.  They are so important in Macbeth because they allow us to see the characters’ emotional deterioration which advances the plot.  

It begins when Macbeth is considered loyal and patriotic for killing the traitor of Scotland.  After receiving the prophesies, the use of soliloquies allows us to see the turn in Macbeth as he and Lady Macbeth plan to murder Duncan.  Soon after, in one of Macbeth’s soliloquies it says, “As his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself” (I.VII.14-16).  This shows Macbeth’s thoughts are now changing as he is contemplating whether or not to commit the crime as he feels he should remain loyal and trustworthy to Duncan. Without this soliloquy, we would not suspect Macbeth to show this innocence.  Since Macbeth is second guessing his choices, it foreshadows that Macbeth will show remorse after he murders Duncan.  After this, there is a scene where Macbeth hallucinates and sees daggers.  This shows how Macbeth refrains from life and is having evil thoughts which foreshadows that Duncan will be murdered. 

Not only do the soliloquies show Macbeth’s development but Lady Macbeth’s as well.  We can see as she transitions from evil thoughts of the murder to remorse.  

With only these few examples of soliloquies, we can see the importance of soliloquies as they show character development which advances the plot as well as foreshadowing it.  These soliloquies have allowed us to see characters’ inner thoughts and connect the ideas throughout the play to gain a solid understanding.  We have especially been able to see the change in Macbeth as he second guesses his choices, shows remorse for murdering Duncan, fears Banquo when he becomes suspicious and plans other murders.  

Without the use of soliloquies do you think we would see and understand the thoughts behind the characters' actions?

The Importance of Shakespeare

Although I do not enjoy studying Shakespeare, I believe that it is an important unit to study.  By reading Shakespeare, it forces the reader to analyze the text and understand the plot.  We practice thinking and understanding skills that develop the mind.  Reading Shakespeare makes us interpret stories not written in simple modern English.  By doing so, reading simplistic literature will become a lot easier without the obsolete words holding you back. 

Shakespeare may seem pointless but there are subjects in other classes that seem pointless as well.  I believe the purpose of learning these topics is to develop the mind which will help our thinking and problem solving skills.  By having a difficult task and having to analyze it, the brain will become used to doing this and eventually it will become easier.  Not everyone enjoys everything they learn in a class but I do not think that is a valid reason to remove it from the curriculum.

"The Drunken Indian"

Everyone has views, opinions and a right to speech but do people’s views about Native come from ignorance or intentional racism?  A commonly heard stereotype is “the drunken Indian”.  I believe that alcoholism and addiction within the Natives has come from previous generations.  In the past, Natives attended residential schools, lived in geographic isolation, suffered racism and the Indian Act.  To some who endured these, it has caused them to turn to drugs, alcohol or other addictions.  Not to say that there are many with huge dreams and are willing to fight for a different lifestyle, I believe the past is what’s holding some back.  From this, I feel that is unfair for people to judge the Natives.  As much as they are making these choices, I believe their ancestors are the result of the situations they are facing. 

What do you think about the stereotype “the drunken Indian”?

Attiwapiskat- Is The Government Making The Right Choices?

Video: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%2BShows/The%2BNational/ID/2323865776/

Relating to a previous video about the Attiwapiskat in class, I decided this would be an interesting topic that we can all discuss.  In that video, the diamond company was paying the Attiwapiskat tribe millions of dollars and our class asked the question, “Is the money getting to them?”  Similarly, in this video, the government is also paying the Attiwapiskat millions of dollars.  

Recently, Canadians have asked where is the money being spent?  When further research was done, they found that there were very few paper transactions recorded therefore it is hard to determine whether the money was spent with its intended purpose of schools and housing.  Although out of 400 paper transactions only 19% were spent on schools and housing, it is unknown what the excess money is being spent on.

I perceive the Attiwapiskat as an independent tribe who do not necessarily make the best decisions but I believe that if the government is going to help, they should not  give them money without any accountability.  As shown, the Attiwapiskat have continuously passed on a tradition of making poor decisions. The government should provide them with humanitarian items in order to survive.    For those individuals in the tribe who strive for improvement, they are now not able to because of the restrictions their poverty presents.  

For others watching this video, they may perceive it differently.  Some may believe that we are helping the Attiwapiskat by giving them money.  To the tribe, they feel that the Canadian government is controlling how they spend and account for the money and how it should influence their future.  

It is interesting to see how different sides see one situation.  I believe the government has not controlled the Attiwapiskat in the past as they have not monitored their spending for the past 6 years.  However, to the tribe, they feel controlled if they are told they must account for their spending.

Is giving money the right thing to do? Should the Attiwapiskat choose how to spend the money?

What do you think the government should do about the Attiwapistkat tribe’s poverty?

Should they let the Attiwapiskat continue living this way and have their freedom or follow  standards other Canadians have to live by?

Also, what should the government do to ensure the Attiwapiskat’s are spending it with its intended purpose?