Melody

I don’t know a whole lot about Iraq, only just what I see in the news or learn in class. Therefore, it wouldn’t be right for me to offer my “professional opinion”, seeing as I don’t have one. Anyway, one possible solution that has been brought up is to possibly divide Iraq into three different regions to accompany the different religions. Religious differences is the main reason of the Iraq war, which is why some people think it would make sense to make a state for each religious group. I think this idea is risky and has little potential. Dividing a country does not seem like a good idea because all it would do is emphasize differences and just create more distinction between the groups. However, at this point, it seems like none of the groups would be willing to accept one another, so perhaps dividing Iraq is the desperate measure that needs to be taken. There is one other example of this method being successful, and that is Israel, which was formed specifically as a Jewish homeland. Then again, there are still many dangerous effects that are occuring in Israel now, so maybe this was not the ideal solution.

Dahr Jamail writes:

Everything in Iraq is set against the backdrop of shattered infrastructure and a nearly complete lack of reconstruction. What the Americans turn out to be best at is, once again, promises – and propaganda. During the period when the Coalition Provisional Authority ruled Iraq from Baghdad’s Green Zone, their handouts often read like this one released on May 21, 2004: “The Coalition Provisional Authority has recently given out hundreds of soccer balls to Iraqi children in Ramadi, Kerbala, and Hilla. Iraqi women from Hilla sewed the soccer balls, which are emblazoned with the phrase ‘All of Us Participate in a New Iraq.’”

Dahr points out that sometimes America offers empty promises. It seems that the only reason we are interested in the Iraq war right now is because if we can create a democracy in the country, then we will have great access to the oil that is in the area. Right now, there is so much devastation and violence in Iraq. More troops may be the brute force that is needed to mitigate the ferocity of this war. Bringing in more troops will only create more chaos, but taking out troops would leave Iraq in ruins, with only America to blame. We partly began this problem, and by involving the country, it is now our responsibility to see it through. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution.

A while back, I was able to see The Tempest, performed by the GHS acting group. I was very impressed by the set design, scenery, costumes, and of course, the acting. I have always had trouble deciphering Shakespearean language, and this play was no different. I didn’t really understand the plot, but I was amazed at how many lines the actors had to memorize. I also recognized several elements in the play that Shakespeare likes to use. For instance, there were several humorous scenes and I know Shakespeare often made funny parts in his plays. There were some very dramatic scenes, and there needed to be comic relief. The Tempest is a very good balance of both serious and silly scenes. Another thing I noticed was there were a lot of mystical creatures and spirits, something Shakespeare was a fan of. There are always witches, goblins, fairies, or something of the sort that makes the play somewhat mythical. The Tempest was a good reflection of Shakespeare’s classic style (it was also his last play). I enjoyed watching the GHS students perform The Tempest in a modern, unique way.

Obviously, I can’t tell too much without giving away the book, but the last portion was so exciting I coudn’t even put it down. The book was worth reading if you are the kind of person who can stay stimulated and concentrated while you read. Some parts of the book tend to get slow and very descriptive, but these descriptions only add to the book and make it more meaningful. The plot only accelerates until the very last part of the book. The story is very much like a roller coaster, starting with a slow beginning and an even slower middle, and then the end just shoots up with tension and feelings. After reading Terrorist, the theme of evil really fits into religion. Some things terrorists do are because they don’t believe it is evil, but because it is what God wants them to do. This is a scary thought to just imagine that another human being can have a viewpoint that seems so twisted and horrible. Terrorist definitely made that perspective more lucid and understandable. I am curious as to how the author ever managed to create this terrorist character, because how would he know exactly what a terrorist thinks like? In general, I reccomend this book if you have extra time because it is not a light read. It is very insightful as to the views of a terrorist and made me more aware of human behavior.