Newsela - Assignment #12

Lexi Lynae Haley
Mrs. Latall
Honors English I
23 January 2015

Proud To Be An American Now?

      In a recent article I came across on a webpage, I read about the attack on September 11, 2001, and how the acts behind the scenes were a little unexpected of our country. Obviously, something had to be done about this attack that killed 2,996 people and caused at least $10 billion in property and infrastructure damage. So, they, the CIA, thought that the only way to get information out of a specific man they had taken hostage, Abu Zubaydah, all they would have to do was torture him. So, they did. 

      The way of torture the CIA used on this man was a kind of torture to simulate drowning. They did not seem to get much out of him. Nothing useful, anyway. 

      Now step back, and look at our hypocritical country. I will admit this: I love my country. I wouldn't trade for anything, but I will also be the first to admit: We as a country make some awful decisions.

      There were, of course, consequences to these actions of the CIA. They had passed a law about this saying that no person, or group anywhere, should be allowed this right to torture. Never. 

      I will leave my opinion as this. Our country needed to get back on the rails. I was not proud of my country when I read this article. Proud to be an American now?

Newsela - Assignment #11

Lexi Lynae Haley
Mrs. Latall
Honors English I
23 January 2015

A Picture Says 1,000 Words

      In a recent article, I read about how artists and cartoonists have a huge effect on our world. The other day, there was an incident with a cartoonist. They had thought it acceptable to create a political cartoon about Muslims. This was understandable, given the fact that she was angry with the Muslims fort what they had done recently.

      Usually, people are not normally killed in the U.S. for cartoons, but in other areas of the world, it is normal. Such as Europe, and South America. In the most recent attack, 12 people were killed because of this specific cartoon.

      Muslims were angry that the artist had expressed her opinion. They were extremely offended, and had the strange idea to kill 12 people in France, because of a post in the paper about it. I suppose my opinion is best left unsaid, so I will interpret two sides of it, and you can pick which one you agree with...Lord knows the last thing I want is to get into an argument about Muslims, and other sorts.

      As you know, I am an artist myself, and I believe firmly that it is truly okay to express how an artist feels...if she is angry, more power to her. Take the anger out on the paper. Personally, I think the blank paper is actually the most frustrating. She probably wanted to share it with herself in the first place, but got mad enough that she didn't want to anymore. At the same time I will say, for those whom do not agree with my previous statement, it is also true that it was offensive- in some cases. I have said all I need to say.

      -I offer my condolences to those who had lost friends in this commotion of cartoons.

Famine and Starvation - Assignment #9

Lexi Lynae Haley

Mrs. Latall

Honors English I

20 November 2014

Famine and Starvation

 

    Famine has been a big issue in the past and in some present day places. Famine is an extreme and
general scarcity of food (hunger or starvation). Many day to day are affected by lack of food. In some
other countries, like Africa today, they are still having these issues. It has been a problem since ancient
times and, even though the rate of starvation has decreased severely, it is still a problem today.

    One of the top three famines in all of our recorded history is the Chalisa 

famine (the bottom of the three examples). In this famine, during the tumultuous year, 11 million

Indians were killed from a drought which had killed all of the crops. It was an unusual weather for

that time of the year, therefore they were not prepared. Livestock perished due to the lack of drinking 

water, and food. 

 

    Another example of one of the top three worst famines was the Chinese famine of 1907. During

this famine, over 25 million died due to a flood that had killed all the crops, and food was only for

the rich, when even then, they eventually ran out. Many riots occurred during this famine. On a good

day only 5,000 people a day would die of starvation. On a good day. Unfortunately, this wasn't the

last famine for the Chinese people. 

 

    The world' stop worst famine in all record books is the Great Chinese famine. This famine killed

43 million people, due to starvation. This famine, like the Soviet famine of 1932, was caused by

dictators willing to force change upon an unwilling population. During the "Great Leap Forward" in

China, all private land was banned. Nobody was to have private land. So, the government took all of

the farmer's land and required them to work for them. On their property, they had been given

unnecessary requirements for these crops, therefore they had died due to crowding. 

Which was later followed up with a huge flood, and a drought. This motion had effected the entire 

Chinese nation. By the time the Great Leap Forward had ended, 43million were killed. 

 

     When you begin to starve, or even reach starvation mode (which begins after 6 hours without 

food), your body begins to take nutrients from other parts of the body. Which is why the pictures 

shown above show the children's bones, and skeletal structure. Sadly, we cannot reach all of the 

people who are starving today, and we cannot mend the past, but we sure can try.

 

                (#1)

Allison Lewis "The Great Famine". Glogster (2007). App. November 20, 2014. http://www.glogster.com/allisonlewis12/the-great-famine/g-6nc1pa7dumkult2n7fgru9k

                (#2)

Natalina "My Essay on Starving Children in Africa". nadeagus.blogspot.com. Sogang University. December 12, 2012. Archivo Del Blog. November 20, 2014. http://nadefagus.blogspot.com/2012/12/satirical-essay-on-starving-children-in.html?showComment=1416531405566#c5794691579003473540

                (#3)

USAfrica Live. CHIDO, INSIGHTS "Awolowo's STARVATION Policy Against Biafrans and the Igbo Requires Apology Not Attacks on Achebe". usafricaonline.com. Worldwide Web. October 10, 2012 (last updated). Website. November 20, 2014. http://usafricaonline.com/2012/10/10/awolowos-starvation-policy-against-biafrans-and-the-igbo-requires-apology-not-attacks-on-achebe-by-francis-adewale/

                (#4)

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. "Starvation". en.wikipedia.org. November 16, 2014 (Revised last). Wikipedia. International Site. November 20, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation

                (#5)

Cynthia R. Neilson "The Well-Clad Emperor and the 'Invisible Robes' of the Naked Many". percaritatum.com. July 2, 2010. Will Neilson, July 11, 2010. Blog. November 20, 2014. http://percaritatem.com/tag/beyond-the-spirit-of-empire-theology-and-politics-in-a-new-key/#sthash.mX3IXdeE.dpbs