The Nuremberg Trials

Watching the movie about the Nuremberg Trials made it seem so surreal. It was almost as if it was all just a movie to begin with. The Nuremberg Trials were the very first of its kind, and I think the intensity of it really showed through in the movie. It really brought what happened to life. One thing that I couldn't get past was that the Nazi leaders just kept saying "We were following orders" and then Goering said that the Fuhrer didn't know what was going on in the camps. Well if the Fuhrer didn't know, then who was the person giving them the orders? Every soldier claims to follow orders to an extent, but it had to have reached a point where if they truly cared they would stop. I also thought it was interesting how they used a Jewish man as the Psychologist. Looking from the German perspective it seems kind of unfair because the Psychologist will have a biased opinion. But, on the side of the Allies it gives them an advantage in prosecuting them. When they showed the real video footage that was taken during the Holocaust my heart just broke. I could never fathom why or how one human being could do that to another. You would think that the Nuremberg Trials would be a lesson to every country to never commit something like the Holocaust again, yet we see it happening still today in places like Darfur and Rwanda. I guess it really is true that History will repeat itself.

Self-reflection

Overall I have really enjoyed this class. I think it was an eye opener for me at how fast paced things will be in college, and having to balance everything. I think I did pretty well in the class, although I think I could've done much better. I am a procrastinator at times and I think it showed most in this class. This is my first year taking a social studies course during the year and I found it a little bit harder to balance everything with all of my other classes because I haven't had to do that in awhile. The most beneficial skill I have learned from this class is to get ahead and how to use technology to my advantage. I've only used an online forum once before in a class and most of the time power points are optional, in this class I became more acquainted with online forums and I learned how to better utilize a power point. I really think that this class has prepared more than some of my other classes for what I'll be doing in college.

Israel vs. Palestine

The past week we went over the Israeli Palestinian Conflict. This conflict has been going on for a very long time, and I don't see it ending any time soon. The conflict is too complex to just end. There are arguments over land, water rights, refugees and prisoners, and religion. It is hard to end a conflict when one side isn't willing to compromise with the other. Israel will agree to do something that the Palestine won't and visa versa. It is a sad thing to see happening between to countries.

Connection Across Time: Chapter 31

My connection for Chapter 31 is between the September 11 attacks and Pearl Harbor. The attacks of Pearl Harbor were done by the Japanese as their way of trying to involve America in the war by means of violence, rather than supplying goods to allied countries. Pearl Harbor was an unexpected attack that hit America hard, because we had not had a war come that close to home since the Civil War. The attacks of September 11 were also unexpected and hit America extremely hard. The attacks of September 11 were done by Al-Qaeda in an effort to break down our country. The attacks of September 11 backfired on Al-Qaeda though, because America only came back stronger. Because of September 11, American citizens realized that we needed to become more nationalistic which brought us together in the War on Terror. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 both refreshed America's nationalism.

A Child's Perspective on Global Warming

This piece of artwork is a twelve year old's perspective on Global Warming. I think it's a pretty accurate piece for what is going on. He has made the Earth look as though it has a cold, which is kind of what's going on with global warming. We keep putting harmful things in our environment causing the Earth to be "sick". I really like how this kid portrayed his vision of global warming. You can see pollutants coming up from the city part of the drawing into the sky forming a black umbrella. For only being twelve years old this kid has a pretty good hold on what Global Warming is and that it isn't good for our Earth.

Burning Village

This is a painting of a burning village in Darfur done by a child at a refugee camp. This really brings the events of Darfur to a heartbreaking perspective. Not only adults are suffering but also children. No child should be making finger paintings of their village being burned. As I was looking for art representing Darfur, I came a across a lot of drawings and paintings done by children. Children were drawing pictures of the Janjaweed killing their neighbors, setting not only huts but people on fire. These are some of the most devastating accounts of the Genocide in Darfur. It is one thing to see it through the eyes of an adult, but another to see it through the eyes of a child.

Kibeho (Rwanda)

George Gittoes is a Contemporary Artists who travels to the most horrific areas of war and paints what he sees and feels from the experience. Gittoes takes the side of war that the media doesn't publish, “ I believe there is a role for contemporary art to challenge, rather than entertain. My work is confronting humanity with the darker side of itself.” This painting is one that Gittoes painted from what he saw in Kibeho. In the distant background is a cross,a sign of God and hope, but in the the foreground there is a child with no hands and a man holding a child's head.He also uses unrealistic colors, that make you think that maybe it's a dream. I think he uses these colors because the people of Rwanda wake up every morning wishing that what is going on is all a horrible dream that they had the night before.Overall I find this artwork to be very chilling and sad.