The Never Ending Question

Should those of us at peace stand up for those under oppression in the Middle East? It is a question that has tormented the Western world for generations. It is influenced by the nature and scale of conflict and by who is involved. Since the beginning of recorded time, conflict has consumed the desert. Water is always scarce, and so people are always thirsty. Because people are always thirsty, people are always angry. Because people are always angry, fighting has always resulted. The Western world used to care on a basis of religious beliefs, but now the real matter in question is that of oil. Some time ago, when the West was split between Cold War ideologies, the USSR decided to invade Afghanistan. Because the USSR wanted it, the USA had to stand in the way. The way to do this without actually fighting the Soviets (and starting World War Three), was to financially and militarily support the emerging group to be known as the Taliban. A reverse Vietnam, Afghanistan ended in the same way. When Osama took control and ordered the 9/11 attacks, it was once again time for the West to get in on the desert again. And so, with that, it was off to Afghanistan for NATO. The USA decided to deal with unfinished business in Iraq, simultaneously, which confused the soldiers to the point of the War on Terror losing its steam and the presence of the West in the Middle East becoming senseless once again. I do not believe that Canadians, Americans or British troops should be in Afghanistan, but that's because I believe in diplomacy. Diplomacy is great until you're negotiating with an angry person with a weapon. He's angry because he's thirsty and hungry. How do we negotiate with him then? Do we take away his weapon, or do we feed him and give him something to drink? What if the 9/11 response was to shower the country with food and water, rather than bullets and artillery? The Western governments won't do it, because they've never tried it. I say give it a try next time. It's too late now. Western presence is associated only with war... to this generation anyway.

The Obtuse Believer

"Bryan", alternately spelled "Brian", (but not today) is the name of our hero of his own beliefs. The name itself means "strong with God" or "high, noble", which both are quite fitting for today's adventure. Stumbling into the lecture hall of his first Philosophy class, it was clear that grace was not a prominent virtue of his arsenal. Though virtuous he was, as was clearly depicted by his shaggy, dirty blond hair. The dirtiness and shagginess also reflects the nature of his virtue (varying and operating on several different levels). His skin was pale as maggot-flesh, a side-effect of sun-sensitivity. This sensitivity would rarely hold him back from his epic missionary trips, however, as might be protested by his doctor, who many a night would toss and turn to nightmares full of memories of Bryan's terrible sunburns. His eyes were deeply blue; abysmal really. An accurate window into his very soul. Oceanic.
Every eye in the university classroom stared in shock at his hoody, reading: "God is Good" underneath an invasively smiley Jesus fish. Bryan knew what they were thinking. What nerve this guy has to strut evidence of his obtuse beliefs on the first day of Philosophy class! Surely it will be a delightful game to criticize his inputs throughout this term.
As if he heard them say it aloud, Bryan gave his ready reply: "I can either believe, be happy and go to heaven... or believe, be happy and die to rot in the ground. Either way, I'm happy!"
His reply came in a the form of a plethora of odd looks and glances. As they lost interest and turned to the front of the room, Bryan made to take his seat. He smiled. This is gonna be fun, he thought.

Blogging in Class?

If there was ever an environment for today's generation of youth and young adults to feel comfortable giving their opinions on certain issues, the blogsite must be a truly worthy candidate. For every momentous event in history, everyone over the age of five has an opinion and a corresponding philosophy. The blogging environment offers an excellent opportunity for students to lend their ideas on varieties of topics (i.e. school shootings, terrorist attacks, wars and conflicts internationally, government decisions, social movements, well-known books, movies or songs and the latest fashions and trends).
As important as opinions on specific matters are, open-topic prose is also essential for freeing the mind of timidity in writing. Once the student feels comfortable blogging in the class atmosphere, depth and richness of writing is certain to improve.
The evaluation of the blogs should be on a two-to-three point scale. If it would be marked out of two points, then mark one for completing it and one for clearly putting in an effort. If three points are to be used, then have one for completing it, one for effort, and one for distinction as a remarkable blog, by showing depth of argument, clarity of honest effort and the use of descriptive language/detail.

Ah, the Invincibility Cheat...

My family was cursed with the lack of athletic prowess that many other families are gifted with. Evidently, my brothers, sister and I were raised playing more video games and fewer sports than the average family. At a young age, the concept of nobility in video gaming was all but non-existent. Cheat codes were used regularly. My favourite cheat code was always invincibility. Once I knew my character was infallible to physical harm, a heavy weight was lifted off my chest, and I could play without stress. Therefore, invincibility is my most desired superpower today. With this power, no villain would think to attempt world domination. They would cower and tremble when they remember that invincible Bryan would be on his way at the first news of their evil deeds. The only way I could be defeated would be to be cemented in the ground. Although the problem with invincibility is that the rules are always open to debate. Some examples include: What does invincibility mean? Can an invincible person breathe underwater forever, or just survive uncomfortably? And if all of the cells of the body were indestructible, how would an invincible person cut their hair or nails?Invisibility would be my second choice, but an invisible person would simply frustrate the enemy into using fire or an explosion to meet the invisible person where they're at. Flying is great too, but unless you're invincible as well, the enemy (or just some jealous person) is likely to shoot you down with a fighter jet or a surface-to-air missile. Super strength is also a brilliant super-power, however it would be hard to regulate and/or hide when you have to act normally. That Clark Kent and Peter Parker must have really difficult lives!