How Colonisation Changed the World

European colonisation had, obviously, an enormous impact on the world; much of its population wouldn't exist today had it not been for the 'three Gs'. North America would still be a vast, un-known, un-explored and un-advanced territory. Or would it? Who is to say that the Native Americans would not have eventually developed much of the same technology we have today, while still upholding their rituals and beliefs in nature? Maybe everything would have been eco-friendly from the get-go, and we would not have to rush and correct our mistakes, as well as the mistakes of the people who came before us. Also I'm sure that one or two tribes would have realized the importance of foreign trade. I think that Native Americans were unprepared for the arrival of white settlers. Maybe if Europeans had decided to explore a few hundred years later, Native Americans would have been maybe a little less naïve about their expectations.

Other areas of the world would be just as different as North America had colonisation never happened. South America would have also been home-ruled by indigenous people, Aboriginals would encompass the entire country of Australia, and slavery- at least, the enslavement of Africans by Europeans- would obviously never have happened. Everything we know today would have been in some shape or form different.

Is War Necessary?

As a person who likes to make things as uncomplicated as possible, and also, a person who likes to at least pretend that she is for the better good of all people, the obvious answer is a big, resounding, 'NO'. However, I am not a politician, my decisions don't impact millions of people, and its all very easy to figure out what I think is right when I'm sitting in a classroom.
I think that for war to truly be obsolete, every leader of every country would have to believe that it isn't necessary, which we all know is impossible. They would all have to be either master negotiators, or otherwise, very satisfiable compromisers. A politician's dream is to be able to satisfy everybody, which is impossible in almost every issue people face. Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, there will always be a group of people who will rebel, and there is always a group of people who will use force to try and get what they want. On a national scale, for a country to be completely isolated from war, they would have to simply not care about the rest of the world, which is wrong. So do I think that war is necessary? Well, I wish it wasn't, and maybe someday, it won't be, but as long as innocent peoples' lives are threatened for whatever reason (as in, a country is invading a country not for its own benefit, but because people there are dying and they aren't able to protect themselves), sometimes there is no choice but to push back.

DISCOVERING THE UNDISCOVERED (provided that there are no indigenous tribes there already)

I am very honoured to have been chosen to lead this expedition. Being a part of this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am happy to have been given the chance to venture farther than ever thought possible. Not only does this journey mean great things for me personally, more importantly, it is the benefits to our knowledge and culture that will ultimately make the most impact. Though I am very eager to begin this I do not pretend to be ignorant of the risks of this mission, nor will I give you false hope by telling you that I am not at least a little apprehensive about the dangers that my team and I face. Perhaps our technological advances have finally accelerated beyond our grasp, and we are less prepared to venture into the unknown than we think. And there is also the matter of what we do not know about our destination. Who could know what resides there? The fact is, we do not know, but we never will if we don't take this chance. These doubts are only just that: doubts. We cannot let them hinder us, and I assure you, people of the world, that we have prepared ourselves the best we know how to.





-excerpt of speech given by astronaut Lilli Stagg at a press conference on July 13, 2020.

The World Wide Web vs. the Printing Press

In aiding the spread of knowledge throughout the world, the printing press most definitely reigns supreme, not for just its singular efforts, but for the inventions that would not have been possible without it. One of these inventions, though it came a long time after, and is a far cry from the printing press, is the World Wide Web. Since its growth in public in the 1990s, the Internet has become as much a part of some peoples' lives as food and sleep is (no exaggeration there). Just the same as the printing press did, the Internet has both broadened the world. to the single person's eye, and made it smaller (figuritively) as a whole. Almost anything one could want to know is available at any time, almost anywhere. Many businesses rely on it, artists use it to get discovered and to spread their work, many people get their world news from it. One can meet a friend from France, or from Australia or China, or anywhere one can think of, without having to leave their home. Though the Internet can be dangerous in a lot of ways (ie. people maybe rely too much on it), its rewards are both countless and undisputable, and only time will tell whether or not it will be able to compete with the printing press for influence.

Carpe diem? I'll tell you why not.

I think that carpe diem is a good idea only in theory. Sure, when the future is uncertain, (ie. there's a chance that you may die in a month) the feeling that you can do absolutely anything you want is all fine and dandy. However, these days, the future can take too many immediate twists and turns for people to only worry about the day that they are experiencing. True, you should make the most of the time you have while you're here, but eating, drinking and being merry can get you into a lot trouble nowadays. I think that the diet version, 'carpe diem limited', 'living life to the fullest- within reason' is probably what would turn out best for people in the long run. People live a lot longer now than they did during the Renaissance, which is good, and which also means longer repuations to protect, which is not so good if you take carpe diem to heart.

Impressions of World Religious Centers

The Al Huda Islamic Center, where we went first, was by far the most interesting place for me. I learned a lot there, and I came out with a very good feeling about the Islamic religion. I was very touched by how honest Mr. Ahmed was when it came to his faith, especially when he addressed the roles of women. I definitely could have sat there and listened to him for another hour. I know that Muslims are peaceful people, and their religion is more than a faith, but is a lifestyle as well, one that calls for followers to live a life of moderation and control. As a big fan of books in any form, I found the beautiful ones stacked around the room fascinating, and I wish that I could have had the opportunity to look through a few.

The second place we went, The Congregation of the children of Israel, was pretty interesting as well. I found it quite funny that Rabbi Gerson seemed just as, if not more, interested in us as we were in what he had to say about Judaism. My favourite aspect of that particular trip was the building. It was beautiful, and I could tell that the rabbi took great pride in it. I also loved the Torahs, which were equally gorgeous. It may sound superficial, but some of the most interesting things to me about any religion are the items used for worship, as well as the buildings that the followers worship in. On another note, however, I actually asked a question... which I was slightly proud of myself for doing, if you know what I mean. My question was; 'why do people see Jews as a different group of people, rather than just a a religion?' I am rather- scratch that, very, ashamed to say that I'm can't quite remember his answer, but I do know that he agreed with me, and said it was a very good question, so I was happy.

The last place we visited was St. Joseph's Catholic Church. I have to say, whether it was the fact that it was almost lunch time, I did not exactly enjoy this one. Call me impressionable, but it could also have something to do with the fact that since I read Angels and Demons, Catholic churches- or churches period- have kind of creeped me out. I get this sense that someone is watching me, which could all be very symbolic, I'm sure, but for now I'll choose not to investigate further into this phobia. I thought that the guest lecturer gave a lot of information, and I like that she didn't expect us to do anything that she thought we wouldn't be comfortable doing, while at the same time welcoming to sample a few traditions if we wanted to, such as annointing our faces with the holy water. I also like that they paid attention to the fact that they have many Hispanic people in their church, and had the shrine dedicated to the Guadalupe Hildalgo. I only wish that I'd asked about the history of St. Joseph, and why their church was named after him, but I wasn't thinking about it at the time. Hey, that's what the Internet is for, right?

P.S. Thank you for the cookie, Mrs. Siegmund!

Why do Religions Exist?

I think that religions exist, or still exist, because some people have a need of security. They need to have set rules and rewards (or consequenses) that tell them how to live their lives. People want to be able to have an explanation for things that may confuse or frighten them. Some religions offer people a sense of belonging, while others can give them a feeling of peace. Unfortunately, as we learn in history lessons, religion can be used as a means to control, such as in various cults, or massacre, as in the Holocaust, entire groups of people. Though religions have historically caused conflict and death, many people have religion to fill a void that otherwise would be empty.