Over the course of the last few months, we have learned a lot about justice and injustice. One of the most interesting things that I learned over these past few months is how many different forms of justice there are including, Philosophies of Justice, Environmental Ethics, and many more. We watched many films including True Justice, and Beyond Standing Rock. In one of the films, we learned about the justice system and how discriminatory it can be. We also watched a film which went over environmental ethics and how we are damaging the earth day by day. This really opened my eyes to just how badly damaged society is. We continue to drive cars and pollute our atmosphere which causes health problems for those with asthma and what we don't realize is that if we don't come up with a solution, global warming will get so bad that it will cause irreversible damage. We need to continue to take a deeper look into how we are affecting the earth and we need to come together to form a solution.
Justice Monologue #1
Defining justice is something that does not come very easily. Many have very different views on what is just and what is unjust but how do you know which is right? Will we ever be able to actually know what true justice is and if so, will we all be able to agree on what is right?
In my mind, justice means being able to find equality all while having a firm foundation for law. There have been so many instances where people have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death without a fair trial. Where is the justice in that? Where was the justice for the Central Park Five who were wrongly convicted of rape in New York City in 1989. Those convicted ranged from ages six to twelve. Whatever happened to the right to a fair trial? America as a whole needs to be better. We need to understand that each and every human being has a purpose and it is unjust to take that purpose away from them without the right to a fair trial. Yes, it is true that there are people in this world that have done unspeakable things. However, can we not find a better way to reprimand them? Can we not find a way to teach them differently than they’ve been taught? Yes, there should be consequences for things such as murder but in my mind, we need to come up with a better solution to do that. The Dalai Lama once said, “If a problem has a solution, we must work to find it; if it does not, we need not waste time thinking about it.” This issue most definitely has solutions, we just need to come together to achieve it.
Justice Monologue #2
I think when it comes to coming up with a way to find the most just way to balance our energy and economic needs, human and environmental health and protection of sacred lands it is hard to come up with an answer that will solve all of those issues. We have been damaging the earth for a very long time and it has become such a habit for us that half the time we don’t even realize that we are doing it. We live every day, driving cars and using technology that continues to release gases into the atmosphere that make the temperatures rise day by day. Eventually, it is going to get so bad to the point where there’s nothing we can do to prevent irreversible damage. So what can we do to start to heal the earth that we have so selfishly broken?
Aldo Leopold once said, “We abuse the land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” It is true that we have been selfish. Even throughout history, we have been taking and putting claims on land that really should not belong to any of us. We should feel grateful for everything that the earth provides for us. We live in a world that provides food, water, shelter, nearly everything we could possibly need. Sure, in our current era, we have invented things that provide conveniences for us, however, where did all of these things come from? Well, they came from resources that the earth already provides for us. We just further developed them. Although we might not see it, we are not only killing the earth but we are killing ourselves with it. So what can we do to start to follow this “Land Ethic?” I think that we should start by realizing that the earth is not ours to break and bend in any way we like but rather we are the earth’s and it is our job to take care of it so that it can and will provide for us. We need to discontinue releasing poisonous gases into the atmosphere, we need to have respect for every living and non-living thing on this earth. We need to stop being so selfish. Our earth is more than beautiful until it’s not and we are more than alive until we’re not because of our selfishness. Terri Tempest once said, “Their cause of death was the terminal disease of solipsism whereby humans put themselves at the center of the universe. It was only about them. And in so doing we have been dead to the world that is alive.” Let’s make a change and put the earth at the center of our universe.
Final Justice Project Product
Artist Statement
We live in a world where crucial issues are swept under the rug. We live in a society that is full of judgment projects and hate towards those different from the “norm.” However, what if we were to change the “norm?” What if we could accept and love a little more day by day? What would the world look like then? We need to come to the realization that each and every human is beautiful in their own way and every single one of us has a purpose. We need to do better. We MUST do better. We decided to do this project to create awareness on the discrimination of people of color and LGBTQ+. It is important to realize that all human beings are unique in their own way. Acceptance is something that personally, I don't think will ever reach its full potential, however, if we come together and take steps day by day, in the right direction, we can get on the road to recovery from all the hate and judgement that goes on in our everyday lives. We need to learn to love each other, no matter what, before we wake up one day and it's too late to reverse not only the damage to the earth that we have done because of our judgment, but the damage that we have caused each other.
Project Defense
For our Justice Project, we decided to create an art piece that showcased Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ awareness. We started off by making a list of all of the materials we would need for this art piece as well as doing some research so that we could have precise information. We read through some articles and pulled out some of the names that had been mentioned including George Floyd and others that had been involved in police brutality and discrimination. Once we got all of the supplies that we needed, we bought a canvas and started painting. At first, we had the idea to paint the canvas rainbow for LGBTQ+. However, once we started the painting, we ended up using cooler colors such as blues and greens with hints of red and white. We created a sort of swirl effect with the pain that might remind someone of the ocean. After we had finished the painting, we printed out the names mentioned above and placed them on the painting along with prints of flowers and pictures from protests. We titled the art piece, “Know Their Names.” We then added some splatter paint and black drips of paint down the side. To finish off the art piece, we added some mod podge to make sure everything stayed in place.
As far as individual work goes, I was in charge of creating the Instagram page for our project. We wanted to share our art piece, along with awareness about Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ outside of our school community. I named the Instagram page “peaceproject2021.” The first post featured on our Instagram page is our art piece, along with a caption that says… “We live in a world where crucial issues are swept under the rug. We live in a society that is full of judgment projects hate towards those different from the “norm.” However, what if we were to change the “norm?” What if we could accept and love a little more day by day? What would the world look like then? We need to come to the realization that each and every human is beautiful in their own way and every single one of us has a purpose. We need to do better. We MUST do better.” After creating our first post, we decided we wanted to add more than just our art so we decided to post the numbers to get help if needed. This post includes the suicide hotline as well as the trans lifeline and many more.
As stated in the Instagram caption, we must do better. This world is so full of hate and anger and I don’t think that people really realize how much it affects our society. There has been so much violence in the past five years because of these types of issues. We need to learn how to accept each other no matter our differences because if issues like this continue to come up, things will continue to get a lot worse. When we started this project, we hoped that we could become a part of the change that needs to be made. Not only do these issues get swept under the rug, but the more they are ignored, the worse it gets. One of the biggest issues, in my opinion, is the fact that it is hard to determine justice from injustice when everyone’s opinion varies. What makes something just and what makes something unjust? I think that most people would say that physically harming someone because of the color of their skin is unjust. So why don’t we see that? Why can’t we come to the understanding that the more we hurt others, the more we damage our society and cause more hate towards each other. The whole point of our project was to make society start to see how crucial this change is to our society. I truly hope that our project continues to spread so that we can show society how to love one another and start taking steps in the right direction.
Project Reflection
In my personal opinion, I think that we were successful in a lot of ways when it comes to our art piece and Instagram page. We successfully gathered all of our materials on time and were able to complete the painting by the deadline. I think one of the biggest things that contributed to our success was the fact that we were all able to diligently work together. We split up the project between the four of us so that we could each work on one aspect of the project. This allowed for us to get the materials that we needed faster and it made us feel less overwhelmed.
One thing that was difficult was having enough class time for our painting. It did take a couple of days and it felt as though we were running very short on time. We had a couple of days where we had to meet outside of class to get more work done. Other than that, I felt that we were all very efficient in getting this project done on time.
Our entire group was very engaged with this project because it was a topic that we all had very strong opinions about. All of us want to see society grow as a whole and if we can be a fraction of society that stands up for those that are discriminated against, we are going to do it. Although we did run into some obstacles as far as time was concerned, it helped that our friend group is close and spends time together outside of school so that we could have more time. I do not think that I would have done anything differently for this project. I am very happy with how well we collaborated and the work that we produced.
One of the biggest lessons I learned from this project was time management. I tend to struggle with procrastination, but because we all pushed and supported each other, it felt easier to have the motivation to sit down and completely dive into my work. This is something that will most definitely carry over into my senior project. Another thing that I learned is that I work a lot better if there is another person in the room as opposed to being by myself. I am not 100% sure why, but it seems that I have more focus when another person is in the room but we are both sitting in complete silence, just enjoying each other's presence.
Rhetoric and Ideology Project
The History of Abortion And What We Can Do To Solve the Ongoing Conflict 11/10/20
Imagine being at an amusement park on a roller coaster that has more rises and falls than you can count. The ride continues to go up, down, and back up again over and over until eventually, the ride stops. This is what it has been like over the years when it comes to abortion. So many ups and downs. This doesn’t just include the abortion itself. It includes the legality of it, the protests, the court cases. There’s so much that goes into the abortion talk and I think we should lay it all out there, talk about both sides and try to come up with a solution or a compromise to end all of the conflict.
First, let’s cover the history. Abortion first started being discussed in the year 1856 when first-trimester abortion was ruled either legal or a misdemeanor in most states. This means that from weeks 1 to weeks 12, it is either illegal or illegal to get an abortion. Fast forward to 1873 when the Comstock Act is passed, banning access to contraception and abortion. Coming around to the ’90s is where we start to see the roller-coaster pattern. The first major event in the ‘90s was in 1963 when the Society for Human Abortion (SHA) is established in San Fransisco and challenges the existing law by providing information about contraception and abortion. This was huge because previously no one had really mentioned abortions or contraception. Access to these resources were nearly impossible to acquire and instead of being able to go to the OB-GYN, women who didn’t want to be pregnant would end up aborting the baby themselves causing serious injuries. Even after the surface of SHA abortion was considered a felony in 49 out of the 50 states in the U.S. In 1973, what was ruled as one of the most controversial court cases made history. Roe vs. Wade. This case led the Supreme Court to decide two things. One, that the U.S. Constitution provides a right to privacy that protects a woman's decision to have an abortion. Two, that abortion is not absolute and the government's interests in protecting prenatal life can still counter the argument but women now had the option of making that decision. This case made a huge impact on women's rights and the right to get an abortion. During the ‘90s a lot of historical moments took place. Some of the decisions were for the legalization of abortion and other decisions were to illegalize abortion. Coming back to today we can see how a lot of these decisions still affect us today. We are still completely split when it comes to this topic and many hold very strong opinions on this. 44% of the U.S population is Pro-life, whereas 50% of the U.S. population is Pro-choice. Today, physicians are required to perform ultrasounds prior to an abortion in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. Abortions are also legal in these states before the 20-week mark. “Fetal Pain” laws have also been passed stating that abortion is illegal after 20 weeks due to the suggestion that the fetus can feel pain after this 20-week mark. This law has been passed in the following states, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, and North Carolina. As you can see, we have been split since the beginning and I believe that it is time to come to a compromise for both sides.
Reflection
For my project, I decided to cover abortion and how it affects today’s society. I decided to write an open letter to the public that covered the history of abortion and the opinions of both sides that did agree and the side that does not agree. Looking into the history and the politics of this conflict more deeply brought me to a better understanding of why this is such an emotional conflict. A lot of it has to do with morals and some of it ties into religion. Although I hold the same beliefs as I did before I started this project, it is easier for me to understand the other side’s perspective on this issue. Throughout this semester I have continued to grow my ideology and this has led me to come to a true understanding of my beliefs. This has process has also allowed me to listen and look at different perspectives even if I don’t necessarily agree and has allowed me to understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Rhetoric and ideology are the building blocks of our democracy. Every speech, every argument, every time you state your opinion to someone, you are using ideology and rhetoric. You are trying to convince someone of something, or in other words, you are sharing your beliefs with someone. Another thing that really impacted my learning this semester was my willingness to be disturbed. We watched many videos and documentaries that a lot of people would not choose to watch on an everyday basis. However, by allowing myself to be disturbed, I learned so much. I learned to look at things from a different perspective and realize that not everything is as it seems.
Personal Connection Essay
Throughout history, abortions have been looked down upon. Some say that it is the woman’s body and it should be their choice and others say that if you get an abortion you’re essentially killing a human life. Many would consider it “manslaughter.” If so many people are against abortions then why is it so difficult for young girls to acquire birth control?
In today’s society if you get an abortion you are considered a murderer but if a young girl tries to be put on birth control they are looked at as someone who sleeps around; but tell me why, if people are so against abortions why do they make it so hard for girls to be put on birth control? Would you rather teenage girls be getting pregnant or would you like them to be responsible in case they decide to make the choice to have sex? So many people in today’s society contradict themselves when they say they don’t want their child to get pregnant and getting an abortion but then they won’t let their child be put on birth control. What if your child was sexually assaulted or raped? Would you then allow them to get an abortion and would you regret your decision to not let them be put on birth control?
There are so many other things that go into birth control besides preventing pregnancies. It can help with acne and regulating the menstrual cycle. It can help with menstrual pain and yes, it helps with preventing pregnancies. There are also so many options out there. If you don’t want something inserted in your child then try pills. If you want something that is long-term try an IUD. Understand that just because your child might want to go on birth control does not mean they are planning on having sex. They might be planning ahead and being responsible in case something does take place or they might be trying to lessen their menstrual pain and regulate their cycle. Again, there are so many things that go into birth control besides preventing pregnancies that parents absolutely need to consider.
When I first mentioned birth control to my mom she was absolutely opposed to the idea and I really didn’t understand why. I told her over and over again that I wanted to be responsible and that it didn’t mean that I was going to have sex. My mother still continued to say no. I told her that I wanted it to regulate my cycle and help with my menstrual pain but again I got a no. I talked to my dad about it and he said that he thought I was being responsible and there was no reason why I shouldn’t be able to get on birth control. After months and months of continuously bringing it up to my mom, she finally came around and I was able to be put on birth control. However, to this day I wonder why it was so hard for me to be put on birth control when I was just trying to be responsible.
I can understand that a parent might not want their child to be on birth control because they might be worried that their child is just going to use it to have sex but a lot of times that is really not the case. Your child is most likely just thinking of the future and trying to be responsible while trying to regulate their cycle and everything else that goes into being on birth control. So please, if your child asks you about birth control listen to everything they have to say and keep in mind that there are a lot of other things involved in birth control besides preventing pregnancies.
Jed
I interviewed my dad for this project and got to know more about his adolescents and what life was like for him. It was very interesting to learn what life was like for him in his teen years and compare what life is like for us now. They didn't have phones and they played outside more. Teens these days are addicted to their phones and a lot of teens stay inside and play video games. Times have changed dramatically.
Interview Essay
Olivia Gilden
Jed
Jed Gilden was born on October 28th, 1978 in Leadville, Colorado. Growing up his mother was working constantly and he only saw his father in the summers so he had to be very independent. His older brothers would take him to school and then he would walk home with his friends and his mother would get home around dinner. His relationship with his dad was complicated. “I was scared of my dad, he was really mean. I didn’t feel like I could open up and talk to him about things going on in my life. Another reason for this was because I only saw him in the summers.” Said Jed. Once Jed had kids he vowed to be better than his father and be a supportive, loving father for his kids. When asked about his relationship with his mother Jed said “My mom and I had a pretty close relationship even though she was working constantly.”
He looked to his friends a lot for advice because he felt like they were the ones who could really understand what he was going through and he figured they could offer the best advice. He got in a lot of trouble with his friends but they still had fun together and made good memories. His best friend throughout his adolescents was Joe Crabb. Joe and my dad had been friends since the fourth grade. “Joe was one of those people who you knew you could go to when you needed advice.” Said Jed when asked about his relationship with Joe. “He was a pretty cool guy.” They are still best friends to this day.
One difficult decision that he had to make when he was an adolescent was choosing between his friends and his girlfriend. “My girlfriend always wanted to hangout and my friends would sometimes get upset when I chose to hangout with my girlfriend so I had to have conversations with my girlfriend and my friends explaining that I would make time for both of them .” Jed and his friends spent a lot of time together. They went to parties a lot and did what most highschoolers did, and just had tons of fun together. Jed’s friends had a huge impact on his life and were the center of his attention through highschool.
In middle school he played baseball but when he got to highschool he played lacrosse. “Lacrosse played a huge part in my life. I started playing it in highschool and went on to play it in college and coach it after college.” Jed was never a very good student. He was often distracted in class and didn’t get very good grades. He was dislexic too which made school a little bit harder for him. Once he got into college he started to focus on school more and he got better grades and he learned that getting a good education is very important when you want to succeed in life. He never quite got to finish school because his girlfriend got pregnant at 21 and they had to raise a child together but he still ended up being successful because he got a job as a counselor and now works as a financial aid advisor at Fort Lewis College.
The amount of independence he had to have had some negative effects on his life. He didn’t have the guidance that he needed to have in order to make good decisions. This shows in his parenting today because he has the ability to guide his children into making good decisions and having a better, more successful future ahead of them.
Project Essay
One of the things that I was most proud of for this project was my final essay. The reason for this was because I felt that my essay had a lot of interesting details. It was fun to learn. about another person’s adolescents and compare how adolescents lived in that time vs. how we live now. Times have changed. When my dad was an adolescent he played outside more, he didn’t have a phone and adolescents these days are addicted to their phones. Things are a lot different for kids our age then they were when my dad was an adolescent. It was very interesting to get to know what life was for my dad.
One thing that was difficult during this was coming up with interview questions. My dad and I have never had a very close relationship so I wasn’t quite sure what to ask. There were only a couple of things that I knew before this interview. Such as the name of his best friend and the town that he grew up in, but other than that I didn’t know much about his adolescents. It was really great to be able to learn more about my dad’s adolescents and I believe that it brought us closer and allowed us to connect more.
The most important things that I learned during this project is that it’s very important to have a close relationship with your parents. My dad never had a very close relationship with his dad and he wished he had. He said that it was very important to be able to open up and talk to your parents about the things going on in your life. Parents and children can learn from each other and it’s the interdependence that makes a happy, healthy relationship between you and your parents.
If I were to give myself a grade for this class I would give myself a 9. The reason for this is because I am usually prepared for this class with all of the necessary materials that I need. I turn my work in on time and it is usually well done and thought through. I use my time very well in this class. I get all of the work done that needs to be done and I normally finish my assignments early. One thing that I think I could improve on in this class is getting distracted by my peers. I am a very social person so sometimes my social life can get in the way of my school work. Other than that, I believe that I succeed in this class.
MUN Conference #1
Our first issue for the MUN conference was the Economic/Political Crisis in Venezuela. After President Maduro came into office the economy started to crash and every day necessities were no longer available. Oil prices went up because there was no longer a substantial amount of oil. Each of the students chose a country and gave a speech on the crisis in that countries perspective.
Policy Paper
Chile is allied with Venezuela and has been doing their absolute best to try and aid them during this crisis. Although Chile has let many refugees into their country and they have very little space left to let more refugees in, they are still fully supportive and doing their best to help those in need.
Venezuela is in a serious economic crisis. After President Maduro came into office the economy started to crash. Oil became less and less sufficient, specific medicines and foods were no longer available. Eventually, the problem got so bad that many started fleeing the country. Many left on foot and risked their lives to cross the Andes mountains which is a very dangerous journey. It is cold and very steep. The problem got so bad that people were risking their lives just to have a better life for themselves and their families. This problem has become worse and worse throughout the months. At first, neighboring countries were happy to take in refugees and help them out but as more and more refugees came, there became less and less room and countries had to start refusing people. Another reason this problem is so concerning is that although there are many people seeking refuge, they are not technically considered refugees so the UN has not received enough funds to help solve this dilemma.
As a fully independent country, Chile would like to help come up with a solution to solve this serious problem. We think that it is very important that all countries pitch in in order to raise the amount of money that is asked for. Only half the money has been raised so far out of the 70 million that was asked for. Although many of the people fleeing Venezuela so not fit under the category “refugee” they are still in desperate need of our help. We could also create organizations that give these people a place to stay. No, I am not saying we need to let them into our countries at the moment although that would be ideal but perhaps we could build shelters for them outside of the borders of our countries and send a certain group of people that would be willing to help to the place of origin and have them serve food and provide shelter. We have to keep in mind that there are not just men that are fleeing. Women and children are in need of food and shelter and we need to do something about this crisis before it gets any worse.
Works Cited
Casey, Nicholas, and Jenny Carolina González. “A Staggering Exodus: Millions of Venezuelans Are Leaving the Country, on Foot.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/world/americas/venezuela-refugees-colombia.html United Nations. “Statement from Santiago, Chile, by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.” UNHCR, www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/press/2019/8/5d55722c4/statement-santiago-chile-un-high-commissioner-refugees-filippo-grandi.html. “Foreign Relations of Chile.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Oct. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Chile. Goodman, Jack. “Venezuela Crisis: How Much Aid Is Getting in?” BBC News, BBC, 28 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47369768.
Resolution
I chose Resolution 2A
Reflection
I believe the most interesting thing about this project was how each country had such a different view on the issue. For example, some countries were mostly focused on helping the people and getting them the aid that they need while other countries were more focused on getting Maduro out of the office and finding a new president who had Venezuela and it’s people in their best interest. One way that I’ve grown during this project is getting better at presenting in front of people. I have never been great at public speaking so this project was good practice for future presentations. I felt that I was mostly prepared for my speech but I feel that I could’ve done more to make me feel totally prepared. One thing that I could’ve done to feel more prepared would’ve been to practice my speech multiple times before presenting so that it didn’t sound so monotone and so I had most of it memorized so that I could’ve looked up from the paper and made eye contact with the audience. I plan on practicing my speech for our next MUN conference and preparing myself better for the comments after my speech.
MUN Conference #2
Speech
Please turn your attention to 2C,
As you all know the threat of nuclear warfare has become a significant issue over the past few years. So far two nuclear weapons have been used in the course of warfare. One in Hiroshima, Japan on August 6th, 1945 and another in Nagasaki, Japan on August 9th, 1945. These bombings resulted in the deaths of approximately 120,000 people. This was a great tragedy and many innocent lives were lost. We now have the knowledge that it would only take about 300 nuclear weapons to completely destroy life on earth 100x over. This is something we simply cannot risk. As a representative of Chile, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we all need to come together to put an end to this risk. Manufacturing/acquiring nuclear weapons is simply unnecessary. I believe that some solutions to this issue would be to, one, instead of putting the choice to launch nuclear missiles solely into the hands of the president and to consult with fellow government officials before making a decision that could potentially end all life on earth. Another solution is for all nations to sign onto the NPT and all treaties against the use and manufacturing of Nuclear weapons. And last but not least a solution that could possibly put an end to the threat of nuclear weapons would be for all nations to take part in a no-first-use policy. This would make it so that no nation could launch first. Take this into consideration. Is it really worth losing our beautiful planet for the sake of disagreements that we could most likely solve in a domestic way?
Thank you.
Policy Paper
Policy Statement: Chile is very against nuclear weapons. They are currently a Nuclear weapons-free zone and they do not have any nuclear weapons. They are signed onto all the treaties including the NPT.
Nuclear weapons have become a serious issue in recent months. There are currently about 14,000 nuclear weapons and it would only take 300 to completely destroy life on earth 100 times over. There are 9 countries in the world that have nuclear weapons. The United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France, North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, and Israel. Currently, there are many organizations that are trying to either disarm the existing nuclear weapons or get rid of them completely. However, with these organizations comes many problems. One of the biggest organizations trying to completely eliminate nuclear weapons is the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Their ultimate goal is to completely get rid of nuclear weapons. Although they are doing their best to achieve this goal they do have some challenges such as the question of modernization, people wondering if they are really disarming nuclear weapons and if they could be moving faster. Another issue is that North Korea is still pursuing nuclear weapons and delivery systems, Iran entered a nuclear deal that is still in question and balancing nations increased desire for nuclear weapons is a huge issue. Although they are doing their absolute best to solve this issue they need more support from countries around the world.
Chile has one of the most stable and rapidly growing economies but they have never considered nuclear weapons. They view them as unnecessary and we believe that it would be irresponsible to launch nuclear weapons let alone acquire them. I believe that all nations need to come together to help the NPT to achieve their goal. By doing this we can make sure that all nuclear weapons are disarmed and we can also make sure that our world isn’t destroyed. Another solution that would help to decrease the threat of nuclear weapons is to consult other government officials before launching nuclear weapons so that the decision is not fully in the hands of the president. This will make sure that the decision to launch nuclear weapons is not impulsive. Another solution would be to develop a no first use policy. This makes it so that countries are prohibited from being the first to launch Nuclear weapons. This will completely eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons if we can get all countries to sign onto it. This may be difficult but I believe that if we all come together we can make the world a safer place for future generations and the risk of completely destroying all life on earth will no longer be a problem that we need to worry about, but we all need to be cooperative no matter our differences.
Works Cited
“Nuclear Weapons Solutions.” Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/solutions.
Eklund, Dr. S. “How to Strengthen the Non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty.” Https://Www.iaea.org/Sites/Default/Files/17203580206.Pdf. Group of Eminent Persons. Building Bridges to Effective Nuclear Disarmament . www.mofa.go.jp/files/000349264.pdf. https://www.hoover.org/research/nuclear-non-proliferation-steps-21st-century
Reflection
Although I was not present for the second MUN conference due to being sick, I found the topic of Nuclear weapons to be very interesting. It really opened my eyes and made it clear to me how big of an issue this is. It would only take 300 nuclear weapons to completely destroy all life on earth 100x over. The process leading up to this conference was very enjoyable because we got to learn about our countries perspective on nuclear disarmament and although some aspects were kind of confusing such as learning all the treaties and what they do it was a very enjoyable project and I found it very interesting.
"Your Life On Earth" Personal Philosophy Project
For this project I decided to write a song. Music has always been a huge part of my life and I felt that I would be able to express myself best through that. One of the biggest aspects of the song is about learning to grow as people and opening our minds up to new ideas so that we can heal and living every day as if it is our last. A lot of the inspiration for this song came from the movie Harold and Maud. In the movie Maud lives everyday as if it were her last and that was a huge piece of inspiration for me. This song was not easy for me to write and a lot of the time I found myself stuck and not knowing what to write down next. However, writing this song taught me that I too need to open my mind up to change and live everyday as if it is my last. One of the next steps I would like to take would be recording this song. Unfortunately, because I kept getting so stuck on this song I did not get the opportunity to record it so that would be the next step. I would really love to share this song with people and hope that it will help them to be more open minded just like it helped me.
Chorus So many things I wish I could change Like the hate and and the pain and games and the lies that we use just to help us get by So many things I think I could change but I’m just one girl in this hateful world and I’m tired of voicing things when I’m not even heard So open your eyes and let’s begin to mend our mistakes that we make every day cuz today could be the very last day Verse 1 Whatever happened to kindness? Whatever happened to love? Whatever happened to the way we saw the world? Now we’re all just sinking in the lie that we like to call freedom.
Chorus And there’s so many things I wish I could change Like the hate and the pain and the games and the lies that we use just to help us get by So many things I think I could change but I’m just one girl in this hateful work and I’m tired of voicing things when I’m not even heard So open your eyes and let’s begin To mend out mistakes that we make every day cuz today could be the very last day. Verse 2 So what if we changed? What if we mended our ways? What if we opened our eyes to the games and the lies that we use just to help us get by? What would happen then? Would we feel the weight lift from our shoulders? Would we love more as we got older? Would we strive to take the pain from our sisters and brothers? And would we finally be able to forgive each other?
Bridge This is the world that we should strive for This is the time to heal and strive for a new beginning where everyone fits in So what will you do?
Chorus Because there’s so many things I wish I could change Like the hate and the pain and the games and the lies that we use just to help us get by So many things I think I could change but I’m just one girl in this hateful world and I’m tired of voicing things when I’m not even heard So open your eyes and let’s begin To mend our mistakes that we make every day cuz today could be the very last day
Outro So many things I wish we could change Like the hate and the pain and the games and the lies that we use just to help us get by So many things I think we could change But we have to fight the hateful world and make sure to voice things loud enough so we’re heard So let’s open our eyes and begin To mend our mistakes that we make every day and make sure today is not the last day.