elvenavari

Well it is only three days til finals and let me say that it has been a hellish two weeks leading up to it. I had an 8-10 page paper due last Friday for World Religions on the Rituals of Wicca. I finished it at 2:45 am on Friday morning. Well technically at 12:52 pm, that was when I finished putting the footnotes and page numbers on, my class is at 1pm. ^_^;; If you want to read it follow the cut.

FROM CLEANSING TO GROUNDING: WICCAN RITUALS

An old woman dressed in a long robe, her nose long and pointed, her posture is stooped as she stands over a caldron chanting. Her eyes are alight with madness as she works her potions with evil intentions. This potion could have many uses, sleep, making the receiver ugly, or even death. This is the most common image society thinks of when they here the word “wiccan” or “witch”. However, this is a misconception.
If a person were to walk upon this scene and were to look with eyes unclouded by the image handed down from generation to generation they would see only the facts that had been written or told about. A true Wiccan does not practice the sort of spells that most people believe they do. A true Wiccan does not perform magick, the reason for this spelling is to differentiate the difference between magic such as pulling a rabbit out of a hat and magick which is the spelling the Wiccan’s use, with the intent to harm anyone, April Vaughn, a practicing Wiccan of thirteen years explains, “Wiccan’s believe that everyone is good and evil. If you use your abilities to do good then you are good, if you use your abilities to do evil then you are evil.”
Wicca is a religion that a person can do with a group or on their own. Those that are part of a group that practice together are called ‘clans’, while those that tend to practice alone are called ‘solitary witches’. Those that practice Wicca mainly use their abilities to get in touch with the earth. All rituals and spells that are cast by Wiccan’s are in the name of the goddess, the mother of everything, or the god, the father of the sky. Some rituals performed by Wiccan practitioners are very intricate and difficult while others are very basic and simple.

The Ritual:
A ritual is an event or ceremony that is built up by tradition and carries a great amount of energy, light-force, and impact. It is a systematic procedure designed to achieve a particular effect on human consciousness. Formalized ritual is the way most Wiccans approach divinity, align with the forces of nature, and celebrate seasonal cycles. Rituals are an important part of the Wiccan religion because it helps elevate the spiritual awareness.
The following is an outline for ritual preparation:
Type of Ritual
Purpose of Ritual
A. Ritual Preparation
B. Open Circle
C. Invocation to Deities
D. Statement of Purpose
E. Actual Working/ Act of Honor
F. Meditation
G. Thanking the Deities
H. Closing the Circle

Cleansing:
The first, most important ritual is called Cleansing. Cleansing is the practice of purifying an object or a person’s body. There are many reason’s a person’s body or an object needs to be cleansed, however, there are three reasons that are found most commonly. Those three reasons include; it removes any negative residue that has attached itself to the item or place, it melds positive energy with that of the Universe to bring divinity, and it instills this energy into the object or place for positive purposes. There are various ways to cleanse objects as well as the body, each has a different series of steps but ultimately has the same purpose. The cleansing of the tools that Wiccan’s use in rituals, their bodies and if they read them, the set of tarot cards are the most important of this ritual. “The ritual act also assists in strengthening and calming your mental attitude toward yourself and your work, allowing you to focus your energy without constraint.”
Wiccan tools; the athame (black-handled knife, used to create the circle), the censer (a small box or bowl for unburned incense), the cup (for luquids used during rituals), the white-handled knife (use for actual cutting), salt (use for casting the circle), water (for purification), the pentacle (the five pointed star), and the wand (used in power raising), can come from many places. Most tools that Wiccan’s use are handed down from other family members but some find the right tools at junk shops. This is why they need to be cleansed; by picking the tool up at a junk shop the wiccan would have no idea where it came from or what had been on it.
The process of cleansing tools, especially those that have come from an unknown source, is very simple. To cleanse their tools Wiccan’s either place the tool in a container of salt water, in running water such as a stream or even a small waterfall is ideal although it is important that the tool be securely tied down or anchored, it would not do for the tool to be washed away. If there is not an ideal spot of running water near Wiccan’s will bury their tool in the earth. Most Wiccan’s tend to cleanse their tools when the moon is full, leaving them overnight for the water or earth to purify the tool.
Even when a tool has been cleansed it still has to be consecrated before it can be used in the actual ritual. It seems that all Wiccan rituals are rituals within themselves and so therefore each step of preparation is important. To consecrate a tool the following steps must be taken; casting of the circle, invocation of the elements, and the summoning of the elemental watchtowers. This done a Wiccan will now pass the tool over the flame of the candle that represents the element of Fire while saying, “I consecrate thee by the power of fire. In the name of the God and Goddess, let all evil spirits be burned out so that this may become a tool of my will.” That said a Wiccan will then visualize the element’s energy surrounding and filling the object with its power. These words and visualization are repeated for each element, for air the tool is passed through the burning incense, for water it is passed over a dish of salt water, and for earth it is passed over the pentacle.
To finish the ritual a Wiccan will thank each element for it’s power, thank the God and Goddess as well as the watchtowers for protecting them during the rite, and then close their circle by saying, “And with no harm to none, so mote it be.” This is a common phrase that will be found in almost, if not all, rituals. Wiccan rituals and spells are to never bring harm to another life.

Meditation:
Meditation plays a big part in all religions, Wicca included. Meditation in Wicca is used before rituals to reflect on what the person wants and after to reflect on what they have accomplished. To a Wiccan meditation can even be seen as a ritual, it is a way of discovering things about themselves and a way to build power from within. Meditation can be done in a number of ways but the most basic of ways seems to stay the same.
Music is commonly found to be in use when people meditate. The most common type of music used during meditation is sounds of slow and easy tunes, those that are found to be relaxing. Most do not use music that contains words because it is to distracting when concentration should be on something much deeper.
Once the music has been decided on a person needs to choose the position they wish to be in for their meditation and their surroundings. Unlike other religions the Wiccan’s believe that you do not need to be in the position of a pretzel to find your center. Many choose to find a comfortable position on the floor, either sitting with their legs comfortably crossed or lying down, others choose to sit in a chair or on a couch. One’s surroundings are another important factor. A quiet room or space is the ideal place to conduct one’s meditation, the less distractions the better. Dimming lights or even candle light are also ideal for meditation. Comfortable and nonrestrictive clothing is a must for meditation. The position chosen should not be comfortable enough to be able to fall asleep.
Settling into the place and position chosen the ritual begins with the closing of the eyes and slowly relaxing of the body. Some like to relax slowly, releasing the tension from one body part at a time. Others prefer to do it all at once by releasing the tension from their entire body every few seconds. Either way the pace of breathing is very important. Breathing is not to be to fast, this will cause tension which would ultimately defeat the purpose, and breathing to slow will allow sleep to overcome the senses. The easiest way to keep breathing at the right pace is to do a four count. Breathing deeply, count to four as air is pulled in and then count to four again as the air is released. This is done at least ten times to allow the body to become used to taking in this much air.
When the breathing exercise has been completed, the mind is allowed to slip into a semi-conscious state. This state allows the person to still be vaguely aware of the surroundings but more tuned into what is happening within the body. This is also an important step for an everyday meditation since focusing on the body raises the individual power.
Within the next step a Wiccan will use visualization to concentrate on the points of the body that emit the most energy, which are known as “chakras”, the Sanskirt word for ‘wheel of light’. The chakras are located at the crown of the head, the middle of the brow, at the throat, the heart, the stomach, the groin, and at the feet. When first learning to meditate a Wiccan child will be taught to visualize a flower blooming as they gather their energy. For an older Wiccan’s, many use the “fountain meditation” which is where they see the body as a fountain.
The visualization begins as sparkling blue light flows from the top of the head, down the right side to swirl at your feet to then come back up the left side. Once this is done a Wiccan will open the charkas. At the crown of the head a pure white ball of sparkling light is seen, within the mind the ball starts spinning in a downward motion but still remains in place. When the ball can continue to move without the full concentration it is time to move on to the next point. The second point is located in the center of the brow, as the ball forms it is purple, once again when the ball is set and in motion a move will be made to the third point. The third point is at the throat, the color of this ball is blue. The heart charkra can be seen as two colors, sometimes a bright green while at other times it may be a warm pink. Moving further down the chakra in the stomach area is yellow. The one located in the groin area is orange and the last at the feet is crimson red. The process of completing this visualization takes about two weeks, one week to open the chakras and the second to focus the energy into the forms of the spinning balls.
As the third week begins most are ready to try the most difficult step. With all the balls spinning it is now time to let them connect with each other. As the balls flow into each other it begins to look like a giant, colorful waterfall or fountain, this is the reason for the name of this type of meditation. To finish the meditation a Wiccan will visualize a large zipper that is the length of their entire body, slowly they will see the zipper being zipped shut. It is a very important thing to make sure that the zipper is zipped, if not everything that has just been accomplished will have been a waste. Once the energy is zipped it is time for the Wiccan to awaken. To awaken they will do a small count from ten to one, much like being brought out of hypnosis, by waking a bit more each time. When fully awake most Wiccan’s breathe deeply to finish the waking process. “A complete meditation is designed to accomplish something. A partial meditation, like the fountain, is structured to balance the chakras and relieve stress. When you are finished with the partial meditation, you should feel rested and relaxed, yet energized.”
Divination:
Divination is the generalized term for using objects to get an idea about the future. “We are all psychic, whether we like it or not. Our brains operate more like time machines, and information from the future must influence choices made in the past. This is an evolutionary transformation.” Many tools are used for divining purposes, some are better known than others. These are the most common objects used to perform divinations are; cartomancy, crystal gazing, dowsing, numerology, palmistry, runes, graphology, and geomancy.
Cartomancy is basically fortune telling with cards, although many Wiccan’s choose to use tarot cards to do readings for themselves and others there are quite a few other types of cards that can be used. The only difference in the types of cards used are the symbolism and purposes, some cards focus more on certain aspects such as past lives. Of the varied types the tarot cards are the most popular. Although many people believe that tarot cards are evil and actually predict the future, this is false. Silver RavenWolf, head priestess and the Tradition Head of the Black Forest Clan explains tarot, “The Tarot is a tool, nothing more, nothing less. A reading is like a road map, and provides you with information so that you may make wise choices, just like when traveling on a road you can use a detour, or you can go under the speed limit through highway construction. A Tarot reading merely represents signposts on your highway of life. Your future is not fixed or fated. It is a subtle fabric that billows and folds with your experiences and your choices in life… A card reading tells you what will most likely happen should you stay on the path you are presently traveling.”
Crystal gazing, also known as scrying, is usually performed by using a crystal ball, a bowl of inked water or a magick mirror. A Wiccan will also scry using fire if they feel more connected with that element. Scrying is a way of foretelling the future, or reviewing the present or past, by gazing into a smooth, still surface, usually the surface is dark but not always. By sitting in a quiet area a Wiccan can stare into the water or fire for a any amount of time until images are presented to them.
Dowsing, this is a technique used to sense the hidden presence of water, minerals, people, animals, objects and energy. Dowsing is not a new technique; it has been used for centuries and is depicted on numerous cave paintings in Algeria and on the artwork of the Egyptians. Most commonly these things are found by using a forked stick, which bends downward when the object is found. Wiccan’s, however, prefer to use a crystal or metal pendulum that hangs from a string or cord. Many psychics choose to use this form when searching for a missing person by placing their pendulum over a map.
Numerology is a belief and technique that uses a calculated number connected to a person can tell things about them. The sum of the numbers in your birth date and the sum of value from the letters in the name provide a number one through nine. These numbers show a great deal about character, purpose in life, what motivates, and where talents may lie. Experts in numerology use the numbers to determine the best time for major moves and activities in life. Numerology is used to decide when to invest, when to marry, when to travel, when to change jobs, or relocate.
Palmistry is a technique that has been used for centuries but has only be recently been proven by scientists to actually tell some very interesting facts about a person. The belief when using palmistry is that the lines on the hand mean certain things, for example, the line that starts on the side of the hand and ends close to the wrist, this is what is called the life line. Many tend to believe that this line tells about a person’s health but the Wiccan’s do not. The Wiccan’s believe that this line represents the uncertainties in a person’s life. Each time a line crosses over the main line, that is a time of uncertainty, those crossing lines almost always have another line beside it, this other line is known as a ‘sister’ line.
Graphology, this Wiccan technique is used in many different areas of society. This is the examination of a person’s character by studying their handwriting. If trained enough, a Wiccan can tell when a person is lying by their handwriting. Examinations include looking at the swoops and swirls, how dark the pen is, and where or how someone will cross their i’s and t’s.
Grounding:
Grounding is the last ritual within a ritual; it is the last step after all magick workings. By grounding a Wiccan secures themselves to the earth by bringing nature into themselves as well as putting themselves into nature. Grounding can be done in a few ways, sitting, standing or laying down. Many Wiccans prefer to sit with their legs crossed, on the floor or the ground itself since this brings them closest to the earth itself. Once they are in position they will take three deep breaths on a four count, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Closing their eyes they visualize a tree with its roots growing deep within the earth. With the roots deeply implanted into the earth, the earth’s secure and stabilizing energy flows into the body.

After that I had a 8-10 page paper due this past Monday for Ancient to Gothic Art History. This one was on Stonehenge, Mr. Weedman told me to focus on who did it and why so I tried to. I finished this one at 1:45am Monday morning. Follow the cut to that one.

Stonehenge: The ultimate mystery
Throughout history people have been fascinated by the art of the past. The eternal questions of who, what, when, where, how, and why are the very first things asked when a new piece is discovered. These questions push art historians to study works, some say that curiosity killed the cat… but satisfaction brought him back. The art historians are the cats in this game and their satisfaction is when they finally figure out the mystery behind the piece that has been discovered. The place that is in question? Stonehenge, the formation of rocks located in the Salisbury Plain of England that has puzzled many for centuries.
The question of who built Stonehenge has been up for debate for years. It is not completely decided upon who did the beginning construction but many believe that it was a temple of the ancient Celts. It is known that later the Druids would hold their religious acts to the midsummer sunrise around this site. Some extremists even think that with no true explanation that perhaps the aliens built the site and that it has some meaning to whatever intelligent beings may be out there.
This structure, Stonehenge, has been the subject of innumerable studies, theories, comments, measurements, etc. for the past thousand years, at best. An exact explanation as to whole built it and why is not available on a direct basis. All the theories proposed are deductions based on apparent facts and historical comments known to us. (Cohen)
This is possibly the greatest mystery surrounding Stonehenge. We know a little about the Druids from Roman writers but that does not explain why they are the first known people to use Stonehenge when carbon dating has placed it to being built at least a thousand years before that. The ‘Druid theory’, as it has been called, is not as far-fetched as many explanations debated by archaeologists and historians have for the existence of Stonehenge. Some of the earliest students, like the 17th-century architect Inigo Jones, thought the carefully calculated design could only have been the work of Roman architects. A similar theory was put forward fifty years ago when the archaeologist Elliot Smith suggested that the designers were Egyptian or Phoenician.
Stonehenge was the name given to the ring of grey stones that appear on the small, windy Salisbury Plain. Green grass stretches as far as one can see, until the giant stones rise against the scenery. Stonehenge consists of a large round ditch around the perimeter of some smaller stones; within the smaller stones are a couple more rings of the same smaller stones. Within those rings of smaller stones are the massive stones, most 13 ft. high or taller, for which Stonehenge is best known for appear. The elements over the centuries have made strange hollows and crevices at weak points in the sandstone. Even with the elements against this impressive structure most of stones, that are believed to have been there since erected, still stand. The great stones or lintels which were raised up to line the tops of the upright stones are not merely straight-edged slabs of rock.
Within the past 50 years many have settled to agree upon this order of events for the building of Stonehenge. First, a circular ditch was dug; this ditch varies in width between 10 and 19 feet. Its depth varies as well, anywhere from 4 ½ to 7 feet. Inside the ditch there is said to have been a circular bank of white chalk measuring around 6 ft high by 20 ft in width. The diameter of this circle is approximately 320 feet. In the early 1700s a man by the name of John Aubrey discovered the existence of 56 holes; these holes create a perfect circle all the way around. Each of these holes have also been filled with a fine white chalk. The distance between these holes is almost exactly 16 feet; in a few places does the distance vary by a few inches.
The most popular stone of Stonehenge is known as the Heel stone. The Heel stone, also known as ‘Friar’s Heel’, is a single large block of sarsen stone standing outside the entrance of Stonehenge, close to the main road. The stone is mainly rectangular in shape with the minimum thickness of 8 feet. It rises to a bluntly pointed top at about 16 feet high. Excavation has shown that a further 4 ft is buried in the ground. There are many myths surrounding the Heel stone, why it was placed where it was and such. The most popular is a folk tale that cannot be dated beyond the 17th century.
The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here." A friar replied, "That's what you think!" whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there. (Unknown)
It is believed that Stonehenge was constructed in three stages. Carbon dating allows historians to take small samples of stone or paint and come up with a relative time area that the work could have been created in. The beginning stage is believed to have started about 2500 B.C.E. This first stage consisted of the outer ditch and the Aubrey Holes, as well as the Heel stone. The second stage of building Stonehenge is believed to have been done a few hundred years after the first stage. The true purpose behind this second building is not known but it is apparent that it was abandoned before the overall construction was finished. The third and final stage of building once again took place a few hundred years after the second construction. Seeing what Stonehenge looks like today it is easy to see that this third construction was much larger and had a more powerful design than the two previous. This stage has been split into many smaller stages by some but has been left as just a single stage by others. This is the stage that gave Stonehenge the look it has today, consisting of the erection of the famous megaliths.
Much speculation has surrounded the engineering feats required to build Stonehenge. Assuming the bluestones, the stones that make up the inner circle of Stonehenge, were brought from Wales by hand, various methods of moving them relying only on timber and rope have been suggested. In 2001 an exercise was conducted, it was an attempt to transport a large stone along a land and sea route from Wales to Stonehenge, this is the route believed to be used to bring the stones to the site. Volunteers pulled it for some miles, with great difficulty, on a wooden sledge over land. Unlike the builders of Stonehenge the volunteers were using modern roads and low-friction netting to assist sliding, but once transferred to a replica prehistoric boat, the stone sank in Milford Haven, before it even reached the rough seas of the Bristol Channel.
If this was how the people got the massive stones to the site, how then did they get them raised into the positions they stand in today? It has been suggested that timber A-frames were erected to raise the stones, once the stones were raised teams of people then hauled them upright using ropes. The topmost stones may have been raised up incrementally on timber platforms and slid into place or pushed up ramps. The carpentry-type joints used on the stones imply that people well skilled in woodworking could easily have had the knowledge to erect the monument using such methods. In 2003 a retired construction worker, Wally Wallington, demonstrated techniques based on fundamental principles of levers, fulcrums and counterweights to show that a single man can rotate, walk, lift and tip a ten-ton cast-concrete monolith into an upright position.
The weapons that have been engraved on the sarsens are unique in megalithic art in the British Isles. Usually more abstract designs are favored, but not in this case. Similarly, the horseshoe arrangements of stones are unusual in a culture that otherwise arranged stones in circles. The axe design is, however, common to the peoples of Brittany at the time, and it has been suggested at least two stages of Stonehenge were built under continental influence. This would go some way towards explaining the monument's atypical design, but overall, Stonehenge is still inexplicably unusual in the context of any prehistoric European culture.
Estimates of the manpower needed to build Stonehenge put the total effort involved at millions of hours of work. Stonehenge 1 probably needed around 11,000 man-hours of work, Stonehenge 2 around 360,000 and the various parts of Stonehenge 3 may have involved up to 1.75 million hours of work. The working of the stones is estimated to have required around 20 million hours of work using the primitive tools available at the time. The will to produce such a site must have been strong, and it is considered that advanced social organization would have been necessary to build and maintain it.
Stonehenge's fame not only comes from its archaeological significance or potential early astronomical role but also in its less then explainable effect it has on visitors, what Christopher Chippindale describes as "the physical sensation of the place", something that goes beyond the rational, scientific view of the monument. This expresses itself in the spiritual role of the site for many different groups. It is a belief that no single scientific explanation can do justice to it as a symbol of the great achievement of the ancient Britons and as a symbol of something that continues to confound mainstream archaeology.
Some people claim to have seen UFOs in the area, perhaps connected with the military installations around Warminster, which has led to ideas of it being an extraterrestrial landing site. Alfred Watkins found three ley lines running through the site and others have employed numerology, dowsing or geomancy to reach diverse conclusions regarding the site's power and purpose. New Age and neo-pagan beliefs see Stonehenge as a sacred place of worship which can conflict with its more mainstream role as an archaeological site, tourist attraction, or marketing tool. Post-processualist archaeologists might consider that treating Stonehenge as a computer or observatory is to apply modern concepts from our own technology-driven era back into the past. Even the role of indigenous peoples in archaeology, rarely applied in Western Europe, has created a new function for the site as a symbol of Welsh nationalism.
The significance of the 'ownership' of Stonehenge in terms of the differing meanings and interpretations held by the many orthodox and unorthodox stakeholders in the site has been increasingly apparent in recent decades. Researchers Jenny Blain and Robert J. Wallis have pointed to the huge variety of views which show the continued and growing importance of Stonehenge today, as symbol and 'Icon of Britishness'; and indicate also the increased awareness of pasts by many people with no training in archaeology or heritage. For many, Stonehenge and other ancient monuments form part of the 'living landscape' which holds its own stories and which is there to be engaged with as people mark the seasons of the year. Today's mythology around Stonehenge includes the recent history of the Battle of the Beanfield and the previous Free festivals. Stonehenge has not one meaning but many. Today, curators English Heritage facilitate 'managed open access' at solstices and equinoxes, with some disputes over the days on which these fall.
The derivation of Stonehenge as coming from the Old English words "stān" meaning "stone", and either "hencg" meaning "hinge" (because the stone lintels hinge on the upright stones) or "hen(c)en" meaning "gallows" or "instrument of torture". Medieval gallows consisted of two uprights with a lintel joining them, resembling Stonehenge's trilithons, rather than looking like the inverted L-shape more familiar today.
In the image ‘Stone Dancer’ a man is shown dancing on the tops of Stonehenge. It is not stated who he is but this occurred during the 2005 summer solstice, 21,000 people attended the one year occurrence. At any other time of the year tourists are not allowed 30 feet of the stones. Even though the last known construction of Stonehenge was about 1600 BC, and the last known usage of Stonehenge was during the Iron Age where Roman coins, prehistoric pottery, an unusual bone point and a skeleton of a young male were found, we have no idea if Stonehenge was in continuous use or exactly how it was used. That may forever remain a mystery.

But that's not all! This past Tuesday I had my last speech for Intro to Public Speaking due! I finished it Tuesday morning at 12:30am. One more time... follow the cut to read.

Speech Manuscript: We’re Not the World’s Police

I. Introduction:
Attention: Let’s face it; the world is not an entirely happy and peaceful place. We know this.
Thesis Statement: A single country cannot be responsible for the rest of the world’s actions.
Justification: ?
Preview: No matter which way you look at it the U.S. has gotten themselves into a mess with Iraq. Whether you believe it is a good or bad mess is your own opinion, but I believe it is bad.

II. Body:
Main Point #1: The U.S. cannot solve everyone’s problems when we have a lot of the same one’s within our own country. Retired Airforce Lt. Col. Mark Fassio said this about the following topics of adoption, homelessness and poverty, “I feel bad but it’s where I draw the line on Gobalism, if you can fix your own countries problems then you set examples. But if you only help yourself you draw in criticism.”
Ex. The popular thing with adoption in the past few years has been adopting from overseas. There are many reasons for this; many countries have too many children that their economy cannot provide for, the adoption laws are easier to bypass, etc. Do you want to know an often over looked fact these days? There are many children right here in America who need loving homes, who need to know that they are cared for. These children might not have it as others in some countries but their life is not a cake walk either.
I know the adoption laws in America are rather hard to get around, my parents have been on the waiting list since before I was born, which within the next eight months, will be 20 years. I know there are many considerations that go into looking at prospective families, my family is no where near being billionaires or even millionaires, my father is a farmer and my mother works for the state department, we are not rich but we could provide a decent life for a child, full of light and love. Perhaps this is testament that the adoption laws of this country need to be looked over again and reworked.
Ex. I recently saw a picture on the internet of a teenager sitting on a street holding a sign. Most times when you hear this you think, “Oh they are just asking for food or money” but that was not the case this time. The sign held up by this teenager stated, “Forget your coins. I want change.” Every time I turn on the TV in the mornings I see the commercials about the children and people in various countries that I need to adopt because they have so little, now don’t get me wrong I think it’s a great thing if you support them and even travel to help them, but why do we never see commercials about the homelessness and poverty from within our own country?
Ex. Many of us have family members who are in the military, we know someone who is in the military, or know someone who was in the past. Many military personal will tell you that it is very hard to be a soldier because they have to be away from their families for such long periods of time, always with the chance of not returning at all. Retired Airforce MSgt. Larry McClure states, “It weighs heavily on the soldier and the family, this one of the biggest breakdowns of American families.”

Transition: Since we seem to be hypocrite’s the rest of the world lacks trust in us and sees us as a sort of bully.

Main Point #2: “The strong do what they can; the weak suffer what they must.” This is a quote is found in Book V of the History of the Peloponnesian War by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. Whenever another country has a problem the U.S. rush in, even if we are not asked, or we stay longer than we are welcome.
Ex. The Korean War is often known as “The Forgotten War”, many push this time from their minds because of the horrors that were experienced during it. The U.S. entered the Korean War after the North Korean’s crossed the 38th parallel defeating the French that were watching the border. U.S. officials deny that this was an actual “war” but a “police action”, if this was true police would have been sent to Korea and not soldiers.
Ex. The war of our generation, Iraq. In the years since the September 11th attacks of 2001, I am sure everyone has seen at least one story on the TV news, in the newspaper or in a magazine telling the horrors of war. Considering I receive a chain email showing me pictures of the good our troops are doing in Iraq at least once a month I can only assume I am not the only one. Do we believe the news or the emails? I would like to think it is a bit of both. We were told this would be a quick war but in the past 2 years, since the August 2004 invasion there have been 100,000 deaths, those are just the soldiers. The numbers of civilian deaths range of between 43,937 and 48,783.
There was a statement released back at the beginning of the year that stated we would be out of Iraq by a certain date. Although I could not find the exact date I do know that we are over the date stated.

Transition: When we stay longer than we are welcome, emotions usually run high. Often tempers of confliction people will boil over and make the situation worse. Lt. Col. Mark Fassio says, “There are around 190 countries out there, they should annie up a bit too.”

Main Point #3: I believe the U.S. should retreat into itself for a few years. In the past this has worked for other countries.
Ex. At the end of World War II Gen. Douglas MacArthur rewrote the Japanese constitution. This rewritten version did and does not allow them to have a strong military force; the government was allowed only enough to build a National Guard. Since this event Japan turned into itself, not in total isolation, but just building itself in ways other than military. The fruits of these labors? Many of the cars and the technology you find in cars are Japanese manufactured; I myself drive a Toyota Rav4.
Both of the following quotes were taken from Wikipedia.org; “Japan is a leading nation in the fields of scientific research, high technology products, medicine and medical research. Some of its more important technological contributions include electronics, robotics, machinery, industrial robotics, optics, chemicals, semiconductors and metals.”
Ex. “Germany is a leading nation in scientific research and the production of innovative technological products. Some of the most important industrial contributions include automobiles, rocketry, material science, and chemical products. As in physics and chemistry, Germans are a leading nation in the Nobel Prizes for physiology or medicine.” However, Germany’s economy seems to be falling because of the immigration rate to the U.S. and other countries. Perhaps it is time for the U.S. to stop leaning on the people from other countries and let its own people show that they are smart and can excel. Lt. Col. Fassio says, “A nation is like a person. In the beginning they are a teenager liking to show off. Wisdom must be gained over time.”

Transition: With examples like these imagine the great things we could perhaps invent or discover in that “down time”, the wisdom we could acquire. Imagine how much greater this great country could be.

III. Conclusion:
Review/Summary: I have told you of the things that I believe are the biggest problems in America. We have looked at the U.S.’s involvement in other countries during times of war. You have also heard about what countries that have retreated into themselves have accomplished.
Final Note: Should we take some down time and prove just how great we can be? Yes, I think so.

Alright well I'm done now. I'm lucky and have only one final a day next week. Two are in the morning and two are in the afternoon. I'm finished with this semester on Thursday around 3pm.

I'll probably have a better update that has less to do with school in a couple of days.