Obedience

Based on your opinion, studies of past events, ect. Ponder the question below and respond with one paragraph of thoughtful analysis. You CAN use I language for this:

Why do people choose to participate in horrific events?

I think it is like drugs and once you feel that rush of power you never want to let it go no matter who you hurt or see that is dying. It is also like drugs because most people were pressured into doing this and they thought that it was fun after one try so they continued. Maybe the leader ordered them to and if they did not then they would be subjected to torture. I think that people get addicted to the power of being able to hurt someone without having to face the consequences, maybe they saw something that reminded them of another person and decided to attack them because they do not like that person.

Trauma

In your opinion what is the best way to get over trauma? Why?

Therapy with people who know what you went through and finding someone that you can relate to because it helps you calm down and feel like you belong. Also just accepting that it happened and most likely won't happen again may help. This may help you feel like it is over and you may stop having nightmares. Share what you experience and if they can open up then it is better. Make sure no one else is facing that. Community where you can open up. Facing your fears and just admit that it happened and face it and be able to believe you can get over it.

Enduring Legacies and Obligation

"In recent weeks, President Pinera has said that while the military has been assigned all blame for the dictatorship, there are still civilians who benefited from the regime but who have never taken responsibility. In the end, he said, the country needs both justice and forgiveness."

I disagree because maybe they benefited but that may not mean that they did anything to help or harm the people who did not benefit and they also did not help or harm the dictator just by getting benefits from him. The call for justice connects to the call of forgiveness because people want justice before they can forgive, for instance if someone killed your friend you would want revenge and then eventually you might forgive him after learning what happened. Chile's citizen's UoO has their revenge and wanting justice while leaving the people, who may be innocent but they will never know, out of the UoO. I say this because they want justice from the torturers and the military but what they do not see is that the people who may have benefited might not have done anything and therefore they fall out of their UoO because as long as they get revenge, I feel that the people do not care what happens to the other people. (it makes them as bad as Pinochet.)

UoO: Universe of Obligation

International Connections

In one sentence, describe the United Fruit Company? What made you decide to describe it in the way that you did?

The United Fruit Company is a bastardly, money-making, horrible, murdering people. They killed people for money, staged coup d'tats and over threw the government just so they could make more money and stay in power, while the people in Latin America were dying. They would rather take from the poor and give everything to the rich.

Enduring Legacies and Voice (2)

What acts of revolution/rebellion did you see in the Nostalgia of Light? In your opinion, which act of preserving history was the most effective, and why?

I saw pictures of question marks and patches of missing people, the astronomers were trying as well and the women who were digging were trying the hardest to find the people that they loved and they knew were killed or "dissapeared". I think that the patches were showing that they were rebelling because some pictures were rebelling and that they were showing where people were missing and where people were dead.

I think the pictures were because it was stupid- in my opinion- to dig up the bones and try to get the remains of their lost ones because you will never know who is who. The patches/pictures were the best because they showed real opinion because you cannot forget who you are and they did not through patches and quilts and such.

Enduring Legacies and Voice

When you look at the Arpilleras work, do you think that they count as revolution and rebellion? Do they count as voice? Why or why not?

I think they count as rebellion but not revolution because cloth may get other people to do things but it is not them themselves, they are not stopping Pinochet's regime by sewing cloth, though they may convince others. It is rebellion because they are showing what happens and what they are doing and what can happen and what they feel- which in this case- is not what the dictator wants them to feel. Maybe it is the only way that they can express their feelings. It is voice because if you look closely you can see their feeling and you can see what they are trying to say, and say things that are deep without getting in trouble.

Memory and Legacy

"Power is the ability to take one's place in whatever discourse [conversation/discussion] is essential to action and the right to have one's part matter"
-Carolyn Heilbrun

How does this quotes help to explain how long it took to unearth the Congolese Genocide? Why do you think it took so long?

I think the quote helps because the US was part of that and we did not want to be part of it so we- meaning the US- took action and blocked out the media coverage and such, to save our butts. It took so long because the US did not want this story out. As well as the Congolese had no power to oppose King Leopold and his cronies. Just like Daniels dad, because they did not want the news out and their spies noticed, they took Daniels dad and put him in a concentration camp.

The Individual and Society

What is "identity"?

Identity is who you are, what personality you have, if you are sarcastic or nice, if you care for something or another and many other things like your name, face, age, maturity... and so forth. It is also your actions and choices, your empathetic-ness and your beliefs and opinions and what you accomplish. Whether you help people in need or leave them to their sorrow, and what you stand up for. What your character, intellect, integrity, and what you do in your free time when no one is looking.

Is "identity" fixed and constant or dynamic and changing? Does Gringolandia provide evidence to support your argument?

It is dynamic and changing because your preferences and age, face, body language and much more change over time. Gringolandia proves this because Daniels dad changes from being nice to being mean and a drunk, he goes from okay to being touched to having bad reactions to it, memories also change so his memories changed too and he had a stroke which now disabled him. Gringolandia is proof that people change just like Daniels girlfriend from caring a lot about Daniel to caring more about Chile. Other peoples perspectives of you may change too and what other people think of you may be different from what other people might think