Blog 19

     The United States declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917. In our declaration we were concerned with governmental issues, rights of the people, and the nation as a whole. This was generally a peaceful declaration, with no aggressive or violent actions stated to be taken. The German response, however, included several aggressive war terms. Tacticts such as unrestricted submarine warfare, blockades and foreign policies were mentioned as a resoponse to our declaration.

Weekly 5

       Mature-rated video games, such as Call of Duty, are the fastest growing segment of the video gaming industry today. According to the Federal Trade Commission, about 40 percent of those who play mature-rated games are under 18. Of the 146 million gamers in the United States, 65.7 million are children and teens and 20 million video game players are 12 and under. Also, 95 percent of teenage boys play video games each month. Statistics have proven the huge role video games have in the majority of Americans lives.
        I do not believe that these violent video games should exist. Even though these games are not available for all age levels, kids still manage to get their hands on them to play. Children perform what they wittiness. For instance, a child will watch their father reading the newspaper in the morning. Even if the child can't yet read, they would try to imitate what they see their parent doing based on observations. If a child were to walk in on some teenagers playing a violent game, such as Call of Duty, they would no doubt become interested and curious to what the older kids were playing. Actions performed in these games would also inspire young children. Additionally, kids tend to idolize their favorite characters. Being good or bad influences, children look up to these characters. Again, they would try to be just like them - learning dangerous moves or violent actions. Having never actually played Call of Duty, I find it hard to imagine the purpose for such games. Killing off the enemy? Discovering the most fatal weapons? Creating war scenarios found in real life? I, personally, can't fathom how that could be entertaining or even fun. Why would you want to be in such situations? What benefit do you gain? Sure, maybe video games are "fun", but I don't see how violent ones could fit in that category.
        Some people may argue that such video games lessen the amount of violence in the world; I, however, disagree. I believe that constant exposure to violence increases the tendency for people to copy what they play as a part of their daily routine. As stated in the assignment topic, there is no "reset" button for soldiers in war. Yes, your lives are numbered in the games, but in real life, you only have one shot. There are no "undo", "save" or "quit" buttons in life. If you make a mistake, it could cost you your life. Also, no "hints", "helps", or "cheats" are given. Unfortunately, no helpful messages appear at the bottom of the screen to warn us of danger or inform us of ways to succeede. 
        The futures of our children are in our hands and we have to responisbitly to set the right path for them. Why would you want to expose your child to violent games? They're most likely too young to fully grasp the concept of death and war anyway. Based on all the information collected and observations made, I do not believe that violent video games should be created and sold or that these games lower the violence or crime in society.


http://www.gameguru.in/first-person-shooters/2008/20/call-of-duty-world-at-war-review/

Blog 19

      From the movie trailer to "Gallipoli", a variety of artillery is shown. The Great War had an extreme impact on the world, causing an enormous amount of casualties partially due to new weapons and war tactics. Replacing the more formal style of standing at the line of battle used in the Revolutionary War, trench warfare emerged. This concept, still highly dangerous, provided more protection for the soldiers than standing face to face. Other war strategies used were: unrestricted submarine warfare, blockades, dogfights and flame throwers. Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning as opposed to attacks following the rules of war; this tactic was used mainly by the Germans. Naval warfare in WWI was charactarized by the efforts of the Allied powers to blockade the Central powers. Dogfights are a form of aerial combat between fighter aircrafts where each is aware of the others presence. This appeared in WWI after the airplane was invented that would be used in many other wars, including WWII. Flamethrowers were a great technological advancement from previous simpiler weapons. Taking about four men to opporate, these machines project a stream of ignited flamable liquid or a long gas flame. All of these new weapons and tactics improved the way war was fought; but with an improvement in war, comes an increase in casualties. During the Great War, 16 million soldiers were killed and 21 million were injured. This extreme amount of casualties devestated society greatly, resulting from loss of loved ones, former employees and soliders.

Weekly 4

      In general, an imperialistic country tends to intervene with other sovereign countries and focus on more worldly affairs, rather than of those within their own country. Imperialism can be defined as, according to Webster's Dictionary, "the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and domination of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas."   The United States, being a world power, is a wonderful example of an imperialistic country.
     The movie "Avatar" can be an example of imperialism as well. Although this film contains a supernatural world as well as Earth life, we are still able to see glimpses of imperialism occurring. Here, human scientists and soldiers enter this other world known as Pandora. Life is completely different in Pandora than life on Earth. There are no humans in Pandora, although the main species closely resembles them (Na'vi). A highly trained team of scientists and soldiers journey to Pandora to obtain a special material but end up learning the ways of the new world and survival skills as well. The main character and marine, Jake Sully, enters Pandora as a Na'vi  and quickly bonds with the native woman, Neytiri. In this movie, the scientists and soldiers are kind of in a battle against each other. The scientists are concerned with preserving Pandora's culture and life while the soldiers just want the prized material that will make them rich. Imperialism can be seen through the eyes of the soldiers. They don't care about the native Na'vi people in Pandora, nor do they have any concern about the damage they are causing. The Na'vi scared tree stands at the center of Pandora, with parts of all their ancestors on it. This tree is the foundation of Pandora and all the connections the Na'vi have with their ancestors. The soldiers, with their ruthless determination, destroy the tree and most of the wildlife in Pandora.
    This act is similar to what the United States has been doing since it became a world power. We have overthrown governments, intervened with sovereign countries, broken treaties and bombed countries for political or economical reasons. I chose "Avatar" as a representation of imperialism because it really did portray a strong nation (Earth) oppressing a weaker one (Pandora). I learned that sometimes it's best to not get involved in areas that don't specifically need our attention. Pandora didn't need anything from us. We just went in and tried to change their language, culture and way of life but wound up practically destroying their whole world. If we're not careful, America may one day be in that position as well.
http://www.colettebaronreid.com/blog/new-thought/avatar-messages-spirit-part-2/

Blog 18

June 2, 1908

       Working on the Panama Canal today was even more dreadful than usual; it seems as if the job gets harder with each new day. More and more workers are coming down with malaria, yellow fever, dysentery, typhoid or dengue. Even more than disease, workers are dying from the construction itself. Hazzards such as being crushed under land, mudslides, suffication from gases, or dynamite have been increased with progression of the canal as well. It was about 98 degrees today. While taking a break from using dynamite all day, I wandered off into the jungle and got lost for 3 hours. I got bit by a huge bug too, so I wouldn't be surprised to develop some kid of foreign disease or infection within the next few days. All in all, today was pretty miserable. Lucky me, I get to do it all again until the canal is finally finshed - who knows when that'll be.

Blog 17

HawaiiLovesMe
Mmmh, enjoying some tea with extra sugar this morning. We've got so much!
1/14/87 8:18AM

HawaiiLovesMe
Oh hey, looks like we've got some visitors! Welcome, immigrants from China and Japan.
1/14/87 3:26PM

HawaiiLovesMe
Good work on the plantations today, guys. Time for some royal sleep :)
1/15/87 9:49PM

HawaiiLovesMe
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! Our economy is doing great due to the wonderful immigrants growing our sugar.
1/16/87 11:11AM

HawaiiLovesMe
Well, something seems quite strange this morning. Maybe I need some more sleep?
1/17/87 7:22AM

HawaiiLovesMe
OH NO THEY DIDN'T! Bogus Americans want to overthow me. How dare they mess with the Queen!? -__-
1/17/87 9:34AM

HawaiiLovesMe
They're stealing our sugar!? And want to change my lovely government!? Mess with the Queen, & you will pay!
1/17/87 2:01PM

HawaiiLovesMe
Well, that didn't go too well. I have been officially overthrown!!! Don't worry fellow Hawaiians, I will try to compromise peacefully.
1/17/87 6:09PM

HawaiiLovesMe
Dear Hawaiians, I tried my best. America is too powerful, I'm sorry that I have failed you :'( Goodbye to our gvmt & sugar.
1/17/87 11:59PM

Blog 16

      The "Communist Manifesto" explains the basic elements of Communism, including the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Marx's definition of the bourgeoisie is a social class that owns the means of production in a capitalist society. This was a wealthy middle class that could be compared to the Umpa Lumpas in the film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Throughout the movie, the Umpa Lumpas work in Willy Wonka's factory making candy. They represent the bourgeoisie because they are hard workers and make up the majority of society (the factory). Since the proletariat class doesn't make much money and also works a lot, Charlie's father can represent this aspect. Charlie grows up poor but his life suddenly changes when he finds a golden ticked in one of Willy Wonka's chocolate bars. Winning a tour of the secret factory, Charlie is amazed by its complexity and.... perfection. Everything seems to be magical and perfect inside the factory. This is exactly what Marx's idea of Communism was supposed to be like. A perfect society. No bad could happen there but if something did, it would be removed forever. Its quite surprising when you realize the hidden meanings in simple movies such as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Blog 15

     The School of the Americas, originally established in Panama, trains soldiers to violently overthrow foreign governments. Here, the soldiers receive training in the areas of: professional leadership, infantry weapons, technical support, counter-insurgency and specialized leadership skills. These titles, however, do not tell us of all the lives lost and damage caused by the SOA soldiers. I do not believe America should have such schools. I do not agree with the idea of training men to overthrow governments just because they're different from ours. Maybe if we could find a non-violent way to carry this action out I might change my opinion. Instead of being so concerned about other countries, we should focus more on ourselves and fix our own problems here in America first.

Weekly 3

       Most people believe that cowboys originated in the "wild west" but really, that's just where they became popular. Cowboys originated during the hacienda system in medieval Spain and were herders and rangers. They became popular in America during the westward expanision when the need to drive herds of cattle grew. The cowboy soon became an idol of the western world. Their fame grew even more when Hollywood started producing western movies staring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
         John Wayne protrayed the cowboy to have a fairly easy and exciting life, going on adventures and being heroic. What people don't know, however, is how a real cowboy was and looked. In reality the cowboy didn't dress like the cowboys in the movies. They wore whatever they could get their hands on. Cowboy hats were wide-brimed to keep the sun out of their eyes.The cowboy hat was made famous with the black and white movies. Black hats were known to be for the bad guys and white for the good. Crowns on the cowboy hats become symbols of who you were.Their boots were for riding and were started by the Mongol tribesmen. The early 1900's brought along the "Duster", which was used to keep all the dust off of their clothes.The original cowboy boot was pointed due to the fact that the they spent a long portion of the day in a saddle, boots in the stirrups. In the mid 1900s, the cowboy belt buckle was introduced. Over time, the cowboy's appearance changed with the new fashion or what materials were avaliable. Everything they wore served a purpose, not to change their "western cowboy look." Another stereotype associated with the cowboy is a hand gun. Back in the 1900's, guns were relatively expensive and most people couldn't even afford to own one. Cowboys had a hard life in the west; they had to be "the Jack of all trades." They needed to know how to ride, rope, saddle, tend to and care for animals and build shelters. Cattle drives were a huge part of a cowboys job. During cattle drives, the cattle is moved from one place to another by cowboys or on horseback. They were a major economic activity in the west when 20 million cattle were transported from Texas to Kansas. Covering long distances, rest stops and towns were established across the west. Cattle drives actually still occur in western America and Australia.
        Cowboys also learned to live in and bond with nature. Being outside in the hot, dry weather all the time helped them learn the land and to know which places to avoid out of danger. Overcoming the tough journey west, a foreign land and new way of life, the cowboy is an American symbol. Cowboys remind us of how much we have progressed since earlier times but also bring us back, to when times were simpler. They represent a lifestyle and time period that is cherished as a part of our American history. Not even originating in America, cowboys were so important in our life that they're represent who we were then and are recognized for that now.


http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2009/02/saddleback_ranch_ups_and_close.php

Weekly 2

      During the first week of school, we were introduced to the concept of blogging. Before this project, I had little knowledge of what blogging even was. I used to hear it associated with journalism and publishing but never thought students would actually use them as well. With an online textbook, teacher website and project system, I realized that this would be a very technology-driven class from the start. I believe this aspect makes materials more available to the students in our technology-thriving generation.
      I agree with the concept of blogging for several reasons. A common excuse for laziness is to just "blame it on the generation." But let's face it, kids are not as motivated today as they were even 20 years ago. We all tend to slack off or not give 100% at times but it seems that as time progresses, so does the laziness. I can admit that I procrastinate, even with these blogs as you can see. And I would be lying if I said I couldn't wait until our new topics were assigned so I could blog about them. Even though we may complain about taking the time to write them "everyday" or trying to figure out how to turn a simple question into a 600 word answer, I think the blogs are beneficial. They force us to be constantly writing and researching. In order to improve on something, you must frequently be exposed to it and practice. Having 3 or 4 writing assignments each week helps us become better writers and scholars. I think that since the blogs are online, not with just a pen and paper, students are more motivated to research information they are unsure about. With our "lazy generation", if the resources aren't in front of us, we generally won't spend too much time looking for them. I make these statements because they apply to me as well. Blogging also helps us learn the material. As I previously mentioned, writing forces us to research. So therefore, blogging is kind of like a method of studying. For me, I feel that writing (or typing) the information out helps me remember it better than just staring at it, trying to memorize. I may be semi-biased on this topic because writing, in general, doesn't bother me. For a biology project last year, we were all told that we were to carry around babies for 2 weeks to experience what it would be like to be a teen mom. I loathed this idea so much that I said I would do the alternative option of writing a 20 page research paper. Unfortunately, the teacher wanted me to actually do the project, not thinking anyone would rather write the paper. Maybe writing it would have given me a better understanding about child care and development but I'm certain I would have procrastinated that as well.
        I think as the year progresses, we will become more acquainted with the blogging system and requirements. From this project I learned what blogs were, that "every-day people" could write them and that following the guideline of the midnight deadline is something that should be followed. I think the concept of not actually making them due until the end of the quarter helped us and hurt us. There were weeks where I knew I would have no time for blogs so I didn't have to stress out over them. I'm greatful that we had the opportunity to complete them at our own pace but I think that idea was too tempting for procrastinators like me. Next quarter, I will try to follow the midnight deadline and keep my blogs up to date.


http://everything.typepad.com/blog/i-love-blogging/

Blog 14

    The game "Oregon Trail" is a computer game about westward expansion and settlement. Games like this help students learn important topics by challenging them in fun and encouraging ways. One survey by Project Tomorrow showed that over 50% of students in grades 3 through 12 believe educational games help them learn. I also believe that games help kids learn better. Who would seriously rather read a textbook (with no pictures!) than play a game? You're learning the same thing, it's just the way you decide to approach it that's different. Also, playing games helps students remember the material they learned. Most people learn from examples or relations to real life situations. I believe it's much harder to memorize sentences than to remember an experience, such as the information from the game.

Blog 13

     Does history matter? Well of course it matters, we wouldn't learn about the history of the entire world if it were meaningless. But more importantly, history matters because it helps us learn from our mistakes. Everyone's heard the quote "History repeats itself" but we wouldn't really know that if we didn't learn about it. As people, groups, or countries make "history-worthy" actions, we have the benefit of being able to look back on what specific things they did to either repeat or not repeat them. While some people may argue that history isn't the most exciting topic/class, it is of great importance to our education of the world as we know it today.

Blog 12

     I think blogging was more beneficial than writing with pen and paper because it forced me to look up information I was unsure about. Already being online with an easy access to resources, blogging takes away the excuse for not searching for information. I think writing with pen and paper would also be more frustrating because mistakes are harder to correct there. It's much easier to "backspace" instead of crossing out, writing over another word and having a hard time reading what you just corrected. Overall, I think blogging helped me learn the topics by being able to discuss them quickly and efficiently.

Blog 11

      From the first quarter, my favorite blogging topic was about our history, the way we teach it and if we should hide certain parts. I found out a lot of lies we were taught before high school and I liked having a blog topic about that so I could discuss if we should learn history how it really happens or the child-friendly version (lie.) Along that same subject, I liked the blog about us (America) hiding parts of our history to give us a better image. America isn't the only country who does this though. I guess most countries seem to go by this quote saying "what you don't know can't hurt you." I think the main reason I liked those blog topics was because they allowed you to voice your opinion on something using general knowledge instead just one specific idea or example.

Blog 10

     Coming from all over the world, immigrants must have gone through quite a culture shock upon their arrival to America. Many immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe and most couldn't speak English. It's hard enough to travel across the ocean to a foreign land, but not being able to speak the native language made their new life even more difficult. Taking all those aspects into consideration, they probably felt secluded and rejected. Immigrants settled in large cities in New York and California where there were more avaliable jobs. Coming with high expectations, the city life wasn't as glamorous as it seemed. Families had to live in close quarters with no heat, running water, or sewage systems. All in all, I think the immigrants were more dissapointed with the real America - the land of opportunity.

Blog 9

     The lyrics from the "Song of the Shirt" shows how factory work really was. The employees were extremely over-worked, poor, hungry and dirty. They worked all day, from morning until night. There were no labor laws during that time, so conditions could be completely unsafe without actually violating any laws. One part of the song tells us how dangerous the tasks they had to perform by saying "It is not linen you're wearing out, but human creatures' lives." Because children were smaller and had tiny hands, they were the ones called upon if a machine needed to be fixed. It wasn't uncommon if they got injured or even lost a hand while doing this either. The "Song of the Shirt" was sung by workers probably to express their exhaustion and misery brought upon by the laborious tasks they had to perform daily at the factories.

Blog 8

     The song "Rocky Raccoon" by The Beatles portrays the stereotypical image of a cowboy in the west. When we think of a cowboy, most of us imagine a middle-aged man all dressed up in his wild west outfit and hat, riding a horse and carrying a gun, maybe even a lasso. This song encourages us to picture a cowboy this way. Here, the cowboy Rocky finds out his woman left him for another man and is determined to find him. Checking into the local saloon, Rocky only finds a bible. The man he is looking for, Dan, is in the next room with his woman, Nancy. Rocky challenges Dan to a duel but looses and is shot. The song ends with Rocky dying in his room alone with his bible. The story this song tells is mainly about a cowboy's revenge and violent way of solving problems. Real cowboys, however, were not as aggressive and daring as the glamorous stereotypical life made them seem.

Blog 7

Half way there, out of food.

Weekly 1

       Throughout history, discrimination, unfair treatment and prejudice ideas have been common issues. Specifically, African Americans during the Reconstruction (1865–1877) and Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) encountered these hardships daily. Even as time progressed with small changes these people were still treated about the same.

       Under the Reconstruction program in the south, the 13th Amendment was passed to abolish slavery. Soon after this was passed, however, the Black Codes were developed. Varying from state to state, these codes continued legal discrimination between blacks and whites. The Black Codes intended to secure a steady supply of cheap labor and continued to assume the inferiority of the freed slaves. Prior to the Reconstruction, African Americans were slaved to work on their masters plantation. What was the white man to do now that slavery was "abolished?" Since African American slaves were technically free (according to the law), they could not be forced to perform such laborious tasks anymore... or could they? This is when the idea of sharecropping was invented. The basic principals of sharecropping are similar to slavery, though. Farmers were allowed to plant and harvest their landowners crops in exchange for small portions of the food and profit. They worked year-round planting, harvesting, repairing, selling and cleaning anything that the landowner demanded. But, the sharecropper had to pay the landowner with interest to use his tools to perform such projects. They also had to pay rent to live on the property and give at least 1/2 of their harvested crops and profits to their landowner. With so little money and food coming in, the farmers easily went into a endless circle of debt. This kept them on the plantation long enough to keep trying to make enough money, but it was hardly ever reached. So much for their first taste of freedom.

      The purpose of the US Civil Rights Movement was to outlaw racial discrimination against African Americans and to restore suffrage in the southern states. After the Reconstruction, several problems still existed. For example, the 15th Amendment granted all men the right to vote and said they could not be denied this privilege by race, color or previous servitude. The law clearly stated this right, but society refused to accept it. Running for political officials, a white man still had the advantage over a black candidate. This sense of inferiority outraged African Americans who were determined to be treated as equals. Two people were of significant importance during this time period. Rosa Parks was a representation of bravery by her act of refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger on the local bus. She believed she had the right to state her opinion and refuse to succumb to a "superior" person. This one act by one person started a chain reaction of over 17,000 black residents in the town of Montgomery. In 1955, Martin Luther King, Jr. as a civil rights activist, led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He worked to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience. This idea of non-violence made him very successful and eventually earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. People such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. greatly impacted the US Civil Rights Movement by setting themselves apart from society, and trying to make a difference.

       During the Reconstruction and the US Civil Rights Movement, even though changes were made and laws were enforced, African Americans didn't really experience much more freedom and were still treated about the same throughout society. 90 years will pass before even another attempt for change will occur in the 1960s and '70s.

http://www.alamo.edu/pac/faculty/pmyers/hist1302/1302Theme7.htm

Blog 6

       The time period immediately followed by the Civil War is known as the Reconstruction. Several changes were made during this time period to benefit slaves. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in states that were still in rebellion against the United States. This did not apply to states such as Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, Delaware and parts of Virginia and Lousiana which were still occupied by Union troops. Slavery wasn't completely abolished until nearly three years later in 1865. The 14th Amendment was made to guarantee the rights and security of free people. It also greatly expanded the protection of civil rights to Americans. The 15th Amendment gave all MEN the right to vote and stated that they could not be denied this by race, color or previous servitude. Besides those Amendments, Black Codes were also formed. Each southern state had different codes that intended to keep African Americans in a state similar to slavery. This outraged the North as well as free African Americans still living in the south. Even though three Amendments were made during the Reconstruction, free slaves didn't have the life promised by the law. Racial discrimination and prejudice still existed in society. All in all free slaves did not have it much better after the Civil War, but at least some progress was being made.

Blog 5

        After the Civil War, Lincoln had a Reconstruction plan containing several ideas and processes to "clean up." An idea he suggested was to grant amnesty to the south. Lincoln wanted peace and forgiveness now that the war was over. I think his idea of amnesty was very generous, unfortunately the south didn't agree. They took more offense to this because the whole reason they were fighting was to break away from the Union - not to become closer to them. I believe if the Union did not offer forgiveness to the Conferderate states then there would have been more conflict and chaos.

Blog 4

     In every war, soldiers have a purpose for fighting. Whether it be for land, natural resources, money or power, the importance of the issue determines well how the soldiers fight. I believe a moral idea like freedom can help win a war because the soldiers are more motivated. Sure, exemplary weapons and commanders would contribute to how well an army performs but even with the best resources, the army still wouldn't be at its best. Union soldiers were fighting to keep the states united and give the slaves an opportunity at freedom. Confederate soldiers were fighting to break away, not stay together. Somehow, I think this reason wasn't as effective as the one the Union soldies faught for. Even though Lt. Col. Chamberlain had lost many troops since the beginning of the war, he still found a way to motivate his men to keep fighting. I believe this aspect is a very beneficial quality to have.

Blog 3

                                          "That government is best which governs least"
                                                         - Henry David Thoreau

        This quote is implying that a government which has the least say or amount of power is better for the people. The author holds high standards for the citizens decisions rather than our government's. The idea produced from this quote is almost a governmentless society with excessive freedom to the people. I disagree with this statement because too much freedom can be dangerous and self destructing. We need guidelines in our life to keep us on track and balanced. Any society with too much power, either in the government or people, can cause corruption.

Blog 2

      The way we teach children about history is different than the way it actually happened. Even though kids aren't supposedly old enough to know what exactly happened, we tell them a simpler version of the story. If we take this much time to make up stories about our history for the sole purpose of them being able to learn it, shouldn't we just use that time to tell them the truth? It's harder to be re-taught something once you've learned it another way. Kids grow up thinking the Native Americans and Pilgrims gathered around a campfire and shared one, big, happy feast on the first night. Oh, how contraire to what really happened! If they knew that the Native Americans and Pilgrims did not get along, then we could elaborate on that topic when they're older. At least then they'd have the right idea of how things were. Kids don't necessarily have to know everything about what happened and how it did, but they could be a little closer to the truth than what they are being taught now.

Blog 1

         Countries should not leave out parts of their history, even if they portray a negative image. It's natural for countries to be patriotic and want to be considered "good", but this feature shouldn't be based on lies or better referred to as "accidentally" leaving pieces of vital information out. The United States, as well as any other country, doesn't want to admit that they were the cause of something unfavorable. Recall how long it took before the oil spill could start to be cleaned up. Companies refused to help because they didn't want to take the blame for the accident. Oil was left pouring into the ocean because other companies didn't even want to be associated with the problem. If people spent less time trying to blame one another, issues could be solved so much faster. During World War II, for instance, most Americans can easily state the we were bombed by the Japanese at Peal Harbor on December 7, 1941 - a date even I can remember. But could most students tell you what happened on August 6, 1945? I bet they couldn't, unless they were extremely literate on world history and had a knack for remembering dates. This is the day that we, American citizens, bombed the Japanese at Hiroshima. We attacked a major city full of civilians and killed thousands of innocent people. The Japanese attacked us at one of our major Naval Bases. Even though neither of these actions are acceptable, at least the Japanese didn't bomb our city with civilians. We purposely bombed their city to kill as many civilians as we could to try to end the war. This piece of history isn't completely left out, but it isn't taught as much as our side of the story was. Unfortunately, only the author or winning side gets to publish their story and be in the history books. It is important to confess to our problems because it helps us to learn from them. If we don't make known what we did wrong then how can it be preventable? By making our country not look as "good'' as it seems today, we could educate other countries about the mistakes we made and ways to prevent them from happening again. In the long-run, it should be a decision worth the temporary shame.