Why does the world have borders?
Is it like the lions in their grassy savanah, where territory is regularly marked and a breach of those lines by another of the same species is a direct challenge?
Is it linked to the reasons we lock our doors at night, a need to reassure ourselves that all we have worked to own, worked to build, worked to be is safe from prying hands?
Or maybe it's the resounding effects of the feudal system, where the common populace fled to their lord's keep in case of attack. Maybe the separation from fief to fief became so much more; maybe someone drew the distinction between each fief on a map and they got changed into borders.
Is it a result of man's want of control? Maybe one person wanted to run his little world a certian way, and a different person disagreed. If the first man just went off into his own country and did as he pleased, the other person should leave him alone, right?
Even in my own life, I get angered if people encroach upon my room- think of it as my country, as my little brother and sister pretend it is when we play Legos. If the ruler of LegoLand (Steven, lol, we actually DO call it that...) breaches my border (my room) without my explicit permission, I usually drag him out or scare him away (I can be very scary, you know...). It's MY place, my private space to be alone, to think, to dream.
Seems that borders are the best way for an untrusting society to find some semblance of comfort, a sense of a (maybe?) false security. Or maybe just to find some peace and quiet from the rest of the world.
I leave the judgement up to you- as far as I can see, borders work pretty darn well at the moment...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
This... feeling...
I have this... feeling... that I was supposed to post something here for Kay...
OH YEEEEAAAAH- I remember now! *I was smart and e-mailed it to myself*
ON WEDNESDAY...
I was one of the few people to do my homework over the three-day weekend. Because I did it, I got to continue on with the (I think 8) other people who did it, too. We had to create and research a negative argument for our affirmative case. In class, Eden (my partner) and we basically did the entire thing except for evidence of the crazy long lines trying to get into the USA. Our paper...
~~~~~
1) Make the lines at the border even longer
Evidence:
2) Increase the number of people who attempt to cross illegally, therefore increases the number of people who end up dying in harsh conditions
Evidence: “More illegal immigrants die trying to reach US as extra patrols". Independent on Sunday, The. Sep 23, 2007. FindArticles.com. 14 Nov. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20070923/ai_n20521592
“The border: hundreds of immigrants die each year trying to make it into the United States from Mexico - Special Report". Current Events. Oct 24, 1997. FindArticles.com. 14 Nov. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_n7_v97/ai_20035245
Luis Alberto Urrea, Across the Wire, “Prologue,” 1993
The horrors of crossing the border end in death for all but the lucky few. In the preface to Across the Wire, Urrea tells us the terrifyingly truthful tale of people who try to cross the border. People die every day out there, be it “accidents” or gang violence or the environment.
3) Insignificant- let Mexico deal with their own problems; we’ve got enough on our plate already
Evidence: < http://www.urban.org/publications/900565.html> article was written by Rudolph G. Penner, BCA's Washington Editor, and Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, Washington D.C.
This article was published in the Bank Credit Analyst, November 2002, BCA Publications Ltd., Montreal, PQ, Canada.
With the future so uncertain, it is unsound to initiate negotiations with other countries. Let us fix the issues within our own country before we end up biting off more than you can chew.
4) The affirmative team shows a lack of evidence
Evidence: (hahaha… yeeeaaah… uhm… this is a subliminal message to FINISH THE PAAAAAPEEEEER, BRYANNA...)
5) Workability: how can we actually carry this plan out?
Evidence: How exactly will this system work? If people can get away with illegal immigration, how is this system going to catch tax-evaders?
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0070-3370%28197908%2916%3A3%3C417%3AWITANF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage> Illegal Immigration Proof: by David M. Heer{Demography, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Aug., 1979), pp. 417-423} (from Population Research Laboratory, University of Southern California) His abstract tells us how lots of people cross illegally.
~~~~~
Aargh. Still gotta find something for #1. Might do it in the morning, I feel like a I deserve a good shower after a double dose of flag football today...
I hate trying to research concepts and not straight information on the web all the while not being allowed to use Wikipedia, Kay. This whole project has been an "Aargh" for me, resulting in slamming my head on the table, procrastinating, or having my friend magically find the webpage I need while I take a bathroom break...
Grar.
But I won't give up, 'cuz (and this is my adaptation of something I heard once)...
There was once a king who had been torn up inside terribly by lies, by deciet. Unable to see an end to his torment, he called to his most trusted wiseman, the one who had raised him, the one who had stood by him through the kingdom's upheaval, the one who had been there the day the king had cast his own brother into exile for high treason. Raising his tearstained visage to the sage, the king commanded him, "Tell me something that will forever ring true."
The old man pondered the concept for a while, and asked for some time to think, which he was granted.
The wiseman, desperate to see his lord smile again, called forth a great council of every philosopher, every scholar, every historian in the kingdom to answer the desperate query. Chaos ensued the minute the meeting began, and the wiseman, having developed a headache, stepped outside for a moment's quiet.
He slumped against a wall, frustrated with his lack of solution. An ancient woman shuffled by, and, noticing his distress, asked what was amiss. "What's wrong, m'dearie?" The wiseman told the old maid his woes, and she chuckled, patting him on the arm. "Have no fear..."
"...In time, this too will pass," the proud wiseman declared to his king.
He was rewarded with the first smile the king had adorned in a great, long while. "Too true, too true..."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH I'm gonna present this tomorrow...
OH YEEEEAAAAH- I remember now! *I was smart and e-mailed it to myself*
ON WEDNESDAY...
I was one of the few people to do my homework over the three-day weekend. Because I did it, I got to continue on with the (I think 8) other people who did it, too. We had to create and research a negative argument for our affirmative case. In class, Eden (my partner) and we basically did the entire thing except for evidence of the crazy long lines trying to get into the USA. Our paper...
~~~~~
1) Make the lines at the border even longer
Evidence:
2) Increase the number of people who attempt to cross illegally, therefore increases the number of people who end up dying in harsh conditions
Evidence: “More illegal immigrants die trying to reach US as extra patrols". Independent on Sunday, The. Sep 23, 2007. FindArticles.com. 14 Nov. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20070923/ai_n20521592
“The border: hundreds of immigrants die each year trying to make it into the United States from Mexico - Special Report". Current Events. Oct 24, 1997. FindArticles.com. 14 Nov. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_n7_v97/ai_20035245
Luis Alberto Urrea, Across the Wire, “Prologue,” 1993
The horrors of crossing the border end in death for all but the lucky few. In the preface to Across the Wire, Urrea tells us the terrifyingly truthful tale of people who try to cross the border. People die every day out there, be it “accidents” or gang violence or the environment.
3) Insignificant- let Mexico deal with their own problems; we’ve got enough on our plate already
Evidence: < http://www.urban.org/publications/900565.html> article was written by Rudolph G. Penner, BCA's Washington Editor, and Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, Washington D.C.
This article was published in the Bank Credit Analyst, November 2002, BCA Publications Ltd., Montreal, PQ, Canada.
With the future so uncertain, it is unsound to initiate negotiations with other countries. Let us fix the issues within our own country before we end up biting off more than you can chew.
4) The affirmative team shows a lack of evidence
Evidence: (hahaha… yeeeaaah… uhm… this is a subliminal message to FINISH THE PAAAAAPEEEEER, BRYANNA...)
5) Workability: how can we actually carry this plan out?
Evidence: How exactly will this system work? If people can get away with illegal immigration, how is this system going to catch tax-evaders?
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0070-3370%28197908%2916%3A3%3C417%3AWITANF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage> Illegal Immigration Proof: by David M. Heer{Demography, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Aug., 1979), pp. 417-423} (from Population Research Laboratory, University of Southern California) His abstract tells us how lots of people cross illegally.
~~~~~
Aargh. Still gotta find something for #1. Might do it in the morning, I feel like a I deserve a good shower after a double dose of flag football today...
I hate trying to research concepts and not straight information on the web all the while not being allowed to use Wikipedia, Kay. This whole project has been an "Aargh" for me, resulting in slamming my head on the table, procrastinating, or having my friend magically find the webpage I need while I take a bathroom break...
Grar.
But I won't give up, 'cuz (and this is my adaptation of something I heard once)...
There was once a king who had been torn up inside terribly by lies, by deciet. Unable to see an end to his torment, he called to his most trusted wiseman, the one who had raised him, the one who had stood by him through the kingdom's upheaval, the one who had been there the day the king had cast his own brother into exile for high treason. Raising his tearstained visage to the sage, the king commanded him, "Tell me something that will forever ring true."
The old man pondered the concept for a while, and asked for some time to think, which he was granted.
The wiseman, desperate to see his lord smile again, called forth a great council of every philosopher, every scholar, every historian in the kingdom to answer the desperate query. Chaos ensued the minute the meeting began, and the wiseman, having developed a headache, stepped outside for a moment's quiet.
He slumped against a wall, frustrated with his lack of solution. An ancient woman shuffled by, and, noticing his distress, asked what was amiss. "What's wrong, m'dearie?" The wiseman told the old maid his woes, and she chuckled, patting him on the arm. "Have no fear..."
"...In time, this too will pass," the proud wiseman declared to his king.
He was rewarded with the first smile the king had adorned in a great, long while. "Too true, too true..."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH I'm gonna present this tomorrow...
Monday, November 5, 2007
CRAP!!! *so totally remembered... ehehe...*
ACK! I TOTALLY SPACED ON THIS UNTIL LIKE... RIGHT NOW!
-calms down-
Sorry, Kay. Anyway...
New question: How do Mexico and the United States negatively affect each other? In my head, a whole host of negative effects spring from the fact that TJ is sort of a slum. Lots of poor people congregate on the border, trying to sneak in to America. A lot of crime is caused by it- remember the reading we had last week? It describes TJ as this terrible place- full of disease, of violence, of theft.
But I think that TJ is a slum just because it is next to the border (meaning the US hurts Mexico, too). The sorts of people who would be doing the things that make TJ bad just want in to the US- if we bordered, say, Africa, I believe some of the same things would be happening. It is caused by people wanting the good things we have here.
Lots of the crossers come over to use some of our amenities, such as the education, or the health care system. As in Breaking Through, some come over to actually get jobs. This can cause issues- the systems are paid for and ready to accomidate the tax payers, but if one doesn't live in the US and one takes advantage of these systems... problems arise.
-calms down-
Sorry, Kay. Anyway...
New question: How do Mexico and the United States negatively affect each other? In my head, a whole host of negative effects spring from the fact that TJ is sort of a slum. Lots of poor people congregate on the border, trying to sneak in to America. A lot of crime is caused by it- remember the reading we had last week? It describes TJ as this terrible place- full of disease, of violence, of theft.
But I think that TJ is a slum just because it is next to the border (meaning the US hurts Mexico, too). The sorts of people who would be doing the things that make TJ bad just want in to the US- if we bordered, say, Africa, I believe some of the same things would be happening. It is caused by people wanting the good things we have here.
Lots of the crossers come over to use some of our amenities, such as the education, or the health care system. As in Breaking Through, some come over to actually get jobs. This can cause issues- the systems are paid for and ready to accomidate the tax payers, but if one doesn't live in the US and one takes advantage of these systems... problems arise.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
A Change in Policy
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_lang.html
SO!
In Humanities, we are going to be debating on a policy that the USA currently has with Mexico that should be changed or a new policy that should be introduced.
I am of the persuasion that English should become the official language of the United States. Our homework was to post a link to a site that we can use to research further, and to be prepared to give a 1-2 minute speech about what the policy is currently.
I chose this site because it gives an objective viewpoint overall while presenting the different views on the subject. The site also links out to other sites that help explain the issue.
SO!
In Humanities, we are going to be debating on a policy that the USA currently has with Mexico that should be changed or a new policy that should be introduced.
I am of the persuasion that English should become the official language of the United States. Our homework was to post a link to a site that we can use to research further, and to be prepared to give a 1-2 minute speech about what the policy is currently.
I chose this site because it gives an objective viewpoint overall while presenting the different views on the subject. The site also links out to other sites that help explain the issue.
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