A Photographic Look At Poverty

This picture is of 12 year old Ano and her sister, 2 year old Honrine. They're just two out of many who live in such terrible conditions due to the attacks of the LRA. This makes me sad, because Ano is a child, she should be smiling, laughing and having fun. But instead, that pleasure has taken away from her, and she has to grow up, very fast. 

A Red Cross worker covers the the body of Dieudonne Kulimbo who was shot and killed in the bush near Dungu in northeastern Congo, February 17, 2009. 

This photo makes me angry, because this person's life was ripped away from them, and it makes me sad to think about the family and maybe even young children they left behind. Why? This seems so wrong.

Fourteen-month-old Yabila Kubemboli, who is malnourished after his mother fled attacks on her village by Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, awaits treatment at the hospital in the village of Dungu in northeastern Congo, February 20, 2009

This is heart wrenching. His mother was forced to leave him, or she didn't care enough to take him with her. It's terrible that this happened, but it also fills me with hope, because the caption says that he's awaiting treatment, which means that there is help out there, and for him, it's right around the corner. 

All tree photos were from here:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/portraits_from_the_congo.html

30 Days - Living on Minimum Wage

In GT, we watched a documentary from the 30 Days series where they explored living on minimum wage in the US. I was actually really surprised at how many people live like that today, and how hard it truly is to meet living expenses when all you earn is minimum wage. I feel like it was accurate in some parts, but not quite so accurate in others. There were actual people in it that have lived that way for such a long time, but at the same time, Morgan and Alex (the couple who decided to try this out) were starting out without debt, no children, and only did it for 30 days. A lot of people who live this lifestyle start with debt, and they just keep slipping further into the depths of it. They also found jobs right away, which most people don't. Overall, I learned a lot from watching this though. It got me to understand how common poverty is, even in our own towns and counties. It makes me sad to know that their are good, honest, people out there, living such harsh lives, while many not so honest and good people are out there, taking a metaphorical stroll down easy street, not having to lift a finger. It's not fair, and it seems so wrong to me. But maybe that's a good thing, maybe we need more people to feel this way, and maybe this feeling will give us the drive to right what's wrong and help those who are struggling.

Waste Land Documentary

In GT Seminar I, we watched a documentary titled Waste Land. It's an excellent film, although I did not get to watch all of it. From the small section that I was able to see, my opinion stayed the same throughout. The artist, Vik changed the lives of the people of Jardim Gramacho by giving them hope. After his project, many of them changed their lives for the better. Obviously, he gave them money, which was all the proceeds from their portraits. Personally, I think that the former example is the most significant. This film definitely made me think about how much garbage I produce, where it goes, and who has to deal with it. I'd like to be able to say that this will make me change how much garbage I produce, but I'm honestly not sure that I would go about and change. I hate saying that, but its true. However, I might be more prone to purchasing more recycled or recyclable products. In the way that Vik showed this part of society, we could also show things like what many deem as "ghettos", or society's attachment to technology. In the latter, he could specifically make it out of old electronics, etc. Overall, it was an interesting and greatly inspiring film.

Passion Project URL

The blog listed in my previous post is here:
http://ashley-the-dreamer.blogspot.com/

PASSION PROJECT

My Google passion project is on my other blog, A Dreamer's Thoughts. That used to be the name of THIS blog, but no longer. This is from now on Ashley's Ideas. Visit the other blog to see my project if you everso desire.

My Passion Project: A Dreamer's Thoughts

Hello, all. Today, I embark on a journey, and welcome you to come with me. The topic I have chosen: dreams. Regular dreams, day dreams, and even nightmares. I plan to keep a dream journal, and as soon as possible each morning I will record what I remember from the night before. When possible, I would like to do some research and try to interpret them. I'll be keeping track on my blog especially for this project, title A Dreamer's Thoughts, so all my progress is in one place. Time to learn about my subconscious. :)

Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo was famous a woman, though she was never conscious to know it. On February 25th, 1990, she collapsed. Her heart stopped, and she slipped into a coma. She is to remain in this vegetative state for 15 years, during which the continuation of her life was debated around the country.
Throughout the 15 year period, her parents fought with her husband for guardianship, and the nation took sides. in July 1993, the parents filed a petition for Micheal Schiavo (her husband) to lose guardianship. Because she was in a vegetative state, she received nutrients through a feeding tube. Micheal tried to get it removed several times, and Judge George Greer stood by him. Terri's family never wanted this, and before she could die, they would win the case to reinsert her feeding tube. in October 2002, a hearing was held in which 3 doctors stated that she was in a "persistent vegetative state" "with no hope of recovery".  Two other doctors said that she still had a chance. After many more family disputes, her feeding tube was removed on March 18, 2005. She died on March 31.

I believe that Mr. Schiavo was right to have her feeding tube removed. She had said that she didn't want to be left like this if she were ever in this situation. Also, she had been in this state for 15 years, and most of her brain had, for lack of a better word, decomposed. A brain stimulator that was inserted into her brain did nothing, therapy was unhelpful etc. She was not showing any signs of recovery, and on a religious stand point, I believe that with that much brain loss, there's no "soul/spirit" left in her. Genetically, shes a human being, but mentally and spiritually, shes just a vegetable. It's sad, but it happened, and it's the truth.