Hudson High alum continues his musical journey

Hudson High alum continues his musical journey

Final Reflection Essay Questions

Please answer each question in paragraph form. Be sure to write clear, detailed and specific responses.

1.       Which of our units of study have you found most helpful in defining American identity?

2.      Discuss the role you played in class.  Assess your participation throughout the year.

3.      How have your reading and writing skills developed over the course of the year?

4.      Which of the essential questions for this course was most compelling to you? Why?

Course essential questions:
• What does it mean to be an American?
• How can groups with different values and norms exist in the same space?
• How is history remembered by those who experience it?
• What is truth and who gets to tell it?

5.      Your final literature question:

This year, we read three novels: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, The Things They Carried, and The Great Gatsby. Though they are books that discuss very different themes, topics and ideas, there are also some potentially major overarching ideas, as well. Some people might argue that, in the end, these are all books about LOVE. (Yes, you heard that correctly.) Think beyond romantic love--think about things like brotherly love, love of self, love of country, etc.

For this assignment, you'll write a detailed analytical paragraph, using SPA format. Your question: Do you agree that these are all books about LOVE? If so, please explain and analyze. If you disagree, tell me what you think they're all about instead. (You must pick ONE idea that fits all three books, and analyze it.) Please don't write "I agree" or "I disagree" in your topic statement--just write a clear topic statement that shares the topic of your paragraph.

Katrina's Current Event

And Now, Only One Senior Al Qaeda Leader Left:

• Abu Yahya Al-Libi was killed, and Ayman Al-Zawahiri is still left
• Al-Libi was the #2 leader and was killed by a CIA drone strike in the Pakistan tribal region
• AQAP is the force that is still left and remains a threat. They are located in the Arabian Penninsula and  have attempted to attack the U.S. They are responsible for the Christmas day underwear bombing in 2009 and putting bombs in ink cartriges on  cargo planes in October 2010. Last month one of our spies found out that they improved their bombs from 2009 and plan to bring down one of our commercial jets.

Historical Significance- Al Qaeda is responsible for the 9/11 attack and their mission is to attack America or it's allies. Their most recent attack was on July 7, 2005 in London.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/05/opinion/bergen-al-qaeda-whos-left/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Question: At this point in time, how much of a threat is Al Qaeda to the U.S.? Should we be worried? When do you think would be an appropriate time to withdraw our troops?

Zack Current Event

In a recent interview, former Governor of Massachusetts and Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney was asked about President Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy and did not hesitate to say that on a graded scale, Romney would give him quote on quote “An 'F', there's no question about that". When asked for his harsh reasoning Romney said "When I look at foreign policy, when I look across the board in foreign policy, I look at the fact that he was looking to have a force of American troops staying in Iraq securing what was so hard to have been won there with a status of forces agreement. He failed to achieve it.” In response to Romney’s comments, a member of Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, Tim Roemer responded by saying that the Governor was “misguided”.  "Since taking office, President Obama has responsibly ended the war in Iraq; decimated al-Qaeda's leadership, including Osama bin Laden; is winding down the war in Afghanistan; reduced the threat of nuclear weapons; strengthened our alliances; increased our exports overseas, creating jobs here at home; and led the world in putting crippling sanctions on Iran…Gov. Romney is out of the mainstream even of his own party on foreign policy, and many prominent Republican experts have recognized President Obama's accomplishments on these issues."
Link: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/31/romney-grades-obama-f-no-question-about-that/

So the question that remains is whether or not President Obama should receive an “F” for his foreign policy plan? What grade would you give him?

Troy Sullivan Drone Strikes As you all know on September 11, 2001 terrorists from the organization Al Qaeda hijacked four planes and flew two into the twin towers. But what I did not know is that less than a week after this President Bush authorized unmanned aerial strikes to kill Osama Bin Laden. These are more commonly called Drone Attacks, which are vehicles that have no pilot but are controlled by people behind computers where they can not get hurt. Obama has used these in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen. Since President Obama took office, he has increased the amount of attacks since George Bush, launching 275 attacks in Pakistan alone. Robert Grenier who was the head of the CIA’s counter terrorism center said that these attacks have been dangerous to civilians because of the broad target the U.S. has. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has estimated that up to 830 civilians have been killed in Pakistan, 138 in Yemen, and 57 in Somalia. Totaling to 1025 deaths, in attempt to kill off Al Qaeda, this is over a third of the people that died in 9/11. Over this past weekend U.S. drone attacks targeted a funeral gathering in Pakistan for a militant that had died over a past attack. It is not sure but they say they might have hit a mosk, a place of worship for Muslims. On the other hand people think that it is an effective way to eliminate this organization. Over the past week Al Qaeda’s number two Abu Yahya al-Libi was said killed in a drone attack. It hasn’t been confirmed besides the fact that 18 militants died in the attack and one of them might have been him. An insider in a close-by village said that people are moving out of areas that are commonly targeted therefore abandoning their lives they have had before. Attacks like this are causing a lot of anger in these countries and might not be worth killing of Al Qaeda if so many civilians’ lives are at stake. My question to you is 1. Do you believe that the drone strikes are a good weapon and should continue to be used? 2. Will this affect President Obama's re-election if he decides to continue these attacks?

Obama pledges support for veterans, families

• President Barack Obama used a Memorial Day Ceremony to say it is time for Americans to properly welcome home Vietnam Veterans and show them and their families the respect and gratitude they deserved but didn’t receive decades ago 

• Obama said “It was national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened. That’s why here today; we resolve that it will not happen again.”

• This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the United States deploying a significant military presence in Vietnam.

• In 1962, about 10,000 U.S. military advisers joined the 900 already in the country

• A proclamation signed on friday by Obama said the Vietnam 50^th anniversary commemoration will continue until November 11, 2025 “To honor and give thanks to a generation of proud Americans who saw our country through one of the most challenging missions we have ever faces.” Said Obama.

• The first phase of the commemoration will take place over the next two years, involves generating support and participation, with a focus on “hometown” events providing recognitions and thanks to Vietnam veterans.

• “A central part of this 50^th anniversary is to tell your story as it should have been told all along” the president said, he called it “another chance to set the record straight.”

• Obama asked Vietnam veterans in the crowd to stand and he said words that were long over do: “Welcome home, Welcome home, Welcome home. Thank you. We appreciate you. Welcome home.”

• Obama said the lesson of Vietnam was to separate the war from the warrior, so that patriotism never again becomes what he called a “political sword” that divides nations.

 Why do you think it took this long for people to give the respect that the Vietnam veterans deserved? Do you think that was right for people not to care like they should have when they got home from war?

al Qaeda vs. the United States

Katie Stacey

Current Event #2 Outline

NATO kills al-Qaeda leader

May 31, 2012

Nearly a year after the United States killed al-qaida’s leader; Osama bin-Laden in retaliation against the September 11, 2001 attack, the U.S. strikes again killing another two of the terrorist groups members. On May 27^th, 2012, an airstrike in eastern Kunar, Afganistan carried out by the U.S. led NATO in killing al-Qaeda’s second highest leader in the country; Sakhr al-Taifi and another al-Qaeda militant.

Al Qaeda and the U.S:

The U.S. has had several successful attacks against al qaeda’s leaders in the past…

- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, but his safe house was hit by U.S. missiles in a targeted killing. His successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, was also later killed by US and Iraqi forces on April 18, 2010.

However after years of damage done to al Qaeda they made a plan and killed many Americans in the September 11 attack.

September 11, 2001:

-19 terrorists from the al-Qaeda group hijacked four passenger jets targeted for New York City and Washington D.C.

-One plane crashed into the World Trade Center complex in New York city, another crashed into the pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and another plane initially intended to hit a target in Washington D>C> landed in Pennsylvania due to passengers attempting to take over the plane.

-In total 227 civilians and 19 hijackers died.

-Osama Bin Laden took responsibility for the attacks stating that his motives were because of the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and sanctions against Iraq.

The U.S. planned an attack specifically targeting Osama bin-Laden that took place on May 2, 2011.

Osama bin-Laden:

-killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011 by NAVY seals

-mission called Operation Neptune Spear: ordered by Barack Obama

-The Navy, the united states naval special warfare development group (SEAL Team Six), Airborne and the CIA all contributed to the raid in bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan

The U.S. NATO used letters found at the death of bin Laden to determine where leaders would flee after September 11.One of the letters stated that all militants should leave Pakistan’s North and South Waziristan tribal areas because many leaders had already been killed there. This specific letter also led them to the Kunar’s Watahpur district as bin laden said it was better because “it’s rougher terrain”. This then led them to Sakhr al-Taifi.

 Sakhr al-Taifi:

-Traveled between Afghanistan and Pakistan carrying out commands from senior al-qaida leadership

-responsible for commanding foreign insurgents and directing attacks against coalition and afghan forces

-supplied weapons and equipment to insurgents in the east and managed transport of insurgent fighters into Afghanistan

During other attacks civilians had been harmed in Pakistan aggravating protesters. However, Pentagon Press Secretary, George Little told reporters that no civilians were killed in the attack against Sakhr al-Taifi.

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_death-of-sakhr-al-taifi-major-blow-to-al-qaeda-pentagon_1695616

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?pagewanted=all

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-05-29/asia/world_asia_afghanistan-al-qaeda-deaths_1_al-qaeda-leader-senior-al-coalition-and-afghan-forces?_s=PM:ASIA

Do you think that the American government is taking the right approach against al Qaeda? If not, how could the approach be improved? Do you have suspicion that the United States could be in danger of al Qaeda fighting back like they did on September 11?