Term 2 Lesson 2: War - A personal Response

"RATATATATATATTAAA!!!!" The disturbing sound of rifles rattling away was ringing in my ears... bullets ricocheted off the panel of scrap metal we used as a cover and smoke was wafting out of the bullet holes. Jake, Larry and I used up our last magazine of bullets before we took cover again. As we were reloading our rifles, Larry let out a groan of pain and Jake and I immediately knew he had been hit. "Ugh..." Larry moaned in excruciating pain as dark, thick blood slowly flowed out of his mouth through a small opening at the side. Jake turned to Larry to examine his wound as I kept a lookout for any approaching hostile forces. "You're gonna be fine Larry, just hold tight and bear with it..." Jake said to him with teardrops appearing at the corner of his eyes. "You're gonna make it through bro, just hang on there!" Jake forced Larry to stay awake by making him clench on tight to his rifle. Despite all these, we all knew the truth. The chances of Larry surviving was slim, and we knew that he could next remain alive for the next five minutes. Another life was going to be lost, another man was going down, another brave warrior was going to be defeated, another comrade would be gone... forever...
When Jake was sure that Larry was holding on to his rifle as tight as he can, he and I rose above our cover to face our worst fears bravely. Sweat was pouring down my forehead as I focused and aimed down my sight. I took down a man or two before the return fire grew too heavy for us to take. We crouched down to catch a breath and reload our rifles, before rising up yet again. As Jake bravely fired away at his hated enemy, I caught sight of Larry's blood-bathed hand slipping away from his rifle and fell onto the dirty, brown soil with a muffled thud. He took his last breath, glanced at me, before shutting his eyes permanently. His head tilted sideways and he collapsed onto the soil, face first. We were right. Larry did not make it through. He never was going to. I swallowed hard and fought back my tears. Jake took a quick glance at Larry and was saddened too. Filled with sadness and anger, I wanted revenge. Holding up my rifle, I aimed and fired...
As my vision was blurred by tears, I started to drift into a semi-conscious state and thought about war. How is fighting this war going to benefit anyone? I just lost a comrade, and here I am, killing others'? Every few seconds a soldier goes down in cold blood. Every few seconds a family loses a member just to save another. How would fighting this war help? Fighting a war to end another? I find it ironic. The only true way to end this war is for us to put down our rifles and let our so called "enemies" know that we want them to do the same. This is the only way we can make peace. But this is the only way that is impossible to achieve. "As long as there is men, there is bound to be war" someone once said. I find this very true.
"Gaz wake up!!!!! What the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be fighting a war my friend! Stay more alert you hear me!!!??!" Jake's thundering voice seemed to be louder than the war itself. I held up my rifle and took aim. As I was going to pull the trigger, I felt a huge sense of guilt in me. Should I or should I not? In war, people get killed ruthlessly like it was perfectly normal. I find that very disturbing. But still, what can we do? If we don't kill them, we would be the ones ending up dead! And so, even as bullets whizzed past me and grenades blew up part of our cover, Jake and I fought back the hostile resistance with hope that this war would end soon...

LA Blog Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment) Sat 16 April 2011

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

I do not believe that nuclear energy still has a part to play in the world. After the recent infamous earthquake in Japan, many people are faced with these questions: Is nuclear energy still safe? Is nuclear energy still useful? Is it still usable and safe at the same time? The earthquake in Japan caused enough damage, but the nuclear disaster which followed up was very much unexpected and caused tremendous amounts of long-lasting damage to Japan. At least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions and residents within the area of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated. A total eleven reactors were automatically shut down following the earthquake. This was how serious the damage caused by nuclear reactor and power plants could be. This nuclear disaster caused by the earthquake in Japan has mirrored the similar nuclear accident in Chernobyl 1986. Japan's nuclear disaster had cast many worries and much grief over the affected victims, such as their future children's health under the effects of radiation, the contamination of their food sources and the number of people who lost their homes or even their relatives. The radiation from the any nuclear disaster is very devastating, causing much more long-term damage than short-term. People affected by the radiation may not see the effects after the nuclear disaster, but after a few years, they may suffer severe health deterioration, internal damage and side effects to their organs, and may even be disfigured for life.

As you can see, the possible damage done by a nuclear disaster is very devastating, and I feel that nuclear energy does not deserve a part to play in the world. Would we rather use this energy, just because it is the cleanest way to produce energy, produces little waste and is reliable, and risk nuclear disasters like that of Japan's and Chernobyl's where millions of people would lose their lives, or banish this form of energy and never have to worry about any more nuclear disasters in the future?

I feel that we should do away with nuclear energy, as even though it has many pros, such as the above mentioned, it has this risk of a nuclear disaster occurring, which is definitely not worth the lives lost in the nuclear disaster.

Term 2 Online Lesson 1: Crisis in Japan

549-1 Tsunekuniyashta Hamamatsu Shi,
HirakiKento, Japan 1234567

4th April 2011

Dear Shunsute Nagamura,

I believe you have already received news about the terrifying earthquake that devastated my country and caused the tsunami, which followed with equal damage. The catastrophic destruction the earthquake brought left my hometown, Fukushima, and some other parts of Japan in pieces, downing and drowning buildings with no mercy. My home was destroyed in the process, along with much of my valuable and important possessions and belongings, just like everybody else in Fukushima. The earthquake was the worst one Japan has had in a century, with a magnitude of 9.0. Many locals who were overseas during the earthquake did not think it was such a big deal until they watched the news and saw how bad it actually was. My prime minister, Naoto Kan, describes the country’s current situation as “the most severe crisis since World War II". One of my favorite local footballer, Hidetoshi Nakata, had the same reaction. He said on television during a news interview, “I did not think the earthquake would be much of a problem for Japan. To us, earthquake is like an everyday thing. I thought it was just like any other earthquake. But when I switched on my television and watched the news, I knew instantly that it was different. I was shocked by what I saw. It was different, very different. I couldn’t believe my eyes.” He is currently in Singapore too, organizing a “Take Action” Foundation that would stage a charity match against a Singapore League select side on 2nd April. He is grateful for Singapore’s quick responses to the earthquake in Japan, along with all the other countries around the world too. He wants to tell the survivors of the disaster that they are not alone and will never be. He also emphasizes that the survivors would need long-term support from us, not just for the time being. While we are still mourning the 10,000 people and hope that the death toll does not rise anymore, we must also pray and hope for those who are still alive. We would fight to survive this cruel act of nature. This is not just about the medical care that me and all the other survivors need. We need your never-dying psychological support to the other survivors who have lost their family members more than anything else. Let us all pray for Japan, whether survivor or supporter.

Yours truly,
Hiranchi Nagakonda