A Christmas Sermon for Peace

     "It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated.  We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.  Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.  We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.  Did you ever stop to think that you can't leave for your job in the morning without being dependent on most of the world?  You get up in the morning and go to the bathroom and reach over for the sponge, and that's handed to you by a Pacific islander.  You reach for a bar of soap, and that's given to you at the hands of a Frenchman.  And then you go into the kitchen to drink your coffee for the morning, and that's poured into your cup by a South American.  And maybe you want tea: that's poured into your cup by a Chinese.  Or maybe you're desirous of having cocoa for breakfast, and that's poured into your cup by a West African.  And then you reach over for your toast, and that's given to you at the hands of an English-speaking farmer, not to mention the baker.  And before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you've depended on more than half of the world.  This is the way our universe is structured, this is its interrelated quality.  We aren't going to have peace on earth until we recognize this basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality.
     Now let me say, secondly, that if we are to have peace in the world, men and nations must embrace the nonviolent affirmation that ends and means must cohere.  One of the great philosophical debates of history has been over the whole question of means and ends.  And there have always been those who argued that the end justifies the means, that the means really aren't important.  The important thing is to get to the end, you see.
     So, if you're seeking to develop a just society, they say, the important thing is to get there, and the means are really unimportant; any means will do so long as they get you there - they may be violent, they may be untruthful means; they may even be unjust means to a just end.  There have been those who have argued this throughout history.  But we will never have peace in the world until men everywhere recognize that ends are not cut off from means, because the means represent the ideal in the making, and the end in process, and ultimately you can't reach good ends through evil means, because the means represent the seed and the end represents the tree."

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
December 24th, 1967

happy human rights day 2009!

...:::upside down; find the things they say just can't be found:::...

Having an iPod with a short battery life on a six-hour drive  gave me a good amount of thinking time.  And while gazing out into vast expanses of really fascinating farmland, I realized something absolutely...ludicrous? insane? paradoxical?  So brace yourself, and try to read this with an open mind:

I realized that, looking back, I've found peace with--and even embraced--the challenges and struggles that have come my way, particularly the ones I faced in the past couple of years.  <--- I told you...insanity, right?!

So this is my idealistic effort to compel you to put a new, positive spin on your life, if you haven't already.

It's no secret that life's adversities and crises are not accepted too feasibly.  Yet, at one point or another, everyone is dealt some difficulty; if you haven't yet, you will.  Fact of life.  This universal entity of despair will creep up on us when least expected (or least deserved), and slowly try to extinguish hope from our everyday lives.  Most of us view said challenges as the "end-all, be-all", and rightfully so.  However, society isn't telling us to mope (well, not exactly).  Neither is some standard code or doctrine.  We, ourselves, dictate our reactions to adversity.  There is a time to lament, understandably, but then follows a time to just move on (cue the cliche: "life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you react").

For lack of a broader example, I'll narrow in on myself.  Because of what turns my life took, I morphed into an entirely new person (...in a good way, I hope?).  I developed direction in my life, newfound optimism, and an improved compassion for every single person, no exceptions.  I backslapped those devilish obstacles by turning them into opportunities for gradual improvement.  Ka-pow.  Definitely try it sometime.

I believe this opportunistic outlook, along with some genuine peace and love, is a great concept ever so slowly captivating humanity.  Filtering the "good" from a mass of "bad" in itself is definitely a challenge, especially considering the patches of grey that taint our world, but it is nothing we can't rise above.   It's what a promising future depends on.



just puttin' it out there...

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


-Voltaire

  
     I was recently thinking about a conversation my dad and I had (more like a mildly tense debate) in the car a long time ago about Chris McCandless.  And if there is anything I wholeheartedly believe in, it is Chris' philosophy and the purpose behind his self-sacrificing hegira.  My dad's opinion, in tune with the majority of people's, was that Chris was a distraught outcast who embarked on a journey of cowardice to escape the blights of mainstream society.  So maybe his odyssey was an escape, of sorts.  But, honestly...who can blame Chris?  Here is a man relinquishing himself to the perils of nature, simply in quest of inner contemplation.  He sought a means towards obtaining clarity amidst a world that, as he thought, amounted to empty materialism (inject your own opinions about that here...).  Behind the mask we all wear that conforms us to the mainstream, isn't that what our subconscious impels us to seek - simplicity and freedom from conformity?  These renowned figures professed the same ideal:

*Ghandi ("Live simply that others may live.")
*Thoreau ("Our life is frittered away by detail...simplify, simplify.")
*Lennon ("I'm not going to change the way I look or feel to conform to anything.  I've always been a freak and I have to live with that, you know, I'm one of those people.")
*Amiel ("Materialism coarsens and petrifies everything, making everything vulgar, and every truth false.")  <-- Ok, so he's an unknown, but this was a really good quote for my case.

     Simplicity is an essential ideal our society needs to grasp.  I think it's safe to say that our world does mostly revolve around an axis of consumerism, while the minority suffer in mild to extreme forms of poverty.  So I understand Chris' message.  He dreamed of an ideal world, one in which man was man, stripped of titles, honors, and materials, possessing only his intrinsic and genuine self.  You have to admit, he's right.  After all, this message is a variation of exactly what visionaries, Platonists, and transcendentalists alike have been trying to orate throughout the ages.

     Although I fully support Chris McCandless' view on mainstream society for the most part, I think where he does lose kudos is in his faith in mankind.  For all of you who think Chris was a psycho, I will give you this: the way he chose to deal with society was to not only rise above it, but condemn it.  Chris was a true Thoreauvian seeking to right the wrongs of the world, but he failed to recognize the inherent good within mankind.  Sure, people get caught up in fashion, things, and "Corporate America"; and although it may seem like those sorts of things dominate that person's life, they don't dictate that person's true character.  All people truly are good underneath it all - we just live in a world where conformity equates to survival of the fittest.

[Symbiosis: close and long-term interaction between two biological species; relationship in which both species benefit from the other]
     One of the most intriguing of all symbiotic alliances is that of the clownfish and the sea anemone.    Clownfish are very poor swimmers by nature, and therefore are an easy target for any predator.  Sea anemones, though the clownfish's protector, are generally dormant/neutral creatures. Their tentacles do, however, have nematocysts, which sting  when provoked (this is very rare),  but the anemone is incapable of harming the clownfish.  Marine biologists have studied this pair since the early 19th century, but still have not come to a certain understanding as to why the anemone doesn't sting the clownfish.

[Parasitism: relationship between two biological species in which one benefits at the expense of the other]
     Within parasitism is a relationship known as social parasitism.  This is when the parasite takes advantage of interactions between its host and one of the host's symbiotic partners.  For example, Pseudoatta ants are the parasites to "cuckoo" birds (these birds have a symbiotic relationship with another organism as well).  The ant and the bird will have a symbiotic alliance for over half of the bird's life-span, and then the ant detaches from the bird and takes the bird's symbiotic partner away.  Ultimately, while the bird was giving of itself as a host, the greedy parasite used and harmed the bird to join with another organism.

[Please know, this post is a parallel to very common relationships in life, especially the changes in a relationship that occur.  Sorry if you were excited that I had genuine interest in Marine Biology.]

**5/12/10 - I take back this post.  I must have been in a weird mood.

In life, people wait for some sort of passion to enter their souls. Actually, they're waiting for the impetus to draw out the passion instilled in their souls from the very beginning. I believe (and yes, this is a rather mainstream belief) that every human being on Earth enters the universe bearing an intrinsic and valuable gift--one that will serve for the betterment of mankind. As a person develops and matures, this gift may surface, and compel the person to follow the path the gift intends for. Some consider this a vocation, a calling. A calling to a certain way of life may be evoked by talents discovered early in life, provocative events occurring in one's life, or even just an unexplainable burning desire to pursue something.

But how do you know exactly what your calling is? Doesn't it seem like you've had a myriad number of these "epiphanies" already? I definitely feel that way. People ask me what I want to do with my life and what I want to study in college, and there are different answers continually coming out of me like clockwork. It's to the point where some may think I'm a compulsive liar or a schizophrenic...seriously. But over the past year, I've finally come to the point of realizing what I need to be doing. Actually, it's what I truly want to be doing. I know it is my calling because I would be happy doing it every day for the rest of my life, salary or not; this calling is what brings out the best in me and empowers me to try and change our world.
I think the best way to know if you've found your calling is to trust your intuition. I.e., it will just feel right, like a lot of things in life. Sometimes there is no logical reasoning for our decisions; we just "go with our gut" and roll with it.
And, still, sometimes, you discover much by simply taking a risk. Why hold back if the best thing for you is out there waiting? Those who play the card of fate are those who will find the most success and enjoyment in life.  So don't just jump; dive.

I am he as you are he and you are me and we are all together.

Wildlife as Canon Sees It

"Fearsome, yes.  But fragile, too.  The hippopotamus is built like a tank, runs far faster than a man, and defends its territory with massive, razor-sharp tusks.  Yet the enormous herbivore has a sensitive side; it spends all day in the water to prevent its thin skin from drying out, and secretes an oily reddish-pink substance to protect it from sunburn.  It is also the linchpin in a finely balanced wetland ecosystem: if the hippopotamus and its natural fertilizers are removed, local fish populations crash.  Facing both habitat loss and poaching for meat and tusks, the hippopotamus is disappearing from its former range on a frighteningly large scale.

As we see it, we can help make the world a better place.  Raising awareness of endangered species is just one of the ways we at Canon are taking action - for the good of the planet we call home.  Visit canon.com/environment to learn more."

[-Canon Camera]

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibus)

Size: Body length, 118.1-212.6 inches; shoulder height, 51.2-65 inches; tail, approx. 22 inches  Weight: 1,444-7,055 lbs.  Habitat: Found in most major rivers in sub-Saharan Africa; requires a permanent supply of water near large grazing areas  Surviving number: Estimated at 125,000-148,000

Woke him up with a barrel to his head 
His eyes shut tight bracing for the blow 
Resigning his life to the metal held 
In another man's hand 

Twenty days in a concrete fallout 
What life have I to take your own 
Oh my country won't you  call out 
Doorbells are ringing with boxes of bones 
And from another land's war torn corners 
To a prison cell in my own 
Punish me for not taking your orders 
But don't lock me up for not leavin' my home 

Your word's just a bloody fallacy 
A house of cards you painted white 
You tried to recreate normandy 
But you made up the reason to fight 
And now red oil is spillin' down on the street 
And your eyes too big for the belly is weak 
Will you not refuse this currency 
Or is blood money just money to you? 
Is blood money just money to you?

Twenty days in a concrete fallout 
What life have to take your own 
Oh my country won't you call out 
Doorbells are ringing with boxes of bones 
From another land's war torn corners 
To a prison cell in my own 
Punish me for not taking your orders 
But don't lock me up for not leavin' my home 

Camilo 
Camilo 
Leavin' my home 
Camilo  -State Radio

disputes over enhanced interrogation of terrorists

my thoughts on an article in the WSJ - my form of humanitarian appeal, or propaganda, as it were:

Recently, the CIA has been struggling to justify the sadistic interrogation methods they would use when questioning suspected terrorists. "Enhanced interrogation", as it is called, has proved ineffective overall in respect to countering Middle Eastern terrorist plots, and with President Obama now in office, this brutal type of questioning has been put to rest. However, Attorney General Eric Holder hired an investigator to probe into whether the CIA committed crimes in its processes of interrogation. Upon (hopefully) affirming this information, Holder intends to prosecute any suspected offenders. While Langley will still be permitted to conduct survival and training techniques of the same nature, the agency is now forbidden (unless under dire circumstances) to interrogate by means of violence. Now, interrogators must employ only psychological methods with their detainees, which seem highly ineffective in comparison to enhanced interrogation. Even Holder, who seems vehemently opposed to the torture methods, admits that they yield unprecedented results and vital information concerning members of al Qaeda. However, the debate over which method should prevail also concerns the United States' international relations; Europeans cling to the United States to be a security buffer for them. To top this all off, the CIA is currently struggling to extract competent interrogators; the position calls for adept foreign linguistics and persuasive prowess, but does not come with the incentive of a pay-raise.

The issue of rendition has also been brought up; by using foreign countries as proxy sites for torture that is otherwise illegal, the image of the United States becomes progressively tainted. The controversy of eliminating the successful enhanced interrogation has warded off all eligible case officers, so now Langley is in desperate search of even less-than-qualified officers. All in all, this entire debate comes down to a matter of success versus a matter of morality.

Since the War on Terror began, and during the Bush administration, enhanced interrogation has been the subject of much controversy. The Bush administration had advocated this form of torture, yet the Supreme Court even affirmed that mistreatment of detainees violated both U.S. and international law. The United States is faced with an issue that divides the nation as well as gives off a negative image to the rest of the world. If enhanced interrogation is indefinitely outlawed, terrorists will take advantage of the non-threatening policies of interrogation and plot further attacks. Americans will lose their sense of security and develop political unrest. In regards to rendition, if the United States implements this, the clandestine nature of the process will lead Americans to distrust the government. In addition, the other countries depending on the United States for security will cut loose, and the United States will lose many ties and advantages necessary for upholding the nation. I believe the issue with most people is fear of the U.S.' vulnerability for terror attacks.

I was naturally drawn to this article because it dealt with the operation of the CIA and international intelligence. However, I'm more familiar with the Hollywood version of this, as it were, so this article gave me a chance to see the real side of things and how they are currently affecting the nation. Being a person of humanitarian conviction, it was also in my interest to read this and see the reasoning behind sustaining enhanced interrogation. Before reading the entire article I could tell that it conveyed subtle, yet definitely present, bias, so I was intrigued to read further. After reading this, I found information elsewhere that I was unpleasantly surprised to know about the Bush administration, so this article was a real eye-opener for me.

"only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love"

So it's that time of year. Friends are leaving for college and I have to stay behind and watch them leave...actually leave. A year ago, the idea of this mass exodus seemed so surreal, so intangible, and was grossly underestimated; but now - as the event actually unfolds - it's hitting me that things are going to change drastically, and they will never be the same. This doesn't have to be a negative assertion, but it definitely affirms the changes that will transpire.

My mom and I occasionally reminisce about dropping Caitlin off at college, and the way in which reality struck us. I was going into fourth grade when we moved her into BC, and I was - naturally - quite naive about the whole situation and how it would change our lives at home. When we finally said those sappy goodbyes, we started driving away and, out of nowhere, it finally hit me...I was all alone now. I jumped out of the car and ran to Caitlin, and gave her what I would assume to her was an obnoxious lung-squeezing hug. After that Kodak moment, when we drove away (for real this time) I said to my mom, "Caitlin's never going to live with us at home again, is she?" My blunt statement made us realize the gravity of the changes that were to come, but...we knew Caitlin was really happy, so it made the distance pretty bearable.

So with that optimistic mentality, I'm able to be happy for my friends going off to school, because they're about to have the best four years of their life. Life is so much simpler and more enjoyable when you celebrate others' happiness instead of wallowing in introversion.

Still, goodbyes are never easy, even if you try to prepare yourself for them. I've had my fair share of goodbyes already in my life thus far; some of them will take/have taken several months to sink in, and the hardest few drastically changed my life forever, but not necessarily in all negative ways.You learn to acclimate, because, well, life goes on. It has to. Optimist that I am, my philosophy is this:

Sometimes it takes being separated from someone to show you just how much your heart can love. And it's a wonderful feeling knowing you have someone in your life you're able to miss that much.

MGSI...Where To Begin?

MGSI...what an experience.  I can say with utmost confidence that this program was life-changing for me in more than a few ways.  I learned an incredible amount about myself, others, and the world around us.  That sounds vague and general, right?  It's also broad, which conveys the unlimited extent of knowledge I accumulated in my three weeks at Appalachian State University.

Martha Guy Summer Institute is a program established for high school seniors interested in developing their passion for business.  Participants spend two weeks on campus at App learning multiple facets of business, meeting peers with similar interests and mindsets, meeting App alumni who have succeeded immensely in the business arena, and experiencing the overall thrill of life at Appalachian.  The last week of the program is spent in Washington, DC and New York City visiting prominent places such as the US Capitol, memorials around DC, the Stock Exchange, and more.

If i were to fill this post with even half the experiences this program entails, your eyes would be drooping from the overwhelming breadth of it all and you might be discouraged to ever read my blog again.  Additionally, I doubt I could even fit all of those joyous experiences into one single post.  However, I don't want you out of the loop, so please ask me to share my MGSI scrapbook/journal with you that I will be making within the next few weeks!  I will be more than eager to share with you everything that meant so much to me.

As I told my MGSI family on our last night together, I came to the program expecting an escape from the difficulties going on at home, a summer institute where I would be in a classroom most of the time memorizing heaps of information and being as routinely dull as possible.  Well, I had absolutely no idea what I was in for.  The days were filled to the brim with unexpected joy around every corner, and gleeful anticipation of what was to happen next.  I met so many people with whom I hope to sustain meaningful relationships for a long time to come.  I left with a confident mindset of the potential I have yet to unfurl, and the skills I can utilize to succeed not only in the corporate world, but in the people's world, a world needing leaders who will seek to improve it for the benefit of all mankind.

Summer Happenin's

So, I decided to pick up blogging again (back by popular demand; my posts must be mildly entertaining?) so anyone who is interested can keep up with the happenings in my life.

This post will give a rough description of a culmination of events that have happened this summer. 

I started off the summer nannying for my former math tutor's newborn, Adelaide, who is almost as cute as I was when I was a babe...almost.  And who knew that the greatest solace I have found in a blaze of my trivial worries would come from conversations with this baby whilst walking her in a stroller?  I didn't, but that was the case, so I definitely plan on continuing this job during the upcoming year.  

About the third week of June, I volunteered for Camp Soar, which is a Special Olympics-affiliated camp providing a full day of fun sports and activities for mentally-handicapped campers of all ages!  A ton of people from Charlotte Catholic volunteered too, so it was a good time for sure.  

After Camp Soar, the G-Unit took a trip up north.  Starting our travels in Virginia, we toured UVA and I loved the campus.  Not so sure I felt a ton of chemistry with the university as a whole, but I'll probably end up applying there anyway to see how the cookie crumbles.  From Charlottesville we worked our way up to DC to tour George Washington University, which I had been ecstatic about for months.  I definitely clicked with the atmosphere there, and the university offers me everything on my "list" and more, but in retrospect I'm thinking that a city environment should be reserved for the post-college stage of my life.  I'm definitely anticipating a real, traditional campus experience next fall.  After that, we went to our homeland of New Jersey and mingled with some other great Gills.  We managed to steer clear of those ferocious housewives you see on TV these days, though.  From NJ we reached our final destination in Baltimore for my grandma's 90th birthday party.  What a rager that was.  There was a ton of fun to be had and thus lots of family bonding ensued.  And of course it was all followed up by the traditional Ash Bash cigar competition, and I managed to haggle a puff and contribute to Dad's near-victory.

We came home to the Queen City just in time for my birthday, and then I had about one week of summer to live it up before Martha Guy Summer Institute at Appalachian.  I planned on hanging with the homies all I could before I left, and I managed to do so.  I was actually pleasantly surprised when I went to Tess' house one day only to be thrown a mini surprise-party, contrary to my strong, anti-celebration wishes.  However, it was great to spend time with a few really close friends and to be reminded of how important we are to each other.

The next event is MGSI, but writing about it here will make this post appear excessively long, so I'll write about it in a follow-up post to ease your psyche.