Did Forgiveness Sink with the Titanic?

I wonder if the those who should get to dicide if forgiveness should be issued to those deemed responsible for the sinking of the Titanic sunk along with the ship? In all honesty the sinking of the Titanic was a acident. Although if I was actually there hanging on to a peice of drift wood, feeling my body grow number by the second, life escaping from my breath, in that moment I would find it hard to forgive anybody or anything. We all like to think that if placed in this situation we could look past the fact that we were dieing and forgive eachother and realize it was a acident. In all honesty though there comes a time when we realize out own self preservation, and find it hard to forgive or to die in someone elses place. I would like to think that I could forgive the many people for all the terrible mistakes that happend continuesly, but in the moment when I am in suvere agony using my last breath, I would most likley not be able to. Looking back if I was lucky enough to survive I would also like to think I could forgvie them for all my friends and or family that lost their lives that day. I hope to never have to be in a situation equivilent to this and be forced to answer an ultimate question of forgiveness.

Gawking at Jews

The Sunflower tells a tale of a time of despair for the certain religion in World War II. The Jews were treated very harsh during the war sent to concentration camps and tortured until death. This book written by Simon Wiesenthal, a Jew, he faces a daunting task to forgive or not to forgive a SS man who on his death bed is asking for forgiveness for the crimes he committed while in the war. While describing how he felt walking in a line through town with one of his work groups, he says they felt like “animals in a zoo.” Being paraded up and down the street made them loose all sense of humanity. The Germans gawked while they walked by pointing just like you would a monkey in a zoo. They had no choice on what or when they did anything. He describes when some Jews were hung in the street that a lady remarked that it was “kosher meat.” Totally normal to see a human just like them, except for their religion choice hung to their death in the street. No one gave a second glance just accepted it. Just like when visiting a zoo most people don’t think of how the animals fell or if they are okay, just looking for enjoyment. No one gave a second glance to the Jew hanging, just went along like it was the right thing to do and it would help themselves out in the end. Simon went through pure hell at this time and he felt like a worthless animal at a zoo.

Should We and Could We Forgive?

In discussing acts that could be forgiven and not forgiven, the act of a mother, suffering from depression, drowning her children because she fears they are possessed stood out. If going from the religous stand point all acts should be forgiven, in the bible God forgives all sins once we repent. Although all acts should be forgiven, I personally do not know if I could forgive them, if they envolved something or someone I cared about. Just because acts or forgiven does'nt mean they should go unpunished. You also have to go through both sides, the mother who drowned her child most likely thought she was doing the best for her children at this poing in time. She was possessed at the time she honestly thought that she was saving her children. God is perfect allowing him to be able to forgive everthing, but us, being imperfect humans have to know who we are and wheather we they can give forgiveness and still have a peace of mind.

Without...

Without any wrong,
There could be no right.
Without any bad,
There could be no good.
Without any sorrow,
There could be no joy.
Without any poverty,
There could be no wealth.
Without any hearts,
There could be no kindness.
Without any feeling,
There could be no INDIVIDUALS.

Death by Her Design

Forced by her mother to give up her “American Dream” of becoming an actress, Curly’s wife lived on a ranch. With working men all around her, she battled with attention issues constantly. Lennie and George went to work on the ranch giving her some hope for entertainment. In the novel of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a friendship is ended by the death of Curly’s wife. Curly’s wife constantly sought attention in childlike ways usually causing her greater pain in the end.
Curly’s wife used her trashy appearance as a way to draw men’s attention to her. As the men sat in the bunkhouse after a long day’s work, Curly’s wife came into the barn the men “[swung] their heads towards the door”. She used her female presence in a room full of men to get the attention she desired similar to a child crying if he doesn’t get what he wants. Although in present day she would be an average woman, she used makeup and suggestiveness to draw unnecessary attention to herself.
Although her trashy appearance was enough to turn heads, her wanton behavior also raised eyebrows. Being on the ranch full of men, it’s not hard to see who her target was. She had “no call for foolin’ around with other guys causing trouble.” Unlike a normal ranch wife who stayed in the house cooking and cleaning, Curly’s wife placed herself in places that weren’t appropriate to bring attention to herself and divert it away from the horses and cattle. She had no limits and used whatever she could, including her femininity, to draw attention to herself much like dangling candy in front of a child.
Appearing trashy and wanton, she tried to cover up her loneliness. Curly’s wife flared up “ sure I gotta husband,swell guy ain't he spends all his time saying what he gonna do to the guys he don’t like” She aspired for human companionship. She could have been very social, but she used her own regret of not being an actress as an excuse for her behavior. She often provoked unnecessary arguments with Curley, so the spotlight could be on her. “No one will talk to [her]” gave her an even better reason to seek attention in the ways she did. All she wanted was to be cared for and enjoy simple companionship.
Curly’s wife’s sleazy appearance and actions were the ways she thought she had to express herself to get the attention she desired. It was really a cover up for the loneliness that overwhelmed her. In the novel the author portrays Curly’s wife’s “American Dream” as being an actress, but it was really a cover up for her real dream which was simple happiness. There came a day when her overbearing need for companionship would be too much and cause an end to her life. She died never fully reaching her true “American Dream”.

There's No Place Like Grandma's

The cows leisurely wander through the golden hayfields munching on their cud. Horses amble through the pasture. The sun rises over the pond. A fish splashes, sending ripples through the glasslike water. The sun shines into the windows of the farmhouse sitting at the end of the gravel road. The rooster cockles. Inside, pancakes sizzle on the flat top as children lazily rub their eyes while hovering around the kitchen table. The soft humming of country music can be heard through the little ones' murmuring morning inquiries. A drop of syrup lazily rolls down the side of the bottle; butter melts into a puddle at the end of the knife. Silverware clanks against now empty plates. Slothly, the man slides on his rugged boots, then places his tattered hat on his now graying head. Slowly getting up he places a kiss on his wife’s leathery check. He exists the aged house, leaving the hiss of the screen door in his wake. Through the delicate walls, he hears the children’s shrieks of amusement. Cranking his tractor while smiling contently to himself, he chugs into the hayfield. He thinks to himself, there couldn’t be a better place to live, and life couldn’t be sweeter.

Will It Be Remembered?

As the 10th anniversery of 9/11 approached and passed, you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing or seeing something about this historic event. In 20 years, 30 years or 50 years will this still be true on 9/11. I don't think the impact will be the same. Although George Bush said " No one will ever forget the day", younger generations don't even understand what happpened. As the people who were directly impacted by the situation fade away, so will the event in people's minds. As years go on, eventualy it will just become another date in the history books.