State of the Union 2011

Going into the State of the Union i was expecting Obama to talk about the job crisis and how it is effecting the people of our country. He continued to talk about winning the future and how  we could come back from the recession and change the economy, hoping to employee more workers. We all have similar dreams and beliefs; we are all trying to better our country so it is about time that we get along with one another and work together. Obama stated, "It is not hat if we can sit together tonight, but if we can work together tomorrow," this to me meant that if we are able to co mingle companies, just as the Democrats and Republicans are co mingled, our economy and country would be running much smoother and efficiently. The government measures success by our people, and we need to invest in the future which is children and technology. America has the most prosperous economy in the world, so we need to take responsibility and encourage American innovation, because change is the key to the future. We as citizen need to take control of the future because the future is not given it is achieved. Renewable energy and alternative energy sources are key to the future, and some of the goals that Obama claimed such as 88 percent of all Americans electricity coming from clean energy, are important in changing the base of our country. Over all unity is the key in making our country run smooth, because when groups of people are able to get along wonders happen, creating changes that were never thought possible. Our country is capable of doing a much better job and until our country gets its act together and is able to work with each other, things will not change the people will continue to suffer.

Purple Heart Final Blog

After finishing the book I noticed many small connections that occurred earlier in the book that ended up playing a large role at the end of the book. One moral that I learned was the every move one makes does not go unnoticed, which builds and shows ones character when it really matters. Throughout the book McCormick uses great detail when describing members of Matt's platoon, which allowed me to get a sense of the different characters, and what role they portrayed in the group. In every platoon each man is accountable for their role because one small mistake can end in death of another soldier, which no man wants on his conscious. In the second to last chapter, Matt's group split up into pairs and patrolled the city. All of the sudden a suicide bomber come up to Wolf asking for a cigarette and blew himself and wolf to shreds, and then other men pooped out of a building and began firing at the other soldiers. Justin who was with Matt when he was injured from the propelled rocked, was shot and began to tell Matt that he shot Ali because he was a spotter for the Iraqi snipers. Matt was relieved and in disbelief because he was friends with Ali and he was just a little boy. Justin portrays himself as a tough guy, and when the the gun fire began, Figueroa said Justin took off running for cover and did not know what to do because he was so scared. Shooting Ali, " Had shaken them up so much that they'd nearly stopped being soldiers. But when it had mattered most, Justin still had his back and her had Justin's" (Pg 192). Justin had been so afraid of death that he forgot his purpose as a soldier, which put his whole group at risk. I can not imagine what it is like having to kill a person or be shot at, and yet these soldiers are being shot at, and risking their lives every day for the American people. I was able to see a transformation in Justin's and Matt's character that showed me what it would be like if a certain part of me was ripped out. Out on the battle field soldiers have to put up masks while on guard, because they are there to do their job, and if side tracked the situation may end in a fatality. Out on the battle field rules change, and there is not always honesty. a soldier may change the story in order to make themselves look right, when in fact they have committed a crime. But these crimes should not be looked into because these are crimes being done in order our country, so who cares about the enemy right? At the end of the book I saw another transformation in Matt, where he went from hating the Iraqi people for killing his friends, but he was able to see the good within some of the people, which gave him so closure to all that previously had happened to him. From the moment these soldiers stepped foot onto Iraqi soil they were traumatized and they will always be that way for the rest of their lives. These soldiers knew the transformation that was going to occur once they where out on the battle field, and they did this so the rest of us Americans do not have to ever experience these horrific events. I am extremely grateful for the soldiers' and all of the people who protect this country. I would like to take the time and thank these brave people for serving our country, because none of us are even able to imagine what these soldiers experienced. Once again thank you to all the protectors of the country and may God be at your back.

Purple Heart Response

There is not always a right and a wrong in war, and depending on what one's personal belief is on a topic there may be multiple outcomes. When reading the Purple Heart I feel that Patricia McCormick did a excellent job of putting the reader, out on the battle field and in the shoes of a soldier. Trying to think like a soldier and understand their movements is so complicated, but to the soldiers it is just second nature. While the soldiers are out on the battle field, all their thinking about is surviving, and what their next move is because one wrong move can end in death. It seems trying to stay positive would be nearly impossible, but it seems the small gifts such as movies or letters from loved ones are the most powerful gifts one can give. It is amazing that those small gifts can take a soldier to another world mentally and allow them to go to a mentally stable position that essentially saves their lives. Once Matt Duffy the main character started feeling back to normal after his accident he wrote a letter to his girlfriend stating, "This is a strange place. You think there are rules and there's right and wrong and you think officers are all assholes who only want to make your life miserable. And then you find out that everybody has a different idea of what's right and wrong. And that a lot of people act like they want to know what's going on but they really don't-because then they might have to do something about it. Like I said it's strange" (Purple Heart 132). I feel that McCormick does a great job showing a soldiers decision making process, and then their actions based on their decision. When on the battle field there is little time to make a decision so you either stick with your decision or you die. I personally believe that no soldier wants to harm another person but when it comes down to life or death, it is instinct and one will do whatever it takes to stay alive. I feel that a soldier is defined based on his actions, because anyone can say they would do a heroic action, but when the situation is right in front of you, other influences come into play that often change a soldier's decision. Every soldier is noble for their actions and should be acknowledged for their service. What I do not understand is why our own government does not treat out troops better, and help them once they are done serving in the army or military. I feel that our government should be taking better care of it troops, especially after the soldiers just put their own life at risk, simply to better "America". It is the soldiers who make America the land of the free and the home of the brave, so i believe they deserve more respect and aid from the government who put them in this crazy situation.