In the text “Vermeer in Bosnia” by Lawrence Weschler, Weschler builds an argument surrounding the need of “inventing peace”. Throughout the text, Weschler refers to different individuals to build up his claim. In each part, Weschler focuses and describes each individual as a unique existence. From murders to peacemakers, from past to present, Wechsler individualizes them from their groups in order to look at each with an unbiased, holistic point of view, developing a clear goal for achieving peace. To further develop his argument, Weschler focuses on Jan Vermeer, an artist who spent his entire life dedicated to drawing an ideal, peaceful environment which was non-existent during his time. Weschler repeatedly included Vermeer in different …show more content…
Maybe it 's my lack of artistic taste, but even after the realization, I was still unable to arrive at the same interpretation of the woman in the portrait as Weschler.
Legacy, on the other hand, is clearly defined and nearly constant even as a large span of time has passed. Vermeer does include legacies, but with limited use, cutting off a reliable source to back up his argument. The use of interpretations allows his argument to be disputed and possibly rejected. After years of continuous violence and war, it is unlikely to seek out and prosecute the few that initiated the conflict since they are most likely no longer around anymore. Even if a descendant is found, individuality alone may not suffice for prosecution, nor will it necessarily be a step towards inventing peace. They might as well put up a random stranger, make up a case, and claim to have prosecuted the root of the evil. On the other hand, prosecuting a family known to have a legacy of criminal and inhumane acts is much more likely to lead to step towards inventing peace. Though it may disregard the individuals involved, it will truly be the end of one bloody legacy.
There are many instances where legacy trumps the interpreted individuality. In Ta-Nehisi Coates’ article “The First White President”, he brings up the idea of the white legacy aka “the bloody heirloom” and uses it to describe Donald Trump’s presidency. Coates develops an argument surrounding
In his writing, he stated that war is intrinsically vast, communal (or political) and violent. It is an actual, widespread and deliberate armed conflict between political communities, motivated by a sharp disagreement over governance” (p.135)
Bosnian Genocide was a terrible act of murder which started when Muslims and Croats voted for independence in referendum that was boycotted by Serbs In 1992.When the European Union recognized Bosnian’s independence the war broke out and Serb’s occupied the country.
On the fiftieth anniversary of the events on “Bloody Sunday”, Obama gave a speech filled with encouraging words about how far America has come. Throughout his speech he included various pathos examples. For instance, he stated, “[…] all of us need to recognize, as they did, that change depends on our actions, our attitudes, the things we teach our children. And if we make such effort, no matter how hard it may seem, laws can be passed, and consciences can be stirred, and consensus can be built” (Obama). Obama utilized the word “all” and “we” as if the people were one. As if each and every one of us has as much responsibility as the next and because he does this, some may even begin to fulfill that responsibility. Ethos is another rhetoric analysis, it defines someone’s character or identity and Obama does just that when he says, “[…] who serve in elected office from small towns to big cities; from Congressional Black Caucus to the Oval office” (Obama). Talking about his own credentials, Obama refers to himself when speaking about the oval office because he was the first African American to be elected president.
In The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, Arrow’s character is developed and shown throughout the story. Arrow is not her real name. Arrow is a sniper who works alone and tries to stop the men on the hills destroying the city. It’s a name she took when she felt hatred and anger for the men on the hills.
Barack Obama’s election as the President of the United States in 2008 was considered by many to be a representation of the huge strides the country has made in terms of race relations. Considering that blacks in America were denied civil rights less than five decades ago, his election certainly indicates that progress has been made. Obama and his election to office is linked to this progress because much of the population considers him to be black, including himself. Yet, Obama has as much “white ancestry” as he does “black ancestry.” This specific example can be related to the convention ‘that considered a white woman capable of giving birth to a black
During the time period of late colonial and revolutionary America, change emerged with great occurrence. Society and the individuals that shaped its very being were influenced greatly by not just the land around them, but the people who came forth and represented it. From 1787 to 1861, America experienced an increased fluctuate of these particular individuals. For example Alexander Hamilton, Frederick Douglas, and Andrew Jackson. Each of those named reigned in their own quarters leaving an influential mark in cultural and political domains. One being one of America’s founding fathers, another being a highly revered social reformer, and lastly one who served as the seventh president of the United States. To be a white man owning a considerable amount of property meant that their “voice” was valid, considerably they had a decision on the direction America would go. However, not everyone fit into the standards that defined the white man who held a voice. To be alive during the time of a highly judgmental society having a voice was faced with high criticism. It was background information and social status swayed over the people. Diversity between these two factors shaped the voices of American society, molding experience into the men and women who left their influence on American history.
Violence is not always the answer to the world’s problems, but it is a great way bring attention to the cause of the problem. Peaceful negotiations is the only way to ensure that the aggressors and opposition both come to an agreement about the best outcome of their situation. Violence creates hate and hate in turn leads to more violence in the long-run thus continuing humanities cycle of self
To say of this noteworthy volume of articles that the total is more prominent than the parts is not to defame the parts. The book reevaluates the foundational strain in American governmental issues between responsibilities to racial pecking order and liberal populism. An attention on how this strain showed in the lives of three presidents noted for their enunciation of racially widespread standards, combined with the near point of view managed by setting these three inside a solitary edge, produces knowledge into the part of race in American political history decisively by building up an all the more fine-grained judgment on its significance for Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Woodrow Wilson themselves. Jefferson rises as the most tormented of the three. As Annette Gordon-Reed
Sreedhar Potarazu points out in his article “Obama's legacy is at stake” the future of the president’s mark on history. He wonders how, if the ACA doesn’t endure, the president will be remembered. Of course the first black president will always remain his honor, but as far as presidential achievements go where will Obama stand in the halls of American greatness? Potarazu is quick to point out other great leaders from our nation’s past and their noteworthy achievements in order to set a baseline of comparison for President Obama. The author even makes sure to mention such famous phrases as “Iran Hostage Crisis,” “Tear down that wall,” and “Read my lips” only to dramatically drive home the importance of a presidential legacy.
In truth however, Hitler’s Final Solution was something peculiar in the fact that few people believed that in the 20th Century, when society had reached its intellectual and ethical peak, such genocide was conceivable. Public consensus, along with the media, reassured us that we could no longer return to the Middle Ages. However, the philosophers and prophets of Berlin, with their fine manners and high society, turned into the world’s greatest murderers. The world was silent. One may add, not only silent but in whole passive, sometimes comfortable with what
The Holocaust is something that we must never forget. Its occurrence relied only “upon the indifference of bystanders in every land” (Zukier). Even today we stand by while innocent lives are taken. The recent conflicts in Rwanda or Bosnia, or past conflicts in Cambodia, are merely three examples. Wherever genocide occurs one thing is sure to happen– individual lives become lost in massive numbers and the tolls are so large
They occur and we neglect to notice the unearned inequity. Even though genocide is difficult encounter as actuality it is. The Bosnian genocide was a heartbreaking event that caused misery and loss of lives to 100,000 with 80,000 being of the Bosnian culture (Bosnia-Herzegovina). March 1, 1992-December 14, 1995 35 dreadful months for the Bosnians. If you think of all the terrifying things done to them they would sometimes rather be dead than alive. Could imagine being in so much agony you would wish you were dead. The perpetrators, the Serbians were making an effort to exterminate the Bosnians. They were stopped by the Bosnians who fought for their lives. This would be recognized as genocide because it shares several characteristics with
A genocide is a intended killing upon a large group of people, especially upon a certain ethnic group. The genocide in Bosnia, also known as The Bosnian War started in 1992 after Bosnian government declared independence from Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serbs did not like the idea of a free nation with majority of the citizens being Muslim. Serbs killed approximately 100,000 croats and muslims. The Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina is similar to the Holocaust because both involved the murders of certain cultures. This was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust (Bosnia-Herzegovina).
My topic of World Peace began to develop as I felt the need to address the idea of World Peace. In addition, I selected this topic to confirm that the idea was impossible to achieve. Through a long period of research, I began to learn about World Peace. As I was studying the topic, I was lead to many websites and articles to support my claim, a possible way to achieve World peace was nonchalant. Scholarly articles, written news stories, and credible websites assisted me in learning more about the possible conflicts that can prevent this idea from becoming true. I learned how many of the
The Bosnian War was an international arms conflict that involved 2 main sides, the Republika Srpska, and Herzeg-Bosnia. The Republika Srpska would show very little sympathy towards the Non-Serb population of cities they would occupy. 1995 of the Bosnian War reached its most violent climax, Bosnian Serb Forces in occupied Srebrenica began an ethnic cleansing of the Non-Serb population, and massacred more than 8000 people. Many generals and other people of high class within the Republika Srpska were tried for their actions, but none confessed and denied everything, this is what makes the following person so significant. Dragan Obrenovic, who was the only person who admit guilt for the Genocide and it taking place. The accused, Dragan