The Sniper-Short Story by: Liam O'Flaherty

In the 1920's, Dublin's streets have become a battlefield in Ireland's struggle for independence. The Republicans and the Free Stater’s are conducting civil war. The sniper lay watching on the rooftop near O’Connell. The sniper was debating if he should take the risk of a smoke. When he did, immediately a bullet had flattened itself against the roof letting him know there was an enemy out there. The sniper soon heard an enemy’s car. There was a women who began to talk to the enemy and pointed towards the sniper. The sniper killed all the enemy’s in the motor with his rifle but also ended up wounded. He nursed his wound and thought of a plan to kill the other sniper. He tricked the enemy by lifting his rifle with his cap on it. The enemy shot the hat thinking he shot the sniper and that’s when the sniper got his chance to shoot and kill the enemy. He suddenly bitten by remorse and went in a quick state of shock. He came back to his senses and went to report to his company commander. The sniper felt curious as to who the enemy sniper was. When he turned the dead body, he saw the face of his brother.

            The author is trying to portray that even your enemies can be your loved ones. In the story, the sniper killed his brother who was also his enemy. War can make people do some rash actions and they have no other choice not to because they are taught who the enemy is. I’m predicting even if it’s your family, you have to do what your trained to. War can change people and make them feel so many emotions such as in the book, the sniper felt remorse and guilt when he saw his enemy falling. I wonder though, what would he had felt or done if he knew that his enemy was his brother? But it’s all an irony, the enemy turning out to be his brother because the sniper and the readers did not even expect the enemy to be his brother

 4 C’s

CONNECTION:  Reading the article “Teaching Kids to Kill” By Lt. Col. Dave Grossman I made some connections that I can relate to the article.  Last year I had a neighbor which their 19 year old son had been shot in the parking lot in front of a night club. It was devastating to hear the news because he was a boxer and it was said that he was a “respectful and a big hearted kid.” In the article they mentioned that kids are killing but yet those who are armed and may know some self defense cannot protect themselves.  I also have heard on the radio and when I watch the news sometimes, they mention teen shootings. I learned that children also tend to be very innocent and naïve. They can be manipulated and which is why they are ‘easy’. They easily get influenced by video games and the movies which lead to some negative actions.

CHALLENGES: I wonder sometimes that if they show such things as teen shooting and killings on TV and in movies, if they think that it’s preventing young audience to do the same or teaching them those terrible actions as some kids are still innocent and don’t know much.

CONCEPTS: Some ideas and key points that I found important from the video was the kids that were captured really had no choice but to recruit. They either had to kill or get killed. They chose kids especially because they were ‘easy’. They found It easy to manipulate children and that they were cheap. Soon, killing became as easy as drinking water. Those who escaped were trying to regain themselves in rehab. I also found the saying “War limits you from knowing yourself” quite intriguing because in some way I find it true. When one is forced to do something at a young age or else they will be killed, they would just learn to obey and never really find or know themselves.

CHANGES: I noticed that Ishmael Beah went from a killing machine into an amazing writer and that he made a better living for himself. For example, he left his village and moved to New York where he finished high school and attended college. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kEL_LRBSqk

Ukraine peace talks draws leaders to Belarus

     I recently read an article which is linked below, where the leaders of Ukraine, France, Russia, and Germany get together and have a critical peace talk to compromise a solution to end the conflict between the troops in Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists which have killed more than 5,300 people since April. There has been some progress made, Russia's ambassador Alexander Surikov told the press but no details. Some key points that may have been discussed at the talk were about drawing a new line division, withdrawing Russian troops and equipment from eastern Ukraine, securing the Ukraine-Russian border and giving the separatist more autonomy. Donetsk, a city in Ukraine had a Shelling attack Wednesday on a bus station where 19 troops had been killed and 78 wounded. A rocket strike on Tuesday in an eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, where 16 people were killed and 48 wounded. This article reminds me of when I watch Al Jazeera news on TV. They would always being showing conflicts and riots going on in the middle east and around the world. Reading about the shelling attack reminded me of Afghanistan and how the Taliban are destroying the lives of civilians. I like to think, would there ever be peace among the Americans and the Muslims especially in Afghanistan and the middle east. I also would like to add that recently, Obama has been trying to fight ISIL and solicit Congress authorization.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-peace-talks-draws-leaders-to-belarus-1.2952947