Consider the following photograph and your understanding of courage. Is the young man at the center of the picture, courageous?
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36 comments:
Katie Carola
said...
I think the young man in the photo is extremely courageous. With a gun in his face he is standing there for what he believes in and, in my opinion, that is the most courageous thing anyone can do.
I believe the picture is full of courageous people. Starting with the focus; the young man in the center of the photograph is definitely courageous. Just the fact of putting flowers in a barrel of a gun is one thing. He is also standing up for what he believes which is obviously against war. But how about the men who have to hold the guns? They don't necessarily believe war is the answer. These young men may have had no choice to be where they are. They could have been drafted, or had nothing left for them home and joined the army, or even could have been force by a parent into the army. So who is courageous? Is it the men putting the flowers in guns to stand up for their beliefs? Or is it the men holding the guns, who may not have a choice?
I agree, I think this young man is very courageous. This man is obviously against war and standing in front of a gun is probably pretty scary and uncomfortable for him, so the fact that he is setting his fears aside to stand up for what he believes in is extremely courageous. He is standing in front of a bunch of soldiers, who do not appear to have the same views of war as he does and he is still putting flowers in their guns and standing up for peace.
Is he really corageous? or is he doing what the army men want him to do? It seems that the man above is fixing his flowers to be sure they stay in teh barrel. I may be wrong but I don't think that civilian is in danger.
Yes, I do believe the man in the middle is courageous but I also think he is extremely foolish. He could have his head shot off! His position reflects the fact that he strongly believes in whatever he is doing.
Marissa, I like how you are able to look at the situation from both sides, considering not only the man with the flowers but also the soldiers.
Sophie, I can see where you’re coming from with your idea, but I don’t think the army person is fixing the flowers. (I think that it’s just the angle of the photo that makes it seem like it.) But then again, couldn’t the army person also be taking out the flowers? Either way, I like the way that you are able to see things in a different form. =)
Do we think those rifles are loaded? What is the likelihood of one of those soldiers opening fire? Do the answers to these questions impact the way in which we understand the photograph?
Mariana, You are right, that is another way to look at it..if the soldier is taking out the flowers the man put into his rifle. And thank you, just trying to get a different perspective on it :) Mr. D, I would believe that the rifles are loaded, because in reality do troops often walk around with an unloaded rifle? This picture appears to be taken in a time where there is a war or conflict, it would be neccessary for the troops to be loaded and ready for action at any given time. I still don't believe that a soldier would open fire right there in a mans face. I think that these questions open up more opportunities for a new point of view on the picture. Looking at the picture in multiple ways gives you a better understanding.
I think the guns are loaded and ready to fire. There have been times in the past that peaceful protests have become violent so I think that the soldiers would absolutely fire if they were told to.
I don't think the guns are loaded. If this was a protest that was getting violent, the soldiers would not surround the men so closely. Especially with loaded guns, it would create to much of a risk to shoot another soldier. Also if you look towards the top, one of the soldiers doesn't even have a gun, why would he go into action without a gun?
Mariana, I agree with you that the man is foolish. If this was a violent event, the soldiers would not hesitate to shoot him, if they were given orders.
I don't doubt the fact that the guns are loaded. The men with the guns have to be ready for anything. The chances of one of the men opening fire I believe is slim. The fact that the men holding the guns and allowing the flowers to be placed in their barrell says something. So why does the soldier allow the flowers to be place in his gun?
I don't doubt the fact that the guns are loaded. The men with the guns have to be ready for anything. The chances of one of the men opening fire I believe is slim. The fact that the men holding the guns and allowing the flowers to be placed in their barrell says something. So why does the soldier allow the flowers to be place in his gun?
Abby, When I said that the protest could turn violent i didn't mean that the protesters would attack. I meant that the soldiers might be given orders to attack the protesters. Marissa, maybe the soldier allowing the flower into his gun does mean that they will not shoot but they also could have fired after the picture was taken.
Katie, Anything is possible so no one can predict the outcomeof this situation. But don't you think some of the ideas are a little harsh towards the soldiers? Do we really know that they want to be on the side they are?
Marissa, I understand what you’re saying (with the possibility that the soldiers don’t want to do as they are ordered,) however, when one becomes a soldier, no matter if they want to follow the orders they are given or not, they must follow their orders. For example, in East of Eden, Adam didn’t want to kill people when he is forced into the military by his father but he does end up killing. He’s not proud of it, and he doesn’t want to do it, but he has to in some cases.
Yes ... soldiers follow orders. They also give orders. Could they order other soldiers to fire on civilians?
Everyone,
How likely is it the young man's courage comes as a result of knowing that the soldiers will not shoot? Does this possibility change our assessment of the situation?
I think the man wants to look courageous. However, I think that the picture was taken to exagerate the situation. I don't think that those guns were loaded, or that they would even take any action. Simply enough, I think the soldiers were called for crowd control, and not a photo opp.
When I look I this picture, I assume that the guns are loaded and probably going to fire at any minute. With that said, the young man in the picture is very courageous. It takes a certain amount of motivation to be willing to put yourself in danger for something that you believe in. With that said, I have a few questions on my mind. Where was this picture taken? Why are these uniformed men holding guns up to civilians? What are the beliefs and reasons of the young man?
Because of what the young man has in his hands, flowers, I think he is promoting peace. I'm not sure why, but I feel like flowers are a symbol of peace.
Mr D, If the young man knew that the soldiers would not shoot, he would be much more courageous.
Nina, I like the way you asses the photograph. When I looked at the photograph I assumed it was a historical photograph, so I also thought that the guns would be loaded. But I like that you said that the soldiers were called for crowd control, not a photo opp.
Mr. D, I think that a soldier could give orders to other soldiers, but then again, if the soldier giving the orders doesn’t have authority over the other soldiers, I think that the soldiers could refuse to follow such orders. Don’t soldiers get punished for not following orders given by their superiors? If so, and the orders came from a superior, then the soldiers would have to follow their given orders.
If I knew that the soldiers wouldn’t shoot, and I was in the position of the man in the middle, I still don’t think I would put the flowers in the gun barrel. Just because the soldiers can’t shoot, doesn’t mean that they can’t beat you up, either with their fists or with the butt of an unloaded gun. Therefore, my assessment wouldn’t change. I still believe that the man in the middle of the photograph has courage.
I believe that the man with the flowers is extremely courageous. I also think that the guns are loaded. The likelyhood of them opening fire is (maybe) slim. Maybe they don't want to kill the man, but if they are ordered to they probably will.
For some reason, i don't think this man is doing what he is for some simple reason. it seems to me that he is doing it for attention, or like Nina said just for a photo shoot. I don't doubt the guns are loaded but i also don't believe that any of the soldiers would have a reason to fire into the crowd. Its impossible to tell from this photo what the situation is, if its a simple protest or something more intense. Im pretty sure that these are MP police in the U.S. and obviously, U.S. soldiers would not be ordered to fire and kill innocent citizens. This adds to my thought that this man knows that he is not really faced with danger and is doing this for what he believes in but is not putting himself at risk.
For some reason, i don't think this man is doing what he is for some simple reason. it seems to me that he is doing it for attention, or like Nina said just for a photo shoot. I don't doubt the guns are loaded but i also don't believe that any of the soldiers would have a reason to fire into the crowd. Its impossible to tell from this photo what the situation is, if its a simple protest or something more intense. Im pretty sure that these are MP police in the U.S. and obviously, U.S. soldiers would not be ordered to fire and kill innocent citizens. This adds to my thought that this man knows that he is not really faced with danger and is doing this for what he believes in but is not putting himself at risk.
Jarrett, Does it make a difference if they are MP or regular police? What are their differences? Do they treat civilians in a different way? (MP are military police, right?)
Mr. Daley, I've been putting this off for a while, sorry that I'm only commenting at the last minute. My immediate reaction to the picture was to agree that of course he's courageous. He's standing there putting flowers in the barrel of a loaded weapon, surrounded by police or soldiers. But then I read the discussion my class mates were having. Nina makes a valid point, that it could just be crowd control. If its peaceful, then thats not even close to being the same situation. Also, like Jarret said, its doubtful that the soldiers would open fire on American citizens in any situation like that.
I believe the man is courageous. He is not doing what the soldiers want he to do, rather he is a man that looks to be protesting war. It looks like a kind of demonstration that was prevalent during the 1960's and 1970's protesting foreign conflict. The man isn't instructed to put the flowers in the barrels; he is standing up for what he believes in. I believe that to go up to an armed person in protest, or an armed person in general, takes courage.
The guns could be loaded or not. It's likely that they are not because protests aren't usually ended by men with loaded rifles opening fire. Although it is rare that such violent measures are taken, there are times in which that kind of bloodshed has occurred. While trying not to go back too far to make the comparison irrelevant, the Boston Massacre is an example of a protest turning violent. More recently, non-violent college students were pepper sprayed while sitting in protest. Although the latter is less graphic and gruesome, it still exemplifies how enforcers can overreact to protests, such as the man putting the flower in the rifle barrel.
The student protestors who were recently pepper sprayed were ordered to disperse by the police. They were sprayed when they refused to follow instructions. Given that context, were the police over-reacting? What should they have done?
Courage is having the strength to face your fears, and I would be afraid of a group of solders pointing guns at me, it would take courage to do what he just did. Sophie and Mariana, I think he is defiantly putting flowers into the barrel of the gun, as he has a neat little bouquet in his other hand. If he was taking them out he probably just would have dropped them.
Jones, I think the guns were most defiantly loaded. If an army was sent somewhere with unloaded weapons, they would die.
Mr. D, The cops shouldn't have pepper sprayed those students. They were sitting on the ground, unarmed, they posed no threat. So the cops were definitely in the wrong. The students on the other hand did the right thing; if you care enough about something to protest it you should be willing to take some pepper spray to the face for it. I mean, if some Black Friday shoppers can keep fighting for some a X-Box after getting pepper sprayed, you should be able to remain sitting peacefully for something actually important.
By law, the police have the right to order people - even protestors - to leave or otherwise respect private property (and public property given particular circumstances). The protestors in question were ordered to disperse, and did not obey that order. What should the police have done if not used pepper spray?
Mr. D, Pepper spray hurts; I vote for the police to spray the protesters with ice water (it works on puppies and you yourself have used this method throughout the years on students and it seems to have worked). =] But on a serious note, I’ve tried to think of something else the police might have used beside pepper spray and honestly can’t come up with anything. What if the police just picked up the students and deposited them somewhere else?
36 comments:
I think the young man in the photo is extremely courageous. With a gun in his face he is standing there for what he believes in and, in my opinion, that is the most courageous thing anyone can do.
I believe the picture is full of courageous people. Starting with the focus; the young man in the center of the photograph is definitely courageous. Just the fact of putting flowers in a barrel of a gun is one thing. He is also standing up for what he believes which is obviously against war. But how about the men who have to hold the guns? They don't necessarily believe war is the answer. These young men may have had no choice to be where they are. They could have been drafted, or had nothing left for them home and joined the army, or even could have been force by a parent into the army. So who is courageous? Is it the men putting the flowers in guns to stand up for their beliefs? Or is it the men holding the guns, who may not have a choice?
I agree, I think this young man is very courageous. This man is obviously against war and standing in front of a gun is probably pretty scary and uncomfortable for him, so the fact that he is setting his fears aside to stand up for what he believes in is extremely courageous. He is standing in front of a bunch of soldiers, who do not appear to have the same views of war as he does and he is still putting flowers in their guns and standing up for peace.
Katie, I completely agree with you.
Is he really corageous? or is he doing what the army men want him to do? It seems that the man above is fixing his flowers to be sure they stay in teh barrel.
I may be wrong but I don't think that civilian is in danger.
Yes, I do believe the man in the middle is courageous but I also think he is extremely foolish. He could have his head shot off! His position reflects the fact that he strongly believes in whatever he is doing.
Marissa,
I like how you are able to look at the situation from both sides, considering not only the man with the flowers but also the soldiers.
Sophie,
I can see where you’re coming from with your idea, but I don’t think the army person is fixing the flowers. (I think that it’s just the angle of the photo that makes it seem like it.) But then again, couldn’t the army person also be taking out the flowers?
Either way, I like the way that you are able to see things in a different form. =)
Do we think those rifles are loaded? What is the likelihood of one of those soldiers opening fire? Do the answers to these questions impact the way in which we understand the photograph?
Mariana,
You are right, that is another way to look at it..if the soldier is taking out the flowers the man put into his rifle. And thank you, just trying to get a different perspective on it :)
Mr. D,
I would believe that the rifles are loaded, because in reality do troops often walk around with an unloaded rifle? This picture appears to be taken in a time where there is a war or conflict, it would be neccessary for the troops to be loaded and ready for action at any given time. I still don't believe that a soldier would open fire right there in a mans face. I think that these questions open up more opportunities for a new point of view on the picture. Looking at the picture in multiple ways gives you a better understanding.
I think the guns are loaded and ready to fire. There have been times in the past that peaceful protests have become violent so I think that the soldiers would absolutely fire if they were told to.
I don't think the guns are loaded. If this was a protest that was getting violent, the soldiers would not surround the men so closely. Especially with loaded guns, it would create to much of a risk to shoot another soldier. Also if you look towards the top, one of the soldiers doesn't even have a gun, why would he go into action without a gun?
Mariana,
I agree with you that the man is foolish. If this was a violent event, the soldiers would not hesitate to shoot him, if they were given orders.
I don't doubt the fact that the guns are loaded. The men with the guns have to be ready for anything. The chances of one of the men opening fire I believe is slim. The fact that the men holding the guns and allowing the flowers to be placed in their barrell says something.
So why does the soldier allow the flowers to be place in his gun?
I don't doubt the fact that the guns are loaded. The men with the guns have to be ready for anything. The chances of one of the men opening fire I believe is slim. The fact that the men holding the guns and allowing the flowers to be placed in their barrell says something.
So why does the soldier allow the flowers to be place in his gun?
Abby,
When I said that the protest could turn violent i didn't mean that the protesters would attack. I meant that the soldiers might be given orders to attack the protesters.
Marissa,
maybe the soldier allowing the flower into his gun does mean that they will not shoot but they also could have fired after the picture was taken.
Katie,
Anything is possible so no one can predict the outcomeof this situation. But don't you think some of the ideas are a little harsh towards the soldiers? Do we really know that they want to be on the side they are?
Marissa,
I understand what you’re saying (with the possibility that the soldiers don’t want to do as they are ordered,) however, when one becomes a soldier, no matter if they want to follow the orders they are given or not, they must follow their orders. For example, in East of Eden, Adam didn’t want to kill people when he is forced into the military by his father but he does end up killing. He’s not proud of it, and he doesn’t want to do it, but he has to in some cases.
Mariana,
Yes ... soldiers follow orders. They also give orders. Could they order other soldiers to fire on civilians?
Everyone,
How likely is it the young man's courage comes as a result of knowing that the soldiers will not shoot? Does this possibility change our assessment of the situation?
I think the man wants to look courageous. However, I think that the picture was taken to exagerate the situation. I don't think that those guns were loaded, or that they would even take any action. Simply enough, I think the soldiers were called for crowd control, and not a photo opp.
When I look I this picture, I assume that the guns are loaded and probably going to fire at any minute. With that said, the young man in the picture is very courageous. It takes a certain amount of motivation to be willing to put yourself in danger for something that you believe in. With that said, I have a few questions on my mind. Where was this picture taken? Why are these uniformed men holding guns up to civilians? What are the beliefs and reasons of the young man?
Because of what the young man has in his hands, flowers, I think he is promoting peace. I'm not sure why, but I feel like flowers are a symbol of peace.
Mr D,
If the young man knew that the soldiers would not shoot, he would be much more courageous.
Nina,
I like the way you asses the photograph. When I looked at the photograph I assumed it was a historical photograph, so I also thought that the guns would be loaded. But I like that you said that the soldiers were called for crowd control, not a photo opp.
Mr. D,
I think that a soldier could give orders to other soldiers, but then again, if the soldier giving the orders doesn’t have authority over the other soldiers, I think that the soldiers could refuse to follow such orders.
Don’t soldiers get punished for not following orders given by their superiors? If so, and the orders came from a superior, then the soldiers would have to follow their given orders.
If I knew that the soldiers wouldn’t shoot, and I was in the position of the man in the middle, I still don’t think I would put the flowers in the gun barrel. Just because the soldiers can’t shoot, doesn’t mean that they can’t beat you up, either with their fists or with the butt of an unloaded gun. Therefore, my assessment wouldn’t change. I still believe that the man in the middle of the photograph has courage.
I believe that the man with the flowers is extremely courageous. I also think that the guns are loaded. The likelyhood of them opening fire is (maybe) slim. Maybe they don't want to kill the man, but if they are ordered to they probably will.
Courageous or not, I still believe this man is extremely foolish.
Abby,
What if he is standing up for something he truely believes in? Is he foolish then?
For some reason, i don't think this man is doing what he is for some simple reason. it seems to me that he is doing it for attention, or like Nina said just for a photo shoot. I don't doubt the guns are loaded but i also don't believe that any of the soldiers would have a reason to fire into the crowd. Its impossible to tell from this photo what the situation is, if its a simple protest or something more intense. Im pretty sure that these are MP police in the U.S. and obviously, U.S. soldiers would not be ordered to fire and kill innocent citizens. This adds to my thought that this man knows that he is not really faced with danger and is doing this for what he believes in but is not putting himself at risk.
For some reason, i don't think this man is doing what he is for some simple reason. it seems to me that he is doing it for attention, or like Nina said just for a photo shoot. I don't doubt the guns are loaded but i also don't believe that any of the soldiers would have a reason to fire into the crowd. Its impossible to tell from this photo what the situation is, if its a simple protest or something more intense. Im pretty sure that these are MP police in the U.S. and obviously, U.S. soldiers would not be ordered to fire and kill innocent citizens. This adds to my thought that this man knows that he is not really faced with danger and is doing this for what he believes in but is not putting himself at risk.
Jarrett,
Does it make a difference if they are MP or regular police? What are their differences? Do they treat civilians in a different way? (MP are military police, right?)
Mr. Daley,
I've been putting this off for a while, sorry that I'm only commenting at the last minute.
My immediate reaction to the picture was to agree that of course he's courageous. He's standing there putting flowers in the barrel of a loaded weapon, surrounded by police or soldiers. But then I read the discussion my class mates were having. Nina makes a valid point, that it could just be crowd control. If its peaceful, then thats not even close to being the same situation. Also, like Jarret said, its doubtful that the soldiers would open fire on American citizens in any situation like that.
I believe the man is courageous. He is not doing what the soldiers want he to do, rather he is a man that looks to be protesting war. It looks like a kind of demonstration that was prevalent during the 1960's and 1970's protesting foreign conflict. The man isn't instructed to put the flowers in the barrels; he is standing up for what he believes in. I believe that to go up to an armed person in protest, or an armed person in general, takes courage.
The guns could be loaded or not. It's likely that they are not because protests aren't usually ended by men with loaded rifles opening fire. Although it is rare that such violent measures are taken, there are times in which that kind of bloodshed has occurred. While trying not to go back too far to make the comparison irrelevant, the Boston Massacre is an example of a protest turning violent. More recently, non-violent college students were pepper sprayed while sitting in protest. Although the latter is less graphic and gruesome, it still exemplifies how enforcers can overreact to protests, such as the man putting the flower in the rifle barrel.
Brandon,
The student protestors who were recently pepper sprayed were ordered to disperse by the police. They were sprayed when they refused to follow instructions. Given that context, were the police over-reacting? What should they have done?
Courage is having the strength to face your fears, and I would be afraid of a group of solders pointing guns at me, it would take courage to do what he just did.
Sophie and Mariana,
I think he is defiantly putting flowers into the barrel of the gun, as he has a neat little bouquet in his other hand. If he was taking them out he probably just would have dropped them.
Jones,
I think the guns were most defiantly loaded. If an army was sent somewhere with unloaded weapons, they would die.
Mr. D,
The cops shouldn't have pepper sprayed those students. They were sitting on the ground, unarmed, they posed no threat. So the cops were definitely in the wrong. The students on the other hand did the right thing; if you care enough about something to protest it you should be willing to take some pepper spray to the face for it. I mean, if some Black Friday shoppers can keep fighting for some a X-Box after getting pepper sprayed, you should be able to remain sitting peacefully for something actually important.
Deanna,
By law, the police have the right to order people - even protestors - to leave or otherwise respect private property (and public property given particular circumstances). The protestors in question were ordered to disperse, and did not obey that order. What should the police have done if not used pepper spray?
Mr. D,
Pepper spray hurts; I vote for the police to spray the protesters with ice water (it works on puppies and you yourself have used this method throughout the years on students and it seems to have worked). =] But on a serious note, I’ve tried to think of something else the police might have used beside pepper spray and honestly can’t come up with anything. What if the police just picked up the students and deposited them somewhere else?
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