Current Event #3: Future Progress: Should we Save or Destroy Ancient Site?
Due: Friday, September 28th, 2012
Mining
operation threatens Buddhist icons
Recently,
our class has been covering the histories of ancient river valley
civilizations of the past. We’ve studied how each civilization must
exhibit certain criteria or key features in order to be considered
one of importance. As you reflect on these lessons, imagine the world
today minus the great pyramids of Egypt along with a host of other
monuments and natural wonders of the present world. This week, our
current event focuses on the topic of saving an ancient site from
being destroyed by economical progression. As you read the article,
learn of how a Buddhist statue overlooks a Chinese government-owned
mining compound in Logar province, Afghanistan. Mes
Aynak, a
2,600-year-old Buddhist site, could be destroyed in December to
create a massive copper mine.
Brent
Huffman,
a documentary filmmaker and assistant professor at the Medill School
of Journalism at Northwestern University,
documents that the
ancient site will be destroyed by plans to mine the area. A Chinese
company has granted permission to create a massive open-pit style
copper mine, whereas Huffman states that Mes
Aynak is a missing
link showing Afghanistan's historic role in Asia. He further states
that destroying Mes
Aynak is equivalent to
wiping Machu Picchu
off the map. How do you feel about destroying historical
landmarks/sites in the wake of promoting future progression?
What
You Will Do?
- First, read the article outlining the case surrounding a historical landmark in Afghanistan. After reading the article begin thinking about one historic landmark/monument that exist in the world today in order to answer the questions below.
- State by name the historical landmark/monument that comes to your mind and explain its significance to the world and/or group of people in which it represents.
- Analyze why you might or might not be in favor of moving forward with future progress that would lead to the destruction of structures holding significant histories tied to a land/people.
- Evaluate the impact of losing your historical landmark/monument of choice would have on our society?
***Note: Be sure to write complete, detailed sentences in paragraph form, when you share your responses to the blog.
Abby Kameny
ReplyDelete5th period
9/25/2012
When reading “Ancient Cite Needs Saving Not Destroying”, the first historical monument that came to me was the Statue of Liberty. This famous statue was given to the United States from France as a token of friendship in 1875. This statue is of woman holding a torch, and she is standing on a chain. That chain represents that the United States broke away from England. The man who designed the Statue of Liberty was named Frédéric Bartholdi, and it symbolized an alliance between France and America. Not only does this national monument represent friendship, but it contains many other symbols as well. The seven points on her crown represent the seven seas and continents, and the torch represents liberty. This statue is very important to the United States and France, because it symbolizes our alliance.
No matter what monument, I don’t think a historical landmark should be destroyed just to make progress with construction. People should really learn about the monument and how it is important to citizens before tearing it down. Just because it’s historical doesn’t mean it is unimportant- Mes Aynak was a significant part of Afghan’s lives. Every historical monument has a story, and I think people are beginning to overlook that. I believe doing this wouldn’t only destroy the monument itself, but it would destroy the hope and happiness of hundreds of people.
It would be devastating if the Statue of Liberty was destroyed. Although I thought to myself that would never happen, I came to a realization that the citizens of Afghanistan probably were thinking the same thing- after all, who would want to destroy such a beautiful, significant, and symbolic monument? Well, apparently miners and construction workers do. I’m sure the Buddha in Afghanistan had a huge impact on the lives of everyone, and it not only was a beautiful statue but represented Buddhism. I believe the destruction of the Statue of Liberty would metaphorically destroy our alliance with France. Our society would be crushed to find out that our symbol for liberty had been ruined.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAbby Thomas
ReplyDelete9-25-12
5th period
What comes to mind when I think of a monument is the Eiffel Tower. This is significant to the world because it is a landmark to France and Paris and they are known for it. It is their icon and it is a piece of art that belongs there. Nobody would ever think of destroying that or moving it. I would not be in favor of moving/ destroying the ancient site. It is an important piece of history that contains information about the people that lived there at the time. It shows how they lived, who they worshipped, what they did, etc. It also could be a piece of a missing link that they need to fill in a piece of history and they would not want to lose that because then they would never be able to figure out that chunk of history specifically about them. If we lost the Eiffel Tower, people would be devastated and the amount of tourists that go to Paris would drop significantly. The Eiffel Tower is not only a piece of art there, but an icon and it is one of the main reasons people choose to vacation or visit Paris. People would be shocked that someone would ever destroy something they had known and loved for a long time.
Jackson Cabell
ReplyDelete7th Period
9/25/12
1) The Lincoln Memorial
2) The Lincoln Memorial is very significant to the world because Abraham Lincoln was one of the best president’s of the U.S ever and this memorial represents his great achievements.
3) I would be in favor of moving forward with future progress that would lead to the destruction of structures holding significant histories tied to a land/people because it means that the world is doing this for the better. This way our country will be improving.
4) If the Lincoln Memorial was destroyed I feel like the society would freak out. Everyone loves Abraham Lincoln and his memorial was built to remember all of the great things that he had done.
Anna Grace Kelley
Delete09/25/12
Period 7
When I think of a monument that is known around the world, I think of the Statue of Liberty. It symbolizes freedom for the American people and also stands as a sign that we will always be victorious. Not only is it significant, but also over 4 million people visit the Statue of Liberty a year. It is one of the world’s greatest monuments and I can’t even begin to imagine if it were to be destroyed.
This is a tricky topic because I can see both points of view. Sometimes, things need to be taken down so that we can build something new, but at other times the historical monument is too precious to lose. If I were going to side with someone of this topic, I would be in favor of keeping the monuments. There is so much history in these sites and people travel from all over the world just to visit them. I don't think that losing such an important piece of history is worth new housing lots or mining sites.
If the Statue of Liberty were to be taken down, many people would protest. The number of tourists that visit New York would also decrease dramatically and an important piece of US history would be gone. This is why I would be in favor of keeping historical monuments instead of tearing them down.
Avery Acierno
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
9/25/12
After reading the article “Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying”, the historical monument that came to my mind was the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza are very important to the history and culture of Egypt because they show the great power, dedication, and intelligence Ancient Egypt possessed to be able to build such big structures. Also, they are important to the world because they were the largest structures ever built in ancient time, and attract many tourists to marvel at their greatness.
I am definitely not in favor in moving forward with progress that would result in the destruction of amazing historical sites such as the pyramids or Mes Aynak. These places are immensely important to people as a link back to their ancient heritage and cultural. It gives them a sense of pride of their ancestors, and a link back to them. They also are dear to the world as a whole because they mark great human accomplishments, and attract many tourists each year. If you were to take these monuments away it would deprive them of this pride and happiness. It would also anger and sadden the people with cultural links to these great monuments. I believe it is terrible to destroy these amazing sites just to gain resources and profit.
If the Pyramids of Giza were to be destroyed it would have a big impact on the world. People with heritage in Ancient Egypt, especially those living there today, would be very angered and saddened by the loss of their culture’s great accomplishment. They would probably protest and resort to violence for such an astounding loss. This would cause even more damage on society then the actual destruction. Also, the world would lose its greatest ancient monument. The Pyramids, the only standing Ancient Wonders of the World, demonstrates humans immense power and skill even in ancient times. Without them the ancient world, and especially Egypt, would be a lot less interesting.
Future Progress: Should we Save or Destroy Ancient Site?
ReplyDeleteWenbo Wang
2nd period
9/25/12
When reading about the article about the planned construction of an open-pit copper mine on the site of Mes Aynak, an important historical setting that can reveal Afghanistan’s past with Asia on the Silk Road; I felt the significance of the world’s ancient landmarks and monuments, and that they impact our societies today. The Hadrian’s Wall is a landmark that holds deep historical relevance. Located in Britain, the seventy-three miles long stone wall with watchtowers was named after Publius Aelius Hadrianus; the Roman emperor from 117-138 AD. This wall was very significant to the Roman empire, because it shown the other countries it’s military and the overall empire’s might, and prevented the barbarians to the north from entering the empire; allowing the empire to be safe from attackers of the north, marking the territory range as well. Hadrian’s Wall is currently very significant to the world today, because the Roman Empire has shaped many of the European languages, cultures, and religion seen today. Also, the excavation of the site’s artifacts has shown the world how were their way of life was like. Wooden tablets contained letters in Latin, combs, cloth, and others were found by the wall, their possessions showing the people of today their past cultures and lives.
I oppose the destruction of monuments and structures that proclaims strong historical and cultural ties with the people of the society. For example, Mes Aynak is a vital part towards understanding the history of the Silk Road and the groups that walked on its trade routes. The landmark is shrouded in mystery, but recent claims to the land have threatened the Mes Aynak into becoming a toxic open-pit mine; damaging the environment. Without cultural acknowledgement and understanding, the people will feel sad about not knowing their past experience in the Silk Road; and the landmark which lasted the test of time would be damaged by the present economical demands. I do not agree with the destroying of ancient monuments that would have provided cultural importance to the people of the world now, and for the many years to come.
If a historical landmark, such as the Hadrian’s Wall, was to be removed from our society; this will result in worldwide disapproval of the action of removal, cause lacks in the physical evidence of the Roman’s accomplishments, and the history of the many cultural groups related to Romans; while decreasing the amount of people who visit the location for tourism. For example, future students of history will learn about the emperor’s travels across Rome; and walls were built wherever he went. The visual knowledge however, would be limited to the words and photographs; and people would not have the opportunity to view the might of the empire by visiting this well-kept wall for themselves.
While reading this article I thought of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This structure when it was built trumped all others in the city. Placed upon a hill in the center of Athens it could be seen from almost anywhere in the city and represented the Greeks power and dedication to their gods.
ReplyDeleteI am completely opposed to the destruction of historical landmarks, especially that could give us a better glimpse into ancient civilizations, such as the Parthenon and Mes Aynak. I would compare it to the burning of historical records because you are too lazy to get firewood.
I believe that the destruction of the Parthenon would be the destruction of a tremendous amount of Greek culture, one of the first truly modern civilizations. As a result we would lose part of the story of the creation of our society.
Should We Destroy or Save an Ancient Site?
ReplyDeleteShomya Mitra
5th Period Honors World History
9/26/12
I thought of the Taj Mahal as a significant historical site. The Taj Mahal was built in the mid-1600s by a Mughal king, to be a tomb for his late wife. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was estimated to have 2 million visitors in 2001, demonstrating its importance to people across the world. The Taj is a magnificent piece of architecture- massive domes and towers, and ornate designs in the interior. I think it is very significant to people all around the world because it is such an engineering marvel like the Egyptian pyramids, and is also amazing to look at. Also, it was made by Muslims so many Muslims today regard it as a great achievement of their faith. I would be in complete disagreement with anyone who tries to destroy it. This caliber of landmark that is respected by people all around the world can’t be destroyed, it must be maintained and appreciated. If someone were to try to wipe it out, I think the world would be in uproar. How can such an important monument be destroyed with such impunity and ignorance? Also, I think Muslims everywhere would be especially angry because the Taj Mahal was created by Muslims, and Muslims are a very proud faith. They don’t put up with people disrespecting their religion. There would be a worldwide reaction to anyone who wanted to contempt such an important site.
Autumn West
ReplyDeleteWorld History
Period 7th
when I think of a monument is the Eiffel Tower. This is significant to the world because it is a landmark to France and Paris and they are known for it. It is their icon and it is a piece of art that is there. Nobody would ever think of destroying it. I would not be in favor of destroying the ancient site. It is an important piece of history that contains information about the people that lived there at the time. It shows how they lived, who they worshipped, what they did, etc. It also could be a piece of a missing link that they need to fill in a piece of history and they would not want to lose that because then they would never be able to figure out that chunk of history specifically about them. If we lost the Eiffel Tower, people would be devastated and the amount of tourists that go to Paris would drop significantly. The Eiffel Tower is not only a piece of art there, but an icon and it is one of the main reasons people choose to vacation or visit Paris. People would be shocked that someone would ever destroy something they had known and loved for a long time.
Albert Yam
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
9/26/12
After I read “Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying”, a historical monument that came to my mind was the pyramids in Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza are very important in the history and culture of Egypt because they represent the power of the ancient Egyptians and their culture. I am not in favor of moving forward with progress because that could result in the destruction of amazing historical sites such as the pyramids. These places are immensely important to Egyptian people because it the pyramids give them a sense of pride, and attract many tourists each year. If a company were to destroy these monuments it would anger and sadden the people with cultural links to these great monuments. I believe it would be terrible to destroy these incredible sites just to gain resources and profit. If the Pyramids of Giza were to be destroyed it would have an impact on the world. The people of Egypt would be very angered by the loss of their culture’s great accomplishment. They would probably protest because their great monuments were destroyed. This could cause even more damage to society than the actual destruction of the pyramids. Also, the world would lose a great ancient monument. The pyramids, one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, demonstrate the Egyptian people’s power and skill even in ancient times. There would be a great worldwide reaction if they were destroyed.
Paige Jones
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
As I was reading “Ancient Cite Needs Saving Not Destroying” I thought of the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France symbolizing the alliance between France and the United States. It was given to us in 1875. I think every historical landmark in the United States is important, whether it’s really important to everyone, or just to some people. I don’t think any historical landmark should be destroyed under any means. Also, people from all over the world travel to see these historical landmarks. So in my opinion, I wouldn’t want to take down a historical landmark, and I’m sure many other people agree with me. Also, historical landmarks are built to honor or remember something, like the Statue of Liberty was to honor and remember our alliance with France, and I think it’s disrespectful to France to ever remove something they’ve given to us to honor our friendship.
Sanjana Vasudevan
ReplyDelete1st period
When I read the article I thought of the Colosseum. The Colosseum means a lot to Italians and to people as a whole. It is one of the remnants of a civilization that taught and influenced several other civilizations. The Colosseum is located right in the middle of a bustling city that works around it instead of demolishing it. In fact, the shops and hotels around it get money because of all the tourists. The Colosseum cannot be demolished since it is a protected site, but if it was there would be a mass protest from not only Romans and Italians but from people all over the world that like the monument. I think that Afghanistan should take control and protect a site that contributes to their heritage. Perhaps if the war and militancy ends in that area they could have visitors. The company should also be a bit more forgiving since they are foreign and this technically isn't their land.
Francis Wemmenhove, 2nd period
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the article, “Ancient Cite Needs Saving Not Destroying”, I thought about the Saint Basil’s Cathedral. This place has been around for a long time and it has been the hub of Moscow’s growth since the 14th century. I would not be in favor of something that would cause the destruction of structures that are tied to the history of people and/or a country. The structure would need to stay because it would be a important reminder of what happened in the past. If it was tied to the history of people or to the history of a country, it’s important to keep since it will give you a small insight to how things were in the past in that country or with those people. If the Saint Basil’s Cathedral were to be destroyed, I’m sure that a lot of people would be upset. The cathedral has been in Moscow since the 14th century, and a lot of restorations have been done to make sure it still looks good today. A lot of people have gone to visit the cathedral and it’s an important part of the Russian history. In conclusion, destroying any important historical monument is something that should not be done, and will upset people all over the globe.
Jesse Chen
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
When I think of an ancient monument, I think about the great wall of China. It is not only one of the 7 wonders of the new world but also represents the strength of ancient China,and gives pride to the people of China.People shouldn't destroy historical landmarks because once you destroy the landmark, you can't get it back, and by destroying the monument, you take away some of the history of the people that made it. If someone had destroyed the great wall of China, people probably would be very angry, China would A great deal of tourism,and one of ancient China's greatest achievements would be lost.
Katherine Yang
ReplyDelete5th Period
2. The first monument that comes to mind is the Washington Monument. It pays tribute the military achievements of George Washington during the American Revolution. To many Americans, it signifies the independence, strength, and willpower of American as a nation.
3. I do not really approve of destroying historical landmarks and monuments for the sake of future progress. Even though the world definitely needs to continue progressing, we should still retain relics of the past. Maybe in the future, when humanity has progressed to an unbelievable climax, some of the landmarks will have to be destroyed in order to make room. However, in today’s time, I do not think that destroying landmarks and monuments is necessary until mankind reaches a technological and cultural zenith. We should try to preserve all the important items from humanity’s past for now, as we still have much to learn about our own history.
4. If the Washington Monument was destroyed (and I sincerely doubt it ever will be) the disappearance of this symbol of freedom would certainly devastate Americans. The independence of the USA, its separation, is very important to its citizens and residents. Many people in America would undoubtedly be very distressed if the Washington Monument was destroyed, and they would probably blame some anti-American group, some other country, or do something that might upset the balance that a free US has with the rest of the world.
Edward Zhuang
ReplyDelete9/26/12
Per. 5
The first landmark I thought of was the Great Wall of China. With almost 4,000 miles of wall, it shows the perseverance that humans display. Constructed 2,000 years ago, it is a barrier that has stood up to the test of time. It remains as one of China’s biggest tourist attractions and plays a big part in Chinese culture. If it were to be taken down, part of China would be gone.
I am not in favor of destroying landmarks and structures for future development. These monuments mean a lot to their people, and they are proud of them. It wouldn’t seem right if America no longer had the Statue of Liberty. These monuments show hard work from other humans. Taking down their work would mean their contributions would disappear. Also, these landmarks are a part of history. How could one get rid of our past, erasing previous achievements? No, that wouldn’t be right.
If the Great Wall were to truly be destroyed, no one could know what would happen next. Perhaps protests, or riots. China has a rich history, but undoubtedly its most famous accomplishment would be the Great Wall. Not only for mankind, the Great Wall probably generates a fair amount of tourism, which could help China’s economic growth. It would be hard to even find a reason to take it down - not many things will justify the destruction of our ancestors work.
Carly LeMoine
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
One historical landmark that comes to mind it the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built for the international exhibition of Paris of 1889 around the century of the French Revolution. The Eiffel Tower is important to the world because it was the main attraction in one of the few world’s fairs to make a profit. The Eiffel Tower is probably more important to the French people because in the final analysis it was seen as a celebration of all the French achievements. If someone came along and just announced that they were going to destroy the Eiffel Tower then there would be lot of people who won't be happy. The Eiffel Tower means something to them and if you tare down something that important then you can guarantee that you will have a lot of angry people to deal with. If someone destroyed the Eiffel Tower, it would be like taking the Statue of Liberty one of the major monuments in America and ruining it. If people care about something and you take it away from them then there will be a problem that wont be pretty.
Jacob Engel
ReplyDelete7th period
The first monument that comes to mind for me is the Western Wall in jerusalem. That is one if not the most sacred place for jews around the world. It is the only remaining part of the temple in Jerusalem, during the time of the kings of israel. Being Jewish myself, the western wall is a very important monument for me.
I would not be in favor of destroying the western wall, because of tis religious significance. It also holds a lot of history. Tearing down the western wall would get rid of the only remaining part of king solomon's temple. It would be an incredible shock for me to know that the wall was being torn down. I would not be in favor of tearing any significant monument, unless there was some incredibly important reason that involved saving the world. Tearing down a monument that is very important for a people or a culture is taking away from them.
If the western wall was torn down, I think that there would be jews protesting all over the world, and some might even resort to violence. If the western wall was destroyed, it would have a similar religious affect as blowing up Mecca, or killing the Pope. It probably wouldn't be as big, because there are a small fraction of jews compared to muslims or christians, but the affect would be close.
CISEM KARACA
ReplyDelete5th period
World History CE #3
Many landmarks around the world have helped us understand how the first civilizations came to be. These landmarks define our history and how our society was shaped to how it is today. They should be preserved because it is important history to mankind and the evolution of our communities and religions. Many companies are buying land where these monuments and landmarks have been there long before bulldozers were created to destruct pieces of history. 2) When I read this article I thought of Derinkuyu Underground City in Cappadocia, Turkey. This region is home to some of the world’s first civilizations. There are over 200 underground cities in this area. When I visited Derinkuyu I saw how people lived underground, they had underground homes that went about 11 floors down. These were the homes of the people from the first civilizations to exist on our planet.
3) I feel that it is important to keep these monuments/ landmarks because the hold so much information and history of our past. They have allowed us to learn about our past and how our ancestors survived without the technology that we have today. Its shows that these cities were hard to find because of their location and probably were not invaded as easily as other civilizations. The architecture of this city must have been very well planed because it is 11 stories tall and is still here today.
4) Since many of the underground cities have not been found yet it would be sad to lose the ones that we have found today. They have provided so much information of how early civilizations survived and lived in underground cities. These cities still have information that has not been discovered yet and still need to be explored. If a company were to build factories and cities around these historic sights it would ruin the site as well as the history that links back to the earliest civilizations.
Shreyas Pyati
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
When I read the article, I thought of the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, and it was a symbol of freedom. During World War 2 and the Holocaust, all of the immigrants that came to America to escape the Holocaust went through Ellis Island, and when they saw the Statue of Liberty, they saw it as a sign of freedom. I am against destroying this amazing monument because it symbolizes so many things. America puts big emphasis on freedom, and if one was to destroy the one thing that best symbolizes freedom, it would be very contradictory, Another thing is that it was given to us by France, so it is a tie to that country on friendly grounds. The destruction of this monument would be a shock to the world, because when we think America, one of the first things that pops into our head is the Statue of Liberty. It would also create turmoil throughout the country because of its symbolism. All in all, we should not destroy famous and monumental landmarks.
Danielle Reviere
ReplyDelete5th
When I read this article the first historical landmark that came to mind was the Leaning tower of Pisa. This bell tower has leaned since its construction starting in 1174 even though it did not turn out how they had hoped it still is an amazing achievement for the Italian people of that time. The reason this bell tower is so important is because it is a miracle of this time periods engineering. The bell tower has been through wars and is part of the system of religious buildings located in Pisa.
I really do not think that we should tear down historical sites. I think they are too important to the culture of the society that it is in. In the article it talks about how the area will forever be polluted and how the country will not really gain anything from the site being turned into a mine. Which I think is really wrong, even if tearing it down would help the country a little bit (unless it was their only option) I think it is still wrong.
If the Leaning Tower of Pisa was turned into a mine or was knocked down all the example of engineering in this tower would be lost, it is a religious building, and the economy based on tourism in Pisa would take a big hit.
Kaitlin Hill
ReplyDelete2nd Period
9/26/12
1. While reading the article the historic monument I thought of was the Statue of Liberty.
2. The Statue of Liberty is significant because it was given to the United States as a gift from France to symbolize the alliance between the two great nations.
3. I would not be in favor of moving or destroying important monuments such as the Statue of Liberty. Millions of people see the monument as a sign of freedom and hope, to take this away would be extremely disrespectful to France and offend many Americans.
4. If the Statue of Liberty were to be destroyed I think America would be furious. Not only is the statue an international sign of the greatness of America, but it also helps the economy by bringing in millions of tourists every year.
Robert Fernald
ReplyDelete1st period
When I read the article “Ancient site needs saving not destroying” I thought of the Spanish fort in Saint Augustine Florida. The Spanish fort is significant to both the world and the Spanish people because it is a symbol of Spanish heritage in Florida and it is also popular tourist attraction. The fort is from when the Spanish controlled Florida and many people visit it every year. I would not be in favor of moving forward with future progress to destroy the Mes Aynak historical site because it will not benefit the society. In this case it seems like converting the historical site into a mine would not even be progress, it would completely pollute the environment and the only country that would benefit would be China. Even though the mine is in Afghanistan they would just get all of negative effects because China is the one that owns the mining company. Afghanistan’s environment would be ruined, they would lose some of their history and they would barely make a profit. I think that if the Spanish fort in Saint Augustine were destroyed it would a have a negative impact on Florida. The fort is an important tourist site by the beach so if it were destroyed the State would lose lots of its tourism business.
Casey Patterson
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
9/26/12
Reading this article made me think of the Great Wall of China. It is the greatest achievement of mankind and it’s the only manmade structure that can be seen from space. Its also a huge part of the Chinese culture and economy. I am not in favor of moving forward because it would anger people and also once you destroy a landmark you cant put it back together. Also if you destroy the Great Wall of China, china will lose a lot of tourism, pride and the greatest accomplishment of man. It would probably upset the ancestors of builders of the Great Wall of China. Many died or spent many years of there lives building this great monument.
Veronica Kim
ReplyDelete1st period Honors World History
9/26/2012
Many of you may not have heard of it, but in Korea, there's a place called Seokguram Grotto - a National Treasure, a 10-foot-tall statue of Buddha carved from solid rock, detailed and absolutely gorgeous - well, this is what the article reminded me of. Here's my train of thought when I went to see it: 1) Ohmygod wow 2) That is a BIG statue 3) How did people carve this out of solid rock? and 4) I'm going to remember what this looks like for the rest of my life. See, Seokguram Grotto is not something you forget easily (seriously, go look it up, it's amazing), and to the Korean people, it's not just a statue, National Treasure #24 of South Korea, whatever, it's a lot more than that. Pardon the cliche, but seeing it made me really proud to be a Korean (just like watching Gangnam Style makes me proud, but anyways) and if that was destroyed...
I don't think land development comes even CLOSE to an excuse for destroying something so significant to a country's people; I don't think it should be even considered. The fact is, Seokguram Grotto is really important to Koreans. It symbolizes hard work and patience and devotion and all these things that shouldn't be knocked down by a bulldozer, or thrown out of the way in order to "make progress". Because making progress is not just better phones and better computers and faster Internet or whatever, making progress should also be about knowing when the choices we make are wrong. And destroying something that is so sacred to people - well, that is definitely not making progress. Someone once told me, "You must learn to walk before you can run", and I think we all need to slow down for a moment, and learn to walk properly... because that would be a good start.
Claire Kern
ReplyDelete7th period
When I think of a historical landmark or monument, the Great Wall of China immediately comes to my mind. This landmark is very significant to the world by just being a major part of China’s history. To me, the wall represents China and the ancient Chinese people’s long struggle to complete the wall and make China’s border. The wall being 5,500 miles long, took 2000 years to make during China’s many dynasties and battles.
I would not be in favor of the destruction of significant land marks because the people of ancient times worked very hard to create these structures and if we just destroy them for our own selfish purposes, all their hard work will go to waste and will be forgotten. I personally don’t think it does any good at all to destroy landmarks even if it does get a resource for people. Ancient structures are part of history and are meant to be saved and remembered, not destroyed and forgotten! These structures are tied to the land they were built on and the people that live there and should not be removed for any reason.
If the Great Wall of China was removed, the people of the world would be devastated! The people of China would feel like something in their life was missing, because something would be missing. The Great Wall has been a part of history for a long time and by removing it you are removing a part of history. Not that the Great wall would ever be destroyed, but I’m speaking for all the landmarks in the world. They are all a part of history, the big ones like the great wall, but as well as the smaller ones like Mes Aynak. They are all important and should never be removed from society.
The monument that came to my mind was the statue of liberty. I thought of this, because since I live in America its one monument that is seen a lot in our country. The statue symbolizes the freedom that we have and it was given to us from France as a celebration of being a country for 100 years.
ReplyDeleteI am not in favor of removing the site. My reasoning is because they can find more sites to mine at, but once they destroy this it is gone forever. History is something that can not be replaced, and we need to keep in mind how lucky we are to know and share so much of it. They are truly taking for granted this amazing piece of history, which should be protected and preserved for future generations to admire. Also, the demolition of the city may offend some people of the Buddhist religion.
If the Statue of Liberty were destroyed, or taken down people would be outraged. She has been a part of our country for so long and resembles something that America takes great pride in. Freedom! I don’t think that the country would let the statue be destroyed, but if it was we would surely be enraged.
- Mimi Kramer
Sam Bauers
ReplyDelete2nd Period
Waters
When I think of major monuments of the world I think of the leaning tower of pisa. This is a huge tourist attraction in Italy, and is always the first I think of. This tower is a great piece of history, as well as very interesting since its constantly leaning further and further toward the side. Its a monument that hopefully I will get to see one day. I could see either way in removing the site. Obviously I don't want it removed, because its a huge piece of history and I have not seen it yet. However, I can understand why you would want it to be removed. If the tower constantly is tilting then that means some day that tower is coming down. You don't want anyone or anything to get hit on the tower's way down. So if it came to a point where it was either safety or the leaning tower of pisa, I would understand picking safety. I think if the tower was removed people including myself would be devastated. This is one of the many things people mention when talking about Italy. Every time someone mentions going to Italy the first thing I ask them is if they visited the leaning tower of Pisa. I think the worst part would be when they take it down. Other landmarks, statues, places might start to crack, or break this would be the first one that just fell. One day its there, and the next its gone. Nothing left but empty space. I think that would be a huge loss for everyone that appreciates these kind of ancient artifacts.
Jessi Szymczak
ReplyDeleteHonors World History 2nd period
September 26th, 2012
While I was reading the article "Ancient site needs saving not destroying" I personal did not agree with on any levels of blowing up this ancient area at all. I think that there are many other ways of getting around destroying the whole entire ancient site to get copper, or an idea that is better than that, is to just leave the site alone in general. Reading this article the historical monument that came to mind for me was the Statue of Liberty.
The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic Bartholdi, who was a french man, had given in to the U.S. as a gift from France. It also showed to the people immigrating to the U.S. through New York that they had made it and it was a sign of opportunity and freedom. I would definitely not be in favor of moving forward if it meant destruction of structures. If people were to remove all of the historical structures we would never be able to find anything more about our world or our history because we would only have what would be new and in use today. When you have these historical monuments, landmarks, or areas it gives a little depth to the land and makes it interesting and is something new and exciting that is different from the things we have today that all look the same. Especially in this case I would not be in favor or destroying this ancient site because of all the pollution it would cause to the land and pain it would cause to the people living there.
The Statue of Liberty has given so much hope to Americans everywhere and if it were to be taken down or demolished it would not only affect the tourism that it brings to American but it would also send a lot of heart ache to a large portion of people in America, and around the world.
Sarah Taekman
ReplyDelete9-26-12
Period 5
A few years ago, I got the privilege of visiting the famous historical site Chichen Itza, located in Mexico. Chichen Itza are the ruins of an old Mayan city, started most likely by farmers in the 4th century, and with temples beginning construction around the 7th century. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in Mexico, full of information as to the average Mayan citizen’s daily life in the city. The most famous structure in Chichen Itza is the Temple of Kukulkan, a step-pyramid devoted to the Mayan serpent god, Kukulkan. It has 365 steps, one for every day of the year. The site demonstrates the advancements and customs that Mayans discovered, and shows how life was back then.
I am most certainly not in favor of destroying historical sites for future progress. The temples, artifacts, statues, houses, and more took thousands of years to think of and create. It’s not our right to tear down an entire civilization’s developments just to satisfy our need for resources. Some of the resources we are retrieving may not even be needed in a few years! How would our civilization today feel if our descendants decided to destroy any advancements, buildings, or possessions we had, because they thought their way of life was “better?” Multiple times, the author of the article stated that digging up these areas would not only ruin those cultural sites, but also the future of the land. People today need to stop looking only at what’s happening now, and look into the future as well.
Much would be lost if the ancient city of Chichen Itza were torn down. The most immediate effect would be the loss of tourism. Mexico receives a lot of money from tourists wishing to view the majesty of Chichen Itza. Another thing that would be missed is the education people receive from visiting the site. Mayans are typically portrayed as the civilization that made a calendar that will predict the end of the world, but that is simply not true. By walking the old streets, people can see what daily life was back then, and learn about the tradition and legacy of the land. They can also learn from the less attractive parts of the culture, such as human sacrifice, and a popular game similar to basketball, in which the loser was beheaded. More than likely, any mining or ripping up of the land would ruin it for future purposes. If we lost Chichen Itza, we would lose benefits from the past, present, and future.
Anna Castellano
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
The Statue of Liberty is a historic landmark that comes to my mind. Its significance to the world, especially Americans, is to symbolize freedom. It was a gift from France in the 19th century and is one of the first thing many immigrants saw when they entered America.
I wouldn’t be in favor of moving forward with future progress that would lead to the destruction of the Statue of Liberty. This monument is important to many Americans, especially immigrants. It reminds us that here in America we are free and value freedom. We are tied to the statue because it was a gift from France to symbolize the friendships and allegiance to the United States. They were helpful in America gaining its independence from British Rule; America has continued that importance and value of freedom to this day with their involvement in world affairs.
The impact of losing this historical monument would cause disappointment to the Americans and the French especially because of the value to both countries. This value of Freedom has transcended over 100 years and continues to be a strong value held by Americans and their fight for others freedoms.
Gabi Brenman
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
While reading the devastating story of Mes Aynek, I was constantly thinking of the Santa Barbara mission I visited this past summer. The Santa Barbara Mission is a very important historical site in California. The site was built in the late 1700s by Spaniards. The Santa Barbara Mission is a very important place to many people. They protect this historic site and embrace it; they would never even consider destroying it. The Santa Barbara Mission has been turned into a museum so that anyone can learn about the fascinating history of the Santa Barbara Mission and the people who inhabited it.
There were many missions along the coast of California in the 1700s. Many have been torn down with new, more modern, projects taking their place. The Santa Barbara Mission is one of the best-maintained remaining missions left. It is bad enough several missions have already been destroyed, but now the Santa Barbara Mission can represent all of them. If we no longer had the Santa Barbara Mission, all the important artifacts and the spectacular churches would never be seen again. Many people would not be able to learn about some of the first Catholics that settled in North America. The Santa Barbara Mission was very important to California history.
Destroying Mes Aynek or any other similar historical site would not only damage people emotionally, but it would destroy the proof of the ancestors who inhabited the land long ago. It would prevent the mysteries of early civilizations to ever be uncovered. Information about the civilizations would become very limited with little to no hope of learning more.
I believe it would be cruel and disrespectful to blow up Mes Aynek without letting archeologists finish excavating all the important artifacts. The artifacts could provide important information about the past. It is not worth blowing these artifacts and temples up for copper.
Progress has always been very important to human civilizations, but tearing old things down to make way for the new is not the only answer. Some ancient architecture is worth preserving. The Santa Barbara Mission is definitely worth preserving and so is Mes Aynek.
Claire Lancaster,
ReplyDelete1st period, honors world history,
Waters
When I first read this article, I immediately thought of the Eiffel tower in Paris, France. It is immediately that thing that you associate with France and it is extremely well known throughout the world. Just like if people decided there was copper to mine underneath the Eiffel tower, I completely disagree with people destroying a historical site in Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. There will be plenty of copper to mine everywhere else in the world, where there is not a historical site on top of it. Why do we need to mine copper anyways? What could be worth more then a site with sculptures thousands of years old? Not even to mention the lives lost from all the toxic things they use for the destruction of the site. They are doing multiple things wrong here; destroying nature, killing people, upsetting people, and messing with a historical site. Those people are greedy and just plane sad to be honest with you. Think about the destruction of this site. More then three thousand people have read this article in just two days. Now imagine that the Eiffel tower is going to be bulldozed over because some people want to dig for copper to make even more money then they already have. The 6.5 million plus people that visit the Eiffel tower yearly would be completely devastated. Even more so then this. I think that if we don’t stand up to these people today then who knows, this could be the Eiffel tower, or the great wall, or even the statue of liberty. We need to put an end to this nonsense today. Its unsympathetic, its greedy and its wrong.
Ian Hufford
ReplyDelete1st period
9-27-12
Mes Aynak is a Buddhist city that has very large temples and statues that contains fragile manuscripts that had information about the daily life and other important findings that could reveal a lot about Buddhist culture. The problem with this is there is a mining operation that plans to extract copper from the site, that could damage the temples and statues, not to mention the manuscripts that need to be extracted. The mining company that plans to extract the copper was not told that the copper was on a sight that contained important pieces of Buddhist culture. I believe that it is important to conserve these sites, and look for copper in other places, or find a better way to extract it. loosing this historical landmark would be unfortunate not only because of the loss and the statues and information, but it would mean that we value resources that are not essential for our survival over historical sites that we can still learn a lot from.
Tommy Mozier
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
1: Machu Picchu
2. This ancient Inca city is one of the wonders of the world. It represents the religious view of the Inca’s, as well as their cool methods of farming on mountain slopes and the architecture. The Inca’s were a great early civilization and from them descended a lot of culture that is still used in South America
3: I would be totally against destroying it. It’s a wonder and should be preserved as long as possible. It’s a very popular tourist attraction and its one of the only things that we have left from the Inca’s, with the Spanish killing all of them. They were one of the three early, yet advanced civilizations in Latin America, and we only have scattered remnants of them, thanks to the Spanish.
4. Destroying Machu Picchu would not only be wrong, it would be terrible. Losing something as great as that is like losing the statue of liberty or the Lincoln Memorial. I know for a fact that they are closing it down soon, but not destroying it. But think about it. That city is Peru’s Alamo, South America’s Grand Canyon.
Simon Dunson
ReplyDeleteperiod 7
When I read the article about Mes Aynak i imagined one of the cities that were in the videos that we watched in class. I cannot believe that someone would want to destroy such an important place that could possibly teach us more about how people back then lived. There could be manuscripts there that could tell us stuff that we previously didn't know about those people. I think that we should preserve Mes Aynak and turn it into a tourist attraction. Im sure people would come from all over the world to see it and then the mining company could make money off of that. It would be a loss to the entire would if the mining company destroyed Mes Aynak just to make money that would be just wrong.
1) Washington monument
ReplyDelete2)This monument is significant because it represents our first president of this magnificent country that we all call home.
3) Personally I am against the destruction of important monuments because each and every one of them holds a story and means something to somebody.
4) If The Washington monument was destroyed i think that all of America would lose it, and be very upset with out government for destroying something that represents the start of this country.
2) Stonehenge. It is significant to historians since it is a mystery that cant be solved using present technologies. I guess that it would also be significant to writers for that reason as well.
ReplyDelete3) I am in favor of its destruction. It provides absolutely no use whatsoever to the world. It isnt religious or anything. Its a mystery, so no one would be offended by its destruction. In fact, I want to be the bulldozer driver myself.
4) Well, for one in the beginning it would start both a small protest and a flurry of writings about stonehenge. Then after a few years it would die down, less books would be written about stonehenge, and everyone will live happily ever after. :D
Shamim Zarei
ReplyDelete2nd period
One landmark that comes up to my mind is the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and it represents the strength of the ancient Chinese people of the past. The Great Wall has a great significance to this world because it is a very beautiful monument and measures to about 340 miles long. I don’t want to destroy old artifacts of the world because they represent our ancestor’s strength to be able to build these amazing artifacts without the tools we have today. Destroying them for new resources is not worth it because they are very important to some people and some are very important to a specific country like the Great Wall of China. If some one were to destroy the Great Wall of China, I think every one around the world would be very upset and angry. The wall is a nice place to visit and it represents one of China's greatest achievements. Also, it would affect China's economy because tourists won’t visit China as much so China can’t make as much money from tourism.
Sam Nielsen
ReplyDelete1st Period
2) A historical monument that the article made me think about was Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall was originally built by the ancient Romans in Britain. It was the most heavily fortified border of the empire and is known as the most important Roman monument built in Britain.
3) Without a doubt, I am not in favor of monuments like these being destroyed for monetary gain. As someone that is interested in history, I have always though that ancient monuments like these were really cool. Just thinking about how ancient civilizations built these structures and all the events they have been around for really makes me appreciate them. They have helped us uncover so much important history and it would be a shame if any of them were destroyed. So, I definitely think that almost nothing is worth destroying these breathtaking and monumental creations.
4) Hadrian's Wall has long been used as a major tourist attraction in England. There are many hiking trails that follow along it that allow people to experience its magnificence. So, destroying it would be horrible. It would mean the loss of an important tourist location in Northern England and would also enrage many of it's inhabitants. Now, the effect probably wouldn't be as severe as it is with the monument in Afghanistan, but it still wouldn't be good.
Avery Scope-Crafts
ReplyDeleteP.1
When I read the article about Mes Aynak being destroyed all for some mine, I think of what if that happened to the statue of liberty. The statue of liberty symbolizes America’s freedom, liberty, and justice. It is the symbol that represents us as a whole. It was given to us from France around 100 years ago.
I am against moving forward with future progress that would lead to the destruction of structures holding significant histories tied to land and people. Once this site is destroyed, there is no getting it back. Not even if they regret this decision in the future and want to change their minds. There are countless places to build mines, but only one place that has this importance to history. I could understand them building a mine on lesser important historic places, but certainly not this one.
The impact if the statue of liberty was destroyed or lost would be huge. Our symbol of freedom would be gone. Maybe there would be slaves in the where we live now. Also, our relationship with France would be worse. They gave it to use to represent freedom, and for us to destroy it could spark a war between us.
Francisco Coch
ReplyDelete7
When asked to picture a cultural landmark of my choice, I immediately pictured the city of Machu Picchu. I consider this ancient mountain city to be one of the most important landmarks of ancient periods, not only because of its fame, but because it has led to numerous discoveries that explained how people of the region once lived, what advancements they made, and ultimately how society has evolved from then to the present day.
I believe that it is wrong to destroy such places from very early on in history, in search of extracting non-reusable resources to temporarily benefit the economy. If companies were to try and destroy a site like Mes Aynak, regardless of how much money they obtain from the copper, they will go on and continue to mine elsewhere. It is simply a matter or when they will do it.
If Machu Picchu were to be leveled, the world would lose a significant source for learning about its rich past, and people of future generations will not feel that it was once significant as we see it today, and this may lead to the destruction of other priceless things rich with history.
Blake Johnson
ReplyDelete2nd period
9/28/2012
1) Statue of Liberty
2) The Statue of Liberty is the monument that comes to my mind. It is very important to the country and Americans. For the country, the Statue of Liberty represents our freedom and independence. For Americans, it symbolizes our ancestors that arrived at Ellis Island and saw the statue symbolizing a fresh start.
3) I would not be in favor of moving forward in destroying ancient landmarks/monuments. I think that by doing this it would take away a part of the region or country that it was located. These landmarks or monuments could be very important to a certain culture or religion. They could also show what the past was like so people could learn. Destroying the monument or landmark would not make any of this possible.
4) If America lost the Statue of Liberty, it would have a huge impact on the country. Many people would be very upset. This monument represents some of the great things and memories of the United States of America. Destroying the Statue of Liberty would be destroying America’s symbol and freedom and hope. The Statue of Liberty is representation of the United States’ greatness.
Alex Parks
ReplyDelete1st Period
The first historical monument that i though of while reading the article was The Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the US from France as a token of friendship in 1875. It shows how we broke off from England and have a alliance with France.
Most of the time i am not in favor with these historical monuments being torn down. The times when it is necessary to take down historical monuments is when we have figured out all about it and are sure about it. If we are not sure if we know everything about it then we could move it, if we think we know mostly everything about the given monument, or we could just keep the monument where it is supposed to be and let it be a tourist attraction. When we leave a monument be, then there is also the chance that we could still learn something about it.
The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of the freedom of the United States of America. If the Statue of Liberty were to be deconstructed, the entire nation would go into millions of riots and would almost certainly break out into rebellions. The Statue of Liberty being torn down would mean the symbol of our freedom being taken away from us.
Alex Ramirez
ReplyDelete1st period
9-27-12
1) What came in my mind in historical landmark is the Colosseum. This represents the Romans at the time when they wanted entertainment. This was built in Rome, Italy in 70-80 A.D. The Colosseum was a originally an amphitheater. This was the largest built in Roman Empire. This is considered greatest works in architecture, and engineering. This was like a new generation for architecture in Italy with a brighter future.
2) I do not agree of destroying historical landmarks. Even though the world needs to progress, we need to keep the valuable monuments to remember our ancestors how they gave us an idea to keep going on in architecture. It also gets the historical landmarks visitors, because the monuments are important for how they are built and it attracts people.
3) If the Colosseum was lost, then Rome will be nothing really. I know that are more monuments in Italy but, if this was lost then they will lose all their people who admired the Colosseum won't go to Italy. This because the Colosseum made a impact on engineering and architecture.
Erica Johnson
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
Waters
After reading this article, a very important monument popped into my head. The Parthenon, in Athens Greece. Completed in 438 B.C., it is an ancient monument that represents the strength and democracy of the ancient city of Athens. And much like Mes Aynak, the Parthenon has been through a lot-tough weather conditions, robbers, and war outbreaks. But it is known as one of the greatest cultural monuments, since it also gives us information on the Ancient Greek Civilizations!
I am definitely against the destruction of Mes Aynak. Not only is the monument a great piece of history and the missing link to many ancient civilizations, it also is an important part of the Afghan people’s culture! It would be like tearing down the Statue of Liberty, or the Eiffel Tower. Tearing down this monument would show complete and utter disrespect of culture history. And, if you really think about it, the copper really isn’t worth all that much-due to the corruption and unfair wealth distribution in Afghanistan currently, only a very small portion of the civilization would benefit from the mining. Not to mention the environmental effects, which the natives are not even aware about! So, in conclusion, I think it would benefit the whole civilization if everybody just took a second thought and looked at the consequences.
Look at the Parthenon currently. Right now, it is having construction done to repair the currently injured side scaffolding. People are repairing an ancient monument! I think this shows how much people care about our history and ancient ruins. If the Parthenon was torn down right now, there would be an outrage. Not only do architects, historians, and archaeologists benefit from this sculpture, but also normal humans! Many people enjoy just having the ability to be in the presence of an ancient building that was created years ago-and of course they should! It connects us from the very past to our current civilizations. So my question for you is, why should Mes Aynak be any different?
McKenna Willoughby
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
Taj Mahal is located in Agra, India. It is a white marble tomb built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his dead wife. Taj Mahal is a symbol of Shah Jahan’s love for his wife. It also is an example of the power and architeculural skills of the Mughals.
In my opinion, I am against the destruction of historical landmarks/monuments. Why would you destroy something that is able to teach you about the past as well as looking beautiful. They also could be very important to someone’s culture or religion. What would you do if someone blew up the Washington Monument, just to mine?
The Taj Mahal is a very important historic monument in India. It gets around thousands of visitors each day. If it was destroyed, there would probably be an uproar in India.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJulia Perkins
ReplyDelete1st Period History
After I read Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying, the first monument or landmark that came to mind was the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument is a tall square pillar with a pyramid on top, made of marble, bluestone gneiss, and granite. It began construction in 1848, but it took until 1884 to complete it. It was built as a tribute to the military contributions and leadership of George Washington in the American Revolution. This monument is seen as a cornerstone of American society, and is sometimes used as a symbol for all of America. Because of this, the Washington Monument is crucial to American culture. If, in thousands of years, all that was left of America was this one huge stone pillar, I would certainly hope that you wouldn’t knock it down, even to get to resources underneath. I think that if you only have a few pieces of an ancient civilization or culture left, you’d better hold on to those pieces, not help get rid of them. I think that it’s very important to avoid the destruction of structures that hold significant histories that are tied to a land or a people. I think that if the Washington Monument was destroyed today, it would be taken as an attack on America and an affront to the independent nation that is the USA.
Markale Cordova
ReplyDeletePeriod 5th
9/27/12
1. Statue of Liberty
2. This comes to my mind when I’m thinking about historical monuments. The Statue of Liberty is very important us (Americans) because it symbolizes independence and freedom we have in this country. The immigrants who also came here get them a good start.
3. Honestly, I would not be in favor on destroying these magnificent and beautiful monuments. This monument has so much rich history built in the statue. If this monument gets destroyed then I would believe it would end humanity as in freedom.
4. As I said before if this statue gets destroyed then people would get very upset and freedom and the independence for people would be lost. The United States of America memories represents great rich history.
Julianna Turner
ReplyDeleteSeptember 27, 2012
Current Event
2
While I was reading this article I was thinking of the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, demonstrating international friendship. It is a universally known statue which is important to not only Americans but people around the world. This statue symbolizes freedom and democracy, also it helps remind us of our past and to bestow a sense of patriotism to American citizens.
I am completely against the destruction of Mes Aynak. This ancient city is a key to unlocking the history of Afghanistan, and we are about to throw all that away. There is still so much to be learned from this city, and it is literally going to blow up around us. Also, the mining company which is going to blow it up is from China, therefore they should not get a say in whether or not to destroy an important landmark which lies in Afghanistan. The effects that destroying this ancient city would have one the environment are disastrous. It would create a toxic area which would be deadly to step foot into, but it would pollute the rivers and in turn harm the ecosystems and villages near the river.
If a company from another country came to America and eventually wanted to destroy the Statue of Liberty to get to some copper, we would have an uprising on our hands. The Statue of Liberty is a very important part of America, it symbolizes the American dream, and opportunity. She stands out overlooking the sea, watching those who are coming to America in search of prosperity. The first part of America you would see if coming by ship is this giant statue, a symbol for hope and liberty. If you were to try to take that away, you would have millions of furious Americans demanding that our beautiful Statue continued to stand tall. If it were destroyed, whomever is responsible for abolishing one of our most prized monuments may want to leave the country.
Emma Baldwin
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
1. While reading this article, I thought about the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. One of the things that struck me about this article was that Mes Aynak was a religious site. While countries and governments come and go, religions are much more cemented in culture and therefore longer-lasting. The Wailing Wall is a wall significant mainly in Judaism: one comes to the wall to pray. A popular practice involves writing a prayer upon a small slip of paper and placing it between the cracks in the wall.
2. I am not in favor of destroying structures that have historic culture for other projects--especially when the projects have no long-lasting value. Mining for copper, for example. In thirty years, the copper will be gone, and all that the project will have to show for its work is large pit. However, if the site was left alone, a sacred Buddhist site would be able to pass on its value for generations to come.
3. The destruction of the Wailing Wall would be seen as an offense to not only the Jewish religion but the culture of Jerusalem. Even non-religious people would have to admit that destroying such a symbolic place is a sign of disrespect. It is easy to think that such a place you not be destroyed because it is so famous, but the reality is that the greed for money can be found all over the world. The destruction of the Wailing Wall would definitely be seen as a black mark upon the behavior of society.
Lillian Menkens-Weiler
ReplyDeleteHonors World History
Mr. Waters Period 5
As I was reading this article, the first monument I thought of was Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England. This prehistoric site is a large, beautiful mystery of England. This amazing landmark aligns almost perfectly with the sunrise on the summer solstice. It seems obvious to many that this monument was built to be a worship site. Although construction began about 5,000 years ago, it took such a long time to build that the stones that still remain today are about 4,000 years old. It’s obvious that this site meant a lot to these ancient, mysterious people. They spent thousands of years constructing it. It remains a colossal, intriguing mystery today, and it will take many years for scientists to uncover its secrets. It will continue to dazzle us as long as it’s there, and it may give us a glimpse into the past of Afghanistan. This is also true for Mes Aynak.
Mes Aynak is clearly an integral part of Afghanistan’s past, and destroying it will destroy the history that is waiting to be discovered within it. As it would for Stonehenge, shortening a project of 30 years to one of 3 will keep the secrets of Mes Aynak undiscovered, and a chapter of Afghan history and culture will be lost. But it won’t only affect the historical aspect of the site, it will also affect the current land and the life that inhabits it. It will be unsafe and impossible to survive there. I would be devastated to see this amazing place be destroyed, and I know I’m not the only one who would have this reaction.
Losing Stonehenge would be like stealing a piece of history. There would be an uproar throughout the world, and the clues and secrets of the site would be lost. When discover that there is copper underneath Stonehenge and the only way to reach it is by destroying this sacred site, people would be shocked. I’m sure many people are feeling this way about Mes Aynak, yet the views of those against it are not being shared, and unless something is done, this glorious site will be lost.
Jeff Richardson
ReplyDelete1st Period
9/27/12
I feel like the monument that best relates to Mes Aynak would be the Old Well that we have here in Chapel Hill. This is a structure that is important in our community, but small compared to the rest of America. It tells some history about our town and is something our community values.
I think that it is all about perspective when considering the destruction of an ancient site. The article talks about it from the shoes of one of the villagers, somebody who this event will impact. But what the author fails to emphasize is how many other cultural sites there are in Afghanistan. The Old Well is a very good example because it really shows how small of a monument the article is talking about. There could be millions of others just like it, scattered across the middle east. If the monument was at all similar to that of our Statue of Liberty, the Afghan authorities would never allow the minors to destroy it. I personally don't agree with the contract, but I see no problem in it. Saying that, I think Afghanistan should limit the number of these sites that get destroyed and enforce that limitation.
Bringing this back to perspective, the loss of the Old Well would extract different reactions from Chapel Hill opposed to America as a whole. Our community would be furious and we would scrap for every last piece of this structure. But most of America probably wouldn't even hear it in the news if something this minuscule was demolished.
Iain Dixon
ReplyDelete2nd Period
9/27/12
The historic monument that I can think of that is significant, would be Alnwick Castle. Alnwick castle is a castle that is located in the heart of Northumberland. Its one of the most iconic castles of the north of England. I would NOT like this castle to be destroyed for a number of reasons. Its a prime example of a medieval castle, as it is still in very good repair, thanks to the Duke’s and Duchesses of Northumberland. It also has a ton of learning experiences for young and older people to learn about medieval England. Among many things, it also possesses the famous poison garden, which holds all of the most deadly plants, roots, flowers, trees, and berries that the would has to offer. There are so many great things to learn and fun things to do, that it would be a great shame if they tore it down. Also, Harry Potter fans would cause and outrage, as the scenes shot of the outside of the castle when Neville had his flying accident where all shot at Alnwick Castle. If this historic monument was lost, an excellent example of medieval architecture would be lost with it.
1) The Uhuru Torch in Tanzania
ReplyDelete2) The Uhuru Torch is located in both Dar es Salaam TZ and Iringa TZ. This monument was built in 1961 in order to make people remember the Independence of Tanganyika. The Uhuru Torch symbolises the Freedom Torch that was placed at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa.
3)In my opinion, progress is good. But not when it starts to interfere with who we are. That being said, our past, the entirety of the vast collection of personal experiences we all have, makes us who we are today. If we begin to destroy who we were it will start to corrupt who we will become. Therefore, I believe that no sane human being would even dare to think of defiling such a large part of our history. There are ways to mine this copper without destroying anything. Perhaps instead of building a giant pit we could dig small shafts and mine in a less invasive manner.
4) If the demolition continues, I do not know if we here in Chapel Thrill would even hear about it. However, if the dig continues and they uncover the vast amounts of information that they say they will, this could be a major breakthrough. I would much rather have a wealth of new knowledge than a bit more copper.
Ari Horwitz
ReplyDeleteCurrent Event #3
7th Period
When I think of an ancient historical site that is of similar importance to Machu Picchu or Mes Aynak I think of the Acropolis Ruins in Athens, Greece. These ruins are some of the most advanced and precise ancient architecture in the history of the world. The Acropolis served as the center of a great ancient Greece civilization. It was known as the home of several gods and is a very important aspect of ancient Greece and how life was back then.
The thought of destroying any ancient ruins that date over a two thousand years back is ridiculous to me. Learning our past and civilizations before us is very important to modern people because it answers all the questions people have on how modern civilization was shaped. The excavation of these sites are very important and precious because the artifacts found and the civilizations discovered are so old it is breathtaking that they were preserved and contained in such good condition after all these years. The mining of copper is something that can be done in completely other places that don’t contain ancient history. There is only a hand full of sites that have been discovered with traces of the earths past and there are probably thousands of places that contain a similar amount of copper to mine and not kill our past.
If the Acropolis were to be destroyed, the city of Athens would go crazy. Not only is it the center of their city, but also the ruins are a very vital part of the shaping of Athens and the ancestors of the citizens of Athens. Not only would Athens go crazy but the whole world too. It very commonly visited tourist attraction and the city of Athens wouldn’t have as much ancient significance if the ruins were diminished. That is why I think Mes Aynak and all the other ancient ruins should be preserved and studied instead of being destroyed for the pointless mining of unneeded elements.
Emily Chang
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
9/27/12
After reading the article about Mes Aynak, I immediately thought of Xi'an, which is located in China. This site has profound historical significance and adds to our knowledge of what occurred in China's past. Much like Mes Aynak, it is a wonder when you see it up close and the terracotta soldiers are living proof of past events.
I think that the situation greatly impacts whether or not one should tear down a site like this. If doing so would greatly benefit the people that this place belongs to, then it might be justified. On the other hand, if it does no real good to those who live on or near that land, I think it is better if we preserve the site. Like mentioned in the article, some of these types of places hold a lot of information concerning the country's history. Not only can we gain knowledge from allowing the sites to remain, but these also have a great significance to the people of that country.
If Xi'an were to be torn down, I think it would impact it's home country, but also people from around the world. The rows and rows of soldiers are truly phenomenal and many people would mourn the loss of such a magnificent work. Also, China is proud to be able to house and claim such a unique site, so it would affect their people too. In conclusion, sights that hold knowledge or significance to people should not be torn down, because they mean something to someone and that should be respected.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLily Elnaccash
ReplyDeleteWorld History 7
The monument that I thought of was the Azadi Tower in Tehran, which was the site of many of the demonstrations leading up to the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It was built in 1971 for the 2,500th year celebration of the Persian Empire. I’ve never heard of a celebration for something so far in the past that’s not religious! In Iran, the Azadi Tower stands for the region’s extensive history.
Destroying a monument like that would be unthinkable. I had never heard of Mes Aynak before reading the article, but on principle I can’t agree with deliberately destroying a part of culture and history. I understand where fury of the people of Logar Province comes from.
The loss of the Azadi Monument would not mean much to Americans; we might think of it as a loss of incredible architecture, but not as a personal cultural loss. In Iran, it would mean the destruction of the very symbol of Tehran and the monument that marks the entrance to the capital.
As I read the article, what came to mind were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, of which only the Pyramids of Giza remain. If we destroy monuments and sites significant to our societies and cultures now, I think that people in the future will remember them in the way that we remember the Colossus, the Mausoleum, and the other wonders: we can imagine them as they were drawn or described, but we will never actually see them or experience what made them special to the people who created them.
Sophie Heins
ReplyDelete1st
If the parthenon were to be destroyed where would we be in terms of studying archeology right now?!
The parthenon a temple to Athena located in where else but Athens has been one of the most important items in archeology. Also it helps to inspire millions of people to get into ancient histories and cultures. This monument has stood for eons and it would be so detrimental to the culture there that I barely even want to consider that option. Also that monument just is so important to all things ever pretty much. Greek mythology is one of my personal favorite things and that temple has helped us to learn and to help get people interested in ancient cultures including myself with the help of Rick Riordan of course! The culture and architechture of Ancient Greece have had an incredible effect on our modren day archetechture and culture.
ReplyDeleteThe Statue of Liberty is the monument that comes to my mind as a landmark that has significance to our country and the world as a symbol of freedom and democracy. It represents all people who want to be free.
People look to history and monuments to create their identity and it gives them pride in themselves. The destruction of these symbols is bad for the self image of a country. If the Statue of Liberty were destroyed, people might begin to question what America really stands for. Throughout the world, people would no longer think that we believe in freedom and democratic ideals. It might mean that we value capitalism more than freedom.
David Cho
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
when i read this article the thing that came to mind was the lincoln memorial. the lincoln memorial is a memorial made for the 16th president of the United States. I would not like them to destroy our past. The past is something we cannot relive so we need to keep all things from the past and not destroy them. If someone were to destroy the lincoln memorial i’d say there would be some kind of internet war or protest to the company who destroyed it because that is a part of our world history and the creator won't rise up from the dead and rebuild it.
Paige Haskins
ReplyDeletePeriod 7
September 27, 2012
When reading this weeks article, “Ancient Cite Needs Saving Not Destroying”, I thought of the Statue of Liberty as a major monument. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French that was given to the United States about 100 years ago. It represents the freedom of the United States when it became a separate country from England. The Statue of Liberty shows or represents the alliance with France and the friendship we have with them. If it was to be destroyed, then the freedom and friendship it represented would symbolically be destroyed as well. This statue was a huge symbol when people were immigrating to the United States. It described the prosperous free life they would soon begin. Tearing it down would be like taking away their hope for a better life. It would be awful if the Statue of Liberty, the monument of freedom, were to be destroyed.
Just like Mes Aynak, if it were to be destroyed for a mine, then its not only taking away the happiness of the people who honored it, it would also take away any hope of discovering the ancient history that lies with it. No significant, or in this case, any monument should be destroyed if it is that well known for being a symbolic monument.
Kunal Lodaya
ReplyDelete1st period
9/27/12
After reading the article about Mes Aynak, the first monument to come to mind was the Taj Mahal, in India. The great mausoleum holds a special place in the hearts of Indians around the world, and the millions of people who have traveled to see it. In my opinion, landmarks such as these should be recognized for the effort and manpower that was put into building them. The work ethic that they had simply cannot be found in today’s society. As such, we should keep such treasures as a reminder of true beauty. The impact of losing a monument of such importance cannot be measured. We must realize that important parts of human history, such as the Taj Mahal, should always stay with us.
Julie Park
ReplyDelete1st Period
9/27/12
What comes to my mind when I think of a historical monument are the Great Pyramids of Giza. Everyone knows what they are, some have even visited, and everyone learns about them in school. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, giant pyramids that were built as tombs for pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. They represent Egypt’s rich cultural background and they show that Ancient Egyptians existed and were also great architects. They built something so great and big so perfectly, that they are still standing today for people to visit and see. I’m sure the tourists visiting the pyramids benefits the Egyptian governments so that’s a bonus. I do not support the destruction of structures and monuments that actually mean something to a certain culture and group of people. The ancestors of these people built them as a reminder that they lived and wanted to leave their mark on the world. They didn’t want to be forgotten and they helped influence and shape modern day culture that we shouldn’t destroy something they left behind. Once we destroy something like that, we could never get it back. Also, pyramids were built as tombs, or VERY large buildings to hold coffins for pharaohs and kings, so wouldn’t it just be plain rude to say, blow it up? If we were to lose the pyramids, later generations would only be able to learn about them through pictures and stories, instead of maybe visiting them. So many children’s books have been written about them, including them, or titled after them, what would happen if they disappeared? Would children in the future know what they were if we just blew them up for resources that would eventually run out?
Elise Dixon
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
After reading the article about the ancient Buddhist city of Mes Anyak what I thought of when concerning a historic landmark, A place that archaeologists are excavating and also something that has to do with religion I think of Stonehenge. Stonehenge is an extremely old monument, It was believed that in England long ago. The people that lived around Stonehenge long ago had used Stonehenge in a very important ritual, it was believed that they were of a religion like Paganism. It was believed that in their religion it was the 2nd part of their very long ritual, they would go to Stonehenge at a certain date and wait there until sun rise, which would complete the day long ritual. This is also a extremely important historical site because of how it once was where a civilization was. If some people were to destroy Stonehenge I would be not in favor, This historical site could still have lots of more artifacts that people have not found yet. If it were to be destroyed then it would be all lost and then if the artifacts were lost then we would not know much of what the extremely interesting civilization was like.
Reagan Roeber
ReplyDelete9/26/12
7th
After reading the article “Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying”, the historical monument that came to my mind was the Statue of Liberty. This monument was given to the United States of America from France in 1875 representing friendship. Not only does this monument represent friendship between America and France, it also symbolizes freedom within the United States.
I can see both points of view when it comes to destroying structures holding significant histories tied to a land and/or people. If you did destroy these famous monuments, it would mean more civilization and you would be doing things for the better, but you would also be destroying a very famous, important, and meaningful peace of architecture that represents many people, cultures, and places around the world. But if I had to choose a side, I would be in favor of keeping the monuments. There is so much history and too much meaning behind these sites and there are countless amounts of people who travel around the world just to visit them. Losing such an important piece of history isn’t worth more mining sites and civilization.
If the Statue of Liberty were destroyed, many people would rebel, protest, and start riots. It would cause so much chaos within our country and I do not think that it is worth all the dramatic endings. Many tourists come to the U.S. and visit New York just so they can see this stature so the number of tourists that visit New York would dramatically decrease as well. This statue is an important piece of US history that would be gone and I don’t think anyone in America could see this country without it; it resembles so much and says a lot about our country. The Statue of Liberty is one of the world’s greatest, most meaningful monuments and I can’t imagine if it were to be destroyed.
Harish Prasad
ReplyDelete5th period
9/27/12
After reading this article, the historical landmark that came to my mind is Angkor Wat located in Cambodia. This is a Hindu temple that was dedicated for the god Vishnu which was constructed in 1777 by King Suryavarman II of the Khmer empire. This monument is the largest Hindu temple in the world. This temple is one of the most famous temples in Angkor, which once served as the capitol of the Khmer empire. King Suryavarman II had it built as his state religious center for the empire. This beautiful and exotic temple is surrounded by a massive exterior wall. Even though it is a Hindu temple, it has four Buddha statues each one facing a different direction. On the walls it has carvings on the inside and the outside. It was originally built as a Hindu temple, but it served as a Buddhism temple since it was the main religion of Cambodia in the 18th century.
The Angkor Wat should never be torn down because it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Angkor archaeological park which includes the famous temple of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom is symbolic of the magnificence of the Khmer empire. This site which also has several different ancient urban plans and large water reservoirs and other such features shows that this was an exceptional civilization. The temple’s architecture and layout shows a high level of social order and ranking within the Khmer empire. So, if this temple is destroyed, the cultural religious symbolic values as well as the architectural and artistic beauty of this temple built by the Khmer empire will be lost forever. Eventually, people will forget the achievement and greatness of this empire and it’s king Suryavarman II.
Connor Korfas
ReplyDeleteHonor World History
Period 1
Two summers ago I attended a UNC archeology camp. At the camp we went to a dig site called the Berry site. The Berry site is the location of a 16th century Catawba indian village. What makes this site so special was the fact that at this site spanish settlers coexisted with the indians at this village. This is one of the earliest sites in the history of north america to have been proven to do this. Another thing that makes this site so special is the fact that around 400 years ago the inhabitants of the village disappeared. This site allows archaeologists to study the daily life of the Catawba indians and study the interactions between them and the spanish explorers. The site was especially well preserved so this gives archaeologists a great idea of what the town looked like in the past. All the information found from the site is shared with archaeologists around the world. This site has also be claimed and protected by the current Catawba nation.
I feel that if the Berry site was in the same situation the Mes Aynak is in I would definitely be in favor of saving it. This site is being used to learn about the past and destroying it would just be passing up an opportunity to learn. I don’t understand why people would want to destroy a part of our history. In the Mes Aynak I don’t understand why the MCC would just give the archeologists more time. I feel destroying these sites would just be foolish. I believe any chance we have to expand our knowledge as a species we should take it not destroy it. I feel that greed sometimes blinds us from what is more important and in this case, knowledge
I think losing the berry site would have a huge impact on our society. First of all destroying the Berry site would cause a huge conflict with the Catawba nation. Destroying the site would be super disrespectful to the catawba nation. Secondly since this site is one of the first where two different peoples coexisted with each other we can really learn a lot from it. This is one of a few sites with these characteristics and is still preserved today. So it provides a unique opportunity to study it. Another thing that is important about the Berry site is there are still unexcavated burial site that the archeologist are saving for future scientists. The idea is that with more advanced technology they will be able to learn more about the ancient Catawba nation. So by destroying this site you would be ruining an opportunity for our future society to learn as well.
Hanna Siekierski
ReplyDeleteHonors World History
First Period
9/21/12
As I read “Ancient Cite Needs Saving Not Destroying”, one of the first historical monuments I thought about was the Statue of Liberty. This well known staue was given by France to the United States as a token of their friendship in 1886. This statue is of a woman holding a torch, as she stands on a chain. The chain is a representation of when the United States broke away from England. The Statue of Liberty also symbolizes an alliance between France and America. This national monument not only represents friendship, but it contains many other symbols as well. The crown on the statue contains seven points. Each of those points represent one of the seven seas and continents, and the torch represents liberty. The Statue of Liberty is important to the Unoted States as well as France because it is a symbol of the alliance that they formed.
No matter what monument, I don’t think a historical landmark should be destroyed. Especially if it is just to make future progress. I think people should actually look into the history of the monuments before they just go tearing them down, because they could hold actual historical value . Just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it is unimportant or needs to be destroyed. Just like the Staue of Liberty, Mes Aynak was a significant part of Afghan’s lives. Every historical monument has a story. It seems that people are beginning to overlook that. I believe doing this wouldn’t only destroy the monument itself, but it would destroy the hope and happiness of hundreds of people. Also if they destroy one monument, what is going to stop them tearing down another one? This could just be the beginning. It would be just awful if the Statue of Liberty was destroyed. Previously I thought that the Statue of Liberty would never be destroyed, but after reading the article, I came to the realization that the citizens of Afghanistan probably thought the same thing. After all, what reason would there be to destroy such a beautiful and symbolic monument? I’m sure the Buddha in Afghanistan had a huge impact on the lives of everyone, and it not only was a beautiful statue but represented Buddhism. If the Statue of Liberty were to be destroyed, would that bring an end to our alliance with France? Its destruction would also destroy America's symbol of hope and freedom. Hopefully it will never get to this in the United States, but of it does, hopefully people will stand up against it.
Harrison Young
ReplyDeleteHonors WH
7th Prd
9/27/12
The First landmark that comes to my mind is the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. It shows how much Brazil is into the faith of Christianity itself and Jesus Christ. It represents the Christians.
I would be opposed to any destruction of landmarks whether it be very important or not. This is because people might say, "Oh just tear it down because no one cares about it, the past is long gone." But just because its from the past and people don't come to see it every day, doesn't mean we have to tear it down. Historical landmarks are very important either way because they show the differences in society and how much we have evolved and grown over time and how our perceptions are different.
Losing a historical landmark is like losing a lot of the population of a country. Many people visit other countries because of its historical landmarks. If we take this history away then there will be no historical evidence and we wont see how amazing and developed the ancient societies were back then. Also, many of the people of the country will have nothing to worship and or see that they helped in the evolution of man with their historical background.
Ashley Yang
ReplyDelete2nd period
honors world history
1. After reading this article, the historical landmark I thought about was the Great Wall of China. This site is very important because it is a piece of the past and I find that it’s very unique how this wall is so long and big and it can be seen from space. I think it really represents the strength of the Chinese and how they were able to build something so massive and something that still lasts today. It is a piece of pride for the Chinese especially with it being one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
2. In general I don’t believe in tearing down historical monuments and sites for future progress because I understand the world is moving on, but history is very important and it helps us learn from our past mistakes. I think it’s very important to preserve these monuments because we don’t know how much longer they will be around before disintegrating themselves and even then it’s important to know that we have not forgotten of the people of the past and of past societies.
3. Losing the Great Wall of China is a great impact on the world because it is a site for much tourism and it makes China proud. This wall is massive and if this were destroyed a huge part of China is also destroyed. This wall has been though so much history with the dynasties, and the creation of it to keep out attackers. Destroying this would also be like destroying a part of China’s history.
When I imagine an iconic site of American history I imagine both the White House and surrounding monuments, but even more than these I imagine the faces on Mount Rushmore. Mount Rushmore shows the faces of the most influential presidents in American history and this makes it reflect all of America. It also shows our determination. We had the ability to turn the face of a cliff into an iconic site. Lets pretend that we find we find vast mineral deposits in and under the cliff that could only be accessed by taking the heads off of the cliff. Imagine this once iconic site to be piles of rubble running down the side of a cliff. And why because we found something that would give the United States material gain, but in the process scar the land that once was a majestic site of our forefathers. I believe something like the scenario I have given will never happen to Mount Rushmore because I am sure we laws protecting it, but there are other sites that face a similar fate to the one I just imagined. Many of these sites have even more historical significance than Mount Rushmore. That is why I will never support destroying a site of history for material gain.
ReplyDeleteWhen I imagine a historical American site that reminds me of Mes Aynak I think of Ellis island. As it says in the article Mes Aynak served as a connection between the Silk Road and Afghanistan, while Ellis Island served as a connection for European immigrants to America. Ellis Island still serves as an emotional place for all those people who had ancestors who immigrated over here from Europe. It was a place of hardship, and a place of joy, so if it were to be destroyed many people would be very hurt. I think this same thing would happen for Mes Aynak, because many archaeologist have put a lot of struggle and effort into uncovering the mysteries of this ancient site, so it would have a similar effect to having Ellis island being destroyed for material gain. I could never support something like that happening.
ReplyDeleteSydney Jones-Period 7
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article and thinking about the various historical monuments of the world London came to mind. England is modern and evolved yet still clings to their heritage, throughout England, especially in London, you’ll find buildings and statues that date back to Henry II’s rule. In particular whenever I think of London I think about big ben and parliament, as they have become part of the international face of England. Big Ben, parliament, and other old buildings and historical sites are important to England because without them England would lose even more of its ties to the past and much of the countries history would be forgotten. These monuments strewn across the country are seen every day by it’s citizens preventing them from ever forgetting their country's history and past.
Personally my opinion on the demolishment of historical monuments and land is that it is very foolish. The company in the article is destroying land that can provide the current and future people of the world with beauty and knowledge along with helping them to discover priceless new links to the past and to the significance of ancient cities and culture. They are destroying this scientific wonder and place of opportunity to dig a huge pit and pollute the land with chemicals. They are doing this for one reason; to gain money. A priceless civilization that we will never be able to get back or learn from any longer is going to be destroyed for the sole purpose of money and personal gain. This to me seems dumb, in the future which will be more helpful a few tons of copper or a look into an ancient city that is different from any other and provides extraordinary learning opportunities.
If London were to lose big ben, or any of the historical buildings and monuments that make up the city, then it would entirely be changed. Every building, statue, etc. is so old and so rich in history that if even a small old pub was demolished england would be at a loss. Part of their history, their culture would disappear from the minds of the people, pushing them further away from their heritage. These buildings are important to London, they cause a constant reminder to the people of the city of their rich past which hopefully will never be forgotten.
After reading the CNN article “Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying” what came to my mind was the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Having to tear that down would be absolutely terrible. This national monument is one of the most important monuments in the history of the United States. It has been in existence since 1886. It is an American symbol. Destroying the statue would cause many people great sadness. The Statue of Liberty represents many things for many different groups of people. The statue represents the roman goddess of freedom. Liberty means freedom and tearing down a representation of freedom would be devastating to not only the United States, but also to many other countries. On the tablet the statue is holding is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. Tearing down the monument would be disrespectful to all the people that have worked so hard to make this country free.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey He - Period 7
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the CNN article “Ancient Site Needs Saving Not Destroying” what came to my mind was the Great Wall of China in Beijing. This landmark symbolizes the great achievements of the ancient chinese empire which was a remarkable achievement when you think about it, it spans over 5,500 miles long over the whole northern Chinese border. Just think about how long it took to build that, and how many lives it took. By destroying the Great Wall would pretty much be a waste because it has so much history to it and is a great site to visit because it is so beautiful. It is one of the symbols of China and I honestly think a lot of people would be really angry or disappointed. I think I would not be in favor of destroying monuments/ancient relics in order to obtain oil. An alternative solution would be to drill around or under national treasures like the one in Afghanistan. If you really think about it, oil is a finite resource and will eventually run out, but sacred relics kept under renovation can last for centuries or even infinitely if kept in fine condition. You can't really replicate the spirit and aura of a millenia old treasures. I would definitely vote to not allow the mining operation to go through.
Joy Stouffer
ReplyDelete7th period
1) What I thought of when I was reading about Mes Aynak is the Egyptian pyramids. These pyramids are significant because they represent life way before our time. Hundreds of lives were lost while building those pyramids.
2) I think that nothing from the past that is significant should be destroyed no matter what. Anything that survived looters and natural disasters and has been around for so many years should be looked on in awe, not as an inconvenience.
3) If the pyramids were lost, I think that all of the world would be in shock. For something that has been gone for so long to be lost so suddenly is very sad. It would also have a profound affect on the Egyptians, whose ancestors sacrificed themselves to make them.
Rebecca Harless
ReplyDeleteSeptember 28, 2012
Period 5
The second landmark that came to my mind is the Parthenon in Greece. The first was the catacombs of Paris, but then I realized that that does not count as a landmark or monument really, so I thought of the Parthenon. I learned about the Parthenon in sixth grade when studying Ancient Greece and it stood significantly both then and now, to the world and a group of people. Back when Greece was ancient, the Parthenon, located in Athens, Greece, was a really large temple with lots and lots of pillars, dedicated to Athena. Athena, according to Greek myth, had competed with Poseidon, god of the sea, for Athens and had won. Therefore, as the temple of the patron of Athens, the Parthenon was meaningful to the Ancient Greeks. The Parthenon is also meaningful today. Although it is not the way it once was, having lasted all of these years, it still stands to represent the religion, beliefs, and hopes of the Ancient Greeks, as well as their building abilities, like with the columns. To the world, the Parthenon attracts many travelers and tourists because of its greatness and beauty.
First of all, I don’t think it matters who goes through with the destruction of historic structures, unless it’s the whole country, meaning 9/10s or so, it is wrong. I think that it is wrong because there are only two main reasons for the destruction. One of them, if it is causing harm or sickness, or death to the people, would fall into the category of the whole country wanting it gone. Yes, I think that if it has significant historical value then it should be dealt with carefully and kept alive, just moved. The other reason is for the increase in wealth due to resources available in, under, near, etc., the site. This is just wrong to me. We can always make more money, we can always find another product that will give us the same benefits, and we can always find another way to not get rid of a site. If a nest of golden chickens dating back a million years ago is found, the obvious choice is not to melt them all for the gold. I look at the second reason the same way, especially if there is danger to others from the destruction of the site.
The impact of losing the Parthenon, I feel, would be big to our society, and Greece’s society. Many Americans go to Greece, to Athens, to see the Parthenon. If the Parthenon were to suddenly not be there anymore, then I think there would be a decrease in tourists to Greece. A decrease in tourists would affect Greece’s economy probably for the worse, which would affect their society, in turn. Also, the destroying of the Parthenon could alter the city of Athens itself. Losing the Parthenon would be terrible, as is the loss of any historic site.
Keith Segars
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
Mes Aynak
After reading about Mes Aynak, the first monument that came to my mind is Mount Rushmore. This monument is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It features colossal statues of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt that are carved into the mountain. According to the Mount Rushmore webpage, the purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States. Just like Mes Aynak, Rushmore captures important aspects of U.S. History. It is visited by millions of people from all over the world. It is also located in an area of great natural beauty. I would not be in favor of destroying monuments such as Rushmore or Mes Aynak to gain oil or valuable minerals. If companies destroy these monuments then important parts of a nations identity may be lost forever. It is also possible that great environmental harm could result making things worse in the long run. If some company decided to tear down Mount Rushmore for mining then a part of America’s identify would be lost. The sight of the Presidents and the things they represent are more important and memorable than a description in a book or museum. It would signal that the country values money more than the things the monument represents. This might cause society to lose a sense of togetherness or common past. Similar to the possible outcome described in the article for Afganistan.
Hope Davison
ReplyDelete1st Period
Towards finishing reading this article, I suddenly thought of Christ the Redeemer, the enormous statue of Jesus overlooking the city of Rio de Janerio in Brazil. This landmark is major for the Brazilian people as it symbolizes their faith in Christianity and has become nationally recognized and associated with Brazil. Not only is it incredible because it can be seen anywhere in Rio de Janeiro, but it is also awed by tourists from around the world for its major significance. The thought of this landmark being destroyed makes me a little sick knowing that there are a significant amount of people willing to tear down a civilization’s most treasured feature of their city for a reason like mining under it. The world is full of different scenes and a variety of people and their precious treasures, but only very little really stand out in a big way, with historica ties and mysterious yet to be uncovered, some that people don’t even know about. For instance, I have never heard of the Mes Aynak before reading this article and now that I have even part knowledge of all it symbolizes and the people who treasure it so dearly it hurts to know that there’s a good chance not only the site will be destroyed, but six other villages and the mountain range? It’s horrible. I feel like because this phenomenal site is not as well known as other world landmarks, there is less hesitation from the Chinese government to destroy it. If it were a site like the Big Ben clocktower in England, even if it had copper under it, people wouldn’t be so gung-ho about destroying what is very important to the English people, as the Mes Aynak is to the Afghan people. I’m sure if the Christ the Redeemer statue was put out in the news that it would be destroyed, there would be major uproars across the world as it is also the fourth largest statue of Jesus in the world and it is quite a sacrilegious move if it were to be purposely destroyed for mining purposes. I have never seen it, but it seems like the people who live in Rio de Janeiro really value the statue of Christ overlooking their city. If I lived there, it would be very reassuring to me and even provide comfort if I knew it was always in eye’s distance. I would feel almost violated if it were to be destroyed. It’s really important that government movements compare what is really important from all perspectives before they consider destroying an important landmark.
Isabelle Alzona
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
When reading “Ancient Sites Need Saving not Destroying” the first monument that popped into my head was the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of liberty symbolizes freedom and liberty to all Americans. It’s one of our biggest prides. To see a giant statue that we know is ours and stands for our rights, it’s our symbol of patriotism. I would be heavily against destroying any important historical landmark because every historical landmark gone is a part of history forgotten. You can build a factory anywhere and there are lots of places to mine metals, but once you get rid of a landmark you can’t get it back. Its history erased. We don’t have the right to tear down another country’s history. Like if the Statue of Liberty was to be bombed, or tore down, or broken by a natural disaster, the country would sink into a depression. We might rebuild it, but the original statue would be lost, along with the meaning. France gave us the Statue of Liberty as a gift in 1875, as a symbol of our alliance. If the original was lost so would the story behind it. Once the site is gone, the history is gone.
Current event
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2012/09/22/opinion/afghanistan-buddha-site-mine/index.html?hpt=wo_mid
Ancient site needs saving not destroying
Today’s current event is about ancient site needs saving not destroying. This was
about mount rush more and how this tells important things in U.S history. They
are thinking of destroying mount rush more and this is a big part of our nation
identity. A lot of people come and visit this place and would be really upset if a
company just comes over and destroys this place .
I am not in favor about this because I think they should not knock
This down because it means a lot. If they keep on doing this in the future they will
not just lose a lot of important information but they will lose Americas history and
how all Americans are united.
Kelly Zhang
ReplyDelete2nd Period
This article made me think of the historical landmark of the Great Wall of China. This historical landmark is very important to China because it was how China protected itself from outside invaders. It is very significant to the Chinese because it took a lot of Chinese manpower and labor to build such a massive extent of a barrier. This cost many people their lives and hugely impacted Chinese history. The Great Wall of China represents the Chinese people and their history. Many people visit the Great Wall to see its awe, and it has gained lots of popularity.
I would not be in favor of moving forward with future progress that would lead to the destruction of historical structures because that is destroying a valuable piece of history that is very important to a group of people. How would you like it if someone destroyed an important relic like as the article said your grandparent’s grave? I would not like that at all. This would devastate the people the historical monument is important to, and it would take away a piece of their culture.
If I had a choice, no historical landmarks would be lost, but I cannot choose that. If the Great Wall of China was lost, then China would be furious and would mourn the loss of an important monument from their history. The Great Wall of China is a very amazing, and I would be horrified if it were destroyed. This would not really affect our society. Chinese-Americans may be saddened, but they would not feel the whole impact of what happened to their homeland, and they would not understand how much history and culture has been lost. Tourists and travelers would have one less stop to go on their trip to China and would have missed out on seeing an amazing historical site. If the Great Wall of China was destroyed, the world would have lost an awe striking historical monument.
Emily Molina
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
The first monument that came to my mind was the Parthenon in Greece. I think that this is a very important structure because it gives us insight into the ancient Greeks' culture and way of thinking. It also demonstrates the technology that the ancient Greeks had, and how they had an advanced understanding of mathematics.
If the Parthenon was in danger of being destroyed due to a mining project, I would say to cancel the project completely or relocate to somewhere else (Canceling would be best because it would prevent the ground from becoming a toxic wasteland). This structure is like a symbol of Greece because it reflects their rich past of a groundbreaking civilization. The Greek Empire was an important time in history, and the Parthenon was a product of that era. I think it is imperative that we preserve it since it comes from such a significant time in our past.
If we destroyed the Parthenon, we lose an important piece of history from a great time in our past. It would be a major loss for Greece because it is a symbol for their country. The ancient Greeks made the human race fantastic there, and we should preserve that ground. Getting rid of the Parthenon would negatively impact society because we would have lost that part of history, so we could never learn everything we could have about it and how it was constructed. Even though it has already been investigated, there is always more to learn.
Takoda Ren
ReplyDelete2nd
9/28/12
When I was reading the article I thought of Mt. Rushmore. Mt. Rushmore is an amazing place; merely looking at it makes you go “whoa”. 4 faces of presidents carved into a mountain is an amazing sight. It represents the greatness of the four presidents. They did great deeds and to commemorate some sculptors sculpted their faces into the mountain. It is to remind us that they are forever watching over us, although they are dead.
In reality I don’t mind if there is progress in fuel. But only as long the sites of interest are given time to move. I do mind if the future progress is made by international companies, as stated in the article if the international companies just leave gaping toxic holes around the country that just isn’t too great. It is good if the country itself is earning money. But if the structures are being destroyed then I think there should be law enforcement agents that persecute them (utterly annihilate them).
There would be nation outrage; everybody would utterly annihilate the offenders of property damage. The offenders would most likely be jailed.
Kurt Gee
ReplyDelete9/28/12
Mr. Waters
World History
1) Ancient. When I hear this word I mainly think about the Ancient pyramids in Egypt. I’m mainly thinking about the Giza pyramid. Peasants built it for a very long time and it was for their pharaoh Khufu. I think this is very significant because its one of the 7 wonders in the world, which makes it very special and unique.
2) I would not want this building to be destroyed because I think its very special. It is really enormous and that Pharaoh were buried there making it really special. If this were destroyed then kids in the future would not know what amazing things the egyptians did and why they are so special.
3) If this was destroyed? Many kids from the future have missed out on one of the most unique building ever. Someday i would want to go visit this place so that I could feel what it was like looking at this giant monument. This is an important role in our history. Who these people were and why they built it. If this did happen, then I don’t know what to say it is indescribable.
Annelise ter Horst
ReplyDelete7th
When I read that I had to name a landmark or monument, my trip to boston came to mind. There was a lot of sites and memorable places in this city, but the monument I remember the most was the New England Holocaust Memorial. This monument stuck out to me the most because with other places, you get the emotional and mental feel of the historical significance through what you see, but when I was walking through the Holocaust memorial I was puffed with a continuous smoke through the archways. I feel as though this added to the mood of the memorial, representing one of the dark times of humanity more, channeling a physical feel to it. The memorial has six glass towers, representing the six million jews that were killed, and the pathway through the towers has inscriptions of quotes, names, and stories of that time.
I am not in favor of moving forward with destruction, because I believe we can gain knowledge of what to do in the future through learning the past. But I do not believe that every single site will or should be saved, us humans have been very greedy in digging into our earth and a great amount of us have come accustomed in needing these precious metals from the ground. If we stop mining completely, I think it will cause chaos, so we should wean off it gradually. Many sites have already been destroyed, and it is a great loss for or knowledge of the past. So altogether I am not in favor of destruction of these landmarks, but some destruction is imminent.
I do not think that the impact of losing this historical landmark will be greater than the memorial in berlin, or the statue of liberty, and I am sure some people have not heard of this monument at all. But from the people who have been to this memorial, if it affected them as it has to me, they will remember the experience from it for most of their lives. And so it might not be a great loss to society, it would be a great loss to me.
Olivia Wander
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
09/28/12
The monument I thought of was the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk, on the Outer Banks. I had a hard time connecting with the monument in the article, because it is so far away. I tried to think of a monument that was more familiar to me. My family goes to the Outer Banks quite often because my grandparents live there. We have visited the Wright Brothers Memorial frequently, and it is a really neat place. The Memorial is an important place for the history of aviation, and to the economy of the Outer Banks. It symbolizes a huge step towards global travel. This fact draws a lot of tourists to the region. All the tourism generates income for the Outer Banks. The entrance fee to the monument and gift shop revenue go to the National Park Service, but tourists who come to see the monument will stop for food, and stay in hotels or rented beach houses. This brings money to local business owners.
I would not be in favor of destroying this monument for the sake of progress. I think that this monument is an important part of the Outer Banks. It is a part of the local economy, and significant part of Outer Banks history. Why destroy a site that already brings in considerable income to the area? I can understand why a developer would want to buy the area to build subdivisions, or shopping centers. However, if you take away the monument, not as many tourists will be attracted to the region. The hotels or beach houses will not bring in as much revenue as they would with the monument there.
This article brings up a good question: What IS progress? Is it progress to destroy our past for a subdivision? This issue could go either way. I think the answer depends on the situation. In this situation, I believe that is best to preserve the monument.
I think the impact of losing the Wright Brothers Memorial would be huge on the Outer Banks. The people of Kitty Hawk would be losing a big part of their economy and history. The loss of the Wright Brothers Memorial would hurt locally owned businesses. The loss of the memorial would also be bad because of the loss of an educational resource. The memorial includes an aviation history museum. The Wright Brothers invented and tested the first airplane on the Outer Banks. This is a great achievement for North Carolina. If we destroy the memorial, we would lose a chance to teach the rest of the country about an important and singular piece of North Carolina history.
Mary Louise Callaghan
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
9/28/12
The first monument that came to mind as I was reading this was the statue of liberty. This statue was givin to the U.S. by the French in 1886 and symbolizes freedom in America aswell as our alliance with France. If that great statue were to be torn down I would be devastated. I don't believe it is right for anyone to just tear down a national monument without thinking twice! A monument such as the Buddha is history, and it means a lot to many people, and once it's torn down its gone and can never be replaced. If something like the statue of liberty were to be torn down all Americans would be mortified. Our country would never be the same and a national treasure would be lost forever.
Anna Zurliene
ReplyDeleteMr.Waters, 7th period Honors World History
Friday, September 28th
For me, an obvious landmark that comes to mind is the Pyramids of Giza. Specifically for the people who live in Egypt it provides a lot of jobs for people who may otherwise not have one. For example tour guides or souvenir vendors because it is such a tourist attracting site. People also get jobs by maintaining the monuments and making sure everything is in order. There is so much history behind these monuments that if we hadn’t discovered them or they hadn’t been created, then our world today as we know it wouldn’t be the same. We wouldn’t be as advanced, especially medically, so in a way, we owe it to the pyramids not to tear them down. I’m sure there is much more learning people can do about them to that can help further develop our society. Also, we all enjoy a nice vacation to a historical place like that because just thinking about how much work and thought was put into those monuments is marvelous and it’s very intriguing. It represents how phenomenal our world used to be and helps us aspire into something better, to improve our future.
I am completely against taking down the historical landmark, although I do understand how by tearing it down, we could be creating new history which is important for the future as well. I just believe that the costs of this project are too high. They would be negatively affecting the lives of too many people by tearing down their homes, destroying their past and history, and creating yet another toxic wasteland. Of course, they will also be taking away a fresh, newly discovered piece of history that could help us now. There could be something that helps Afghanistan more than that project would. Considering the way the writer of that news entry described it, Mes Aynak sounds like a pretty amazing place that would attract a lot of tourists. This could earn locals some money and help them get onto their feet. It’s not fair and totally greedy of the MCC to take away so much form so many people all around the world and have nothing to show for it except some iron and copper that will only benefit them.
The pyramids are one of the most important landmarks I can think of, so if we lost them, there would be outrage in our society. They are of extreme cultural significance and there are still so many hidden treasures that could help further our knowledge and advance our technology and resources. Plus, thousands of people would lose their jobs which could have a great impact and could lead to another outburst in Egypt because so many people will have lost their jobs. It would make people all around the world angry because we always think of these massive pyramids as indestructible and a representation of the power of our world. It is also the last ancient wonder of the world so people think that is of significance in our modern world, where we are clearly losing sight of our past. This could make us become conceited and arrogant because we are all caught up in our high tech modern world and we won’t have anything to look back on and go wow they really did all that work manually? That’s something to think about. I just don’t think anyone would be happy if those magnificent historical landmarks were gone.
2: When I think of a religious and historical landmark, I think of the church in Santiago de Compostella. I went there a couple years ago, and found it to be amazing. Hundreds of people walk there every year, to walk the walk that pilgrims did in the olden days. When I lived in france, my house was an old inn in which pilgrims used to stay.
ReplyDelete3: In no way do I agree with this, but I do see where they are coming from. In art, we talked about the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. He is an artist who purposefully destroys ancient art. His view on art is out with the old and in with the new. His art includes painting the coca-cola logo on a thousand year old Chinese pot. Overall, I dont think that this is tight, because there is no future without the past. It took many people's hard work to build such a temple, and we should not just get rid of it like yesterday's jam.
4: loosing this landmark would influence Christianity a lot, for it is one of the main landmarks along with the Vatican, and the Canterbury Cathedral. All the people who go there every year would not be able to. A movie was even made about it last year, about a man making the traditional walk.
Johnny Huang
ReplyDelete5th Period
9/28/12
What came to mind when I thought of a historical monument was the Great Wall Of China because of how grand of a building it was. It took a lot of work and planning for the Chinese people to make it, and contrary to popular belief, a majority of the period of when the Great Wall was erected, it was peaceful. The wall was mainly built for cultural, economical, and other non-warring reasons.
I'm not in favor of demolishing the historical landmarks because of many reasons. First of all, the money that is not made because of the resources being left not mined is made up for by the money made from tourism. Second, destroying ancient relics and artifacts may create a gap in previously unknown history. Third, and last, destroying it will erase a big piece of history for unique ancient civilizations.
The lack of the Great Wall Of China would be a huge impact on Chinese culture and Chinese tourism because it is very well known all across the world.
Joyce Yao
ReplyDelete2nd Period
9/29/12
A historical landmark/monument that comes to mind when I read this article were the pyramids of Egypt. Everything about the pyramids is complex and interesting. They represent the strengths and beliefs of Egyptians from thousands of years ago, and are presently still standing. They gave lots of insight to archaeologists about the lifestyle of ancient people. There are so many movies and references to ancient Egypt, many of which would not be known if it weren't for the pyramids which depicted every day life. The pyramids are also very well known.
If an organization were to plan to destroy the pyramids (which they wouldn't), I would be in favor to doing a protest or a petition. My support would be that the pyramids have provided so much information to archaeologists and that they represent how powerful humans were/are. The pyramids are a symbol of strength and prosperity, and if they were to be destroyed, then that would be demeaning to present day Egyptians as well as archaeologists.
To lose the pyramids would definitely cause an out-roar in our society. The pyramids have become a very well known historical landmark, and they are often referred to in different situations. They are evidence of ancient people, as well as their lifestyle. Without the pyramids, we might not even know that there were ancient Egyptians. The pyramids have taught us so much and it's astounding that they are still standing after thousands of years, showing that the ancient people were smart and wise. If the pyramids were to be destroyed, then there would most likely be lots of protests, petitions, and possibly violence, because some people are extremely passionate about things such as pyramids.
Sydney VanOrd
ReplyDeletePeriod: 2
The first monumnet that comes to mind for me is the Statue of Liberty. I think it's super important because it shows our countrys liberty and freedom. I think that the destruction of national monuments isn't a horrible idea, but we certainly shouldn't do it unless we really have to. The Statue of Liberty I think is important for us to keep because it stands for our country, and there really would be no need to tear it down.
I think people would be super mad if we knocked down an important national monument, but I don't really think it would be THAT huge of a deal, because our country does need to progress, and move forward.
Bobby Russell
ReplyDelete5th period
The historic landmark that came to mind was the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. It is an extremely important landmark because it shows the main religion in Brazil and it is considered holy by some people. The statue represents Brazilians and every Christian worldwide.
I am not in favor of destroying structures that have significance on the history of a certain area, because I feel that history is an important thing and that you don’t want to destroy any of it unless it is absolutely necessary.
If the statue of Christ was destroyed then it would anger many people and violence could possibly occur. People would become very angry and sad because it is the best-known landmark in Brazil and it is a beautiful piece of art that can never be replaced.
Sydney B
ReplyDelete(i finally got my computer fixed)
Period 5
When I read this article, I thought of the huge statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I thought of this statue because it has always been my favorite piece of architecture. The statue shows faith in Jesus Christ and how the city of Rio de Janeiro is protected and watched over always. It's a very famous landmark that has become the symbol of Brazil and it would be devastating if it was gone.
I am most definitely not in favor of tearing down Mes Aynak just so the Chinese can get copper. This is a very old and symbolic site that is rich with history and culture. If you blow up Mes Aynak, you're removing a bit of history, a bit of evidence that the ancient world existed. And once the land becomes polluted with toxic chemicals, the inhabitants that live near Mes Aynak would either die or be forced to leave their home. This is very wrong and I personally do not want this to ever happen.
If anywhere in the world were to lose their most important historic landmark, the culture would most likely be sucked from existence. For example, USA losing the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of freedom, lost to the world forever. The Eiffel Tower lost from Paris, the first thing people think of when they think of Paris, gone forever, slowly removing Paris off of the map. Afghanistan would lose a very important part of rich culture and would be a far less historical place with far less ancient beauty.
Current event # 3
ReplyDelete1. Buddha, Buddha was a holy character to the people in the Middle East as well as India and China. Many worship him and many just try to teach his teachings.
2. I wouldn’t be in favor of this, although I am a Christian I still think people need something to look forward to because according to the people on earth there is no such thing as one god.
3. If those that worship Buddha and preach his teachings see this monument gone they as a people will probably take their anger out on the world.
Nikki Thai
ReplyDelete1st Period
1.) The historical monument that comes to mind, to me, is the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built between the years 1887 to 1889. Over the years the Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris, as well as a symbol of France. With spread through the media, the Eiffel Tower has become one of the most well-known monument across the world. When the Eiffel Tower had first been built many had thought of it as an ugly abomination.
2.) I’m not in favour of destroying historical landmarks. They are an essential part of our history, and have a personal connection to many. Although we’re in a time where progressing and advancing towards the future is one of our top concerns, we must also bring with us the past. A past which begins with simple, yet significant and magnificent monuments.
3.) Having the Eiffel tower destroyed would be a difficult task, since the French would most likely not go down without a fight. Though it if it were destroyed, the French would be facing a great depression and decline. Millions would lose spirit and faith with their symbol gone. The Eiffel Tower has always represented France and Paris as it’s own cultural symbol, having their symbol destroyed would be heartbreaking.