In the beginning, putting together my presentation made me realize that my original topic was far to broad and that it needed serious revision. After actually revising my topic and getting into the research, putting together this presentation made clear the main points that I will need to focus upon in order to fully address all aspects of my topic as well as make a sound argument. It also made me realize that there are several possible solutions to the governmental conflict between the Sunni and Shiite’s in Iraq.

The questions afterward were also helpful by helping me to consider the wording of my actual research topic. At this point it may be to vaguely worded to actually convey the message I am trying to get across. Also, the questions afterward helped to lead me to new sources from which I will be able to gather useful information.

The relevance between this statement and our own research project is its reference to the research itself. What the quotation is trying to convey is that we are not just a evolution of our own individual thoughts, but rather a production of all the things we’ve experienced, heard, seen, ect throughout our lives and then complied together to form our own conclusions. This same assessment applies to research. We do not simply form conclusions without any prior knowledge or without building off the previous assessments of others. Instead, research is based off of a plethora of ideas and previous thought from which we use to then make our own individual alteration to.

I am interested in researching differing cultural relationships because I want to find how people can better understand each other and this is important because it could pave the way for an end of racial discrimination.

How does discrimination effect people?

How do differing cultures view different people?

Where does discrimination come from?

The controversy surrounding the Enola Gay exhibit is oddly enough due to the lack of an “official story”. The curators wanted to present the exhibit in a strictly factual, concrete way that dealt exclusively with what the Enola Gay did during WWII as well as its restoration. However, this was not good enough for many people. Controversy and petitions sprang up in regards to this “calloused” exhibit and action was called for the curators to show a more holistic view of the bomber and WWII. This demonstrates the need people have for an official story. It was not enough to merely celebrate the technology of the Enola Gay but instead the opposition craved to be fed the official story about the bomber that has become a part of everyday life. This point illustrates how much of a necessity official stories become in day to day life and how it feels almost immoral or unnatural to present the information from a different viewpoint. The story of the Enola Gay has become so engrained in our culture it feels as if it is a necessity to acknowledge all that it did and perhaps present a somewhat biased account rather than focus on the hard, cold science of the bomber.

Web Adress:

http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/bio

This link which is “Michael Jackson’s official site” has very little information regarding the infamous pop star’s very public child molestation accusations. Though this site does include some biographical information about Jackson, it is very limited and only highlights his achievements in the music industry. Though I could have assumed that this site wouldn’t have portrayed Michael Jackson in a negative light  in regards to his allegations, I thought at the very least they would touch upon the situation and offer a rebuttal. However, nothing of the sort was found, instead the site ignores the issue completely as if it never occurred. Obviously this is done to keep up the positive sentiment toward the belated artist, however the whole truth would have been nice.

Artifact web addres:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/doughtml/dougFolder8.html

By examining the invitation to the unveiling of the Thomas Statue, a lot can be said about the time period and Frederick Douglas himself. Looking at this artifact, it is obvious that it is antiquated from the usage of the style of text as well as the content within the invitation. However, more can be said about Frederick Douglas and the prestigious, well respected man he was. During the late 1800’s it was very uncommon for a black man to be invited to such events, therefore this artifact reiterates how influential Douglas was. Examining this artifact also poses some questions. It causes one to wonder what sort of relationship the Society of the Army of the Cumberland and Douglas had so that he and his family were personally invited to this event. Also, one could question what sort of affect the possible attendance of Frederick Douglas to this event had on the members of the nearby community and the supporters of the Army of the Cumberland. Did the outright support of a black man lessen or increase the following of the Army of the Cumberland? All these questions and many more can be posed by looking at this simple artifact, which can be researched and further examined, then can help to better explain Douglas and his impact.