"Tomorrow Never Comes Until Its Too Late"

-The 28th Of July: Liberty Leading The People 1830; Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)

In times such as our present day, unity among the people has never been emphasized as it is now. January of 2009 marked the new reign of what we hope to be a light shed on an eight year rule of tyranny, better known as the Bush Administration. While some refuse to see the evils of what occurred under this time period, the media has surely not been so weak. Documents and testimonies have hit the public at an alarming rate, which has overwhelmed readers in both a positive and negative way. The positive reinforcement provided the public with proof that laws and treaties were broken, such as Geneva Conventions, the War Crimes Act, and the Convention Against Torture. Other crimes that were reinforced by the documents were the obstruction of justice and destruction of evidence, perjury, lying to Congress, and breaking the Civil Service Reform Act, as well the Hatch Act. With so much information, the negative reinforcement has burned itself into the back of readers’ minds, reading detailed information pertaining to water boarding, hanging (by means of torture, not of death), starvation, beatings, and sleep deprivation. However, no amount of text can compare to the bone chilling voices of first hand inmates that were tortured under rule of our president (Bush). Some of these testimonies included Syrian-Canadian citizen Maher Arar’s firsthand experience (http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/ara101807.pdf) as well as those recently acquired by the International Committee of the Red Cross (http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22530).

“These past few years have been a nightmare for me. Since my return to Canada, I have
lived in constant psychological pain. This pain manifests in various forms. I feel emotionally distant from my family, including my wife and children. I am still fragile. I have lost confidence in myself and am easily overwhelmed. I have lost the ability to multi-task, which is essential for my engineering profession. I can no longer concentrate for more than a short time. I have nightmares and recurring flashbacks, and constantly fear flying and being kidnapped again. My body is slowly healing, but the cognitive and psychological scars are still with me”-Maher Arar

In response to recent events, we as a people must come together in unity and have a strength that is long overdue. Our current economy is in shreds due to improper leadership on behalf of George W. Bush, and our reputation, America’s, isn’t far behind. By not investigating and bringing up what really happened (Truth Commission) and prosecuting officials of the Bush Administration who condoned such actions, we are showing all other countries that abuse of power is acceptable. Although some argue that “a truth commission is needed but prosecution is not”, Senator Patrick Leahy, we as a country have a duty to enforce that no one person is above the law. We all must abide by the law, whether it is the richest of Congress or the poorest of the streets.
We as America have a big weight on our shoulders, that weight being to be the prime example of what a country should be. We must allow integrity to guide us to being a strong, centered, and powerful country. With liberty leading the way, we as a people will follow in unison. With such a powerful bond and leadership, one that we hope to see in current President Obama, there will be nothing that we as a country cannot overcome, whether it’s a war or a recession. We will follow integrity, righteousness, and truth in our quest to learn from past mistakes, fix current ones, and ensure that our following days are brighter than those that were before it.

Many.Unknowingly.See.Ill.Conclusions.

Since the 1970’s, middle-age society has claimed that metal music is for people who are wicked and mentally corrupt. They have persecuted such bands of the genre, such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Pantera, for being responsible for some of the downfall of the youth, the worst of which resulted in suicide. The reasoning for such allegation is that youths who have committed suicide had listened to a form of metal in one way or another. The same reasoning was also held against such bands for the youth’s taste in clothing, such as the dark clothes or long, untamed hair. Believed to be “Satan’s music”, as middle-age society has perceived, metal music brings nothing but demonic sound, horrible lyrics, and the promotion of a lifestyle with no rules or morals.

Although middle-age society has been around for some time, their allegations, past and present, couldn’t be any more false. While there are some bands that have focused on demonic representation, society has to remember that it is the band’s form of public appeal. If a band is going to carry a name such as Slayer, it would not be fitting to see countryside meadow as their album cover. For this reason, the band must come up with a suitable representation, and with a name like Slayer, the album cover will certainly be extreme. In addition to representation of the band, the look and sound will ‘make or break’ the reputation of the band, even if one has not been set. One cannot expect a band like Black Sabbath, to perform live wearing beach trunks and a flattop with acoustic guitars and a saxophone. As soon as the audience lays their eyes on this picture, the reputation and future of the band will have been obliterated. This is why bands with extreme names go to extreme measures, because it is their form of attracting and keeping an audience. And as long as this keeps attracting a crowd, mainly the youths (after 13 but before 40), this norm will be followed yet enhanced, as more and more bands are let out into the public stream.

My own experience with metal music is completely opposite of middle-age society, as metal music is by far my favorite genre. I listen to all types of metal bands, both past and present; so it is no surprise that my favorite musical piece is “The Unforgiven” (in all three forms) by Metallica. The Unforgiven tells of a life that is not lived and as a result, regretted; "The song is about a man who never really takes advantage of certain situations, never really takes chances. Then, later on in his life, he regrets not having done anything with his life, so he dubs the rest of the world the 'unforgiven'." - James Hetfield (vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Metallica). This musical piece is a slow, somber type song yet carries a heavy drum and guitar throughout the song, as well as an everlasting guitar solo. The Unforgiven II tells of an all too common situation seen in the past and in present time; "Forgiving no one and ending up alone." –James Hetfield. This musical piece carries the same rhythm as The Unforgiven, but rather than being slow paced with a hard drumming and guitar, the song is very metal like but with a slow pace to it, a delectable blend when added to the song’s bone-chilling lyrics and guitar solo. Unlike its two previous forms, The Unforgiven III does not tell of a story, but a realization. The man perceived in the prior two songs has come to the conclusion that it is not the world who has not forgiven himself for his lack of living; it is he who has not forgiven himself. This musical piece is set at a median between its two previous forms, giving it the perfect mix of metal and pace, making this song and its lyrics the perfect closing for a particular man’s life lessons. Aside from this, The Unforgiven III opens up with a piano solo, setting a mood of a change in one’s life for the better. Songs such as these are often overshadowed by society which prevents anyone from knowing a bands potential, resulting in the band’s stereotype of “bad music”.

What I take from my experience with metal music is that it is not what middle-age society perceives it to be. Metal music is indeed an acquired taste, but one does not have to be possessed in order to acquire it. Studies have shown that there is no direct correlation between metal music, and music of any kind, and the human mind; providing a cemented defense for any allegations against metal bands. Yes, it has tendencies to be violent in sound and photo presentation, but this should not be interpreted as a negative stereotype for the particular band. On the contrary, studies have shown not only a lack of correlation between metal music and the human mind, but that it is therapeutic for energetic or angry teens; it actually has the ability to sooth an individual, as hard as it is for some to believe that. It is crucial that people remember that band presentation is not true; it is what they choose to follow to set them apart from other bands in order to ensure an audience. Without a proper presentation, a metal band will have no hopes of making it in the music world.

A Life of Education

Since the early development of society, there has been one goal that people have always strived to achieve and was once believed to be of higher value than gold. While this is not a material thing, people needed, and still need, this in order to feel secure about themselves, life that surrounds them, and life at their fingertips. While there is no price on it, an education is surely priceless. Dating back to early Greece, education has always been of high value and still is today. However, with materialistic needs being of main concern now days, people are willing to sacrifice their opportunity at an education just to have a social status. But what is a social status without an education? Is having the latest in name brands or technology worth sacrificing a degree, especially in a day where jobs are limited and only those who are mentally prepared are more favorable over those who aren’t?

First off, we live in an economy where a high school diploma is the bare minimum to do anything in society, but not even this can guarantee a steady job. However, many people are dropping out of high school in pursuit of money. While some have an understandable excuse, such as a child to feed, others drop out just to live the “party life” or to make money in order to impress their peers. Blinded by peer pressure, or a choice to not use protection, they forsake their pursuit of education, thus contributing to the fifty percent dropout rate (thirty percent of this being teen pregnancy). This could entail catastrophic results for society’s “future”. (FOXNews.com - High School Graduation Rates Plummet Below 50 Percent in Some U.S. Cities - Local News News Articles National News US News)

In addition to high school students, many college students are also abandoning their pursuit at an education. However, unlike high school students, college students claim that school is “too expensive” or the classes are “too challenging”. And with these excuses, college students are contributing to a “fifty percent dropout rate (after five years)”, even with the increase of middle age return students.(The Quick and the Ed) Indeed the price of books is no fair cost but there are plenty of grants and financial aid available to the public. Whereas the price may be a factor to hinder one’s educational pursuit, they must not forget what an education can do for them and their future. An education can decide whether a person is hired or is on hold for a callback that won’t take place. As for the claim that the classes are too challenging, what is a reward without trial? Would you rather earn a reward or steal a reward? If an education was so easy, everyone would have one but it would be meaningless. The point of having an education is to acquire knowledge by challenging what one knows and to further their knowing of the topic; to research and test their knowledge for future recall. One cannot learn the quadratic formula or how to prepare a proper argument essay overnight; a trial and error process is needed to embed this knowledge (learning through study) into wisdom (accumulated learning).

In conclusion, people need to understand that living a life without an education is definitely a hard one. Research as shown that people who drop out of high school or refuse to pursue a degree through college will have a much harder time with financial stability, thus making work and life much more stressful that it has to be. In times such as these, where the economy has gone down the drain, only those who have a proper education will surpass. For those without an education, life will be quite the uphill battle. There are many grants, scholarships and financial aid available to all, and with the convenience of community college, there is no reason as to why anybody should not pursue an education, ensuring themselves of a brighter and easier future.