Today we listened to four selections from Ise Lyfe's Pistols and Prayers: "God Fell from the Sky One Day"; "Cost of Apathy"; "Jan. 3, 2007--Ghana West Africa"; "Cups and Chairs".
Respond to one or all and to each other (at least one classmate). We are still in the world of Ruined--there is a thematic connection between Pistols and Ruined. You might look at: perceptions of women; male female relationships; colonization; war and its weapons, etc.
2. Writing about Plays
3. Homework: con't reading Persepolis. Read up to "The Soup." If you are
a slow reader, read more. Bring in Indivisible as well for next week. We'll take some of our freewrites from the collection of poems.
26 comments:
Gerardo Guzman
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
ISE LYFE FREE WRITE
The piece “God Fell from the Sky One Day” stuck with me the most because it is a contemporary tale of the plight of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Jesus came to Man and worked his entire life doing good deeds for anyone regardless of race, gender, or creed. He was loved by his followers, and they expected great things, miracles, from him. As his popularity grew so did animosity towards him. The established order feared a popular uprising and went after the upstart carpenter. He was eventually crucified and two millennia later mankind still weeps for the foolish way they treated him.
Why is it that people are so enamored with heroes? One of God’s commandments is ‘thou shall not worship false idols’. We are so quick to elevate athletes, celebrities, politicians, and our peers that we lose sight of their fallibility as humans. Once their flaws are exposed we are quick to tear them down and wonder how they could commit the same sins as common man. Who are we to judge others before we judge ourselves? We need to pay attention to our own lives before gossiping about those of our neighbors. Early in “God Fell from the Sky One Day” God advises a man who has had a falling out with his daughter. This should not happen as long as we focus on our loved ones and become grateful for all that we have. One day it could all be gone.
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Virgil Gamble
Professor Sabir
English 1B
6 July 2011
Free Write:
“God Fell from the Sky” ,by Ise Lyfe, is truly a personification of our society. It is a shame that people pass judgment as they do. Some would say that this is human nature, but I would say it is in our society’s sense of insecurity. In this story even God is judged and for no valid reason. Ise Life did an amazing job of setting up the scenario and making each situation easy to relate to. I heard some of the same situation I see at work every day. Maybe if our society was not a judgmental, there would be more good wil in the world. A lot of evil in the world is based on envy, hate, and intolerance of others.
“Cost of Apathy”, by Ise Lyfe puts a face to some of the effects of slavery on Africa as well as the continued mistreatment of its people. This poem raises a lot of questions that, in my mind, remain unanswered. For example, why was religion used as a weapon against the indigenous people of Africa? We saw this same concept with the Native American also in “The Dance Boots”. Also, over one hundred years later, why has their culture not recovered to its original state? We still see influence from countries that have occupied these areas. I would love to take that trip to Africa and see the true history of my ancestors.
Daniel Lu
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Free Write:
In “January 3rd- Ghana West Africa” Ise Lyfe reflects on the loving care given to an AIDS patient, despite the glaring fact that he will die in the clinic. He reflects how even though there is no hope for the patient’s survival, the patient is still treated and loved like the “sunrise”. He further connects this seemingly contradictory action to his own work, how he writes about freedom when the world is still enslaved.
I think that the concept that he is talking about is the strength of human optimism, of the amount of struggle we are capable of going through to obtain even a faint spark of hope. In “Ruined”, all the occupants of Mama Nadi’s hold this optimism, striving even in terrible conditions for a better tomorrow. Sophie holds on to the dream of an corrective operation, Josephine to the hope of living in the city, and Mama to the hope of being able to survive in such a hostile environment, just to name a few. Even if their hope is lost, those at Mama Nadi’s still posses the strength to go on, even after business fell flat, even after the episodes with Commander Osembenga. Such is the power of human optimism.
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Jennah Makalai
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Ise Lyfe speaks on the realities of Africa. They hit especially close to home after reading Ruined. He speaks about the male patient in the aids clinic and says "it doesn't matter how old this person is, he is dying years old". I feel there is a connection to Ruined here in that age does not seem to be a factor. Salima, Sophie and Josephine we know are all fairly young but because of what they have been subjected to throughout their lives, their age does not come in to play.
"She speaks carefully of the most devastating circumstances" he says of the female Ghanaian doctor in the AIDS clinic. Facing murder, rape, and violence are the devastating circumstances of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Ramel George Jr.
Professor Sabir
ENGL 1B
7 July 2011
Freewrite
The poem “God Fell From the Sky One Day” was the most memorable of the ones that we listened to today. It reminded me of the Joan Osbourne song “One of Us” because it gave a modern day view of what it would be like if God was a normal person. It makes you wonder about what if that could happen in real life and makes you want to treat people that you see everyday better than you would before. It is also interesting concept of God falling in love with a human. Since he is supposed to be all-powerful and all-knowing, it was appealing that He would be in awe of a normal person. Another part in that story that hit hard was the beginning about the father and daughter. When I was younger my father and sister had a similar falling out that resulted in her leaving the house. While their stubborness never allowed for them to have the reunion that the poem’s characters had, which ended in the daughter moving back home, they have made up.
Rebecca Ramos
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Free write
The thing that stood out for me the most about this Ise Lyfe, Pistols and Prayers, was the track Ghana West Africa; because of the harsh reality of the AIDS clinics in Africa. When he talks about there being white people there to volunteer he questions why people who identify more with Africa cannot help. He says his heart grew heavy as he questioned why they could not help themselves. It is very true Americans help third world countries all the time and some do it with superiority but also some do it out of kindness. I have a friend who is African American and has never been to Africa and one summer she decided to Ethiopia to volunteer at an AIDS clinic in Ethiopia. She remembers being the only African American there surrounded by people from New York and Chicago. She wondered why was it that more Caucasians were helping the people of Africa versus people like her who identify more with the people. Although she questioned it she also saw how most of the people that were there to help were genuinely motivated towards helping the cause. She came to the conclusion that race shouldn’t matter that we are all human beings trying to help one another.
I also liked the track God fell from the sky one day, especially when Ise Lyfe talks about how colonization brought other weapons to Africa besides the obvious; how every colonizer who came to Africa came with a priest and a bible aboard its ships. I never understood how religion could have been used as a weapon, and how it was used as a way to distract people. He says that once the ships landed there was a priest on every ship, which would ask people to close their eyes, and he would bless them and once they opened their eyes their gold was gone. Colonizers saw Africa as the perfect target because they had all the raw materials that most European nations lacked, yet Africa didn’t have the technology that Europe had making it easy for Africa to be colonized.
BP
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
7 July 2011
Ise Lyfe’s “God Fell From The Sky” narrates the life of God as a man named “Fill-Up” who travels around the country inspiring the people with his godly ability to speak and inspire. However, Ise Lyfe inform the audience that it doesn’t take God to change lives, but it can take a simple man to do so, which may be the reason why Ise Lyfe gives God the identity of a person.
“Ghana” speaks about the westernization of Africa and how it plays out in Ghana society. The professor is one example, when the professor tells Ise Lyfe that the Bible was the biggest impact on Ghana. In Lynn Nottage’s Ruined, westernization is shown through the mineral Coltan used to make cell phones, the American Fanta drinks, and the appearance of imported goods such as the Belgium chocolate.
“Cost Of Apathy” speaks about the death of a person who death is not only mournful but shameful. The smell of roses (the mourning) is met with the smell of cigarettes and gunfire (the shame) and this relates to Salima’s death. Her death was mournful as she was a daughter, a wife, and a sister, but it was shameful because she had a history of rape, pregnancy and sex, which is why Mama Nadi disregards the situation after a while.
Work Cited
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Alex Lam
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Freewrite
“God Fell from the Sky One Day” sounds like a story that might be used in a bible study. I heard a lot about the ingratitude of others toward God at churches and fellowship, but maybe in a different way. This story just shows how some people like to manipulate others, especially for their own benefits. The same things happened in “Ruined” where both the rebels and the soldiers sent by the government lie to Mama Nadi, saying that the other burned this and did all those atrocities… When you hear both stories, you have no idea who is right and who is lying and you can now see that at least one of them is trying to make you go the wrong path so they can win something in return. In the audiobook, God is ignored because some people that did not like him convinced other citizens that he is a bad influence and a cheater, when he is not. People are so judgmental nowadays.
Response to Daniel Lu:
I really like what you wrote about “January 3, 2007 – Ghana West Africa” and how you compared it with “Ruined.” I entirely agree with you about the optimism part. Like the characters in the story, people should still hope and work for what they want, even if it seems impossible to reach their goals. You will never know what happens in the future.
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Deborah James
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
God Fell from the Sky; Costs of Apathy; Cups & Chains
January 3, 2007
FREEWRITE
The speaker paints a powerful story of the initial appearance of God on earth and the admiration and wonder he inspires in those he visits. Later, jealousy and resentment serve to make the very people he came to help turn against him.
The speaker talks of there being “many weapons of colonialism” and asks “why can’t we help ourselves?” when relating his experiences at a clinic in Ghana. The speaker’s experiences at seeing white interns as opposed to people of color brings to mind the “conspicuous consumption” which afflicts so many of the “talented tenth.” This disparity can be seen in the United States as well as affluent and eduated blacks continue to flee to suburbs and higher income areas in an effort to assimilate with the dominant culture. It is disturbing that there has been no significant effort by educated and affluent blacks to work towards curbing the self destructive violence and patterns of affliction that many black communities suffer. Education, while once hailed by blacks as a means of self improvement and a channel to bring hope and self sufficiency to communities is now more of a method of escape, leaving communities as places of violence where children cannot play freely in the parks or streets for fear of shots being fired and older people who did not leave the communities are virtual prisoners in their homes, many afraid to even go outside to work in their yards.
The speaker’s question as to why there aren’t more blacks present as interns at the clinic (and others like it) brings to mind “The White Man’s Burden;” the phrase coined by Rudyard Kipling many years ago.
The speakers talks of “waking up every day to an enslaved planet, yet I write about freedom.” He references that people “swallow pride because there’s no food or water.” The haves continue to turn their backs on and ignore the plight of the have-nots. Mental enslavement continues to trap the minds of many. No longer is a sense of community improvement a motivational force for many who “have made it.” The Cuban Government continues to offer free medical school training to those who commit to returning to this country to provide treatment to underserved communities. There is no similar program in this country and the few peoples of color who attend medical school are so entrapped in debt when they complete their training that serving the community is an impossibility.
The speaker talks about “helping them to find the greatness in themselves that they saw in him” in God Fell From the Sky one day. He also references the helpful and giving nature that God had which was not carried on by the people in the town who succumbed to resentment and jealousy of God and God-like qualities. Many ministers are entrapped by the conspicuous consumption mentality so that the church, once at the forefront of the civil rights movement and humanitarian aid to people, is now viewed as nothing more than a sham for the greedy.
The play “Tambourines to Glory” explores this concept. Two women who are experiencing economic difficulties form a church which takes hold and becomes successful. One of the women wants to establish job workshops and childcare facilities while the other wants a cadillac and mink coat. Langston Hughes wrote the play in the 1950’s and many of the tenets ring true to this day.
There is a minister/professor in the Peralta College system who in his classes frequently speaks of the prison destination that awaits the children of single mothers. He does not talk about single mothers who overcame tremendous odds and raised educated successful children. Many of his students are young black males who are working as well as attending school. This is an extremely detrimental and destructive example for young people and a glaring example of mental enslavement.
Stephanie Chan
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Ise Lyfe Free-Write
Ise Lyfe’s lyrics and poetry are very insightful. He gives us his perceptions of current global issues, which affect everyone equally. In his poem, “God Fell from the Sky One Day”, Ise Lyfe searches for a God to “save” all of us. He portrays the bible in the modern world; thus, we are able to connect more easily with his religious viewpoints. He emphasizes the need for a diety that can bring inner-peace to everyone. From Ise Lyfe’s perspective, we need religion in our lives. He believes that religion will unite us all because it gives everyone something to believe in. However, he criticizes God in many ways and judges this symbolic icon like the world judges each other. If God is “our friend”, he will unite the world and help us figure out how we should solve global crises, as well as, how to support one another. This poetic song and Lynn Nottage’s play “Ruined” seem to have a similar message. Both pieces yearn for world peace and to better relations amongst different classes of society.
Response to Virgil:
I like how you mentioned that the world has its insecurities. From your statement, I can imagine a continuous cycle of verbal mistreatment. It seems that we tend to become judgmental of others to better ourselves emotionally. I feel that this is another message Ise Lyfe tries to explain to us through “God Fell from the Sky One Day”.
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Joanna Louie
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
"God Fell from the Sky One Day" Free Write:
Our world is still corrupted, a world where no good deed may go unpunished. In the poem, “God Fell from the Sky One Day”, by Ise Lyfe, God, referred to as Philip, travels from town to town helping those in need. He represents what a god is supposed to symbolize, and looks after others, offering advice. In return of his offerings and lasting impression, he is simply satisfied with the love and happiness the people give. In the first town he visits, he helps a man who believes his daughter has lost love and trust for him, as the daughter hides from him and scrounges for food in his house secretly. God offers his advice to the father, and surely, it works, and the two reestablish their father-daughter relationship. All is not perfect, to fulfill his duty as God, he must travel to other towns to share his gift with others and he is forced to leave the one woman he really, really, loves. Rumors of God begin to spread, and is unwelcomed when he finally returns to the first town he went to. Why is he rejected by the ones he helped? There are many flaws in society, flaws of jealousy and misunderstanding; a “ruined” world. Those shunned by the ones they truly love, are forced to leave and start again. A basic concept our world is used to. Ask yourself, have you ever had rumors about yourself, and try endlessly to change the opinions of the believers? It’s tiresome, and at the end, sometimes, simply not worth the fighting. Those who truly understand and care about you will be the ones who will be there at the end for you. Through any good deed, there may be consequences faced afterwards, it has happened to me. We continue to question why though – why can no good deed go unpunished, or why do some, if not most, people believe what they hear, without going directly to the subject to ask if it is valid?
Works Cited
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Even89ine Recordings, 2011. CD.
Michelle Kith
July 7th, 2011
English 1B
"Jan. 3, 2007--Ghana West Africa"
Lyfe’s experience in Ghana seemed unreal. He described his experience when he visited, and thought about the past. He thought about the past history of the Ghanian people, and how Christians brought the word of God to them. It was as though Ghana, now, is a Christian country. As he wakes up he sees rosary beds. I’m not sure if he intended to put Christians in a negative light or not. I’m assuming the speaker must be somewhat religious since a lot of his spoken word has to do with God, and Christianity. But then again, the title of this audio book is called Pistol and Prayers, so I shouldn’t be surprised. It is very beautiful that he brings a lot of contrast with religion, and the human experince. Lyfe’s experience takes me back to my country in Cambodia. The large gold temples, with monks wearking orange robes as they ride their bikes to the fish market. I’m reminided of the Catholic church that is across the street from this temple, standing still in peace and harmony. I’m reminded that although the Khmer people suffered soo much, and millions died from the Khmer Rouge war, that most have carried the heavy burden and relased it in the air as time passed by.
Lyfe, Ise. "Jan. 3, 2007--Ghana West Africa" Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Ricardo Antonio Chavarria
Professor Sabir
Engish 1B
7 July 2011
Freewrite: Ise Lyfe and Ruined
I think that Ise Lyfe’s poem and story relate to the play Ruined in that they both discuss the flaws of people and how most do not really care what goes on around them. Ise Lyfe also talks about how the optimism of the workers of a seemingly depressing clinic and how he continues to write poems of freedom in an enslaved world. The play Ruins by Lynn Nottage also has many depressing moments but towards the end there is some hope left for Mama who had felt bitter about love because she was “ruined”.
In the play Ruined one of the recurring themes is love and how the women at the brothel feel about it. Sophie thinks that there is still hope for Salima to reunite with her husband. One of the girls thinks her prince will come along and rescue her from the brothel. Mama on the other hand has one of the more realistic views on love during wartime. Although Mama runs a brothel and seems harsh, she cares for the girls who would certainly be raped had they stayed in their hometowns. The women of the brothel seem helpless, even Mama admits to being raped and somehow she manages to stay strong. The man are portrayed as evil except for Christian who constantly try to win Mama over.
Rebecca Ramos
Response to Gerardo Guzman and Virgil Gamble
You both brought up the idea of judging others and how our society is quick to judge those in high places. I suppose it is because most people look to them to serve as role models and they put them on a high pedestal. When in actuality they are human just like the rest of us. We feel disappointment when we realize that they are just human. It is human nature to idolize things and people and when those things let us down it causes us to question many things.
Virgil Gamble
Professor Sabir
English 1B
6 July 2011
Free Write: Response to Rebecca Ramos
Throughout history it seems that religion has been used as a to do horrible things. We see this with the almost eradication of Native Americans in colonial times, slavery during our country’s beginnings, the attempted extermination of the Jews in Germany, and (questionably) the war in the middle east we see today. It’s sad, but something tells me that religion will continue to be a tool of manipulation until the end of days.
Shipra Pathak
Professor Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Free-Write: God Fell from the Sky One Day and Ruined.
I enjoyed listening to God Fell from the Sky One Day by Ise Lyfe. This poetry can be related with “Ruined”. At the time when God realizes that he was only loved with conditions by the people around him and the women he loved, his this situation reminded me the conditions of the female characters in Lynn Nottage’s play Ruined. In the play, women after suffering rape were no longer accepted by their family and village. Their sacrifices, love and devotions toward their family and loved ones was considered zero, and they were left in pain to deal with the social, emotion and economic distress for rest of their life. The only way they could survive and protect themselves was by turning to brothels, where they found peace, food and shelter in return of sex. Like Congo, in many other cultures in the world, women, the victims of sexual violence, are held accountable for their conditions and are no longer considered “pure.” As a result, no one wants to marry such women and the community disowns them. It is the harsh reality of many cultures, and most of the times in such societies, women do not even dare to return to their home after they experience such abuse, because they know, they will be mistreated, same as the character Salima in the play “Ruined.”
S D
Professor Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Free Write: From Audio Book
Ise Lyfe,Pistols & Prayers Disc Two
In the story “God Fell from the Sky” the man that no one really knew is something to ponder. God fell from the sky as a duck, as a woman and as a man tells me that God is everything. God shows up all around us; it is what we choose to recognize. God shows up as a man or woman to help a distressed person, God shows up as the dog that saves his masters life, God shows up as the fish in an aquarium that give a person a tranquil feeling of peace, God shows up as the rising and setting Sun or the beautifully lit Moon at night. God also shows up as fury; the roar of an angry crowd fighting for the human rights, the barking and growling of a dog protecting its territory, the violent storms of nature, the eruption of a volcano, the…….. Can we really name God?
“What will we do when there is nothing left”, is how “Cost of Apathy” ends. What will we do? I guess we will continue to do as we have always done, and what we only know to do until we know something different.
“Ghana West Africa”, with all its beauty and natural resources has a dark cloud that hovers. Like a curse, its people suffer under this great disease that continues to consume it beautiful people. How can such a place of exquisiteness face such dismay?
Guorong Li
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
July 7, 2011
Free Write-Cups and Chairs
The poem Cups and Chairs is a little upset about the life. It makes me feel the emptiness and loneliness. As it says in the beginning:” swallowing the pride cause there is no food and no water, only swallow”, the feeling of the poverty is strong. The poem also makes me thing about the play “Ruined” by Lynn Nottage. The women in ruined are trapped in the bar because of the war. What can they get in there are just a living place and the basic survival condition. They live without dignity and security. The struggling of their survival is especially difficult for women in Congo during the wartime.
Lyfe, Ise. “Cups and Chairs.” Pistols and Prayers. Audio Book.
Nottage, Lynn, “Ruined”, 2009
Daniel Lu
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Free Write Response to Gerardo:
Yeah, I agree with what you say in your second paragraph. We as a people are often too easily enamored with “athletes, celebrities, [and] politicians”, usually playing them up as role models for the younger generation. There is often a notion of a kind of superiority given to these people, that somehow they have transcended their human roots and become gods. Yet knowing this I think there is another important question to be asked: what about the behavior of those we look up too? Since they are conscious of the pedestal others have placed them upon, should they strive to act like the role models others expect them to or should they be free to be who they are? Is there any inherent responsibility that they should hold simply because they have accomplished something the general public feels is extraordinary? Do they really have a choice?
BP
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
7 July 2011
The idea of age and the situations a person goes through despite age is very true Jennah Makalai. The murder and rape that Ghana women face is something that should be addressed in all ages rather than simply younger women like Sophie, Josephine, and Salima who are centered on this abuse. The idea of age not being important in these abusive situations is displayed by Mama Nadi, who despite being older, has faced the position of being a “ruined” woman.
Ricardo Antonio Chavarria
Professor Sabir
Engish 1B
7 July 2011
Respond to: Daniel Lu
I think one of the best examples of human optimism in the play “Ruined” is when Mama gives in to Christian’s love finally getting rid of the bitterness and resentment in her heart. It is people’s desire for love and companionship where their strength comes from although some people let bitterness consume them.
Raymond Ye
Professor Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Freewrite
I heard the words, but they made no sense to me and they were not memorable except for once phrase. The artist talks about seeing a man so old that age is no longer a number that matters, he is “about to die years old”. This phrase helped me reflect upon how human nature motivates each one of us to survive. Every second matters, death is all around us and there are many ways to die but we all strive to stay alive. This, also, relates to “Ruined” because the characters want to survive, they suffered and still have the will to live day by day. Through war and poverty, they still cherish every moment they have. For example, Salima was raped, kidnapped, and kicked out of her family, but she still did anything necessary to live. We all have something to live for, even at old age with nothing left to look forward to, we will try our best to survive.
Michelle Kith
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Response to Gerardo Guzman-
I like the fact that you’re implying that all human beings fall into sin.
As a human being, we also are quick to judge people. It’s nice that you
were reminded of Jesus and his heroic act after listing to Lyfe.
Joanna Louie
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July 2011
Response to student: “God Fell from the Sky One Day”
To Virgil Gamble:
I agree, the way Ise Life sets up this story really conveys his underlying message. We learn of God and follow a few days in his life. It is really disheartening to know our society is so judgmental and we run into this conflict often. Such envy and hate in our society overrides the much needed love and acceptance our society should experience. Perhaps if our society was not so judgmental, there would be more trust on the streets, and more peace in our culture. Like you, I have experienced situations similar to God’s in my own workplace and school. Why do people believe what they hear, without going directly to the subject to ask if it is in fact valid? Confrontation may be harsh, but avoids untrue rumors.
Works Cited
Gamble, Virgil. “Week 3: Day 4.” Online poster. 7 July 2011. College of Alameda. English 1B web forum. 28 June 2011.
Lyfe, Ise. “God Fell from the Sky One Day.” Pistols and Prayers. Even89ine Recordings, 2011. CD.
Trang Tran
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
7 July, 2011
Freewrite - Ise Lyfe
Ise Lyfe starts to begin absorbing the realities of Africa and seeing that it has become more westernized which shown in Ghana. “There are many weapons of colonialism, but not all of them are weapon of violence.” Then his professor mentioning the bible being the most devastate weapon brought to West Africa. The bible was a way of forcing the western religion onto Africa, a weapon of colonialism. In Ruined, by Lynn Nottage, it is seen that the western is illustrate through the Belgium chocolate and other imported goods, to Colton used to make cell phone, and Fanta the American soda.
Response: Rebecca Ramos
I also have never heard about how religion could have been used as a weapon, but my guess it is that it let the superior culture to take over another easily through religion because it will erase what they believe in, losing their culture. And, very much Africa is a “gold mine” for most European nations where they are the miners, coming in and taking over just to obtain these raw materials. This is almost related to Lynn Nottage’s Ruined where they come in and take Colton but using rape as their weapon.
Ramos,Rebecca. “Week 3: Day 4.” Online poster. 7 July 2011. College of Alameda. English 1B web forum. 28 June 2011.
Lyfe, Ise. “January 3 – Ghana West Africa”. Pistols and Prayers. Even89ine Recordings, 2011. CD.
Shipra Pathak
Professor Sabir
English 1B
6 July 2011
Response to Virgil Gamble’s free write.
Your question “why was religion used as a weapon against the indigenous people of Africa” makes me think about the meaning of religion in one’s life. I have always wondered what life would be like without religion. Although I am not religious, it seems as if most of the world's problems stem from religion. Throughout history there has always been death, destruction and atrocities in the name of some lord or another and such destruction still exist in our contemporary society. If religion is a fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a group of people, why we are trying to force our beliefs on others? Is it just because we want to destroy the other culture or is it because we want to expand our religion? This question which still remains unclear and need a greater analysis of meaning of religion.
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