Misanthropy Pure

This is the song “Misanthropy Pure” by the band Shai Hulud. The song is about how negative emotions can be channeled into progression and progress by a strong mind. Intolerance and violence are often said to be best countered by patience and understanding, but the song explains how sometimes the way of the pacifist isn’t always correct in combating the injustices of today’s world. The band takes it even one step further and say that not only is it possible to channel “hope within hatred” but it is a “birthright and obligation”. The excerpt I chose from the song explains their ideas most clearly; the negative emotions people associate with injustice can be turned towards progression and peace. Emotions are not inherently good or bad, a fact people often overlook, and the song advocates that if you use a powerful ‘negative’ emotion towards hope and peace, it can often be more productive than a ‘positive’ one. As the song progresses, the lyrics go on to say that hatred and contempt are often misused at the hands of the weak and thus rendered useless, if not hampering, towards the positive goals of humanity. The “spiteful and ill-tempered” should not be accepted into the lives of the truly strong of heart and mind. The song advocates an almost vicious negligence of the prideful and belligerent, saying that they should be denied their inheritance to the planet.
In spite of the misanthropic view on life that the song portrays, I agree with their message. No rest should be given to the spineless cowards who abuse their negative emotions and fail to see that hatred and contempt can be just as strong and positive as love and acceptance. When is a country more united than when they have a common enemy? For example, after the tragedy of September 11, the country was united in an almost fervent desire to see justice upheld and have the terrorists brought to justice. Hatred can be a positive tool to see a goal through to its end and can further progression in a way that no ‘positive’ emotion can. I understand that my views are perhaps “outside of the box”, but I strongly believe that upon introspection of themselves, people can realize and understand that “contempt born of clear perception is a birthright to those who channel it towards progression.” In other words, if your mind is clear and your heart pure, contempt can be a positive driving force.
I chose to design “Misanthropy Pure” in a way that conveys its message of positive hatred through a cold, unfaltering manner. The grey background is devoid of warmth, helping invoke the feeling of an almost stoic passiveness. The opening two lines are arranged so that the key words are distinguished in a way that exhumes their inherent meaning. The 3 lines after are of equal importance, explaining the ways that negative emotions should be used towards progress. The last line is the driving point of the song, tying together the central theme that the use of negative emotions towards progression isn’t just a suggestion. I hope that someone viewing my interpretation of the song will feel the same thing that I do when looking at it; a keen sense that something needs to be done about the attitude of today’s society.

Compositions That Advocate

For my project, I will be advocating that fact that violent video games are NOT the main cause of violence among today's youth, paying specific attention to school shootings. I will be drawing on examples such as the Columbine High School massacre, the Virginia Tech Massacre, and other related examples of youth violence. I feel that violent video games are pointed to when blame is cast aside from the true propagators of violence: the parents and the environment in which the child is brought up in. The debate to ban or censor violent video games is never ending and as a result, we often lose sight of the true issues. Violence is becoming an increasingly prevalent thing in today's society with all the school shootings not just in America, but around the world. When the dust settles, the only thing society does is cast blame instead of looking at exactly why the person did what they did. Video games are an easy scapegoat when blame is cast because of the amount of time people today put into them. Is there anything better to cast blame at than a common pastime of today's youth?

But why do people play violent video games in the first place? Is it because they are captivated by violence? Or is it something deeper, something more constructive and personal than base human instinct? People fail to realize that everyone possess free will. They can make the choice on whether or not to act on their violent feelings. Video games don't control your mind and make you hurt people.

I will be constructing a powerpoint presentation for my project. I hope that I can convey my beliefs in an informative and friendly manner and, hopefully, provide a different insight into a worn-out topic.

Screen Capture

This is a screen capture of a term paper I did last year on the influence of the Germanic tribes on the downfall of the Roman Empire. I spent a few months doing research on it, investing a decent size chunk of my life in learning all I could about the subject. The screen capture is just a window into the hard work and time put into a paper such as this. It brings to the surface memories of long hours and a satisfying payoff at the end when the work was complete. It also shows the simple space I like to maintain when working on a project such as this. I tend to avoid distractions on the computer such as AIM or computer games, etc. When composing in a digital space, the entire dynamic of the process changes. A digital space allows you to access millions of resources with the click of a button. Changes can be made to your document with minimal effort, allowing drastic content overhauls to be made quite easily. Digital composing processes can be understood better by taking the time to sit down and explore the digital writing process thoroughly. Taking courses in digital composition can also lead to a better understanding of the process.

95 Theses

Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses in response to the Catholic Church's mayn abuses, chief among them the selling of indulgences as well as many other financial scandals. Recognized as the greatest factor in the schism between the Protestant and Catholic churches, Luther's 95 Theses would create a rift in Christianity that would never be completely healed. The reaction of society was split in response to the Theses: some embraced Luther's ideas and others condemned them. Eventually, the two sides would come to peace with one another, but not before enduring many conflicts, including a bloody war. Luther's 95 Theses offer a unique look into religion in the medieval times, portraying it as somewhat of a hypocrite. A priest would preach salvation for all and God's willingness to forgive at a sermon then walk out the door and convince the naive people of the time that the only way to obtain salvation was to purchase indulgences, or pardons. Luther's 95 Theses, while ripping apart Catholicism at its core, fortified the church agaisnt further grievances and led to a healing process that would mold the church into what it is today.