The article about the missing child, that was separated from her family for 23 years stuck out to me the most. I found out that young woman discovered that she missing herself, with no previous help from the authorities. I could not imagine that point of realization, thinking that the past 23 years of my life was a lie, the people I thought were my parents were actually my kidnappers. The birth parent's lives must have been unbearable as well. Having to accept that your child is gone and moving on with your life with out them must have been painful, to say the least.
However, the story also made me think about how young woman grew up. Was her kidnapper ever a mother to her? Did she have somewhat of a normal life? Was she ever abused? I don't know what I would do to one day realize that most of my life for 23 years was lie. Just from reading one article and seeing various new reports, I gather that this young woman is a strong willed. By taking action to change her life suddenly, she displays a strong nature. She obviously wants to be a part of her family and knew that something was not right with her previous situation.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
King Leopold's Ghost- Chapter 2
Chapter two of King Leopold's Ghost mainly involves King Leopold II. The chapter begins with a summery of his early life which included a distant relationship with his parents. One thing that stuck out to me was how quickly he moved up in the military rankings.By the age of twenty he was a major general. I would have thought that a person with that much power at a young age would be outgoing. But Leopold is described as a "fox", being shy and never taking chances.
King Leopold II went through a loveless marriage, filled with bickering, with the Archduchess Marie-Henriette. Leopold and the Archduchess were polar opposites. They quickly discovered they could not stand the sight of each other. This frustration seemed to fuel his emotions toward his political power. As a King, he felt his country was to small to contain him. He desired to rule a colony above all else. Being desperate in his search for land, "he tried to buy lakes in the Nile delta so that he could drain them and claim the land as a colony (36)". Colonies were created because King Leopold II desired financial, personal gain. The Congo River eventually became the primary interest of Leopold search. He had planned to a number of things in his colony, some of which, abolishing slavery.However, King Leopold discovered that buying his colony would not work. He had to take it by force to claim it as his own.
King Leopold II went through a loveless marriage, filled with bickering, with the Archduchess Marie-Henriette. Leopold and the Archduchess were polar opposites. They quickly discovered they could not stand the sight of each other. This frustration seemed to fuel his emotions toward his political power. As a King, he felt his country was to small to contain him. He desired to rule a colony above all else. Being desperate in his search for land, "he tried to buy lakes in the Nile delta so that he could drain them and claim the land as a colony (36)". Colonies were created because King Leopold II desired financial, personal gain. The Congo River eventually became the primary interest of Leopold search. He had planned to a number of things in his colony, some of which, abolishing slavery.However, King Leopold discovered that buying his colony would not work. He had to take it by force to claim it as his own.
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