Ben Howson                                                                                                             05/06/14
Ms. Mitchell, per. 6
Thoughts and Reflections on;
Why Rome Fell
By Gerhard Rempel


Rome fell for many reasons, but the main reasons for Rome's fall is due to Persians and barbarians breaking in to Rome and Raiding. Another reason why Rome fell was due to the middle class of Rome being completely taken out, and all but two emperors, or soon to be emperors were killed violently. I believe these to be the reasons why Rome fell.
I think that because the Persians and the barbarians were a really big part for the fall of Rome, because they raided Rome, and worsened the money situation that Rome was really trying to get back together. Also due to the middle class of Rome being taken out due to over taxation because of wars Rome was again not in a very good situation, and had lost the people who were providing the money that they needed for war and to pay troops, etc... Also this meant that there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor, there was no in between rich and poor. You were very rich or dirt poor, and it is a simple as that. Due to many of the Roman emperors and the soon to be emperors being killed, made Rome very frantic, because it put them in a situation that they did not like. It meant that they had no one helping them out, and leading them out of the crises, for the first time in a long time, the Roman people were on there own.
That is why I believe the Persians and the barbarians raiding Rome, the middle class of Rome being completely destroyed, and many of the Roman emperors and soon to be emperors being killed are the main things that led to the fall of the Roman empire.

Edward Snowden the modern day Socrates

Ben Howson

World History per. 6

Edward Snowden is a modern day Socrates for many reasons, even though there are hundreds of years inbetween them. One of those reasons being, that Edward Snowden believes that everyone should know what is happening, and that there should be no secrets being kept away and hidden from the people, just like Socrates. Also Edward Snowden will stand for what he believes is right, and in this case he believed that he should tell us Americans that the NSA is spying on us, just like Socrates also stood up for what he believed was right. Edward Snowden has people that agree with what he did, and others who completaly hate him for what he has done (Mostly the NSA and government), and Socrates also had people that believed in him, and loved him, but he also had the people who didn't. Also Edward Snowden, like Socrates also went to trial, for doing what they believe to be right, and an ok thing to do, when others believed that what they did, was the wrong thing to do. Also In away both Edward Snowden and Socrates were both pretty much acused for what they believe, and telling their belief with others, but isn't that freedome of speech? S both Edward Snowden and Socrates were acused for freedome of speech. Those are some reasons why Edward Snowden is like a modern day Socrates. 

This is Edward Snowden on the left, and Socrates on the right.

The second day of Edward Snowdens Trial

Ben Howson

World History per. 6

The Trial of Edward Snowden/ Main 

- Prosecution

Elizabeth Guzzi starts of the trail, and states the guilt of Edward for treason and stealing. He committed treason by telling china and Russia that the NSA was spying on them. Also the NSA saved 3,000 lives, and stopped 5 terrorist acts on the USA. The NSA also saved 15,000 lives due to ser valence on their technology. Do to espionage the prosecution believe that Edward should go to jail for at least 30 years. Also the NSA isn't looking at everyone's technology, they are just checking up on any posable terarits attacks. Edward cost America millions of dollars.

- Defense 

Lexi Tompkins starts off by comparing Edward Snowdens trial to Daniel Elspberg's trial in 1971. She believes that Edward should have the same outcome of Daniel's trial, and that being free, and let go. Snowden didn't leak and military plans or any of that, he leaked what he believed that the rest of America should know, and that being, that we are all being spied on. Edward Snowden is innocent, just like Daniel.

trial of edward sbowden trial opening statements

Ben Howson

Wrold History per. 6

Opening statements:

For the prosecution, Sara Leidic claimed the guilt of Edward Snowden, for espionage, treason, violation, and leaking many private documents to the world. Sara Leidic made a very good opening statement, giving the decision makers a lot to swallow. 

Cade McClellan, talking for the defense, stood up and gave a very great opening statement on how Edward Snowden is not guilty, but innocent. He claimed Edward Snowden has not committed any of the crimes in which the prosecutors believe Edward Snowden did in deed commit. Cade McClellan gave many great examples as to why Edward is innocent, such as the Fourth Amendment of the USA, and also the Declaration of Independence. Cade McClellan also making the decision makers think their heads off.

Thoughts and reflections on: When the freedom of speech was first condemned.

Ben Howson, World History per.6

Ms. Mitchell

Thoughts and reflections on: When the Freedom of speech was first Condemned.

By I. F. Stone

I believe that the title of this writing is named this because it literally was when the freedom of speech was first condemned. Socrates was the first man who was condemned for using freedom of speech to teach the young his beliefs. Socrates did this in Athens where everyone is supposed to have the right of free speech. He was prosecuted for using this right. The jury said that he was destroying the young with his beliefs and ideas. However, Socrates should have been free to express his ideas to the young because he had this right of freedom of speech. "When Freedom of Speech was First Condemned" is the titile of this article because it is about when Socrates was condemned to death for using freedom of speech.

During this reading my opinion changed about Socrates. Before the reading I believed that Socrates was a great philosopher, and a smart, wise, old man who wanted to help others. But now after reading this paper, I kind of think that Socrates was not the smartest or greatest philosopher. I say this because Socrates could have won his trial but instead of trying his hardest to get out of his prosecution, he gave up and wanted to die. I also say that he was not the smartest man because he was not afraid of death and he did not care about dying. He was a bit crazy because to me it felt like he wanted to die. Another thing that changed my opinion about Socrates was that he was against freedom of speech. I think that this is silly because all philosophers are all about free speech, and even Socrates used freedom of speech. It was silly for him to be against it. Socrates was also against democracy which also changed my opinion about him. He believed that people were not able to govern themselves, and he did not have the trust in them to do so. All in all, from this reading, it made me believe that Socrates was not a wise and great philosopher instead he was a very superior and arrogant man.

If I was the head attorny for the procecuting team, I would pick a young child who Socrates told his believes to as a witness. I would do this, so that the young boy or girl could tell the audience what Socrates has told him or her, and become furious for what Socrates has taught them. That is who I would pick as a witness if I was the attorny for the procecuting team.

If I was the head attorny for the defending team I would pick political person as my witness. I would pick this type of person, so that they could tell me the rights as an Athenian, and of course one of the huge rights as an Athenian is the right to freedom of speech, and that was exactaly what Socrates was doing. He was saying what he belived in. That is who I would pick as a witness if I was the attorny for the defending team.

This it was Socrtes could have said to win the trial.

person who is like a Gadfly

Ben Howson, World History per. 6

Ms. Mitchell

02/25/14

CEO of ExxionMobil Rex Tillerson, and many of his neighbors came together, and filled out a law suit against his company that was wanting to build and creat a fracking sight next to their neighborhood water tower, and us the water tower as the fracking water. Rex Tillerson is like a modern day Socrates, because he is able to get everyone on his side, and convince them to believe in his idea, or that something is bad or good. Like Socrates wasn't afrade of dieing, Rex Tillerson wasn't scared of loosing his buisness, he just wanted what he wanted, that that was to have no fracking next to his property. Rex Tillerson is addressing that he likes fracking but not when it is in yard, and he doesn't. Rex's method, is to get people to agree with what he wants, and then to get his fellow neighbors mad and come together and get what they want. His method works, because he is good at convincing people, and making them believe in what he does. His method also work because he listens to people, and he acts as a leader to get what he wants, and also what the other people want. Fracking is a serious issue, because even though it is a way to get a lot of oil and gasses, we don't really know what it does and what effects it has on Earth, and the environment. As of now we don't really know what effects fracking has on the environment, but many believe that nothing good could come out of fracking. Rex Tillerson is talking to us Americans, and other people who live in the USA. He is wanting for us to listen, and come together to take out fracking. So what is Fracking? Fracking is a method of drilling into the eath to gather oils and gasses far below the Earth's surface. These fracking tubes that colect the gasses and oils are miles long, and crack the eath to open up caves that hold the gasses and oils. That is what fracking is.

http://youtu.be/P8ki8zW-_fg 

 This is Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxion Mobil.

The Apology of Socrates part 2

Ben Howson, World history per. 6

Thoughts and reflections on: The Apology of Socrates

By By Plato

Socrates refuses to tell lies in his defense. He always tells the truth, and thinks that it is bad to tell lies. He also doesn't bring his kids to the court, like many of the people who trialed against him, to make the court feel guilty. He thinks that it is wrong to bring kids to the court, because it is unfair, and just no right. Socrates just really doesn't think that it is right to tell lies.

Socrates refuses to tell lies, and bring kids into the court, because it is just not right. Socrates really doesn't like people who tell lies, because he thinks that it is unfair and disrespectful, and he also thinks the same thing for people who bring their kids in to the court room. Socrates said that he will never do that because it is not fair, and not the right thing to do. 

Socrates believe that he doesn't deserve death. Instead, he thinks that he should give some money to Athens is a peace offering, and that they would just forget the whole thing. He was pretty much saying, don't kill me, here take this money, and lets forget about this whole thing, the money is your, do what you want with it. That is what Socrates believes that his penalty should be.

Socrates, during the end of the trial said that, no matter what he wouldn't lie, because it is the wrong thing to do. He went in to more detail that he would never tell a lie, and always the truth. That is what Socrates final proof, that he will not do what he feels is wrong.

Socrates other suggestion, other than death, is to again give Athens money, and then for Athens just to let him and his family to walk out of Athens peacfuly, and let them go live some where else. He suggests this, because he really doesn't want to die, but he isn't scared of death, he just doesn't want to die. He said that if he died, that they might as well kill all his family, such as his kids. That is the other suggestion that Socrates suggested other than death.

 Socrates thinks that death is a good thing, and he is not scared of it. He isn't scared of death, because he believes that there is a better place like heaven that you go to after you die. He thinks that there is a peaceful world after death, that is far better than the world in which they lived. That is why Socrates thinks that death is a good thing.

     

This is Socrates trial.