THE PENDULUM
OPINIONS
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 10. 2010 // PAGE 11
pinions
Consequences of a fatal fallacy
Death. We all know it’s
coming at some point In
our lifetimes, but what
Is really going to happen
to us when the Inevitable
takes place? Will Death,
as cold and scary as
we have made him out
to be, lead us with his
shiny knife through the
golden gates of blissful
paradise?
What Is eternal
happiness? A place
where, if you have been
good throughout your
existence, the big guy will open a place for you in
his humble abode. Or maybe Death will take us to
a more Dantesque place — a self-proclaimed hell
led by an angry, red man who spends his days
chastising the souls that may have enjoyed life a
bit too much.
But what If none of this happens? What if
death is not the beginning of something, but the
permanent conclusion of body and spirit, mind and
soul?
To the majority of people this is a ludicrous
Fiona Alfaro
Columnist
choice, but for me, this is it. This is my reality
— you die, you’re gone. That's it. Some find my
prediction depressing and warn me that I will be
a lost soul, trapped in an eternal limbo between
heaven and hell, if I don’t go straight into the red
man’s hot clutches in the first place.
But this doesn’t worry or bother me at all. 1 see
this threat as an opportunity and feel flattered by
the fact that so many people care enough about
my future to take the time to warn me about my
sacrilegious choices.
What about those people that have encountered
a near-death experience? Isn’t that sufficient proof
of another life? These questions aren't valid. No
human has ever actually met the big guy upstairs
or the angry one downstairs, shaken their hands,
walked through their eternal gates of heaven and
hell and returned to enlighten the rest of us on
the subject. Even if there was such a person, how
could we prove that what happened was real and
not fictitious? If there Is no proof, then these
two guys are just a theory, and they can never be
proven right or wrong.
Call me faithless, but 1 rely on science as my
truth. After all, we do owe humanity’s progress to
science. Without it, we would be nothing. Maybe
all those people who seem to have experienced
floating above a room or a flashing white light
just want to meet the big guy so badly that their
souls are providing them with a little taste of
their death wish before eternal darkness comes
upon them. Or maybe it’s just the drugs.
Why do I see my atheist thoughts on death
as an opportunity? Simple. 1 am living for
today — not the future, but now. 1 hate to think
of our present lives as insignificant, a type of
preparation for the future, living my life like I’m
walking on eggshells, making sure not to upset the
man in the sky.
So, 1 say ‘carpe diem.’ Seize the day, and make
every day of your life better than the one you lived
before. Appreciate the small things: the sun’s light
kiss on your skin, your family and friends, the
feel of a gentle breeze or maybe just the fact that
you are alive in the first place. Stop hoping for
something better in the future, because all good
things come to an end. Don’t be scared of what lies
ahead — it’s inevitable.
Whatever you do, don’t live your life trying to
please someone or trying to gain acceptance for
some little piece of heaven. Just do your thing, be
yourself and, most importantly, live for yourself.
This is what life is about, and I think most of us,
including the big guy above, agree.
BY THE NUMBERS
M percent of near death experiences are considered wonderful.
17.3 percent of individuals described mixed reactions to their near death exp>eriences.
8*6 percent of near death experiences are considered frightening.
53 percent of individuals who had near death experiences are female, 403 percent are male.
Letter to the Editor:
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SARAH COSTELLO | Gfaphio Eddof
To the Editor,
For years, news of the
deplorable conditions in Darfur
was inescapable. Stories of sexual
violence against women, the murder
of civilians and the imprisonment
of any who dared to oppose the
government were widely publicized
in the media and discussed by
those who were touched by the
heart-wrenching stories of victims
of the genocide In Darfur. The
initial frenzy evoked by word of the
crisis in Africa is slowly becoming
nonexistent. Images of starving
children rarely flash across the
television screen and updates on the
state of relations between Darfur
and Sudan are infrequent at most.
Unfortunately, the decrease
in attention given to the crisis
in Darfur is not correlated to a
decrease in the problems that
continue to plague this region of
Africa. A recent report from the
U.N. panel of experts reveals little
progress has been made in the
war-torn region of Africa where
violence and murder continues to
threaten innocent civilians. The
U.N. panel reports that the Sudanese
government continues to terrorize
inhabitants of Darfur who are
already suffering from the lingering
effects of Sudanese President *
Bashir’s ban on non-governmental
relief organizations last spring.
During the time spent in Africa,
the U.N. panel also reported
information gathered from Darfur’s
female population. Of hundreds
of women interviewed by the
panel, every woman stated that
she could relate to some form of
sexual violence from the Sudanese.
Many named sexual violence as
their greatest fear. In 2004, two
young girls were raped outside of a
displacement site while attempting
to gather firewood. These young
girls were also interviewed by the
U.N. panel, which believes sexual
crimes against women continue to
be prevalent, especially in situations
that require women to travel or leave
a site of displacement.
After the announcement of the
recent warrant for Bashir’s arrest,
more violations of the International
Humanitarian and Human Rights
Law began to surface. Reports
appeared of the persecution and
torture of any who had opposed
the Sudanese government. The
panel conducted interviews with
34 individuals who claim to have
been imprisoned unfairly by the
Sudanese. According to these
individuals, they were thrown in
jail for indefinite periods of time
without proper trail or sentencing.
Indepth interviews with these
individuals led the member’s of
the panel to believe that while
incarcerated, the prisoners were
all tortured or physically abused in
some way.
Obama has stated his current
plan to put an end to the violence
and denial of civil rights in the
region of Darfur. He plans to urge
powerful nations to work together
in an unofficial coalition to
pressure the Sudanese government
to end victimization of the Darfur
population. Many thought it implicit
that Obama would attempt to
persuade China to join us in this
unofficial coalition during his
recent trip there. In spite of the
urging of 44 members of congress
and advocates of ending the violence
in Darfur, Obama made the highly
controversial decision not to raise
the issue publicly. The decision has
many fearing that Obama is not
taking the conditions in Darfur
seriously and worrying that the
Sudanese government will feel no
pressure to change its ways.
As Americans, we are incredibly
fortunate to live in a democratic
nation that values freedom and
human rights. It can be easily
forgotten that those committing
crimes do so without ever facing any
charges or consequences. Starvation
and illness constantly threaten the
population and their crippling effect
on the people of Darfur has only
increased since the recently lifted
ban of non-governmental relief
organizations in the area. Humans
are thrown in jail without any
explanation or knowledge of how
long they will be incarcerated for.
There are many ways to become
involved in the mission to end
violence in Darfur. One of the
easiest ways is to sign on to the
“Save Darfur” Web site and sign
up for their e-mail list. Doing this
will allow you to receive updates
on the situation and keep you
informed of relevant petitions and
events that you may be interested in
participating in to raise awareness
and aid relief efforts.
The current situation in Darfur
is absolutely tragic and needs the
attention of those who have the
power to change it. It can take
less than one minute to sign on to
the Web site and submit an e-mail
address so that one can receive
updates on how one can contribute
to a change that must be made
to put an end to the violence and
constant fear suffered by the
inhabitants of Darfur.
Adriana Miano
Elon, North Carolina
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