posted
Natalie's gifted teacher gave them a project in the last weeks of school. She got major complaints from a lot of the parents because we are all so busy this time of year. I did not complain to her, she is teaching gifted students and she expects a lot out of them. I must admit, I was very digruntled at having to fool with it though.
The topic was "Walls" You were to be assigned a wall, have to research it, and write a report and build a representation of it in someway. I'm thinking Vietnam Wall, Great Wall of China, Wailing Wall.
She gets the Belfast Peace wall. I don't know much about it, except what any person with a passing familiarity of the Troubles in Ireland would know. It isn't even one wall, but many.
So, because we have no time to go to the library, I print off some info from the internet, and give it all to her and she goes to write her report.
When I read the report this morning, after she left for school, I had to go back and pull the info I printed for her. I am ashamed to admit I didn't think the entire thing could be original. She would never outright plagiarize, but she may have taken the ideas from an essay I printed and just re-arranged the word order, leaving a practically identical essay of her own behind.
Of course, she didn't do that. Shame on me for thinking it and doubting her. Everything in it is original. She carefully picked out releveant facts from the pages of history on Ireland I gave her, and formed her report.
I know I couldn't have written this at 11. AT least I don't think I could have. And I don't think most 11 year olds write like this. I'll put it in the next post for your perusal.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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By Natalie R. Ward Mrs. Vickers Gifted Education Class 2004
Introduction
A huge wall divides the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The story that goes with it is a deep and interesting story. However, it is a sad story. A story filled with conflict, war, grief, hate, and loss. It is a story of one country, two peoples, many conflicts, and the wall that separated, divided, and tore apart them all. Come and join me for the story of the Peace Wall, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Part 1 The History of the Wall and its Conflicts
More than 800 years ago, Great Britain tried to take over what is now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. At the time, Gaelic lords ruled Ireland. King Henry began Britain’s many invasions into Ireland in 1171. Britain had won Ireland by 1609 and gave the land to Scottish and English Presbyterian settlers. Protestant William of Orange claimed the throne from Catholic King James II in the Battle of Boyne in 1690. Every year on July 12 Protestants, still celebrate the victory.
William of Orange greatly encouraged Protestant settlement. Protestants had taken 95 percent of what makes up Northern Ireland from the Catholics by 1703. Soon massacres by English settlers caused the poorer and less-educated former landowners to move west and south of Ireland. In a bid for home rule, Michael Collins and 1,000 other Irish Republicans led the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916. In 1920, war began.
The war was ended in 1921 when an agreement was signed that gave the Irish control over 26 mainly Catholic countries in Northern Ireland. The agreement also allowed England to keep six primarily Protestant countries under its control. However, economically and politically Britain still controlled Northern Ireland. Unfair laws, voting systems, and taxes regarding the two religious groups caused riots to break out between the Catholics and Protestants.
The riots soon became violent. There were fights, mobs, bombings, threats, and more. The Irish people soon divided themselves up into all Catholic and all Protestant blocks, neighborhoods, cities, schools, stores, the list goes on and on. The riots eventually became so vicious and violent that the British finally decided to take action. In 1969 British troops built the first section of the wall. The British hoped that the so called “peace wall” would settle the fights. People began immediately to add more and more to the wall until it reached across Belfast. Unfortunately the peace wall did not do what the British had hoped it would do.
Part II The Wall and its Conflicts Today
People continued to build, until the peace wall was not just a wall going through Belfast, but many different walls throughout Belfast joining together to create one huge structure. Many artists came and painted the famous murals on the peace wall. Some painted memorials, others legends, others hatred, and still many others painted different kinds of murals. However, America, Great Britain, and Ireland did something that they had hoped would settle “The Troubles” as the conflicts and violence had come to be known. Unfortunately it did not do what its creators had hoped it would do, for instead of settling the problem, it only made it three times worse.
America, Great Britain, and Ireland all agreed and signed a document that came to be known as the Agreement. The Agreement did many things. The Irish peoples had to make a decision. Were they for or against the Agreement? People who were for the Agreement were called Unionists. People who were against the Agreement were called Loyalists. Most Protestants were Unionists. While most Catholics were Loyalists. Fighting soon broke out among the two groups.
The fighting that went on after the Agreement was signed was at least three times as bad as the fighting before the wall was built. The riots, fighting, shooting, killing, bombings, murders, and terrorist attacks were horrible. It was not safe to leave your own home anymore. As the war and “The Troubles” went on it came to a point where it was dangerous everywhere in Belfast, even in your own home. And sadly, that’s how it is still today. A few things have been done to help to settle the conflicts, but it is still a nightmare. The Catholics and Protestants still stay divided by not only the huge barrier that is called the peace wall but also by wall not made of steel or bricks, but of bitterness, hatred, and war. And both of those walls will remain right where they are until the people of Belfast put aside their differences and come together once again.
Something to Think About
I have now shared with you the story I promised. No doubt you agree with me that it is a sad story. I pity those who live in Belfast, Ireland. For those poor souls must always live in grief, hatred, war, and death. But the awful truth is that the wall in Belfast isn’t the only wall that divides peoples of one region. They are all around you. Mental and emotional walls divide people everyday. We create these walls because we see someone as strange, weird, or simply different. Mankind may have to live with these walls until the end of the world. But there is one ray of hope. That one day mankind will work to put aside their differences and pull together to tear down both the physical and mental walls down forever. But until that day comes, The Peace Wall in Belfast, Northern Ireland still stands erect.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote: But the awful truth is that the wall in Belfast isn’t the only wall that divides peoples of one region. They are all around you. Mental and emotional walls divide people everyday. We create these walls because we see someone as strange, weird, or simply different.
Do I get to use the eek smiley? Yes, yes I do. Your daughter is an amazing writer. I might have her edit my thesis next semester.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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Aa a teacher who sees awful writing on a daily basis from 13 and 14 year olds all I can say is, "I wish I had a few students like your daughter!"
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Wow...that is better than I could have done at her age. I'm incredibly impressed. Does she have any interest in becoming a Jatraquera?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I want to meet Natalie. She's one of the authors I'd most like to have dinner with. I'm a big fan of awesome young writers.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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WOW seeing as how I'm not a very good wrighter it doesn't mean much but thats probly better then most of what I could wright. Posts: 397 | Registered: Apr 2003
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