The Darfur attacks are taking place in Sudan, as shown above.

The Sudanese people live in these small huts in Darfur.

Summary

            “Sudan ‘begins new Darfur attacks’” is an article about the recent situation in
Darfur, Sudan. According to the African Union (AU), the Sudanese government with the help of the Janjaweed militia has launched new attacks on
Darfur. Up to 70 people have died in that region and more than 200,000 have died during these three years of conflict. Although the Sudanese government claims they are not helping the Janjaweed militias, reports have said they are destroying the black African population. Another focus in this article is the conflict between the UN and the AU. Just days after the Sudanese government welcomed the UN’s support to boost the AU’s peace-keeping mission in
Darfur, the AU did not want any UN troops. The AU and Sudanese government only require technical support from the UN, who were ready for a mixed force for the peace-keeping mission.       

This Darfur attack has made headlines for various reasons. First of all, it is a conflict. This means that it is a struggle between two opposing forces and therefore, the world would want to know about it. Another reason is that it has lots of negativity and it also is a continuation of the clash that happened a long time ago. The final reason that I believe it made the headlines is because this tragic event can stir up many emotions.     

To see the article, please click here.

During their time in hiding, Anne and her family go through some difficult phases during which many fiery remarks are thrown between each member. Anne complains that her parents are always blaming her for everything and dislikes the treatment she receives everyday, sometimes good, and sometimes bad. She also protests that her parents immediately take on Margot’s side even if they don’t know what the problem is. Anne also mentions that she dislikes her mother but adores her father. I agree with Anne in many ways but I disagree with her too.
“My treatment varies so much.” Anne, like every other preteen, was annoyed that her parents treat her differently. I certainly agree with her and can relate to her problem very easily. “He doesn’t notice that he treats Margot differently from me.” Just like Mr. Frank, my parents sometimes treat my brother and me in very different ways without even realizing it. During particular conflicts, I receive all the blame and my brother receives none. This angers me very much and I always reach my bursting point. Although I feel all this rage, I bottle it all up inside me and carry on with life.”It wasn’t right of Daddy to judge without knowing what the squabble was about.” Another annoyance for Anne is how her parents always take on her sister’s side even though they don’t know what’s going on. This is another crisis that occurs to me very often too. Sometimes, during a fight between my brother and me, my parents instantly take on my brother’s side even though they don’t know the situation. Somehow, during these situations, I manage to get my say and I sort out the matter.
“I love them; but only because they are Mummy and Margot. With Daddy it’s different.” In her diary, Anne frequently declares that she adores her father but really dislikes her mother and Margot. This is something I strongly disagree with. Unlike Anne, I adore both my parents in different ways. My father is fun to hang out with, loves sports and enjoys all the leisure time in life. However, he is a disciplined person too. My mother, on the other hand, is the perfect person to talk to about issues and always has time for me. My brother can be a little annoying but is also very kind and helpful to me to.
Overall, this diary entry of Anne Frank’s was very interesting because I could relate to it easily.

In Anne Frank’s diary, there’s a point when her parents mention that they are leaving and force her sister and her to pack their belongings into a small backpack. Anne packs up the most unusual and unnecessary belongings claiming that memories are more important to her than clothes. If I was in Anne’s situation, I would have had a difficult time figuring out what to pack. I believe that I would bring clothes, such as t-shirts, jeans and sweaters, because these would be my basic necessities. I would also bring some of my favorite books along. Being isolated from the world can lead to boredom and therefore, I believe that reading books can eliminate this boredom. Nowadays, electronics are part of everyday life and for that reason, I would bring my cellphone and my Ipod. Since music is very important to me, these items are definitely required. The rest of the backpack would be filled with my most prized possessions that I received from my relatives and friends. A beaded bag that my grandmother gave me, a silver watch that my father gave me and various photographs of my family and friends. Unlike Anne, I believe that memories are just as important as my basic necessities.

Now here is a picture of my precious item, my cellphone:

Courage, in my opinion, has several valuable meanings. Courage isn’t just about being brave and fighting, it could mean facing a difficult emotional problem as well. For example, just this Monday, I had my first day at a new school. Although I was terrified, I plucked up all my courage and managed to get through a whole day. As you can see, being courageous doesn’t always involve being heroic, it could also be shown in very simple situations, as mentioned above. On the other hand, courage can involve great, bold acts as well. One courageous act remembered by all is in the mythical story about how Hercules fought a fierce lion. Now that was a very dangerous but very brave thing to do! Another important point in being courageous is that it can be a selfless act or it can be a show of bravado. Saving a person or animal is a selfless act while taming a lion at the circus is just a show. Overall, I believe that courage and being courageous is difficult to show, especially when you are in a terrifying situation that requires fast action. Although heroic acts are important, I believe the small, selfless acts are the ones that show the most courage.

Hey everyone, this is my first post and I’m very excited. Hope you will enjoy my writing and don’t forget to comment!