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**One Twentieth-Century Event Influenced by Transcendentalism: Liberian Women Fight For Peace: **
Liberia experienced a great conflict between 1989 and 1999, and again between 1999 and 2003. It is estimated that 30% of the fighting force was made up of women, taking over jobs as commanders, cooks, spies, and porters. Women took up arms for many reasons, such as avenging death and to protect themselves and their family. Many women continue to suffer physical and mental effects from their experiences, and often do not have access to efficient medical care. Often abandoned or widowed, a great amount of women have found themselves having to handle burdens with little support, few skills, and no job or an education. To try and take care of this situation, demobilization, a disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration process began, which aimed to ensure women's rights, participation, and their needs. The women are taking a non-violent approach to the situation, hoping it'll be better in the long-run. In Thoreau's __Civil Disobedience__, he said "Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine." This means that you can stop the machine, or fix the situation, without breaking it, or making it worse. media type="custom" key="8613358" align="center"

[|**"So Small"**]


Yeah, Yeah What you got if you ain't got love the kind that you just want to give away It's okay to open up go ahead and let the light shine through I know it's hard on a rainy day you want to shut the world out and just be left alone But don't run out on your faith
 * //[Verse 1]//**

'Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand What you've been up there searching for forever is in your hands When you figure out love is all that matters after all It sure makes everything else seem so small
 * //[Chorus]//**

//**[Verse 2]**// It's so easy to get lost inside a problem that seems so big at the time it's like a river that's so wide it swallows you whole While you sit around thinking about what you can't change and worrying about all the wrong things time's flying by moving so fast you better make it count 'cause you can't get it back

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand What you've been up there searching for forever is in your hands When you figure out love is all that matters after all It sure makes everything else Seem so small
 * //[Chorus]//**

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand What you've been up there searching for forever is in your hands When you figure out love is all that matters after all It sure makes everything else Oh it sure makes everything else Seem so small

Yeah, Yeah

====These lyrics, performed by Carrie Underwood, reflect a few of Transcendentalism's interests. In the song, Underwood tries to portray the message of: never give up. She also tries to tell her audience that time is precious and you shouldn't worry about the small things in life: "you better make it count 'cause you can't get it back." This reflects the characteristic of Self-Reliance, knowing that you must be aware of your time in life and how you spend it. This reminded me of what Thoreau said in Walden: "Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity." Both quotes reflect self-reliance and how you must understand that you control your life and how you want to live it. "Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand" reminded me of Emerson's quote from Nature: "In the woods, we return to reason and faith". These both reflect the characteristic of Respect and Importance of Nature because both show how you can rely on nature to show you reasoning behind your actions or thoughts. ====

===** ﻿ One Twentieth-Century Event/Person Influenced by Transcendentalism: Ellen DeGeneres's nonviolent fight against Teenage bullying: **===


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On Sept. 22, 2011, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington bridge, three days after his roommate broadcasted his sexual encounter with a guy online. Ellen DeGeneres was devastated, and she wanted to take a nonviolent stand to this bullying and harassment. She's involved with many organizations and programs that are trying to stop all the bullying and trying to prevent any more young teen suicides. Some might say that DeGeneres is being overly-optimistic about the whole situation, but that can be a good thing. This world needs some positive influences and optimism. In Emerson's Self-Reliance, he says, "... that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion." This ties into what DeGeneres is trying to say about bullying. Love yourself for who you are, and don't care what other people think or say about you. God made every one of us special and sometimes teens are bullied because the bullies can't see those specialties. This event also reminded me of Thoreau's quote in Walden, "I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear..." Thoreau didn't want to spend his life on pointless drama, dwelling, or having regrets, and you shouldn't want to either. Those bullies are the ones wasting their lives away by being cruel and hurting people. Don't ever think you're not good enough in life because you really are.

If you are interested in this topic and want to try and help prevent teenage bullying or suicide, visit these websites. Your help could make such a difference!

The Trevor Project at 866 4U TREVOR. It's a 24-hour, national help line for gay and questioning teens. You can learn more about The Trevor Project at their website: thetrevorproject.org. Angels and Doves is a nationwide anti-bullying non profit organization. Their website is AngelsandDoves.com The National Center for Bullying Prevention is helping to promote awareness and teach effective ways to respond to bullying. You can learn more about them at their website: Pacer.org/bullying The Matthew Shepard Foundation runs Matthew's Place, an online community and resource center for LGBTQ youth. The website is matthewsplace.com GLSEN is also a great organization that is working to eradicate bullying and bias in schools. Their website is: glsen.org STOMP Out Bullying is focused on reducing bullying and cyberbullying. Find out more on their website: stompoutbullying.org

Transcendentalism in Popular Culture: "Perfect" by Pink:
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Lyrics to Perfect by Pink:

Made a wrong turn Once or twice Dug my way out Blood and fire Bad decisions That's alright Welcome to my silly life <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Mistreated, misplaced, missundaztood <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Miss "no way it's all good" <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">It didn't slow me down

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Mistaken <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Always second guessing <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Underestimated <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Look, I'm still around...

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty, pretty please <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Don't you ever, ever feel <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Like your less than

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">less than perfect <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty, pretty please <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">If you ever, ever feel <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Like your nothing

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">You are perfect to me

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">You're so mean <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">When you talk <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">About yourself <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">You are wrong <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Change the voices <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">In your head <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Make them like you <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Instead <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">So complicated <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Look how big you'll make it <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Filled with so much hatred

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Such a tired game <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">It's enough <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I've done all I can think of

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Chased down all my demons <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">See you same

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty, pretty please <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Don't you ever, ever feel <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Like your less than <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">less than perfect <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty, pretty please <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">If you ever, ever feel <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Like your nothing <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">You are perfect to me

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The world stares while I swallow the fear

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">So cool in lying and I tried tried <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Done looking for the critics, cuz they're everywhere <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">They don't like my genes, they don't get my hair <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Stringe ourselves and we do it all the time <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Why do we do that? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Why do I do that? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Why do I do that?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Ooh, pretty pretty pretty, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Like you're less than, less than perfect

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Like you're nothing you are perfect, to me <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">You're perfect <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">You're perfect <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty, pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel like you're nothing you are perfect to me



<span style="color: #ff00c5; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Pink's song is considered to be overly-optimistic, but I find it to be very inspiring and also an eye-opener. Perfection is not easy to overcome, and many find it impossible, but Pink says that everyone is perfect in their own way. Pink shows that she is a nonconforminist by singing, "Done looking for the critics, cuz they're everywhere. They don't like my genes, they don't get my hair." This reminded me of Emerson's quotes from Self-Reliance: "Imitation is suicide" and "Envy is ignorance." Majority of the time when you're being made fun of, it's because that person envies you for your individuality and confidence. Emerson said "imitation is suicide" because if you waste away your life trying to be like someone else, then you're just killing who you really are and you're killing all of your individuality away. Also in Self-Reliance, Emerson quoted, "That he must take himself fof better, for worse, as his portion." That quote deals with Pink's song because if you can't love yourself for who you are, then no one can.

<span style="color: #00d5ff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Works Cited:
"Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace | Amnesty International." //Amnesty International | Working to Protect Human Rights//. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/video-and-audio/women-liberia-fighting-peace-20080723>.
 * "Liberian Women Fight For Peace." __Amnesty.__ 23 July 2008.**


 * "So Small."**
 * "So Small". __CMT__.**

"CMT : Videos : Carrie Underwood : So Small." //Country Music Television - News, Videos, Artists : Online Radio, Song Lyrics, TV Shows and More//. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. [].


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thoreau, Henry David. "Civil Disobedience." __The Language of Literature: American Literature__. 2000. Arthur N. Applebee, et all, Ed. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2000 **


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thoreau, Henry David. "Walden." __The Language of Literature: American Literature__. 2000. Arthur N. Applebee, et all, Ed. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2000 **


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Emerson. "Self-Reliance." __The Language of Literature: American Literature__. 2000. Arthur N. Applebee, et all, Ed. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2000 **

"It's Time to End Teenage Bullying - The Ellen DeGeneres Show." //The Ellen DeGeneres Show: The Place for Ellen Tickets, Celebrity Photos, Videos, Games, Giveaways and More.// Web. 18 Mar. 2011. [].
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.tvguide.com/News/Ellen-DeGeneres-PSA-1023902.aspx **

"F**kin’ Perfect – Pink | Lyrics | Song." //Lyrics to Songs 2011 | Find New Music//. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. [].

"Video Premiere: Pink, ‘F **Perfect’ » MTV Buzzworthy Blog." //MTV Buzzworthy Blog//. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. [].**

"PINK - FUCKIN' PERFECT LYRICS." //MUSIC AND LYRICS//. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.directlyrics.com/pink-fuckin-perfect-lyrics.html**>.