Cuckoo in oppression = hope?

Title/Link: The CNN FREEDOM Project  Director: We can change the world By CNN staff

Published: Oct. 16, 2011; accessed: Oct. 20, 2011

Summary: This weekend, CNN will air a documentary film called “Not My Life” which expresses the director’s concern on terrifying practices of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale. The purpose of this film is to get people into public awareness and action to stop cruel practices of traffickers. Through inspiring testimony from survivors and anti-traffickers in the film, the audience will be questioned their rights to be called “human or civilized.” The director suggests achieving this by bringing up “the public consciousness;” the film brings people’s attention to the fact that the children are the victims of such practices. The staff of the film is excited with the idea of changing the view of millions of people and stopping this universal crime through this film. It believes that “each one of us [people in the world] has the capacity to become a saint.”

Response: It amazes me everyday to find out and realize the cruelty and unfairness of our society. But it surprises me even more that in the midst of this brutal world, there are few people who try and hope to better the world. This director of the film, “Not My Life,” seems to be one such people, trying to change this world’s vicious crime of human trafficking and modern slavery. Over the past two weeks, I’ve learnt from my AP English class that the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey, tries the convey the message that though the system of society may not change, each one of us can make a difference to people around us including ourselves. Now, this director seems to have the same intention of Ken Kesey, hoping to tell people that each of them can help stop this brutal crime of human trafficking and modern slavery. It’s really respectable.

Vocabulary:

A. profound 

1. "This fundamental truth raises profound questions about the very nature of our civilization"
2. profound: having intellectual depth and insight; difficult to understand. From Latin profundus, from pro- before + fundus bottom. First Known Use: 14th century (merriam-webster.com)
3. Mr. Plonka always throws profound questions that none of us can answer on the spot during class.

B. Proverbial

1. " I think "Not My Life" really does have an exceptional opportunity to push to that proverbial tipping point."
2. proverbial: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb. First Known Use: 1548 (merriam-webster.com)
3. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest seems to be a proverbial figure of the Japanese saying, "The nail that sticks out is hammered down." 

C. cannibalize

1. "What kind of society cannibalizes its own children?"
2. cannibalize: the usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by a human being. New Latin Canibalis Carib, from Spanish Caníbal, from TainoCaniba, of Cariban origin; akin to Carib kariʔna Carib, person. First Known Use: 1553
3. During our Activity Week, I hope we won't starve so much that we start to cannibalize.