Citations

The Monster Study:

Collins, Dan. "'Monster Study' Still Stings." cbsnews.com. N.p., 06/8/06. Web. 18 Nov 2010. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/06/health/main566882

The Stanford Experiment:

psyblog, . "Our Dark Hearts: The Stanford Prison Experiment." www.Spring.org.uk. N.p., 6/9/2007. Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/09/our-dark-hearts-stanford-prison.php>.

John Wayne Gacy:

Taylor, Troy. "The Clown that Killed." www.prairieghosts.com. N.p., 2003. Web. 15 Nov 2010. <http://www.prairieghosts.com/gacy.html>.

Pedro Alonso Lopez:

Montaldo, Charles. "Pedro Alonso Lopez - The Monster of the Andes." www.crime.about.com. N.p., 2010. Web. 11 Nov 2010. <http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/lobez.htm>.

Mao Zedong and the Great Leap Forward:

White, Matthew. "users.erols.com." users.erols.com. N.p., november 2010. Web. 9 Nov 2010. <http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm>.

Reflection on Cites

There have been many helpful and useful cites that I have referenced and quoted. Whether it was about Pedro Alonso Lopez or the Stanford Prison Experiment, the internet has been the most useful source for my topic of explanation. The cites I have found did not change my thoughts and my opinions; they only gave me back up. Some people may think I'm wrong. Some people think I'm insane. Some people think my topic isn't even worth reviewing. However, thanks to the internet and various articles I have found there, I was able to state my point and get it across.

Reflection Paragraph on Process

In my honest opinion, I believe that this project and process has been quite fun. It was entertaining to find information and statistics on a subject that I found interesting and relevant to my education, not the school board's. I enjoyed this project very much. I was able to be myself and state my opinion on subject matter, whereas most classes tell us to only write facts. The process of researching information, gathering pictures and articles, and expressing ideas through videos and animations was more entertaining than the usual "Write these paragraphs and stick to these guidelines" way of learning. This was a fun way to shake things up and I hope I can do this again.

Wordle #2

Reflection Paragraph on Findings

I have learned many things on this journey through the human psyche and nature. Most of what I have learned has not enlightened me, but strengthened my case. Through delving into the deepest confines of my mind (and the internet. Thanks google,) I have been able to identify the main problems of humanity. There is only one explanation I have found for the impetus behind the evils of humanity. This may be an unsatisfactory answer to some, but the answer is that we are human. The reason that we retain evil inside ourselves isn't because of our devious intent or our malicious minds. It is not even because of the nature we are brought up in. In truth, it is all of the previous factors named together. For all of the factors previously mentioned make up what a human is. My ideas and my outlook upon this topic have not changed at all. At the beginning at this project, I suspected that humans are inherently evil. Now, that we are at the end, I feel the exact same way.

Finding Paragraph #3

It is now time for the underlining question to be answered. Are humans inherently evil? Perhaps the story of John Wayne Gacy will be able to sway your opinions. "The Gacy children were raised as Catholics and all three attended Catholic schools where they lived on the north side. Growing up, Gacy was a quiet boy who worked odd jobs for spending money, like newspaper routes and bagging groceries, and busied himself with Boy Scout activities. He was never a particularly popular boy but he was well-liked by his teachers, co-workers and friends from school and the Boy Scouts." This man, John Wayne Gacy, had a normal childhood. He had normal problems that most children had to deal with such as a bad relationship with a parent and a hint of depression. However, he became a serial killer. How can such a man with such a normal life and childhood be a serial killer. There is an answer. He is human, and he, like us all, are born evil.

Finding Paragraph #2

Are we ready to accept our destiny and succumb to our evil? Let us take the case of Pedro Alonzo Lopez into account, shall we? " Lopez, desperate and hungry, did not hesitate and went with the man. Instead of going to a comfortable home, he was taken to an abandoned building and repeatedly sodomized and returned to the street. During the attack Lopez angrily vowed he would do the same to as many little girls that he could, a promise he later kept." (Montaldo) After a childhood of pure calamity that only humanity monstrosity can cause. And, as a result, he became a man who would later in his life admit to the deaths and rapes of over 300 South American children. He also said that if he was released from prison (which he was) he would kill again. He couldn't take how horrible his life was, so he embraced his "dark side." To refer to the question queried at the beginning of this paragraph, humans are ready to succumb to their evils. As shown with Mr. Lopez, humans can embrace their evils. They can use all their hate and their anger and release it upon the unsuspecting world. Was it used towards something generally accepted? no, his hate was not. Did he use it in a way that made the evils of humanity show? You bet he did.

Finding Paragraph #1

Why do humans feel the need for power and rebellion? I believe that the "Stanford Prison Experiment" sheds a bit of light on the subject. "The idea was simple: to see how ordinary men, chosen to be the most healthy and 'normal' would respond to a radical change to their normal roles in life." (psyblog) Just as a fine and convoluted poem, the reason behind what the "guards" and the "prisoners" did is left up to the reader. However, the only real solution, reason, or incentive for the test subjects to act the way they did was a lust for power and rebellion. The experimentees were chosen because of how healthy and right in mind they were. There was no reason to actually act in such a manner as they did. The only reason that would make sense for the 'prisoners' and the 'guards' to behave in such a manner is because they finally had a golden opportunity to execute the need to have power and rebel. To refer back to the first question, "Why do humans feel the need for power and rebellion," the answer is that humans are evil. If the test subjects didn't know that they were being experimented, that would be completely understandable. However, with full knowledge of the situation and what was going on, there is no other explanation. Humans do not only have evil tendencies, they have evil nature.

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #5

"For six months, Mary Nixon and 10 other orphans were relentlessly belittled for every little imperfection in their speech to test the theory that children become stutterers because of psychological pressure."

Paraphrase: For half a year, 11 orphans were lampooned and mocked for even the smallest blemish in their speech. The test was a success in proving that humans can develop speech problems from mental pressure.

Summary: This test proves that stuttering and other speech problems can be caused by psychological pressure. It also proves the unethical minds of curious men. 11 kid's lives were scarred for mentally and emotionally. These children were orphans also. They weren't capable of maintaining a normal life after being abandoned and being unknowingly experimented upon. Not only do I not find this experiment valid or ethical, I consider it evil. I consider it human.

 Citation: Collins, Dan. "'Monster Study' Still Stings." cbsnews.com. N.p., 06/8/06. Web. 18 Nov 2010. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/06/health/main566882

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #4

"The idea was simple: to see how ordinary men, chosen to be the most healthy and 'normal' would respond to a radical change to their normal roles in life. Half were to become prison guards, the other half their prisoners. In this experiment there were no half-measures, for it to be effective it had to closely approximate the real experience of prisoners and guards. These participants were in for the ride of their lives."

Paraphrase- This was going to be a standard experiment. There was a group of volunteers. Some were going to be guards, and others were going to be the prisoners. They made the basement of the University seem almost exactly like a real prison to get the desired effect. Little did they know that they would never be the same again.

Summary- Perhaps one of the most famous social experiments of all time, the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated the evils of humanity. The 'prisoners' from the experiment, after only two days, rebelled against the 'guards' because of how horrible they were treated. After the rebellion, the guards would constantly harass them. They would embarrass them, beat them, and even strip them naked . After the experiment, some of the guards even admitted to liking it. The combined effects of how unethical the experiment was and how much a role can change an average person is enough to help prove my point.


Citation: psyblog, . "Our Dark Hearts: The Stanford Prison Experiment." www.Spring.org.uk. N.p., 6/9/2007. Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/09/our-dark-hearts-stanford-prison.php>.

Graph and Citation

The results from the poll are in. Out of the eight people who took the poll, seven believed that humans were born evil, whereas only one person thought humans are not born evil. This information surprised me a bit. I did not know that that many people shared my opinion toward the maliciousness of the infantile human. I am glad that most people have been able to see their inevitability of evil as fact. Here is a link to the graph.

Link: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx?ID=66355616681f4d4cb5fd121f77ae7926

Citation: "Humans are born evil graph." www.nces.ed.gov. Web. 16 Nov 2010.

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #3

Quote: "The Gacy children were raised as Catholics and all three attended Catholic schools where they lived on the north side. Growing up, Gacy was a quiet boy who worked odd jobs for spending money, like newspaper routes and bagging groceries, and busied himself with Boy Scout activities. He was never a particularly popular boy but he was well-liked by his teachers, co-workers and friends from school and the Boy Scouts. He seemed to have a normal childhood, except for his relationship with his father and a series of health problems that he developed."

Paraphrase: John Wayne Gacy and his family were brought up Catholic and they all went to Catholic schools. He was an average kid of his time. He would complete small tasks in hope of gaining some money . Although he wasn't the most popular kid in school, he was still known as the kid with a warm personality. No one ever had anything bad to say about him. He was liked by everybody. For the most part, He had a normal childhood.

Summary: John Wayne Gacy was just like every other child of the era. He was liked as a child, he did small jobs to make money, and he had a, for the most part, normal family. This man grew up to be one of the most well known American serial killers of all time. It clearly wasn't upbringing. This proves my point of the fact that all humans are inherently evil. He wasn't beat or had parents addicted to drugs.  He wasn't addicted to drugs and introverted. He was just like everybody else. Human.  

Citation: Taylor, Troy. "The Clown that Killed." www.prairieghosts.com. N.p., 2003. Web. 15 Nov 2010. <http://www.prairieghosts.com/gacy.html>. 

Photo, Caption, and Citation #3

This photo depicts the infamous Klu Klux Klan (otherwise known as the KKK.) This photo in particular photo shows a Klan member doing a Nazi salute in front of a burning cross. The KKK is mostly regarded as "The hooded men who lynch black people." However, the KKK also discriminate against Hispanics, Asians, and even Catholics. Klan members are often described as the most prejudiced and judgmental people in the world. However, we all judge. we all have prejudices. am i saying that we are just like the Klan members or condoning their actions? Of course not. But do I believe that we're all judgmental and that it is one of the many flaws of humanity.

Citation: "The KKK." www.paranormalknowledge.com. Web. 15 Nov 2010.

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #2

Quote: "No one was concerned that Lopez would have the opportunity to kill again. If he was paroled from the prison in Ecuador he would still have to stand trial for his murders in Colombia and Peru. But after 20 years of solitary confinement, in the summer of 1998, Lopez was taken in the middle of the night to the Colombia border and released. Neither Colombia or Peru had the money to bring the madman to justice."

Paraphrase: Not a soul believed that the monster of the Andes would ever kill again even if released early because of the fact that he had many other trials awaiting him. If he was ever freed from the Ecuadorian Prison, He would be have trials from Colombia and Peru.  However, in 1998, he was paroled from prison and was set free to never be prosecuted again.

Summary: This man, Pedro Alonso Lopez, killed and raped over 300 South American children. He would have tea parties and play games with the bodies of the children that he had raped and killed. Pedro Alonso Lopez is known as the worst serial killers of all time. And yet, after 20 years of prison, this man is free to kill again. I have prepared this question for you. Who is at fault? Lopez or the government? However, there is a third option. Perhaps the fact that they are all human justify what they have done.

Citation: Montaldo, Charles. "Pedro Alonso Lopez - The Monster of the Andes." www.crime.about.com. N.p., 2010. Web. 11 Nov 2010. <http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/lobez.htm>.

Photo, Caption, and Citation #2

This is photo shows a painting of the horrors of the Nanking Massacre. To give a little back story, the Nanking Massacre was the Japanese invasion of a Chinese city known as Nanking. In the six weeks the Imperial Japanese Army had occupation of Nanking, over 300,000 people were killed--over 20,000 women were raped. Even after the Nanking Massacre (otherwise known as the "The Rape of Nanking,") the Japanese denied it even ever happened. 300,000 people's lives were taken away, 20,000 women were raped, and thousands among thousands of families would never be the same again. Even after all that, the Japanese government still had the gull and the audacity to deny its claim on all of the innocent people's lives. But do you know what the worst part is? Most people have never heard of this.

Citation; "Nanking Massacre." www.nyu.edu. Web. 10 Nov 2010.

Quote, Paraphrase, and Citation #1

"Analysis: If we line up the 14 sources which claim to be complete, the median falls in the 45.75 to 52.5 million range, so you probably can't go wrong picking a final number from this neighborhood. Depending on how you want to count some of the incomplete estimates (such as Becker and Meisner) and whether to count a source twice (or thrice, as with Walker) if it's referenced by two different authorities, you can slide the median up and down the scale by many millions. Keep in mind, however, that official Chinese records are hidden from scrutiny, so most of these numbers are pure guesses. It's pointless to get attached to any one of them, because the real number could easily be half or twice any number here."

Paraphrase: There is no set amount of casualties and deaths that we can draw from  Mao Zedong's rule and the creation of People's Republic of China. However, even with the vast amount of information that was concealed from world, we can obtain a estimate-about 48 million. The fact that there are a copious amount of various viewpoints means that you can modify that number a bit. This proves good for the opportunity to infer and think, but none of these are necessarily valid. Whether you are in favor of the fragmented beliefs of Becker or Meisner, or you are a Walker aficionado, you are most likely incorrect. 

Summary: Although there is no universally correct number for the amount of lives lost in Mao's Reign, most of the estimates range from 44.5 million to 72 million. In fact, most of these numbers are believed to be grossly underestimated. However, that is not what I am entirely focused on. The fact that in a mere 26 years--about a quarter of a century--at least 50 million people were lost at the hands of a single man.

Citation; White, Matthew. "users.erols.com." users.erols.com. N.p., november 2010. Web. 9 Nov 2010. <http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm>.

Photo, Caption, and Citation #1

This image shows the complete and utter disregard that humans can hold to another. The evil that a being in the human race possesses is truly astounding; moreover, the fact that a human has the ability--sometimes even the urge--to take another one of its own beings is repulsive to an elephantine proportion; that is, unless you are human.

Citation: "Crimes against Humanity." www.puppetgov.com. Web. 9 Nov 2010.http://www.puppetgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/crime-against-humanity-by-t-07011.jpg

Wordle #1 based on one useful site

preliminary links and descriptions

In order to understand my topic to a higher degree than you may have previously thought, observe the contents of these links:

http://dictionary.weather.net/dictionary/humanity
This gives you the denotation of humanity. This explains what humanity is from a vague, technical point of view.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evil

Once again, more denotation. This gives a definition of evil, rather than an in-depth analysis on what evil is or where it comes from.

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-problem-of-evil-a155933

This website states questions that, when answered, will help you formulate an opinion upon my topic whether it be for, against, or not entirely sure.

http://www.alexshalman.com/2007/11/09/dont-fool-yourself-self-sacrifice-does-not-exist/

This is the testimony of someone who shares the same theory of self sacrifice as I do for the same reason. It also shows people of on the opposing side who believe that a selfless act truly exists.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1VSS9a/www.cracked.com/article_16239_5-psychological-experiments-that-prove-humanity-doomed.html

This is a website that has some rather crass language and a bit of a sarcastic tone; However, it explains my theory to a Tee. It explains why humanity is evil and is most likely going to doom itself.

Animoto based on search questions

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

What do I want to learn?

Are humans inherently evil? Are humans bound to stay evil for the rest of eternity without any hope of change? Will there ever be such thing as "a selfless act?" Why do we feel the need for power and lust and greed? Are we ready to accept our fate and succumb to evil? I need these questions to be answered. These questions define what humanity is; moreover, it defines what humanity will be. As it is right now, most humans believe there is the possibility for good. However, this contradicts my standpoint on the issue. I need to find answers in order to provide cold hard evidence to make my opinion into fact. I want to find people who have seen the worst of mankind and tell them "You can't blame them, they're only human." I want to find people who have seen the greatest examples of sacrifice and say "That was not sacrifice. There was an obvious ulterior motive behind it." I want to know if there is anyone who can disprove my opinion. If I'm lucky, I will find someone who can.

what I already know

Because my time on this Earth has been very short on a geological time scale, I have not discovered much. However I have, I do believe I have gathered key points which prove my topic to be true. Through a long string of realizations and psychoanalysis on myself and others, I have come to the conclusion that "there is no such thing as a selfless act;" however, before I go further, I must mention another key thought. In my opinion, the opposite of evil is not good. The opposite of evil is the act of self sacrifice. However, if there is no such thing as a selfless act, that means there is no such thing as self sacrifice which means that evil is the only way to be. For example, there is a child in the middle of the street about to get hit by a car. Your first thought maybe "I need to go get him out of the middle of the street!", but it's your reasoning that makes you act. Your subconscious reasoning is most likely along the lines of "I won't be able to live with myself if I don't help him," or "If I save him, people will think of me as a hero." No one truly does anything because it is the right thing to do.

Why my topic exists

"What is man?" This is possibly the greatest question humanity has to offer. There is no such thing as true advancement until you recognize what you are, what needs to be done, and how you can embrace what you are in order to get what you need accomplished. However, what if who you are is "evil" and what you need to do is "survive, satisfy your own wants, and destroy anything that gets in your way"? Do you embrace what you are and submit to your evil, or do you try to deny yourself and try to diminish the evil inside yourself?; furthermore,  do you believe there is a way to deny yourself? I believe we have to answer this question, for I believe humans are born evil. Humanity has demonstrated time and time again that it causes more harm to its environment and other living organisms around it than its provided help. Whether it be the holocaust, the Nanking massacre, or the people who just kill for the sake of killing, humans are inherently evil.