Salute to the Colors

Every Monday morning, all students in Korea rise up and salute to the colors.

Now, I ask you a question:Should we salute to the colors(called 국기에 대한 경례)
Some people say nation is fundamental of the country so we have to respect our national flag.

On the contrary, since purpose of the nation is improving people's life, we don't have to respect that.

Well...I don't salute to the colors during 애국조회 or 아침기 several times, I want to know your opinions.

Q1. What do you think the purpose of the country?

Q2. Should we salute to the colors every morning?

The Speech That Is Perfect In Morality

I want you to know who I was

Since Korea became independent from Japan, all korean students have been like soldiers. They have to cut their hair short, wear black unifroms like Nazis, be punched by their teachers, make lines for their head masters and so on. And 60 years later, there are few changes in korean school. I'll prove this facts by speaking my story.

Two years ago, when I was fifteen years old, some crazy fact drove me crazy. Teachers made hair regulations without our opinions and compelled us to cut our hair short. Moreover, they punished my friends who didn't cut their hair. The reason why it drove me crazy is korean laws such as korean constitution says all koreans have the freedom of body and right to express. Educational law says korean schools must protect the right of students. So, I visited my headmaster's room with three letters to ask him remove the hair regulation. However, my poor headmaster said we had to endure this problem. It is obvious that he didn't know the goal of education. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by United Nations in 1948 says 'Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.'

Anyway, after I vistied my headmaster, I decided to run for school president to change the regulations effectively, however, I failed, but became the Minister of Department of Science. That means I get strong power in my school. In December 2010, I wrote the petition about the hair regulation and handed it in to my homeroom teacher when she checked our hair. Then... she ignored this and said to me "Give up! You cannot change it!" Since I was really angry about this ridiculous regulation, I had to resis them enthusiastically.

Time flied like an arrow. While I fought with my teachers, the year past and I became the senior of my middle school. My korean teacher let me read the critical biography of 전태일 who was protested to the korean Department of Labor to imporve the circumstance of young girl workers and finally burned himself to death. That book motivated me. In May 2011, I handed in another petition to my teacher. But no response was there. Finally, I demonstrated to my teachers and launched the signature collecting drive. At the same time, our school teachers discussed a punishment for me. Thanks to some good teachers who advocated me, I avoided a direct punishment. That day, my korean teacher who introduced the critical biography of 전태일 came to me to converse with me. He referred Shawshank Redemption. The main character, Andy Dufresne, needed over twenty years to trick the official and escape from Shawshank. Twenty years is really a long time. To change school regulations which have existed for a long time needs a long time. Don't be too fast. That's what the korean teacher said.

After all that, I decided to believe in my school juniors who can change their school. Therefore, until now, I try to communicate with my Juniors.

I want to say to you "Don't act too fast." Sometimes, something that seems like slow is truly fast. Try to persuade others and keep encouraging them slowly. They cannot always understand you or agree with you, but don't be urgent. If you become urgent, you can be isolated, since not everyone can agree with you. 

For our first debate

This video introduced by my middle school korean teacher deals with the two sides of modern science(compared to angel and devil).

Watch this video and please listen carefully to the back-ground music(especially second one).

Subtitles(translated by me)

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It was nitroglycerin that doctor had prescribed to me.

Isn't it a quirk of the fates? - Alfred Nobel

Angel and Devil

"It feels like something squeeze my heart."

"It's like powered red pepper spreaded on my heart"

The daily pain of angina patient

Their choice to escape from the pain is Nitroglycerin invented by Italian chemist Sobrero in 1874

And generated by nitroglycerin, nitrogen oxide

that relax the muscle of the vein to help blood to flow resolves a heart attack

On the other hand

19th century, the peak season of constructing trail ,canal and tunnel

Nitroglycerin over ten times powerful than ordinary black powder

is very useful and very dangerous

only weak shock can make it explode

there's always man killed by accident

and anguish of one scientist who saw that

"Isn't there any way to treat them safely?"

Nitroglycerin evolved into a new type

Induction explosion device was invented in 1863

Dynamite was invented in 1866

Smokeless gun was invented in 1866

more powerful and safe

But no safe using

Wars happened more often by imperialism

and there are new killing and injuring weapon

such as Dynamite, rifle, artillery, bomb

Dynamite I made will make world peaceful faster than any other international negotiations - Alfred Nobel

But, wrong predict

Eventually, instead of peace, often war and killed, poverty and fears

Angel that alleviate pain

Devil that give us pain

Nitroglycerin

"Science is like Janus who has two face" - Bruno Latour/social scientist

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Last year, there was a big earthquake in Japan.

It made the nuclear power stations explode that will make serious catastrophic.

However, We can't use electricity without nuclear power.

Now, do you think developing science is good for our society even if it occurs terrible result?

Well...It's up to you.

Only one sentence is a lie

Can you tell which one is lie? It cannot be easy for you.
1. Korean representitive soccer player Ji Dong Won graduated from my middle school.
2. My older brother is about 10cm taller than me.
3. I love korean president Lee Myung Bak who is perfect in morality.