Journal Question 11

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

This short poem by the American poet, Robert Frost, poses the question: how will the world end - through fire or ice?  If fire is desire, and ice is hate, either one is capable of destroying the world.  In the end, it doesn't really matter how the world ends, it only matters that the world ends.  I thought of it because the weather is getting really cold, and January is the coldest month.  In your opinion, which is the greater destroyer: fire/desire, or ice/hate?  If that's too hard to think about, discuss which you prefer: extreme cold or extreme heat. 

Journal Question #10

This is a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was perhaps the greatest American leader of the 20th century.  In a couple of weeks, Americans will celebrate a holiday in his honor.  Think about leadership: Who is a great leader, in your opinion, and why?  What qualities define leadership?  Are there "born leaders," or do certain people become leaders through hard work and accidents of time and place?