People Who Made a Difference Contest-Please read first post

[RuthD]

Ok. I signed you up. Everyone has to be ready by 10 pm EST tonight.

 

[RuthD]

This is not in the contest just someone I think is great for his efforts:

Bono

Bono receives honorary knighthood

Last Updated: Thursday, March 29, 2007 | 12:46 PM ET

CBC Arts


Anti-poverty activist and rock star Bono cracked jokes at a ceremony in Dublin Thursday, when he was inducted as an honorary knight of the British Empire.
British Ambassador David Reddaway, who presided over the informal ceremony, started things off by asking whether the U2 frontman was disappointed that the rite no longer required a sword or kneeling.

U2 frontman and African rights activist Bono poses after being inducted as an honorary knight of the British Empire in Dublin Thursday.
(ShowBizIreland/Getty) ​

"Please, I wasn't expecting you to kneel," Bono quipped, before being dubbed a Knight Commander of the British Empire.
After the laughter-filled ceremony, which took place at Reddaway's Dublin home, the 46-year-old singer and humanitarian continued the lighthearted banter with reporters.
"You have permission to call me anything you want — except sir, all right? Lord of lords, your demigodness, that'll do," he said.
Since Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, hails from Dublin, he is not entitled to use the title Sir, because he is not a subject of the Queen.


Rock activist BONO will begin a ten-day tour of Africa next week (16MAY06) to examine the achievements of his Make Poverty History campaign. The U2 frontman plans to visit Lesotho, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mali and Ghana, kicking off on Tuesday. The WITH OR WITHOUT YOU singer will scrutinise the effect of his campaign to make G8 companies cancel debts accrued by low income countries, in order to divert funds towards tackling poverty. JAMIE DRUMMOND, executive director of Bono's advocacy group Debt Aids Trade Africa (DATA), says, "We're going to look at foreign assistance working on the ground in Africa and see what is working and what is not. "Effective aid backing good African leadership can get results, so let's do more of it. Why would you not do more of it? "The timing of this is extremely important, not just because you can see all the results on the ground, but because at this very moment top policymakers in all of the G8 countries are looking at whether they can afford to keep their promises - whether in Germany, Canada, Italy, or France, and above all in the US Congress."


http://www.one.org/

"The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

[Nilla]

Why I chose Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. To me she's a great role model when it comes to fully trust God.
She knew she would be looked at and talked about and that Joseph might not want her as his wife.
BUT still she trusted God and submitted to His will not knowing what was to come.

Mary the Mother of Jesus
Written by Mary Fairchild,
(http://christianity.about.com/od/newtestamentpeople/p/marymotherjesus.htm)
Mary - Profile of Mary the Mother of Jesus from the New Testament:
Mary was a young girl, probably only about 12 or 13 years old when the angel Gabriel came to her. She had recently become engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. Mary was an ordinary Jewish girl, looking forward to marriage. Suddenly her life would forever be changed.
Mary was fearful and troubled in the presence of the angel. She could never have expected to hear the most incredible news — that she would have a child, and her son would be the Messiah. Although she could not comprehend how she would conceive the Savior, she responded to God with belief and obedience.
Although Mary's life held great honor, her calling would demand great suffering as well. Just as there is pain in childbirth and motherhood, there would be much pain in the privilege of being the mother of the Messiah.
Accomplishments:
Mary was the mother of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. She was a willing servant. She trusted God and she obeyed his call.
Strengths:
The angel told Mary in Luke 1:28 that she was highly favored by God. This phrase simply meant that Mary had been given much grace or "unmerited favor" from God. Even with God's favor, Mary would still suffer much. Though she would one day be highly honored as the mother of the Savior, she would first know disgrace as an unwed mother. She would nearly lose her fiance. Her beloved son would be rejected and cruelly murdered. Mary's submission to God's plan would cost her dearly, yet she was willing to be God's servant.
God knew that Mary was a woman of rare strength and obedience. She was the only human being to be with Jesus throughout his entire life — from his birth until his death. She gave birth to him as her baby and watched him die as her Savior. Mary also knew the Scriptures. When the angel appeared and told her the baby would be God's Son, Mary replied, "I am the Lord's servant ... may it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38). She knew of the Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah.
Life Lessons:
Mary must have know that her submission to God's plan would cost her. If nothing else, she knew she would be disgraced as an unwed mother. She must have thought that Joseph would divorce her, or worse yet, he might even have her put to death by stoning. Mary may not have considered the full extent of her future suffering. She may not have imagined the pain of watching her beloved child bear the weight of sin and die a terrible death on the cross. Still, she willing submitted to God's plan. Can we willing accept God's plan? Can we even rejoice in God's plan, like Mary did, when we know that it will cost us dearly?
Key Verses:
Luke 1:38
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (NIV)
Luke 1:46-55 (Mary's Song)
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers." (NIV)

(I have deleted some parts to shorten this a bit, to read it in full, go to the website.
http://christianity.about.com/od/newtestamentpeople/p/marymotherjesus.htm)

 

[Nilla]

Ready for screenshot.

 

[RuthD]

We have the limit of 15 participants now. Deadline to have all your stuff ready (character, picture, paragraph) is 10 pm. tonight Monday.

 

[mindalan]

I'm all ready and done. Screenshot looks good.

Good luck judging this, RuthD. It looks tough!

 

[RuthD]

I'm not judging it. Two other people are and good luck to them.

 

[Daffodilly]

I've really enjoyed reading everyone's entries.
This was a great idea for a contest.

 

[GodsGirlJuJu]

Ok. Ready for the screenshot!!!
I chose Betsy Ross. I had to do a report on her for my social studies at school, so I am using that here.

Betsy Ross was a very talented seamstress. when George Washington came to see her he showed her a six pointed star and she quickly cut with one cut a five point star and he was so impressed with that, that he gave her the job. One thing also I found out that was neat is that George Washington and Betsy were friends. They actually went to church together and Betsy sat behind him in "her" pew. they had been to each other's homes as well visiting. Also, when Betsy ran away to get married, it was in a bar! And, Ben Franklin's grandson performed the ceremony!

So Betsy Ross was a great woman, and we would not have our great American flag if she had not been chosen. Oh, we would have a flag for sure, but not this one. It would not have been the same.

Betsy Ross was born on January 1, 1752, and died January 30th, 1836. Her real name is Elizabeth. She was the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Griscom, who were members of the Religious Society of Friendship, also known as the Quaker Society. She attended a Quaker school also, and learned to read, write, sew, and housework.

Betsy became an apprentice to an upholster, and met and fell in love with another upholster, John Ross. But, he was the son of a Christ Church Reverend, and her parents did not believe in mixed marriages, meaning one denomination marrying another one. So they ran away, crossed the Delaware River to New Jersey and William Franklin, Ben Franklin’s son, married them. They opened up their own shop, until John joined the military, and was killed in 1776. Betsy took over the upholstery shop at that time.

One day in May of 1776, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross came to visit. Betsy knew General Washington from before, and they were friends as well. They both attended the same church in Philadelphia and she had done some sewing for him on his clothes. But they were not there on a friendly visit, but a formal business meeting visit, from the Continental Congress. Betsy also knew George Ross because he was her dead husband’s uncle. Robert Morris was one of the wealthiest men in the area.

General Washington showed a drawing to her of what he thought the flag should look like. It had thirteen stripes and also a circle of thirteen stars, representing the thirteen colonies. He wanted it to be a circle of stars so that no one state could be viewed as being more important or above the other ones. Betsy showed them how to make a five point star in one cut with her scissors and they were so impressed they left her with the job of making our American flag. Some say it was not Betsy Ross that did the original flag design, but a man by the name of Francis Hopkinson. However, it was Betsy Ross that General George Washington came to see that day, not Mr. Hopkinson.

​

In June of 1777, she married a sea captain, and they had two more daughters. He was captured by the British and sent to Old Mill Prison where he died a few months after General Cornwallis had surrendered in the battle at Yorktown. She married again in 1783 and had another five daughters. He died in 1897. Betsy kept working until she retired in 1827. When she was 84, Betsy died and was buried in the Free Quaker Cemetery. She was moved two more times until today she remains buried in the courtyard of the Betsy Ross house.

 

[GodsGirlJuJu]

Ready!

 

[Jere209]

I chose Tecumseh, as I have been working on a project research paper in US history, and have been amazed at the kind of man he was.​

Tecumseh
Great Shawnee Chief
So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation​

Think of this. A man that could say something like this, this speaks volumes to me..
An excerpt from my report *copyright me* ​

Tecumseh. Tecumthi. Tecumtha. Tecumseh…….Shooting Star Across the Sky.​

I sit to write the story of Tecumseh, this mighty warrior among the Shawnee Indian tribe, yet words fail me. My heart heavy, my eyes filled with tears, my brain filled with anger at the injustice this great man suffered, and those of his people! Not just the Shawnee, but all those great 500 nations that were forced to bend their back, and bow their knee to the likes of William Harrison and later, Andrew Jackson, and to the Redcoats. It grieves me to know how the life of one brilliant man was snuffed out in a battle that could have been avoided, had the cowards not abandoned him and his army. But, that was his name. That was the legacy behind it, the very meaning. “Shooting Star across the sky”..for one brief moment in time, he rose to a place where he had great influence over others, and just as fast, his life snuffed out in what I would imagine as glee by one of my own countrymen. A United States American, some say one of our future Vice Presidents. I wonder if I feel the pain so deeply because of the Indian blood running through my veins, or is it just the compassionate side of me? I do not know, I only know I grieve this loss. Yet, his legacy lives on.

In reading about Tecumseh’s life, I met him when he was among three others at a council in Ohio, presided over by Governor Kirker, pleading for the US Government to rid his people of the and replace him. His words were interpreted by the Rudell boys. Stephen and Abraham were captured as young children, and now grown to adulthood. Stephen was now a Baptist preacher among the Indians (Shawnee), and Abe had not adjusted well to white society at all. Amongst those in attendance that day were Thomas Worthington and Duncan MacArthur. Four chiefs were ushered into the courtroom that day, Tecumseh being one of them, a Wyandot chief named Stayeghta, the Bark Carrier, along with one they called Blue Jacket (adopted brother) they sat on left side of the clerk, along with the Governor. On the other side, sat Panther and Tecumseh. One could almost see this tall, stately man, clearly Indian, yet not having full Indian features. Some say his skin resembled a yellow like color, and that he was descended from a white man, and his mother not being Shawnee, but rather Creek. Tecumseh later favored mixed marriages, I wonder if this is why. He stood tall, and stately in the courtroom, dressed in fine buckskin, neatly fringed along the edges. His limbs straight from the months of objects being placed against them in true Indian tradition, while being confined to the cradle board upon his mother’s back. The piercing eyes, compelling one to look into them, not wanting to see the torment, yet afraid to look away for fear of missing one unspoken word from this magnificent man, resting upon each member of the “jury” and those in the room. Only to flash fire and anger as they rested upon one man in particular. I can only imagine the mood that day in the courtroom, and think those same eyes flashed the same anger and fire upon one William Henry Harrison later when he confronted him. They were there that day to petition the Governor to let them live among the whites in peace. They meant no harm to anyone. Tecumseh asked for William Wells, Indian Agent for the United States to be replaced by Stephen Rudell. The meeting was a success for the Indians. Governor Kirker dismissed the militia and on October 8th, he wrote to President Thomas Jefferson, passing on Tecumseh’s objections to Wells and other requests for support.

One could say Sitting Bull or even Geronimo was the most famous Indian in American history, but I believe the most respected and revered would go to Tecumseh. Words would be spoken of him that would place him in high esteem, “if Tecumseh had been born in another time, had the war been different, he was one of those rare geniuses that come along and could discover an empire that would rival the likes of Peru”. He dreamed of melding the tribes of North America into a huge confederacy that would stretch from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Tecumseh was a strong, charismatic leader, with above normal political and military strengths. He was a major figure in the war of 1812, and fought alongside the British to defeat American attempt to invade Canada.

Tecumseh was Shawnee, but his legend reaches far across the boundaries of all American Indian tribes. He fought through bloody battles and racial brutality. I believe he also faced hypocrisy in the highest form from our country’s national leaders, some never failing to mock him and/or remind him of his status “beneath” us for being of Indian heritage. Despite all of this, Tecumseh was a man of high integrity and compassion. One reads of his compassion early in his life during childhood when he would come against any form of cruelty being committed against anyone or any animal. This speaks highly of the character of this revered man. A man who stood for his own tribe, yet not just Shawnee, but for all Indian men, women and children alike. A man that tried unsuccessfully to unite in solidarity that died at the height of his “career”.

I believe Tecumseh’s true journey towards his destiny began when he was in his twenties. He and his brother Cheesauaka would make many journeys to other tribes and exploring the north and west territory outside of the Shawnee area. This was part of a Shawnee rite in which Tecumseh transitioned from youth to the adult world, and introduced him to the other tribes and traditions. It was on their final journey together when his brother would predict his own death during a war the next day. Tecumseh then joined with Blue Jacket, his adopted brother in the legacy passed on from his father, now from his brother, to preserve the Shawnee territory from the whites. During this time, Tecumseh displayed his leadership ability, charismatic personality, strength and skills, which would cause him to have many followers, some equal in military skill, including his younger brother, Tenskwatawa.

By 1805 military and legal means against the whites had failed the Shawnee. Tecumseh had begun to make a name for himself among the whites as well as the Native Americas as a pragmatic, eloquent, and intelligent leader. His practical leadership soon became necessary as followers of Tenskwatawa flocked to his village. With Tenskwatawa heading up spiritual revival among the tribes, Tecumseh began to put in place and build upon a political movement that was no less revolutionary in the eyes of some, but necessary in his eyes. The backbone of this system was recognizing and understanding the destructive threat the whites posed to all Indians. He did not believe that any agreement, whether treaty, border and/or land agreement would protect his people. The only way Tecumseh saw out of this predicament, this gloomy future was for his Indian brothers and sisters to heed the call that was riding upon the wings of the wind, and in the spirit of each one to unite. In one accord. Not to be broken or pushed aside, not played against each other as in a game of cards and rum drinking, but a solidified unitary front, hundreds of thousands strong against the white man and his greed. This was the only way they could successfully protect the land which the Great Spirit had deeded unto them. Long before the white man had entered the picture.

It was at this time that Tecumseh first encountered William Henry Harrison. It was in the fall of 1809, and Harrison was Governor of Indiana. He negotiated the Treaty of Fort Wayne there to the dismay of Tecumseh. The treaty called for three million acres of Indian territory to be ceded to the United States government. Through this fateful event of history, Tecumseh begins to emerge as the strong leader, a force to be reckoned with amongst the Indians and whites alike. The Shawnee had not been part of these three million acres of land that had been ceded to the government, but Tecumseh drew upon his dream and vision of uniting all Indian tribes, and was clearly distraught. Shawnee leader Blue Jacket, Tecumseh’s adoptive brother and Joseph Brant, leader of the Mohawks, had stated in days gone by that all Indian land was owned together as a joint asset, in which no one could sell any of it, without approval from all. At this time, Tecumseh begin to travel throughout the neighboring land urging them to lay down their loyalty to the ones that had signed this treaty and come to Prophetstown (Tippecanoe). Because of Blue Jacket’s and Joseph Brant’s words, Tecumseh believed the Fort Wayne treaty was not valid, asked Harrison to void it, and not let the settlers build upon the treaty lands.

Tecumseh met face to face with Harrison at his Vincennes, Indiana home. While there he assured Harrison that the Shawnees wanted to be at peace with the United States. Tecumseh then continued upon his journey, recruiting from among the tribes, a band that would be known as the Red Sticks, while most would not join the cause he presented, and entered the Creek War. In the meantime, Governor Harrison marched up the Wabash River from Vincennes accompanied by an army of men of about one thousand, with the sole purpose to intimidate Tenskwatawa. Harrison’s army arrived at Prophetstown (Tippecanoe) on November 6th, 1811. When the Prophet saw Harrison’s men, he ordered the warriors to attack the American camp that night. The Indians were defeated and had to withdraw, and Harrison’s men came into the village of Prophetstown and burned it to the ground. As a result, Tecumseh aligned himself with the British to fight against the Americans, thus making his battle part of the greater battle, the War of 1812.

Among the battle, one can still see the compassion and humanity that Tecumseh possessed, a quality that endeared him to the people of that time, and reaching further through the annals of time and history to present day. When Tecumseh joined General Brock at the battle of Detroit in 1812, the British had captured many prisoners, among them was one Father Gabriel Richard. This man had ministered among the Shawnees and other tribes, and was highly revered. Tecumseh refused to fight alongside Brock or any other British man until this priest was freed. Tecumseh was very cunning and skillful in battle, and used great strategies in war. The battle continued, and eventually Brock was replaced with Major General Henry Proctor. Proctor did not seem to be very true to his word, and failed to live up to his obligations. When the British were fighting at Chatham, Ontario, he failed to show up. Other accounts say that Brock was there, but as the American troops converged upon the British, Brock gave into fear and cowardness, and left Tecumseh and his men there. Upon that fateful day, at the Battle of Thames, when Governor Harrison and his troops crossed the border into Upper Canada, October of 1813, Tecumseh was killed. His brother, Tenskwatawa, watched from a sheltered area high above the battle, as the enemy shot Tecumseh in the chest. Governor Harrison had directed his forces to charge the British troops; they retreated in defeat, with the cowardly Proctor leading the way. As stated earlier, Tecumseh and his faithful band stayed and fought a good fight of faith. In the end, they were forced to retreat and surrender. They returned later to the blood strewn battlefield for their wounded and dead, but Tecumseh’s body was not amongst these. As fate would have it, Tecumseh had just predicted his death the night before after having a dream that he would die, just as his brother, Cheesauka, had predicted long ago of himself.

Along with the death of Tecumseh, the great dream of a solidified confederacy among his people died as well. Tecumseh saw the future more clearly and accurately than he ever knew. One can only wonder what would have happened had Tecumseh not died on that fateful day on the river Thames.

Tecumseh..Tecumtha..Tecumthai..Shooting Star…a man of integrity, compassion and great insight. A great Shawnee warrior, highly respected not only among his people, but also the white man.





**kinda long...**

 

[4EverBlessed]

The person I'm writing about is Queen Esther. She truly was a woman of God, humble, obedient and faithful. A young girl of ordinary beginnings, she suddenly became a queen. Even though her status had changed, her heart had not and she never forgot who she was. She knew that God had placed her where she was for a reason. With her faith in God she courageously risked her own life, going in to see the king without permission, to be God's instrument to save her people from complete annihilation.

What a mighty woman of faith she was.

 

[torchbearer]

TB waits excitedly at her desk for the final results!

 

[RuthD]

Good Luck!

 

[mindalan]

That is a LOT of info, Jere!

 

[RuthD]

We are judging now today. 1 judge is done so far.

 

[RuthD]

The 3 judges have voted and come up with the results. They are posted on the first page at the top. I'm going to do that right now.

 

[Hisbygrace]

Thank you Ruth for the wonderful game. It was really exciting and interesting to see who everyone had chosen. And though there are many more great people who have made wonderful differences in the world, I loved reading each entry.
My hat off to everyone!

 

[Jere209]

That is a LOT of info, Jere!

yup . It was from my research project for class.

 

[Jere209]

Congrats to the winners.