Jimmy Carter: A Man with Courage and Compassion
By Erin Parks
View Ridge Elementary
Fifth Grade

“We believe good health is a basic human right, especially among poor people afflicted with disease who are isolated, forgotten, ignored, and often without hope. Just to know that someone cares about them can not only ease physical pain, but also remove an element of alienation and anger that can lead to hatred and violence.”
--Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter

Of all the political leaders, Adolph Hitler, Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and many others, I think that I would gain the most by talking to Jimmy Carter. I believe in overcoming failure, and rising above difficult situations. I believe in keeping peace between nations, and providing every human with the opportunity for a long, healthy life. As the quote above illustrates, Mr. Carter is also dedicated to leaving failure in his past, keeping peace, and fighting diseases in other countries. What does it take to overcome failure, the type of failure that can destroy your life? What does it take to have the courage to visit foreign nations? What does it take to help those nations in difficulties? I think Jimmy could help me answer these questions.

James Earl Carter Jr. was born October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia. After marrying Rosalynn Smith, Mr. Carter became a senator and then governor for his state. In 1976 he was elected 39th president of the United States of America.

When there was a worldwide energy crisis, people waited in long lines to buy gas. All Jimmy seemed to do was tell Americans to wear sweaters and turn the heat down. When many Americans were held hostage in Iran, Mr. Carter seemed powerless. Finally, when he did send in the military, the mission failed with the result of military deaths. When many Americans were without jobs, Jimmy didn’t know what to do. People lost their faith in Mr. Carter and thought that he failed as a president. American citizens even made fun of him.

Instead of hiding away from his failure, Mr. Carter continued to be a leader by founding the Carter Center. The organization helps over 75 foreign countries solve conflicts and fight diseases. For instance, since 1986 the Carter Center has been helping Pakistan fight the disease of Guinea worm by purifying drinking water and digging wells. They also helped Estonia keep peace between the Russian-speaking people and the majority of Estonians from 1994 to 1996.

Jimmy Carter has a strong Christian faith. He understands and accepts the teachings of Jesus. More than that, he actually tries to live by them. He personally visits other countries to solve conflicts, like when he met with Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat to write a Middle East peace treaty. He volunteers one week each year and builds homes for the poor. He talks openly about his faith and teaches Sunday school every week. Last year, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize. Finally, the world can see his leadership instead of his failures. I want to follow Mr. Carter’s example, to be like a strong tree, the stronghold and safety to many small, vulnerable creatures.

How did Mr. Carter find the motivation to not give up? How did he find the strength to continue to be a compassionate world leader? How did he help others, and show what true citizenship is? What can I do to follow in his footsteps and live out my faith by assisting those who need our help? I can just imagine myself sitting down in a leather chair in the office of Jimmy Carter’s home in Atlanta, Georgia asking these questions. Things are a bit blurry, but I think Jimmy is handing me a glass of lemonade. Gradually it all fades away, and I’m walking to school. I see a man with a black beard and a stocking cap sitting on an old wooden crate. He holds a sign that says, “Lost job. Homeless. Anything you can give is useful. God bless you!” I dig into my pocket for some change.

“To feel sorry for the needy is not the mark of a Christian – to help them is.”

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A Conversation with President George W. Bush
By Austin Woodle
Bryant Elementary
Fifth Grade

War is on my mind, it is on the front page of the newspaper, and every time I turn on the TV, I see it. There is no way of avoiding it, which is why I choose to understand it. So I am going to lead a conversation with the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush. I would like to discuss the War on Terrorism.

“Mr. President, from what I understand, the U.S. has accused Iraq of three major things: 1) developing weapons of mass destruction; 2) failing to cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors; and 3) violating its obligations under United Nations resolutions. I know this because I hear it on the news. Do you think we should become hostile with Iraq, and what do you think the consequences would be?”

“First of all, I agree with you that I believe Saddam Hussein is hiding ballistic weapons that could cause mass destruction in the world. The Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) has a report that shows that Saddam Hussein is shipping ballistic weapons in semi-trucks to remote locations where he can launch them without notice.”

“When Hans Blix gives his report to the United Nations on February 14, 2003 to report whether or not Saddam Hussein has complied with the weapons inspectors requests, I am wondering how you will react? If he says the inspectors need more time, what will you do? I realize you have the authority to declare war on Iraq because the Security Council gave you the permission to decide. I also know that NATO is divided. Germany, Belgium, and France have rejected plans to send military equipment to put defenses in place for Iraq’s neighboring country, Turkey. Our supporters include Great Britain. Spain may possibly decide to support us in the next few days. Since you already have your whole army preparing for the attack on Iraq, I worry you have already made up your mind. What would you do if Hans Blix reports to you that Saddam Hussein is not hiding weapons, and he is cooperating?”

“From what I understand, Saddam Hussein may threaten to burn all of his oil fiends, and maybe Kuwait’s, which would also be a great loss for the world. Not only would millions of people die, but it would also destroy our natural resources.”

“Mr. President, what would it take for you not to declare war on Iraq? I am disturbed that no matter what Hans Blix reports, you are going to declare war on Iraq. Iraq believes that the U.S. wants to take over all the oil in the world. Is that true? If we help to cause the destruction of the world in the process, are we not destroying Americans as ell?”

“How many more years will it take until everyone learns that the people of the world are all the same? And we all need the Earth to survive and also support us. We had better take care of it.”

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Mahatma Gandhi was a man of pure spirit. He was one of the most powerful men on the globe. He wasn’t rich, or poor, or a man in charge of an army. He was a man that had the power of the mind. He didn’t just protect the people of India from oppression, he showed the world that violence is not the answer. He proved that there are other ways to fight. The only reason he had for helping was that people needed it, and that if no one helped, then no one would be saved. He had a reason that everyone else had, but he was the only one who grasped that reason and used it. If I had a chance to talk with Gandhi I would ask: How, Gandhi? How did you do it?

Gandhi put truth above all else. He once said: “I am not a ‘statesman in the garb of a saint.’ But since Truth is the highest wisdom, sometimes my acts appear to be consistent with the highest statesmanship. But I hope I have no policy in me save the policy of Truth and ahimsa. I will not sacrifice Truth and ahimsa even for the deliverance of my country or religion.” Basically what he was saying is that truth and ahimsa were the most important things in his life, and he would sacrifice his country and religion for them. Ahimsa is non-injury or no violence.

Truth is linked to many things. Like the truth that someone can help anything. If you really want to help you can, no matter how much the risk, Gandhi believed in that truth, and I believe that the same truth led Gandhi to save his country.

But if truth was the only reason that he did what he did, how could he be so interesting? If all that drove him was truth, then why did he get the title Mahatma? I believe that religion and a strong will also played a large part in Gandhi’s life. Religion was the glue that held Gandhi together. He once said: “I am in the world feeling my way to light ‘amid the encircling gloom.’ I often err and miscalculate… My trust is solely in God. And I trust men only because I trust God. If I had no God to rely upon, I should be like Timon, hater of my species.”

You see, if Gandhi didn’t have God, then why help India, a failing country full of a species that he didn’t even like? If he didn’t have a strong will then how could he be so willing and ready to help his country? He did have a will, and without that will the country might have failed.

Gandhi left a big impression on me and many other people of this world. If more people can do what he did, then I believe that the world will be a much happier place.

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Eleanor Roosevelt: A Humanitarian Heart
By Annie Aeschbacher
Timbercrest Junior High
Seventh Grade

Leadership can take many different forms, and it often appears in ways that people never expect. The picture that pops into many people’s heads when they think of leadership is someone who is big, powerful, and can change the way that a person lives with the snap of a finger. That is certainly one form of leadership, but I think that true leadership reaches a much deeper level. For me, a leader is someone who inspires others and acts with a sense of compassion, responsibility, and openness. A world leader might not physically be in charge of a certain group of people, but influences people through their example and ideas. Eleanor Roosevelt certainly demonstrated these qualities, and many more, through her dedicated work for others. If I could spend a day with any world leader, she is the one that I would choose.

Throughout history, leaders have done many great things, but there were few active humanitarians like Eleanor Roosevelt. She dedicated her life to helping the poor and needy, African Americans, women, and children – all in a time when black people were ridiculed, women weren’t given many rights, and when immigrants and children labored too lon gand too hard in factories. She went into mines to interview miners, and made her way through fields of mud to inspect immigrants’ living conditions. She spent hours volunteering in dirty and horrible working conditions, and removed “White Only” signs from public places. That kind of action for human rights was unheard of in Eleanor’s time, especially for a wealthy woman. Eleanor Roosevelt demonstrated exceptional courage and compassion in doing this kind of work, and because of that courage and compassion she was able to improve the lives of millions of people around the world.

One of the things that Eleanor’s work focused on was working conditions for the poor. If I could have a conversation with her, I would ask how she would handle to same problem today. Poor people and immigrants still suffer horrible working conditions. One example of this is here in the state of Washington where many immigrant apple pickers still sleep in shanties and receive little medical care. As First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt spent much or her time drawing the attention of the press to these types of problems. Eleanor opened up the public’s eye to a problem, and then pointed the way to a solution.

Another thing that Eleanor Roosevelt was known for was her fight for civil rights, especially for women and African American people, but also Japanese Americans during World War II. I would like to know how she would fight for civil rights today. In America, we have many rights that other countries don’t have. Everyone in this country – people of all races, men and women, have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. One of our greatest freedoms for any American over the age of eighteen is the right to vote. During Eleanor’s time, African Americans often weren’t even allowed to share the same drinking fountain as white people – let alone being able to vote. Eleanor made many soul-stirring addresses to the public, inducing the topic of civil rights. In one of her speeches she said the well-known words: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Mrs. Roosevelt truly cared about the feelings and rights of others, and she knew that no matter what someone might look like, everyone should have the same rights as everyone else. These struggles continue even today. While people have more rights, many women still don’t get paid as much for their jobs as men do, and the struggle for black people’s rights still continues.

Finally, I would want to ask Eleanor Roosevelt how she would make peace, especially with the threat of war. Mrs. Roosevelt was First Lady when the U.S. was at war with Japan and Germany, and she sought to protect Japanese Americans and European Jews. In 1946, Eleanor was appointed delegate to the UN General Assembly, and the same year she chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights, and was able to start spreading her influence worldwide. If she was alive today, I’m sure that she would lobby for peace with Iraq and the Middle East, and try to help Middle Eastern Americans in the United States in any way that she could. Eleanor loved all people, and she would use all of the power given to her to help anyone who needed it.

Eleanor Roosevelt was an amazing lady. She was an active humanitarian, First Lady, journalist, a delegate to the UN, and a wonderful influence to millions of people around the world. Her dedication to people who were poor and powerless made her respected by millions, but despised by many as well. Many people thought that she had no right to help people of lower class and status, and some called her “The most dangerous woman in America.” They criticized her and made up mean jokes, but they never persuaded Eleanor’s kind heart to stop helping others. After her death in 1962, many people considered this amazing lady to be the most “influential woman of all time.” Eleanor Roosevelt led a wonderful life. As President Harry Truman described her, Eleanor Roosevelt was truly the “First Lady of the World.”

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I Have a Dream
By Kelsey A. Garcia
Timbercrest Junior High
Seventh Grade

Changing a state's priorities is a big deal. Changing a nation's priorities is an even bigger deal. Changing the world's priorities seems too great to comprehend. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the priorities of the world and the priorities of many people in it. He was courageous, devoted, unselfish, and simply believed in himself and other human beings. He believed in equality for every man and woman no matter the color of their skin. He spent his life telling other people about the importance of equality. If I could have a day with any world leader, I would choose to spend that day with Martin Luther King Jr. and we would discuss his life and his fight for freedom for all.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave 13 years of his life to the fight for civil rights. I would discuss with Martin his role in the civil rights movement. I would ask him how he never lost his determination to help African Americans and all human beings though he was arrested 30 times for participating in civil rights activities. I would also ask how he felt when he received 14 awards (including the Nobel Peace Prize) for his leadership in the civil rights movement even though he had been put in jail for that same leadership.

Martin Luther King Jr. was willing to risk his life to improve' the lives of others. This is represented by a few lines from the sermon "I've Been To the Mountaintop." In this sermon Martin said, "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life... But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will, and He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land." I would ask Mr. King what gave him the courage and the incentive to risk his life in order to save the lives of others. People reacted to Martin's "dream" in many ways. Some people agreed with him and his dream and supported him. These people helped Martin in his journey to change our violent, cruel world into a nonviolent, fair world. Others were against Martin and did many things to try to stop him from succeeding in creating his dream in our world. I would ask Martin Luther King Jr. how these different reactions made him feel, and how they influenced his many attempts to make his dream a reality.

Martin Luther King Jr. wanted the "world community to live together in spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood." He spoke of the concept of "somebodiness." This word symbolized the celebration of human worth and the conquering of enslaving and controlling people. It made black and poor people hopeful while giving them a sense of dignity and worth. I would ask Martin how he could believe that our world could live in brotherhood and sisterhood when we were constantly hurting one another. A line from the Acceptance Speech of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 shows Mr. King's unwillingness to believe that mankind would not someday make his dream come true. The line said, "I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality." I would ask Martin what gave him the courage to stand up for blacks, arguing that they were "somebody" when so many blacks were discouraged by the prejudice of white people, and would never have stood up and spoke out the way he did.

One of Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophies included nonviolent action and strategies for rational and nondestructive social change. This philosophy changed our nation's priorities, though it took time. I would ask Martin how he could be so patient with the people of the world when it seemed like they would never listen. I would also ask Martin how he could feel so strongly about nonviolence when the people around him were using violence against him. Mr. King had to face a world of prejudice. Many people believed that prejudice was normal because they had lived with it their whole lives. Martin stood up against this belief and helped us to realize how horrible prejudice really is.

Martin Luther King Jr. struggled with many people to get to the point where he was finally respected and appreciated. When he did finally get to this point, he was given not only 14 awards for his leadership in the civil rights movement, but also 20 honorary degrees from colleges and universities all around the world. He was also President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization that was in charge of the successful bus boycott. He was founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Vice President of the National Sunday School and Baptist teaching union, and a member of many national and local boards of directors and trustees of many institutions and agencies. He was also a member of many learned societies, such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Martin Luther King also wrote 6 books and many articles about his experiences.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a courageous, devoted, unselfish, pure man that our world is lucky to have known. He influenced us greatly, and will never be forgotten. He showed us what was really important – not the color of our skin, but the content of our character. On the day of his funeral, the president called a day of mourning and all flags were flown at half staff. This is an example of how he was remembered and respected. If I could have a day with any world leader, I would choose to have a day with Martin Luther King Jr., and with him I would discuss his amazing journey through life.

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If I Could Spend a Day with Anne Frank
By Jakki Bensinger
Seattle Girl’s School
Seventh Grade

If I could spend a day with anybody in history, I would have to choose Anne Frank. I would choose her because her life had such an impact on the world. She changed an abstract slaughter into something very personal, something that had a meaning; she did this all through her diary. She spent 25 months in an attic of somebody's house hiding from the Nazis. When she was found, she and her family were put in a concentration camp. She died of typhus in March of 1945 at the age of 15. She almost survived. Her diary was found and later published. Today, it is one of the most widely read books in the world.

If she could come back to life just to spend a day with me, I would probably take her to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. to show her that she and millions like her were not forgotten. In the Holocaust Museum, there is a computer where you can look up real people who were in the Holocaust and you can see what happened to them. I would show this to her so that she could see what happened to all of her friends and relatives if she wanted to. I would probably talk to her about her diary and how she managed to write an entry in it every single day that she was hiding. A long time ago, I tried writing an entry in my diary every day, and I couldn't even do it for two weeks. How did she do it for 25 whole months? That's more than two years.

What also amazes me about Anne Frank is that even through a time when people were out to kill every other person who was not like them (meaning her), she kept on sticking to her beliefs. She didn't give up what she truly believed in even when someone was trying to kill her because of it. I would like to ask her, where does one find courage? How did she get so brave? People walk around today saying, "I would never give up what I truly believe in," but when they are asked about their beliefs and they know that something bad is going to happen if they just tell the truth, they lie to the person. How did Anne Frank do it, knowing that she was going to be killed?

When she was hiding, she couldn't be active. She couldn't just go outside or go shopping with her friends. I know from experience, because I'm around the same age that she was when she was hiding. She was at the age when she was just starting to like boys and around the age when she needed to be a lot more active. I can't stand being cooped up in a place for to long. Adolescence is a hard time for me. What was this experience like for her?

When she would walk around, Germans would probably discriminate against her. Well, today when Muslims walk around, they are yelled at and discriminated against by Americans ever since September 11, 2001. I think that Muslims in this country are experiencing this hate almost the same way that Jewish people did. Americans seem to be hunting those wearing turbans. Why is this happening? I think that all of this hate could easily turn into another holocaust. I don't want this to happen at all. Why are people so intolerant of others’ differences?

One reason that Anne Frank especially interests me is that my dad is also Jewish. His mom was probably living around that time and she is Jewish too. My grandma could have experienced this and that causes my interest to grow in this particular person and slaughter.

Anne Frank was an inspiring Jewish girl who had the bravery to stay true to her beliefs and the confidence to try and hide from the Nazis. I really look up to her and I hope that someday I can be as brave and looked up to as she is. Anne Frank will always be remembered by many people.

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Ho Chi Minh: Not Just a Communist
By Michael Thompson
Ballard High School
Ninth Grade

HoChi Minh was the leader of the Vietnamese people, and devoted his life to freeing his people from the oppression of imperialist foreign forces, most notably the French colonialists and the United States military. I would meet with Ho Chi Minh and spend time with him because of his knowledge of the outside world, his leadership, and to learn of his adult life spent leading his people towards independence. Ho Chi Minh is seen as a smart leader and an intellectual by many, especially in his own nation. Still, few people in the United States and around the world acknowledge him except for his role in defeating the U.S. armed forces and setting up a communist state in North Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh was born Nguyen Tat Thanh in 1890 in Vietnam. He traveled to Europe working on a steamship, which greatly increased his knowledge of the outside world. In the 1940’s he formed the Vietminh, a revolutionary group bent on independence, but discreetly communist. After the Japanese capitulation in 1945, the Vietminh established control of Vietnam and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV). From 1946-54, the Vietnamese fought the French for control of their homeland. The war finally ended, but the nation was split into North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam set up a communist nation, and later took on the conquest of the American-dominated South Vietnam, which finally united the nations. This war ended in 1975, six year after Ho’s death. The South Vietnamese capital, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the father of Vietnamese communism and modern independence.

My first question for Ho Chi Minh would be about his main goal during his lifetime; why was he so committed to Vietnamese independence? Since the day he was born, Ho Chi Minh lived in an oppressed society under the French colonialism. Still, why was he so ardently independent while others did nothing? Others died, gave up, or joined only after the revolutionary movement was well-established. After his journey to Europe and Africa, in which he viewed oppressed people everywhere, Ho Chi Minh started on his campaign to make Vietnam an autonomous state. From then on, his entire lifetime was focused on this goal. Some might think that Ho would have sacrificed his ideas of independence for Vietnam to establish a communist state.

Ho Chi Minh became a communist after his travels throughout the world. Still, since he was born in a colony, Ho had always wanted independence. His anti-colonialist roots were deeper and stronger than his communist ones. One might argue that Ho Chi Minh was a pioneer for communism, he only chose Vietnam because of the need to overthrow the French and his personal connections in the area. It is true that Ho Chi Minh is remembered as a communist, but this may be due to his founding of a communist state and his labeling by the United States government. Many do not know that Ho worked with the OSS and admired the United Stats before they supported the French. When Ho wrote the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence, he based it on its American counterpart. Had the United State not switched its position in Vietnam to support the French instead of the Vietminh, it is almost certain Vietnam would have become a capitalist nation.

Secondly, I would ask Ho Chi Minh of his war against the French and his fight against South Vietnam. Which war does he think was more challenging? Because he was not alive for much of the second, we will assume he knows the war’s outcome and its details. The fight against the French was more challenging because he did have a unified nation, or backing from other nations. Some might think that the war against the South and the Americans was harder because of the American’s superior army. But against the French the Vietminh were a guerrilla army. They were not experienced, battle-hardened troops, like the ones who fought the South Vietnamese and the Americans in the war for unification.

My final questions for Ho Chi Minh would be what he thought of his country now. Is Vietnam in a satisfactory position, or did his comrades fail? Ho might be happy looking at his nation. Its independence from to the nations is great and its people are secure. Ho fought hard for communism in his nation, and this is what he got. Other might believed that Ho would not he happy with his nation because of its economy becoming rapidly more capitalistic. Although Ho might be fearful of the United States businesses coming into Vietnam, he might believe that a transition in the government was needed. The purpose of Ho’s communism was to distribute land back to the poor from the rich Frenchmen and the collaborating Vietnamese. He saw a need for poor Vietnamese who starved to death under French rule to have land to feed themselves. With this done in the last twenty-five years, Ho may not mind a transition for more businesses to be run privately by Vietnamese. Hanoi has gone from an eerie, colorless place after the Vietnam War, to having flourishing businesses all around. Ho would also be overjoyed to see that his people have their sense of independence and pride. While Vietnam is looking towards its future, it certainly has not forgotten its past.

Ho Chi Minh is often viewed as the man who helped establish communism in Vietnam. He was much more than that, and should be viewed more as a man passionately patriotic for his colonized nation. He fought for independence and defeated the super powers of the world twice to gain it. His struggle is still with the Vietnamese people today as they search for a right to be autonomous and free to choose the government that they want. All Ho Chi Minh ever wanted was for his people to be happy, and we should recognize that.

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In order to answer the question "If you could have a day with any world leader from the past or present, who would it be and what would you discuss?" you have to first answer the question "What makes a leader?" Is a leader just a title that we give a person in power, or does it really mean more than that? Can an ordinary person be a leader, or do you have to be well known? To me, the word "leader" is interchangeable with the word "influencer." It's not just a title, it means that this person can really lead people, they influence them. A leader is also, in a sense, a hero. I'm not talking Superman / Batman / Daredevil superhero, but someone who put others first, for the best of everyone, for the best end result. They don't worry about what they want until they know that they've done their job to the best of their ability. To pick one person who fulfills all of this, to spend a day with, I wanted to pick someone who influenced their own time period, but who continues to influence people today. That's why I chose Harun Al- Rasheed (786-809AD). This man ruled over the new Islamic empire from Baghdad (as a Caliph) during its political and military "Golden Age." He was among the greatest heroes of Middle Eastern people then and for centuries to come. Today his name is synonymous with greatness in the minds of Muslim Arabs.

The first question I would ask Harun Al-Rasheed would be "What do you think makes you an influential person?" Like I mentioned before, I think that all real leaders are influencers. Harun Al-Rasheed was a military champion, he saved his people many times, earning their trust and adoration. He organized a defense of northeast Syria*, and strengthened military bases in order to invade Asia Minor. Under his reign, the military expanded the borders of the Islamic Empire.

Many people would argue that pure military strength doesn't make you an important world leader, but Harun Al-Rasheed was more than just a military hero; he encouraged the development of the arts and he promoted the development of the Islamic religion to people in his conquered empire. It was, in a sense, a Renaissance for the people in that area. He took the religion of a small group of Arabs and turned it into a universal belief, spreading it into the East and into the West, drawing thousands of people to the Islamic faith through the establishment of a dominant empire.

The next question that I would ask would be "How do you see yourself influencing the people of today, especially Arab Muslims?" Arab Muslims see Al- Rasheed as the leader that formed their country and their worldly-identity. The Empire that he ruled years ago is the Empire that they want to rebuild today. They see him as Americans see George Washington, or how the British see Queen Victoria – as someone who made them who they are, someone who formed the Islamic people into a united whole.

It could be argued that being a religious image or a sort of model of the people may make Harun Al-Rasheed an Islamic Middle Eastern leader, but not a world leader. He is definitely an Islamic leader, and a leader of the Arab people, but he influenced the land and the people to the West and East of his political and religious domain. Even if he didn't convert them or conquer them, he influenced their lives through becoming a patron of science, literature, art, and culture on a massive scale, and promoting the invaluable preservation of ancient classical literature through their translation into Arabic. Also by influencing the people around them, he influenced Europe, which influenced America in turn. People often don't know that stories they know so well came from the time period of Harun Al-Rasheed. His Empire is the setting for such well-known tales as Aladdin told to Harun Al-Rasheed by Shehrezad. Aladdin is one of the stories from A Thousand and One [or “Arabian”] Nights, wonderful stories inspired by the grandeur of Harun Al-Rasheed's Baghdad.

My third question for Harun Al-Rasheed would be "What did you think of the Christian/European Empire at the time of your rule over the Islamic Empire?" At the time of his reign, Christendom** in Europe was his main adversary. I want to know how he viewed the Christian Empire. I'm sure he viewed them as less enlightened than himself and his people (the Muslims), but he must have admired them too as an opponent. He knew of the great authors and scientists that came from the European countries, just as he knew much about their culture. He viewed them as dirty (spiritually and physically) but he knew what they were capable of.

Harun Al-Rasheed's troops fought Christian European troops many times. It could be argued that he had only contempt for the Christian Europeans because they fought so often militarily, but he also fought Charlemagne diplomatically and was not simply a man of war. He politically settled differences as well, even if that included accepting annual tribute from the Romans through Nicephorus (that did end up fighting when they refused to continue payment). As mentioned before, Harun Al-Rasheed encouraged art, and the people under his reign exchanged ideas with Christian Europeans; they influenced and changed each other.

Harun Al-Rasheed established Islamic civilization on a level comparable to all other great civilizations. Through diplomatic solutions, wars, art, and continental expansion he influenced all people of that time and generations to come. He was a real leader because he influenced people, he was a hero, and he led his people to the apex of their civilization.

*At the end of Harun Al-Rasheed’s reign the Islamic Empire extended from the Atlantic Ocean in the West to India in the East, and from the Caspian Sea in the North to the Indian Ocean in the South.
**The Christian-European state powers, including Anatolia in the Byzantine Empire, though the Roman Empire, and Central Europe.

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If I could have a day to talk to one world leader, I would talk to the present day president of Iraq: Saddam Hussein. I see so much hatred against this man in the United States that it gives me the desire to know the reasons behind the acts that have earned the abhorrence of so many countries worldwide. This powerful man led his country into two devastating conflicts: the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 and the Persian Gulf War in 1990. When he found opposition to his rule within his country, Hussein silenced it (as with the suppression of Shia Muslims in the south and the arrests, exiles, and killings of his own family members; both in 1991). What makes a man into a brutal ruler like this? I would respectfully ask with genuine curiosity what Hussein's justifications for his past actions are and I would listen in a way that is as unbiased as possible so that I might learn something from his point of view.

There are so many questions that I could ask Mr. Hussein, but I've selected three. The first of which would ask why he used Kuwaiti civilians as shields for military industrial sites during the Persian Gulf War. An article by BBC News states that Saddam Hussein used "Kuwaiti civilians as human shields at key military and industrial sites in Iraq.” These types of tactics seem very callous towards lives that were not directly involved in the war. Since their lives were put in jeopardy so that they could defend sites for the opposite side, this appears very unfair. However, Hussein must have his reasons and his justifications for them, and I want to know what those are, from his perspective. Just because he thinks that these acts are justifiable doesn't make them fair, but what he does is not the same as what ideals he holds.

My second question would ask why he selected chemical warfare as a means of attack. Chemical warfare is one of the most vicious weapons that can be used against life. It doesn't just kill; it also tortures its remaining victims. According to Microsoft Encarta, "Iraq also used chemical weapons against its Kurdish citizens during the war.” I want to understand how or why Hussein can use biologically harmful substances even on his own citizens, such as the bombing of Halabja, a city of Iraqi Kurds, in 1988. Babies have been born with birth defects in this city and this has been blamed on the biological weapons. Such things are so atrocious and horrible that I want to know Hussein's logic for reasoning the acceptability of some 3,200 to 5,000 deaths and countless other miseries of the survivors from the biological weapons.

Thirdly, I would ask why Hussein has had difficult dealings with the United Nations. In 1998 U.N. weapons inspectors were accused by Iraq of spying. The inspectors were not allowed to inspect inside certain places called "presidential palaces." According to BBC News, "The UN later acknowledged that inspectors had been passing information on to US intelligence services.” This sort of thing would very probably give Hussein a betrayed feeling and make him much less prone to cooperating with the U.N. I would want to know what he thinks of this organization, and why he holds this view. The perspective of someone who has had a reason to harbor ill will towards the U.N. and who has cause to be difficult would be very interesting.

Saddam Hussein's figure has loomed ominously over the media for quite some time. The opportunity to talk with him and to learn new viewpoints and reasons from him would be invaluable to me in understanding such a person. While I don't have to agree with what he believes, or even with why he thinks he can do some things, I know that having these questions answered would greatly open my eyes to someone that I've seen from only one angle. If I could, I would want to see Saddam Hussein and his actions from a different point of view: his.