Defining Important

While I think that Delaney did a good job at picking important people, places, and performances, the VIPs that she picked were meaningful to her due to her personal experiences. Because Delaney and I come from different backgrounds, we find different VIPs significant. I consider American president George Washington and Rwandan president Paul Kagame important. Both of these outstanding men were the first presidents of their respective countries, and as such, they were responsible for setting the precedent for how their country would run in future years. Both men initially refused the presidency because of their fear of having too much power, but were forced into it anyway. The precedents that Washington set in many areas of his presidency and way of life are evident in various aspects of the United States government today. This shows the immense impact Washington had, deeming him worthy of VIP status. I chose Washington because a large part of my identity is based on my life as an American, as are the identities of a large proportion of Americans, a culture widely influenced by the policies Washington enacted while in office. President Paul Kagame was responsible for leading the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which was influential in ending the Rwandan genocide. As such, he became responsible for rebuilding the country of Rwanda and directing it along its path to reconciliation, which he has thus far done a superb job of doing. Kagame is of importance to me personally because genocides and the aftermaths of genocide is something that I have been interested in for a large portion of my life, largely because my mother is a survivor of the Cambodian genocide. I expect that anyone interested in following the development of post-genocide Rwanda or the development of Africa in general would agree with this choice.
Places can also hold significant value to people, based on their culture. The White House, which is host to the president and his family, is a symbol of the president and the quintessential American family. The First family is highly esteemed in American culture, and the American populace tracks the movement of the First family closely. The White House is also symbolic of the American Dream, because the personalities of the past and present presidents are so varied that one can envision oneself becoming president, even though in reality the presidents tended to fit into a set demographic. I chose the White House because I have grown up looking at the White House and often thinking of it as more of a symbol of the presidency than perhaps of the president in office, as I think many Americans do. Israel, specifically Jerusalem, is another place of importance, because it contains holy sites for Muslims, Jews, and Christians around the world. Being a Christian myself, I hold the sites of Israel in high regard, as would many other individuals of those three religions.
I could not think of a more important performance than the Olympics, which Delaney used. The Olympics is a huge performance that brings together a large number of countries in civil competition. The symbolic nature of the Olympics is seen in the pride that exists in carrying the torch and the opening ceremonies. The Olympics is a time for countries to show the world the best athletes that their country has to offer and pit them against the best athletes from other countries. The Olympic Games heightens sporting events in a massive forum that is dependent on nationalism.