SACRIFICE Main Entry: 1sac·ri·fice Pronunciation: 'sa-kr&-"fIs, also -f&s or -"fIz Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin sacrificium, from sacr-, sacer + facere to make -- more at DO Date: 13th century 1 : an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar 2 : something offered in sacrifice 3 a : destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b : something given up or lost SELF-SACRIFICE Main Entry: self-sac·ri·fice Pronunciation: 'self-'sa-kr&-"fIs also -f&s or -"fIz Function: noun Date: 1805 : sacrifice of oneself or one's interest for others or for a cause or ideal COUNTRY Main Entry: 1coun·try Pronunciation: 'k&n-trE Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural countries Etymology: Middle English contree, from Old French contrée, from Medieval Latin contrata, from Latin contra against, on the opposite side Date: 13th century 1 : an indefinite usually extended expanse of land : REGION 2 a : the land of a person's birth, residence, or citizenship b : a political state or nation or its territory 3 a : the people of a state or district : POPULACE b : JURY c : ELECTORATE 2 4 : rural as distinguished from urban areas CAUSE Main Entry: 1cause Pronunciation: 'koz Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin causa Date: 13th century 1 a : a reason for an action or condition : MOTIVE b : something that brings about an effect or a result c : a person or thing that is the occasion of an action or state; especially : an agent that brings something about d : sufficient reason 2 a : a ground of legal action b : CASE 3 : a matter or question to be decided 4 a : a principle or movement militantly defended or supported b : a charitable undertaking "Sacrificing oneself for one's country or cause" can take many forms. Simple acts such as paying taxes are sometimes seen as sacrifices. One is giving up their earnings for the good of the country. Actions such as abstaining from eating meat on Fridays, or giving up one's time on a certain day of the week in order to go to a temple and worship can both be seen as sacrifices. These sacrifices are simple, common, everyday. Some sacrifices however, are much more profound and not taken as lightly. Soldiers in war often sacrifice their lives to further a country's agendas. Religious martyrs sacrifice their lives for their own beliefs. Occasionally, people sacrifice themselves and innocents with no connection to themselves to further their causes and/or beliefs. Sacrifices are also not always seen as such. Palestinians who strap explosives to their bodies and detonate the devices in public areas are viewed as terrorists by most, despite their own belief that they are sacrificing themselves to further the Palestinian agenda. Japanese kamikaze pirates of World War II, lauded by their government and families, were thought of as desparate and sometimes insane by American standards. We will be focusing on this last type of sacrifice, the sacrifice of one's life, and the views of the people they affect, and those of the family and leaders they have sacrificed themselves for.