Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau - 888 Words

Before discussing whether or not Civil Disobedience is an appropriate weapon in a democracy, one must understand what Civil Disobedience is and how it was developed. The definition of civil disobedience is simple: the refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something. The man who developed the undertones of Civil Disobedience was Henry David Thoreau. Several key figures looked to his famous paper, The Duty of Civil Disobedience, for inspiration. In a Democracy, Civil Disobedience is not an appropriate weapon in the fight for justice. Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts to John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar. Thoreau studied at Harvard College and took various courses†¦show more content†¦He also says that if one disagrees with the law, they should remove themselves and get as far away as they can. In his essay, he states that he does not think that any reform in the government is possible. He continues by sayin g that petitioning and voting do not do anything for the common people. Henry David Thoreau uses his experiences in jail to effectively prove his points. In my opinion, in a democracy, Civil Disobedience is not an appropriate weapon in the fight for justice. By definition a democracy is an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights, appropriate is â€Å"to take or use (something) especially in a way that is illegal, unfair, etc.†, weapon is â€Å"something (such as a skill, idea, or tool) that is used to win a contest or achieve something†, justice is â€Å"the process or result of using laws to fairly judge and punish crimes and criminals†, and Civil Disobedience is â€Å"the refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something†. By these definitions, it is never appropriate to use Civil Disobedience to get justice. In a true democracy, if there ever was a problem or something one did not agree with, one could bring it up to a leader and they would have to acknowledge the problem. They would have to do this due to the fact that everyone has equal right in a true democracy. Everyone would have to vote, and getShow MoreRelatedCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau975 Words   |  4 Pages Henry David Thoreau was a very influential writer in the 1800s and still is today. Thoreau was one of America’s â€Å"greats† when it came to early American literature. Henry David Thoreau wrote one of the most influential essays entitled Civil Disobedience. This essay was Thoreau’s political statement, it outlined his views on non violent resistance. Civil Disobedience was written during the Mexican War. The Mexican War was a conflict between Mexico and America that was caused by a dispute over theRead MoreHenry David Thoreau And Civil Disobedience1455 Words   |  6 PagesHenry David Thoreau was an American philosopher known for his interest in politi cs; specifically raising awareness about the injustice committed by the American government. He’s the author of prominent works like Civil Disobedience and Slavery in Massachusetts, which set the setting for the United States at the time. Both of these works follow a common theme of perseverance through difficult times and the role of the self when choosing right from wrong. Thus, he was deeply engaged in the idea ofRead MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau969 Words   |  4 Pages Transcendentalism is an idea that expresses the individuality of a person and his differing beliefs from the current societal opinions. This idea had a few articles written about it such as â€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau which in summary states that if you don’t agree with the society’s opinion, you should form your own and fight for it. Another writing about it is â€Å"Self Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson which also basically states that you should follow your heart and not conform toRead MoreHenry David Thoreau : Civil Disobedience933 Words   |  4 Pagesa quote from Henry David Thoreau from his well-known book called Civil Disobedience (Baym, Levine ,2012). His famous book was written after he was jailed for a night for refusing to pay a tax. However, the following day his relatives paid the tax without his knowledge and this inspired his book Civil Disobedience. Though Henry David Thoreau is also known for being a poet, practical philosopher and his two-year project at Walden pond near Concord, Massachusetts (â€Å"Henry David Thoreau,† 2014). His projectRead MoreCivil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau1260 Words   |  6 PagesCivil Disobedience was written by Henry David Thoreau. The Letter From A Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King Jr. They both had similarities and differences. There were injustices that were done wrong to each of them by others in the society in which they both lived. The injustices and civil disobedience they incurred should never happen to anyone. Henry David Thoreau spoke in an emotional tone in his essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† The emotional part of his essay of Civil DisobedienceRead MoreCivil Disobedience, By Henry David Thoreau1650 Words   |  7 Pagesweakness? In his 1849 essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† American writer Henry David Thoreau explained he had refused to pay his poll tax to the U.S. government for six years because he opposed the U.S. engaged in war with Mexico. This kind of â€Å"civil disobedience,† Thoreau (1849) said, is crucial because â€Å"a minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then†. In fact, he said, â€Å"It costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the State than it wouldRead MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau1384 Words   |  6 Pagesis also known as civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the most efficient form of protest in a society. In all societies both modern day and past, there has been some sort of government. In history many of these governments have abused their power and have become too powerful. In these cases it was the right of the people to protest. All past societies have agreed the less power a government has the better. In an essay Civil Disobedience, written by Henry David Thoreau the text states â€Å"ThatRead MoreCivil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau771 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a philosopher and writer who is well known for his criticism of the American government during the time. During Thoreau’s life, there were two major issues being debated in the United States: slavery and the Mexican-American War. Both issues greatly influenced his essay, as he actually practiced civil disobedience in his own life by refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. He states that the government should be based on conscience and that citizensRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s Civil Disobedience933 Words   |  4 PagesIn Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, he is writing to the American people. He is trying to spark a desire for change, for people to oppose their government without actions. He uses this work to criticize the American institution of slavery as well as the Mexican-American War. Thoreau is attempting to convey the importance of listening to one’s conscience over the laws, believing that it is more important to do what they feel is right rather than listen to the laws given by the majority. ThoreauRead MoreCivil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau Essay1178 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau was a means of educating people on why they should not settle for a less than perfect government. Thoreau’s work is a reminder that it is our duty to throw off an unsatisfactory government, as stated by Thomas Jefferson in the â€Å"Declaration of Independence.† Civil Disobedience touches on the subject of why people choose to do nothing about a government they are unhappy with. People fear the consequences they might suffer if they do interfere with the

Last Sacrifice Chapter Eighteen Free Essays

I SPRANG UP FROM THE bed, relieved that I didn’t fall over. My head still hurt, but I no longer felt dizzy, which hopefully meant I really had evaded a concussion. Glancing at an alarm clock as I left Sonya’s bedroom, I saw that I’d been in Lissa’s head for a few hours. We will write a custom essay sample on Last Sacrifice Chapter Eighteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now Her test had been far more extensive than I’d realized. In the living room, I found an almost comical sight. Victor and Robert stood there, in the flesh, taking in the surrounding details. Even Robert seemed to be with us mentally this time. Only, whereas Victor was studying everything in his calculating way, Robert’s attention was fixed on Sonya. His eyes bugged out in astonishment. Dimitri, meanwhile, hadn’t altered his position near Sonya or put away the stake at her throat. It was clear from his stance and watchful gaze, however, that he regarded the brothers as a new threat and was trying–impossibly–to stay on guard against everything. He seemed relieved to see me and have some backup. Sonya had gone perfectly still within her chains, which I didn’t like at all. It made me think she was planning something. Her red eyes narrowed. The whole situation was tense and dangerous, but a tiny part of me felt smug satisfaction as I studied Victor more closely. The dream meetings had been deceptive. Just as I could shift my appearance in dreams, Victor had made himself look stronger and healthier in those visits than he actually was in real life. Age, disease, and life on the run were taking their toll. Dark shadows lined his eyes, and his graying hair seemed thinner than it had a month ago. He looked haggard and tired, but I knew he was still dangerous. â€Å"So,’ I said, hands on hips. â€Å"You managed to find us.’ â€Å"There’s one lake in this town,’ said Victor. â€Å"One blue house. Maybe you had trouble with those directions, but for the rest of us, it wasn’t that difficult.’ â€Å"Well, if you’re so smart, what’s your plan now?’ I asked. I was trying to stall as I frantically thought about what my plan was. I’d wanted to capture Victor and Robert but didn’t know how. Since we had to split our attention between them and Sonya, Dimitri and I couldn’t team up. I wished we had leftover chain. Aside from physically subduing the brothers, we would also specifically need to restrain their hands to reduce their ability to use magic. â€Å"Since you’re so smart,’ countered Victor, â€Å"I assumed you’d have already obtained the needed information.’ I gestured toward Sonya. â€Å"She’s not exactly forthcoming.’ Victor’s eyes fell on her. â€Å"Sonya Karp. You’ve changed since I last saw you.’ â€Å"I’m going to kill you all,’ Sonya snarled. â€Å"And consume you one by one. Normally, I’d start with the human and work up to the Moroi, but †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She glanced at Dimitri and me, her face full of rage. â€Å"I think I’ll save you two for last and drag out your suffering.’ She paused and almost comically added, â€Å"You’ve annoyed me the most.’ â€Å"Do all Strigoi go through some boot camp and learn all the same threats? It’s a wonder you don’t cackle too.’ I turned back to Victor. â€Å"See? Not that easy. We’ve tried everything. Beating it out, torturing it out. Sydney went through the names of all her relatives. No reaction.’ Victor studied Sydney in detail for the first time. â€Å"So. Your pet Alchemist.’ Sydney didn’t move. I knew she had to be scared of facing someone who was both a vampire and a dangerous criminal. I had to give her points for meeting his stare unflinchingly. â€Å"Young,’ Victor mused. â€Å"But of course she would be. I imagine it’s the only way you could manipulate her into this little escapade.’ â€Å"I’m here by choice,’ replied Sydney. Her expression stayed calm and confident. â€Å"No one manipulated me.’ Abe’s blackmail wasn’t really relevant at the moment. â€Å"Look, if you wanted to keep torturing me with your not-funny comments, you could have just kept invading my dreams,’ I snapped. â€Å"If you don’t have anything useful to offer, then get out of here and let us wait until hunger weakens Sonya.’ And by get out of here, I meant: foolishly think you’re going to leave so that I can knock your heads together and drag you back to the guardians. â€Å"We can help,’ said Victor. He touched his brother lightly on the arm. Robert flinched, jerking his eyes from Sonya to Victor. â€Å"Your methods were destined to fail. If you want answers, there’s only one way to–‘ Sonya made her move. Dimitri was still right next to her, but he’d also been keeping an eye on the rest of us. And of course, I’d been completely focused on the Victor drama as well. It was probably the best opening Sonya could have hoped for. With crazy Strigoi strength, she bucked up from the chair. The chain was wrapped around her over and over, but her quick movement and strength were enough to snap the chain in two places. The rest still encircled her, but I knew perfectly well even one opening was enough for her to eventually bust out. Distracted or not, Dimitri was on her in a flash, and a second later, so was I. She was flailing in the chair, using every bit of her strength and speed to shake off the chains. If she got loose, I knew she’d put up another fierce fight. Dimitri and I met eyes briefly, and I knew we were thinking the same things. First, how were we going to re-restrain her? The chain could probably be rebound, but we’d need to unwind it and start over, which would be next to impossible. We also both knew he and I might not be able to take her down a second time, and now we had innocents around. They couldn’t fight, but Sonya might be able to use them to her advantage somehow. All w e could do was try to keep her down. Holding her against a flat surface like the floor would have been much easier than the unwieldy recliner. It shook as she fought against us, and we struggled to get a good position on the chair. Dimitri had his stake– I’d set mine down earlier–and he raked it against her skin, giving us some advantage in the struggle. She screamed in rage, and I clung to the hope we might tire her out. Probably not. We’d break first. My aching head was proof enough that I wasn’t in peak condition. I saw a flash of movement in my periphery, setting off new alarms. Robert Doru was heading toward us–and he had a silver stake in his hand. The sight was so bizarre and unexpected that I was slow to alert Dimitri. When my sluggish mind suddenly kicked back to life, it was too late. â€Å"No!’ I shrieked, seeing Robert raise the stake. â€Å"Don’t kill her!’ Dimitri turned and saw Robert then, but there was nothing he could do. Dimitri and I had created the perfect opportunity. We were holding Sonya still, and with her chest vulnerable, Robert had a clean shot. Frantically, I wondered what to do. If I stopped him, I’d release Sonya. If I didn’t stop him, he might kill our only chance at finding out who– Too late. The stake plunged down with a force that astonished me. Lissa had had a very difficult time staking Dimitri, and I’d assumed the same would be true for someone like Robert, who was older and seemed so fragile. But, no. He still had to use two hands, but the stake went firmly into Sonya’s chest, piercing her heart. Sonya let out an intense scream. A brilliant, blinding white light suddenly filled the room, just as an unseen force blasted me away. I hit a wall, my brain barely registering the pain. The small house shook, and with one hand, I tried to grab something and brace myself. I squeezed my eyes shut but could still see starbursts. Time slowed. My heartbeat slowed. Then–it all stopped. Everything. The light. The tremors. I breathed normally. All was quiet and still, as though I’d imagined what had just happened. I blinked, trying to bring my eyes back into focus and assess the situation. I did my best to scramble clumsily to my feet and saw Dimitri was doing the same. He looked like he’d also been knocked over but had caught the wall for support, rather than smashing into it. Robert was lying flat out on the floor, and Victor rushed over to help him. Sydney just stood frozen. And Sonya? â€Å"Unbelievable,’ I whispered. Sonya was still in the armchair, and from the way she was sitting back, it was obvious that she’d been blasted by the same force that had hit the rest of us. The chains were still around her, but she’d stopped struggling. On her lap was the silver stake Robert had held only moments ago. Sonya managed to wiggle a hand out of the chain, just enough for her fingers to brush against the stake’s surface. Her eyes widened with wonder–eyes that were a rich, azure blue. Robert had brought Sonya Karp back to life. She was no longer Strigoi. When Lissa had saved Dimitri, I’d felt the magic’s power through the bond, giving me the full and overwhelming experience of it all. Witnessing it now, without the firsthand knowledge provided from Lissa, was still just as incredible. Victor was preoccupied with Robert, but the rest of us couldn’t stop staring at Sonya in amazement. I kept looking for anything–anything–that might give the slightest hint of her previous existence. There was none. Her skin bore the typical Moroi paleness, but it was still filled with the warmth of life, with the faintest tinge of color–not like the Strigoi, who were completely devoid of pigment. Her eyes were bloodshot, but that was from her rapidly forming tears. There was no red ring around her irises. And the look in those eyes †¦ there was no cruelty or malice. They were not the eyes of someone who had just threatened to kill us all. Her eyes were all shock and fear and confusion. I couldn’t tear my gaze from her. A miracle. Another miracle. Even after seeing Lissa restore Dimitri, some secret part of me had believed I would never witness anything like it again. That was how miracles worked. Once in a lifetime. There’d been a lot of talk about using spirit to save Strigoi everywhere, talk that had faded when other drama–such as the murder of a queen– took precedence at Court. The shortage of spirit users had also made the idea unpopular, and besides, everyone knew the difficulties involved with a Moroi staking a Strigoi. If trained guardians died fighting Strigoi, how could a Moroi stake one? Well, here was the answer: a subdued Strigoi. A Moroi could manage staking one with two hands, especially with guardian backup. The possibilities made me reel. Robert’s magic was strong, but he was old and frail. Yet, if he had still done this, could any spirit user? He’d almost made it look easy. Could Adrian do it? Could Lissa do it again? A miracle. Sonya Karp was a living, breathing miracle. And suddenly, she began screaming. It started off as kind of a low wail and rapidly grew in volume. The noise snapped me to attention, but I didn’t exactly know how to respond. Dimitri did. His stake fell from his hand, and he rushed to Sonya’s side, where he began trying to free her from the chains. She floundered at his touch, but her efforts no longer packed the supernatural strength of an undead monster seeking revenge. These were the motions of someone desperately, terribly afraid. I’d wrapped those chains pretty securely, but Dimitri had them off in seconds. Once Sonya was free, he sat in the chair and pulled her to him, letting her bury her face against his chest and sob. I swallowed. Dimitri had also wept when he had been changed back. An odd image of newborn babies flashed through my mind. Was crying the natural reaction for anyone being born–or, in this case, reborn–into the world? A sudden movement grabbed my attention. Sydney’s eyes were wide, and she was actually moving toward Dimitri–to stop him. â€Å"What are you doing?’ she cried. â€Å"Don’t release her!’ Dimitri ignored Sydney, and I caught hold of her, pulling her back. â€Å"It’s okay, it’s okay,’ I said. Sydney was the most stable factor in this whole operation. I couldn’t have her freaking out. â€Å"She’s not Strigoi. Look. Look at her. She’s Moroi.’ Sydney slowly shook her head. â€Å"She can’t be. I just saw her.’ â€Å"It’s what happened to Dimitri. Exactly the same. You don’t think he’s a Strigoi, do you? You trust him.’ I released my hold on her, and she stayed put, her face wary. Looking down at the brothers, I realized theirs might be a more serious situation than I had realized. Robert, while not a Strigoi, looked pale enough to be one. His eyes were vacant, drool escaping his partially open mouth. I reassessed my earlier observation about Robert making Strigoi restoration look easy. He’d staked her like a pro, but obviously, there were a few side effects. Victor was trying to support his brother and murmured soothing and encouraging words. And on Victor’s face †¦ well, there was a look of compassion and fear that I’d never seen before. My brain didn’t entirely know how to reconcile it with my well-defined and villainous image of him. He seemed like a real person. Victor glanced up at me, his lips twisting into a bitter smile. â€Å"What, no witty quips now? You should be happy. We’ve given you what you wanted. You need answers from Sonya Karp?’ He nodded toward her. â€Å"Go get them. They’ve certainly come at a high price.’ â€Å"No!’ exclaimed Dimitri. He still held Sonya against him, but his gentle expression turned hard at Victor’s words. â€Å"Are you crazy? Didn’t you see what just happened?’ Victor arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Yes. I noticed.’ â€Å"She’s in no condition to answer anything! She’s in shock. Leave her alone.’ â€Å"Don’t act like she’s the one who’s suffering here,’ snapped Victor. Turning back to Robert, Victor helped his brother stand and go toward the couch. Robert barely managed it, his legs trembling and then giving way as he sat down. Victor put an arm around Robert. â€Å"You’ll be all right. Everything’s all right.’ â€Å"Will he be?’ I asked uncertainly. Robert didn’t look like he was in all that good of shape. My earlier thoughts about spirit users saving Strigoi continued growing unrealistic. â€Å"He †¦ he did it before and recovered, right? And Lissa’s fine.’ â€Å"Robert was much younger–as is Vasilisa,’ replied Victor, patting Robert’s shoulder. â€Å"And this is hardly a simple spell. Doing it even once is monumental. Twice? Well, you and I both know how spirit works, and this feat takes a toll on both body and mind. Robert has made a great sacrifice for you.’ He had, I supposed. â€Å"Thank you, Robert,’ I said. The words came hesitantly to my lips. Robert didn’t seem to hear. Dimitri stood up, lifting Sonya easily in his arms. She was still crying, but her sobs were quieter now. â€Å"She needs to rest,’ he said gruffly. â€Å"Believe me, you have no idea what’s going on inside her right now.’ â€Å"Oh, I believe you,’ I said. â€Å"You’re idiots,’ snapped Victor. â€Å"Both of you.’ It was a wonder Dimitri’s glare didn’t pin Victor to the floor. â€Å"No interrogation yet.’ I nodded my agreement, not knowing what else to do. When Lissa had changed Dimitri, she’d taken on a fierce, similarly protective attitude. He might not have been the one to change Sonya, but he was the only one here who had any idea what she was going through. I knew he’d had a hard adjustment and that the initial effects of the restoration had been disorienting. That wasn’t even taking into account the subsequent depression. He swept past all of us, taking Sonya to her bedroom. Sydney watched them go and then glanced over to the sofa, where Victor still had his arm wrapped around his brother. The Alchemist met my eyes wonderingly. â€Å"I heard †¦ but I didn’t believe.’ â€Å"Sometimes,’ I told her, â€Å"I still don’t. It goes against every rule of the universe.’ To my surprise, she touched the small gold cross around her neck. â€Å"Some rules are bigger than the universe.’ Victor rose from the couch, apparently satisfied Robert was resting. I tensed up. Miracles aside, he was still a criminal, one I intended to capture. He took a step toward me, pitching his voice low. â€Å"Sorry to interrupt Metaphysics 101, but you need to listen to me,’ he said. â€Å"Be careful, Rose. Very careful. A lot rests on you now. Don’t let your pet wolf keep you from finding out what Sonya knows.’ â€Å"But he’s right,’ I exclaimed. â€Å"Its been five minutes! What she went through †¦ what they both went through †¦ well, it’s kind of a big deal. Literally life-changing. He had to recover too and adjust to being saved. Once she does, she’ll help us.’ â€Å"Are you sure?’ he asked, narrowing his eyes. â€Å"Will she think she’s been saved? You forget: Belikov was turned against his will. She wasn’t.’ â€Å"W-what are you saying? That she’s going to try to become Strigoi again?’ He shrugged. â€Å"I’m saying get your answers soon. And don’t leave her alone.’ With that, Victor turned and headed toward the kitchen. He soon returned with a glass of water. Robert drank it greedily and then fell into a heavy sleep. I sighed and leaned against a wall near Sydney, totally worn out. I still hurt from the earlier fight. â€Å"What now?’ asked Sydney. I shook my head. â€Å"I don’t know. We wait, I guess.’ Dimitri returned a little while later and spared a small glance for Robert. â€Å"She’s sleeping too,’ he told me. â€Å"The transformation †¦ it’s difficult.’ I could see a haunted look in his eyes and wondered what memory was tormenting him now. The memory of being changed? The memory of being Strigoi? â€Å"I don’t think we should leave Sonya alone,’ I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Victor smirk. â€Å"Someone should stay with her in case she wakes up. She won’t know what’s going on.’ Dimitri didn’t answer for a few seconds as he scrutinized me. He knew me well enough to sense there might be something else on my mind. Fortunately, he couldn’t find a fault in my logic. â€Å"You’re right. Do you mind sitting with her?’ he asked Sydney. I groped for something to say. No, no. Not Sydney. If Sonya did turn on us, we needed someone else on guard–someone who could fight back. Sydney, probably guessing my problem, saved me from lying to Dimitri–or from telling him the truth about my concerns. â€Å"She doesn’t know me. It might make things worse when she wakes up. Besides †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sydney put on that disgusted expression that Alchemists excelled at. â€Å"I don’t really feel that comfortable with someone who was a monster five minutes ago.’ â€Å"She’s not Strigoi,’ he exclaimed. â€Å"She’s absolutely, completely Moroi again!’ Even I felt a little cowed by the harshness of his voice, but I wasn’t entirely surprised at his vehement reaction. He’d had a hard time convincing others he’d changed. His face softened a little. â€Å"I know it’s hard to believe, but she really has changed.’ â€Å"I’ll stay with her then,’ I said. â€Å"No, no.’ Dimitri shook his head. â€Å"Sydney’s right about one thing: Sonya might be confused. It’s better if someone’s there who understands what’s happened.’ I started to argue that I was the only one Sonya really knew but then decided I’d rather stay with the brothers. They seemed harmless now, but I didn’t trust them. Dimitri apparently didn’t either. He took a few steps forward and leaned down, speaking only an inch from my ear. â€Å"Keep an eye on them,’ he murmured. â€Å"Robert’s down right now but might recover sooner than we think.’ â€Å"I know.’ He started to turn, then glanced back at me. His commander face had softened into something thoughtful and awestruck. â€Å"Rose?’ â€Å"Yeah?’ â€Å"That †¦ was that what it was like when Lissa changed me?’ â€Å"More or less.’ â€Å"I didn’t realize †¦ it was †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He struggled for words. It was uncharacteristic. â€Å"The way that light filled the room, the way she changed. Seeing that life emerge from death †¦ it was †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ â€Å"Beautiful?’ He nodded. â€Å"Life like that †¦ you don’t–no, you can’t waste it.’ â€Å"No,’ I agreed. â€Å"You can’t.’ I saw something shift in him then. It was small, just like in the alley, but I knew then another piece of the Strigoi-trauma had peeled away. He said no more, and I watched as he walked back down the hall. With nothing else to do, Sydney sat down cross-legged on the floor, holding a book in her lap. It was closed, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Meanwhile, Victor sat back in the armchair and reclined it. He didn’t look as bad as Robert, but lines of fatigue showed on both brothers. Good. The longer they were out of commission, the better. I brought in a chair from the kitchen so I could sit and survey the room. Everything was peaceful. I felt like a babysitter, which I suppose I kind of was. It had been a long day, and night soon turned the windows black. This made worried me. For all I knew, Sonya had some Strigoi pals who might stop by. The fact that Donovan knew her certainly indicated she wasn’t a total outcast among them. It made me extra-vigilant, but at the same time, I was exhausted. The brothers were already asleep. Sydney, perhaps in an attempt to keep her human schedule, eventually found a spare blanket and pillow and curled up in a makeshift bed on the floor. And me? I was halfway between human and vampiric schedules. I had a feeling Dimitri was the same. Really, we were on a do-what’s-necessary schedule, in which extensive sleep was not an option. A hum of excitement and astonishment suddenly sang through the bond. I sensed no danger or threat, but curiosity made me decide to check in with Lissa anyway. Even if I was in her mind, I knew my body would stay watchful, and I wanted to know how the rest of Lissa’s test had gone. Beautifully, of course. She rode back to Court, exhausted but proud of herself. She wasn’t the only one. The rest of her companions all wore similar expressions †¦ all except for Ava Drozdov. She had been the only one to break and use the cell phone to call for help. Lissa was surprised that Ava had cracked. After his earlier bitching, Marcus Lazar had seemed the most likely to bail. But no, the old man had managed it somehow, meaning he’d continue on in the monarch trials. Ava refused to make eye contact with anyone, instead staring bleakly out the window as they traveled back to Court. She would still hold a Council spot, but her shot at being queen was gone. Lissa felt bad for her but couldn’t spare too much concern. It was the way of the trials, the way they determined the best candidates. Besides, Lissa had her own issues. Staying out in the daytime had run contrary to the normal vampiric schedule. Now, she simply wanted to get back to Court, find her room, and sleep for a few hours. She wanted some peace. Instead, she found a mob waiting for her. How to cite Last Sacrifice Chapter Eighteen, Essay examples

Racism The Future Essay Example For Students

Racism The Future Essay Racism People see it everyday across America. A group of whites burn down a black church, someone gets hurt or murdered from a racial slur, or fights break out at school or in public. These are the extremes of racism. Racism is definitely not a good thing, its a power that has taken over through the last two years. In doing research on Racism, I hope that my feelings towards blacks would improve and they have. What will the future bring for Racism? What are the main problems of racism? Can we get a hold on racism throughout America or will we self-destruct in our own hate? Racism is everywhere, as much as today tries to hide it or say that we resolved it forty-to-fifty years ago. Racism is still all over the place. Racism first showed it teeth in America, when the segregation of blacks and whites came along. The segregation shut down all activities or actions from whites and blacks. It absolutely separated whites and blacks from being close to each other in public and blacks having no rights. Then the movement took place when Rosa Parks wouldnt give up her seat to a white man on a bus. At the time she was tired of the treatment her and fellow African-Americans were getting. She said she was tired and on this fateful day she bgan the turning wheels of the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement took place and gave blacks their future as they have now. It gave them the freedom that they deserved and needed. They were given the ability to vote; not having to be separated in such insane ways against whites, as they were. Positive helpers in the role of blacks rights were Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. King had a dream that little black boys and girls would be able to join hands with little white boys and girls. His dream came true. On April 4th 1968, King was leaving his motel room. When he was shot and killed (Schulke). 2Everybody knows what racism is, but there are so many other factors that tie in with racism. If someone is a racist they are of course, prejudice. Prejudice is when someone doesnt like someone for the way they look. A big problem with racism is many live in racist conditions and dont even see it. It flies right over their heads. Schools, the workplace, our community, our friends house, even our homes. We hear a racial slur, oh well, its just a joke. Hardly. If you think racist joke are harmless than you should take a reality check. Racist jokes are just the start of it. Many people think the jokes are funny. Maybe they are, but they still hurt the people the jokes are about. Some of the worst racists are the ones who think that they are not racist, and they really are. They really have to come to grips with reality. Why are they some the worst racists? They are, because they cant comprehend what is happening. They dont realize what they are saying and doing are racist. Until they c ome to grips with it, there is no problem. No problem, in their minds. They say that they arent racist, even when they dont hire the East Indian employee who was the most qualified of the candidates. Even when the basketball team that they coach is all white. And even the time when they moved from their seat at the movie theater because of the black person next to them. Well, gee, they could have been a criminal. A robber from the hood. After all, isnt that what most of them are. No one deserves to be prejudged like that. The prejudice of people in the world is disgusting. The worst part of it all is that they dont even know that they are doing it. They think its normal behavior, it doesnt even phase them when they do it. .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 , .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .postImageUrl , .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 , .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:hover , .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:visited , .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:active { border:0!important; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:active , .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561 .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1f3c79a81dfa6275fa8d6f5940001561:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Education Makes People Easy to Lead but Difficult to Drive EssayBorn of the civil rights movement three decades ago, affirmative action calls for minorities and women to be given special consideration in employment, education and contracting decisions. In its modern form, affirmative action can call for an admissions officer faced with two similarly qualified applicants to choose the minority over the white, or for a manager to recruit and hire a qualified woman for a job instead of a man. Affirmative action decisions are generally not supposed to be based on quotas, nor are they supposed to give any preference to unqualified candidates (Froomkin). And they are not suppose d to harm anyonethrough reverse discrimination.3Then there are those who are completely unaware of racism in the world. They walk down the streets, through the stores and working at their job, completely oblivious. Theyre so blind! Why cant they see what is happening around them? Have they really lived such sheltered lives? Or do they just not want to believe it is happening? If you take someone and put them in the heart of a racist area, they still wont notice the problems. They will see it with their own eyes, but it wont register in their mind. If these people dont open their eyes, they will never see what is happening. What is going to happen to the world if people dont start realizing what is happening? Will we be plunged into a time where racial tension is everywhere? Will we soon start having racial wars? Will racial violence be a normal every day occurrence? I dont know. No one could know. Unless we start taking action and helping people come to grips with the way they are, we cant combat racism. Today we are living in a load of social issues that we have to deal with and racism is one of them. For some reason many people cant figure out, is why are many standards being lowered? The government has given blacks many ways to get in and out of college and its not fair for the average white person. Throughout history blacks havent always been the smartest people. They have consistently under performed in IQ (Emeagwali). A black athlete then doesnt have to be as smart as the average white athlete to get into college. Blacks blame their faults and disappointments against society and the whole race in which they live in. They say that since they grew up in a poor family, they cant do good or excel, but anyone can do good or excel if they put their mind to it. This is not a one sided situation though. Whites can be the same way. Many whites grow up in poor families, and they cant use excuses either. Some whites live in a trailer so they say that they cant succ eed in anything. I have friends that act this way. There isnt but one

Woodrow Wilson Essays (1311 words) - Freemen Of The City Of London

Woodrow Wilson The turn of century was an important time for pre-WWI America. National and international affairs were in full swing, just as ever. America was trying hard to remain with its Isolationism, yet could in no way thoroughly do so. Yet with this isolationistic stance, that was deteriorating daily, much emphasis was put onto national affairs of the United States by the government. Woodrow Wilson, the third president of this new century, also had great concern with the national affairs of the U.S. Elected in 1912, Wilson strongly believed in a government ?more concerned about human rights than property rights? (Comptons). Through these strong idealistic views, Wilson was in fact the ?president of the common people.? He proved this through his efforts for farmers and other laborers. This also seen through his ?New Freedom? basis of government, as opposed to President Roosevelt's ?New Nationalist? form of government. On top of this, Wilson's flood of social welfare legislation proved that he was definitely ?president of the common people.? One thing must be known about Wilson before anything else. That is the fact that he was a strong idealist. He had great visions of how to make the U.S. a better nation for all. This is illustrated trough his many Acts that he sent through congress. He put in place many systems that help benefit all the common people. Though he did not always follow all the way through with his plans (he more or less put them in place and left them), his strong devotion to the common people being treated equally cannot be overseen. The fact is that Wilson truly cared about the farmer and the working man. For example, it is known that he ?promised to return state government to the people? (Bailey 703). He believed in the struggles of people as a whole, rather than individually. One act that he put into place was the Federal Farm Loan Act. Here, Wilson made credit very easily accessible to those farmers in need. This law divided the country into twelve regions and opened a Federal Land Bank inn each one of these regions (McDuffie 139) Wilson also made the rate of interest towards these farmers very low and affordable. Wilson realized the importance of the farmer upon American society, a fact that many other politicians of the time easily ignored. So with his idealistic visions, Wilson brought a little ease upon the farmers of America. In 1916, Wilson helped get the Warehouse Act into effect. This act ?authorized loans on the security of staple crops? (Bailey 709). Both of these acts were in essence Populist ideas that the Populists wanted into effect for some number of years. And it was only President Wilson who brought these issues to light and made a difference for these common people. It is obvious that Wilson was concerned of the farmers and he therefore acted upon the concerns and made life that much easier for them. Wilson was also very concerned with the average workers of the U.S. His flood of social welfare programs was clearly send and felt by hard working American citizens all around the country. The combination of new acts being put in place targeting business in general, along with those targeted specifically for the betterment of the welfare of working Americans. In 1916, Wilson imposed the Workingman's Compensation Act. Under this Act, assistance was given to federal civil service employees in the time of disability. Also, Wilson put into place the Child Labor Act in the same year. Though this law was declared unconstitutional in 1918, it was a definite step in the right direction. For it did not allow the shipment of products that had been made by those under the age of fourteen or the age of sixteen (the age limit was different for different products). Also in that same year, the Adamson Act was put into effect. This law required a maximum of no higher than an eight hour work day. This law was mainly meant for railway workers. This law was considered ?a major victory for railroad unions, a averted a railroad strike in September 1916. Wilson's whole form of government during his first term was based on his ?New Freedom.? In this New Freedom, Wilson put in effect ?a program to liberate American economic energies by drastic tariff reduction, strengthening the antitrust laws, and reorganizing of the banking and the credit system? (Cink). This was in opposition to Teddy Roosevelt's ?New Nationalism? which looked ?toward sweeping

buy custom Henrik Ibsen’s Doll’s House essay

buy custom Henrik Ibsen’s Doll’s House essay The purpose of this paper in relation to both the traditional marriage setting and the modern setting of marriage in our society is to expose the radical changes that have been seen in the recent past. A dolls house is a three-act play novel that was very successful during Its time, which went ahead to get recognition in many parts of the world. This book was written By a Norwegian author who was called Henrik lbsen. Who seemed to have expounded greatly on the issue of marriage in the society. At such a time when many people still held strong Traditional beliefs about the role of a man and a wife in the marriage setting, Henkins books Seemed to trend on dangerous grounds which made his book generate so much controversy as Well as admirations. The book generally revolved around a girl that was called Nora and his Husband Helmer who represented a typical family in the late 19th century society and how People regard the institution of the marriage. (Ibsen, 1925) Thesis Statement In Henrik dolls house though it was the responsibility of both the woman and the man To bring up their children on the way they should go, traditionally many still held the notion that It was supposed to be the womans role to perform the child bearing in order to help her children Grow into responsible members in the society. There Should be Moral Values in Marriages As stated in the henriks play of a dolls house, the main protagonist in the play was a girl name Nora; she is married to a very successful man called Helmer. He is what many would call a Modern father. He ensures that he provide for his family and ensure they never lack a single Thing. The two have children and in the early stage of the play what a lovely little family do they Make. On the other hand Nora is that moral, simple and naive lady that is seen playing Submissive and eager to please her man. (Fisher, 2003) The author seems at portray not just the way women are supposed to treat their husband but exposes how many marriages during that time were based. Women were supposed to respect their husbands and hold treat them as kings. The fact that man is the head of the home has been a notion that has been passed one throughout very many generations. The play only seeks to highlight on it to show how important it is to the development of any given marriages. Also in the play Nora and Helmer tried to ensure that they have nurtured their children in the Right way they should grow and instill in them the right moral values that they have trained them to have. This is a parental responsibility and the two throughout the play are seen to have performed it quite well. Therefore according to Henriks play it was very important that a parent should lead by example so that their children could grow up in the right manner. There are also the Issues of Responsibility which must be there for the Family to function well Accoring to Henrik play a doll house both Helmer is seen as a very responsible man in that he is able to provide for his family ensuring that they dont lack a single thing. This is a very Important trait in any given family today, more so like it was in many families back then in the 19th century. (Siddall, 2008) The two had three children that they made sure they have raised in the right Ways. Though at a later time in the play Helmer fell ill and wasnt in a position to provide for his Family, Nora needed to take the responsibility and stand up for her family. This can be termed as one place in the play where the authors seem to encourage women to be independent and stand for their families. However, Nora committed some few crimes in forging a signature and even Borrowing money without telling her husband all these he had done so that he many help Both her husband who at the time was ill and look after her family. The author here must have Trodden on a subject that made him accumulate both admiration and distastes by bring Awareness that women too could rise above beliefs and set rule that the society had placed on them. For example during those times a women wasnt supposed to work, her role was to look After the children and it was the role of the man to act as the breadwinner of the home. Here The author must have startled the norm in the society. What are the Reasons that make People get married? Marriage has been and still is a sacred institution which has been in practice for long. It was highly respected and held high among many people in the 19th Century around the time Henrik was writing this play, people were still getting married and families were still being made. Just as it is depicted in the dolls house story based on Christine who was one of the character in the book says that she married her husband since she didnt have the mean to support her sick mother and her young siblings. From this context one can be brought to think that most people will tend to get married to escape from given responsibility they are required to perform. Since society dictates that when a women is married it will be the responsibility of the man to look and take care of them, many women will gladly go for the ideal in order to have their materials needs met. Again the author has revealed in the play that people will also tend to get married to get way from their loneliness. Which can real ly have a negative impact on a person if it is left to go on for long? Emotional support can also be a good reason why people get married and lastly to raise a family is a great reason why any people would want to be married. In relation to the play why people got married According to the henrik play which tends to focus on the marriages of Nora and her husband Helmer, they married seemed to have been well at the beginning until, when Nora decide to do the unthinkable so that she can help her family. First she borrowed money without telling her Husband and two shhe forged a signature so that she can have enough money to save her Husband. People in those days tend to get married so that they can fulfill their financial needs. Helmer was a banker and very successful during that time. At the very beginning of the play they can be seen after they have returned from their Christmas shopping, again this can also be expounded of Noras friend Christine who puts it very plainly by say she only got married to her husband so that she can support her sick mother and young siblings. The issue of materialist needs is well bought out in the play. This is one of the many reasons that made people get married in the play. Another reason that could have led people to ge t married could be the need to have a family. These are some of the few things that the author has highlighted on based on the play. How Helmer was seen to treat her wife Helmer is a great father when it comes in providing for his family and ensuring that his children are well taken care of. He loves his wife Nora which is why at some point they are seen coming from a Christmas shopping. However he treats her wife as a plaything occasionally when passion gets the better part of him he will act like a man possessed and indulge in her wife with deep passion. For instance there is a timer the two attending a party and Helmer is highly excited when he sees his wife dance before him. Through this, it can be confirmed that he used to treat her wife life a sexual-object to satisfy his sexual needs. He can also be termed as violent in addition, explosive. (Siddall, 2008) This can be brought to light at the time he found out the truth about the crimes her wife had committed his reaction was very inconsiderate. He also says harsh word to her wife and this is hurting to Nora. Helmer can also be said to be judgmental since after realizing the truth he was seen to suggest that her wife was not fit to rise up their children. Further adding salt to the wound, he Taunts saying their marriage from hence forth will only be a marriage to be seen and nothing more beside that. At no point there is Helmer seen to be treating his wife life a man is supposed to. Even when one member in then marriage commits a wrong, it should be the responsibility of both in working through their disagreement so that they can arrive at good solution. Without this being there that marriage will always be filled with problems Conclusion The dolls house play can be termed as the most popular piece of literary works that was well received during its time. What made the novel so unique and special is the fact that it centered on the marriage of Nora who was the protagonist and her husband Helmer. Their marriage was based on wealth, selfishness and pride in relation to how the people viewed them. Much the same as was in the society back then, people cared how others perceive their marriage. Thats why they could do everything in their power to appear like all was well and good, yet the truth of the matter their marriages were in problems. In the end Henrik play is said to have sparked the desire among women to be independent and no longer have to depend on their men for provision. No wonder around that time when the book was being launched many women rights movement were said to have been started in many part of the world. Buy custom Henrik Ibsen’s Doll’s House essay

Bush V. Gore

Gore was described as a controversial election to say the least. The votes in several Florida counties were put up into question as to whether they should be counted or not. In a Democratic Election all legal votes must be counted. The main arguments around this issue were Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution, the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and confusion around voting deadlines during the Recount. This process was exacerbated by the lack of impartial justices and secretary of state. The initial argument surrounding this issue is Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution. Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution states, â€Å"In presidential elections, each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, the electors to which the State is entitled. † That being said 3 justices, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas all argued that Florida violated this; there argument placed a lot of emphasis on the word â€Å"legislature†. Meaning to say that there is a difference between the State, who is empowered to appoint its own electors and that own State’s legislature. Furthermore, this Article of the Constitution is completely out of the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction in the circumstances. The Supreme Court should have nothing to do with matters of state law in between the State and their own Legislature. Also, the Florida Supreme Court held that â€Å"a legal vote may include any ballot from which it is reasonably possible to determine the clear intent of the voter, whether or not the ‘chad’ had been completely punched through, which is consistent with the law of the clear majority of the States†. Chief Justice Rehnquist in his opinion argued that this interpretation was so ridiculous and not mirrored with Florida legislation, that it violated Article 2. He claimed that because most counties use punch cards that tell you to clearly punch your ballot no reasonable person could count a vote that wasn’t clearly punched all the way through. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The Florida Election Code states that â€Å"no vote shall be declared invalid if there is a clear indication of the intent of the voter†, also a 60 year old Florida Law precedent states that â€Å"must give statutes relating to elections a construction in favor of the citizen’s right to vote, and the intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† (Constitution of the State of Florida, As Revised in 1968) After hearing this, the other 6 Justices concluded that the Florida Supreme Court decision was in long established precedent and said it didn’t even raise a question under Article 2 of the Constitution. In simpler terms, stating that all of those votes were legal and that the standards set were sufficient to determine which votes should and should not be counted. Onto the Equal Protection Clause, the Supreme Court basically contradicts themselves on this matter. After stating the voting standards set by the Florida Supreme Court didn’t violate Article 2, they continued on to state that it violates the Equal Protection clause because â€Å"the standards for accepting or rejecting contested ballots might vary not only from county to county but even within a single county† (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ). What is startling is that the Florida Constitution states, â€Å"The intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† meaning that if there is any intention the vote should be counted, and if this wasn’t precise enough for the Supreme Court why did they vote to uphold it on the Article 2, Section 1 vote? If the Supreme Court required a uniform standard for counting and recounting votes in Florida, why does it not need a uniform standard for voting? Is the fact that punch card voting has a sufficiently higher chance of having your vote not counted compared to computer voting where there is a bare minimum chance of your votes not being counted violating the Equal Protection Clause as well? Or is it the fact that punch card counties are more commonly in low income counties, who tend to vote Republican (Al Gore)? All of these things ould be seen as discriminatory or â€Å"not equal† as well as the non-uniform standard for counting, but if the Supreme Court has decided that the recount standard is in violation then in thought the whole Election should be rendered â€Å"Unconstitutional† and put to an end, correct? To continue, no it should not be put to an end. The Supreme Court should have ordered a stay on the Recount until a uniform standard was put in place for all of the Florida Counties and they should have ordered that every state have a uniform standard for Recounts for future elections. The Supreme Court made a Pragmatic but Unlawful decision in voting for the violation of the Equal Protection Clause which led to the stoppage of the 2000 Florida Recount. (Bo Li, Perspectives, Vol. 2, No. 3). This goes without mentioning the fact that Bush’s state of Texas had a uniform voting standard which allowed anything to be counted in the scenario of a recount including a dimpled chad. This means that Governor Bush signed in a bill that let any vote with slight intent be counted in the process of a Recount, yet is arguing that intent of a voter is an unconstitutional argument. This is hypocritical and shows a lack of character, if Bush truly believes in the Constitution he should be letting all the legal votes be counted to see if he actually won the Presidency of the United States. If Bush truly cared about the simple uniform standards for Recounting, he should have ordered for a stay until uniform standards were set in place. Instead he argued the entire Recount unconstitutional and the 5-4 majority (5 Republican Judges-4 Democratic Judges) decided that there was no reason to Recount possibly legal votes when it had a chance of harming Bush’s chance to become Prime Minister. Legal analysts from all over the Country explained it as the Justices trying to make a pragmatic decision by putting an end to this controversy, turns out it backfired on them. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The third point to be explained in this case is the ongoing controversy over voting deadlines and how the ever so bright Secretary of State in Florida Katherine Harris’ thoughts were constantly being controlled by Bush advisors. Katherine Harris (and Friends) made it very clear that they would ot be accepting votes after a certain deadline, which left no time for the original recount. All these votes had to be stamped and signed to be considered legal votes. This left the Democratic Party frantically trying to recount votes and get them stamped and in on time. When she ruled that if votes were not stamped and signed they could not be accepted, the Democratic Party argued that tons of Military votes could not be counted because they were very rarely stamped and sig ned. In the US there is no voting law that states Military Votes can be accepted with no signature or stamp. This obviously led to an uproar from Republicans (Who most military votes get casted for) because it was just unethical for the Democrats to take away illegal votes for the Republicans. What the Republicans fail to realize is that taking away Florida citizens legal votes because you are scared of losing is also unethical. The Democrats later changed their minds and told the Secretary to reconsider the Military votes and give them special consideration. (Joseph I. Lieberman, Military Ballots Merit a Review) There are a few other factors I would like to add to perspective before closing my argument, in Florida the Republican swayed Secretary of State Katherine Harris put 20 Thousand people on the Voter Purge list. A Large group of these people had never done anything wrong, in particular an African-American Pastor could not vote because his name was similar to that of a hardened criminal in Florida (HBO Documentary, Recount). The most interesting fact of all was that the 3 Judges who voted for Bush in both instances (Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas) were all considered Republican judges. In the last 30 years at the Supreme Court the 19 Cases involving the Equal Protection Clause concerning laws against race, elderly, and other minorities they voted a perfect 19 for 19 to uphold the Equal Protection Clause. Yet, the one case involving Politics and the party they are associated with they for some strange reason voted against it with very little reasoning. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) If that’s not Politics in Black Robes, what is. In Conclusion, Legal votes in Florida were not counted when they should have een. The various ideas such as the proper vote in Article 2, Section 1, the contradiction and unlawful voting on the Equal Protection Clause and the confusing deadlines regarding votes were all examples of how things can be exacerbated by impartial Judges and Secretary of States. The votes in Florida should have been recounted after a uniform standard was put in place similar to the one in Texas and the real results of the 2000 Election should have been deciphered. All else aside, the whole United States should have a uniform voting, counting and recounting standard to eliminate all this confusion in the future. Bibliography http://www. leg. state. fl. us/statutes/index. cfm? mode=constitutionsubmenu=3 http://www. nytimes. com/2000/11/20/us/counting-vote-absentee-ballots-military-ballots-merit-review-lieberman-says. html? pagewanted=allsrc=pm http://fathom. lib. uchicago. edu/1/777777122240/ http://www. oycf. org/Perspectives2/9_123100/bush_v1. htm HBO Documentary, Recount Bush V. Gore Gore was described as a controversial election to say the least. The votes in several Florida counties were put up into question as to whether they should be counted or not. In a Democratic Election all legal votes must be counted. The main arguments around this issue were Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution, the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and confusion around voting deadlines during the Recount. This process was exacerbated by the lack of impartial justices and secretary of state. The initial argument surrounding this issue is Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution. Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution states, â€Å"In presidential elections, each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, the electors to which the State is entitled. † That being said 3 justices, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas all argued that Florida violated this; there argument placed a lot of emphasis on the word â€Å"legislature†. Meaning to say that there is a difference between the State, who is empowered to appoint its own electors and that own State’s legislature. Furthermore, this Article of the Constitution is completely out of the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction in the circumstances. The Supreme Court should have nothing to do with matters of state law in between the State and their own Legislature. Also, the Florida Supreme Court held that â€Å"a legal vote may include any ballot from which it is reasonably possible to determine the clear intent of the voter, whether or not the ‘chad’ had been completely punched through, which is consistent with the law of the clear majority of the States†. Chief Justice Rehnquist in his opinion argued that this interpretation was so ridiculous and not mirrored with Florida legislation, that it violated Article 2. He claimed that because most counties use punch cards that tell you to clearly punch your ballot no reasonable person could count a vote that wasn’t clearly punched all the way through. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The Florida Election Code states that â€Å"no vote shall be declared invalid if there is a clear indication of the intent of the voter†, also a 60 year old Florida Law precedent states that â€Å"must give statutes relating to elections a construction in favor of the citizen’s right to vote, and the intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† (Constitution of the State of Florida, As Revised in 1968) After hearing this, the other 6 Justices concluded that the Florida Supreme Court decision was in long established precedent and said it didn’t even raise a question under Article 2 of the Constitution. In simpler terms, stating that all of those votes were legal and that the standards set were sufficient to determine which votes should and should not be counted. Onto the Equal Protection Clause, the Supreme Court basically contradicts themselves on this matter. After stating the voting standards set by the Florida Supreme Court didn’t violate Article 2, they continued on to state that it violates the Equal Protection clause because â€Å"the standards for accepting or rejecting contested ballots might vary not only from county to county but even within a single county† (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ). What is startling is that the Florida Constitution states, â€Å"The intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† meaning that if there is any intention the vote should be counted, and if this wasn’t precise enough for the Supreme Court why did they vote to uphold it on the Article 2, Section 1 vote? If the Supreme Court required a uniform standard for counting and recounting votes in Florida, why does it not need a uniform standard for voting? Is the fact that punch card voting has a sufficiently higher chance of having your vote not counted compared to computer voting where there is a bare minimum chance of your votes not being counted violating the Equal Protection Clause as well? Or is it the fact that punch card counties are more commonly in low income counties, who tend to vote Republican (Al Gore)? All of these things ould be seen as discriminatory or â€Å"not equal† as well as the non-uniform standard for counting, but if the Supreme Court has decided that the recount standard is in violation then in thought the whole Election should be rendered â€Å"Unconstitutional† and put to an end, correct? To continue, no it should not be put to an end. The Supreme Court should have ordered a stay on the Recount until a uniform standard was put in place for all of the Florida Counties and they should have ordered that every state have a uniform standard for Recounts for future elections. The Supreme Court made a Pragmatic but Unlawful decision in voting for the violation of the Equal Protection Clause which led to the stoppage of the 2000 Florida Recount. (Bo Li, Perspectives, Vol. 2, No. 3). This goes without mentioning the fact that Bush’s state of Texas had a uniform voting standard which allowed anything to be counted in the scenario of a recount including a dimpled chad. This means that Governor Bush signed in a bill that let any vote with slight intent be counted in the process of a Recount, yet is arguing that intent of a voter is an unconstitutional argument. This is hypocritical and shows a lack of character, if Bush truly believes in the Constitution he should be letting all the legal votes be counted to see if he actually won the Presidency of the United States. If Bush truly cared about the simple uniform standards for Recounting, he should have ordered for a stay until uniform standards were set in place. Instead he argued the entire Recount unconstitutional and the 5-4 majority (5 Republican Judges-4 Democratic Judges) decided that there was no reason to Recount possibly legal votes when it had a chance of harming Bush’s chance to become Prime Minister. Legal analysts from all over the Country explained it as the Justices trying to make a pragmatic decision by putting an end to this controversy, turns out it backfired on them. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The third point to be explained in this case is the ongoing controversy over voting deadlines and how the ever so bright Secretary of State in Florida Katherine Harris’ thoughts were constantly being controlled by Bush advisors. Katherine Harris (and Friends) made it very clear that they would ot be accepting votes after a certain deadline, which left no time for the original recount. All these votes had to be stamped and signed to be considered legal votes. This left the Democratic Party frantically trying to recount votes and get them stamped and in on time. When she ruled that if votes were not stamped and signed they could not be accepted, the Democratic Party argued that tons of Military votes could not be counted because they were very rarely stamped and sig ned. In the US there is no voting law that states Military Votes can be accepted with no signature or stamp. This obviously led to an uproar from Republicans (Who most military votes get casted for) because it was just unethical for the Democrats to take away illegal votes for the Republicans. What the Republicans fail to realize is that taking away Florida citizens legal votes because you are scared of losing is also unethical. The Democrats later changed their minds and told the Secretary to reconsider the Military votes and give them special consideration. (Joseph I. Lieberman, Military Ballots Merit a Review) There are a few other factors I would like to add to perspective before closing my argument, in Florida the Republican swayed Secretary of State Katherine Harris put 20 Thousand people on the Voter Purge list. A Large group of these people had never done anything wrong, in particular an African-American Pastor could not vote because his name was similar to that of a hardened criminal in Florida (HBO Documentary, Recount). The most interesting fact of all was that the 3 Judges who voted for Bush in both instances (Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas) were all considered Republican judges. In the last 30 years at the Supreme Court the 19 Cases involving the Equal Protection Clause concerning laws against race, elderly, and other minorities they voted a perfect 19 for 19 to uphold the Equal Protection Clause. Yet, the one case involving Politics and the party they are associated with they for some strange reason voted against it with very little reasoning. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) If that’s not Politics in Black Robes, what is. In Conclusion, Legal votes in Florida were not counted when they should have een. The various ideas such as the proper vote in Article 2, Section 1, the contradiction and unlawful voting on the Equal Protection Clause and the confusing deadlines regarding votes were all examples of how things can be exacerbated by impartial Judges and Secretary of States. The votes in Florida should have been recounted after a uniform standard was put in place similar to the one in Texas and the real results of the 2000 Election should have been deciphered. All else aside, the whole United States should have a uniform voting, counting and recounting standard to eliminate all this confusion in the future. Bibliography http://www. leg. state. fl. us/statutes/index. cfm? mode=constitutionsubmenu=3 http://www. nytimes. com/2000/11/20/us/counting-vote-absentee-ballots-military-ballots-merit-review-lieberman-says. html? pagewanted=allsrc=pm http://fathom. lib. uchicago. edu/1/777777122240/ http://www. oycf. org/Perspectives2/9_123100/bush_v1. htm HBO Documentary, Recount

World event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

World event - Essay Example Immediately after the storm hit Myanmar, which had been classified as a major natural disaster, the immediate death toll numbers were broadcast across the world, creating a sense of urgency toward helping the victims as well as a sense of empathy for their situations. This empathy came not only from me as a concerned citizen, but from different nationalities at each side of the globe. Offerings for food, support, clothing and water were immediately decided by national leadership, however initially these tokens of assistance were refused by Myanmar's leadership. In fact, Myanmar rulers (who were in control of the government due to an unauthorised series of uprisings) made it clear to the global community that any attempts to deliver assistance items to Myanmar citizens would meet with an appropriate, violent response. Finally, leaders of Westernised countries managed to create a minor collaborative effort with Myanmar leadership by agreeing to bring airplanes and ships loaded with food into the country, quickly, to ensure that the citizens of the country were able to survive in harsh environmental conditions. What appeared to me to be the most unique situation during the immediate negotiations for disaster aid was that Myanmar's leaders would have rather put millions of citizens at risk of starvation or disease than to risk the chance of their regime being removed from power by stronger national forces. Seemingly, to prevent this, Myanmar's government closely monitored the incoming behaviors and actions of international disaster aid coalitions to make sure that no global force was able to remain in Myanmar for a split second longer than the offloading of cargo machines took. Over a period of several months, citizens of Myanmar were presented, using various television and print media channels, struggling to simply rebuild the modest and meager dwellings they had always been forced to live in. I watched as the world stood relatively helpless to assist these people, as it did not take long for Myanmar forces to refuse the entry of any further international aid. Instead, citizens were forced to create their own, broader sense of personal community just to survive, using their own limited resources to attempt to rebuild some sense of life as it had been before the natural disaster. As a student entering the academic world, witnessing events such as this particular disaster remind me, truly, of how far the world must progress in order to become the global community which is often presented in various textbooks and media outlets. Media often illustrates the growing use of the Internet across the world to remind us all that we have obligations to those people who are not necessarily as advanced or privileged as others in the Westernised world. Simply through the design of complicated trade routes, mass media, and the growing internationalisation efforts of various country industries, the world has become a much smaller place and, at the same time, affords tremendous opportunities for the future in terms of sustaining long-term international relationships with various global citizens. What adjusted my thinking most notably was the fact that Myanmar seemed to have no contingency plan for taking care of its people, which clearly

Summary of an article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summary of an - Article Example As evidence of the militaristic-ideological mentality as a means of re-contextualization, the author provides an interpretation of the parallels which can be drawn between the cinematic reimagining of these storylines and modern events which provides the basis for successful adaptation of the original literature. Specifically, the article explores the connection between urban guerilla tactics in war and the dynamics present in â€Å"Coriolanus† as well as the underlying ideological sentiments which propel events within â€Å"300†. The idea of the developed nations led by corrupted governmental systems versus smaller bodies catalyzed by dogmatic beliefs is examined in regards to both films. This is done by interpreting the characters and actions of each as compared to the events of the Iraq war, Iran hostilities, Yugoslavian genocidal tactics, the rebel Sandanista government, and the invasion of Afghanistan by US forces. In each of these instances, guerilla warfare was adopted as means of fighting foreign or corrupted governmental authorities as they seek to quash the radical or otherwise divergent agendas of the proletariat. The attainment of independence and individual freedoms is used as a catalyst to propel the masses into action against more organized and better supplied adversaries. In order to achieve this, there is a need for an idealization of the idea of selfless sacrifice as a means of attaining this equal status coupled with exaggerated nationalistic sentiments and an underlying ideological cause. This combination of elements is needed to sufficiently desensitize a modern populace into large-scale violence. However, the rebellious attitude propelled by these factors is characterized as a negative, one which feeds into a flawed military-poetic complex present in volatile societies. The oft-repeated themes of rebellion against hierarchical systems fraught with corruption and

Drug Addiction Essay Example for Free

Drug Addiction Essay Drug Addiction The topic that caught my attention when I was reading my choices was â€Å"Drug Addiction†. Drug addiction is something that should not be taken lightly by anyone who has a family member or friend with this issue. We often wonder how and what make people turn into being a drug addict. â€Å"Drug addiction is rooted in long-term adaptations within the brain that promotes escalating drug use, difficulty quitting, and relapse—all despite the awareness of negative consequences.† With that being said I have always wondered what keep a person going back to their addiction and why can’t they quit. When I read the article and it mention how drug addiction is rooted a light bulb clicked in my head. When something is rooted inside of you whether it is for good or bad it is hard to break. â€Å"It was previously hypothesized that addiction was caused in part of an imbalance between an impulsive system that governs appetitive motivation and is driven by immediate rewards on the one hand and a reflective system that regulate and control impulsive according to future pleasurable or aversive consequences.† With this study they were able to predict the hypothesis and see what causes addiction to happen in some cases. I think that the method used in order to see how people become an addict was efficient and it was very precise that made the validity of the experiment a success. It is important to make sure that your study is conducted in a manner that will give you a pretty accurate result when using different research methods. Also in the study they took a small sample size of addicts who quit smoking after a brain injury and they had a criteria that asked them some simple question and due to such a small sample size they were not able to get the laterality effects could not be verified statistically due to the small sample size like I mentioned earlier. The results of this study gave great evidence that insula is critical for psychological processes that maintain addiction to cigarette smoke. I have known people to have drug addiction and it just hurt your heart when you see them all strung out and can’t even help themselves. I have had family members and friends who have battled with this addiction. I want to research this addiction so that I can learn how a person can overcome this type of addiction. Any addiction is hard to break it is going to take a lot of will power from the addict in order for them to be set free of this addiction. You never know what could have pushed the addict into becoming a drug  addict. I want to be able to relate to an addict whether it is a friend, family member or just someone in general whom I would want to be able to help them overcome this addiction. Drug addiction is the most common addiction and I feel that if we get the proper research on how to give treatment to an addict then maybe t heir chances of becoming free will be greater. I just want to be able to talk with them and see what I can do to help them overcome this disease. That is why it is important that we take all necessary measures when it comes to us trying to aid a person who is addicted to drugs. Drug addiction is something that I want to do research so we can come up with a method that can slow it down. I know that it can never exist but we could at least work on slowing it down. In the studies that I chose we will be dealing with how addicts can be treated to prescription pain medication. I hear some people talk about taking other people medication because they like the way it makes them feel and they become addicted to it. Addiction is bad whether it is drugs, food and or alcohol we all know how serious this can be to anyone. In this is article they are launching their large scale national study evaluating a treatment for addiction to prescription drugs. â€Å"NIDA’s National Drug Abuse Treatments Clinical Trials Network (CTN) is conduct ing the multi-site study known as the Prescription Opiate Addiction Treatment Study (POATS).† â€Å"This study is in response to the growing national problem of prescription drug abuse in this country. According to the 2005 National Survey on drug use and health the incidence of new nonmedical users of pain relievers is now at 2.2 million Americans aged 12 and older surpassing the number of new marijuana abusers (2.1million). In 2005, more than six million American’s reported current (in the past month) nonmedical use of prescription drugs – more than the number abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants combined.† This clearly answers my question to how many people are addicted to prescription drugs versus to the other drugs. The data collected in this study shows that there are a lot of people addicted to prescription drugs and how it has increased and the results in this study show it. In this study the results showed that there were more people addicted to prescription drugs rather than your everyday drugs. I feel that this is giving everyone a clear view that prescription drugs that are for pain and can give you some kind of satisfaction can be a ddictive. This study covers a variety of areas like those addicted to painkillers and those who abuse painkillers due to nonmedical reasons. I found this study to be quite interesting because it will give us a general idea of the amount of people that are addicted to prescription drugs and those that take it for chronic pain and that are addicted. This study will enroll a total of 648 participants that will be carried out 11 sites around the country. The outcome of this study will be very efficient for all to know just how many people are suffering from being addicted to some type of drug. The second article let us know how much this disease is deeply rooted inside an addict’s brain. â€Å"Drug addiction is rooted in long-term adaptions within the brain that promotes escalating drug use, difficulty quitting, and relapse – all despite the awareness of negative consequences.† This article will answer my question as to why do addicts keep going back to that same drug trying to get the same high as the first time. In this study it will explain the role of the insula in drug addiction as well. I feel that all data collected from this article will be informative and the results of the study will be concise and easy to follow and understand. I just hope with my two studies that it will conform enough information about drug addiction to where it will give clarity to what steps we can take to stop this trend in drug addiction. When we look back at the studies done on this particular study you try and think back at all the methods that we have learned in this class. It really makes a difference when you read about a research design and now you are able to relate to the experimenter when you come across some of the studies. So far I think that the designs that the two studies I have written about couldn’t research it any better with the methods they have chosen. I came across another study entitled â€Å"Scientific and political challenges in North America’s first randomized controlled trial of heroin-assisted treatment of severe heroin addiction: Rationale and design of the NAOMI study.† This particular article consist of this study targeting long term opiod dependents who have tried treatments conveniently in the past that are not currently in treatment who currently inject heroin. Now the sample size was based off of the outcome of the response and the retention. There was said to be two primary variables in this study they were evaluated with an alpha threshold of 0.025 which determined about 114 evaluable patients per group which yielded about 80% power in order to  detect increase of 20% of retention and response rate amongst the experimental groups provided. I think with the methods that they used they will have a broader testing ground in order to determine if the treatments are helpful to those that are an addict. Th is study involves a meta-analysis of predictors of continued drug use during and after treatment of opiate addiction. In this study they used meta-analytic techniques in order to identify the risk factors that are given in this study. When it came to the design and measurements in this study it was a search of public literature that yielded 69 studies that reported some bivariate association between independent variables. I think when it comes to this type of research the clinicians and researchers try and make a way to prevent relapse and other issues that form when you become an addict. They want to try and come up with an intervention that will be able to help those that are in need. That’s why these studies are very important to them and taken very seriously. The studies in this research for meta- analysis were researched through computerized databases that is said to have indexed published scientific reports and many other sources in order to complete their research. I think as far as the methods that are being used couldn’t chose a better design to do There were also a total of six criteria’s that were met for the meta-analysis of this study. â€Å"The independent variable clearly specified a single patient –related construct, and not a conglomeration of multiple constructs. An example of a conglomeration is Suffet et.al’s (1978) â€Å"conventionality† variable that is based on four distinct constructs (level of heroin use intake to treatment, number of arrest, type of residence and employment). We excluded from consideration independent variables that referred to treatment program types, policies, practices, personal and setting.† This pretty much shows you the results and how they were able to determine if the treatment helped or not. In this study there were a total of 28 independent variables for which there was said to be two studies with the results on the relationship between the independent variable and continued drug use. This study has to do with cocaine addiction treatments to improve or reduce harm by (CATCH). This study is said to investigate possibilities and problems associated with pharmacological treatments. ‘The methods and designs used in this study by (CATCH) consist of three separate randomized controlled, open label, parallel group feasibility trials,  conducted at three separate addiction treatment institutes in the Netherlands. Patients are either new referral are already in treatment. With a total of 216 eligible outpatients are randomized using pre-randomization double-consent design and received either 12 weeks treatment with oral topiramate (n=36; Brijder Addiction Treatment, The Hague), oral modafinil (n=36; Arkin, Amsterdam), or oral dexamphetamine sustained release (n=36; Bouman GGZ, Rotterdam) as an add on to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or receive a 12 week CBT only (controls n= 3 x 36).† With this design I am sure that they will come out with a pretty good analysis of if cocaine harms or improve those that are in treatment for this addiction. In this review it let us know up front that they are not going to be able to cover the whole clinical addiction arena or the parts dedicated to treatments. Although within this study there was a conflict of interest within the testing methods used inside this review. Personally when you are conducting a study on something with a broader view you will tend to have a conflict of interest with in your results. There are so many methods out there that you can use to conduct a study just depends on what you are trying to research. This is a different study and it aims to describe the derivation of recent status scores for the ASI. â€Å"The design was 118 ASI -6 recent status items were subjected to nonparametric item response theory (NIRT) analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Generalizability and concurrent validity of the derived scores were determined.† The sample size was 607 recent admissions to a variety of substance abuse treatment programs. I think that this study will a have great validity due to the fact that they used a variety of substance to test for this study. This is an interesting study which really caught my attention and this study aimed to explore the existential aspects of living with addiction. The design that was used in this study was called a Hermeneutic which I have never heard of this type of design apparently this was the right design th at was chosen to do this study although I am not familiar with it. When it came down to the methods used it was based on interviews within the first study with rich, personal experienced addicts. After the results it show that people living with addiction struggles with as long as it is existing within them. This study is talking about giving addicts their choice of drug for a variety of reasons. Can’t say that I would want to give an addict the drug of their  choice because I would want to try and help them overcome their addiction and not contribute to it. In this study it mentioned that offering drugs to the addict and by them determining if they can say â€Å"yes or no† to the drug does not help them make progress they need something to undermine them in order to get the results they need. I think that all the studies and reviews mentioned in my paper are really good ones they all have the intention to try and come to a solution to helping those that are addicted to drugs. Drug addiction like I mentioned earlier in my paper is a serious disease and it comes in many forms. I feel like this class has helped us learn that there are many methods and designs out there for us to be able to conduct a study or research and get the validity that we need to complete our study. References Cacciola, J.S., Alterman, A.I., Habing, B., McLellan, A.T. (2011). Recent status scores for version 6 of the addition severity index (ASI-6). Addiction, 106 (9), 1588-1602. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Naqvi, N. H., Bechara, A. (2010). The insula and drug addiction: An interoceptive view of pleasure, urges, and decision-making. Brain Structure and Function, 214(5-6), 435-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Nuijten, M., Blanken, P., Van Den Brink, W., Hendriks, V. Concaine addiction treatments to improve control and reduce harm (CATCH): New Pharmacological Treatment Options for Crack-Cocaine Dependence in the Netherlands. BMC Psychiatry 11.1 (2011): 135. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Nutt, D., Lingford-Hughes, A. (2008). Addiction : The clinical interface. British Journal of Pharmacology, 154 (2), 397-405. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Oviedo-Joekes, E., Nosyk, B., Marsh, D.C., Guh, D., Brissette, S., Gurtry, C.,†¦Schechter, M.T. (2009). Scientific and political challenges in North America’s first randomized controlled trial of heroin-assisted treatment for severe heroin addiction: Rationale and design of the NAOMI study. Clinical Trials, 6 (3), 261-71. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Walker, T. (2008). Giving addicts their drug choice: The problem of consent. Bioethics, 22 (6), 314—20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Wiklund, L. Journal of clinical nursing 17. 18 (Sep. 2008): 2426-2434. Existential aspects of living with addiction – Part I: Meeting challenges. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Drug abuse, NIDA launces first scale national study to treat addiction to prescription pain medications. (2007). Mental Health Weekly Digest, 23-23. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com

Willa Cathers Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament Essay examples -- P

Willa Cather‟s â€Å"Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament† (1905) invites the reader to wonder, â€Å"What really is Paul‟s case?† Cather provides us with ample clues and descriptions of Paul‟s temperament with remarkable detail and insight into the human psyche considering that she had no formal background in psychology and that she was writing when Sigmund Freud was just beginning to publish his theories and was therefore writing by intuitive observation rather than by using a scientific approach. Because â€Å"Paul‟s Case† is written much like a descriptive analysis or case study in a patient‟s temperament, the reader is left with several details about Paul that are mysterious and psychiatrically and medically unexplained. The lack of a diagnosis for Paul has led many critics to develop their own diagnosis – some say Paul is a stereotypical homosexual, has Asperger‟s Syndrome or Autism, or that he has a combinati on of depression and anxiety. In my opinion, however, the most likely diagnosis for Paul is that he suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. According to the DSM-IV, people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are â€Å"preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love† (Criterion 2) and believe that they are â€Å"„special‟ and unique and can only be understood by, or should be associated with, other special or high-status people† (Criterion 3). Paul‟s clothing gives us our first clue to his narcissistic attitudes about himself; in Cather‟s description of Paul‟s dress, it is apparent that Paul is attempting to rise above his lower-class status by mimicking the upper class‟ appearance. The collar of Paul‟s overcoat is velvet, and â€Å"there was something of the dandy about him, and he wore an... ...her was writing about a social disorder that had not yet been identified or studied. Despite the lack of knowledge about Narcissistic Personality Disorder when Cather wrote this short story, she provides readers with plenty of details to diagnose the boy themselves. Narcissism is the only diagnosis that can explain all of Paul‟s attitudes and behaviors, and that is why it is the disorder that he must be suffering from. Works Cited Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV. Arlington, VA.: American Psychiatric Association, 2007. Print. Larry Rubin. "The Homosexual Motif in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case"" Studies in Short Fiction (1975): 127-31. Print. Perkins, Barbara, Robyn Warhol-Down, and George B. Perkins. "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament." Women's Work: an Anthology of American Literature. New York: McGrawHill, 1994. Print.

Residential Housing Essay

KB Home, one of the major housing companies in the market made a statement telling the public that they do not see housing sector to stabilize by this year. Number of housing companies has been acquiring great losses by the end of 2005 as disposable income of consumers’ declines as the consequence of lowering down of per capita income in the economy. According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of KB Home, Jeffrey Mezger, they have suffered to a staggering loss of nearly $10 per share during the first quarter of 2007 (Steverman 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deutsche Bank’s economists, Peter Hopper, said that the housing correction works sluggishly just like a ‘slow-motion train wreck’ which made worse the housing sector of the economy. Moreover, the said loss of KB Home worse than what they have expected. Analysts expects around $7 loss per share which is very far from the $10 per share loss accounted last quarter. Therefore, with the further worsening of the stock prices in the stock market, this only means that there will be no improvement in the coming first quarter of 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To make the situation worse, there has been a rumor in the market regarding the bankruptcy of Countrywide which supplies loans and mortgages worth 2 million and 9 million respectively. Countrywide suffered from 25 percent losses as of January 8 of this year. Meaning, there would be a shortage on the supply of loan and mortgages in the financial market just in case Countrywide is really approaching to bankruptcy. Moreover, the shortage of supply of loans and mortgages in the economy will only worsen the purchasing power of the consumers, giving way for a further deterioration of demand to housing industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible reason behind the turmoil in the housing industry would be the oversupply of homes in the market creating a pressure for its prices to decline. By the time price level of housing units starts to decline, profitability of housing companies begins to deteriorate giving way for experiencing a low return on investment in the next quarter. Driven by speculation, investors will start to pull out their stocks in the housing sector causing stock prices to turn down. In this regard, the connection between the oversupply of housing unit in the market with the deterioration of stock prices is already established. Moreover, it is not only the oversupply of housing units in the market that caused the instability of the housing sector. The growing competition also adds up to the growth of the problem. At the end of the day, market analysts still believes that housing sector will not recover this year based from the current degree of losses that housing companies and financial institutions had experienced on the last quarter of 2007. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is true that the turmoil in the housing sector started during the last quarter of 2005 when consumers have high disposable income. During then, consumers spent more in the housing market attracting the housing companies to produce more house units next quarter. By the start of the first quarter of 2006, per capita income of consumers starts to decline giving them a limited disposable income for housing sector. At this point, the housing industry experienced oversupply of housing units since companies did not anticipate the deterioration of consumer’s disposable income. The said oversupply caused the price level of the housing companies to decline causing the return on investment to depreciate which later on forced stock holder to withdraw their stocks in the market. The increasing competition in the housing sector also add up to the lowering down of housing unit prices since companies in this industry starts to compete each other through price competition. Meaning, housing companies tries to lower down the prices of their home units in order to attract more customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The negative effects of eh oversupply of housing units will not be that severe if there is only adequate number of financial institutions that will provide loans and mortgages to uplift the purchasing power of the consumers, therefore, improving the demand on the housing industry. But the problem now would be, even financial lenders is also having a hard time providing loans and mortgages due to the low income level of consumers in the market which imposes the threat of bankruptcy   to the financial lenders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would be best if the government would start making action by offering low interest rate on credit. The federal bank must structuralize a special credit scheme for housing sector customers, e.g. low interest rate on borrowing or longer payment period, in order to solve the problem of over supply on the said industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way by which the government could solve this instability of housing sector would be to provide financial aids to Countrywide which, as what have already pointed out during the first part of the paper, plays a major role in uplifting the purchasing power of consumers though provision of loans and mortgages that can be used in purchasing housing units. The said government aid may be in the form of monetary of fiscal Moreover, the government could also increase the wage rate of the workers in the economy in order to improve the current level of disposable incomes of consumers in the market. By the time the disposable income of consumers increase, they will now have enough money to purchase housing units which will solve the problem regarding the oversupply of home units. Works Cited Steverman, Ben â€Å"Housing: A Fresh Jolt of Bad News.† 8 January 2008. Business Week. 11 February 2008 .