Matthew Sinrod Essays - U.S. Route 66, Monterey, California

Matthew Sinrod Dr. Doyle Eng 102 5/5/98 Themes in The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California February 27th 1902. He was the third of four children and the only son of John Ernst Steinbeck II, manager of a flour mill, and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, a former teacher. Steinbeck said of his youth, (We were poor people with a hell of a lot of land which made us think we were rich people, even when we couldn't buy food and were patched.) Steinbeck used the area where he grew up as the setting for many of his stories. He attended Stanford University for a few years. He had to work to pay for his education, and sometimes took off one quarter to pay for the next. (He worked as a clerk in several stores, was a hand in a ranch, and even worked at the Spreckels Sugar Company where he gained knowledge of labor problems he would later write about in The Grapes of Wrath.) Other books by Steinbeck include Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, and Cannery Row. He died in New York City on December 20th 1968. Sinrod 2 A constant theme in our story is the suffering of humans. As F.W. Watt says, (The primary impact of The Grapes of Wrath...is not to make us act, but to make us understand and share a human experience of suffering and resistance.) Steinbeck shows us that his characters, as well as all people must endure suffering as human beings. Humans suffer due to many factors. Religious suffering is one factor which is self imposed. (When we first see Casy he is explaining to Tom Joad how he left preaching, not merely because of the lusts that plagued him, but because religious faith as he knew it seemed to set up codes of behavior which denied human nature its proper and full expression) Religious suffering is perhaps epitomized in Jesus Christ, and Joseph Fontenrose believes the tragic character of Casey is believed to be the symbolic representation of Jesus Christ himself. (Jim Casy's initials are JC, and he retired to the wilderness to find spiritual truth and came forth to teach a new doctrine of love and good works...Casy sacrificed himself for others when he surrendered himself as the man who had struck a deputy Sinrod 3 at Hooverville...Tom told his mother, I'm talking like Casy, after saying that he would be present everywhere, though unseen...) However the character of Jim Casy goes beyond Christ. While pondering sin and virtue, Casy comes to the enlightening conclusion that people cannot be judged good or bad. (Maybe it's just the way folks is...There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. It's all part of the same thing. And some things folks do is nice, and some ain't nice, but that's as far as any man got a right to say.) Viewing the morality of individuals as dynamic, as opposed to static, provides tremendous freedom for characters such as Tom Jode. He is capable of many different actions throughout the story, including intimidation, guile, support, love, and even murder. Steinbeck wants to show that even a murderer still loves his mother. The mother after all, is holding his family together. (In all the families in crisis, the children look to the women for answers to their immediate survival: What are we gonna do, Ma? Where are we going to go?) At one point in the story, Tom Jode considers leaving home rather than possibly Sinrod 4 endangering his family, however his mother reminds him that without his family, he has nothing. (There is no question that in this model the mother makes the most important contributions to the family stability.) Placing such importance on family values is not without reasons. Family is all the Jodes have to hold onto in the uncaring world in which they live. It is the only way they survive in the system which thrives on the exploitation of the poor. (The real power of Grapes of Wrath is the savage anger at the impersonal process that uproots men from the land and rapes it...) The best way for the Jodes to gain strength was through groups. Each time a fairly stable group or community was achieved, those in power attempted to destroy the group, effectively

Religions Spread Through Conquest Essays - Culture, Islamism, Jihad

Religions Spread Through Conquest Essays - Culture, Islamism, Jihad Religions Spread Through Conquest When studying history, both in a professional and academic sense, we try to make connections between civilizations and time periods. Historians have attempted to discover universal conezts of human nature, a bond that forms from continent to continent, human being to human being. Is there a conezt quality that all peoples posses, and is reflected in all civilizations? Indeed, it is extremely difficult to make generalizations about centuries of modern history. To say that something is true of all of history is virtually impossible, as a counter-example exists for just about anything that can be said of any group of civilizations. To say that all religions are spread by violence is equally unfair and untrue - because contrasted religions has been spread in exceedingly diverse regions of the world, by vastly different cultures. Islam, as a prime example, has been characterized inequitably by historians and the media as a religion of violence. To put it bluntly, as this article does, "Islam was mainly spread through Arab territorial conquests (Sudo, 4)." However, upon examination, it is not fair to make the generalization that Islam is a religion of violence, and one notices when looking at world religion on a whole, one finds that Islam was no more violent than any other religion. In fact, not only is Islam not a fundamentally violent philosophy, but we can also see that many other religions normally considered "non-violent," such as Christianity or Hinduism, have been spread through bloody conquest. Thus, in searching for a universal conezt of history, we ought not fall into the "fallacy of abstractions," as Sydney J. Harris keenly puts it, and assume that because of isolated incidents and conflicts of territorial ambitions, that all religions have violent tendencies. Islam has, throughout the centuries, been somewhat a victim of circumezce - indeed it has been perceived by many as oppressive and cruel. This belief originated over a thousand years ago, when Islamic peoples first threatened the western world. As they slowly undermined Byzantine authority, Christians became terrified of their presence, resulting in widespread animosity and aversion. Hindus and Buddhists of the South Asian subcontinent lived under Islamic law for hundreds of years (Ahmad, et. al., 186), and eventually, in the twentieth century, split the region into angry factions (Ahmad, et. al., 207). Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, was a great warrior. This invariably lead defeated peoples to believe that he begot a cult of war and violence. Over the centuries, it also has developed the ability to instill a sense of holy purpose onto its believers and soldiers, where they go into a battle of certain death for their faith in the jihad, or holy war. Even today, the jihad is still a potent source of conflict and aversion, as the many of the problems in the Middle East center around the issue of Islamic Fundamentalism and the jihads. Originally, Islam was perceived by western historians as a religion of violence and conquest; "by preying on the caravans of the Quraish, [Mohammed] weakened them to the point of submission (Mohammed and Islam, 1)." In fact, Mohammed was a warrior, aristocrat, and brilliant strategist - a stark contrast to many other holy men of history. He was forced to both defend his cities and force submission, as the passage had shown, because of the strong military powers of his religious predecessors and oppressors, the pagans of the Middle East. Islam means "submission" according to the Islam discussion in class - and one might assume that the submission was attained through military and forceful means. In fact, while Mohammed preached peace from 610 to 622 AD, he attracted few converts and was persecuted by the current ruling paganistic regime. After the visions of 622 AD, he realized that his cause was even more urgent than before, and only at that point did he begin to utilize his military skills (Class Discussion). However, despite the more violent nature that his quest took, even after the revelations by Gabriel in 622 AD, "by reciting his revelations aloud, Mohammed made many converts, (Mohammed and Islam,1)." Mohammed was not a purely violent man, but also a great speaker and demagogue (Mueller, 2). He did

Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon Essay Example for Free

Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon Essay Oneil and Adele Cannon will be honored this year as they celebrate fifty years of an activist marriage. The following is just a short summary of the many ways Oneil and Adele Cannon have contributed to the history of Los Angeles. The great French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) wrote in his work Emile: â€Å"there is no happiness without courage nor virtue without struggle†. This is a quote that certainly can apply to the lives of Oneil Cannon and his wife Adele. As they celebrate fifty years of an activist marriage, their life journey has exemplified the qualities of courage and struggle. The causes that they have fought together are a chronicle of the progressive movement over the last half century. Oneil Cannon was born in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on January 28, 1917. He attended grammar and high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. In his 20’s he was drafted into the Army in Louisiana. He first visited L. A. during his furlough from the Army, to visit his sister and younger brother. He met and married his first wife, Elizabeth, in New Orleans in 1939. After his discharge from the Army in 1945 he felt that Los Angeles would probably offer better opportunities for a man and his young family, so they moved to Watts. This was during the era of a large migration of African-Americans from the south to California and other northern states. In order to sustain an income in those beginning years, he had various jobs. In 1946 he obtained a position as an Insurance Agent with the historical Golden State Insurance Company (the first insurance company to predominantly serve the African American community in Los Angeles). As Oneil puts it: â€Å"My brother Fred and I had opened our own printing shop in Watts before either of us knew very much about printing. We were both just out of the Army (World War II) and after a time, we decided that I would go to school and learn printing. I studied printing at Frank Wiggins Trade School which later became Trade Tech Junior College in the years 1947 to 1950. Fred would stay and take care of the shop and then I would come home and teach my brother what I learned at school about printing. That was my job. That’s the way we did it. So we both became printers at the same time, but I became a printing teacher, the same day that I became a printing student. We ran the shop and studied between meetings and other community activities, which we were both involved in Mrs. Carlotta Bass, editor and publisher of the California Eagle Newspaper, (who also introduced Oneil to Paul Robeson) also had a printing shop needing someone to take it over at that time. So Oneil went in and made a deal with her–she rented him the use of the printing shop. Therefore Oneil was in business for himself as the California Eagle Printing Company (1950-55). Also, he still worked with his brother at the Quick Service Advertisers Print Shop on 111th and Wilmington. They printed signs, leaflets and advertisements for various funeral establishments, political causes and groups, and businesses in the community. One day Carlotta Bass came into the printishop with some people to talk to Oneil about the Printers Union. Because of his hands-on work and training as a printer, they invited him to join in starting a campaign to break the color line in the Printers Union. This was a significant point in continuing the struggle for equal opportunities for all, and shows his genuine concern and courage to bring justice to the community. Philip â€Å"Slim† Connelly from the CIO, asked if he could participate in this very important campaign. Prior to this time, the Union did not have any African American members. Considering Oneil’s history of activism, from the voting rights movement in the south in the 1930’s, to being involved in breaking the color bar in the International Typographical Union (ITU), this was one of the most important, telling and dramatic labors of his life. Oneil stated, â€Å"This is how I got started to working on getting into a printing union. After getting all sorts of â€Å"run arounds† from printing unions, somehow some of the Communists who were in the ITU came to me and offered to help, if I was really interested in breaking the Jim Crow status in the printing industry and unions in Los Angeles. I had absolutely no doubts that I was ready for this struggle; â€Å"a piece of cake†, after all, hadn’t I just come from â€Å"Jim Crow† Louisiana where I’d lived all my life, and hadn’t I just gotten out, after three years in a â€Å"Jim Crow† Army. I had been all over Los Angeles looking for, and working on different jobs. But you â€Å"ain’t† lived until you have to deal with well-organized trade union bigots. These dudes were really pros. Interestingly, I never once heard them attacking my desire for membership on the basis of race, but only because the people who advocated my membership were Communists. Incidentally, I never saw any membership cards, but saw that they knew of my efforts to become a printers union member, and that they were the ones who came to my assistance. Logic tells me that there was something strange about the Union’s argument, because if they hated Communists so badly, why were these white Communists â€Å"in the union†, and not one African American? This point was raised by one of the comrades on the union floor and he was roundly booed, but not put out of the union. † Oneil finally became a member of the Printers Union, but then was never sent out to jobs. When he went to the Union Hall, somehow there was no work for him. However, some of his friends benefited by Oneil breaking that barrier, and did get jobs. So the struggle continued. Meanwhile, Oneil continued operating his own â€Å"Union† printing business Fidelity Lettershop, which he continues to run today. â€Å"I ended up not only running my own printing shop, but also teaching graphic arts at S. T. E. P. ne of the â€Å"Poverty Programs† and eventually I retired as a California State credentialed graphic arts teacher in 1999. This is where he first met (now Congresswoman) Maxine Waters. I still teach on a volunteer basis at the Paul Robeson Center in south Los Angeles, of which I am the director. I’ve been teaching printing a long time. † Oneil and Adele met in 1947, while working together as part of a political team in South Los Angeles during the campaign to put Henry Wallace (who was running against Truman) and the Independent Progressive Party (IPP) on the Ballot. Adele was also an activist, beginning with the Franklin Roosevelt campaign as a precinct worker. Adele Marx Rosenfield was born in El Paso, Texas in 1923. Her family moved to California in about 1936 and she graduated from Fairfax High School in 1940. She then attended UCLA to study Chemistry. After Pearl Harbor, she enlisted in the WAVES, but was discharged after only 17 days due to â€Å"political activities in civilian life†. It turned out the government had interviewed a friend of the family who told of her activities. She married and had two children—Jan and Dale Goodman. Adele and Oneil were married in December, 1954. When her youngest child, Jan Goodman, was in Junior High School she went back to school at UCLA Extension and then for her Masters of Business Administration at Cal State Dominguez, while working as an office manager, and raising a family. After earning her CPA and working as a full-time accountant, she served as the Peace and Freedom Party’s State Treasurer for 16 years and is still a State Officer of the Peace and Freedom Party. Since starting to work together as part of a political team in South Los Angeles during the campaign to put Henry Wallace and the Independent Progressive Party (IPP) on the ballot in the late 1940’s, they continued as a team when fighting to free the Rosenbergs and later Angela Davis. One fight always led to another, as they fought as part of the IPP to force employers to hire African and Mexican- Americans, where the slogon was â€Å"don’t bank or buy where you can’t work†. As part of the South-East Inter-Racial Council, they fought to end segregated housing and restrictive covenants and to bring Negro History Week into the Los Angeles City Schools. Always striving to bring peace, they gathered signatures to the Stockholm Peace Petition, fought and demonstrated against the wars in Vietnam and continue to fight for Middle East peace. As they raised their six kids, the Cannons fought to bring equal education to South Los Angeles, including the multi-years struggle led by Odessa Cox to bring a Junior college to South Los Angeles, which culminated in the establishment of Southwest Community College. They were also involved from the beginning to acquire a health facility of some kind in Watts, which ultimately came under the leadership of Ted and Bernice Watkins and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), a predecessor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital. Oneil Cannon is known to current activists as owner/operator/union printer at his print shop, Fidelity Educational Press. Oneil, along with his wife Adele and others co-founded the Paul Robeson Community Center in 1986. When they were thinking about a name for this Center, their daughter Jan Goodman suggested it be named in honor of Paul Robeson since their goal was to establish a multi-cultural/multi-ethnic community center. Therefore, who better to exemplify multi-culturalism than Paul Robeson. In the Cannons’ fifty years as a team, they have certainly lived their motto to improve our community. Instead of leaving when the kids were grown, they stayed to continue the fight for better schools and living conditions in South Los Angeles. In this way they have been able to truly contribute to a multi-cultural South Los Angeles. Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon. (2017, Jan 14).

Racial Tensions in Elderly-Care Home Setting Essay

Racial Tensions in Elderly-Care Home Setting - Essay Example The most evident query at this point is likely to question why racism is still rampant in the elderly care home setting whereas the rest of the United Kingdom seems to have seen the light. Why is it that racism has been forced out of the society and seemed to have entertained in these homes? There are correct responses to this query but only a handful are aware of them. In fact, most residents of the nation are not aware that racism is a common practice in these homes. Although many people are not open to the idea of taking their relatives to these homes, circumstances have forced many to do so as they are not in a position to offer the much needed care (Macrae 2012).As an effort to realise the reason behind the practice of racism in the elderly homes, it is initially appropriate to comprehend the factors that sets these home apart from society. Doing so allows one to be in a position to establish the precise factors that may to blame. These homes are meant to provide care to the eld erly in the society, a population that had to live in another generation that is very separate from the one that is in force today. The elderly is society are not very vibrant and the fact that they are few as compared to other age gaps means that their influence in society is minimal (Macrae 2012).However, bringing them together nurtures a very distinctive atmosphere that is far from the one that is in the rest of the UK society. Even though many elderly individuals may feel uncomfortable in these homes.

Case Review and Principles Governing Application of Privacy Related Essay

Case Review and Principles Governing Application of Privacy Related Torts - Essay Example In the previous history of the case, the plaintiff, Wentworth, lodged an amendment complaint against Settlement Funding, the defendants asserting that the defendant took part in actions that amounted to copyright violation, trademark dilution, injury to the business reputation and false representation in breach of sections 32 (1) and 43 (a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C pursuant to section 114 (1) and 1125 (a) (2006) (O’Neill 1). The plaintiff also claimed trademark violation and unfair competition under Pennsylvanian state law. The plaintiff claims originate from the defendant’s supposed use of plaintiff’s emblems in two ways: through Google’s Adwords program and the â€Å"meta-tags† for defendant’s webpage (O’Neill 2). The plaintiff alleged that the two usages of the plaintiff’s brand name guarantees that a link to defendant’s webpage will appear instantly adjacent to a link to defendant’s webpage when people carry out internet searches for â€Å"J.G. Wentworth† or â€Å"JG Wentworth† (O’Neill 4). The plaintiff further claimed that the use of the plaintiff’s emblems constitute violating deeds that were aimed at confusing the consumers and to divert prospective customers away from the plaintiff’s webpage (O’Neill 6). Plaintiff noted that this also would steal their potential customers and wear down the uniqueness of plaintiff’s emblems, therefore, resulting to a considerable loss of profits. In its judgment, the court granted the defendants the motion to dismiss and, therefore, the plaintiff’s claims were dismissed (O’Neill 8). ... In the previous history of the case, the plaintiff had moved to court and lodged claims against trademark violation and false advertisement. The plaintiff relied on sections 32 (1) and 43 (a) of the Lanham Act. The plaintiff claims originate from the defendant’s supposed use of plaintiff’s emblems next to the defendant’s name in the search results. The plaintiff noted that the appearance of the trademark next to the defendant’s name could indicate a relationship with the defendant. In the first circuit, the court had discharged charges on trademark violation relating to material on the defendant’s webpages since none of the rings were branded â€Å"dating rings†, the trademark of the plaintiff. However, the court permitted trademark violation linking to purchase to survive and dismissed the false advertisement claim. In the second circuit, the court established that this type of entry of the search results next to the plaintiff’s emble m included a â€Å"use† under the Lanham Act. In the case J.G Wentworth, S.S.C. Limited Partnership vs. Settlement Funding LLC, in order to determine breaches of section 32(1) and 43(a) of the Lanham Act, the court, as according to Fisons Horticulture, Inc. vs. Vigoro Indus, Inc., 30F.3d 466, 472 (1994), required the plaintiff to demonstrate that the plaintiff’s emblem is lawful and protected by law, that the plaintiff is the rightful owner of the mark and that the defendant’s use of the emblem to recognize goods or services was most probable to generate confusion regarding the origin of the goods (O’Neill 5). Additionally, as according to the claims of the defendants, the plaintiff would not meet the third aspect of the Lanham Act on trademark

Paradigm Shifts of Church History Essay Example for Free

Paradigm Shifts of Church History Essay As described by Bosch in his foreword he talks about the title as ambiguous. â€Å"Transforming† can be an adjective used to describe â€Å"mission†. Mission can be understood as not the enterprise that transforms reality, but something that is itself being transformed. Let’s now look at the first paradigm shift. 1. Primitive Christianity . go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. [2] The great commission has to be taken into account with the rest of Matthew’s gospel where we see the â€Å"road† of mission to the gentiles is open. The Mission of Jesus was to breakdown boundaries and to include all, even those who were seen as enemies. God invites all and it is those who respond that are accepted. Early Christian mission was focused only on the Jews. Mission to the gentiles came as a spin-off mission. Early Christian mission involved the person of Jesus and it was political and revolutionary. The revolutionary aspect was seen in the new relationships it brought among Jews, Greek, free, slave, rich, poor, women etc. The early church had to seal their witness (martyria) with their blood; â€Å"Martyrdom and Mission† says Hans von Campenhaussen â€Å"belonged together†. [3] 2. The Patristic Period (The Eastern Church) Mission in the Patristic (first fathers) period is thoroughly church centered which means that the church is the aim; the fulfillment of the Gospel, rather than the instrument or means of mission[4]. In Orthodox thinking, mission is the place of liturgy (public worship). A witnessing community is a community of worshippers. Also Orthodox mission is founded on the love of God as seen in John 3:16. The church began to progress too, the apostles and itinerant preachers were replaced by bishops and deacons and later too was the monastic movement (which was the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote ones self to spiritual work). Mission to the non-Roman Asia spread mainly by the Nestorian monastic orders (who emphasized the disunion between the human and divine natures of Jesus). In 1054 the great schism took place between the Eastern and Western church. This was the beginning of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. Constantine moved the headquarters of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople and the church began to compromise with the state politically. The church became secularised and Salvation was a gradual progress that leads to the divine. 3. The Medieval Roman Catholic Period Then the master told his servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. [5] Where the early church took its missionary text from John 3:16 talking about the love of God, the Roman Catholic Church had the focus of ‘compelling them to come in’. They argued that there was no salvation outside the formal membership of the RC Church. The Roman Empire had become linked to the RC Church. The Catholic Church became extremely influential over the State and loyalty to the state meant being loyal to the church. Is lam became increasingly popular in the East leading to the capture of Constantinople in 1453. Pope Alexander VI divided the colonized world into two for mission purposes. One was under the King of Spain and the other under the King of Portugal. The mission of the church was linked to the mission of the state. They sent Missionaries to the colonized territories. Europe was broadly seen as Christian and therefore no real need for evangelism. The monastic movement may have been the reason was so much authentic Christianity evolved in Europe’s ‘dark ages’. Reformation Period (the Protestant Paradigm) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 6] Martin Luther had a realization that God’s righteousness did not mean God’s punishment and wrath, but his gift of grace and mercy in which anyone could be saved. Bosch noted that the Protestant missionary paradigm tended to vary from various extremes. Bosch shows that although the idea of mission was there among the Protestants, their involvement was limited. This was due to; (a) their primary task was to reform the church; (b) contact with non-Christians was little (c) they were struggling to survive; (d) denial of the monastic orders meant they denied themselves access to important services and (e) their own internal struggles. Luther’s reformation made little sense of this world, Calvinism in Holland (developed Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith) and Puritanism in England (the Protestant church regarded the Reformation of the Church of England as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship) did. Bosch then refers to Gisbertus Voetius’s threefold model of the theology of mission. He sees these dimensions as; (a) conversion of the Gentiles (b) planting of the church and (c) the glory and manifestation of divine grace (he saw the churches of old and new standing as equal)[7]. Enlightenment Period Mission during this period was diverse and multifaceted than ever before. The change from medieval to enlightenment thinking made the supernatural redundant and the natural attracted more attention. God, the church and the nobles were no longer revered, but nature was. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [8] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 9] Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. [10] During this period as you can see from the scriptures above, the main sense of mission was the urgency of the coming o f the new millennium. The modern missionary enterprise has been greatly influenced by the enlightenment’s concept of ecclesiastical and cultural expansion. These were in the church and state. Colonisation and Christianisation went together, and were two sides of the same coin. Later, during the enlightenment the two went onto separate paths, forces of renewal and the second awakening. 6. Ecumenical Period The church turned from being an institution to being the body of Christ with its outlook on mission being revitalized and seen afresh. Missionary conferences began to emerge as Bosch referring to Gunther; â€Å"ecclesiological reflections of missionary conferences from Edinburgh 1910 to Mexico City in 1963†[11]. The ‘Missio Dei† concept first surfaced in 1952 at the Willingen Conference[12]. The idea of God as a missionary God[13]. Mission as stated by Bosch is as follows; meditating salvation; the quest for justice; evangelism; contextualization, liberation, inculturation; common witness; ministry by the holy people of God, witness to people of other living faiths; and as action in hope. Bosch looks at the life of Jesus with what we can learn for mission today.

Fraternities and Why They are Misunderstood Essay -- Argumentative Per

Fraternities and Why They are Misunderstood Fraternities have been a major part of student life at universities all over the world since the beginning of the 20th century. For many students they have offered an improvement in social life, more friends, opportunities for athletics, and a great sense of brotherhood. Unfortunately, since their beginning fraternities have been questioned about their activities. Many people today think that they subject their members to harmful acts better known as "hazing." Massachusetts General law defines hazing as: [A]ny conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person"(Anti- Hazing Policy). Specific examples of hazing include: whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, mental stress, deprivation of sleep, extended isolation, and any activity which seriously affects the health and well-being of an individual. Over the past thirty years there have been many fraternity hazing incidents, which now appear on the web. In one incident at S.M.S.U. Edith Davis, a pledge at Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity was beaten to death in February of 1994. One brother, Keith Allen was sentenced to 18 months in prison for hazing. Keith claimed that the law against hazing was unconstitutional since it was unclear. Even worse is that the case has been appealed numerous times which has caused the victims family's grief to get worse each time. The family asked "what does he expect, does he want the gentleman to go free or what? Does he think he didn't do anythin... ...wego.edu/~milano/. (23 March 1997). Phi Kappa Phi Fraternity. "Chapters In Virginia". http://www.pagelink.com/pi_kappa_phi/index.html. (24 March 1997). News Center Online. "Westminster Fraternities Facing Hazing Issues". http://www.missouri.edu/~joursww/sep01.html. (1 April 1997). The College Reporter. "Student Hospitalized After Day of Pledging Activities". http://www.tandm.edu/CampusLife/Organiza...legeReporter/04-09- 96/NEWS/KappaSig.html. (5 April 1997). The Vermilion. "UP Arrest Three, Seek On in Hazing Case". http://www.usl.edu/Publications/Vermilion/96_03_29/page_01.html. (9 April 1997). The Brothers of the Manitoba Chapter Delta Upsilon. "What is a Fraternity?". http://www.umanitoba.ca/student/groups/DeltaUpsilon/duinfo.html. (10 April 1997). Crouch, Elisa. "Hazing Law Upheld". http://www.mdn.org/1995/STORIES/HAZE.HTM. (20 April 1997).

Commentary of a Passage Taken from ” the Comfort of the Strangers “ Essay

The passage taken from â€Å"The Comfort of Strangers â€Å"by Ian McEwan essentially describes the want of two sisters Eva and Maria to look beautiful and furthermore the denial of their parents towards the girls’ desires. It is written in the third person i.e. the omniscient. The passage conveys few symbols: Beauty through the want of the sisters to look gorgeous ie. lipsticks, mascaras make up etc. , The truth and honesty through the confession of the boy. Owing to the fact that, when cosmetics are used they don’t illustrate the true face or beauty of the person they also symbolize the deceptiveness of appearances. The main centralized theme in this passage is deception. The girls lay trust on their brother for not disclosing whatever they did in the absence of the elders. But, conversely, we see that the boy divulges every action of his sisters. Furthermore, there are a couple of primary themes: childishness in the first paragraph and tension of the girls that their parents would return soon. We see that passage gradually passes from the afternoon to later in the afternoon and then to the dinner. So, it is chronological. The passage, when observed started with an exclamation and a question as well. â€Å"So! Did my sisters hate me?† – This paints a picture of the dubiousness, the author is having about whether his sisters in the future will lay trust on him or not. The Speaker in the passage is Robert – the young brother of the teen girls. At first he seems to be tranquil characters – moving comfortably with his sisters. But in the last part we observe a friction developed between him and his sisters. This passage can be humorous to the audience especially to kids who do not have any kind of desires as such of the sisters mentioned in the passage. The way the sisters have been cheated can be funny. In contrary to the humour, the passage can also generate a sense of discontent in the reader’s mind as the sisters had been cheated and their actions have been disclosed which they wish for. The passage is set in house. The situation in the first can be said to normal as elements of love and relationship can be observed. Ironically , as the day advances into the afternoon and into the evening a large variance is observed. The tension of the girls and the seriousness when they are blamed can be discerned. Along with this sad atmosphere created when the girls are blamed , when the first part is carefully swot up it can be noticed that a pleasant mood is indicated. Initially, in the passage, we see that the author uses they, them and their frequently. Hence repetition is observed. In the later part the author addresses the sisters to look like American film stars, thus using metaphor. The whole passage can create empathy in the minds of the readers – especially in adult girls towards the two sisters.  ¶As a consequence there are a lot of images produced in the reader’s mind. The girls waving their arms in the air to dry their nails and the metaphorical image – Girls addressed as the American film stars. Imagery, especially in this passage explains the frame or the situation much more in detail. Every action returns to its source – it may take very short time or even aeons . The confession had alienated the author from his sisters. His actions left him pondering whether his sisters will again lay trust on him in the future.

Black People and Roberta Essay

In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif,† the story is about two girls, Twyla and Roberta. They grow up in an orphanage because their mothers could not care for them. Morrison makes it clear the girls come from different ethnic backgrounds but never states which one is black or white. At one point in the story Twyla comments, â€Å"We looked like salt and pepper. † I grew frustrated with the story and had to read it several times. I could never determine who was black and white and the lesson I learned should have been it doesn’t really matter. The story begins with Twyla’s mother dropping her off at the orphanage. She meets Roberta and they become best friends. The bond they share occurs because they were not considered real orphans. They were abandoned kids unlike the other children whose parents had died. One of the last times the girls see each other was the day of a visitation. On that night, Twyla’s mother was wearing â€Å"those tight green slacks that made her butt stick out. † Many people have labeled blacks as having larger butts. She could have been black, she could have been a heavy white woman with a large butt, or a Hispanic woman like me. But I automatically stereotyped and went with Twyla has to be black. During the visitation Roberta’s mother â€Å"had brought chicken legs. † Twyla notices Roberta does not eat the chicken legs. I always thought black people liked chicken more than white people which means Roberta was white since she did not eat the chicken. Or maybe she just wasn’t hungry. Shortly after that visitation Roberta’s mother came to take her home, leaving the girls devastated. They see each other several times throughout the years. At their first meeting, Roberta was rude and distant because she was high. Roberta tells Twyla she is on the way to see Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was an infamous black guitarist. I thought at this point Roberta has to be black. However Hendrix’s band was interracial with a diverse audience. Roberta could have been white due to the diverse audience. I am a huge Hendrix fan and I am not black so why would I think Roberta is. Twelve years later they meet again at a grocery store. Roberta married a rich man and was extremely friendly to Twyla. Twyla cannot hold back her emotions and asks Roberta about the last time they saw each other. Roberta shrugs it off, â€Å"Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black—white. You know how everything was. † I can relate to this. In 1980, the Cuban Mariel Boat Lifts came over bring thousands of Cubans. I am Cuban but I was born here. Kids I had known since kindergarten treated me as if I just come over on the boats. It had a lasting effect on me and matured me beyond my years. The third time they meet is at the school where their children attend. Roberta and other mothers were picketing because they did not want their kids to be segregated. This led to a fight severing any last chance of a friendship for them as it would not be resolved until Twyla and Roberta meet for a final time. As the story ends I do not get a sense of closure. The question of which girl is white or black remains unanswered. It opened my eyes and made me question how prejudice I really am. I try to not stereotype as a result of what I went through as a child but I found myself doing just that. I can understand why Morrison wrote the way she. I am not sure what her goal was overall but to me it seemed as if she were teaching me about prejudices. â€Å"Recitatif† challenged me to not judge either girl by their race but accept them for who they are. In the end, what difference did it really make about the girls’ races? The story is about how their friendship develops and then deteriorates. Nothing more; nothing less.

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buy custom Terrorism World essay This essay will look at the operations of the homeland security management system with respect to the policies which have been instituted to fight terrorism. The essay discusses these policies in the perspective of Al Qaeda: a terrorist group which has been quite consistent in attempting to carry out terrorism within the U.S. boundaries. The paper starts by showing the mechanism of operation of the Homeland security management system which operates through four phases purposely to ensure that effectiveness is achieved. This makes it a highly dynamic body with an ability to make multiple changes in an attempt eliminate terrorism activities. The paper will proceed to discuss a sample of the policies which have already been instituted. Keen attention will be given to show how effective the policies are with respect to terrorism groups, in this case the Al Qaeda. The paper will make some recommendation followed by the conclusion. The U.S. faces threats from the terrorism world and as a result needs to come up with policies which ensure that its interests are safeguarded. Bush (2007) calls these threats complex and dynamic. He believes that the best way to face these threats is by understanding them. The author writes about successive concerted worldwide efforts which were manifested after the September 11 attacks on the American soil. However he is quick to add that a new challenge faced is that these groups are continuously evolving and coming up with new ways of attacking and inflicting pain. The author particularly associates the al Qaeda group with the new creativity ways of carrying out terrorism activities: the most serious and dangerous manifestation of this threat remains al-Qaida, which is driven by an undiminished strategic intent to attack our homeland (Bush 2007, p. 5). The U.S. is faced with constant threats of being attacked by terrorists. This threat is made more daring by the fact that the terrorist groups keep on adapting more and more elusive ways of planning their attacks. Adapting new creative ways of carrying out terrorism activities make it hard to speculate on what they are to do and how. This creates the necessity to understand their ways of operations. Buy custom Terrorism World essay

English Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Writing - Essay Example The only choices are to ride on it, to suppress it or subvert it. In my case, I have usually been fortunate enough to be able to ride on it. Since my early childhood at study or play I have always been the popular choice whenever the question of leadership came up. I could always be counted upon to start off with things that hadn't been done before and soon have a bunch of other people happily doing the same. A few disagreed, of course, but I was frequently able to win them over, sooner rather than later. I have always been seen as fair, capable and full of common sense. Being a leader has thus become a second nature to me, and my passion. Nothing pleases me more than being able to chart a course for a worthy cause. When I joined school a year back, I was immediately intrigued with the prospect of establishing an International Business Club, the environment seemed ripe for one. I threw up the idea at different forums, and got a positive response. With that vote of confidence I threw all my energies into putting together a club that would harness the potential of students while providing a positive platform for interaction. In the beginning I had few takers for the idea, some thought it was too ambitious, others found it impossible. But I held on, tackling tonnes of club paperwork while still coming to grips with studies.

Consumer behavior theory to develop a sound marketing plan for a Essay

Consumer behavior theory to develop a sound marketing plan for a hypothetical product or service - Essay Example This maximum capacity of plant production especially if the demand is high cannot completely compete with other paint producing company. This remains one of the big challenges of the company that it takes into consideration at present time. Aside from continuing innovation of its products, Paint X Corporation continuous to aim for strong market penetration. Although situated in London, Paint X Corporation is providing quality paints in the international market. It is in this regard that the market segmentation variables are needed to be analysed based on the international level. Paint X Corporation is supplying paints across Europe, Asia and through out the entire world. Based on this consideration, it cannot be denied that the company’s consideration of its segmentation variables is a bit complicated. Everything needs to be designed based on a universal approach on geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioralistic consideration. On geographic consideration, various competing paint manufacturers in Europe are good reasons to create more innovative quality paints. This is clear when cost of raw materials was considered in order to compete with multinational companies (Renart and Pares, 1991). The world is such a huge market. Around 6 billion people today are living in the world (Sheffield, 1998). This is a potential mark et considering that these people need shelter and quality way of life. Paints are part of visual effects. Visual effects are said to influence people’s perceived usability, satisfaction and pleasure (Moshagen and Thielsch, 2010). Colors from paints bring decorative appeal (Smith et al., 2003). Paints are used everywhere and this only implies higher significant acceptance of these products. Maslow believed that humans have five hierarchies of needs and these are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization (Robins and Timothy, 2010). In the event that the first need is substantially satisfied,