The Heart And Soul Of People s Innermost Thoughts And...

Life is a mystery in which new discoveries are made on a daily basis. While on a personal level or higher, people s’ perspectives alter others’ moods and opinions. However, although human beings have traits that allow others to change, can the same be said about texts? The famous author C. S. Lewis once said that â€Å"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. (Lewis)† Among this sense of literature, there lies poetry. This form of writing takes the heart and soul of people’s innermost thoughts and questions, and portrays them in a sense that makes the readers themselves question what their reality is. Some scholars would say that no other poet does this better than Emily Dickinson, As an adult, she spent her days within the confines of her home. In this time, she wrote many pieces of short literature that were later discovered. According to the Emily Dickinson Museum, â€Å"Her quiet life was infused with a creative energy that produced almost 1800 poems and a profusion of vibrant letters. (Emily Dickinson’s Biography)† Within these collections, Dickinson writes about what seem to be shallow questions, such as the concept of being noticed. However, under the surface, is there more? â€Å"The Soul Selects her own Society† represents human understanding as something boundless and unlimited, while â€Å"There is aShow MoreRelatedChange in American Social Values in Thomas Mertons Rain and the Rhinoceros and Fire Watch1697 Words   |  7 PagesA query from Thomas Merton: â€Å"Can’t I just be in the woods without any special reason?† (TMSM, 391). The question returns with each reading of Merton’s earlier works. And, the commonplace response of the newly introduced student to Merton comes not from the Trappist Monk, but from Dorothee Soelle in her book Theology for Skeptics: Reflections on God: â€Å"But must we really speak in this way?† (Sölle, 15). No doubt the gifted theologian realizes the truth in this hypothetical Socratic dialogue; evenRead MoreEssay Sigmund Freud as a Dream Analyst2025 Words   |  9 PagesAll of a sudden you awake in a frantic scream. You realize you are still in one piece and that no beautiful women really want you, you are just the same loser you were the day before. Dreams such as this one I described above happen to millions of people all over the world every time they stop to take a little nap or when they are asleep at night. Why do we dream? What do they mean? Why do humans as well as animals have dreams that sometimes fit into our daily life and others seem to be way out ofRead MoreWhat Explains the Rapid Growth in Private Investment in E-Commerce Firms in the Period 1998–2000? Was This Investment Irrational?2447 Words   |  10 Pagesshe wept , and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? [am] not I better to thee than ten sons? So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of HaShem. And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto HaShem, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, HaShem of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction ofRead MoreEulogy For My Friend Essay5974 Words   |  24 Pagesmore in awe and appreciative of this benevolent soul. There is something uniquely vibrant and genuine about Barbara that makes her an instant fan favovrite and one of the truly inspiring women in the world today. I have been blessed yet again to speak with this remarkable gentlemwoman this year! RH: I m so glad we finally get to catch up, Barbara.   BN:   Oh, Ruth, thank you for reaching out again this year. I know you ve been busy, and it s been a busy summer for us too. My mom has actuallyRead MoreEssay about Sonnys Heroic Journey in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues2971 Words   |  12 Pages The theme of Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin focuses on whether a person should be conventional in making decisions for their life, or if they should follow their heart and do what is right for them. A person begins with strengths, many of which they lose along the way. At some point along their heroic journey a person may regain their strengths and develop new ones. Each phase of this journey will have an effect on them and others around them. According to his brother, who narrates SonnysRead More Sins of Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter2139 Words   |  9 PagesThe Sins of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon. Hester Prynne’s sin was adultery. This sin was regarded very seriously by the Puritans, and was oftenRead MoreHealing Thought the Power of Positive Thinking8418 Words   |  34 PagesHeilung durch die Kraft des positiven Denkens The German edition is the work of reference for all questions regarding the meaning of the contents  © Verlag DAS WORT GmbH im Universellen Leben Max-Braun-Strasse 2, 97828 Marktheidenfeld/Altfeld, Germany Order No. S 424en ISBN 3-89371-129-5 Table of Contents Reflection I. Thoughts Are Energy 1. Everything Is Energy 2. Positive and Negative Thoughts 3. Thought as Self-acting Entity 4. The Law of Sowing and Reaping 4.1 Everything Comes Back http://www.das-wortRead MoreThe Integration of Christianity and Psychology3666 Words   |  15 Pagesthese components that diagram the self, as concentric circles. These components are comprised of the core, the body, the soul, the temporal systems, and the supernatural systems (Hawkins, 2010). Hawkins (2010) refers to the core as the innermost part of the self; it houses the Holy Spirit, and even sin and selfishness. Next is the soul circle that is inclusive of a person’s thoughts, conscience, volition, and emotions. The third circle contains the individual’s physical body.   The fourth circle is theRead MoreMy Journey as a Psychotherapist4426 Words   |  18 PagesMasters Degree in Psychotherapy My Journey as a Psychotherapist QUESTION â€Å"Describe your journey in becoming a counsellor. Include an examination of your own personal qualities and skills that you bring to the counselling process† 4500 words ‘Personal growth and creativity are synonymous in the life of a therapist. The very process of therapy involves the elucidation and creation of different patterns of meaning’ (Hobson 1985) Examining my personal journey towards becoming a counsellorRead More The Basic Elements of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice4010 Words   |  17 Pageseducated at home. Both she and Cassandra were attractive and attended country parties, neither of them married, although Jane had several proposals. Much of JaneÂ’s life is captured in the letters that she wrote to her sister, but Cassandra cut out any references there might have been about JaneÂ’s intimate, private life and her innermost thoughts. In spite of the missing information, the letters retain flashes of sharp wit and occasional coarseness. Jane began to write at a young age. Pride and Prejudice

Essay on Effects of Parental Drug Abuse on Children

Heather Swenson Mandy Jesser English Composition I 1 May 2013 Effects of Parental Drug Abuse on Their Children As soon as birth, children are exposed to new things; new life experiences that will develop the path of which direction their life will take. Adolescence is the most important time in a child’s life because it is where they learn appropriate behavior from their family and the outside world. Some children are able to use these experiences to differentiate at an early age what is right and what is wrong and hopefully carry this into adulthood. What happens when children are exposed to the wrong experiences at an early age? What happens if children assume that what they are seeing is okay because one of their parents are†¦show more content†¦Parental substance abuse impacts a child’s psychological development. According to Livestrong.com â€Å"When a child is raised in an environment with substance abuse his or her risk for developing a mental health disorder increases.† (Butler). A serious element of psychological disorders that develop from a parent who abuses drug is severe anxiety disorders or depression. These afflictions in itself are enough to deter even the strongest adult from living a normal life. Depression and anxiety cause a child to withdraw from their friends or siblings, making them feel alone and suffer from suicidal thoughts. Anxiety disorders stemming from parental substance abuse also lead to learning disabilities, causing children to work below their potential. This creates a potentially negative environment for a child, causing them to behave inappropriately which leads to disciplinary actions by the school. One other psychological disorder that stems from parental substance abuse is eating disorders. This comes from the low self-esteem a child suffers and in an attempt to be perfect; a child is willing to bring physical harm to themselves or their bodies. I have seen this to be the greatest side effect of my ex-husband’s drug abuse upon our children. My two boys suffer from depression and anxiety at va rying levels. My oldest son has been diagnosed with ulcers from constantly worrying about his father’s sobriety. Perhaps the one of theShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Parental Addiction On Children1457 Words   |  6 Pages THE EFFECTS PARENTAL ADDICTIONS HAVE ON CHILDREN Alexis Holcomb The cost of alcohol and substance abuse in the United States reaches heights of four hundred eighty four billion dollars per year (â€Å"Magnitude†). That’s about seven hundred eighty times the amount it cost to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases in the year 2000 (Chesson). The sole purpose of this is not to persuade you one way or the other on this topic. Nor is the purpose to apologize for this social issueRead MoreThe Disastrous Effects Of Parental Drug Addiction On Children1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Disastrous Impact of Parental Drug Addiction on Children Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a â€Å"chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences† (â€Å"What is drug addiction?†). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worryRead MoreDivorce And The Divorce Rate Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pages2015). With this rising divorce rate, more children are living between parents, or in single family homes, and many of these children have been exposed to altercations between parents, as well as rough custody battles and divorce settlements. Traumatic experiences like these are highly likely to stick with children of divorce throughout their life, especially if the child is older at the time of the divorce. Compared to children of divorced families, children of non-divorced families are not exposedRead MoreMy Point Today Is Poor Parental Guidance859 Words   |  4 Pagesever witnessed children interacting, perhaps a demonstration of antisocial and rude behavior? Despite negative consequences, ones unjust behavior can cause health and safety issues. Children tend to adapt to the things that surround them a way to help guide children is love and support. According to, Jennifer Warren in the article, â€Å"writes,† on sportsmanship children learning (bad behavior skills) from adults. (However, an open door to violence, alcohol, and drug abuse, will reveal anger characteristicsRead MoreThe Effects Of Parental Substance Use Disorder On Childhood Development1565 Words   |  7 PagesImpact of Parental Substance Use Disorder on Childhood Development Kemeshia N. Maith Morgan State University The Impact of Parental Substance Abuse on Childhood Development Substance abuse disorders are significant public health concerns and rank among the most common psychiatric disorders beginning in young adulthood. Substance abuse is considered low or infrequent doses of alcohol or drugs such that damaging consequences are rare or minor (Child Welfare, 2012). Such abuse can cause socialRead MoreSubstance Use Disorders ( Suds )1720 Words   |  7 Pageshas been accomplished and has determined that children raised by substance using parents are at an increased risk for developing substance use disorders (SUDs) in adulthood as a result of familial dissemination of substance abuse through both the environments in which the children are raised and genetic susceptibility (Merikangas et al., 1998; Merikangas Avenevoli, 2000). Unfortunately, there is an insignificant amount of literature examining the effects that the combined treatment and recovery ofRead MoreThe Effects Of Prescription Drugs On The Patient s Doctor Or Parent?1558 Words   |  7 Page streat ADD began to stand out immensely. While abuse of both drugs can result in the adolescent patient to physically endure multiple unnecessary and unwanted side effects, more importantly, antibiotic overuse is the main cause of antibiotic resistance, and improper use of psychiatric medications increase the risk of addiction greatly. Through further investigation, I began to question who was truly to blame for the vast misuse of these prescription drugs: the patient’s doctor or parent? While it isRead More Teens And Smoking Essay1572 Words   |  7 Pages Teens and Smoking Abstract Cigarette smoking is of interest to the National Institute on Drug Abuse both because of the public health problems associated with this form of substance abuse and because this behavior represents a prototypic dependence process. In the past few years the government has made every effort to reach the masses, in an attempt to curb the exploitation of tobbacco use, and its acceptance among Americas Youngsters. However, cigarette smoking among adolescents is on the riseRead MoreChild Intervention Programs892 Words   |  4 PagesParental substance abuse is something that both directly and indirectly affects a child. Intervention programs have been designed to help eliminate certain risk factors that some adolescents are prone to if they live with at least one parent who has some type of substance abuse problem. Intervention programs vary in many different types and styles. Some intervention programs focus on individuals and others focus on communities or the entire family as as unit. A study done by Lewis, A. J., HolmesRead MoreThe Effects Of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents1296 Words   |  6 Pages Substance abuse has become a notable public health threat to today’s adolescents. Substance abuse is associated with an array of behavioral and psychological consequences that can jeopardize the future of the young people. Lifelong dependence is another possible consequence of drug abuse among adolescents. Ultimately, counselors are supposed to come up with effective programs to address addiction issues among the adolescents to prevent them from relying on drugs in future. Counselors rely on

Special Needs Prisoner Free Essays

Special Needs Prisoner David Thompson University of Phoenix Special Needs Prisoner The American penal system is comprised of every element of society imaginable. There are people from all walks of life being held in one prison or another across our great country for crimes they’ve committed or allegedly committed against mankind. Be it at the state, federal or county level, the U. We will write a custom essay sample on Special Needs Prisoner or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. prison system does not discriminate with regards to those who are physically challenged. Be it a prisoner who is mentally challenged or one whom is confined to a wheelchair, if they have committed a crime and are found guilty of such, they will be sentenced to facility that under most circumstances are equipped to handle prisoners with special needs. Take for example the criminally insane or those suffering with various kinds of mental illness: Round about 1955 the number of mental institution experienced a drawdown of types, in that they were not building any new facilities, despite the fact that approximately forty of the existing one’s had been shut down or were scheduled to be shut down. This change prompted the prison system to take over the role of caring for mentally ill inmates. As more and more prisons grew so did the role of the prison system to care for the influx of the special needs prisoners. Prisons were able to house and care for some 45,000 prisoners including those who were mentally ill, compared to that of a mental institutions ability to house some 3000 in a mental hospital. Perhaps one of the biggest drawback or downfalls related to this concept is that of the ability to rehabilitate the mentally ill. Because the prison system was/is not geared for actions such as this, many of those who are diagnosed with a mental illness usually find themselves serving their time, only to return to confinement a few years later, due to the prison systems inability to adequately treat and card for their sickness. But let’s not throw this all on the prison system, as the private sector has just as much responsibility for this shortfall/s as does the penal system. Many communities simply do not have the funds necessary to open and operated programs to take care of the mentally ill. For those that do have something in place to combat the problem, their efforts seem to fall far short of the need. There seems to be far more people in need of help than the help that is available, and the more we look into the problem the more we see that this is not just limited to adult men and women, but children as well. The end result of which is the criminally insane sometimes find themselves back on the streets, as does many of the mentally ill. While incarceration may be somewhat more difficult on someone with a mental illness, prison officials try and combat this by housing the mentally ill in separate wards, to reduce violence, combat stress, and maintain order. Prison officials today try and provide specialized training and equipped to those who work with the mentally ill. Although improvements have been made, there is still much to accomplish as some patients do not transition well into some of the rehabilitation programs made available to them; for example the Drug and Alcohol program, many officials think that mentally ill patients can and does usually become extremely disruptive, during counseling sessions, which causes setbacks and limits the progress of others. Therefore, many of the disable, mentally ill, or otherwise hard to reach inmates/patients are turned away from rehabilitative parts of the program built around small group settings. Honestly speaking, there is very little room for care of the mentally ill within the prison system, as few places are equipped with the staff and specialist needed to care for these special patients. Try as we may, we can’t effectively make the connection needed to make a difference in these individuals lives. Not to mention the attitude/s the outside community takes towards those suffering with mental handicaps. The lack of compassion, care and concern towards these less fortunate individuals does little to help the situation inside or outside prison walls, as we’re all struggling to make the best of a bad situation. We must stay focused and be extremely flexible as we seek to make changes in this area, in particular in that every failure has the potential to have widespread affects on everyone, including the department, and the community into which some of these people may be released. Taking a lackluster attitude towards helping these people rebuild their lives simply will not work. We must be committed to the care of prisons with special needs just as if they were able to afford whatever treatment is available. Combating mental illness is not easy, but in most cases it can be done. References: The Sentencing Project (Washington, DC), (2002), Mentally Ill Offenders in the Criminal Justice System: An Analysis and Prescription, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation http://nicic. gov/Libary/017558 How to cite Special Needs Prisoner, Essay examples

Juice Essay Example For Students

Juice Essay Steroids are known as synthetic versions of the naturally occurring male sex hormone testosterone. Although some people think that there are only positive effects from the use of steroids, there are far more negative effects than there are positive ones. Steroids may make you look bigger and feel stronger, but eventually they will become very detrimental to your body. There are physical and mental side effects to the use of steroids, and the continued use of steroids will be fatal. To the science world they are known as altered testosterone molecules. Juice or roids, as called on the street, are made by adding an alkyl group or an ester to testosterone. Basically the 17-carbon atom of testosterone is altered to make the tissue building characteristic dominant and to minimize the virilizing characteristics (Wright, Cowart). The testosterone atom can be manipulated in many ways, and that is the reason there are many different types of steroids on the market. Why wouldnt the virilizing characteristic just be eliminated from the whole process? The answer to this is The anabolic and androgenic activities are distinguished primarily for classification purposes and not because of properties inherent in the steroids themselves. (Wright, Cowart, p. 26)Anabolic steroids are taken by ingestion of pills or or by a liquid being intravenously injected. Some users like to ingest the pills because there is no visual traces, but they are not as effective as the liquid steroids. The liquid steroids enter the bloodstream faster and there is more likely of a chance for the steroid molecules to link with the muscle fibers. However, there is the possibility of the user not being able to inject them self, or the risk of someone noticing the injection marks. The main reasons that users of steroids abuse the drug is because they want to become better athletes or become bigger humans. To the potential user the main reason is to increase muscle mass. When somebody lifts weights, the whol e purpose is to tear the muscle fibers in the body. These muscle fibers then repair themselves over the course of a day or two. This makes the muscle fibers bigger and stronger because when it repairs itself, it increases in strength and size. Steroids enhances this process by expediting the repair of the muscle fibers. Not only do the muscles grow back bigger and more defined, but stronger. In sports, the use of steroids is prevalent among athletes that have reached a plateau in their physical development. Thinking that steroids will make them a more able bodied athlete, they begin taking cycles of juice. A major misconception of steroids is that they increase aerobic capacity. In actuality they dont increase the aerobic capacity of the muscles, but only make the muscles grow back bigger and stronger. Roids can however increase the volume of the blood, its oxygen carrying capacity, and even the heart size of the user. (Wright, Cowart)The use of steroids among athletes has greatly i ncreased in the past few years. Professional and high school level athletes alike have been searching for an enhancement in their skill and strength ability. The majority of users claim that they take steroids for appearance. Users could include a skinny high school kid who wants a girlfriend or weight lifter looking to increase his physical ability. Steroids also has many negative effects, both mentally and physically. Physically, there are both long term effects and short term effects. The long term effects include jaundice, cancer, and death. Short term effects include hypertension and severe acne. The mental effects are aggressiveness, depression, mood swings and psychosis. The liver is the body organ most effected by steroid use because it is the primary means of clearing these drugs from the body. The toxic chemicals in the steroids, mainly the alkyl group, cause liver malfunctions and, after extended use, can cause liver cancer. (Goldman, Klatz)Another negative side effect of the drug is sterility. The testicles in males shrink in size after steroid use. Production of sperm is decreased along with the size of the testicles. When alien sex hormones are taken, the brain informs the body to cut down the production of sperm to keep everything in balance. Severe acne and increased facial and body hair are also physical side eff ects of steroid use. (Stevens)In adolescents, among all other negative effects, the most noticeable is stunted growth. When the anabolic steroids are ingested, the growth plates on the ends of the bones of the adolescent close prematurely. This means that the adult height of the adolescent will be shorter than it would have been. In women, the side effects are lower voices, shrinking of the breasts, and facial and body hair growth. (Wright, Cowart)The most dangerous side effect of steroids is definitely increased aggressiveness. This side effect can be detrimental to the user and to surrounding people. Many medical studies and newspaper articles have shown that calm people who take steroids will snap in a fit of rage and commit offenses and not even be aware of it. This fit of rage is also known as roid rage. Users become so emotionally unstable that it takes the most minute incident to provoke a physical confrontation. When users are abusing steroids they have an invincible feeling . They feel a constant source of power and energy and nothing could ever defeat them. If a user decides its time to stop, they most likely will go through a period of severe depression. The depression is brought on by insecure feelings and degrading thoughts of weakness. This is when the user will eventually decide to start up again. Serious mood swings also occur when steroids are in the equation. The surge of testosterone causes a chemical imbalance in the brain and the user can go from happy to sad or angry in seconds. .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 , .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .postImageUrl , .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 , .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:hover , .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:visited , .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:active { border:0!important; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 { 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; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:active , .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .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; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9 .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud10ec9e5cf144e20573fc500cd976bf9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nuns offer clues to alzheimers and aging ( on EssayThe majority of hard working people would never think of cheating their body by taking steroids. But, there are those few adolescents or athletes that insist that steroid use is the only way to increase muscle mass or athletic ability. Those two single positive effects of steroids are far outweighed by the many negative effects. Beside hair loss, jaundice, severe acne, and increased facial and body hair, there are many other fatal aspects of this drug. Also, not only are is the user physically harming their body, they are mentally morphing into a monster. Eventually, tendons, ligaments, organs and muscles begin to deterior ate and become useless. After years of studies, tests, and research, it has never been shown that one single person has ever taken repeated amounts of steroids and not been affected. All users are affected, just not all the same. The user might have some glory years in the beginning, but after that its all down hill. Repeated stories of football players and weight lifters have been told in magazines and newspaper articles. All of the stories and warnings will not stop a first time user from beginning to abuse steroids. They can only hope to be educated enough to make the right decisions for themselves.

Anne Frank Essays (1297 words) - Women In World War II,

Anne Frank Anne Frank I can remember the first time I knew of Otto Frank's idea for the Secret Annex. Otto had been paying attention to the Nazis for quite some time, and had noted their strong desire towards the expansion of Nazi rule. I myself must admit that I knew nothing of the terror we were about to face. Soon Jews were wearing Yellow stars on their chests, not allowed into public places, not allowed to associate with non-Jews, and finally being deported to "work camps". Since Otto and his family were Jewish, I began worrying about their safety. I had worked for Otto at the Dutch Opetka Company in Amsterdam for quite some time, and in that time, we had become close friends and I admired Otto for his wit, and love for his family. I believe that during my worrying, Otto had been secretly making plans for his family to move into the hidden apartment above the company offices. He continued to prepare the annex for over a year, until finally the Frank family had it's first encounter with a deportation scare. Otto's two daughters Margot and Anne were his pride and joy, so naturally when Margot received a deportation notice on July 5, 1942, Otto told the family of the "Secret Annex" he had been preparing for over a year. In addition to his wife Edith, Margot, and Anne, he also told me; Miep Gies. I was astounded by this plan, for it consisted of absolute seclusion from the outside world, and complete silence during business hours. I knew Anne and Margot would have to miss a great deal of school, social gatherings, and the normal events that teenaged girls attend. I knew Anne in particular would not be happy about the move, because of her love for movie stars, boys, and friends which she would not be able to indulge while living in closed quarters. I was relieved however to learn that not only I would have the knowledge of this plan, but Otto's business partners Victor Kugler,Johannes Kleiman, friend Bep Voskuisl, and her father would also help with the tedious task of concealing a family from police, and the rest of the world. Bep, Victor, Johannes, and I would have the great task of operating the business with an absence of our employer, hiding a family, pretending to know nothing of the Frank's whereabouts, and bringing the Franks clothes, food, literature, news, and hope. I knew my role was of great importance to the family, I would serve as the messenger, and would visit daily to tell of recent war developments and bring extra treats to the family. Some of my fondest memories are of Anne's smiling face, when she saw me enter the annex with outstretched arms eager to embrace her. Before the Franks would move into the Secret Annex, they would leave a false trail behind which implied that they had gone to Switzerland. This trail would lead Nazi officials elsewhere, so that the Franks would be able to move in to the Annex quickly and carefully. Finally on July 6, 1942 the Frank family would leave their comfortable home, friends, and lives, for The annex, which would hold them for over two years. Soon Otto's friend and business associate Hermann Van Daan, his wife, and son Peter would join the Franks in the Secret Annex. This would make the living arrangements a bit cramped for the Franks. I was aware of Mrs. Van Daan's low tolerance for nonsense, and since I knew Anne so well, I was certain that the two quite possibly would have many quarrels. I tried to help Anne and Margot's adjusting process by bringing magazines, books, and news of the war going on outside. Anne even confided to me of her secret blooming romance with Peter Van Daan, who was a bit older than Anne. However the romance did not have much of a chance, since the Annex was small and there was not much room for privacy. For the secret annex now held a new occupant; my dentist Fritz Pfeffer arrived to share the hideaway. This would prove to be another problem to the Families, since in addition to Anne's disagreements with Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, she would soon have to share a room with Pfeffer, and the two would bicker day in and day out. But worse than that I began to notice a great change in Mrs. Frank. She had always held a great hope inside her, and always looked for the bright side of

The RAP music culture essays

The RAP music culture essays Rap music as a musical form began among the youth of the south bronx, New York in the mid 1970's. Artists such as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash were some of the early pioneers of this art form. Through thier performances at night clubs and promotion of the music, rap began to become ever more popular throughout the remaining years of the 1970's. The first commercial success of the rap song "Rappers Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 helped bring rap music into the national spotlight. The 1980s saw the continued success of rap music with many artists such as Run DMC (who had the first rap album to go gold in 1984), L.L. Cool J and the Fat Boys. Today rap music still continues to be an important aspect of african-american music. When rap music first came about in america it was seen as a form of entertainment for youths in black inner city neighborhoods. Hanging out with friends and rapping or listening to others rap kept black youths out of trouble in the dangerous neighborhoods in which they lived. So basically the dominant culture did not have a type of music that filled the needs of these black youths so they decided to create a new style of thier own. Rap music originaly emerged as a way for the black youths to express thier everyday lifes and struggles. Rap is now seen as a subculture that, includes a large number of middle to upper class white youths who have grown to support and appreciate rap music. Many youth in america today are considered part of this culture because they share a common interest for a type of music that combines catchy beats with rhythmic music and thoughtful lyrics. Rap lyrics are about the problems rappers have seen such as poverty, crime, violence, racism, poor living conditions, drug abuse, alcoholism and prostitution. These are serious problems that many within the rap culture believe are being ignored by mainstream america. Those within the rap culture know ...

Topic about education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Topic about education - Essay Example Such an individual begins a project and completes it successfully with all the grit and determination. He may not have long suffixes of degrees and diplomas after his name, trophies and medals to decorate the private showcase. But he creates a name for himself in the society and secures a permanent place in human history. He reserves for himself some pages in the recorded saga of progress of humankind and as such he is the product of man-making education. America, deeply entrenched in the era of technological advances and the internet revolution has neglected the true spirit of education in an individual’s life and this is the bad side of American education. Material gains, have failed to provide true happiness to people in America today. Creative genius, a passion to learn at all times while observing, participating in small and big occasions in life, to understand the significance of interaction with the lowest and the highest on an even keel, need to be the true assets of a n educated individual and the educational institutions must mold the students as such to turn out fully integrated personalities that contribute to the societal harmony and the well-being of the nation, and that is the true index of individual happiness. If one studies the processes of achievements of Richard P. Feynman, as articulated by him in his book, â€Å"Surely Youre Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character)†, one realizes the importance of encouraging creativity and the ability of self-education in the students in educational institutions. Each educational institution professes to do the same, encourages the latent talents of the students, but the hidden agenda of the college and the student is career-oriented, and securing good positions with high packages is their primary objective. The compilation of syllabus and the selection of lesson is an important

Process of Preparing an Electronic Portfolio Essay

Process of Preparing an Electronic Portfolio - Essay Example It is through the exercise of developing an electronic portfolio that I was able to have an understanding of the importance of the criteria for evaluation. The criteria for evaluation are put in place to make sure that every electronic portfolio serves the intended purpose. It is at this point that I was able to understand the principles that would be used to judge the quality of an electronic portfolio(Cambridge, 2012). Knowledge of the evaluation criteria was helpful in determining the exact content of the portfolio. As a result of knowing the evaluation criteria, I believe that I was able to make sure that all the needed competencies were included in the electronic portfolio. Presentation and organization of an electronic portfolio are always important aspects of the development process. For presentation and organization of my electronic portfolio I used Canvas  e-Portfolio. I was also able to realize that there are a number of alternatives that someone can use in the development of an electronic portfolio. It was through the process that I was able to realize that someone can opt for using required templates to develop an electronic portfolio (Gà ¼lbahar&Tinmaz, 2006). However, I came to the conclusion that the use of Canvas  e-Portfolio was the most appropriate for my case. Evidence of achievement is an important aspect of an electronic portfolio. Actually, I came to the realization that it is through evidence that someone can make sure that an electronic portfolio is as appealing and convincing as possible. The achievement included in an electronic portfolio should include details such as projects, any completed assignments, special projects completed, or evidence of any skills and experienced attained as a result of participation in workshops or conferences. It should be noted that before settling for any specific competencies and proficiencies, a person should list all the

Culture icon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture icon - Essay Example This is especially true with John and Paul who wrote some of the most widely-known songs ever. John, on his own, can be best remembered in his song entitled ‘Imagine’ with its very familiar lyrics and melody. His influence was not limited to the world of music. He also became very outspoken about many aspects of his beliefs. These things are reflected in his songs. John Lennon was an advocate of peace and he was against the Vietnam War where soldiers get killed every day. The Hippies who were popular in the 1960s considered him as being one of them and this acceptable to him. He became, by choice or not, a political figure. Then, his abrupt death when he was assassinated only added to the idealism that was regarded on his life. â€Å"If nothing else, John Lennon’s death clearly marked a shift from the imagery of stardom to that of heroism† (Mà ¤kelà ¤ 211). His songs and words remained to be very influential. His beliefs on love and the importance of peace remained to be relevant even to this day. These are the things that make John Lennon a cultural

Age Of Enlightenment Classicism Versus Romanticism English Literature Essay

Age Of Enlightenment Classicism Versus Romanticism English Literature Essay The age of enlightenment classicism which ran from 17th to 18th century had the following values: In classicism, both nature and human nature are governed by reason simply because reason is valued over mere imaginations. People are basically good and with freedom, they are capable of making a perfect society that not only guarantees freedom but also values social over individual or personal. Things are done in collection as a society and not at an individual basis. In terms of day to day life, everything is done in order, balance and harmony with a tradition consideration. Classicism actually influenced classical period in classical music. Talking of classicism, we have a period called romanticism. This period follows classicism and it is thought as a rebellious to socio-cultural and aesthetics mode of conduct that was being practiced by then. Idealization and rationality are highly rejected with valuing of emotions and intuition over reason. Things are done in emotions and prefer the senses over the intellect. Here, personal or individual is valued over the society. The beauty as well as mystery of nature is greatly appreciated. Therefore, the focus is on the human nature taking into considerations the personality, the moods, passions as well as inner struggles. This period influenced romantic period in classical music. Starting with aesthetic/theatrical issue, I will consider music. Music of the classical period was characterized by the following features. The music sounded light with clear textures to the ears and this was a major factor that kept people listening to the classical and neoclassical hymns. The music was composed of short melodies with clear cut pleasures. The rhymes and the structure of the music always kept attention to the balance, order and proportion as well as the importance of the structure. Sonata form development was also greatly adhered to. Examples in this context include: Mozarts Sonata No. 7 in C, K. 309 and Mozarts Concerto Nr. 17 in G major. Talking of music, music of the romantic period had the following features. The music emphasized on the powerful expression of emotions that not only involved love but also other types of emotions like death or hate. There is also rise of the virtuoso performer with larger orchestra, larger range of pitch as well as volume of the music. The music also entrenches rich harmonies as well as more use of chromaticism. Considering the music themes, the music gives interest in themes that relates to far off lands, nature, dreams and more so the supernatural or the mysterious. Examples of music of the romantic period include Beethovens Moonlight Sonata and Rachmaninovs Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Considering the social-cultural aspect, classicism culminated several years of western culture including politics and philosophy that were stated by Romans and Greeks that led to liberal western democracy. Socially, classicism considered men and women as socially equal with same right to life, liberty and to pursuit of happiness. Priority was given to the use of reason in solving social issues with universal ideas and principles put into consideration to create a common ground while still giving room for the individuals, religions and cultures. Talking of social-cultural organization, Romanticism reacted to the aspect practiced in classicism in a rebellious manner. The culture of reason and universal became obsolete since the war and social injustices were on a rising edge and many societies were still oppressed. Therefore, romanticism replaced universalism with individualism (uniqueness of every culture) and reason with passion and struggle. This was now the new approach and solution to problems that occurred during classicism. Political Analysis: Tartuffe Letter of a Contemporary Performance At the time I entered the theatre, all the seats were almost full. Audience from different political and social classes had already arrived and set for the play. Being a male middle class person working as a journalist, I had to find myself a seat in front in an area created for the general public to be able to focus on the event and at the same time gather some reports about the performance and other reactions. Of course the VIPs had their special arrangement set for them with a different price from the rest. In the theatre, present were audience from different social classes. I only managed to identify two classes being the high class and the general public. The high class individual had seats reserved for them in a separate compartment of the theatre from the general public. The mode of dressing could tell everything. As an audience, I went to have fun, laugh, enjoy the performance and learn some few lessons from the play. Before the event kicked off, the manager of the theatre we lcomed all the audience with specific emphasis on the powerful artists and politicians who were present. This is the time I realized that even the monarch was present at the event. As the performance kicked off, people could not tell exactly what the theme of the play was to be until some two performers came on stage to remind us that this was a play and not a real life situation. Normally, events that take place in a theatre represent real life situation and this was the expectation of most of the audience present. However, Moliere broke this convention to make the audiences believe that a theatre is merely an establishment and that whatever that was going on was a play and not a real life event. The aspect of the performance that made a great impact on me and also to the audience was the theme of the performance. Focusing on the theme of the performance which was this is a play and not real life, the audiences were often reminded that this was a play and not a real life. This idea gathered support from other things including the presence of two men who were wearing masks and actors performance dressed in black dresses and capes. They acted a role of separating the play scenes by sometimes hiding performers and also acting as a door to separate the performance. Personally, I think there presence on stage was to give support to the idea that this was a play and not a real life event. The idea was also supported by various gestures and mimes which sounded exaggerated. What I did not like about the play was actually the subject which was related to the present society. Despite being in its originality, it sounded ordinary and did not make me remember it and think of it after the play. However, there was totally no boredom among the audience and I could tell this from the sounds, cheering and the facial expression from the audience. This was because of the tempo which was kept constant and took the attention of the audience at all times me included. Other things that kept the audience away from bored were the lighting up system during the performance which kept on changing and the background music whose speed was directed as the acting went on. The dressing mode of the actors was also another appealing feature of the day. Generally, I enjoyed the performance, laughed a lot and from the facial expression, cheering and reaction of other spectators, I believe they also enjoyed the play. It was wonderful. Psychological Analysis: Character Subtext or Motivation for Passion Life is a dream Life is a dream is a Spanish age play set during the mythical version of the Polands kingdom. The play reveals the story of Basilio who decides to send his son, Segismundo to prison at birth with a reason that the astrological studies he has been undertaking has given him a fear that this son might grow up and become rebellious or be a tyrant to his authority. Calderon gives a first hand consideration to two forces of free will and determinism which appears to contrast each other in this fable as the forces responsible and required to shape human character as well as destiny. Considering the subplot, we find Rosaura who seeks to look for Astolfo for dishonoring her after the marriage promise. The problems examined by Calderon are mostly related to vengeance and honor. In this paper, I will narrow down to the psychology of one character in this play called Segismundo and his struggle for his passions. The issue I will be focusing on is his struggle to overturn his destiny and liberty. Segismundo being the son of the king of Poland, Basilio, lived a life of not even knowing his identity due to his fathers fear that he might turn his back on him following the astrological studies. At birth, he was imprisoned after his fathers charting with his horoscope which revealed to him that his son will grow up and be a treacherous son as well as a savage ruler. After some time, his father devised rules that eventually freed his son from prison and gave him the power of a king just for a day. But because of the brutality and the cruelness of his son, the father finally confirmed his fear and ordered him to be returned back to the prison. However, after his liberation from the tower for the second time, he struggles a lot and overcomes his brutality as well as his earlier predestined identity. This is what we call struggle for passion. The culture of the Hispania at that particular time lied in the horoscopes revealing. But we see Segismundo struggling to overturn his destiny and his predestined identity. According to how he describes himself and also how other people describes him, Segismundo is actually a beast or simply force of nature. He is normally clothed with things like animal skins and he is fond of contrasting himself with fish and other animals like snakes, streams as well as volcanoes. Just before he is taken to court, Clotaldo comes in and fills his mind to become an image of an eagle. Considering the meaning of his name, it stands contrary to the predatory imagery and the happenings that are surrounding him and signifies his triumph for his unchangeable fate that is written in the stars. His name Segism undo which means victory and protector according to the Germans justifies his ending when Rosaura comes in his picture and awakens new perception in him. Through her, Segismundo gets to understand the meaning of honor. Rosaura completely parallels Segismundos actions and serves as his guide eventually succeeding in converting him. Therefore, Segismundo eventually succeeds in fulfilling his struggle for passion and liberty with conversion into a loyal person unlike the Hispanias horoscope predetermined his destiny. Personally, I consider this as a fight and struggle for passion and overturn of nature. Video Report Script Coverage Title of the film: The New World Director: Terence Malick Screenwriter: Terence Malick Stars: Colin Farrell, Qorianka Kilcher and Christopher Plummer Log Line: a one or two line summary of the film A film or a drama featuring an explorer called John Smith and the 17th century clash that existed between English settlers and the Native Americans Plot Synopsis The 17th century explorer John Smith and some other few men goes up the river to engage in trade with the Indian counterparts where he falls in love on mere befriending of the princess Pocahontas. At this time he was in love, Smith was to still perform his roles and responsibilities as the present of the Jamestown as well as face the challenges that befall him on which path to choose between staying with the fallen apart colony or decide to move up the river in the world to love Pocahontas. With time, the Indians come to realize that the English does not mean to leave and therefore, they decide to launch some attacks against them. However, some of the English men at the fort decides to capture Pocahontas and makes her their hostage to protect them from being attacked by the Indians. The king of Jamestown orders immediate eviction of smith from the town and at the same town a wealth tobacco planter comes in to settle in the town. While living there, Pocahontas adopts the English cultu re and again falls in love with this tobacco planter called John Rolfe. Finally she finds herself falling apart in making a decision on who between the two to dedicated to. Discussion The major themes that were evident in the film were love and death. The theme of love becomes evident when Smith goes up the river to meet natives and carry out trade for their necessities like food. Instead, Smith survives alone out of the whole brigade and meets a beautiful lady called Pocahontas whom he falls in love with. But because the two are from different cultural backgrounds one being English and another being native American, their true love is hindered from being ideal. Although there are some scenes of intimacy between the two, sexuality is not emphasized but the acts of talking and staring at each other are given priority. Because the father of Pocahontas was the king of the Jamestown in which Smith had gone, he becomes so upset with his daughter for falling in love with an English man. Being capable (king) of doing anything to Smith, Pocahontas decides to risk her life and protect Smith from being killed. She does this until Smith is finally evicted out of the town saf ely. She risks her life to protect Smith and others from being attacked by the Asians by being their hostage. The issues that evolve in this film are about faith. Towards the end of the film, we find the long held traditions of the Indian never to be converted into Christianity are broken when Pocahontas decides to get baptized and be converted into a Christian. She is quoted praying to the lord to help her be humble. This is not normal as the Indian rejects Christianity and at no time will you find one of them being converted to a Christian. The point of connection that is evident in the film between historical culture, time period and theatrical tradition comes towards the end when all the traditional ties are broken and various cultures merged including change of religion. Pocahontas finally marries Rolfe who adopted the English culture. The audience that will find this movie interesting and appealing are the grown ups who are eighteen years and above. This is because they understand emotions, religion and love. Young people may find it not good due to some scenes of long kissing and others that suggest nudity. Personally, the themes were good and the characters demonstrated the themes in a perfect manner. The direction and visual story telling was of high quality and appealing and the general story was flowing. However, the only thing that I dint like about this film is the way Christianity was portrayed. The English were portrayed as cruel and uncivilized people while the Indians portrayed as humble, civilized and welcoming people. To me, Christianity is about declaration that everyone is a sinner by nature and needs to repent.

Essay --

From my previous journal I stated that I was very interested in finishing the rest of the books in the Odyssey. Well I have finished all of them and got some of my questions answered in class and I got some question that I did not know I did not understand answered too. In book 4 I left off with wondering why Athena protects Telemachus when she’s still upset with. When finishing up the rest of the Odyssey there are many things that are many happening. You have everything from; â€Å"all of the gods are accepting that Poseidon has gathered again on Mount Olympus to discuss Odysseus’s fate† in book 5. To â€Å"Athena makes the Ithacans forget the massacre of their children and recognize Odysseus as king, and making Peace being restored† in book 24. How one man goes through all of this is amazing to me. The Odyssey is nothing more than Odysseus telling us his story and all the things that he had gone through. Odysseus encounters many things that people do not believe to be true because all of his crew is dead and no one had ever don’t anything like he is saying that he has. Because his crew is dead there is no one to help tell all of the great adventures that they endeared. The main question I feel that never truly gets answered in the reading is that of wither or not the stories are true. Does it really take someone who loves his family 20 years to make it home? To return to his wife and son? And are the wife and son still there waiting for him to return. We know in the reading that they are but how does he know this? Is it because that’s how it was back then or why? Why did it take him the seven years for him to build a boat to leave the island of Cyclopes and start to make is way back home. When he finally manages to get the boat made to ... ... I keep saying this but I really don’t know wither or not I can take this story ad being true I things some of the things could have happened but not all of them. I’m not sure why I find it so hard to believe but I do. While reflecting on this reading I have really stopped to think about what I am reading and if I believe it to be true or not. Could the Odyssey be written different so that it’s more understandable? Or should we already be able to understand the text? I feel that the book could take a whole semester to cover it we were to truly take the time to truly read it not just read it and go on. I can see myself rereading the books and trying to understand more and looking for things that I have missed the first time though. Works Cited Brian Wilkie, J. H. (2001). Lliterature of the Western World Vol. 1. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. The Odyssey, pages 273-594

North Korean Authoritative Government Essay

In this paper, I will attempt to explain why authoritarianism regimes such as the one in North Korea, still continues to govern even though the government is one of the more corrupted types of government still in existence today. The word authoritarianism is defined as, â€Å"a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc. )†(Word Net) There are currently many countries in our world that are not democratic societies. There are authoritarian regimes that still exist today. Probably one of the more well known authoritarian regimes is the government in North Korea. North Korea gained its independence from Japan in the year 1945. Kim Jong Il is currently the leader of North Korea. The mismanagement of economics through the 1990’s has made North Korea rely heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea has expanded their resources to help develop a military of about one million soldiers. Central Intelligence Agency) â€Å"North Korea’s long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. † (Central Intelligence Agency) The government in North Korea is a big part to blame for the economic struggles. In President Bush’s first State of the Union Speech he declared North Korea as part of the â€Å"Axis of Evil. † Presi dent Bush also went on to say his goal was, â€Å"†to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends with weapons of mass destruction. He singled out Iraq, Iran and North Korea, claiming these states â€Å"and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world. † (Fact Sheet) â€Å"The United States must act against these regimes by denying them the â€Å"materials, technology and expertise† to make nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and provide them to terrorists, Bush said. † (Fact Sheet) North Korea is currently a communist-state one-man dictatorship. Under a communist-state one-man dictatorship elections are held but there is nobody to run against the leader. For instance in September of 2003 there was an election held in North Korea. Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam were the only nominees for the positions and nobody opposed them. (Central Intelligence Agency) The government controls the people. The government rules a lot of what the people of North Korea can do or say. For the executive branch in this country, Kim Jong Il has been the ruler since July of 1994. Kim Yong Nam is the president of its Presidium and he also has the responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials. Central Intelligence Agency) As for the legislative branch, the ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition, but some seats are held by minor parties. (Central Intelligence Agency) The judicial branch of North Korea consists of a central court, and the judges are elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly. The way this government is set up is very different than the way the democratic states are set up. In a democratic society the people get to vote for leaders and high ranking officials. While in these authoritarianistic regimes, the people have no say in who is going to run their country. There have been many North Koreans that have tried to escape either to China or South Korea. Few people have made it across the boarders safely. However, if they fail to escape and they are captured by the North Korean military they will be tortured or even executed in some cases. (Pearson Education) â€Å"North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive societies, has been accused of egregious human-rights violations, including summary executions, torture, inhumane conditions in prison camps, which hold up to 200,000 prisoners, and denial of freedom of expression and movement. Access to the country is strictly limited and North Korea’s domestic media is tightly controlled, making it difficult to substantiate the accusations. † (Pearson Education) I believe a huge part of why North Korea is actually still in existence is because the military has so much control on the people. Of course no country wants to start a war with North Korea because of their military strength and their nuclear weapons. â€Å"A number of stabilizing elements assist the regime’s efforts to maintain internal order. The society seems united in popular support for the party, and the people have a strong sense of national pride. Kim Il Sung, by all indications, truly is admired and supported by the general population. † (Federal Research Division Library of Congress: Pg 275) It is difficult for people that are from a democratic government to actually understand why authoritarianism governments work. Most all of the authoritarianism governments that I know have a strong following from their people. Whether the masses like the leader because he is helping the economy or helping a food shortage situation is another story. Personally I think these people in these countries are so afraid of what the leader might do to them or their family that they just do what they are told. Of course these people have never had it any other way. They don’t know what it is like to have a democracy. They don’t know what it is like to voice their opinion. The people in North Korea didn’t get to choose where they wanted to be born. If we had a free world I’m sure when some of those people realized that there are better governments in the world that won’t control your every move then they would leave the country. It is just not that easy for anyone to just get up and go to China or South Korea. People born into democratic societies should be thankful that they can enjoy the freedoms that they have, because there are other parts of the world where the idea of having rights is completely out of their control. There is no possible way the people can over throw the government in North Korea. North Korea has too strong of a military. One way the government will get overthrown is if it is done internally. The second way it will get overthrown is if they go to war with another country and they lose their power. â€Å"Indeed, research on Korean communism has become the pursuit of an avocation, meandering off the mainstream of contemporary social science. Most students of Korean communism have come under the influence, in varying degrees, of the lingering legacy of Kremlinology and the advancing model of Chinese studies. Following the general lines of development in Chinese studies in the 1960s and 1970s, research on Korean communism has shown an uneven advancement. On balance, research and knowledge concerning North Korea’s domestic politics and economy have developed more rapidly and significantly than the study of its foreign policy, which has remained neglected and underdeveloped. (Kim Pg:282) The economy in North Korea is struggling. Due to flooding and the lack of arable land, the people in North Korea are at a food shortage. Massive amounts of international food aid have allowed people of North Korea not to starve. Central Intelligence Agency) Mal-nutrition and poor living conditions still exist heavily in North Korea. As with everything else in the country, the government has the right to control the food and economic conditions. The religions that are practiced in this authoritarianism government are traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, with some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way. ) â€Å"Autonomous religions activities now are almost nonexistent; government sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom. (Central Intelligence Agency) Like other authoritarianistic governments such as Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq until not to long ago, the regimes will last until somebody does something about it. The United States ended the authoritarianism regime in Iraq because we had enough military power to overtake Sadaam Hussein. The U. S. troops are still over in Iraq trying to force the Iraqi people into having a democracy. The Iraqi people that have voted so far on the new leader of their country is not a man that the United States wants to have them run their country. Sadaam Hussein would still be in power and have complete control of Iraq if the United States didn’t take him out of power. The military balance in South Korea is much stronger then North Korea. In case of another North Korean invasion, the South Korean military only has about 600,000 people while the north has around one million. However these numbers are misleading because of the fact that these numbers don’t include the superior training, equipment, and logistical support that the south has. Kang: Pg 262) â€Å"The South has outspent the North on defense in the last 15 years, if not longer. † (Kang: Pg 262) North Korea’s nuclear threats are a grave concern for South Korea and the rest of the world. The Soviets were building bombs in the 1950’s and China developed a nuclear bomb in the early 1960’s. North Korea didn’t start trying to assemble nuclear weapons until South Korea became a threat to them because they were overtaking North Korea in a lot of areas during the 1970’s. Kang: Pg 266) â€Å"North Korea’s significance to the world with a bomb is much greater than without a bomb. † (Kang: Pg 266)In conclusion, there are many reasons why the authoritarianism regime in North Korea is still up and running to this day. There is simply no way that anyone can overthrow the government unless it is done internally. The people located in these authoritarianism regimes usually like the leader, and agree to what he says. These people didn’t choose where they wanted to be born just like nobody in a democratic state had an opinion as to where they would like to be born. It is sad that most all of the money spent in North Korea is aimed toward building up a better military and not helping out with the economy or the food shortages. The only way these people know how to live is to be ruled by a dictator. Until the United States or some other world power takes down North Korea, the authoritarianism regime will continue to govern.

Gene Splicing Essays

Gene Splicing Essays Gene Splicing Essay Gene Splicing Essay The Future Evolution of Human: Gene Splicing Gene Splicing: Survival of the Fittest Long ago stories, legends, and myths were created describing humans who were infused with the body parts of animal. Creatures such as mermaids, centaurs, and Satyrs were placed into our minds and we could only imagine what it would be like to meet these creatures. They became so numerous that they were given a category, Anthropomorphism. Over time and with our knowledge of science increasing, body parts that may have been considered to be part of Anthropomorphism were explainable. Webbed hands and feet, humans being born with a tail; and even being born with an extra appendage like an extra toe or finger are no longer a disfiguring ailment. But what if Anthropomorphism wasn’t just a myth? What if they were a new stage in human evolution? Scientists in many fields have hypothesized that humanity like the dinosaur will eventually die out, so what will it take for humanity to survive? Dr Joseph Alter, a Professor of Anthropology, believes that with the biotechnology available today, we could see human being born with animal DNA. This new breed could be stronger, faster, and immune to diseases that regular humans would not be able to survive. In his article, The Once and Future â€Å"Apeman†, Chimeras, Human Evolution, and Disciplinary Coherence, Dr. Alter states that â€Å"It helps us translate the obvious, that our kinship to animals is closer and more intimate than we have thought, both in fact ( with reference to the evolutionary record ) and in principle. † (640) While many may take either a religious and/or negative moral viewpoint to this type of science, the time may come when this science is necessary to continue any kind of human species. : Dr. Jarod Diamond in his book, â€Å"Collapse, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed believes that the current society will eventually collapse due to may reasons, but one of the biggest the loss of natural resources. These resources, such as fossil fuels, land, and forests will make humans have to search for other means to continue living. In today’s current society most humans will not survive. We have become a society of comfort. Dr. Diamond states we are one big epidemic (disease) from having our civilization collapse. But with a re-combination of our genes with animals, we raise the ercentage of survival. Since the first days of cloning, the eventual next steps were to clone humans, but after that where would we go? Dr. Alter states that after cloning the next step would be gene manipulation and gene splicing. â€Å" With the advent of culture we did stop being animals. But neither did we ever just become human. We made ourselves into human-which raises the question h ow far that process can and should be taken. †(642) Less than 50 years ago, this process was an idea, a form of science fiction, but the discussion can now be made that society has turned that page. With embryonic stem cells, we have been able to generate new organs. What used to be done only in nature; is now being re-created inside of a laboratory. Science fiction has become science fact. Why should gene splicing and gene manipulation not have the same chance? With any new science, there are morale questions that become asked. Is this real science? Are we playing God and creating a new species? What if this new species of man attacks or destroys our current society? The reality is science already predicts the end of man. Our civilization has increased exponentially over the year. Currently we have about 7 billion people alone on the planet. Resources are being depleted at quadruple the rate more than 100 years ago. Global warming has changed the weather patterns on the planet to levels not ever seen or recorded. Yet currently in western society we keep wasting resources as if they will never end. That is why we need to start looking at a merger between animals and man. The best of both worlds. The animal instincts and mans ability for adaption. The science to gene manipulation and gene splicing leads us back to the question, are we playing God? In a secular sense, yes, but what religion fails to see is that man and animal have had a connection that extends through our genetics. We share DNA with many animals, but certain DNA have long been turned off because we evolved to our current state. As Dr Marilyn Strathern was quoted as saying, â€Å"relatives are always a surprise and biotechnology extends the scope of kinship along with all of its social entailments. (642) While religion asks that we not engage in this discussion, there will come a time when it must be discussed and a possible plan must be put in place for the end of humanity. All options must be considered, and gene splicing is one of those options. How would we achieve this chimera of man and animal? Both through nature and nurture, we have the means today to make it possible. Breeding of the species is one way. The best example of mixed breeding is the Liger. The half lion / half tiger can be bred and then created in a lab. While the breeding does not allow for the new animal to have children, the breeding creates a bigger and stronger animal than the individual animals used to create the Liger. Nature has done most of the work, but now nurture must take over. We must try and adapt these new species with other species. The new hybrid of man will need to get used to their new abilities, senses, and feelings. No new species could survive without nurture, we must make them understand that they are new and with anything new comes fear and misunderstanding. We must give them space to grow and adapt to their new environment. It does not sound like a simple task but it must be done for survival to occur. While I do believe that gene splicing is the future of man, I also realize that by the time we realize that it must be done, it will be too late. Our western civilization is dominated by the Bible and by religion. Just as embryonic stem cell research has grinded to a halt in the United States due to the belief that we are â€Å"killing children† to save ourselves, so there will be many that balk on the idea that they should bond with an animal to survive. The idea has great potential but without money and the right political backing, then this idea that man will merge with other animals will remain an idea. Our civilization will not collapse tomorrow but after reading Dr. Alters proposal I see that there is hope and a future via bio-technology. The philosopher, George Santayana, was quoted as saying â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it†. In anthropology we study humankind throughout time, to learn about ourselves and maybe not make the same mistakes as our previous ancestors. Unfortunately, we, the humankind are not learning from our past mistakes and are on a downward spiral to eventual oblivion. References Alter, Joseph; The Once and Future â€Å"Apeman† Chimeras, Human Evolution, and Disciplinary Coherence. Current Anthropology Vol 48, Num 5 October 2007. Diamond, Jarod: Collapse; How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Viking Penguin Group, NY, NY. 2005. Keister-inman,Clinton Van; â€Å"The Face of the Super Humanity† Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology; Volume 2, 2009

Plato - The Allegory Of The Cave Essays - Platonism, Analogy

Plato - The Allegory Of The Cave Essays - Platonism, Analogy Plato - The Allegory Of The Cave 1) Outline the Divided Line and tell the meaning of each division in terms of things that exist and the degree of truth that is possible at each level. Use this to explain the Allegory of the Cave. Platos Divided Line represents the visible (images and shadows) vs. the intelligible (searching for answers). These theme of the tangible truth vs. perceived truth can be found throughout the Allegory of the Cave. THOUGHT - Too many people, in todays society live their lives with blinders on and look at the world around them as if they were chained facing a wall. There is not enough interest in helping one another to see ways to make this a better world. Much of society does not see beyond the superficial fronts of other people or issues that face them. We must work at releasing each other from their bonds and cure them of their ignorance (515d) in order for us to find a solution to bettering our world. IMAGINATION - The shadows that the prisoners of the cave looked upon represent the perceived truth. When people do not have the knowledge to look beyond the visible truths (the things one can see by merely taking a superficial look) they only have the capacity to believe in shadows and do not even know how to begin the search for the intelligible (real truths). BELIEF - The campfire in the cave represents the power of the sun. The fire has the power to illuminate the perceived truths of the cave. The fire illuminates what the prisoners can see, therefore, showing them what to believe in. The sun in similar in that it provides the light required to allow people to see with their eyes. UNDERSTANDING The path outside the cave is steep, rocky and painful because all things that were believed to be the truth and real are becoming unclear. Once the truth is known (outside the cave) a person cannot go back to previous beliefs (as in the cave) (516e). It is hard to see things in a different way from that which you have been conditioned to know (515d). It is difficult to accept and understand new things. The life of the individual is being changed as they are told all previous beliefs are inconsequential. This is hard to accept. It is possible to live outside the cave once your mind is open and you try to understand the intelligible, not just the visible. You must try to understand the difference between non-reality (shadows and images reflected in the water) and reality (the image itself). When you permit yourself to see the good and rise above the cave you can live a full and rewarding life outside the cave. Living outside the cave is preferable to remaining in the dark because a greater understanding of life and the world around us is possible. While living in the cave prisoners only believe what they can see with their eyes. Outside the cave, people believe what they can see and process intellectually. However, once outside the cave you are compelled to return to the cave in an effort to teach the good about the world around us and to share these experiences with the prisoners of the cave who have yet to see the good. We must try to bind each other together (520a). The ability to learn is in everyone. Education assumes the person possesses a certain degree of knowledge and needs only to be pointed in the right direction to fully understand the knowledge that is there. The direction the individual is pointed in can be either good or bad. Education must address and teach the whole person, not just a part of the person.

Discuss, in detail, the connection of power to political science Essay

Discuss, in detail, the connection of power to political science - Essay Example For instance, a leader over a small number of people is named a master, the director of a home; over a quite greater number, a king or a statesman, as there is the presence of a variance amid a boundless household and a minor nation. Aristotle states that it is not right for a government to have variance in politics and power. In power and politics, there exists six types of constitutions they are divided into here are unjust and three that are just. A constitution can be defined as just in cases where is has advantages to the each and every citizen, on the other hand, a constitution can be referred to as unjust in cases whereby it is of help to the individuals in power only. When leadership is via a single person, this is a monarchy constitution, the ruler has to be good and incases of a bad leader it is referred to as tyranny. In cases where minor elite is the ruler, this constitution is referred to aristocracy when the rulers are respectable and an oligarchy if the rulers are wicked and corrupt. In situation of a government whereby the masses rule, the constitution is termed as a polity if the leadership is good and a democracy if the leadership is bad. Aristotle recognizes that providing full dominion to either the leading body or the regulations might create room for misuses of power and advocates th at a polity is most likely least vulnerable to corruption, particularly in situations where by the laws are assumed higher power than the leading body. He suggests a norm of distributive justice, stating that advantages ought to be discussed upon diverse citizens in a different way, depending on the involvement they make to the happiness of the public. Platos Republic focuses on a modest question â€Å"is it always better to be just than unjust?† Plato defines justice as a virtue of a nation that would aid outline justice as a feature of typical

The relationship between geography and culture along the mississippi Essay

The relationship between geography and culture along the mississippi river - Essay Example The river’s drainage basin is great. It can cover a combination of England, Ireland, Wiles, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, France, Germany, Australia, Turkey and Italy. This entire region as wide as it is fertile and so is the Mississippi valley. The Mississippi River has impacted a lot in the way of life of those leaving along its environs. This paper will explore how the river and its geography has affected the cultures of those who live along its banks. The Mississippi river draws its waters from twenty eight states and territories. The water is drawn from Delaware in the Atlantic seaboard and from all states between Delaware and Idaho which found on the pacific slopes. From the Ohio junction to almost half way to the sea, the river’s width is viewed to be almost a mile. The width however diminishes above the mouth. At the junction of Ohio, the river’s depth eighty-seven feet and the depth increases to one hundred and twenty thousand years. Its spread is calculate d to be forty-five degrees longitude. It receives water from fifty four rivers which can be navigated using boats. It also receives from other hundreds of rivers which are navigated using keels and flats. The river grows narrower and deeper towards the mouth. The river has a remarkable difference in its rise and fall in the lower part of the river. The rise is uniform towards Natchez about fifty feet. At Bayou La Fourche it raises by twenty-four feet, fifteen at New Orleans and only two and half at the mouth. Reports have indicated that the river empties around six million tons of mud into Mexico gulf. The deposits of mud gradually extend to the land. The Mississippi river

Case study on British Broadcasting Company (BBC) Essay

Case study on British Broadcasting Company (BBC) - Essay Example The BBC or the British Broadcasting Company is the leading broadcasting association in the world. It is a community service broadcaster recognized by a Royal Charter and funded by the households who pay the license fees. The proceeds from the license fees are used by the BBC to provide services that include eight national television channels along with other regional channels, ten radio stations at the national level, forty radio stations at the local level and a wide-ranging website. Services are broadcasted by the BBC through the radio, the television, and also online, providing news and information to its customers on 32 different languages. These are funded by grants provided by the government and not from the fees obtained from licenses. BBC worldwide is the commercial arm of the BBC. The profits earned from the BBC worldwide are returned to the BBC which in turn gets invested in new programs and services (BBC, 2011). The study of this case includes a research and analysis on on e of the largest media company in the world. For this purpose the British Broadcasting Company has been chosen as the organization for study. The report would look into the aims, objectives and strategies of the company, the history and the organizational structure of the company, the company’s media activities related to the wider media framework, its funding and accounting details, employees and their different roles played in the organization as well as the career prospects, the public relations maintained by the company, a SWOT analysis of the organization thus analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats represented by the company, and the future planning and prospect of the organization in the media industry. Aims and Objectives of the Organization: Mission of the company: The mission of the company is to â€Å"enrich people's lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain† (BBC, 2011). Vision of the company: The vision of the company is to â€Å"be the most creative organization in the world† (BBC, 2011). Values of the company: (BBC, 2011) The company believes that trust is the basic foundation of the company. The members of this organization believe to be autonomous, unprejudiced and truthful. The main focus of the company remains on its audience whose satisfaction counts the most for the success of the organization. Quality and delivery are given utmost value as the company takes pride in the value that it provides. The most important feature of the

The Insight About Hamlets Elusive and Mysterious Character Essay Example for Free

The Insight About Hamlets Elusive and Mysterious Character Essay Hamlet’s famous and memorable soliloquy, â€Å"To be, or not to be,† provides us with insight on the different emotions Shakespeare places into Hamlet’s character. This soliloquy is spoken by Prince Hamlet in Act III, scene I, lines 62-96. It is arguably one of the most famous speeches in English literature and reflects many important themes of the play, Hamlet. Through this soliloquy, we discover several aspects of Hamlet’s mysterious and elusive character. The three main themes that show us more into Hamlet’s character are his question of whether he should commit suicide, his uncertainty of the afterlife, and his logical â€Å"in the moment† decision making. Will suicide be the correct path to take? The first and most legendary line of this soliloquy, â€Å"To be, or not to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (III. i. 62), Hamlet discusses possible suicide. He is faced with the question of whether he should commit suicide in the cruel world he lives in. He wonders if it is better to suffer through all the brutalities of the world around him, â€Å"Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer† (III. . 63) or end them by simply killing himself. Hamlet has the right to contemplate this question. He has been betrayed by many he loves and sees no point in living or being around disloyalty anymore, however, he knows he must stay alive to avenge his father’s death. This gives us a better look at Hamlet’s elusive character because we see how faithful he is, especially towards his father. He has many thoughts of taking his own life but knows he must be strong and retaliate for the death of his father. The uncertainty of an afterlife In the soliloquy, Hamlet initially believes that suicide will stop his suffering but rethinks the idea and realizes he is uncertain of what might happen to him after he takes his life. Hamlet knows the easiest thing for him to do at this point is commit suicide but contemplates the idea because he wonders what might come of him in the afterlife, â€Å"the dread of something after death†¦the undiscovered country† (III. i. 84-85). He explains a list of his miseries and elaborates on the idea that â€Å"the dread of something after death† (III. i. 84) makes one live with their suffering rather go onto a more miserable afterlife. Hamlet’s elusive character is scared of death but also the living fear of the ultimate unknown. Although Hamlet is uncertain of what may occur after life he is part of the Protestant church which believed at the time that there was indeed a heaven and hell. Hamlet realizes the idea of the dreadful after life means he cannot end his own life, which shows how strong his character is to be able to live with his agonies. Logical Thinker Hamlet’s elusive character is unwrapped even further as we see his ability to think logically at times of distress. Hamlet wishes to commit suicide however questions the consequences, â€Å"to be or not to be-that is the question† (III. i. 62). When the thought of suicide first appears in Hamlet’s mind, he does not immediately follow his wishes and kill himself. He contemplates this thought and rethinks the idea immensely. Hamlet’s melancholy character, which works frantically to find a solution to his pain clashes with his logical intellect. Ultimately, Hamlet makes the right decision by not committing suicide. Throughout this soliloquy, â€Å"To be, or not to be,† Hamlet questions his life on earth. He is not sure if he wants to live any longer and has many thoughts of ending his life. He wishes to be loyal to his father and avenge the death of him. He is also unsure of what evil things could become of him in the afterlife due to his religious beliefs. Hamlet is very logical in his decisions. In the moment, he wishes to no longer live but his elusive intellectual brain tells him he must not end his life. After much contemplation, Hamlet decides not to kill himself. This reveals the logical and intelligent quality of Hamlet’s mind.

Toni Morrison and Charlotte Perkins Gilman :: comparison compare contrast essays

Toni Morrison and Charlotte Perkins Gilman    In this age of electric cars, flying machines, and Chinese take-out, it is easy to let certain every-day flaws slip past us.   Take for example language.   What percentage of American's say "I don't got any money" when in reality they don't have any money?   Sure it's just a minor flaw, a minute blemish that could easily pass unnoticed.   But, what about the next person who says, "I ain't got no money."   Is there a limit?   Is there a limit to how badly language can be mutilated, destroyed, or is death the ultimate confinement?   Nobel Prize winner, Toni Morrison, expresses her disgust and fear of such a death in her 1993 Nobel Prize Lecture.   She tells the story of an elderly blind woman whom is known and respected in her community for her wisdom and knowledge.   Morrison explains that "Among her people [the old woman] is both the law and its transgression" (Morrison 1993).   On one occasion, the woman is approached by some young people who are intent on taking advantage of her blindness.   They say, "Old woman, I hold in my hand a bird.   Tell me whether it is living or dead."   After some time the woman replies, "I don't know.   I don't know whether the bird you are holding is dead or alive, but what I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands." (Morrison 1993)   Morrison interprets the bird to be language and the woman to be a practiced writer.  Ã‚   Morrison states that "[The woman] is worried about how the language she dreams in, given to her at birth, is handled, put into service, even withheld from her for certain nefarious purposes.   ...She believes that if the bird in the hands of her visitors is dead, the custodians are responsible for the corpse" (Morrison 1993).   The woman is aware that language, her very way of communicating with the world, her sole instrument of expression in modern society, is dying.   As language continues to die, the woman and her medium for expression become increasingly confined, with death as the final outcome.   She is shackled and detained by her inability to halt the holocaust, the complete and utter desecration of the language she loves so much.

Star Jones :: essays research papers

Starlet Marie Jones was born on March 24, 1962 in Badin, North Carolina. She lived there with her grandparents while her mom and dad finished college. Then at the age of six, Jones and her sister moved to Trenton, New Jersey, to live with their mom. After moving to New Jersey, Star started to shine in school. She always held the top grades throughout school and after graduating from a parochial school she enrolled in the American University in Washington, DC. While at American, Star sang in the gospel choir and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, a very prestigious African-American sorority. She was a popular student on campus and was given the nickname of â€Å"Star.† It was at American that Jones was diagnosed with inoperable tumor and given nine months to live. She didn’t want to believe the news so she went and had a second opinion. It was discovered that the tumor was indeed removable and it was removed. She went on to graduate from the University of Houston's law school and then passed the New York State bar exam the first time around. She then got a job at district attorney's office in Brooklyn. After three years with the district attorney, she started handling violent crime cases, gaining quite a reputation for nabbing stiff sentences for offenders. While working with violent crimes she was promoted to Senior Assistant District Attorney. She’s most remembered as her work on the â€Å"Bicycle Rapist† case in which she won a 66-year prison term for the offender. In 1991, she landed a job as a part-time legal commentator for Court TV. In 1992, she had a contract with the Today Show as their legal correspondent. She managed to land â€Å"hard-to-get† interviews with some of the most famous people in the world including Mike Tyson. Those interviews are what led to her getting national fame. She also gained respect for her reporting on such trials as O.J. Simpson and Lorena Bobbit. Star Jones was soon given her own television courtroom show called Jones & Jury where she played host/judge and the audience played the jury. Her biggest break came in 1997 when she became one of the hosts on ABC’s The View. Her stint on the view has given her the opportunity to expand her views and comments on various ranges of topics. Not only is Star a famous talk show host, but she’s a best selling author as well as an actress.

Politics, Policy, and Change in Nigeria Essay

Volumes have been written on the subject of politics, policy, and social change. In this section, I will offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and ‘common sense. I will emphasize the important roles of leadership and group cohesiveness to effect change. Because the direction of change in a society depends on the manner in which resources are mobilized by the leader, and the attitude of the people toward change. The ruler must be concerned with the needs of the ruled, and must strive to gain their support. But with long-standing ethnic prejudice in a multi-ethnic society such as Nigeria, this has not been very easy. The concept of politics is diverse. Aristotle and Plato defined politics as a concern with general issues affecting the whole community. This involves the pursuit of the public interest, the operation of the state, and the formulation and execution of public policy. Contrasting public concern with private matters, they viewed the public concern as morally superior. Thus, political leaders have the responsibility to conform to constructive ideas and actions with â€Å"perfect goodness† (Andrain 1975, pp.12-20). In addition, It is the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government. It involves competition between various interest groups (parties) or individuals for power and leadership in a government or other group. The winning party guides or influences policies, and the distribution of resources in that polity (Dike (forthcoming) August 1999). In other words, politics does involve the struggle for power and wealth – that is, the production, distribution, and use of scarce resources. Historically, some leaders have sought the common good and others a private good. But without the ‘politics of virtue’ (that is, doing what is right), a leader may not bring about the necessary changes that would benefit the general public. How does one differentiate actions that are for common from those that are for private? The effects of a particular policy decision are the determining factors. The process of making and implementing decisions involves cooperation and competition, both of which may lead to social change. As many writers have noted, many factors are involved in social change; no single factor can adequately account for it (Lauer 1982, p. 37). And as a society, our needs can be fulfilled only through the cooperative efforts of everyone. Change or social change is defined as â€Å"significant alteration of social structures.† And social structures here mean the â€Å"patterns of social action and interaction,† which include norms, values, and cultural phenomena (Moore 1967, p.3). Others have defined change as â€Å"variations or modifications in any aspect of social process, pattern, or form;† it is also â€Å"any modification in established patterns of inter-human relationships and standards of conducts† (Fairchild, ed. 1955, p.277, as cited in Lauer 1982, p.4). As we have seen, change can start anywhere. In fact every system is to some extent altered by changes in any of its parts. Given our leaders’ penchant for corruption, Nigerians are cautiously optimistic about the positive changes that are presently taking place in Nigeria. And since what has been on the minds of the world is that Nigeria is bad, we have to get our act together. After that we can say to the world, ‘You held me in contempt, now look at me. Am I so contemptible?’ (Allport 1979). Can the present political leadership maintain the tempo of positive social re-engineering going on in the nation? For any intended change to occur in a society the people must be convinced by the leaders that such a change is both possible and desirable. Hence the need for systematic set of ideology that reflects the feasibility and desirability of particular change. Ideology interprets the past, make meaningful the present, and portray an ideal future. Lack of political ideology is a serious problem in Nigerian politics. Strangely, some politicians are known to have discounted the importance of ideology in politics. And since some of them are not committed to politics or democracy ideologically, they tend to waffle on issues. Consequently, nobody is held responsible for any policy failure in the society. For our politicians to behave, we should device means to hold them responsible for their actions or in-actions. In an educated and politically mature society the vote is the ultimate weapon of the people. But we must positively change our personal attitudes to be able to change the social structure. â€Å"For in part, at least, the structure is the product of the attitudes of many single people† (Allport 1979, p.507). Why is good value and virtue essential for the survival of a polity such as Nigeria? Can a leader successfully govern a vibrant society without an ideological compass? Policies and decisions constitute a crucial part of political leadership. Usually when the majority of a population refuse to accept certain policies as binding, this would move committed leaders to make changes in the various parts of the system: the content of the policies, the ruling personnel, the governing structures, or even the society over which the policies have jurisdiction. This is a democratic process that Nigeria should strive to adopt, if it needs to survive as a democratic nation. In a democracy there is no room for arbitrariness. Policies must be debated, and exhaustively too before implementation. To underscore the feelings of many well-meaning Nigerians, we cannot afford to fail this time around. Policy represents a set of decisions taken in response to specific problem. Some good examples are the recent actions of President Obasanjo: the setting up of a panel to probe the human rights abuses since 1993; to probe abandoned projects since the mid-1970’s; the termination of the contracts and the major appointments made by the Abubakar military regime. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa is the chairman of the human rights panel, while Alhaji Iguda Inuwa is the chairman of the committee on abandoned projects. Let’s not neglect the present favorable and inviting period in Nigeria. Instead of gazing at each other with ‘suspicious or doubtful curiosity,’ let’s unite and expose those who have dragged us to the mud. The civil rights panel will identify the persons involved in the various abuses, the nature of the abuses, and the policy responsible. It will also recommend measures to ameliorate the problems and formulate strategies to forestall incidence of human rights abuses in the society in future. All these policy actions have drawn praises from within and outside Nigeria. However, all these probes will not have the desired effects if their recommendations are not implemented. Legal action, proper reparation, and exposure in the press may be the better ways to curb corruption, and moderate social discontent. Perhaps nothing frightens politicians more than chastisement in the press. President Obasanjo’s boldest policy decision so far has been the retirement of 149 political-senior military and police officers – an apparent purge of those who participated in the autocratic and atrocious regimes of Generals Babangida and Abacha. His spoke person, Doyin Okupe, was quoted as saying that â€Å"In future, all officers of our armed forces must recognize that the ultimate reward for participating or benefiting from coups will be premature or forced retirement from service in the minimum† (Cindy Shiner, June 16, 1999). Nevertheless, I would recommend death sentence as the minimum punishment for benefiting or participating in military coups in future, and for the politicians who should conspire with other government officials to loot the national treasury. There should be no sacred cows here. Any person found guilty after a due process should be given the stated punishment. The consistency and enforceability of this consequence will ensure discipline and professionalism in the Armed Forces. It will also guard against the excesses of our civilian politicians – many of whom are in office to acquire wealth illegally, and not to serve the public. In particular, this will ensure the survival of democracy, and an antidote to corruption in Nigeria. For the actions to be legitimate, the Congress should haste and insert the appropriate provisions in our constitution. Corruption is widely known as the bane of Nigeria. This construct, corruption, has been defined as â€Å"†¦a behavior which deviates from the formal duties of a public role because of private [gains] – regarding (personal, close family, private clique [cohorts], pecuniary or status gains; or violates rules against the exercise of certain types of [duties] for private [gains] – regarding influence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nye 1967, p.419). In fact, many writers have noted that it is probably the only viable industry in the society (Dike, forthcoming, August 1999). This covers â€Å"grand† corruption, at senior levels, and â€Å"petty† corruption, when junior officials take facilitation payments. The abysmal failure of military rule and our previous civilian administrations is associated with huge corruption in the state and the economy. Like other problems in the society, this essay cannot fully address the problem of corruption because of its limited focus. As Kofo Awosika pointed out in his recent piece â€Å"A President’s responsibilities†: â€Å"People are poor because they are being denied access to opportunities. People steal because they are hungry and destitute. People are hungry and destitute because they cannot earn wages. They have no wages because they have no work. They have no work because they have been retrenched. They have been retrenched because industries cannot cope with their wage bills. Industries can not cope with their wage bills because production costs have increased. Production costs have increased because our infrastructures have died. [The infrastructures have died because the funds meant for their upgrading, repairs, maintenance and installations of others meant for the common good end (up) in private pockets]† (The Guardian, June 17, 1999). President Olusegun Obasanjo must not stop at his first salvo. The people’s enthusiasm and interest in the administration should not be allowed to die down. He should establish a forum for people to voice out dissent on controversial issues in the society, and procedures under which ordinary citizens can sue for any infringement on their civil rights. More importantly, a general public sector reform is apropos. Reform here refers to large-scale and comprehensive change in the role, structure, values, staffing, or size of the public sector. This should also involve privatizing our ill-managed government corporations, and contracting out services in the domain of inefficient and corrupt corporations to the private sector for greater efficiency and accountability. International blueprint in the process could be adopted, but it should be adjusted to meet local conditions. The struggle for survival As psychology has noted, to redouble one’s efforts is a healthy response to an obstacle. For Nigeria to survive as a nation, we have to remain vigilant and intensify our efforts in areas of deficiency. And our ‘value-violators’ should be punished. In addition, our negative frame of references (e.g. the advance fee fraud – â€Å"419†) that are anchored in our social environment should be dismantled. We should be realistic in our struggle for survival, because the world is watching. President Obasanjo should wage war on ethnicity and nepotism, which are inimical to the unity of this great nation. This does not mean that groups would not retain their identity and work for their progress. But this should not be carried out in a manner that would undermine the unity and stability of the nation. And in future politicians who are pandering to ethnic interests should be rejected at the polling boot. It is imperative that Nigeria is re-structured into a mobile society; a nation where one could live in any state of his choice, secure employment at the state and local levels without limitations, and participate meaningfully in the affairs of the community of his abode (see Umez June 11, 1999). And ‘hard work, good skills and intelligence’ should be rewarded strictly on merits, without regard to ethnicity and religion. This will help to tame the dangerous trend of ‘brain-drain’ in the nation. It will also motivate people to give their undivided loyalty to the central government. At last, this will mean unity and the establishment of a common identity for Nigeria. But given Nigeria’s cultural diversity, this may not be an easy undertaking. Instead of setting up programs to encourage national unity, our leaders are dismantling or weakening the few programs that are in place. For instance, the recent reduction of the age group for prospective ‘youth service members’ from 30 years to 25 years by General Abubakar is a step toward scrapping the program. The National Youth Service Corps program was designed by General Yakubu Gowon after the civil war to foster national integration and reconciliation (The Post Express, June 11, 1999). One problem with our leaders is policy instability. We need more programs like the NYSC to facilitate and encourage inter-cultural interaction in the nation. President Obasanjo and his civilian administration should not allow this program to die. However, the program could be redesigned if it has not been achieving its purpose. The problem of secret cults or youth gangs in our tertiary institutions is a serious threat to the survival of Nigeria. Our universities have been turned into killing fields, instead of places of learning. The most recent incident was the killing of the principal assistant registrar at the Delta State University, Abraka (The Guardian of June 13, 1999). The congress should institute appropriate and enforceable laws against cult activities on university campuses. It is recognized that there are laws around to this effect. But these laws have either not been enforced, or they have not been effective. Unenforceable laws are only good on the book. The leader who can only give orders but cannot enforce them is not a leader by the standard of many societies. And to restore quality education in our educational institutions, the Congress and Prof. Tunde Adeniran (the recently appointed education minister), should increase funding for education and institute policies that will improve the low moral and motivation of professors and the support staff. Sound economic policies should also be instituted to diversify the nation’s mono-product economy. The diversification of the economy would help reduce Nigeria’s dependence on the outside world for her basic needs (food, etc), and lend credibility to claims that the country could someday join the ranks of superpowers. In particular, it will create employment for our burgeoning population. Among other measures to stimulate employment in the society is to give aid to state and local governments and accelerate public works. Our social problems (poverty, diseases, illiteracy, prostitution, crime, etc), are in one way or another related to the sour state of the economy. These things can all be done with proper leadership in Abuja. Economic development or growth (increase in an economy’s capacity to generate more goods and services) requires changes in human skills, attitudes, values – and people have to be formally educated; construct an economic infrastructure – basic transportation, communication, irrigation, and other power facilities; maximize agricultural productivity; increase capital accumulation – that is, tangible physical goods that will serve as means of production. These include machinery, technological innovations, buildings and equipment (Andrain 1975, pp.284-288). Therefore to survive, we need a strong ethic – to save and invest, not simply to consume; to develop sophisticated skills, with an educated and a highly motivated work force. As John Stuart Mill has said: â€Å"What a country wants to make it richer is never consumption, but production. Where there is the latter, we may be sure that there is no want of the former†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Mill, as cited in Bartlett 1981, pp.1-2). A democratic political system seems best suited to achieve this. Nigeria has been doing poorly in these areas, despite her enormous oil wealth. For our economic revival efforts to be successful, the civilian administration should axe those corrupt and inefficient managers of our public utilities and facilities – NEPA, NNPC, NIPOST, NITEL, the Refineries, the Ports, and other establishments that are the hub of our economy. How does one justify the payment of monthly salaries to the executives of these corporations that are not performing? No serious society can afford to do that. The salaries of our executives should be tied to their productivity – that is, the effectiveness of their policies. It is imperative to understand that the â€Å"underdevelopment of a country is the result of its deficient value system and economic structure† (Chirot 1977, pp.2-3). It is equally important to understand that the key social forces that have fostered democracy in the United States and other stable democratic nations are not yet in Nigeria. Our deficiencies are many; but we must have to give democracy a chance to survive in the society. For this, the present socioeconomic re-structuring in Nigeria should be pursued with speed and sincerity. Summary Leadership commitment is essential to the survival and progress of Nigeria. The people have an important role to play too. But the people’s commitment would be difficult to secure if the leaders who are calling on them for sacrifice do not themselves make any sacrifices. To stamp out corruption in the country, Nigerians should always elect or appoint people of probity to manage the affairs of the nation. This group must analyze each situation in the society critically, in order to determine appropriate target of change, who should be involve in the effort, and what method will most likely lead to the desired outcome. The majority of Nigerians are pleased with the initial policy actions of the civilian administration. Nevertheless, we should keep an eagle’s eye on the legislature, because some of them are corrupt. Nigeria still lives in the history of the future. The way our history will be written depends upon the extent to which and the manner in which we – leaders and the people – strive to shape our future. There is a lot of unknown in the society. But since we cannot foresee what the remote future has in store for us, we can only hope for a better tomorrow. Nigeria, the world is still watching! References Achebe, Chinua (1983);The Trouble with Nigeria, Enugu, Fourth Dimension Publishers, 1983, p.1. Akintoye, Seth, et al (June 13, 1999); â€Å"Cultists At Work Again In Varsities;† the Guardian, June 13, 1999. Allport, Gordon W. (1979); The Nature of Prejudice; 25th Anniversary Edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, p.507 Andrain, Charles F. (1975); Political Life and Social Change: An Introduction to Political Science, 2nd Edition, Duxbury Press, Belmont, California (1975); pp.284-288. Apter, David (1960); â€Å"The Role of Traditionalism in the Political Modernization of Ghana and Uganda,† World Politics, XII. Awosika, Kofo (June 17, 1999); â€Å"A president’s responsibilities;† the Guardian, June 17, 1999. Bienen, Henry (1993) â€Å"Leaders, Violence, and the Absence of Change in Africa† Political Science Quarterly Bartlett, Bruce (1981); Reaganomics: Supply Side Economics in Action. Arlington House Pub., 1981, pp.1-2. Bretton, Henry L. (1967); The Rise and Fall of Kwame Nkrumah. London: Pall Mall Press. Chirot, Daniel (1977); Social Change in the Twentieth Cenry; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New York, pp.2-3. Dike, Enwere (1990); â€Å"Nigeria: The Political Economy of Buhari Regime,† Nigeria Journal Of International Affairs, Vol. 16, No.2, pp.94-95. Dike, Victor (Forthcoming, August 1999); Leadership, Democracy, and the Nigerian Economy: Lessons from the Past and Directions for the Future.(Forthcoming) August 1999.