A Day and the Life of 9-11 Essay Example for Free

A Day and the Life of 9-11 Essay I remember the account like it was yesterday. It seems like any other morning I got up early with a reminder call from mom. (She work overnight) I head back down the hallway to the siblings room I wake up the boys first. They were always the hardest to wake up. â€Å"Time to get up†, I yelled like a screaking alarm clock as I jumped excitedly up and down the bed where they slept. All you can hear is the moan of the boys’ stops and pleading to get more sleep. Next stop back to my bed room where my dear little sister lays sleeping I walk up to the bed and shake hear and say time to get up. I politely give her a wake because never gives me trouble when it is time to get ready for school. I roll my eyes because those troublesome brothers of mine I know are not up out of that bed and I have to repeat the previous process and this time up each one out of the bed. While I spend time doing this my sister is up and at it she in the bathroom washing her face and brushing her teeth not having to be told what to do. In my thought I say I love that little girl. My brothers of course are moving in slow motions like a sloth in a tree. I am aggressively pushing them along and barking orders at them tell them what to do like a drill sergeant in the Army. â€Å"Wash your face†, â€Å"Brush your teeth† and â€Å"Make sure you brush your hair†. Now that I have gotten the boys up and moving I head to the kitchen to get breakfast going. Not long after finish the siblings start rolling in. My sister first so nice and chipper like she is skipping in a garden and picking flowers as she goes, how she can be that happy that early in the morning I will never understand. I finally boys come dragging their feet into the kitchen and flopping in a chair. Still grumbling about being up so early complaining about how I could have let them sleep longer. Now here is where the really trouble begins now that they are all in the same room. So now the brothers start to bother their little sister since the breakfast they are eating seems to miraculously give them a turbo boot of energy. All I can hear is â€Å"Stop leave me alone†, laughing and name calling going at the table behind me. See more:  Manifest Destiny essay My job as a big sister mother like role comes in to play; I turn to them and yell â€Å"Leave her alone before I start on yall!† Breakfast is all done now it is time to round up the troops and get them to the bus stop. Making sure they have their book bags and everything that goes in it. Once we have jackets and book bags on we make our venture up the winding driveway to the bus stop. After the bus arrives I head back down the driveway, and now have to get myself ready for school and head back down to the bus stop to get myself off to school. Now on the bus were take normal route and pickup kids. We head to the middle school to drop them off and now we head to the high school. While heading to the high school the bus driver received a call and was taking alternate route to drop us off at the school. We can see the route we normally take and there are cars backed up down the street. We thought that we had another bomb threat since that was kinda normal at our school. Once inside and we headed to homeroom we were told that planes had crashed into a building in New York. We turned on the news in the classroom because we wanted to know the details of what was going on. As we watched the news started report the approach of a second plane and we watched in real time the second plane crash into the second building. Not really understanding what was going on the new reports that it was a terrorist attack happening. Instantly it made since why we had to take a different route to school that day. Our school is Next to one of the biggest Army training bases. So of course the locked down the base no one in and no one out, which caused the traffic to back up around the school. The students reaction was mixed the students bombards the teacher with questions that at this time she had no answers for. Some student continues like it was nothing, other started crying knowing that they had loved ones that worked in those building. Many were sad because they knew that their mom and dad maybe deployed somewhere and would be gone for a long time. My reaction was why anyone would want to crash planes into these particular set of building, why would they risk their own lives doing so. While all of this was going on the intercom came on and announcing that the teacher turn off the television and try to continue the day as normal. In reality the day would not every be normal. We had so many unanswered questions. How could we continue the day like we had not seen what we seen or heard what we heard. Some teacher complied with the instruction others did not. One of the teacher found that it was important to have some clarification on what was going on. She began to tell us about what was being reported through the day. Since now it is almost time to go home there had been more progress on what had just happened that morning. She said that there had been a terrorist attack and the people they think is responsible were a Muslim group called Al Qaeda. My next thought was what Al Qaeda is and what did being Muslim have to do with it. I later learned that prior to September 11, 2001 the country moved along at its regular daily pace. Conflict and wars have been a component of the United States since the beginning of time. There are three sources conflict: human rights, global terrorism, and environmental problems. Many see terrorism as a way to hide greed, racism, and the conquests of power. Terrorism is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigations â€Å"as an unlawful use of force or violence against person or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives† (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2002-2005). Terrorism makes the statement that demands attention and affects every person in every country around the world. On that clear Tuesday morning; September 11, 2001, nineteen Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nat ions boarded four fully fueled American airliners. These airliners were set to depart to cities in California. Little did the staff for each of the planes or the people boarding them know that plans had changed. Within the space of an hour, al Qaeda wreaked more direct damage on the United States than the Soviet Union had done throughout the entire cold war, a tragedy seen by more people than any other event in history. (Bergen, 2006) Many questions were garnered after September 11, 2001. What caused this horrific attack and who’s to blame for it? Was this attack forecasted, could we have seen it coming and prevented it? What do we do now and how do we prevent it from happening again? People in America were terrified but at the same time came together in the face of tyranny. On September 11, 2001, nineteen militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda boarded and hijacked four American airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. At 8:45 a.m. an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a huge, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, immediately killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors. As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, eighteen minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767–United Airlines Flight 175–appeared out of the sky, turned abruptly toward the World Trade Center and sliced into the south tower near the 60th floor. The impact caused a massive explosion that rained down burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. It was at this point everyone knew America was under attack. (9/11 Attacks, 2012) As millions were watching the events unfold in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington, D.C., and crashed into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m. Jet fuel from the Boeing 757 caused a overwhelming firestorm that led to the structural collapse of a portion of the enormous concrete building. All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon, along with all 64 people aboard the airliner. (9/11 Attacks, 2012) It was initially thought that this plane was bound for the White House or the Capitol Building; however, because of lack of visibility coming from the west as it did objects obscured these targets making the terrorists change their plans and crash into the Pentagon. (Limbacher, 2001) Less than fifteen minutes after the attack on the Pentagon; things became much worse in New York. The south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed bringing a huge cloud of smoke and dust. The building that could withstand 200 miles per hour winds, could not withstand the heat of the burning jet fuel and eventually the structural steel buckled and collapsed. Within minutes the North tower fell to the same fate. Approximately 3,000 people were killed, both inside the buildings as well as people in the vicinity. An extremely large number of firefighters and paramedics (343), police officers (23), and Port Authority police officers (37) were killed while trying to complete an evacuation of the buildings. Only six people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of their collapse survived. (9/11 Attacks, 2012). During the time that the towers were collapsing, a fourth plane bound for San Francisco, CA was being hijacked. Due to this plane being delayed in taking off, the passengers on board learned of the events transpiring in New York City and Washington D.C. through the use of the Airfones and cell phone calls from relatives on the ground. Since the passengers knew that this plane was not bound for an airport they decided to take matters into their own hands. The passengers fought the four hijackers and are suspected to have attacked the cockpit with a fire extinguisher. The plane flipped over and sped toward the ground at a speed of upwards of 500 miles per hour, crashing in a rural field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m. All 45 people aboard were killed. Its initial target has never been completely determined; however, it is believed that it was bound for the White House, the U.S. Capitol, or one of several nuclear power plants along the eastern seaboard. (9/11 Attacks, 2012) The people aboard Flight 93 have been deemed heroes, as their actions that day saved possibly hundreds if not thousands of lives. After being transported around the country due to security concerns, President George W. Bush returned to the White House around 7 p.m. At 9 p.m. he addressed the United States from the Oval Office, affirming, â€Å"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. In a reference to the eventual U.S. military response he declared, We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. (9/11 Attacks, 2012) As a result of the attacks, America led an international operation to expel the Taliban command in Afghanistan and to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist cells based there. Operation Enduring Freedom began on October 7th 2001, and within two months U.S. forces had successfully overthrown and removed the Taliban from operational power. However, the war had to continue as U.S. and coalition forces attempted to expel a Taliban insurgency in neighboring Pakistan. Many of the al Qaeda’s top lieutenants were captured or killed, to include its bin Laden’s second in charge and the overall mastermind of the attacks Ayman al-Zawahiri. (McCarthy Luke Harding, 2002) Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda and financier of the September 11 attacks was able to escape U.S. forces until he was finally traced to a hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan and killed by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011. (9/11 Attacks, 2012) As Americans, when a tragedy like September 11, 2001 happens to us, our first reaction is obviously to be frightened. We then came together as a country much like we did after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Our next reaction is to ask questions; how did this happen, could we have avoided it happening, why did it happen, and how do we prevent it from happening again. There are many theories as to why 9/11 happened; however, we will never know for sure, we can only speculate based off information provided to us by our government and media. U.S. foreign policy is believed to be one of the most influential reasons for the attacks. Bin Laden opposed the United States support of Israel. The support that the U.S. gives to Israel especially Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982 triggered Bin Laden’s anti-Americanism. In 1980s his anti-Americanism took the form of boycotting U.S. goods. His hatred only grew by the export of 500,000 U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia after Saddam H ussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. (Bergen, 2006) Other possible reasons or causes for the attacks were a clash within Islam. Michael Scott Doran talked about 9/11 being a result of a conflict within the Muslim world in a Foreign Affairs essay, Somebody Else’s Civil War. Doran contended that Bin Laden’s followers consider themselves an island of true believers surrounded by a sea of immorality and think that the future of religion itself, and therefore the world depends on them and their battle. In particular, Egyptians in al Qaeda, such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, hold this view, inheriting it from Sayyid Qutb, who believed that most of the modern middle east is living in a state of pagan ignorance. The Egyptian jihadists believed that they should overthrow the near enemy-middle east regimes run by apostate rulers. Bin Laden took the next step, urging Zawahiri that the origin of the problem was not the near enemy but the far enemy, the US, which supported the status quo in the middle east. (Doran, 2002) Globalization and a desire to provoke the United States have been inferred by political analysts as possible motives for the attacks. Bernard Lewis wrote a book called The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. He is the best-known advocate of the idea that the Muslim world is in a crisis largely attributable to centuries of decline, represented by the fate of the once powerful Ottoman Empire and its humiliating carve-up by the British and French after the First World War. Lewis also contends that the problems of the Middle East were later compounded by the introduction of two western ideas; socialism and a worldly Arab nationalism. Neither of them delivered on their assurances of creating wealthy and impartial societies. (Lewis, 2003) Three weeks after 9/11, as the US began launching air strikes against Taliban positions, a video of Bin Laden sitting on a rocky ridge was broadcast on Al-Jazeera. On the tape, Bin Laden stated, What America is tasting now is something insignificant compared to what we have tasted for scores of years. The Islamic world has been tasting this humiliation and this degradation for 80 years Neither America nor the people who live in it will dream of security before we live in it in Palestine, and not before the infidel armies leave the land of Muhammad. Bin Laden accentuated the humiliation of the Muslim world and the negative effect of US policies in the Middle East thus agreeing with Bernard Lewis’ statements in his book. (Bergen, 2006) Obviously one of the most defining negative impacts of 9/11 was the amount of lives lost on September 11, 2001; as well as the number of lives still in jeopardy as a result of the â€Å"War on Terror†. The 9/11 attack killed 2,973 people, including Americans and foreign nationals but excluding the terrorists. (U.S. deaths in Iraq, war on terror surpass 9/11 toll, 2006) Since the beginning of the Afghan War (Operation Enduring Freedom) in 2001 up to the current day, there have been 2,104 U.S. servicemen and women who have lost their lives. That number includes both combat deaths as well as military suicides that occurred in Afghanistan. (Suarez, 2012) Although the War in Iraq was not directly linked to 9/11, the attacks help jump start that war since the initial reasoning for going to war was Iraq harboring terrorists and having a surplus of weapons of mass destruction. The total number of American soldiers that have been killed to date as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom is 4486 lives. (Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, 2012) The â€Å"Patriot Act† could be looked upon as a positive outcome of the 9/11 attacks. The â€Å"Patriot Act† was appropriately blatant. Before 9/11, soldiers were considered the â€Å"patriots†; units like Special Forces were considered to be the tip of freedom. Now the FBI and prosecutors were to have that same privilege, the same authorization to hunt down enemies without much oversight or interference. When it was signed into law six weeks after the attacks, the act made it easier to wiretap American citizens suspected of cooperating with terrorism, to investigate business records without notification, and to execute search warrants without immediately informing the targets. Privileges once set aside for overseas intelligence work were extended to domestic criminal investigations. There was less judicial oversight and very little transparency. The bill’s symbolism mattered also, signaling that the moral deference previously given to the Special Forces would be extended until it incorporated much of the apparatus of the American state. (Wallace-Wells, 2011) There are some that feel that Americans civil rights have been violated since 9/11. The ACLU for instance, they disagree with the principles of the Patriot Act. They summarized that â€Å"The Patriot Act† enormously and unconstitutionally expanded the government’s power to interfere in people’s private lives with little or no evidence of wrongdoing. Years after its enactment, there is little evidence to prove that the Patriot Act has made America more secure from terrorists. But there are many unfortunate examples that the government abused these authorities in ways that both violated the rights of innocent people and misspent precious security resources.† (Dean, 2011) September 11, 2001 will be a day that stays in every Americans memory as one of the most tragic days in American history. It was a day where hijackers boarded planes, flew them into our buildings and murdered thousands of Americans. Even though as a country we prevailed in the War on Terror as well as the War in Iraq, we will continue to feel the negative impacts of this day. One definite positive outcome is that every American citizen remembered what it was to be an American citizen and to treasure the freedom that we have. To all the Americans that lost their lives on that day and all the soldiers that continue to fight for our freedom at home and abroad; We Will Never Forget You. Work Cited U.S. deaths in Iraq, war on terror surpass 9/11 toll. (2006, September 3). Retrieved from CNN.com: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/03/death.toll/ 9/11 Attacks. (2012). Retrieved from The History Channel: http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. (2012). Retrieved from icasualties.org: http://icasualties.org/ Bergen, P. (2006). What Were the Causes of 9/11? New America Foundation. Dean, J. (2011, September 9). Reflections on the 9/11 Atttacks Lasting Impact on America, and American Law. Retrieved from Verdict: http://verdict.justia.com/2011/09/09/reflections-on-the-911-attacks-lasting-impact-on-america-and-american-law Doran, M. S. (2002, February). Somebody Elses Civil War. Retrieved from Foreign Affairs: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/57618/michael-scott-doran/somebody-elses-civil-war Lewis, B. (2003). The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. New York: Modern Library, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of a division of Random House, Inc. Limbacher, C. (2001, September 16). Cheney: Pentagon Plane was Headed for White House. Retrieved from Newsmax.com: http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/9/16/131111.shtml McCarthy, R., Luke Harding. (2002, February 17). Bin Ladens Number 2 Said Captured In Iran. Retrieved from Rense.com: http://rense.com/general20/cap.htm Suarez, R. (2012, August 24). U.S. Military Death Toll in Afghan War Reaches New Milestone. Retrieved from PBS News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec12/afghanistan_08-24.html Wallace-Wells, B. (2011, August 27). Patriot Act. The kitchen-sink approach to national security.

The Welcome Table vs Country Lovers Essay Example for Free

The Welcome Table vs Country Lovers Essay Have you ever experienced discrimination and/or racism? It is my belief that, sadly, most of us have; for this paper I have chosen to compare and contrast the literary works, â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker, and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer. Both of these literary pieces give the reader awareness of the pain and suffering endured by the two African-American characters that were subject to racial discrimination and the superior mentality of those that participated in the discrimination. Discrimination and racism is the core issue in both of these short stories; I will address the subject of racism in various ways. A similarity of both short stories is that the narrator reveals the characters through observation which means both stories are told in the third-person omniscient point of view. I will explore how the narrator drew me in when reading each of the stories. I can relate to to each through experiences in my lifes journey, and will explore those emotions a bit as well. The stories authors will also be compared and contrasted and compared. â€Å"The Welcome Table† Storyline â€Å"The Welcome Table† story was intriguing to me because the author describes the old woman as one who does not have emotional ties with the people around her. â€Å"The Welcome Table† theme is racism. I was moved deeply by The Welcome Table, in which an old, dying black woman is evicted by bodily force from a white church, but then meets-up with Jesus on the highway. I believe the old woman is bitter from the days she was a slave to the white people. Because of this, it appears she has focused only on Jesus for some time now; she knows it will soon be time to join Him. The old woman in the story is a spiritual woman, but bitter, and is so looking forward to her day of meeting with her Lord Jesus Christ, it appears she cares little about anything else at this point in her life. For example, in â€Å"The Welcome Table†: â€Å"The old woman stood with eyes uplifted in her Sunday–go–to–meeting clothes: high shoes polished about the tops and toes, a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from the many oily pigtails underneath. Perhaps she had known suffering. There was a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue–brown eyes. But for those who searched hastily for reasons in that old tight face, shut now like an ancient door, there was nothing to be read. And so they gazed nakedly upon their own fear transferred; a fear of the black and the old, a terror of the unknown as well as of the deeply known. Some of those who saw her there on the church steps spoke words about her that were hardly fit to be heard, others held their pious peace; and some felt vague stirrings of pity, small and persistent and hazy, as if she were an old collie turned out to die.†. â€Å"Country Lovers† Storyline The â€Å"Country Lovers† storyline was captivating as well; the theme is racism also. In this story the characters are young; â€Å"Country Lovers† follows the evolving relationship between a white, well to do farm-owners son, Paulus, and the black daughter of a farm-worker, Thebedi. â€Å"Country Lovers† is set in South Africa, and focuses greatly on the product of the star-crossed lovers union. Example in â€Å"Country Lovers†: â€Å"For the first time since he was a small boy he came right into the kraal. It was eleven oclock in the morning. The men were at work in the lands. He looked about him, urgently; the women turned away, each not wanting to be the one approached to point out where Thebedi lived.† Apartheid Regime At the time this story happens, South Africa was under a strict apartheid regime. The white population of South Africa was in charge of the country, and even though they were the minority they oppressed the rest of the inhabitants, mostly the black population. In â€Å"Country Lovers†, we see how distinct the differences between blacks and white were. The fact that Paulus was found ‘not guilty’ of murder, even though there was enough evidence against him, shows how the white people protected each other at all costs. The story also tells how the white children get to go to school, while the black children are not considered when it comes to education. In my opinion, you have to know something about the apartheid period in South Africa in order to understand the short story fully. The educational value is definitely present. And TodayDiverse Opinions â€Å"In post-apartheid South Africa we speak about race extensively. It permeates our workplace, weaves a thread through the fabric of our professional and personal lives, as well as our private conversations and public interactions with others. From within psychoanalytic theory, the thread weaves through the unknown content of our radicalized unconscious. When there is a focus on race in the South African psychoanalytic context it largely takes the form of the struggle to articulate the complexities of working with difference, as Swartz notes, or the struggle to map out issues of race. Such struggles are not localized in South Africa, but strongly reflect a much broader struggle within the global psychoanalytic community, as mirrored in the expanding focus on race.† (Knight, Z. G. (2013)) â€Å"Fourteen years after apartheid, is the ideal of a rainbow nation fading? Not at all. South Africa has come a long way since the days of institutional racism. Its transition to democracy has been remarkably smooth, set against the countrys bitter past. You hear of few incidents of racially motivated violence. The vast majority of South Africans want a non-racial democracy that respects peoples differences. There are laws to punish unfair discrimination, and black economic empowermenta positive-discrimination policyseeks to redress past injustice.† (Knight, Z. G. (2013)) Theme and Characters As you can see already, there are many differences, but there is but one meaningful theme in both stories, racism. In â€Å"The Welcome Table† the main character is an old woman, ready to meet her maker; it is apparent the pain the woman has endured throughout her life just by the description of the condition of her appearance, â€Å"beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather†, the condition of her clothing items â€Å"a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from many oily pigtails underneath†, and the emptiness conveyed by her to the outsiders â€Å"a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue brown eyes.†. The descriptiveness, the symbolism drew me in when reading this story. Racism and Spirituality Black liberation theology is a theological perspective found in some Christian churches in the United States which contextualizes Christianity in an attempt to help African-Americans overcome oppression. Black liberation theology seeks to liberate people of color from multiple forms of political, social, economic, and religious subjugation and views Christian theology as a theology of liberation- a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential situation of an oppressed community, relating the forces of liberation to the essence of the Gospel, which is Jesus Christ, writes James Hal Cone, one of the original advocates of the perspective. African-American theology has come from biblical faith to cultural captivity dogmatic texts from the patristic period to the Reformation. Dogma is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true Theme and Characters In â€Å"Country Lovers†, the main characters are young, and see the beauty in life for a time. I sympathize more with Thebedi throughout the story; I believe she leaves herself vulnerable when she chooses to give herself to Paulus; I believe him to know more what the outcome of their relationship will be; I believe she secretly wants for her lover to be with her and their child. I see women to be more unrealistic because of their deep emotional attachments. I believe Paulus was a bit full of himself as well. He is heartless to call the baby it, and then to kill her himself? In both stories, there is the knowledge of racism by the characters, but in â€Å"The Welcome Table†, although the old woman is aware, she does not consider what others will think at this point, and in â€Å"Country Lovers†, the threat of what others may think means very much. Heart-breaking Realities In both stories I see the reality of broken-hearts. In â€Å"The Welcome Table† the old woman has been through much because of racism in her day; in â€Å"Country Lovers†, the heart-break is just beginning. Both stories are culturally rich, but in diverse ways. While â€Å"Country Lovers† tells of how it is acceptable to test the waters to see if your wife to be is able to bare your fruit, â€Å"The Welcome Table† implies that the old woman was accepted as grandma or auntie when raising a white mans children, but when it came to entering their church there was no acceptance what-so-ever. To me, these short stories have very different endings. The ending in â€Å"Country Lovers† was absolutely heart-breaking compared to the ending of â€Å"The Welcome Table†, which had a rather happy ending in my way of thinking. Authors Many authors have written essays, stories, and poems about negative judgmental and biased views of people in hopes to understand unfair treatment towards mankind and promote changes in human behavior that will bring solutions of peace. These authors are no different; both authors have been rewarded many honorary awards for promoting peace. Ironically, Nadine Gordimer is a white woman born and raised in South Africa and Alice Walker is an African-American from Eatonton, Georgia, but both authors have kindred spirits and are celebrated for their commitments to fight racism. These authors have a twenty year age difference, and have experienced racism in very diverse ways, in their very diverse lives. Nadine Gordimer grew-up in a privileged family, while Alice Walker grew-up poor. Her mother worked as a maid to help support the familys eight children, while Nadine Gordimer is an only child, whose mother imagined her to be ill, weak, throughout her childhood. Both authors began writing at an early age, each for different reasons I believe. Alice Walker started writing age eight, and Nadine Gordimer at nine. Alice Walker, who also wrote The Color Purple, started writing after listening to her grandfathers stories, who was the inspiration for Mr. in The Color Purple; With my family, I had to hide things, she said. And I had to keep a lot in my mind.. Nadine Gordimers first writings were that of apartheid on the lives of South Africans; Gordimer witnessed government repression firsthand when still a teenager; the police raided her family home, confiscating le tters and diaries from a servants room. Personal Thoughts and Feelings on Racism I have had mostly bi-racial amorous relationships in my lifetime; I am Caucasian, and my romantic relationships have been with African-American and Hispanic men. Even in this day and age I believe many people frown on this. Many of the people of either race whole-heartily approves of this in my opinion. The struggle to eliminate racism from our world is an important one. Understanding what it is, understanding the key role it plays in dividing people, and how to challenge it, in ourselves and others, is central to our understanding of how oppression works and how, ultimately, we can free all humanity from it. Racism is ignorance. There are no rational conflicts of interest between any peoples on this planet. There is not rational need for the artificial borders that have been erected over the years to separate different groups of humans. All people deserve an equal share in and access to food, shelter, education, health care and the other necessities of life. The false divisions created by racism only serve the short-term interests of systems which constantly try to divide us and distract us from seeing the underlying economic exploitation that feeds greed. Some have minds that are full of misinformation and confusions about people who have a skin color that is different to our own. Many have been left with irrational fears about countless aspects of other peoples’ and their cultures. The Solution? Nadine Gomier and Alice Walker both wrote what they lived; both stories are laced with racism and discrimination. Where does the solution to this basic human problem lie? The simple answer is in helping people consider an alternate course of action. How? Here is where it gets complex. Let me present several complementary models. First, a basic premise: Racism in its essence is the refusal to accept the other as an equal. To do so, one will have to share in the societal rewards of social wealth, political power, and structural privilege. If racism has nothing to do with biology, but has everything to do with socially structured beliefs and behavior, then it can also be socially unlearned and unstructured. How people proceed, however, depends on how they see themselves when confronted with evil. The great Karl Marx spoke of â€Å"the haves and the have nots†; I see that to be very accurate still today. In â€Å"The Welcome Table and â€Å"country Lovers We cannot change yesterday, and we cannot predict tomorrow, but we can live today. So, do not allow anyone to make you feel less than or hurt you.

Animal Testing Pros and Cons Essay

Animal Testing Pros and Cons Essay 1.0 Introduction The Greeks believed that animals were a lesser form of life because animals could not think like humans did. Furthermore, this thought was continued by Christians who claimed that animals were less significant because they had no soul (Vivisection, 2002). Animal testing is the use of live animals for research in order to better understand the effect of certain substances towards human health. This application has been widely carried out in many industries. Numerous animals have been used for animal testing, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and mice. The issue of animal testing has become a worldwide focus these days due to arguments brought up by those who are against animal experimentation. Unquestionably, the practice of animal experimentation has increased tremendously compared to the past. According to Shandilya (2008), it is estimated that 20 million animals are used for animal experimentation yearly for the purpose of medicine and for testing other products. Findings from studies indicate that less than 10 percent of pure psychological researches use animals as test subjects, which do not include animal subjects used for cross-over medical experimentation (American Psychological Association, n.d., cited in Harding, L. , 2001). However, there are some who state that animal experiments are cruel and immoral, besides violating an animals rights. This has caused many individuals to agree with the movements of anti-vivisection organisations due to brutal treatment towards animals. Although there are laws regarding animal testing enforcing the reduction in the use of animals for vivisection, opponents of animal experimenting are still debating about the subject of legalizing it. If we view this subject from a broader perspective, it can be seen that animal testing should be legalized as it aids scientist in the discoveries of new drugs and treatments to make health and medicine better, an animals life does not hold as much value as a humans, and it is the most precise way to find out the effects of substances on a living organism. This research paper will explain why animal testing should be legalized. Research findings are confined to the United States of America, since the subject of animal testing is highly debated there and the progress of this issue in the US is relative to other countries.   2.1 Animal testing helps in the development of drugs and treatments. Currently, humans are often exposed to various diseases which are life threatening, which includes existing diseases or new forms of diseases due to mutations and changes in the environment. Hence, researchers are working hard in finding cures for all these illnesses. From here, it can be seen that animal testing is essential in the sustenance of human health. Animals will be used to study the effect of newly invented drugs, whether it will help in curing the disease. Speaking of the positive outcomes of animal testing, this includes the development of new medicine and treatments. Derbyshire (2004) mentioned that many medical advances used animal testing; dogs were used to develop the production of insulin, whereas primates were utilized in the manufacture of a powerful anti-rejection drug, cyclosporine. Besides this, discoveries of various vaccines have evolved through animal experimentation. From here, it can be seen that animal testing can guide us to discoveries of new knowledge about living organisms. Many drugs have been invented to fulfill the aim of remedying diseases. However, the side effects of newly invented drugs remain unknown. Therefore, animal testing allows the evaluation of the danger of drugs before being used upon humans which will greatly reduce the risk before any human based trials are carried out (About Animal Testing, n.d.). Drugs that are tested safe can then be used to save millions of valuable human lives. The future of medical science still relies on animal testing, and this clearly shows a need in legalizing animal testing. There are some people who claim that the effects of drugs tested on animals may not be the same to humans. Arthritis drug Vioxx, which caused 140 000 heart attacks and strokes in United States of America, was withdrawn from the global market even though it appeared to be safe when tested in animals (Archibald, 2004). However, scientists have proven that animals are extremely alike to humans and experiments done on them would produce similar results obtained through future human experiments (About Animal Testing, n.d.). Hence, carrying out animal testing on drugs would improve the quality of human life indirectly. Therefore, to sum it all up, animal testing should be legalized because it assists researchers in medical treatments besides drugs discovery, improves health and medicine and is able to test the safety of drugs. Alternatives of animal testing are not as plausible as they are not as accurate as the results obtained from tests conducted upon animals. Hence, animal testing should be encouraged instead of being suppressed. 2.2 The importance of human lives is given priority over animal lives. Differences existing between humans and animals cause animals to receive treatments which are different and unequal although both of them are alive. As animals differ from humans as they do not have conscience, they are considered inferior to humans when it comes to the value of life. Seeing that the lives of humans are viewed as more valuable than animal lives, animals will have to be sacrificed in animal experimentation. The pros and cons of animal testing were debated with both sides being able to produce solid reasons for their stands. From the view of sentiency, it is mentioned that all living things are morally equivalent. However, the lives of humans are superior over the lives of animals (Garner, 2005). Authorities have to make a choice between the welfare of humans and the welfare of animals. Which one is more important, the life of a human or the life of an animal? As Archibald (2004) points out, most people are willing to sacrifice the lives of animal in animal testing to save human lives. Even though human welfare is the main concern, the welfare of an animal is still taken into account by minimizing the suffering of animals when conducting animal experimentations. The Animal Welfare Act had been formed and reviewed constantly to protect animals and decrease the number of vivisections carried out (Monamy, 2000). Every experiment involving the usage of animals is normally administered with anesthesia. In conjunction with this, the experiments will not be repeated or animals used will be euthanized when brutal treatment is involved. Animal testing can be accepted as it allows the improvement of human life quality without the suffering of animals (Garner, 2005). Those who are against animal testing argued that animals have the right to live peacefully. Animal testing is regarded as unkind treatment towards animals as it violates animal rights as their lives are valuable as well (Le Fanu, 2003). Nevertheless, their arguments are weak because animals lack the sense of judgment, and therefore are not subjected to moral claims and animal rights (Cohen, 1986). Hence, they cannot be compared with human life. As long as the animal is experimented upon without pain, the welfare of the animal is not violated. Therefore, it is acceptable to legalize the activity of animal testing as human life should be prioritized. Although there are many who are against animal experimentation, the points asserted are not h3 enough to discontinue the activity of animal testing. Supporters of animal testing affirm that animals should not have equal rights with humans as both of these cannot be compared. Animals lack the sense of judgment, thus human lives always come first before animal lives. Animals are considered to be protected as long as animals receive minimum amount of suffering. So animal testing should be legalized in order to save more human lives. 2.3 Animal testing is helpful for studying the effects of substances. Many new chemical substances are produced every year to meet the demand of the global market such as in agriculture, medicine and cosmetic products. The credits should be given to animal testing. The effect of that particular substance has been studied to produce countless helpful products. This can increase the longevity of humans besides improving the human standard of living. By conducting experiments on animals, the researcher can gain invaluable information from the living specimen. Winston (2006) mentioned that 70% of the Nobel prizes for physiology or medicine are contributed from animal testing. Hence, it is clearly shown that by performing researches on animals by studying the effects of a substance can bring a huge impact upon the world. The discovery of knowledge will be delayed or remain undiscovered if animal testing is not carried out. As stated by Le Fanu (2003), primates offer the best experimental models as they have 99% similarity in genes with humans. Animal testing can be carried out on primates to ensure the safety of some drugs before being tested on humans. The chance for both organisms exhibiting the same effect is high due to the similarity of their genes. This in turn can reduce the risks faced by humans when commencing the trials. Hence, animals are good tools for learning the effects of various substances. In spite of this, people who are in opposition to animal testing argue that it must not be legalized just because animal experimentation leads to medical breakthroughs and the outcome is more rewarding. This statement is insufficient to justify the drawbacks of animal testing (Derbyshire, 2004). On the other hand, it is proven that the beneficial outcome outweighs its drawbacks, so it is rational to legalize the activity of animal testing. Without studying the effects of substances using animal testing, most of the major vaccines against disease like polio, rubella and hepatitis B used today would not exist (Derbyshire, 2004). New drugs undergo in vitro research, computer modeling and animal testing before being tested on humans. Thus, every step is vital in this process of studying the effects before a drug is introduced into the market. In short, the effects of a substance can be study by carrying out animal testing which can provide invaluable information besides the anatomy of some animals are similar to humans. Even though animal experimentation its disadvantages, there are still many benefits that can gain by carrying out animal testing. Thus, legalization of animal testing must be accepted. Moreover, it can be a good tool for education and research purposes. 3.0 Recommendation Normally, the usage of animals for animal testing delineated as cruelty towards animals and should not be legalized. However, it is impossible to ban the practice of animal experimentation due to the benefits brought by animal research towards mankind. Animal testing is a noble action to sustain the welfare of humans. Since the practice of animal testing cannot be stopped, the welfare of animals can only be protected by another approach. The principle of Three Rs, that is refinement, reduction and replacement can be practiced. The researchers are pledged to reduce the number of animals used when performing a research. To use the least number of resources to obtain the fastest results, researchers have the tendency of using a smaller number of animals during their research. This is an act that showed the willingness of mankind to reduce the cruelty towards the animals. Besides this, scientists were asked to lessen the degree of suffering of the animal. This can be attained by exclude some needless harmful actions involving the animals. Lastly, alternative methods should be used whenever possible to replace the usage of animal testing (Derbyshire, 2006). For instance, the welfare of animals can be secured by doing so. The practice of animal experimentation should compromise between the welfare of humans and animals so that harmony can be achieved. Animal experimentation still can be practiced, and the laws should be strictly enforced so that it is not violated by irresponsible people. 4.0 Conclusion Due to the increased usage of animal testing, the issue of animal experimentation is getting highly debated and remains relentless. After examining several points, it has revealed that animal testing should be legalized as it helps in the progress of medicine and health, human life is more valuable than animal life, and helps to learn the outcome of a substance on a living organism. Day by day, anti-vivisectionists try to rule out animal testing by looking at this issue from the animals point of view. Concurrently, supporters of animal experimentation were able to refute their arguments, by claiming the welfare of humans should always come first before animals. They viewed the subject of animal testing from a broader perspective and the long term advantages that come from animal experimentation. Life is never perfect, some sacrifices have to make to achieve success for a better future. Nonetheless, animal research should be carried out as its advantages are more significant than the disadvantages.

George Orwell, Book Jacket :: essays research papers

Eric Arthur Blair, known as George Orwell, was born in 1903 near Nepal in the Indian Village Moithari. "This is exactly what he tried to do: he tried to change himself from Eric Blair, old Etonian and English colonial policemen, into George Orwell, classless antiauthoritarian." (www.k-1.com) His two most famous work were Animal Farm(1943) and 1984(1946). Other books he has written have been Why I Write, Road to Wigan Pier, Down and Out(which was almost destroyed), Burmese Days, The Clergyman's Daughter, Homage to Catalonia, and Coming up for Air. In 1944 George Orwell and his then wife, Elieen O 'Shaughnessy, adopted a child. A year after hi wife died during an operation. In 1946, the same year he wrote 1984 and was also very ill, he married Sonia Bronwell. He says 1984 was so gloomy because of his illness. He died in January 1950 on the island of Jura off the Scottish Coast. Eric Arthur Blair, known as George Orwell, was born in 1903 near Nepal in the Indian Village Moithari. "This is exactly what he tried to do: he tried to change himself from Eric Blair, old Etonian and English colonial policemen, into George Orwell, classless antiauthoritarian." (www.k-1.com) His two most famous work were Animal Farm(1943) and 1984(1946). Other books he has written have been Why I Write, Road to Wigan Pier, Down and Out(which was almost destroyed), Burmese Days, The Clergyman's Daughter, Homage to Catalonia, and Coming up for Air. In 1944 George Orwell and his then wife, Elieen O 'Shaughnessy, adopted a child. A year after hi wife died during an operation. In 1946, the same year he wrote 1984 and was also very ill, he married Sonia Bronwell. He says 1984 was so gloomy because of his illness. He died in January 1950 on the island of Jura off the Scottish Coast. Eric Arthur Blair, known as George Orwell, was born in 1903 near Nepal in the Indian Village Moithari. "This is exactly what he tried to do: he tried to change himself from Eric Blair, old Etonian and English colonial policemen, into George Orwell, classless antiauthoritarian." (www.k-1.com) His two most famous work were Animal Farm(1943) and 1984(1946). Other books he has written have been Why I Write, Road to Wigan Pier, Down and Out(which was almost destroyed), Burmese Days, The Clergyman's Daughter, Homage to Catalonia, and Coming up for Air.

A War America Could have Won :: American America History

A War America Could have Won North Vietnam was battling for ownership of South Vietnam, so they could be a unified communist nation. To prevent the domino effect and further spread of communism, the USA troops in 1965 went into action against the Viet Cong until 1975. Not only did the greatest superpower in the world get bested by a third world nation, but also lost badly. Perhaps this war could have been won, or prevented in the first place. The USA could have and should have won this war, with a combination of better weapons usage, better tactics and better support from their home country. The First American combat troops in Vietnam landed at Da Nang in 8 March 1965 to defend the air base. With the exception of the nuclear weapon, every piece of equipment in America's mighty arsenal was used in the war. The USA President Lyndon Johnson said "Our goal was to deter and diminish the strength of the North Vietnamese aggressors and try to convince them to leave South Vietnam alone"#. Johnson limited the conflict to an air war at first, hoping to pound away and push the Viet Cong into giving in. He used planes such as the B-52 bomber to try to win the war as quickly as possible. So he unleashed a continuous bombing raid on North Vietnam. This was the raid known as 'Operation Rolling Thunder'. American scientist created an array of ultra-sensitive devices to detect the army. THE B-52 dropped bombs in large amounts of the defoliating gas, Agent Orange. Hundreds of millions of acres of jungle were destroyed and even fields of rice paddies were poisoned because of Agent Orange. Agent Orange was supposed to eliminate the Viet Cong's advantageous hiding places, but it only turned the people the American's were fighting for against them even more. Yet another type of bomb was used. Napalm was also another mistake. By using a flammable jelly to literally burn up all of North Vietnam, the USA not only killed more civilians than soldiers, but also raised several ethnical questions. Weighing the consequences of using weapons such as napalm and Agent Orange, the USA quite possibly could have won the Vietnam War completely through the use of air power. More tonnage of ordinance was dropped in any given week during Vietnam than during all other wars in the history of the world combined.

Measure for Measure Essay: Private Temptation and Social

Private Temptation and Social Restraint in Measure for Measure      Ã‚   In his play, Measure for Measure, Shakespeare poses problems of law, justice, and personal freedom for which he offers no easy answers. Measure for Measure is very relevant to current political debates over public morality and the limits of self-expression. The play proposes the question: How do we reconcile social restraint and personal passion?    The Vienna of Measure for Measure, under the rule of Duke Vincentio, is a garden gone to seed. Permissiveness, corruption, and debauchery have choked out healthy growth in the absence of prudent cultivation. The play's climate of disillusionment finds modem resonance in the cynicism of the youth of today.    The play opens with the Duke preparing for a hasty yet deliberately ambiguous departure. Appointing morally impeccable Angelo as his replacement, the Duke passes over ice, a wise old judge named Escalus. But in a the obvious choice, play preoccupied with tests of character, it is appropriate that the city's most self righteous official undergoes the severest validation of his integrity. What follows is a drama of seduction. Angelo is tempted by the sins he condemns most harshly, sins, that release, him from the custody of his repressed desires. The Duke, who travels undercover to observe the effects of his lax rule, cautions Angelo in a manner suggesting his suspicion of the seductive power of authority. He is clearly interested in whether power will alter Angelo. Having failed himself to enforce the law, the Duke would, nevertheless, have Angelo be wary of the terrible power of judgment. He - advises his surrogate to fuse his personal values - what he believes in his heart with his public judg... ...characters. The play, like the Duke, makes a plea for tolerance, drawing on the biblical injunction that underlies its title: "Judge not that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."    Works Cited and Consulted: Geckle, George L. ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Measure for Measure. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1970. McLuskie, Kathleen. "Political Criticism and Shakespeare: King Lear and Measure for Measure" in Political Shakespeare: New Essays in Cultural Materialism, ed. Dollimor, Jonathan and Alan Sinfield. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1985, 88-108. Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure, ed. Brian Gibbons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Watts, Cedric. Measure for Measure. London: Penguin, 1986.

Accounting for Decistion Makers Essay

The Question: Charlie and Maribelle Brown have owned and operated a retail furniture store for more than 20 years. They have employed an independent CPA during this time to prepare various sales tax, payroll tax, and income tax returns, as well as financial statements for themselves and the bank from which they have borrowed money from time to time. They are considering selling the store but are uncertain about how to establish an asking price. Prepare a brief written answer (no more than a couple of paragraphs) about what type of information is likely to be included in the material prepared by the CPA that may help the Browns establish an asking price for the store. Assignment #1 Reviewing the past and present financial statements prepared by their CPA, would allow the Browns to trend historical data such as cash flow and cost of operations. This, coupled with the current and projected economic climate as well as current and projected cost of living, would help the Browns to understand how much they spend to keep their business running as well as how much they’ve profited over time. Although the information provided in the financial statements is not a concrete indicator, it is a good gauge of how the Browns’ business will perform in the future. Unless major economic changes or other unforeseen circumstances occur, historical performance often tends to remain constant. The Browns would be able to use most of the information provided by their CPA to determine a fair asking price for their retail furniture store.