Morality and Society Essay - 1295 Words

â€Å"Man is a moral being, only because he lives in society. Let all social life disappear and morality will disappear with it† – Emile Durkheim The statement that has been put forward by Emile Durkheim is valid in many ways, and I do believe it is agreeable. A person’s character or the guidelines that lead him through life are impacted by society. Not only are we put on a certain path by society, but we are set out to achieve the perception of what is truly right. Also right can be objectified in many ways, yet that which separates moral from immoral is society itself. Without it we will never know how to deal with life’s encounters. At a very young age we decide to follow a set of rules that have been put forward by the people around us,†¦show more content†¦However with social relationships come stress and other negative outcomes. For a person’s well-being, it is important to maintain healthy relationships with each other. Despite the significance of maintaining such a relationship, people have been detached to each other due to problems such as political upheaval and peer pressure. People occ upy themselves with politics so that they can fight for something they believe in, without the realization that a part of the society we live in is in complete disagreement to what they believe is right. Thus due to this they get completely disconnected with the other side of the society. It is not uncommon to have different views, it is not only in this society, but it exists all around the world. But not being able to find common ground on an issue that affects everyone is going to make it hard to form decisions in the long run. Mostly people involve themselves in such activities so that they can take part in what is in trend or when they are pushed in to that direction. According to a recent research done by mathematician Professor Ernesto Estrada, peer pressure among people in any social group has been in effect and it helps shape decisions (2013). According to his research individuals have interconnectedness in accordance to peer pressure. It manipulates groups of people to trust others without the realization that they areShow MoreRelatedMorality And Its Effect On Society855 Words   |  4 Pagesacquire morality. Some say that morality is a learned behavior, and others contribute human morality to a view of fairness, or unfairness. I believe that morality is declining in our society, and its decline has a negative effect on society. Does the passing of time change morality or will society change with the passing of time? We can seek the answer to that question by exploring different aspects of our s ociety to determine if a decline of morality has any negative effect on our society. SpecificallyRead MoreMorality And Its Effect On Society1474 Words   |  6 PagesMorality is compatible with politics, for it is the people who create politics and in them rest morals. Morality itself rest in the individual, and as such is interpreted in various ways; when put together it is only natural that the definition of morality as a whole is simplified and thus individual interpreting is compromise and also, a consensus is reached. As discussed in the â€Å"Apology† and elaborated in â€Å"Crito,† Socrates’ stance is moral in nature but is in line with politics, in relation toRead MoreMorality And Its Effect On Society1196 Words   |  5 PagesA utilitarian can prove that punishment is moral because it will reduce crime, it will give satisfaction to society, and it will deter other potential offenders. Punishment involves the deliberate infliction of suffering on an offender for a violation they caused such as a crime they did. Since punishment involves inflicting a pain or suffering to a criminal similar to an offender inflicts pain on his victim, it has generally been agreed that punishment requires moral justification. UtilitarianismRead MoreThe Effect Of Decaying Morality On Society934 Words   |  4 PagesDecaying Morality on Society The ability to distinguish between actions that are right or wrong, is an innate characteristic designed into every person. There are many scientific theories that attempt to explain how individuals acquire morality. Psychologist say that morality is a learned behavior, and others contribute human morality to a view of fairness, or unfairness. My point is, I believe that morality is declining in our society, and its decline has a negative effect on society. Does theRead MoreSexual Morality And Its Effects On Society1796 Words   |  8 Pageswould provide complete information about all the aspects of sexual morality and would also elaborate why the impact of the same is negative or bad. Also, to support the conclusion, information would be phased after considering details from both online and outlines sources. As per the outflow of many types of research, each day the overall influencing power of sexual morality is increasing or enhancing making it tough for the society to go eit her in favor or against it. Moreover, with the help of theRead MoreSociety s Sense Of Morality Essay2302 Words   |  10 Pagesit is incontrovertibly true that we have ignored and excused ourselves from morality at the painfully high cost of the well-being, security, and lives of countless others. From a retrospective point of view, we clearly possess a sense of morality as we recognize the aforementioned atrocities as fundamentally wrong, yet the very fact that these acts have been committed demands the recognition that humanity’s sense of morality can horrifically break down. It is all too easy to claim such events existedRead MoreMorality And Society In William Goldings Lord Of The Flies914 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Morality and society are learned rather than innate.† William Golding’s premise, derived from his most popular novel, Lord of the Flies, is dramatically true, as displayed throughout the intense and realistic plot. What is innate, however, is t he instinct for savagery. Golding builds a seemingly perfect microcosm, where several young boys are stranded on a deserted island, alone and without supplies. At the beginning of the book, we encounter the generalization seemingly introducing the book’s messageRead More‘It is from society and not from the individual that morality derives’ (Durkheim 1974: 61).2800 Words   |  12 Pages‘It is from society and not from the individual that morality derives’ (Durkheim 1974: 61). According to Emile Durkheim ‘morality begins with the membership and life of a group†¦and that society creates all moral codes, not individuals’ (Durkheim 1974: 37). He stated that an individual cannot exist without society or deny it, without denying himself. Zygmunt Bauman however disagrees and believes morality is a pre-social impulse and therefore does not originate in society. In this essay I will firstRead MoreDoes Fiction Build the Morality of Individua ls and Societies, or Does It Break It Down?947 Words   |  4 Pagesquestion: Does fiction build the morality of individuals and societies, or does it break it down? â€Å"The goal, I suppose, any fiction writer has, no matter what your subject, is to hit the human heart and the tear ducts and the nape of the neck and to make a person feel something about the characters are going through and to experience the moral paradoxes and struggles of being human.† -Tim OBrien It is undeniable that fiction has had the power to influence society in the past. History tells, forRead MoreConflicts Between Urban And Rural Life And Split Society s View On Morality1483 Words   |  6 PagesSeparate Ways by Higuchi Ichiyo was written in Japan during the Meiji period where the urbanization of cities changed rural life and split society s view on morality. Sealed Off by Zhang Ailing was written in China during World War II after the fall of Hong Kong to the Japanese. Even though the texts’ origins differ, one can see the prominent role of human relationships in both texts. Despite the failure of overcoming damage done by outside social forces, Separate Ways and Sealed Off’’s characters

Into the world Free Essays

An Individual’s own personal choice may hold them back as they try to overcome challenges and move Into the world. This Is shown by a personal battle with their inner self, personal choice leading to a change in their emotions, different people having different ways of adapting to new challenges, individuals trying to shut off the rest of the world and the help of others an individual’s attitude will change as they enter the world. This is shown the the novel The story of Tom Brenna by J. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the world or any similar topic only for you Order Now C Burke and In the movie Sheer by (director) An Individual’s personal battle with their Inner self may hold them back as they try to overcome challenges and enter into the world. The author uses flashbacks throughout the novel from Tom’s perspective. These are of the night of the accident and show the reader that Tom is affected by the actions of his brother on that night. It also shows that Tom is held back and has a hard time overcoming the challenges that he faces due to these memories. The use of dialogue between Tom and Christy Is used when Tom opens up about why he doesn’t Like to visit Fin. This conversation shows the reader that he is finally opening up about his old life that has help him jack for so long. By Tom talking about this with Christy he has changed his personal choice and decided he doesn’t want to be held back by his old life anymore. Once a person gets control of their inner self then they overcome challenges that they face in their new life as they move into the world. An individual may try to shut off the rest of the world to avoid facing challenges in their life. This is evident by using a panning camera angle when Sheer makes donkey sleep outside because he doesn’t like having people in his house. This shows the ewer that Sheer tries to shut off the rest of the world and this results in him living in a swamp far away from everyone. The use of lighting when all the magical creatures are made to stay at Shrieks swamp Is very dark and the only source of light Is a fire. This makes the scene very dark and the audience gets the Idea that Sheer isn’t happy about having all these people in his swamp. Sheer tries to kick them all out which again shows that he tries to shut himself off from the rest of the world and that he doesn’t want to move into the world. An individual personal choice may revert them from entering into the world as they are held back by their attitude Personal choices can lead to a change in an individual’s emotions and a sense of goriness may be felt for the mistakes they have made. The use of repetition ‘Im sorry’ said by Daniel when he is apologizing to Tom for what he has done. This shows the reader that Daniel is sorry for the night of the accident and this shows a change in his attitude has happened as he realizes. That he made a big mistake. The reader gets a sense that this Is a big step forward for Daniel has he tries to enter Into Daniel to Tom when talking about Tom’s new footy team shows the reader that Daniel is back to his old self and has taken a backwards step in his Journey to overcome his challenges. Whilst Tom’s attitude has changed Daniel still believes winning is everything and this shows the reader that Daniel is still living in his old life. An individual can control whether or not they overcome the challenges that they face and enter into the world. With the help of others an individual attitude will change as they finally enter the world. The use of dialogue ‘maybe you can come visit me at my swamp,’ said Sheer to Finn. This shows the audience that Sheer attitude about having people at his swamp has finally changed, and that he has entered into the world with the help of his friend donkey. A high camera shot is used when Sheer and Finn are getting married in Shriek’s swamp. By using this camera angle the audience can see all the magical creatures attending the wedding. This shows again that Shriek’s attitude has changed because earlier in the movie he wanted them all to leave so he can have his swamp to himself. This change in attitude tells the audience that Sheer has moved into the roll and over come the challenges that Sheer had faced. With this change in attitude the viewer knows that Sheer has entered into the world and that he has overcome the challenges that came with it from the help of his friend donkey. People have different ways of adapting to the new challenges in their life. By using a descriptive sentence ‘It was all to hard, surrendered, and headed back under the covers,’ is used to show the reader the mind set of Tees at this stage of the novel and how she deals with her challenges in her life. It shows that she thinks the challenges re too hard to overcome and this shows the reader the way that she tries to adapt to the changes. The use of dialogue ‘Im sorry Tommy, I really am. I promise ill get better,’ said by Tees to Tom shows that she finally realizes that she needs to change and be the mum that the family needs. This quote shows that she is finally trying to overcome the challenges that she faces and enter into the new life that she must live now and doesn’t wont to be held back by events in the past anymore. People’s way of adapting to changes may actually prevent them from overcoming the challenges that hey face in their life. An individual’s own personal choice may hold them back as they try to overcome challenges and move into the world. This is shown throughout the novel The Story Of Tom Brenna by J. C Burke and the movie Sheer directed by Vicky Jensen. These 2 texts look at personal battle with their inner self, personal choice leading to a change in their emotions, different people having different ways of adapting to new challenges, individuals trying to shut off the rest of the world and the help of others an individual’s attitude will change as they enter the world. How to cite Into the world, Papers

Guideline for Healthcare Professionals from the American Heart Associa

Question: Describe about the Guideline for Healthcare Professionals from the American Heart Association. Answer: Background Information John was a 52-year-old healthy male who was admitted to the hospital after he suffered from a sudden stroke. He remained under the care of the doctors and nurses for 8 days after which he was provided with acute care benefits followed by inpatient rehabilitation benefits. His physical limitations included hemiplegia on the left side, left centric facial droop, speech slurring, dysphagia, etc (TrialistsCollaboration, 2013). Almost all his limitations obscured the functioning of his left side. He also lost protective and discriminative sensation of his mid forearm. Fortunately, for him, there was no shoulder subluxation or even edema. He was also suffering from depression after the attack. Primary concern Limited mobility on the left side Speech Slurring Cognitive Difficulties Communicative difficulties Secondary Concern Depression Anxiety Reason for referral Restricted mobility Communicative difficulties Findings Occupation Prior to the stroke John was a successful and active real estate agent of a major real estate agency. He drove daily and went to the health club regularly. He was socially active and enjoyed social dinners as well as spending ample time with family. John is concerned about going back to his life and integrating into the community. Progress towards present goals He could ensure almost six hours of therapy although the session would eventually cause fatigue and exasperation. He was also suffering from cognitive difficulties, which led him to retain short-term instructions while edging on loss of safe habits (Party, 2012). He required several cues to maintain safety. He is also seen to be experiencing continued episodes of depression due to the stroke. The ACS sheet reveals a change in behavioral and activity pattern of John in the post stroke phase. Firstly, it seems that he has changed his activity pattern to fit into his role post stroke. Quantitatively, he is 11 activities short from what he used to do prior to the stroke (Go et al., 2013). He does not go for shopping, laundry, does not maintain the yard or manage his investments. He does not drive or pay his bills. If he continues to live such a secluded life then he will probably face social isolation in the future. He has reduced the number of leisure activities as well. He is noted to be doing 12 activities less than his pre-stroke days. There was a time when he used to cook, paint, play cards in his leisure time; now he does none of the above. He no longer takes interest in playing his favorite musical instruments; he does not go to the garden or the park to spend time with the nature or with family. This in turn has given rise to ill health and depression. John has also given up all the leisure activities that are highly demanding and require physical strength display. Anything that requires social interaction and physical strength was disregarded. The COPM results on the other hand revealed that although the patient had set several self care as well as productivity goals for himself, no leisurely goals were fixed. John wanted to work more on his interactions, communication, dressing, childcare skills, career and driving. Although he thinks that he is moderately good at mentoring, computer and dressing, he is not satisfied with his work performance. Moreover, according to him, he is neither happy nor satisfied with his performance in interaction, job and driving. John believed that he could easily cook, call and take medicine without any guidance or physical help from assisting personnel. He also predicted that he might need help with paying the bills. However, the EPT test revealed that he needed verbal as well as physical assistance while performing the said tasks. He needed verbal assistance in organizing his behavioral plan, in sequencing of the things to do and he also needed safety guidance and judgment assistance while taking the medications (Kernan et al., 2014). John is primarily recorded to be having problem with organization. Long-term goals John will start driving to work John will regain the identity of his social self John will regain organizational skills Short-term goals John will practice short-distance driving John will exercise regularly at a periodic manner He will strengthen the left side of his body by systemic grooming He will communicate with his family members and friends to relearn the basics He will communicate with his colleagues regularly to regain his communicative skills. John will be appointed to complete a task within time without prompting disorganization. Every day short and easy tasks will be given to him at regular intervals Methods Therefore, the first intervention to help with the physical mobility is to first identify and classify the level of the impairment, use props and tools to help with the movement, recommend continuous physical therapy to help with the condition and teach John how to exercise his effected side regularly. An assistant, a family member or a friend should accompany him in every driving session. If need be, an instructor can be hired (Park, 2012). The occupational therapist can provide with a communicative pattern wherein simple sentences are used to communicate with John and when needed each sentence be repeated. If John still cannot communicate then he will be encouraged to read. The OT can advice the family members and the associates to talk slowly so that John can understand and improve his communicative skills (Romero et al., 2014). This is all about relearning how to function and communicate with the surrounding. Arty props can be used to help John communicate better. Every task John is assigned to complete will be time bound. A rating process can be used through which the changing organizational levels can be detected (Wintermark et al., 2013). John can involve others in the same task and compete to improve organizational skills. Johns life can be altered with the right interventions (Bushnell et al., 2014). He can regain his physical as well as his mental capabilities while overcoming the worst of his fears and limitations. While it is possible to create a better physical and mental environment for John, he should be aware of what is possible and what is not and that is only possible with the right interventions. References Bushnell, C., McCullough, L. D., Awad, I. A., Chireau, M. V., Fedder, W. N., Furie, K. L., ... Reeves, M. J. (2014). Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in women a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.Stroke,45(5), 1545-1588. Go, A. S., Mozaffarian, D., Roger, V. L., Benjamin, E. J., Berry, J. D., Blaha, M. J., ... Fullerton, H. J. (2013). AHA statistical update.Circulation,127, e62-e245. Kernan, W. N., Ovbiagele, B., Black, H. R., Bravata, D. M., Chimowitz, M. I., Ezekowitz, M. D., ... Johnston, S. C. C. (2014). Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.Stroke,45(7), 2160-2236. Party, I. S. W. (2012). National clinical guideline for stroke. Romero, J. R., Preis, S. R., Beiser, A., DeCarli, C., Viswanathan, A., Martinez-Ramirez, S., ... Seshadri, S. (2014). Risk factors, stroke prevention treatments, and prevalence of cerebral microbleeds in the Framingham Heart Study.Stroke,45(5), 1492-1494. TrialistsCollaboration, S. U. (2013). Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke.Cochrane Database Syst Rev,9. Wintermark, M., Albers, G. W., Broderick, J. P., Demchuk, A. M., Fiebach, J. B., Fiehler, J., ... Lev, M. H. (2013). Acute stroke imaging research roadmap II.Stroke,44(9), 2628-2639. Laver, K., George, S., Thomas, S., Deutsch, J. E., Crotty, M. (2012). Virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation.Stroke,43(2), e20-e21.

Minimum wage in the US

Most of the average Americans are living on a wage that the US government has deemed to be enough for the provision of reasonable standards of living.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Minimum wage in the US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These wage rates have literally remained at a standstill over the years while the cost of living in the society has been rising day by day. Therefore, people continue working but they cannot be able to afford reasonable living standards for themselves and their families. These situations are very common in America because the minimum wage is not changing with respect to the increasing costs of living. By 2008, the proportion of the working poor in the US was nearly 30% from a report by Working Poor Families Project titled â€Å"Still Working Hard, Still Falling Short† (Eley, para.1). This number has been increasing from the previous years. The result is that as the w orking poor increases, the future of most children will be at stake. They will not be able to acquire decent education and even health insurance will be a problem. On the other hand, as the number of poor people increase, the rich continue to become richer since they probably own the companies paying the minimum wages. The companies continue paying low while at the same time increasing their profits. This leads to complete imbalance of the income distribution in the country. The government therefore needs to set up measures to balance the current income distribution and therefore prevent future widening of the divide. This can effectively be achieved through raising the minimum wage in America. However, the minimum wage has been under a lot of controversy with economists and business owners arguing that increasing the minimum wage would lead to loss of employment. Economic models propose that increasing the minimum wage would lead to losses of employment by the unskilled workers. Ot her people argue that increasing the minimum wage would lead to increase in commodity prices by the employers to cover for the increased costs thereby beating the reason for the increase. Therefore, does increasing the minimum wage balance the income distribution or does it increase the imbalance? Does Increasing the Minimum Wage help or hurt? The federal minimum wage was first set out in the 1930s and has been constantly reviewed to take into consideration the rising costs of living. For such reasons, the minimum wage was not adjusted through out 1997 to 2007 (â€Å"Minimum Wage History, para.1†).This is the longest period that the wage remained constant resulting in the current low rates of wages compared to the cost of living.Advertising Looking for term paper on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From 2008, various states responded by setting their own minimum wage levels above the federal minimum wage. Alth ough initially criticized that these increases would harm the poor more than they would help them, studies in those states that increased the minimum wage have shown that the increase led to increased employment and not vise versa (Thompson, para.7). At a state level, minimum wage increment led to job growth and therefore, the economic models proposing job loss because of minimum wage increase do not hold. Therefore, this should no longer be a barrier in increasing the minimum wage. The other argument by some business owners is that increasing the minimum wage will force the businesses to increase the commodity prices thereby further increasing the costs of living. This means that minimum wage increase is a cycle that does not lead to a balance in income distribution. To solve this, businesses should not look at the increased wage as a cost but as an increase in resources. They should look at ways of increasing the output from the workers as the wages they receive increase. This can be achieved, for example, by technological adaptations that will increase the workers’ output. Conclusion To solve the problem of the imbalance in income distribution in the United States, the minimum wage should be adjusted to match up with the current costs of living. States like Illinois and Indiana have shown that increasing the minimum wage does not hurt the employment level but it in fact causes employment growth. With better wages, workers will therefore be able to afford a decent living and secure a better future for their children thus reducing the poverty levels and consequently the gap between the rich and the poor. Works Cited Eley, Tom. â€Å"Working poor report: Nearly 30 percent of US families subsist on poverty wages.† International committee of the fourth international. 16 Oct. 2008. Web.. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/10/work-o16.html â€Å"Minimum Wage History.† U.S. Minimum Wage History. Oregon State University. 26 Oct. 2008. Web.. h ttp://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth484/minwage.htmlAdvertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Minimum wage in the US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thompson, F. Michael. â€Å"Minimum wage impacts on employment: A look at Indiana, Illinois and surrounding Midwestern states.† Recent Indiana business review articles. Indiana business research centre. 2008. Web.  http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/IBR/2008/fall/article1.html This term paper on Minimum wage in the US was written and submitted by user Aileen Pate to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Use Of Image And Metaphor In Developing

In choral music your are experiencing different styles, sounds and techniques in learning how to sing songs correctly and with expression. But in order to create these methods the choir need to know how to make the music come alive. Choir directors from around the world has all agree by using images and metaphors can help develop a healthy, tense-free choral sound. â€Å"Since singing involves the mind’s ability to re-imagine and replay pitch, rhythm, tone, word, and emotion, the power of mental imagery in singing cannot be overstated.† MEJ pg.43. By the use of image and metaphor it can make or bring the singer to express and sing a song clearly and more affectively. A man by the name of William Vernard created method using image and metaphor in the choir class called â€Å"good singing pyramid† in his book, â€Å"Singing The Mechanism and the Technic.† There are four categories of technical training: posture, breathing, phonation/attack, and resonance. With having good posture you are creating a position with the body to allow the air-path open in the throat and the sound strong and clear. One metaphor is having the choir stand like they are ten feet tall with their chest elevated up and shoulders down and the head slightly lifted up.Breathing is one of the main keys of singing correctly. First thing about breathing for a singer is that you are not using your chest but your abdominal muscles by activating the diaphragm. Have the singers to imagine placing balloons in the stomach. By making their lips as if drinking a thick milkshake, have them inhale slowly as if through a straw, filling their internal balloons fully and deeply. Once you get the posture and breathing support together it is time to make a sound. By having the singers to inhale a lot of air, have them to place their hands on the abdomens and with control slowly exhale while making a spooky, ghostly sigh of â€Å"ah†. This show and have them to feel the muscles contr... Free Essays on Use Of Image And Metaphor In Developing Free Essays on Use Of Image And Metaphor In Developing In choral music your are experiencing different styles, sounds and techniques in learning how to sing songs correctly and with expression. But in order to create these methods the choir need to know how to make the music come alive. Choir directors from around the world has all agree by using images and metaphors can help develop a healthy, tense-free choral sound. â€Å"Since singing involves the mind’s ability to re-imagine and replay pitch, rhythm, tone, word, and emotion, the power of mental imagery in singing cannot be overstated.† MEJ pg.43. By the use of image and metaphor it can make or bring the singer to express and sing a song clearly and more affectively. A man by the name of William Vernard created method using image and metaphor in the choir class called â€Å"good singing pyramid† in his book, â€Å"Singing The Mechanism and the Technic.† There are four categories of technical training: posture, breathing, phonation/attack, and resonance. With having good posture you are creating a position with the body to allow the air-path open in the throat and the sound strong and clear. One metaphor is having the choir stand like they are ten feet tall with their chest elevated up and shoulders down and the head slightly lifted up.Breathing is one of the main keys of singing correctly. First thing about breathing for a singer is that you are not using your chest but your abdominal muscles by activating the diaphragm. Have the singers to imagine placing balloons in the stomach. By making their lips as if drinking a thick milkshake, have them inhale slowly as if through a straw, filling their internal balloons fully and deeply. Once you get the posture and breathing support together it is time to make a sound. By having the singers to inhale a lot of air, have them to place their hands on the abdomens and with control slowly exhale while making a spooky, ghostly sigh of â€Å"ah†. This show and have them to feel the muscles contr...

Law of Coverture

Law of Coverture In English and American law, coverture refers to womens legal status after marriage: legally, upon marriage, the husband and wife were treated as one entity. In essence, the wifes separate legal existence disappeared as far as property rights and certain other rights were concerned. Under coverture, wives could not control their own property unless specific provisions were made before marriage. They could not file lawsuits or be sued separately, nor could they execute contracts. The husband could use, sell or dispose of her property (again, unless prior provisions were made) without her permission. A woman who was subject to coverture was called  feme covert, and an unmarried woman or other woman able to own property and make contracts was called  feme solo.  The terms come from medieval Norman terms. In American legal history, changes in the late 18th and early 19th century began to extend  womens property rights; these changes  affected coverture laws. A widow was entitled, for instance, to a percentage of her husbands property after his death (dower), and some laws required a womans consent to the selling of property if it could affect her dower. Sir William Blackstone, in his 1765 authoritative legal text, Commentaries on the Laws of England, said this about coverture and the legal rights of married women: By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law: that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband: under whose wing, protection, and cover, she performs every thing; and is therefore called ... a feme-covert.... Blackstone went on to describe the status of a feme covert as covert-baron or under the influence and protection of her husband, in a relationship similar to that of a subject to a baron or lord.   He also noted that a husband could not grant to his wife anything such as property, and could not make legal agreements with her after marriage because it would be like gifting something to ones self or making a contract with ones self.  He also stated that contracts made between a future husband and wife were void upon marriage.   United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black is quoted saying, in a thought expressed by others before him, that the old common-law fiction that the husband and wife are one...has worked out in reality to mean...the one is the husband. Name Change at Marriage and Coverture The tradition of a woman taking her husbands name at marriage may be rooted in this idea of a woman becoming one with her husband and the one is the husband. Despite this tradition, laws requiring a married woman to take her husbands name were not on the books in the United Kingdom or the United States until Hawaii was admitted to the US as a state in 1959.  Common law permitted any person to change their name through life as long as it was not for fraudulent purposes. Nevertheless, in 1879, a judge in Massachusetts found that Lucy Stone could not vote under her maiden name and had to use her married name.  Lucy Stone had infamously kept her name upon her marriage in 1855, giving rise to the term Stoners for women who kept their names after marriage.   Lucy Stone had been among those who had won a limited right to vote, only for the school committee.  She refused to comply, continuing to use Lucy Stone, often amended by married to Henry Blackwell on legal documents and hotel registers. Pronunciation: KUV-e-cher or KUV-e-choorAlso Known As: cover, feme-covert

Unit2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit2 - Essay Example Therefore, there arises the question of whether sentencing the child molester to life imprisonment is enough or if death penalty should be imposed. Punishment cannot ever be measured and given to meet the crime accurately. So, it becomes difficult to decide which punishment is to be awarded for a crime. Another fact is that no punishment can undo the physical or mental trauma meted out to the victim through a crime. Punishment is given so that the crime may not be repeated and the criminal be shown the right path of life while he is imprisoned. Even so, criminals who have served their tenure in jail, when they come out, begin the same old cycle of committing crimes, child molesting in this case. They can never be stopped. The only way, then, left is to award them the death penalty. But it is out of the league of anyone to understand whether a person who committed the crime once will again do so or not. Thus, by giving death penalty, the society is eliminating that person’s chances to become good. There is a possibility in death penalties that a person who earnestly wants to mend his ways may get executed. Throughout the clip, the terms â€Å"death penalty† and â€Å"child molester† have been repeated. This repetition lays a strong emphasis on the topic. The rhetoric strongly strikes home the significance of the issue under debate. It is true that the child molester kills even the child’s soul and he or she suffers throughout his or her life for the wrong that has been done. It becomes a black mark the child and affects him or her physically, mentally as well as emotionally. Towards the end, the anchor adds a comment, â€Å"Coming back we are talking weather worries of Doctor Whitman.† This seems totally out of place as all along the serious topic of child molestation and its effect on the survivors as well as the punishment for the molesters was being discussed. But then

Banking - the way forward Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Banking - the way forward - Research Paper Example There is a paucity of good data as to why newer and more effective computerized banking technologies were not utilized in the first place when these technologies are readily available. It is just a matter of re-programming their IT structures and software to make these anti-money laundering efforts more effective. The present methods allow too many loopholes for bank officers to be complicit. This is a good reason why anti-money laundering should have a minimum of human interventions in place of adopting newer technologies to remove the human elements in the detection and reporting of possible money laundering. The authorities are looking into alternative banking and remittance systems a bit more closely through the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) as good avenues for money laundering (Burns & Peel, 2006:1). Ironically, Col. Qaddafi and his family have billions stashed away in UK banks. The question is how were they able to move such huge sums without triggering the anti-money l aundering laws of the country? Private banking involves investing for select individuals sizable assets in businesses where large sums of money are normal. Examples are insurance, stock investments and building societies (Bicker, 1996:143). A new troubling area in money laundering in the UK is the use of private trusts (OECD, 2006:30). Private banking plays a big role in the setting up of various trusts (Kalin and Goldsmith, 2007:28) for property ownership and wealth management but pose big risks. The present anti-money laundering technologies produce mostly a bunch of data that relies to a great extent on human interventions. Again, these reports are reliable only to the extent on how reliable are the people who reviewed these reports. In other words, the degree of human intervention in reporting makes these efforts to control dirty money mostly wasted efforts because the humans involved (bank officers) compete in an environment that is not very conducive to compliance with anti-mo ney laundering regulations. When the dirty money amounts to substantial sums, and banks are in need of liquidity, the incentive to comply with the laws and regulations is much lessened. The more crucial priority is the survival of the banking institution itself and so the â€Å"dirty money† continues to flow and bank officers turn a blind eye. There is a need to inject a sense of urgency to anti-money laundering efforts because the survival of society itself is at stake. It has social, political, legal and economic implications which are mostly adverse to the well-being of the people. If these efforts fail, it can mean only that crime really pays. It will also encourage other people to commit the same crimes and get rich themselves. Money laundering threatens and undermines the thread that keeps a society functioning because of its corrosive effects on the moral values of people. Its tentacles are slowing finding its ways into various aspects of daily life. A review of existi ng literature on money laundering will indicate that people are aware of the seriousness, magnitude and urgency of the problem (ADB, 2003:5) but there is a lack of materials on why money laundering continues to proliferate. Most literature materials on this topic have not discussed or investigated why present anti-money laundering efforts have largely failed to stop the flow of illegal funds around the world

Effect of cooking on amylose content of rice Essay Example for Free

Effect of cooking on amylose content of rice Essay In diabetes type 2, there is a deficiency of insulin which results in improper/ slow breakdown of food. This results in sugar level spikes immediately after a meal, which can be harmful. Hence, diabetics must have food stuffs which have a slow release rate so as to not cause any spikes. In order to find out the most suitable method of cooking rice for diabetic patients, we found out the amylose content of rice cooked by different methods and co-related it with Glycemic Index (GI). Glycemic Index is release of glucose in the blood by the breakdown of carbohydrates. Higher the glycemic index, faster breakdown of food and thereby more release of glucose in the blood, so immediate requirement of insulin, which can be toxic for diabetic patients. Glycemic index and amylose content are inversely proportional to each other. There is a wide variation in the amylose content of rice depending on the way it is cooked. In this paper, the effect of cooking on amylose content of rice is described using various experimental approaches. Various method of cooking involves traditional method, microwave and steam cooked method. The amylose content of the rice is then co-related with its glycemic index. Keywords: Rice; Glycemic Index; Amylose Content; Diabetes; Cooking. INTRODUCTION Rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the worlds human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies [6]. The awareness of the general public related to health foods has been on the rise recently and people are looking for the right variety of rice and more efficient methods of cooking it for diabetics. Due to the low insulin concentration in the body, the release of sugar into blood is less controllable than normal, leading to spikes in blood sugar after meals for them. High blood sugar, if left untreated, can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance etc. over short term and retinopathy, nephropathy over long term. Hence, this is an acute problem faced by all diabetics. Brown rice is obtained directly from the plant and is rich in nutrients like vitamin B1, B3 and minerals like iron which can be used in preventing deficiency diseases like beriberi etc. [8]. The nutrient content of consumable rice varies with the processing techniques. For example, brown rice undergoes minimal processing and thus retains most 385 Pelagia Research Library Ashish Jain et al Euro. J. Exp. Bio. , 2012, 2 (2):385-388 of the original nutrients within the grain, whereas white rice or polished rice is devoid of most of the nutrients as they are pushed into the husk of the grain during processing which is then removed during polishing [9]. Similarly, the starch content also varies with the cooking methods viz., traditional methods or home-made or microwaved method etc. [6]. Rice contains two types of starch in rice: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is a long straight starch molecule that does not gelatinize during microwave cooking [4] and hence rice with more amylose content tends to cook fluffy, with separate grains. Besides, amylose also hardens and forms during crystals during cooking and melts when the rice is re-heated. Rice that is high in amylose has a lower Glycemic Index number [1, 7]. This is because amylose is harder to break down than simple sugars like glucose etc.and ensures a sustained release of sugar into blood without spiking immediately after a meal. MATERIALS AND METHODS The following reagents are used for estimation of amylose content and for preparation of standard: 95% Ethanol: Prepared from 100% Ethanol 1N NaOH, Iodine Potassium iodide solution Standard amylose: Obtained from HIMEDIA 1N Acetic acid: From NICE Chemicals Glassware: Borosil Water bath: High Precision water bath from Acmas was used Spectrophotometer: From Amersham Biosciences to measure OD Cuvette: Quartz Cuvette to measure OD. Software: HandyGraph Software to draw graph 1N NaOH solution: Dissolve 40g of NaOH in 1000ml distilled water 1N Acetic acid solution: Dilute 57. 5 ml glacial acetic acid to 1000ml using distilled water Iodine Potassium iodide solution: Dissolve 0. 26 g of Iodine in 10 ml of Potassium iodide solution containing 2. 6 g of KI Standard Amylose Solution: Take 40mg of pure potato starch (amylose) in a 100 ml volumetric flask and add 1 ml of 95% ethanol and 9. 0 ml of 1N NaOH. Shake well and boil over water bath for 10 minutes and make up the solution to 100 ml using distilled water. Method: We weighed 100 mg well powdered milled rice into 100 ml volumetric flask and to it 1 ml 95% ethanol and 9 ml 1 N NaOH was added. The sample was heated for 10 minutes in boiling water bath, cooled and the volume was made up to 100 ml. 5 ml was pipetted from the 100 ml into another 100 ml volumetric flask. To it 1 ml I N acetic acid and then 2 ml iodide solution were added and the volume was made up to 100 ml. The mixture was stirred and allowed to stand for 20 minutes and the per cent Transmittance at 620 nm was determined using a colorimeter. A series of standard starch solution containing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% amylose was prepared as in the steps 1 to 5. The transmittance of the standards was read at 620nm and a standard graph was plotted. Amylose content of the sample was determined in reference to the standard curve and expressed on percent basis. RESULTS In Table 1, five different amylose solutions were prepared at different concentrations and the absorbance values at 620nm were noted down. The absorbance readings were triplicated for standard amylose and standard graph was obtained as follows: 386 Pelagia Research Library Ashish Jain et al Euro. J. Exp. Bio. , 2012, 2 (2):385-388. Table 1: Preparation of Standard Graph from Amylose Amylose Concentration (mg/mL) Blank 8 16 24 32 40 Abs @ 620 nm T1 T2 T3 0 0 0 0. 079 0. 072 0. 077 0. 156 0. 156 0. 149 0. 239 0. 24 0. 239 0. 321 0. 32 0. 33 0. 40 0. 40 0. 40 Avg. Abs 0 0. 076 0. 153 0. 239 0. 323 0. 40 Std. Deviation T1 T2 T3 0 0 0 +0. 003 -0. 004 +0. 001 +0. 003 +0. 003 -0. 004 0. 000 +0. 001 0. 000 -0. 002 -0. 003 +0. 007 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000. This table is used in making the graph shown below. The procedure followed to obtain these readings is described in the Materials and Methods section. T1, T2, and T3 are the triplicated values. Scale X Axis: 1cm 8mg/ml Y Axis: 1cm 0. 08OD A b s o r b a n c e A b s o r b a n c e Amylose concentration Amylose concentration A b s o r b a n c e Amylose concentration Figure 1: The above graphs are obtained by taking Concentration on the X-axis and Absorbance at 620nm on the Y-axis for each of the set of values. 387 Pelagia Research Library Ashish Jain et al Euro. J. Exp. Bio., 2012, 2 (2):385-388. Table 2: Extrapolated values of rice cooked by different methods Cooking Method Steam Cooked Traditional Method Microwaved Raw Abs @ 620 nm T1 T2 T3 0. 169 0. 172 0. 171 0. 195 0. 194 0. 196 0. 227 0. 227 0. 230 0. 258 0. 259 0. 259 Avg. Abs 0. 171 0. 195 0. 228 0. 259 Amylose Concentration (mg/mL) 17. 35 19. 67 22. 98 25. 99 This table lists the amylose content of rice which is cooked by different methods. The values are obtained from extrapolating from the standard amylose curve. DISCUSSION. Table 3: Co-relation between amylose content and Glycemic index of rice [8] If Amylose content is high Amylose content is low Then Low Glycemic Index and the rice grains will show high volume expansion (not necessarily elongation) and a high degree of flakiness. The rice grains cook dry, are less tender, and become hard upon cooling. High glycemic Index and the rice grains will cook moist and sticky It is seen that amylose content is inversely related to the Glycemic index. From table 2, it is observable that the amylose content of microwaved rice is highest after raw, uncooked rice. Hence, this method of cooking rice is the most suitable for diabetic patients as the Glycemic Index will be lowest. Since the Glycemic Index is low, the breakdown rate is slower, which prevents the sugar levels in blood from spiking just after a meal. REFERENCES [1] DJ Jenkins et al. (1981). Am J Clin Nutr 34; 362–366. [2] Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, et al. , N Engl J Med. 2002;346(6):393–403. [3] Brouns et al. (2005). Nutrition Research Reviews 18; 145–171. [4] Chiu CJ, Liu S, Willett WC, Wolever TM, Brand-Miller JC, Barclay AW, Taylor A. , Nutr Rev., 2011 ;69(4): 231-42. [5]. Temelkova-Kurktschiev TS, Koehler C, Henkel E, Leonhardt W, Fuecker K, Hanefeld M. , Diabetes Care. 2000 Dec;23(12):1830-4. [6] White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women. †Arch Intern Med 2010 170: 961969. [7] International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. †Am J Clin Nutr 2002 76: 5-56 [8] Brand-Miller JC, Pang E, Bramal L. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;56:1034–6. [9] Srisawas, W. and Jindal, V. K. (2007), Journal of texture studies, 38: 21–41. doi: 10. 1111/j. 17454603. 2007. 00084. x 388 Pelagia Research Library.

Pros And Cons Of Judicial Review :: Government Judicial Review Essays

Pros and Cons of Judicial Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Judicial Review is the power given to Supreme court justices in which a judge has the power to reason whether a law is unconstitutional or not. Chief Justice John Marshall initiated the Supreme Court's right to translate the Constitution in 1803 following the case of Marbury Vs. Madison, in which he declared the Supreme Court as the sole interpreters of Constitutional law. This is one of the sole purposes of the Supreme Court of the United States. Many Historical thinkers would find some difficulty in imagining a government set up to limit the power of itself,but others would argue that this form of government best works for the people, and not against them. The treatment of the Constitution by the Supreme Court as a "living" document that is able to be translated differently over time for the good of the people has as many skeptics as it does supporters. But, if we do not allow the Supreme Court to translate the Constitution who then, should the people chose to do such an important job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we were to look back at the ideas and thoughts of some of the greatest political thinkers of our time, we would find that individuals such as Plato, Niccolo Machiavelli, and John Locke, would share extremely different views as to whether or not Judicial review, and the Supreme Court as a whole, would be successful in their ideal government situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the earliest political philosophers Plato, would find our present day governmental setup of the Supreme Court to be the ideal group to deal with the United States' situation. Plato felt that government should be run by enlightened philosopher kings, that would rule for the good of the people, and not themselves. We today see the Supreme Court as a collection of the most "enlightened" thinkers of our day. They are chosen to make moral decisions about laws made by others in our society, and decide whether or not the laws we make are in the best interest of our nation as a whole. Plato knew that within any political State their would be corruption, to stop the corruption Plato felt that the philosopher kings would best rule because they would not indulge themselves in a corrupt society. They only believed in the truth, and justice that government is supposed to protect its people with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Plato would not totally agree with the Democratic structure of our government, I believe that he would chose for our society, a state that is ruled by a similar group to that of our Supreme Court because, the members of

Cesare Beccaria & Punishment Essay

Cesare Beccaria was an Italian jurist, enlightenment thinker, and philosopher. In 1794, he wrote On Crimes and Punishment. In this book, he talked against torture and the death penalty, but he was most famous for laying a foundation of penology, which deals with the repression of criminal activities and punishment of crimes committed. Beccaria was most famous for declaring that â€Å"a punishment should fit the crime.† He meant several things by this, but most importantly was his two main points. This first way he said that the punishment should fit the crime is that the severity of punishment should parallel the severity of harm resulting from the crime. This did not mean that if someone was a murderer, that they should be put to death. Beccaria publicly condemned the death penalty because he said that the state does not possess the right to take lives, and that it is not a very useful form of punishment. He stood for a more deterrent function of the penal system. When he sai d it must match the damages of the offense and parallel the harm of the crime, he was more referring along the lines of punishment and incarceration. His second point was that the punishment should be severe enough to outweigh the pleasure of committing the crime. For example, someone might look at sexual assault as pleasurable, therefore the punishment needs to be severe enough for that person to think, â€Å"Wow, the punishment is harsh, it’s not worth committing this crime.† If this wasn’t the case, a rational person would weigh the gain with the consequence, and determine that the crime is worth committing because if that’s only my punishment, then why not. People speed because speeding tickets are simply fines, if you were to be booked and incarcerated, I’m sure people would speed less. Not saying that this is how it should be, it’s just the most blatant example. The problem with this second point is that it only applies to rational thinking people, and it doesn’t really apply at all to a violent criminal with a psychological imbalance and is mentally handicapped who doesn†™t think things through before they do them. Luckily, this is why we, in the United States, have trials; because Beccaria’s theory, all though it does make sense, cannot apply to every single criminal and will not deter every type of crime or offender. This makes one think on how our current laws and punishments line up with the theory of Beccaria.; especially in the terms of drug laws. 55% of criminals in federal prisons and 20% in state are all from drug related crimes. This is an extremely high number of people for a simply, usually victimless offense. If the offender’s only damage done is to him or herself, then is it completely necessary that the county spends on average, $28,000 a year per criminal in the system? At what point do we draw the line and see that privatization of prisons is making people rich because we’re putting far too many criminals in prisons as opposed to other forms of punishment. Would it not make more sense for a commiter of a victimless crime be sentenced to something like parole or house arrest where the only person they’re responsible for is themselves, and they can carry on their every day life instead of being exposed to more hardened criminals and having to conform to prison society? This leads one to question numerous things such as the effectiveness of punishments like the death penalty along with the effectiveness of other forms of punishment and say â€Å"do these really match the crime applied to them?† Intro. to Criminal Justice 5th edition, Bohm/Haley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Crimes_and_Punishments#cite_ref-2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Beccaria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penology

Boycotts, Sanctions and Embargoes

Boycotts, sanctions and embargoes have been used for a very long time by the government to maintain social order. Although their use is characterized by lack of democracy, autocratic leaderships as well as dictatorial leaderships, the three terms have come to be recognized as international tools of dealing with rogue nations especially when such are applied by the international community through world recognized bodies such as the UN.While boycotts refer to the act of desisting from using a certain product of engaging in relationship with a given organization or individual it may also be applied to individuals such as presidents and political leaders as a means of coercing such to comply with the given code of conduct . Boycotts, sanctions and embargoes as applied to South Africa during the apartheid era were used as tools of suppressing the apartheid rule to recognize the rights of the blacks in South Africa. Boycotts, sanctions and embargoes are only effective if there is internati onal solidarity on the dimension on which they can be applied.For such tools can never be effective if applied in small proportions. Beginning in the late 1960s throughout to the early 1990s the international community put pressure on the apartheid rule in South Africa to recognize the rights of the blacks in South Africa. The successive handover of independence to South Africans can be partly attributed to the effectiveness of the boycotts, sanctions and embargoes. The history of boycotts, sanctions and embargoes can be traced back to the 1700s with colonial boycotts of British trade goods during the colonization of America by the Britains .In the 1800 boycotts were evident and were successfully used as a tool to fight slave trade when different nations such as France, the Balkans and the Americas called for their population to boycott and resist from buying goods or products originating from slave fields . This led to the colonial masters to understand the dissent and dislike of s lave trade as a practice. This amongst other factors can be used to explain the eventual abolishment of slave trade in late 18th century.Boycotts were used by the anti-apartheid movement in two folds, either as a threat or an actual action aimed at eliciting the desired reaction from the apartheid rule to hasten the hand over of independence to South Africa . The pervasive nature of the boycotts made the boycotts to be viewed by the apartheid movement as one of the effective tools in that whenever boycotts were called either from the international community or by the south Africans themselves it would deal a big blow to the smooth functioning of the apartheid government.This was the desired effect on the government given the ability of boycotts to disrupt the normal functioning of government. For instance, the South African apartheid government depended on exports of products such as gold, diamond and uranium and therefore successful boycotts meant that the apartheid government woul d be denied the much-needed income to carry on its governance issues .Boycotts were so effective in South Africa such that they are classified as one of the greatest factors which led to the fall of the apartheid regime considering the fact that South Africa relied on export of its goods to earn foreign exchange. The anti-apartheid in South Africa played a critical role in ensuring that the boycotts received international recognition hence the reason why much of the campaigning was directed towards achieving official state sponsored international support.International anti-apartheid movement as it applied to South Africa was founded on tenets such as the belief in the right of every human being to fundamental right to freedom, self-rule, the right to every state to be independent, the right to recognition and upholding of every people’s culture and beliefs as well as the social and moral responsibility of the international community to fight apartheid irrespective of who prac tices it or who perpetrates it. The above tenets formed the basis for the international anti-apartheid movement and were consequential in the subsequent defeat of apartheid in South Africa.International solidarity is manifested in the ability of nations of the world to join together and advocate for a common goal . In regard to an apartheid movement in South Africa solidarity was demonstrated in sanctions and embargoes enforced by the international community to fight apartheid. In that sense the international community shows the intention to decapitate the legal framework with apartheid rule upholds as a means of sustaining the economic dominance over people.In the case of South Africa the Boers segregated Africa by making sure that the quality of education they received was insufficient to guarantee them good position in the labour market . This greatly relegated the natives to abject poverty in that they were economically not a match to the Boers. Apart from denial of access to ed ucation, the native South Africans were denied equal opportunities even in situations whereby they possessed equal qualifications to those of the whites. In addition, the apartheid rule dictated where the Africans could own property as well as what kind of trade they could conduct.This meant that economically, the Africans were at a disadvantage. At the policy level all policies were biased against the Africans and this meant that it was very hard for them to achieve the economic independence required to wage any meaningful ‘war’ against the mighty white rule. This shows how the Africans were incapable of successfully fighting apartheid on their own. Without international solidarity as demonstrated in the international apartheid movement the native South Africans would not have achieved independence.Where the Africans lacked the economic power to fight apartheid, the international community showed solidarity by enforcing sanctions, which would greatly reduce the whiteâ €™s economic prowess . Pressure from the international community led to the call of boycotts and expulsion of South Africa from participating in the international sporting events . This was too much for the apartheid rule to bear as embargoes such as expulsion from world sporting events and the calls for boycotts of the consumer goods meant that South Africa was slowly drifting away from the international community .Even before the official handover of independence to the South Africans the impact of the international community intervention was evident and by 1985 the apartheid rule started doing away with some apartheid practices such as forced ejections from homes, classification based on colour, as well as the denial of equal opportunities . As the internal resistance waged by the South Africans through their umbrella party ANC sufficed international relations worsened as the sanctions, embargoes and boycotts were unbearable to the apartheid rule.The support from the internat ional community accorded to the native South Africans acted as a morale booster and as a result the native South Africans took the fight against apartheid a note higher as all social groups took to the fight. As a result of international solidarity in calling of the eradication of apartheid in south Africa, the natives regained confidence and the fight against apartheid changed tactics from confrontational needs to more subtle means such as freedom songs, as well as the use of black owned media to produce films which called for the end to apartheid .In the contemporary society international solidarity contributes largely to political struggle. This takes other forms other than embargoes, boycotts and sanctions for instance, international recognition of democratically elected governments. For example, in the present day Somalia, it is the leadership, which gains international support, which enjoys credence and credibility. For instance, the Islam court government could not successful ly lead in Somalia because it lacked the support of the international community.International solidarity calling for the recognition of the democratically elected leadership lead to the ousting of the Islam courts’ led government barely six months after it had seized power from yet another leadership; the tribal led government. The case of Somalia clearly shows that international solidarity can play a role in winning struggles not only the struggle against apartheid but also other struggles against terrorism, colonialism as well as dictatorial regimes.However, there is a need for caution in how the international community plays its role when it comes to intervention in conflict situations. There is evidence that most international actions are informed by the leadership of specific groups as opposed to being informed by the need for impartiality, fairness and the observation of international law. The moment international community degenerates into a tool for certain groups in the struggle, the effectiveness of the international community to fight against oppression of a given people whether in apartheid, colonial or occupation.The international community should base their support on any given group on merit but not other factors such as on the basis of friendship with the leadership of a given struggle movement. The international community has in the past made grave mistakes by supporting struggle leaders who later turned out to be no better than the oppressive powers. This can be clearly demonstrated in the case of leaders who have taken over from dictatorial regimes with the full support of the community only to turn out to be worse than the ousted regimes.For the official leadership of any struggle to receive international support, it must clearly demonstrate its ability to end aggression once it takes power. Such official leadership must have put in place proper mechanism to deal with issues of poor governance, which often lead to difficulties in lea dership once such a struggle movement, takes power. It is therefore paramount that the international community serves the role of a mediator rather than actively being involved in the political activities in any given struggle.Sanctions, boycotts and arms embargoes have been criticized for going in contravention of freedom and autonomy of states especially in cases whereby the sanctions, boycotts and embargoes are imposed on independent sates for reasons ranging from; failure to honor some demands by donors which may not be in the best interest of such nations or in other cases where embargoes, sanctions and boycotts are solely motivated by the need to exert influence over a regime which has fallen out of touch with the wishes of western powers.For instance, the world is currently witnessing a situation whereby there is a tendency by the United States of America to endorse boycotts and sanctions to nations which fail to support it or collaborate with it on fronts such as the war aga inst terrorism. This leads to questions on how appropriate it is for the United States of America and other developed Nations to dictate to independent nations on how they can handle their internal affairs.For example, the sanctions imposed on Iran solely on grounds that, the country is developing weapons of mass destruction are a clear indication of how sanctions, boycotts and embargoes can be imposed at will by the powerful nations to the detriment of militarily and economically weaker nations. This has been a cause of tensions in the Middle East region and it threatens to get worse and spill into an international conflict. Embargoes lead to the suffering of citizens whose country is brought under sanctions.In addition, embargoes, sanctions and boycotts increase vulnerability for such a country to face external attacks if arms embargoes are imposed. The above clearly demonstrate that, in as much as sanctions, embargoes and boycotts are useful in containing the capacity of dictator ial regimes, apartheid regimes and rebel movements, if not well regulated, they can lead to atrocities against the people they are meant to protect or liberate. Where sanctions, embargoes and boycotts are imposed haphazardly, citizens suffer. In addition, the countries under arms embargoes become more vulnerable to attacks.In addition sanctions, arms embargoes, and boycotts can lead to heightened regional and international relations characterized by tensions. There is a need to de-emphasize the use of sanctions and embargoes and concentrate on other methods of intervention in times of crisis. While sanctions, embargoes and boycotts can create an opportunity for abuse of human rights, abuse of independence of states and unnecessary interference in the running of internal affairs of independent countries, other alternatives such as negotiations can work marvelously and cause less undesired effects.In addition, an alternative such as diplomacy is les expensive to implement in the long run. Diplomacy is usually given a wide support by nations of the world compared to sanctions, boycotts and embargoes. For instance, although there are sanctions in place against the current regime in Zimbabwe specifically targeting the leadership of President Robert Mugambe, not every nation in the world supports the measure as some countries like China have gone ahead with healthy trade ties with Robert Mugambe.This clearly indicates that, sanctions are not always ideal and must only be applied selectively as opposed to being applied blatantly. In conclusion, it is clear from the discussion above that international intervention in form of enforcing boycotts, sanctions and embargoes against the apartheid rule in South Africa was effective in the fight and eventual defeat of apartheid. The international campaign, which saw South Africa being banned from participating in international sporting events as well as the calls for boycotts of South African products, was greatly successful a s a tool to fighting apartheid.At the center of the struggle against apartheid was the apartheid movement, which coordinated the anti-apartheid struggle and advocated for the imposition of embargo, sanctions and boycotts. The case of apartheid struggle is a clear demonstration of the power of international solidarity in relation to the politics of a particular struggle and how international solidarity can greatly influence the outcome of the given struggle. Reference Lodge, T. 1983. Black Politics in South Africa since 1945.Johannesburg; Ravan Press. Mandela, N. 1994. Long Walk to Freedom. Abacus. Meli, F. 1988. South Africa Belongs to Us: A History of the ANC. London. James Currey. Robert, Innes 2006. A Theory of Consumer Boycotts and a Symmetric Information and Imperfect Competition. Economic Journal. Robert, Innes 2006. A Theory of Consumer Boycotts and a Symmetric Information and Imperfect Competition. Economic Journal. Seagal, R. ed. 1964. Sanctions Against South Africa. Pengui n.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci Analysis Essays

La Belle Dame Sans Merci Analysis Essays La Belle Dame Sans Merci Analysis Paper La Belle Dame Sans Merci Analysis Paper Essay Topic: Poetry La Belle Dame Sans Merci is an allegorical poem that uses folklore and tradition to represent ideas about life and impending death. These two contrasting themes are represented with the use of nature as a moderator for the authors imagery and diction throughout the twelve stanzas of the poem. We can relate the emotions conveyed by the young, dying knight to the author, who was also very young at the time and was dying of tuberculosis. Stanzas 1 2 Stanza one opens with an unknown persona in the 3rd person. This suggests an omnipresent, mysterious being that knows of the subject. The unknown person immediately addresses the subject as the knight-at-arms who is alone and palely loitering. This unknown speaker is an ambiguous character; he could be a mere passer-by that asks the knight what ail thee or maybe a voice inside the knights head encouraging the knight to pick himself up from a world where no birds sing. The author uses the environment to describe the state of the knight, for example, the withered sedge could symbolize the knights bad health. The second stanza opens, repeating the first line in the first stanza. The second stanza then goes on to describe the knight as haggard looking in a world where the harvests done. This incremental repetition shows a different perspective on the knight. The first description in stanza one suggests a whole world that is beyond repair, but the second stanza describes a world that has once been a good place to live in as the squirrel has filled his granary. Could this voice describing the first two stanzas have made the subject realise that if the world was once great, then why cant it be great again? Or could the ending harvest signify the end of the knights life and happiness? Stanzas 3 6 Stanza three opens with the 1st person, the poetic voice is now the knight himself. He sees a lily on thy brow, lilies are associated with death and this is what he foresees on his brow. Also on his brow are anguish and fever-dew, this could suggest that the knight-at-arms is angry at the fact that he is dying as he may be young, like the author, with a full life ahead of him. In that line is some consonance which makes an s sound: as the s sound is often linked with whispers and quietness, the knight may want to keep his anguish moist secret because he is an honourable figure, a knight, that must not be seen angry at what is happening to him. He then sees a fading rose on his cheeks, roses are associated with beauty and he sees himself fading away. The next line keeps this theme of flowers by saying that the rose, his beauty, is fast withering. The indefinite article is used to describe these two flowers: perhaps because he is not familiarised with these two symbols and they are not yet a feature of his person. Stanza four continues in the first person when the knight meets a lady in the meads. He describes her as beautiful and has wild eyes. In previous stanzas, the use of nature is a physical describer but it is now being used as a metaphorical one. In stanza five, the lady he meets looks at him as she did love and made sweet moan. The ambiguity of the line could suggest rape or intercourse; the sweet moan could imply sexual intercourse, or possibly a sweet moan of happiness that she had found love. If it was intended to be rape, then I believe an enjambment would be placed before the sweet moan as the situation would be a rapid one. The sixth stanza starts to hint that the lady is possibly enchanted or of magical powers as she sings a faerys song. As the subject takes her away on his pacing steed and sees nothing else but her all day long. This could have physical or metaphorical connotations that either he is close to her and looking at her all day or that the thought of loving her is so vast that he cannot think about anything else. These last three stanzas talk about what the knight does to the lady, but this will soon change to what the lady does to the man, possibly suggesting a change in domination. Stanzas 7 9 Stanza seven opens with she found me roots of relish sweet. This is different to the previous stanzas which open with I made, I met. I believe this suggests a shift in domination. Here we find another reference to her paranormal being as she seems to make a potion of relish and manna-dew and then says I love you in language strange. This could be expressing her love, or possibly a spell? Stanza eight opens with a change of location as the lady takes the knight away to her elfin grot. It is there when she weeps as something has suddenly upset her. If the reader believes that the poem is based on rape then it could be that she cries of humiliation that she has been raped. Maybe she has been raped as the young knight is dying and wanted to fulfil manly needs before his demise. On the other hand, the reader may think that she is crying because her true love is dying. Maybe the potion that the lady made was to help cure him, or maybe it has done more bad than good for the knight. We can t ell that he is about to die as in the ninth stanza, he is lulled asleep and dreams the latest dream he ever dreamt. This past tense suggests that he is writing this poem or stanza posthumously. Stanzas 10 12 The tenth stanza opens in the latest dream. I believe this dream to be a recounting, both physically and metaphorically, of the knights short life. He sees pale warriors in the place he is in, all death-pale suggesting that he is in a place of dead bodies, either a graveyard or the after life. He dreams of men of power kings, princes and warriors which could suggest what his ambitions were. He then hears them cry La Belle Dame Sans Merci, they have also been associated with the lady that the knight met in the meads. The starved lips described in stanza eleven may suggest that the lady starved them or enchanted them in ways that malnourished them, maybe not out of malice, but her enchantments did not work for humans which could explain the theory that she is crying out of guilt in stanza eight. The last stanza drifts back into the present, explaining the consequences of his dream, back in the world that he started in when he met the lady. The word sojourn suggests he may be there for a long time, and is possibly looking for another lady like the Belle or maybe even her. The place may be hell where people like the Belle trick you into love only to find yourself more depressed. The poem conveys the message that love can raise people out of the worst places, and that you should always take opportunities and live your life to the full as you never know when it is going to end. Theme The themes running through the poem are death, life, love and magic. The knight is about to die but goes about having one of the best days of his life by meeting the lady that he loves and she loves him. There is uncertainty whether the lady is enchanted o if the knight just sees her as enchanting with her love. Eventually the knight dies and reflects on his life. The contrast of themes in this poem is possibly one of the most dynamic contrasts existing, life and death. They create ambiguity out of simple concepts as they are so powerful and deep. The most important moral from the poem is that love can overcome death, even impending death, and that love can make even a dying person happy. Imagery The imagery from this poem is mostly created through nature and the comparison of livings things to allegorical things. The nature being described explains the way that the subject is acting and feeling, for example, the harvests done suggests that his life is done and it is his time to pass. The author uses naturalistic symbols, like lilies and roses, to explain the poetic voices situation and compares them with what they symbolize. Sounds As I described before, the author uses consonance to both appeal to the senses and hide a deeper meaning. Not only does the use of consonance is the phrase anguish moist give aural quality, but the s sound also implies secrecy of the anguish. With little alliteration, and strong sound changes, the poems words are thought about and spoken for longer than a normal one would. Structure The poem is written in a ballad and has the rhyme scheme of ABCB. Each line has eight syllables to it, with the last line of each stanza varying from four to five syllables. There are twelve stanzas of four lines, totalling in a forty-eight line ballad. The absence of contraction to fit the rhyme scheme proves that the author deliberated over each and every word. Diction The incremental repetition in the first two stanzas not only appealed to the senses as an organised piece, but also suggested deeper meaning and idea in the knights thoughts. The starved lips phrase also invokes thought as to why these people of high authority were starves, starved of air in a strangulation, starved of food, food that starved them? Authorial Intention I believe the authors intention was to convey his emotions through a fictional character that would allow the author to exaggerate certain aspects of his illness and pick up on certain feelings that he has felt during his short life. Knowing that he was to die as both his parents died of the disease that he contracted, I believe the author predicts the worst for himself and over stresses the situation. He, as well as the knight, is in love whilst he is dying and also feels angry that his life and love is to be cut short. Again, this may be a tribute to his lover as the poem conveys a message that love can even conquer death, and that his lovers love is helping him to live through his illness and dying process. My Response I think that the author has encoded his life into this piece and challenges the reader to look deeper into the poem to really find out more about his life. The poem starts off confusing, but as it progresses through its twelve stanzas, it becomes more clear how the author/knight is feeling and why. The morals that the author conveys are put across in exaggerated ways but with the knowledge of the authors illness, we can easily apply what is happening to his life. Whether he intends for the lady to be a person or just life itself, he loves it and proves that love is the most important thing in life. With this love of life, yet the anger of it being cut short so early, the author seems as if he can conquer anything, even a faerys child. We can apply this in our day to day lives, whatever we want we can have if we love what we are trying to achieve.

Abraham Lincoln and American History

Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln’s gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed â€Å"the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils. *1 Their protest arose from the legislature’s failure to call slavery an evil practice. Lincoln and Stone declared that â€Å"the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. â€Å"*2 Later, Lincoln continued with his dream to become part of the law. He wanted to become president. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln took the oath of office and became the 16th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Lincoln denied that he had any intention of interfering with slavery in states where the Constitution protected it. He urged the preservation of the Union. Lincoln warned that he would use the full power of the nation to â€Å"hold, occupy, and possess† the â€Å"property and places†*3 belonging to the federal government. By â€Å"property and places,† he meant forts, arsenals, and custom houses. Lincoln’s closing passage had great beauty and literary power. He appealed to â€Å"the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land. † The attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. Lincoln met the crisis with energetic action. He called out the militia to suppress the â€Å"insurrection. He proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, and expanded the army beyond the limit set by law. He then led the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the greatest crisis in U. S. history. During the Civil War, Lincoln’s first task was to win the war. He had to view nearly all other matters in relation to the war. It was â€Å"the progress of our arms,† he once said, â€Å"upon which all else depends. † But Lincoln was a peace-loving man who had earlier described military glory as â€Å"that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood–that serpent’s eye that charms to destroy. *4 The Civil War was by far the bloodiest war in U. S. history. Lincoln became a remarkable war leader. Some historians believe he was the chief architect of the Union’s victorious military strategy. This strategy called for Union armies to advance against the enemy on all fronts at the same time. Lincoln also insisted that the objective of the Union armies should be the destruction of opposing forces, not the conquest of territory. Lincoln changed generals several times because he could not find one who would fight the war the way he wanted it fought. When he finally found such a general, Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln stood firmly behind him. Lincoln’s second great task was to keep up Northern morale through the horrible war in which many relatives in the North and South fought against one another. He understood that the Union’s resources vastly exceeded those of the Confederacy, and that the Union would eventually triumph if it remained dedicated to victory. For this reason, Lincoln used his great writing and speechmaking abilities to spur on his people. If the Union had been destroyed, the United States could have become two, or possibly more, nations. These nations separately could not have become as prosperous and important as the United States is today. By preserving the Union, Lincoln influenced the course of world history. By ending slavery, he helped assure the moral strength of the United States. His own life story, too, has been important. He rose from humble origin to the nation’s highest office. What did Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation do to help the Civil War? It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion against the Union. The proclamation also provided for the use of blacks in the Union Army and Navy. As a result, it greatly influenced the North’s victory in the war. The 11 states of the Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861. They seceded primarily because they feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black slavery. The North entered the Civil War only to reunite the nation, not to end slavery. During the first half of the war, abolitionists and some Union military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would help the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South’s farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate Army. Lincoln agreed with the abolitionists’ view of slavery. He once declared that â€Å"if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. â€Å"*5 But early in the war, Lincoln believed that if he freed the slaves, he would divide the North. Lincoln feared that four slave-owning border states; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, would secede if he adopted such a policy. In July 1862, with the war going badly for the North, Congress passed a law freeing all Confederate slaves who came into Union lines. At about that same time, Lincoln decided to change his stand on slavery. But he waited for a Union military victory, so that his decision would not appear to be a desperate act. On Sept. 22, 1862, five days after Union forces won the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by Jan. 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be â€Å"forever free. The South rejected Lincoln’s policy, and so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Lincoln took this action as commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He called it â€Å"a fit and necessary war measure. † The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave, because it affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the border states and in such Southern areas under Union control as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana and Virginia. But it did lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, which became law on Dec. 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the United States. As the abolitionists had predicted, the Emancipation Proclamation strengthened the North’s war effort and weakened the South’s. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had fled to freedom behind Northern lines. Many of them joined the Union Army or Navy or worked for the armed forces as laborers. By allowing blacks to serve in the Army and Navy, the Emancipation Proclamation helped solve the North’s problem of declining enlistments. About 200,000 black soldiers and sailors, many of them former slaves, served in the armed forces. They helped the North win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation also hurt the South by discouraging Britain and France from entering the war. Both of those nations depended on the South to supply them with cotton, and the Confederacy hoped that they would fight on its side. But the proclamation made the war a fight against slavery. Lincoln†s decisions and Emancipation Proclamation led to the 15th amendment which freed slaves. Without it, life today would be much different. He changed life for all Americans, black and white. How did the Pacific Railroad Act have an impact on American History? It provided for the building of the nation’s first transcontinental rail line. Abraham Lincoln was in office when the Pacific Railroad Act was signed. He made a huge impact by signing the act. It was the first step to trading with other states that were far apart and new ways of transportation. States could now trade meat and states could focus on the products that are most practical for their part of the country. The act gave two companies responsibility for building the railroad. The Union Pacific was to start laying track westward from a point near Omaha. The Central Pacific Railroad was to lay track eastward from Sacramento. Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans. Work began on the Central Pacific track in 1863 and on the Union Pacific in 1865. The railroads faced the gigantic task of crossing the rugged Rockies and the towering Sierra Nevada. To obtain the necessary labor, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese immigrants to work on the railroad. Thousands of European immigrants worked on the Union Pacific. On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the two railroads finally met at Promontory, Utah. North America became the first continent to have a rail line from coast to coast. By the end of the 1800’s, the United States had five transcontinental rail lines. The Canadian Pacific Railway (now CP Rail) completed Canada’s first transcontinental line in 1885. It extended from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The completion of these rail lines opened vast regions of the continent to settlement and trade. How did the sayings of Abraham Lincoln help people? Abraham gave many speeches in his life that inspired people to be all that they can be and do what is right. Gettysburg Address is a short speech that United States President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at ceremonies to dedicate a part of the battlefield as a cemetery for those who had lost their lives in the battle. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, one of the greatest orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Lincoln was asked to say a few words, and spoke for about two minutes. Lincoln wrote the address to help ensure that the battle would be seen as a great Union triumph and to define for the people of the Northern States the purpose in fighting the war. Some historians think his simple and inspired words, which are among the best remembered in American history, reshaped the nation by defining it as one people dedicated to one principle–that of equality. Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D. C. , and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase â€Å"under God† after the word â€Å"nation† in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg. Lincoln wrote the final version of the address–the fifth written version–in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial. Many false stories have grown up about this famous speech. One story says that the people of Lincoln’s time did not appreciate the speech. But the reaction of the nation’s newspapers largely followed party lines. Most of the newspapers that backed the Republican Party, the party to which Lincoln belonged, liked the speech. A majority of the newspapers that supported the Democratic Party did not. Edward Everett, the principal speaker at the dedication, wrote to Lincoln: â€Å"I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes. *6 Abrahams two minute speech had more of an impact that a two hour speech. Lincoln touched many hearts and others despised him. It does not matter if they liked him or not, they were still affected by his words and actions. Abraham Lincoln affected the U. S. in many different ways. He led the United States during the Civil War, one of the most brutal battles in history. Lincoln helped end slavery in the nation and helped keep the American Union from splitting apart during the war. Lincoln thus believed that he proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form of government. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, second inaugural address, and many of his other speeches and writings are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. Lincoln, a Republican, was the first member of his party to become President. He was assassinated near the end of the Civil War and was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first U. S. President to be assassinated. Without President Lincoln life today would be much different. We have him to thank for a lot of the great accomplishments in history. Abraham Lincoln and American History Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln’s gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed â€Å"the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils. *1 Their protest arose from the legislature’s failure to call slavery an evil practice. Lincoln and Stone declared that â€Å"the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. â€Å"*2 Later, Lincoln continued with his dream to become part of the law. He wanted to become president. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln took the oath of office and became the 16th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Lincoln denied that he had any intention of interfering with slavery in states where the Constitution protected it. He urged the preservation of the Union. Lincoln warned that he would use the full power of the nation to â€Å"hold, occupy, and possess† the â€Å"property and places†*3 belonging to the federal government. By â€Å"property and places,† he meant forts, arsenals, and custom houses. Lincoln’s closing passage had great beauty and literary power. He appealed to â€Å"the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land. † The attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. Lincoln met the crisis with energetic action. He called out the militia to suppress the â€Å"insurrection. He proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, and expanded the army beyond the limit set by law. He then led the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the greatest crisis in U. S. history. During the Civil War, Lincoln’s first task was to win the war. He had to view nearly all other matters in relation to the war. It was â€Å"the progress of our arms,† he once said, â€Å"upon which all else depends. † But Lincoln was a peace-loving man who had earlier described military glory as â€Å"that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood–that serpent’s eye that charms to destroy. *4 The Civil War was by far the bloodiest war in U. S. history. Lincoln became a remarkable war leader. Some historians believe he was the chief architect of the Union’s victorious military strategy. This strategy called for Union armies to advance against the enemy on all fronts at the same time. Lincoln also insisted that the objective of the Union armies should be the destruction of opposing forces, not the conquest of territory. Lincoln changed generals several times because he could not find one who would fight the war the way he wanted it fought. When he finally found such a general, Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln stood firmly behind him. Lincoln’s second great task was to keep up Northern morale through the horrible war in which many relatives in the North and South fought against one another. He understood that the Union’s resources vastly exceeded those of the Confederacy, and that the Union would eventually triumph if it remained dedicated to victory. For this reason, Lincoln used his great writing and speechmaking abilities to spur on his people. If the Union had been destroyed, the United States could have become two, or possibly more, nations. These nations separately could not have become as prosperous and important as the United States is today. By preserving the Union, Lincoln influenced the course of world history. By ending slavery, he helped assure the moral strength of the United States. His own life story, too, has been important. He rose from humble origin to the nation’s highest office. What did Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation do to help the Civil War? It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion against the Union. The proclamation also provided for the use of blacks in the Union Army and Navy. As a result, it greatly influenced the North’s victory in the war. The 11 states of the Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861. They seceded primarily because they feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black slavery. The North entered the Civil War only to reunite the nation, not to end slavery. During the first half of the war, abolitionists and some Union military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would help the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South’s farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate Army. Lincoln agreed with the abolitionists’ view of slavery. He once declared that â€Å"if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. â€Å"*5 But early in the war, Lincoln believed that if he freed the slaves, he would divide the North. Lincoln feared that four slave-owning border states; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, would secede if he adopted such a policy. In July 1862, with the war going badly for the North, Congress passed a law freeing all Confederate slaves who came into Union lines. At about that same time, Lincoln decided to change his stand on slavery. But he waited for a Union military victory, so that his decision would not appear to be a desperate act. On Sept. 22, 1862, five days after Union forces won the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by Jan. 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be â€Å"forever free. The South rejected Lincoln’s policy, and so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Lincoln took this action as commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He called it â€Å"a fit and necessary war measure. † The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave, because it affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the border states and in such Southern areas under Union control as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana and Virginia. But it did lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, which became law on Dec. 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the United States. As the abolitionists had predicted, the Emancipation Proclamation strengthened the North’s war effort and weakened the South’s. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had fled to freedom behind Northern lines. Many of them joined the Union Army or Navy or worked for the armed forces as laborers. By allowing blacks to serve in the Army and Navy, the Emancipation Proclamation helped solve the North’s problem of declining enlistments. About 200,000 black soldiers and sailors, many of them former slaves, served in the armed forces. They helped the North win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation also hurt the South by discouraging Britain and France from entering the war. Both of those nations depended on the South to supply them with cotton, and the Confederacy hoped that they would fight on its side. But the proclamation made the war a fight against slavery. Lincoln†s decisions and Emancipation Proclamation led to the 15th amendment which freed slaves. Without it, life today would be much different. He changed life for all Americans, black and white. How did the Pacific Railroad Act have an impact on American History? It provided for the building of the nation’s first transcontinental rail line. Abraham Lincoln was in office when the Pacific Railroad Act was signed. He made a huge impact by signing the act. It was the first step to trading with other states that were far apart and new ways of transportation. States could now trade meat and states could focus on the products that are most practical for their part of the country. The act gave two companies responsibility for building the railroad. The Union Pacific was to start laying track westward from a point near Omaha. The Central Pacific Railroad was to lay track eastward from Sacramento. Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans. Work began on the Central Pacific track in 1863 and on the Union Pacific in 1865. The railroads faced the gigantic task of crossing the rugged Rockies and the towering Sierra Nevada. To obtain the necessary labor, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese immigrants to work on the railroad. Thousands of European immigrants worked on the Union Pacific. On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the two railroads finally met at Promontory, Utah. North America became the first continent to have a rail line from coast to coast. By the end of the 1800’s, the United States had five transcontinental rail lines. The Canadian Pacific Railway (now CP Rail) completed Canada’s first transcontinental line in 1885. It extended from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The completion of these rail lines opened vast regions of the continent to settlement and trade. How did the sayings of Abraham Lincoln help people? Abraham gave many speeches in his life that inspired people to be all that they can be and do what is right. Gettysburg Address is a short speech that United States President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at ceremonies to dedicate a part of the battlefield as a cemetery for those who had lost their lives in the battle. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, one of the greatest orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Lincoln was asked to say a few words, and spoke for about two minutes. Lincoln wrote the address to help ensure that the battle would be seen as a great Union triumph and to define for the people of the Northern States the purpose in fighting the war. Some historians think his simple and inspired words, which are among the best remembered in American history, reshaped the nation by defining it as one people dedicated to one principle–that of equality. Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D. C. , and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase â€Å"under God† after the word â€Å"nation† in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg. Lincoln wrote the final version of the address–the fifth written version–in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial. Many false stories have grown up about this famous speech. One story says that the people of Lincoln’s time did not appreciate the speech. But the reaction of the nation’s newspapers largely followed party lines. Most of the newspapers that backed the Republican Party, the party to which Lincoln belonged, liked the speech. A majority of the newspapers that supported the Democratic Party did not. Edward Everett, the principal speaker at the dedication, wrote to Lincoln: â€Å"I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes. *6 Abrahams two minute speech had more of an impact that a two hour speech. Lincoln touched many hearts and others despised him. It does not matter if they liked him or not, they were still affected by his words and actions. Abraham Lincoln affected the U. S. in many different ways. He led the United States during the Civil War, one of the most brutal battles in history. Lincoln helped end slavery in the nation and helped keep the American Union from splitting apart during the war. Lincoln thus believed that he proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form of government. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, second inaugural address, and many of his other speeches and writings are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. Lincoln, a Republican, was the first member of his party to become President. He was assassinated near the end of the Civil War and was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first U. S. President to be assassinated. Without President Lincoln life today would be much different. We have him to thank for a lot of the great accomplishments in history.