Martin Luther King Essay

Martin Luther king Jr was born in January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents were martin Luther King Sr and Alberta Williams King. His father was initially called Michael King, but after they traveled to Germany, he changed his name to Martin Luther after a German protestant leader Martin Luther. He got married to Coretta Scott in June 1953 in his hometown Alabama. They got four children. Martin Luther king Jr. became a pastor at an age of 25 in Dexter Avenue Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama. Since Martin Luther King Jr grew up in Atlanta, he schooled at Booker T. Washington High School. Since he was an outstanding student, he skipped 9th and 12th grade and then proceeded to Morehouse College at an age 15 years. In 1948, the King graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in sociology. He later enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania where he got his second degree in bachelor of divinity in 1951. He did his doctoral studies at Boston University and graduated in the year 1955 with a doctor philosophy degree (Rosenberg, 1995). Martin Luther king was the driving force behind the civil rights movements of the 1960s. He organized peaceful marches to protest against segregation and racial injustices against the blacks in America. His speech of 1963 â€Å"I have a Dream† which was directed against peace and racial equality stands out to be one of the most powerful speeches in American history (White, 2010). His efforts to fight equality in America led to expression of his view that all black Americans and other disadvantaged groups should receive compensations for the wrongs done to them in the past. He stated further that giving black Americans equality could not bring them to the same level as the whites in terms of economic achievements (Brown, 1996). He clarified that he was not trying to recover the lost wages during slavery, but just proposed a government compensatory scheme of about $ 50 billion for a period of ten years to the disadvantaged groups. The King went further and presented this proposal as an application to the common law and clarified that all disadvantaged groups from all races should benefit (Saul, 2010). Martin Luther king used sermons and speeches to fight for the rights of the disadvantaged groups. Throughout his career as a pastor, he wrote articles and spoke fluently. His efforts to fight for justice are also found in his writings, for example his letter from Birmingham jail which he wrote in 1963. Martin received a Nobel peace prize in 14th October, 1964 for having led non-violent peace protests against racial inequality. He became the youngest recipient of such an award (Rosenberg, 1995). There were laws which were famously known as Jim Crows laws which prohibited black Americans from boarding buses which were meant for the whites. The blacks were also supposed to leave seats to whites whenever the bus was full. In March 1955, there was a case of a school girl who refused to leave her seat to a white man in accordance with Jim Crows Laws. Martin Luther king happened to be in the Birmingham African American committee which was supposed to preside over the case. Martin and his colleagues dropped the case. In December the same year, another black woman was arrested for refusing to give out her seat. These events led to the organization of Montgomery bus boycott of 1955. It was organized by Nixon and led by Martin. The boycott remained for about 385 days and a lot of tension built up which led to bombing of the kings house. The boycott led to the arrest of King when he was campaigning. The arrest resulted in a ruling by the United States district court that ended racial discrimination on all Montgomery public buses (Brown, 1996). In 1957, king and other civil rights activists formed southern Christian leadership conference. The main objective for the formation of the organization was to connect the moral authority and the organizing authority of black churches to carryout non violent protests in the service of civil rights reform. Martin Luther King was the leader of this organization till his death. King widely employed Gandhi’s non violent tactics in his campaigns to correct the civil rights laws which were used in Alabama (Brown, 1996). Martin Luther knew that properly organized non violent protests opposing the system of southern segregation popularly known as Jim Crows laws would result in wide media coverage of the struggle of the black Americans for equality and voting rights. Media coverage on each day deprivation and indignities directed to the southern blacks and violence and harassment from the segregationist to the civil rights activists and marchers resulted into a wind of sympathetic public opinion that made majority of Americans understand that civil rights movement was the contentious issue in American politics in early1960s. Still on his campaign trail, King went to Memphis, Tennessee on March 29th 1968 to support black sanitary public workers who were on strike demanding better wages and equal treatment. On his way to Memphis, his flight was delayed due to bomb threat. On 3rd April 1968, king delivered a speech at the world headquarters of the church of God in Christ. Martin was assassinated at 6:01 pm in April 4th, 1968 while at the balcony of Lorraine motel (Saul, 2010). Conclusion Martin Luther King is fondly remembered by the American people and the world as a whole for having dedicated his entire life to fight for the right of the oppressed. Most of his efforts delivered fruits and black Americans and other disadvantaged groups got rights and liberty. Each year on the third Monday in January, his birthday is celebrated. It is the first national holiday dedicated to a black American. References: Brown, M. (1996). Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://www. lib. lsu. edu/hum/mlk/srs216. html Rosenberg, P. (1995). Martin Luther King – A Different Drum Major. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/45a/002. html Saul, M. (2010). President Obama, other leaders recall Rev. Martin Luther King and his Achievements. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://www. nydailynews. com/news/national/2010/01/19/2010-01- 19_recalling_king_and_his_deeds. html White, D. (2010). Wise & Prophetic Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://usliberals. about. com/od/patriotactcivilrights/a/MLKWords. htm.

The Religion of Islam

The religion of Islam, unfortunately, has been exposed many unfair criticisms from nonmuslims. Especially about how Islamic Laws are treated towards the women. There are plenty of misinterpretations and accusations. It needs to mention about fundamental and basic principles in Islam.According to Islam, human beings are not evil and sinful creatures, and they do not come to the world with tendency to sin. Human beings are not sinful until they choose to sin. Unlike Christianity, a newborn baby considered to be pure, innocent, and considered as if s(he) a given present from Allah. There is even a saying in Turkish ‘like a paradise-scented child'. This saying refers that the children are innocent and as if they are coming from the paradise. Also, every human is equal in Islam regardless of their race, color, and class. Islam is not definite with only one age, it is for every age. Khurshid Ahmad describes the aim of Islam as, Islam aims at establishing an equilibrium between these two aspects of life – the material and the spiritual. (36)Another detail in Islam is that how Quran describes Eve. In Quran, Eve is not represented an evil or a seductive woman. Quran puts an equivalent blame on Adam's and Eve's mistake. It does not separate Eve from Adam. Eve is not portrayed as a deceiver or a seducer. Eve is not blamed for seducing Adam to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Actually, in Quran Surah Taha, verse 121† †¦ Thus, Adam disobeyed his Lord, and fell.† This verse states that Adam is especially blamed for the sin not Eve. Another important detail is that the original sin concept. It does not exist in Islam. For this reason, Adam's sin is not inherited to the other human beings like it does in Christianity. This is because Adam and Eve repented to Allah and they had forgiven. Allah does not punish anyone for other's sins. Therefore, in Islam, everyone is responsible for their own actions, and their own sins.The Quran provides clear-cut evidence that woman in completely equated with man in the sight of Allah in terms of her rights and responsibilities (Ahmad 136). In Quran Surah Al- Imran verse 195 † Their Lord answered the Prayer thus: â€Å"I will not suffer the work of any of you, whether male or female, to go to waste; each of you is from the other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This part of the verse simply refers that there is no discrimination between a man and a woman in the presence of Allah. In Islam, the superiority only occurs when it comes to the actions. Other features are not important. For instance, being a man or a female, noble or ignoble, those features do not affect the actions that have done. It is crystal clear that there is no difference between a man and a woman. Later on, the Quran states again that there is no discrimination between a man and a woman in Surah An-Nisaa verse 124 † But whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, and is a believer— those will enter Paradise, and will not be wronged a whit.† The only thing that matter is the actions. Another Surah emphasizes the same topic again, in Surah An-Nahl verse 97 † Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while being a believer, we will grant him a good life—and We will reward them according to the best of what they used to do.† As long as following Allah and embrace the religion, believers will be rewarded by their works and actions. In Islam there are some religious obligations, for instance, routine prayers, fasting, alms, and going on a pilgrimage. A man and a woman have same obligations and duties for those religious obligations. Except some circumstances, to give an example, a woman can be privileged from prayers throughout her mensuration. The same case applies for fasting. There can be some exceptional for the women, otherwise the man and the women are equally responsible for the obligations. In the Pre-Islamic age of ignorance, if someone has a daughter as his or her first child, burying her was vastly common amongst the various Arabian tribes. Surah An-Nahl verses 58-59 describe the how people react when they have a daughter. † And when one of them is given news of a female infant, his face darkens, and he chokes with grief. He hides from the people because of the bad news given to him. Shall he keep it in humiliation, or bury it in the dust? What an evil choice they decide on?† Quran unquestionably and strictly forbids the infanticide. With the acceptance of Islam, the daughters were protected and treated fairly. Females had gained rights with the Islam. Surely, during the age of ignorance women were treated as if they were the objects, and they had no right. Prior to the advent of Islam, woman had no rights to speak of. When a woman's husband died, any of his male relatives would simply appropriate her, as if she was an animal or a commodity ( Al-Ghazili)The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) has a saying about treating the daughters † Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, Allah will admit him to Paradise because of her.† (Ibn Hanbal Hadith No 1957). Even just by deducing from this Hadith that in Islam, the daughter has an equal position with the son. Moreover, it can be said that how treating a daughter significant for awarding the father with the Paradise. Woman in the marriage in the Quran states in one of the Surah which is Al-Rum verse 21 † And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.† The Quran clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of the society, and its objectives, beside perpetuating human life, are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony. Its bases are love and mercy (Ahmed 138). Furthermore, a woman cannot force into marriage without her own approval according to Islamic Law. The rules for married life in Islam are clear and in harmony with upright human nature. A woman and a man both have equal rights and claims on one another, except for one responsibility, that of leadership. This is a matter which is natural in any collective life and which is consistent with the nature of man (Ahmed 138). In Surah Al-Baqarah verse 228 † †¦ And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.† Having a degree has to do with the maintenance and protection of a women, and as Khurshid Ahmed refers that it is the natural difference between the sexes which entitles the weaker sex to protection. It does not imply no superiority or advantage before the law, and the man's role of leadership in relation to his family does not mean the husband's dictatorship over his wife (138).One of the distinction between Islam and Christianity is about remarriage of the widows. Unlike Christianity, the widows or divorced women do not expose to discrimination against the unmarried women or another. According to Islam, a divorced or widowed woman has the right to remarry without any shame or denunciation. In fact, the Quran allows the betrothal of a divorced or widowed woman even during her period of transition (Jawad 34). In Surah Al-Baqarah 235 states as: It shall be no offence for you openly to propose marriage indirectly to such women or to cherish them in your hearts. Allah knows that you will remember them. Do not arrange to meet them in secret and, if you do, speak to them honorably. But you shall not consummate the marriage before the end of their waiting period. Know that Allah has knowledge of all your thoughts. Therefore, take heed and bear in mind that Allah is forgiving and merciful.This verse mentions there is no sin in offering a marriage implicitly to a woman whose husband died and waiting for the iddat. The explanation of Iddat is a period of time during which a divorced or widowed woman may not remarry (oxforddictionaries.com). This offering can be through expressing the intention of the man by asking questions or stating his wishes to the woman. By this way, woman's opinion will find out, and if the woman wishes to marry that man, it will be prevented the woman to promise someone else. Islam values the treating respectful and kind to the parents, but especially to the mothers. In Islam, women are also valued being a mother too. For instance, In the Quran, there is a suggestion for the polite behavior for the mothers. In Surah Luqman verse 14 † And we enjoined upon man to be dutiful to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Likewise, in Surah Al-Ahqaf verse 15 † And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Surah Al-Ahqaf verse 15 indicates that Allah ordered to us to treat our parents kindly and take care of them. It is also emphasized that how our mothers suffered during her pregnancy with having sickness and at the same how challenging her labor was. Similarly, in Surah Al-Isra verse 23 is regarding the good and polite treatment towards the parents †Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be good to your parents. If either of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor scold them, but say to them kind words.† There are several sayings of The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). One day, The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) stated: † Be regretful!† when they say † Who? O The messenger of Allah!† The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) replied as † It is the person who cannot enter the Paradise because he did not show respect one or both of his parents in their old age.† (Birr and S?la 251) Furthermore, The Prophet Mohammad has a well-known saying † Paradise is at the feet of mothers† (Ibn Hanbal). One more case can be given as:A man came to Mohammad (pbuh) asking, † O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the worthiest of my good company? † The Prophet (pbuh) said, †Your mother.† The man said, †Then who else?† The Prophet (pbuh) said †Your mother.† The man said, † Then who else?† The Prophet (pbuh) said, †Your mother.† The man said, †Then who else?† Only then did the Prophet (pbuh) say †Your father.† (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) The financial status of a woman is secured in Quran. It can be easily seen in the verses of the Quran.

Learning to read by Malcolm answers

When Malcolm faced the frustration of not being able to express what he wanted in letters especially those to Mr.. Elijah Muhammad. He begun his studies in the prison were Bimbo his fellow prisoner would lead in conversations because of his knowledge and vast vocabulary. Since Malcolm couldn't understand the meanings of the words when he was reading the books he learned that he has to study them from a dictionary and also he wanted to improve his penmanship.When he realized that studying using a dictionary was a very powerful tool he got motivate to further use teeth of copying in writing the content of the dictionary along with memorizing the new words. As a result he was able to read and understand any book. 2. He started his education from the teachings of Mr.. Muhammad about the history that was â€Å"whitened† and had no place for black man. Since then Malcolm was eager to learn more about the history of a black man. He learned that collective white man brought nothing bu t disadvantages to Black people and people of color in general. Mr..Nonhuman teaching taught him that all races came from Negroes and Whites are just â€Å"bleached ‘ Blacks so Blacks are actually a superior nation. The knowledge and a believe in this knowledge has both freed and empowered him. He became independent by the ability to gather and process the information and to apply that knowledge for the good of Black people. The reading changed the direction of what he wanted to do In life and made him â€Å"mentally alive. † 3. If public schools find the way to motivate students and make them crave the Information the students will study the subjects that they are Interested In with effortless ease.On my opinion introducing students to the purpose of learning a certain topic will set up their mind to want to find out more Information about It and understand It In order to use this information In life. 4. 1 think the he Is taking one sided uncompressed position about W hites. He Is generalizing the Idea about a broad topic and I don't think that the general opinion should be considered as the truth. He Is holding an aggressive position of â€Å"battling the white man† which Is as bad as the White man behavior towards Blacks.I can see his motives for Internal hostility of racial Injustice but I don't hint that acting from this position would solve that problem. It Is Just create more anger and can lead to the contention between people. I know that a lot of white people are ashamed of their race because of the history of cruel acts towards Blacks. Learning to read by Malcolm answers By extendibility's he wanted to do in life and made him â€Å"mentally alive. † 3. If public schools find the way to motivate students and make them crave the information the students will study the subjects that they are interested in with effortless ease.On my opinion o want to find out more information about it and understand it in order to use this info rmation in life. 4. 1 think the he is taking one sided uncompressed position about Whites. He is generalizing the idea about a broad topic and I don't think that the general opinion should be considered as the truth. He is holding an aggressive position of â€Å"battling the white man† which is as bad as the White man behavior towards Blacks. I can see his motives for internal hostility of racial injustice but I don't think that acting from this position would solve that problem. It is Just create more

Business organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business organisations - Essay Example Due to its corporate nature, like a structure of a company; some provisions of Partnership Act 1890 are not applicable to an LLP. Characteristics of Limited Liability Partnership Incorporation At least two people are required to form a Limited Liability Partnership. The Limited Liability Partnership is a legal personality (Law society, 2007).They associate for the purpose of doing a lawful commercial activity with a view to earn profit. To become a legal person, the members of Limited Liability Partnership are required to provide their names to a document called an â€Å"incorporation document†. In this document, name of Limited Liability Partnership, location and address of registered office, names and addresses of minimum two members must be mentioned in the incorporation document. After completing all these necessary legal requirements, the incorporation document must be sent to the registrar. Additionally, a declaration of compliance that Limited Liability Partnership sati sfies the requirements of the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2000, should be sent to the registrar. Upon receiving the incorporation document, the registrar will ensure that all legal requirements are satisfied. After ensuring that, the registrar will issue a certificate of incorporation. ... The members of partnership can decide the rights and duties of members by mutual consent and agreement. In case, the members are unable to agree on rights and duties, then, the partnership will be governed by Limited Liability Partnership Regulations 2001 (Corporate and Business Law UK). Also, each member acts as an agent of the Limited Liability Partnership. Name The incorporation document must include the name of Limited Liability Partnership. The name must end with â€Å"Limited Liability Partnership, or llp or LLP†. Liability for Debts The liability of a member of a Limited Liability Partnership is limited to the capital contribution (Duntop). If the Limited Liability Partnership goes into liquidation, and the liquidation creates debts that are required to be paid by the members of the Limited Liability Partnership, then, the liability of the members of the Limited Liability Partnership shall be restricted or limited to the capital contribution provided by the members. Als o, the members are not under any legal requirement to contribute a specified amount for the creation of a Limited Liability Partnership. This right is given to the members that they themselves decide the amount for capital contribution. Additionally, the members are allowed to withdraw their capital contribution anytime. The law has authorised the members take and implement this decision. Benefits of Limited Liability Partnership The provision of limited liability This is a significant benefit of Limited Liability Partnership. In the standard partnership, the members have unlimited liability. This means in case of liquidation, the members of standard partnership are required to

CJM 321 CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

CJM 321 CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES - Essay Example because computers, mobile technologies, and the Internet are now being used to conduct cybercrimes, not to mention, deviant behaviors, such as cyberbullying, which can also lead to criminal activities. Clearly, the sources of criminality have spread and diversified to touch various aspects of human society which is why law enforcement is trying to find ways to respond to them using limited people, budget, and resources. Ensuring and preserving public safety is one of the top priorities of local governments and law enforcement agencies. People’s safety and the security of their properties are perceived as basic human rights and important to the community’s total quality of life (Plant & Scott, 2009, p.8). The main concern of the paper is to understand how law enforcement can provide the essentials for today’s communities. These essentials include crime-fighting though the police also performs other functions, such as aiding the movement of people and vehicles, helping those who cannot take care of themselves, such as the mentally ill, children, and the homeless, and resolving conflicts between individuals or groups. The paper explores the issues that have to be addressed to ensure â€Å"safety† for all, including discussing their obstacles and existing and potential solutions. The main issues to be addressed to ensure safety are crime prevention strategies that include pr evention of substance abuse that leads to crimes and accidents, gang crimes and organized ctimes, hate crimes, and terrorism. The selling, distribution, and use of drugs, including related drug crimes continue to create social problems for society. It does not help that, due to the globalization of technology and transportation, illegal drug business has expanded and become more resourceful in evading the detection of law enforcement. In 2007, law enforcement agencies across the U.S. made 1.8 million drug-related arrests (McElreath et al., 2013, p.11). In 2008, almost 100,000 inmates in

Ethnography of Food Pantry Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethnography of Food Pantry - Personal Statement Example It was the 24th of March, and we had an appointment with one of the leading food pantry in our locality. We wanted to observe and research about a number of things which were going on there. Charles mumbled a total of twenty minutes as a given allowance, as he sensed that I was still in bed. In about fifteen minutes, I had already arrived at Angel’s coffee shop where we were all supposed to meet before we officially left for the appointment which was in the next two hours. You could tell from the anxiety on people’s faces that nobody wanted to be late. After a short meeting headed by our group supervisor, Ernest, we headed one of our school vans and in about ten minutes, we had our van parked in front of â€Å"St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry† where we were meant to visit. I loved the color on the billboard; blue my favorite color ever since I was a toddler. I have spent over fifteen years in America, and I have been seeing this building as long as I can remember, but I have never taken my time to find out what really happens at the food pantry organization and how it works. I had a very mutual and exciting feeling as I walked in the organization. An exciting sensation kept tickling down my spine every time the thought of being a volunteer rang in my mind. My eyes fell on a number of benches and on them were several goods. This confirmed my happy feeling. There was a man who later introduced himself to us as Bob, who couldn’t keep his eyes off us. Surprisingly, he was the one who was waiting for us. As we approached, his firm stare turned into a soothing smile which made people’s hearts to feel at ease whenever we were with him. We introduced ourselves and immediately embarked on what we had come to do in the food pantry. It was a good experience seeing so many people young and old working together for the good of all in the working area. An equal amount of different foods were being in plastic bags. At the end of the line, there was a big heap of already packed foods waiting for the clients to come and pick them up. The different types of foods included pasta, tomato sauce, canned corn, vegetables, Mac-and-cheese and chocolates. There was no trace of protein in the packages. As we made our way into different rooms of the pantry foods, we came into the store room where there was a bid heap of donated food. He said that they had stayed there for long, and nobody wanted them. This was really surprising. We were then taken to a room with different sizes of fridges and in it was meat, both white and red. He requested two of us to remain behind so that they could pack the chicken in the polythene bags as it is done when packing food for the food pantry clients. Kevin and Alex volunteered to remain and do the tedious assignment. Kevin later confessed how frozen his hands felt when he was handling the meat. On the further corner was another fridge full of red meat and bread. They had been donated by different donors including organization and had come with different packages. Bob wanted them to have a similar type of package and requested three of us to work on it. I thought this was the place. The group supervisor, Ernest, Charles and I found ourselves working together. We were putting two packs of meat in every plastic bag. It seemed to be very easy to be a volunteer. I must confess that it was a little bit cold but what I was

Health Promotion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Promotion - Assignment Example The main aim of the paper would be to analyze the various prevention strategies of diabetes. It will also determine the importance of health promotion and the processes through which the concept can be popularized. The findings precisely showed the ways to curb the disease i.e. (Diabetes) along with ways for ensuring diseases prevention through effective health promotion. It will also highlight about the appropriate programs that can be effectively implemented to provide proper diagnosis of the health diseases by the medical experts. All those factors that contributed to the sole purpose of improving the health of the people will be highlighted upon (Fuhrman, 2012). 1) Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Issues Related To Diabetes Screenings and Weight Maintenance for a 19 Year Old Male with Family History of Heart Disease As per the above statement, it can be analyzed that a 19 year old male with family history of heart diseases should place due consideration on weight maintenan ce and should conduct regular diabetes screening. It is due to the reason that people with overweight are more prone to acquire diabetes. Furthermore, a person with diabetes is prone to all kinds of diseases. A diabetic patient is always under the risk of acquiring the most dangerous diseases. But there are various measures to lower its bad effects and even ending it. In this particular case, the best and the simplest technique for avoiding the disease is to follow a strict diet plan. The 19 years old male with family history of heart diseases should be strictly directed by his physician to avoid oily food along with junk food and it should also be made clear to the boy to consume lots of boiled vegetables. This way it can control both the weight and diabetes. This concept will provide great aid in the overall health promotion as the intake of healthy diet and its benefits can be widely highlighted by the medical experts (Fuhrman, 2012). However, there may arise certain issues while preventing the disease, the 19 year old may not be able to cope up with the changes in his food habit and may find it very difficult to follow a new diet. Also, being a teenager the 19 year old may not be able to follow a strict routine of medicines and may not like the idea of following a prevention strategy of fatigue and diabetes. 2). Developing a Comprehensive Plan of Care Reflecting Appropriate Wellness Nursing Diagnoses and the Inclusion of Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) A comprehensive plan of wellness treatment generally proves to be very effective as it caters to the health conscious individuals. At the same time a comprehensive plan facilitates in recommendation for nursing staff with certain specific standards for promoting efficient patient care and wellness. This plan will help in the overall analysis of the medical processes that are followed and will also facilitate in creating a sustained atmosphere of proper med ical treatment. It is worth mentioning that nursing diagnosis entails clinical judgment regarding individual, family and community in order to response the health problem. It provides the center for the selection of nursing intervention for achieving outcome. After identifying the nursing diagnoses, it is essential to set priorities, documenting expected outcome, and stating target dates. In the first stage of setting priorities, the nurses should identify problems that can be effectively resolved. This can be done on the bases of methods such as placing priorities based upon the life threat imposed by the problem (Newfield, Hinz, Tilley, Sridarmont & Maramba, 2012). The next stage involving expected outcome can be related with the patient action. Correspondingly,

A Social Need for Children with Special Need Essay

A Social Need for Children with Special Need - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that the inclusion of challenged children in the education system within the broader framework of special school is defined by accommodating infrastructure, expanding course curricula that take into account their special needs and a highly sensitive approach. The proactive participation of community, parents and various voluntary agencies become important factor in the rehabilitation of such children within the mainstream society. As the discussion declares special schools are important initiatives as it facilitates education to those children whose disabilities often obstruct their benefits from education as they are entitled for. The special schools cater to the numerous needs of children with disability with focus on severe intellectual disability and other models of developmental disabilities like dyslexia, learning disability etc. Kwiotek emphasizes that disability must be looked from the wider perspectives of social model. Thus, social structure, ins titutions, environment and attitude become major elements that impact the special needs of disabled children. The intellectual disabilities like cerebral palsy, dyslexia, autism are not easily identifiable in the early stage. They are therefore, often projected as behavioral problems of the students.  

Gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Gallery - Essay Example The installation art changes form depending on the space where it is being exhibited at the time. The idea began when Dupuis-Bourret wanted to start ‘a river of paper in her basement’ (Vocat). The repetitive lines on the printed paper create a rich texture in place of the usual picturesque images one may be used to seeing at an art gallery. This is one of the things that make this piece of work ‘difficult’ to appreciate (Diepeveen & Van Laar). The traditional notions of beauty cannot be adhered to while appreciating this installation artwork. There is no use of color in the usual sense; it is entirely in black and white. The textures and patterns are repetitive and not very artistic in the usual sense. However, it is because of this unusual quality that this piece of art makes for a thought-provoking one. The viewer begins to wonder what it is about this artwork that makes it so compelling despite the lack of traditional beauty in it. To begin with, the lack of color and the tonality of the texture give it a rather haunting quality. The wide expanse of black and white with varying densities of etching on them allows the viewer to project their own opinions and thoughts on the artwork rather than it dictating too strictly what it ‘means.’ The black and white expanse could mean different things to different people and this element of ambiguity and room for interpretation is one of the things that make such a piece appealing. But by itself, the artwork is not entirely silent either. The pointed edges and the material used recall the ‘paper fortune-teller’ that children use to play and tell fortunes for each other. This gives the piece a toy-like quality. This playful element is also reflected in how repetitive the structure is; something that rhymes and songs for children often are. The piece also has mathematical significance. The idea of the

Health care Essay Example for Free

Health care Essay 1a. What model of healthcare does the US and your chosen country have (Japan)? Be very specific. The United States has a healthcare system that is different from almost every country in the world. I would call the United States health care system a hybrid type system. I would call our system a hybrid because we fall into almost every type of category possible when it comes to health care; for instance, people who are uninsured have to pay out-of-pocket when they want to see a doctor versus someone who is insured and only has to pay a deductable. Many companies in the United States offer free medical care for employers, or they make health care insurance fairly cheap to afford. Unlike many countries our healthcare system is a little rocky. Insurance companies can drop you for being to high risk leaving you stranded to find another insurance company or leaving you to pay out-of-pocket. Our system has forced many of our fellow citizens homeless, or with masses amount of debt. Japan on the other hand has a Universal healthcare, in which everyone is covered up to 70% of the cost. Japan’s healthcare is much cheaper than hear in America because in Japan, it is accustom to their culture that a family member acts as a nurse, in which they help assist with the patient. In Japan, they have separate hospital beds in the room for a person from the family to sleep in. The family member acts like a nurse by providing food, cleaning, and changing sheet just to name a few. People from Japan who are employed but do not receive health coverage from their company, can participate in a national health insurance program offered and controlled by their government. People in Japan cannot be denied coverage unlike our healthcare in America, and by law Japans hospitals have to be a non-profit hospital which is run by physicians. 1b. In 10 sentences or less [emphasis on less], describe the Beveridge, Bismarck, National Health Insurance and Out-of-Pocket models. The Beveridge model is named after William Beveridge and was designed/implemented in Britain’s National Health Service. This system is funded by the government through tax payments, similar to how a public library works. According to PBS, â€Å"Bismarck-type health insurance plans have to cover everybody, and they dont make a profit. Doctors and hospitals tend to be private in Bismarck countries†(Health care systemthe four basic models, 2008. ). â€Å"Universal health care is a term that refers to a governmental system meant to ensure that every citizen or resident of a region has access to the required medical services†(What is universal health care, 2003-2013). According to TLC, â€Å"An out-of-pocket expense is a no reimbursable expense paid by a patient. This could include any medical benefits that your health plan doesnt consider covered services. But out-of-pocket expenses can also include covered expenses that you are responsible for before your health-plan benefits kick in at 100 percent coverage. When the insurance company pays all of your expenses and you have to pay only your monthly premium, you have reached the out-of-pocket maximum’’(Jeffries, M. , 2013). 2a. What types of healthcare plans are available in each country? You must discuss each in detail. The US has managed care plans [Health Maintenance Organizations, Preferred Provider Organizations, Exclusive Provider Organizations, Point of Service Plans], and indemnity coverage as well as Medicaid and Medicare and your countrys plan so you need to touch on them all in order to be detailed in your response. The United States has a managed care plan; managed care is used to help control cost. For instance, lets say you are rushed to the hospital, the first thing they EMT’s will ask you regardless how hurt you are â€Å"do you have insurance†. It is sad that the United States has such a terrible health care system. The United States utilizes HMO, which is health maintenance organization, this plans limits the amount of doctors you can see. This is where a person pays a monthly premium in exchange they are covered for hospital visits, pediatric care, x-rays, and many other services our health care has to offer. The person who utilizes this plan generally has to pay co-pay, which the cost varies depending on the type of plan you have. Many people like this type of plan because when you go to the doctor you don’t need to fill out claim forms. Members show a card when they go to the doctor or hospital. The downfall to this plan is that you might have to wait longer in the waiting room. Another plan the United States has is called point-of-service plan. This plan allows the members of the plan to refer themselves to an outside plan and still be able to obtain some coverage. A doctor can also make a referral out of the network and in-turn the health care plan will pay for most if not the entire bill. A preferred provider organization is another type of plan offered by the United States. Just like the health maintenance organization, the preferred provider organization limits you to the number of doctors you can see, but when you do find the right doctor most of your medical bills are covered. The preferred provider organization requires you to choose a primary care physician in order to monitor your health care. If you elect to go to a doctor who is not part of this plan, some of the medical expenses are covered. I deem some people like this plan because if their primary care doctor is not part of the plan, they don’t have to change doctors. According to Health Insurance. Info â€Å"An Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) is a network of individual medical care providers, or groups of medical care providers, who have entered into written agreements with an insurer to provide health insurance to subscribers. In EPO, medical care providers enter a mutually beneficial relationship with an insurer. The insurer reimburses an insured subscriber only if the medical expenses are derived from the designated network of medical care providers. The established network of medical care providers in turn provide subscribed patients medical services at significantly lower rates than what would have been under normal circumstances. In exchange for reduced rates of medical services, medical care providers get a steady stream of business†(Exclusive provider organization, 2010. ). Japan has a national health insurance plan; this plan for people who are not covered by their employer. You can obtain this health care plan by living in Japan for a year. Japan does have universal health coverage as well, but this plan varies between each individual. Some factors that affect this plan are: visiting, studying, working, your age just to name a few. Your premium that you pay depends on your salary you make for the year, so the cost varies for every individual. In Japan their health care system provides free examinations for specific diseases, infectious diseases and parental care. The government pays up to 70% of the cost for every citizen and foreigners who have lived in the country for a year or longer. Japan has an awesome health care plan compared to the United States, and I deem this is why their economy is flourishing and they have one of the healthiest populations in the world. People in Japan have a longer life expectancy compared to any other county in the world; I deem this is due to the bombing health care, their life style choices, and knowledge. 3a. What alternatives are available if an individual loses their healthcare due to job loss? In the US there is more than one alternative. Please be specific for each country. People in Japan are covered no matter what happens to their job. They have a universal health care system in which their government pays up to 70% of their entire cost for any medical bill. People, who don’t have a job, hardly have to pay any coverage when they are ill no matter how severe their condition is. Unlike Japan, in the United States you generally will loose your health benefits, or you will have till the end of the month to utilize it. Some employers will allow you to have your benefits for 26 weeks, which is ample time to find another job with health benefits. You will have to file a claim through your place of work in order to do this action. 4a. The storage of healthcare records are evolving? Describe what EHR, EMR and the cloud are with respect to this evolving technology. We want to see a minimum of five points per explanation. â€Å"An electronic record of health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff across more than one health care organization†(What is emr and ehr, 2013. ). EHR’s has some great benefits, one great benefit it has over paper records is that it can notify a doctor or physician that a patient is due for a routine check up. Another benefit is that it makes it almost virtually impossible to loose or misplace someone’s records. I like the fact that you can call your doctor and ask them to just simply print and mail you your medical records with all of your medical history; it makes it much easier for a patient to access. I deem one day that doctors will be able to email, or have an app where a patient can access their medical records electronically just for viewing or printing purposes. According to Healthit. gov â€Å"An electronic medical record (EMR) is a digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient’s medical history from one practice. An EMR is mostly used by providers for diagnosis and treatment†(What is an electronic medical record, 2012. ). This is not as beneficial in my opinion as EHR’s are. The reason I feel this way is because EMR’s can only access medical files from one practice. Many people have more than one doctor such as an eye doctor, physician, and even a dentist. All these different practices utilize some sort of medical history that you have compiled over a certain time span. The cloud is a database where every doctor you encounter can access you files. Many people have mixed views about this so called â€Å"cloud†. From a doctors point of view it is great! They can see your medical history for every doctor you have been to. Some people may deem this to be a violation of HIPPA. Many people find it an invasion to their privacy and why would a physician need access to any of my other files. One benefit is doctors can see specific medicines you maybe allergic to that you may have for got to inform them about. 5a. What problems are associated with each country’s healthcare plan(s)? Details please. The United States health care system has many flaws; one is hospitals tend to over price patients. I learned from my Health Law and Ethics class, that some hospitals charge unnecessary charges such as $10. 00 for a cup they carry you medicine in. If you are in the hospital for some time that really adds up quickly! Another flaw our health care system has is over spending on testing. Our country spends more money on test with their patients than any other country. I read an article that a patient was experiencing heart burn constantly and rather than giving a $1,200 stress test (way over priced if you ask me) the doctor charged the patient with a $8,000 CT scan. Many insurance companies will not accept a patient who has had previous records of specific diseases or any chronic condition in fear that they will have to pay too much for their care. If a person who is young and can’t qualify for Medicare, Medicade, and does not have company medical benefits, they have to pay out of pocket. Japan is known for having one of the most superior health care systems in the world. One flaw that it has is a surprisingly high suicide rate. One study showed that these suicides were due to health problems. Japan has a high cancer rate because of the obsessive smoking and drinking in their country.

Analysis of the Harlem Renaissance

Analysis of the Harlem Renaissance The movement raised significant issues affecting the lives of African Americans through a variety of literature, art, music, drama, painting, sculpture, movies, and protests. The outburst of creativity among black writers of this period was the productof the many moods and circumstances of the time. Therefore, the Harlem Renaissance was more than a literary movement; it was anexciting cultural expression of racial experience which extendedinto every area of black life. The significance of this movement to African American literary art lies in the efforts of its writers to praise the legacy of African Americans and to use their unique culture as a means toward re-defining African American literary expression Harlem Renaissance was the era when African-Americans for the first time had a real reason to experience pride and rejoice in their identity. In Harlem they found something that was uniquely their own. African-American literature, art, music, and beliefs were respected, appreciated and recognized on a national level. African-Americans were first time regarded as intellectuals before Harlem renaissance Afro Americans were generally considered a stereotype from the outside. This stereotype was an individual servile, unqualified, unskillful and with little potential other than as a laborer. After many years of suffering through imprisonment and domination by the White man, African Americans began to come together to express their strong beliefs of racial pride and self-identity. This movement increased self confidence of Afro Americans and made them feel proud and happy. For the first time, all publishers and critics took Afro American literature seriously and Africans Americans started to work with white people. The Harlem Renaissance was a turning point in African American literature; it was no longer read mainly by black people, but started to be absorbed into the whole American culture. Due to all reasons mentioned above Harlem Renaissance stands as one of the most celebrated movements in African-American culture and American history. It is known as the golden period of African American art and literature. The purpose of the Harlem Renaissance was for African Americans to express their need for racial equality. Civil Rights activists such as W.E.B. Du Bois, who helped to establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), decided that instead of using direct political means to achieve their goals of racial equality, that they would employ artists and writers of their culture to achieve their goals. During the Harlem renaissance there was an outburst of artistic creation in all fields including visual arts, literature and poetry, music and dance that both represented and gave voice to the afro American thoughts. Even Newspapers and magazines such as The Messenger, Crisis, and Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, were also highly important because they exposed the evils of discrimination. African Americans looked to these pieces of literature for leadership and direction. The main goal of the writers of the Harlem Renaissance was to show the Negro as a talented individual, worthy of the same respect given to white Americans. Writers such as Claude McKay and Langston Hughes not only changed the way Negros have been portrayed in theaters throughout history but also blazed the path for the future generations to follow. The Harlem Renaissance was a transitional time when poetry changed a state of African-Americans to outstanding heights. It was one of the most vital expressive vehicles used for the promotion and celebration of African American history, culture and political awareness. The presence of many lower and middle-class blacks in theNorthern ghettoes who could buy books and magazines and go totheaters and clubs provided the financial backing to support thecreative blacks who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. One of the chief poets who emerged from the period was Langston Hughes. He was born in 1920 in Joplin, Missouri and spent most his youth in the American Midwest. He first came to New York in 1921 to attend Columbia University. A year later he shipped out as a salesman and cook’s helper on a tramp steamer to Africa and Europe. He lived and worked in Paris and Italy and then returned to the United States, where he took a job as a busboy in a Washington DC, hotel. There in 1925, he was discovered by the poet Vachel Lindsay, who praised Hughes’s poems and advised him to devote himself to literature. His first books, The Weary Blues (1926) and Fine Clothes to the Jew (1927) won poetry prizes and brought him wide acclaim. Unlike many of his peers who were turning inward for poetic expression. Hughes explored the expressive validity of black vernacular in urban and rural black lifestyle. His dynamic and insightful representation of African-Americans touches the souls of many. His poetry paints a picture of the complications faced by African-Americans with a mixture of music, culture, happiness and environmental struggles. Langston Hughes lived ina society that was completely dominated by White men. Heremembers the company of his grandmother, â€Å"She†¦held mein her lap and told†¦stories about people who wanted to makethe Negroes free†¦.† (Emanuel19). Thus, not only social atmospherebut his family experiences have also made him touse poetry as a weapon by which he could give an effectiveexpression to cultural and ethnic qualities of his black race inorder to shape a society. â€Å"He has asserted his voice of selfacceptance†(Berry 87). For the first time, there has been aman on the literary scene to glorify his â€Å"Blackness† and not tofeel ashamed of his being Black. Hughes is most famous for his poetry but he contributed to numerous forms of literature and nonfiction throughout his long career.His first novelNot Without Laughter appeared in 1930. Hughes had a wide range of talent. He was a successful humorist and a historian of the lives of blacks. He wrote proudly and sanguinely about the African American conditions. His most famous fictional character is Jesse B. Semple, nicknamed Simple, who uses humor to protest and satirize the existing injustices. Apart from poems and novels he also wrote short stories, children’s books, song lyrics and operas. He translated foreign writers and wrote numerous plays, three of which were produced on Broadway. Langston Hughes in his essay The Negro Artist and The Racial Mountain (1926), expressed the new rebellious mood of the Renaissance writers: Let the blare of Negro jazz bands and the bellowing voice of Bessie Smith singing Blues penetrate the closed ears of the colored near-intellectuals until they listen and perhaps understand. Let Paul Robeson singing Water Boy, and Rudolph Fisher writing about the streets of Harlem, and Jean Toomer holding the heart of Georgia in his hands, and Aaron Douglas drawing strange black fantasies cause the smug Negro middle class to turn from their white, respectable, ordinary books and papers to catch a glimmer of his own beauty.(Ervin 48) Much of his best writing was journalistic. In 1937 he served as a foreign correspondent covering the Spanish Civil war for the Baltimore,Afro American news –paper. His most popular works were news paper sketches written for the Chicago Defender in the 1940s .The sketches recounted the adventures opinions of an innocent downtrodden Negro, â€Å"Simple,† whose penetrating views of blacks and whites provided Hughes with the means for making broad satirical and critical commentary on society and government. Hughes was a worldly cosmopolite who lived an almost nomadic life. He traveled to Mexico, Cuba, and the Caribbean, to Africa, Western Europe, The SovietUnion, China and Japan. But he was most influenced by his American experience, by his black heritage, and by the vivid life of New York’s city and Harlem, with its blues and jazz music that so influenced the structure and rhythm of such poems as â€Å"The Weary Blues†. He was the first black American to support himself as a professional writer. In all, he produced more than sixty books. He was also one of the first American writers to receive extended and serious critical attention for realistic portrayals of black Americans. Through his poetry, fiction, and essays, he became one of the dominant voices speaking out for the significance of black culture at the core of life in the twentieth –century America. In the Twenty-first century his work still proclaims, â€Å"I, too, am America.† He created a new literary art form called jazz poetry.He was perhaps the most original of African American poets in the breadth and variety of his work and assuredly the most representative of African American writers. He believes in the ideals of liberty,equality and universal brotherhood. His creative oeuvrereflects that how he constantly struggled for the dignity andequal rights of African Americans. Claude McKay, from Jamaica, was another most influencing poet of the Harlem Renaissance. He was born on September 15, 1890 in, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, and West Indies. Youngest of eleven children he was sent to live with his oldest brother at an early age so that he could be given the best education. McKay was an avid reader who began to write poetry at the age of ten. Much of his writings are a reflection of that shock he felt about American racism. With the publication of two volumes of poetry, Spring in New Hampshire (1920) and Harlem Shadows (1922), McKay emerged as the most militant voice of the Harlem Renaissance. His poetry gained a lasting admiration among African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance and addressed social and political concerns. McKay wrote three novels: Home to Harlem (1928), a best-seller which won the Harmon Gold Award for Literature, Banjo (1929), and Banana Bottom (1933). He also authored a collection of short stories, Gingertown (1932), and two autobiographical books, A Long Way from Home (1937) and Harlem: Negro Metropolis (1940). His book of poetry, Harlem Shadows (1922) was among the first books published during the Harlem Renaissance. His book of collected poems, Selected Poems (1953), was published posthumously. Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen identified McKay as a chief inspiring force, even though he did not put pen to paper for modern verse. His poem â€Å"If We Must Die earned excellent remarks for him from fellow writers such as James Weldon Johnson and Walter White. Lines from his poem, If We Must Die, indicate the spirit of protest: If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursed lot. If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!

How The Nuclear Agenda Influenced American Popular Culture History Essay

How The Nuclear Agenda Influenced American Popular Culture History Essay August 6th, 1945, ushered in the beginning of a new era, one to be forever known as the Atomic Age. The dropping of the worlds first atom bomb over Hiroshima signalled a defining moment in human history. From that moment on the nuclear agenda would come to influence not only international affairs, but the everyday lives of people all around the world. The 17 year period from 1945-62 saw huge changes for American society, in particular the development and expansion of popular culture. How in fact popular culture was influenced by this new nuclear agenda holds the basis for this essay. It will focus on both the direct influences of a new atomic culture, as well as the indirect influences that a new nuclear world had on the popular arts. For the purpose of this essay it is essential to have a working definition for popular culture, in this instance popular culture will be defined as a commercial culture based on popular tastes. From Hollywood movies to comic books, a new nuclear technol ogy became an important characteristic in portraying the lives of everyday Americans. Along with a new kind of nuclear diplomacy theses influences would show themselves in some of the greatest pieces of twentieth century popular culture. What this meant for a nuclear generation and how it showed the signs of a cultural revival will be additional themes to explore. The atomic bomb revolutionised American life. In all areas economic, social, political it challenged old assumptions and forced reconsideration of accepted standards (Winkler, 1999: 9). The dropping of the first atomic bomb on that historic day insured at least one thing, a changed world. Rosenblatt neatly describes it, as a moment where nothing has ever been the same since. From that moment everything changed: subsequent wars, subsequent peace, art, culture, the position of science, the role of the military, international politics, and the conduct of lives; all changed. Other ages in history were characterized by heroes or by ideas. The atomic age is characterized by a weapon and a threat. (Rosenblatt, 2005:1) The end to fighting in World War II brought a period of relative peace in which popular culture was allowed to flourish. Boyer (1985) reveals that this new popular culture encompassed most areas of recreational life, although there were many alterations in interests and tastes. During the 50s and 60s particularly, popular culture appealed to a younger generation who had become an increasingly significant social group. Rock nRoll had become the main focal point for a young generation, and the novel realization of breaking away from childhood, caused the teenagers to become a defined social group in their own right. Teenagers began to reject the old fashioned attitudes and conventions of their parents and rebel against conformity. As stated by Shapiro (2002) this new generation of teenagers started developing a culture from the American teenage way of life, and alongside the behaviour got themselves part-time jobs to help them earn money to spend on movies, fashion, music and other ent ertainment. Boyer (1985) agrees adding that teenagers could now secure a good amount of money for their wants and needs like making trips to the movies and the purchasing of commercial goods, which became big business for the advertisement and film industries, which duly swooped in on their opportunities. Films which were produced and targeted by the teenage audience solely served to unite the teenage image more extensively. With films like Rebel without a Cause (1954) and The Wild One (1953) movies presented a separate image for the teenage rebel. The indirect effect of a growing nuclear agenda, seemingly allowed a world free from direct military conflict to find its voice again. War time popular culture had been heavily centred around the war effort, yet in this brief period popular culture begun to revolutionise. It became increasingly important for a post World War II America to enjoy this time of relative peace. Subsequently this saw a huge rise in a new consumerism in which tr ends and fashions; that had seemingly been put on hold during the war years, could dominate popular culture once again. The changing dynamics of a nuclear agenda began to have a more direct influence on popular culture, this period created what Zeman and Admundson (2004) call the early atomic culture. This distinct period saw an escalation in the nuclear agendas influence on the shaping of popular culture. Both the enthusiasm and fear surrounding new nuclear weapons would be portrayed in this expansive new arena. From the secrecy of the Manhattan Project to its introduction on a world stage in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this new technology offset an atomic culture. It would be wrong to say that after its first military use the bomb became a subject for fear and anxiety. In truth the majority of Americans at that time were unaware nuclear weapons even existed. For many this was the weapon that had ended the war, saved thousands of American lives and brought forward a longed for epoch of peace. As Winkler agrees, Americans first reaction overwhelmingly was one of euphoria and the bomb became celebrated in popular culture in a well-liked country western song, When the Atom Bomb Fell, recorded in December 1945, which attested to this view as it declared the bomb the answer to our fighting prayers boys(in Zeman and Amundson, 2004:3). Many Americans set aside lurking fears of the new nuclear weapon as they contemplated the golden age of abundance that beckoned after World War II. They were further persuaded by the speeches of President Truman who hailed the atomic bomb as a god given tremendous discovery and one to bring together one human community. Others like David Lilienthal where also quick to speak out over the limitless beneficial applications of atomic energy (Winkler, 1999: 137). The atomic bomb continued throughout the period to be closely linked with its positive benefits and government programs attempted to educate the public about the science behind the bomb. An educational video produced by none other than Walt Disney was commissioned in 1957 entitled Our Friend the Atom, which attempted to demonstrate the benefits of the nuclear age and the wonder of this new technology. This film was shown in schools throughout America and became increasingly significant in showing nuclear power in a favourable lig ht. Other videos such as A is for Atom sponsored and paid for by General Electric were also produced to try and help explain the benefits of nuclear technology. This is not to say that the dropping of the bomb in Hiroshima went unnoticed. As mention by Gamson; H.V.Kaltenborn, the dean of radio news commentators, warned his NBC audience on the very same day, For all we know we have created a Frankenstein! We must assume that with the passage of only a little time, an improved form of the new weapon we use today can be turned against us. (1987:15) The continued promotion of the nuclear agenda also expanded to the American commercial markets, and the wonders of the bomb became tied in with consumerism. 1946 saw the General Mills Corporation expansion into Atomic Bomb Rings with the Kix cereal boxtop. Advertised as a gleaming aluminium warhead, see real atoms SPLIT cried the advert, and some 750,000 American children inundated General Mills for their own Atomic Bomb Ring. Boyer (1985) identifies this move from a promotional premium, to that which actually premeditated several cultural themes that would obsess America in the years ahead. Another example from Boyer reveals that only days after the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, retail shops were offering atomic sales and products offering atomic results. (1985: 9) This type of cultural consumerism seems void of the true fear that would come to surround the nuclear agenda. Instead it highlights the apparent ease into which America welcomed the birth of the atomic bomb; although this was not always the case. This period in American history coincided with attempts at a new world order and the emergence of the United States as a global superpower. Political, social, economic and ideological issues became not only domestic but international issues. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan in particular were set up to help fund an American friendly Europe. The movement of the nuclear agenda began to change with the American foreign policy of Containment, an uneasy separation both geographically and ideological, which would see Churchill talk up fears of an Iron Curtain. These international fears would spark a concern of a superpower rivalry and after the Soviet tests of 1949; two countries with conflicting ideologies now had the most destructive weapon ever invented. Hollywood was quick in using the new found nuclear agenda for film ideas. The Manhattan project was dramatized in the 1947 film The Beginning or the End, one of the first of several films on the subject. The film tackled the creation of the atomic bomb and its subsequent use in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Filmmakers saw this new nuclear agenda, as a story waiting to be told. One of the trailers produced at the time to promote the film showed an interviewer asking movie goers for their thoughts on what theyd just seen. You cant ignore this picture one women said and the most important motion picture I have ever seen said another. These along with taglines such as the men, the magic the machines saw an increased interest in the development of the bomb. The subject matter was of course both dramatic and dangerously fascinating to a new generation. It talked about the secrecy behind the Manhattan Project and the destructive power behind the bomb. It led many to pose questions in particu lar like that within the films title; was this the beginning or the end? The film industry could now see the need and want of the people to know about the bomb. Much of the film was of course a sensationalised view, and alot of what the Manhattan Project was actually about was unknown by those making the films. Although the sentiment and an increased interest around the bomb would see that the nuclear agenda would continue to influence film. A particular genre within Hollywood that would see a rise in popularity at this time was film noir. As Kakutani identifies in the wake of World War II and with anxieties created by the dawning of the atomic age, film noir a sometimes nihilistic genre became galvanised. The likes of Kiss Me Deadly and Fallen Angel found success at the box office. The genre with its partiality to outsiders and deeply rebellious themes inevitably appeared and emblematized at a time of deep stress. (2001: 1) These kinds of Hollywood films began to show a prevailing attitude that the nuclear agenda had brought about. Hunner (in Zeman and Amundson) describes the nuclear agenda as a totally new age, one full of promise and peril. People searched for a new way of living under this new age thus creating this new culture. And the reason why the nuclear agenda began to find its way into popular culture had a lot to do with the changing nature of nuclear importance. From the creation of the atom bomb moving to the advances with the first nuclear power plant, the science behind the bomb began to spread to new technologies. Nuclear powered aeroplanes and submarines were just some of the uses that that the Unites States found for nuclear energy. Even with these new advances a key turning point for the bomb would come in 1949. Zeman and Amundson (2004) identify this development from the early atomic culture morphing into the high atomic culture of 1949 to 1963. The following years were seemingly different from the earlier phases, as one key turning point would stress. This period saw the American nuclear mo nopoly which had been expected to last until the 1960s, come to an abrupt end in August of 1949. The Soviets after Hiroshima had been working from the American design to build an atom bomb for itself, and the first Soviet test in Kazakhstan steppe signalled a build up of arms. The Soviet atomic test ensured a changing nuclear agenda from the wonder of technology to a characterization of an enemy. A two superpower world would change the very nature of popular culture. The change in nuclear agenda saw an alteration in the types of films being produced in Hollywood. In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of movies attempted to make social commentaries on the war. As Day reveals Films like On the Beach, Fail Safe and The Bedford Incident all took a grim tone about humanitys future, wagging a finger at world leaders who held the fate of the world in their hands and implying that words like democracy and communism had little meaning when the world was teetering on the brink of Armageddon. (Day, 2004: 1). The shift in agenda also introduced the introduction of the B movies which entertained the fear of mutilation. Films such as Them where giant ants mutated by atomic radiation threaten US cities in the South West, and Attack of the Crab Monster were becoming increasingly popular to an American audience. The links to events in the international community such as the nuclear accident in Castle Bravo and Chelyabinsk in 1957 brought about a sense of anxiety. The idea of being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation further influenced the idea of mutation. One of the most recognised films of this period and one that would inspire numerous re-makes was Godzilla. The original Hollywood version in 1954 is considered to be the correspondence of the nuclear weapons which were dropped in Japan. The film unlike its B movie counterparts had a bigger budget and became instantly popular. Other films such as Mickey Rooneys Atomic Kid (1954) which appeared to disassociate the potential of nuclear radiation, failed to do so well at the box office. Later films such as Dr Strangelove would also focus on the idea of a doomsday advice. Other signs that showed the increasing significance of the nuclear agenda were no more apparent than in the Laurel and Hardy motion picture Atoll K. A well loved and admire comedy duo choose for their last screen outing to portray a shipwreck on an island rich in Uranium deposits. It was a far cry from there simplistic and po pular humour which had served them well earlier in their careers. In truth Hollywood had become infiltrated by a collection of A and B movies each adding their representations to the nuclear agenda. As well as Hollywood films the American Civil Defence began producing advice videos such as Burt the Turtle and Duck for Cover. They were clearly designed to help to combat the fear of nuclear catastrophe, and were used to reassure the general public about the dangers of nuclear weapons. They would usually involve drills for mass departure to fallout shelters, and popularized the likes of Duck and Cover. The drills with their indications of dissonantly empty streets and the hiding activity from the nuclear bomb under the schoolroom desk, would later could turn into symbols of the expected inescapable and popular fate formed by those weapons. Most Americans were affected by these videos, especially amongst those in the richer classes who could afford the back-yard fallout shelters which offered a diminutive protection from the direct attack and could keep away from the wind-blown fallout, for some days or weeks. Popular culture within America increased extensively in the early 1950s and 60s, with widespread tensions growing amongst segregated groups in society. The cultural significance of such movements as the non violent rebellion 1955-60, brought the hope of peace and equality for many Americans. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the influence of charismatic race leaders such as Martin Luther King promoted the need for non-violence; such a belief directly opposed the violent and intermediating prospect of nuclear war. As King himself was quoted in a speech denouncing atomic warfare entitled Time to Break Silence, Communism will never be defeated by the use of atomic bombs or nuclear weapons. These are days which demand wise restraint and calm reasonableness. Whilst King was a strong figure fighting for an end to segregation and civil rights the effect of the nuclear agenda was still quite evident in all aspects of American life. Fairclough points out if it were not for the nuclear agenda; th e case and call for civil rights might have been addressed a generation earlier. (2001: 249) The effect of previous atomic tests and the sight of great chemical explosions found itself positioned in kitsch art. Titus (in Zeman and Amundson) recognises how the mushroom served as symbol for weapons themselves. Pictures on the nuclear weapons never became public until 1960 and even those were only the mock-ups for the Fat Man and the Little Boy. Diagrams of the bombs interior working have been obtainable only for the last few years since design for nuclear weapons became the most strictly guarded secret. These all had an impact of fear on society has well as the nuclear diplomacy that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union. The nuclear agenda found itself quickly ingrained within American life. The nuclear agenda that followed the end of fighting in WWII took on a life of its own, and yet was not the first time popular culture had embraced nuclear technology. Ironically the first reference to the nuclear agenda comes not after its first military use but it can be traced back to 1908 in H.G Wells, The War in the Air as well as his subsequently work The World Set Free. The novels first explored the prospect of a nuclear holocaust and an atomic bomb that would be used in war. Perhaps even more telling was the influence it would have on one Leo Szilard. The nuclear agenda might have started life as science fiction but its influence would most definitely lead to science fact. At a time of a new found fascination in the science behind the bomb, it would seem inevitable that the science fiction genre would experience an increased popularity, and it did. Suddenly the question of what the future might hold, the question of what if, gained a horrible new importance. Now, instead of l ooking a thousand years ahead, humanity was looking at the hands of a Doomsday Clock that were edging closer to midnight. (Plested, 2009:1). Nuclear weapons would become a fastener element in the science fiction novels. The phrase atomic bomb predated their continuation when scientist had realized the ending of radioactivity had a potential implication of limitless energy. Until then, the word atomic had been nothing more than a convenient gimmick in science fiction, a buzzword that provided power for everything from pistols to robots to spaceships. Once the atomic bomb had been used, it proved this scientific leap forward, a leap which proved that science fiction authors were not such wild-eyed dreamers as had been thought' (Plested, 2009: 1). However, the science fiction novels began to follow and treat the threat of potential nuclear fallout and its implications for society. Newman, K. (2000) notes the various popular novels like the Babylon, Alas and On the Beach reviewed the af termath of the nuclear war. Other science fiction novels like A Canticle for Leibowitz exposed the long-standing consequences of a nuclear war. Hand in hand with the immediate perils of thermonuclear death, science fiction introduced the public to the other horsemen of the new Apocalypse: Fallout, Nuclear Winter, and Mutation. The latter provided heady fare for the filmmakers of the 1950s, with screens filled with shambling monstrosities of every shape, size and species. (Plested, 2009:1) The crisis of the Cold War coincided with the emergence of the Television, it grew in stature and with the growth of consumerism by the 1950s the TV quickly became a technological novelty an inescapable medium that quickly rivalled the power of movies, radio and mass circulation magazines (Whifield, 1991:153). In 1946 around 7000 American owned their own television set and by 1960, 50 million sets had been purchased and over 530 stations were available by 1961. Yet the reality of nuclear weapons haunted not just photographs and newsreels of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but visions of the future. In 1950 LIFE predicted the growing likelihood of World War III in the essay How U.S. Cities Cab Prepare for Atomic War. Colliers described a hypothetical atomic attack on New York in Hiroshima U.S.A: Can anything be done about it? (Boyd, 1985: 23) Nuclear anxieties boosted the popularity of psychoanalysis an probed the subconscious. Signs of the impacted nuclear agenda also found their way into the music industry. Many songs such as Skip Stanleys Satellite Baby pleaded: Nuclear baby dont fission out on mewere gonna rock it, were gonna rock it.Isotope daddys found out what you are worth. As well as the likes of Bob Dylan with his 1962 song A Hard Rains Gonna fail which was thought to have alluded to an upsurge in the possibility of a nuclear fallout. Through the progression of the nuclear period protest songs in particular became more frequent, such as 99 red balloons, and Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. These songs became opposition against a nuclear build up and warning songs while others utilized the theme like allusion to a huge destruction in general. This period also began to see the rise in the popularity of tranquillity organizations such as the CND. Newman, K. (2000) said the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) was one of the principle organizations campaigning in opposition to the bomb. Its symbo l, a grouping of the semaphone symbols for D (disarmament) and N (nuclear) came into the modern culture as icon for peace. 1962 saw a flashpoint in the course of the Cold War, a socialist revolution in Cuba would bring the world closer to nuclear war than ever before. The Cuban Missile Crisis illustrated how fragile the balance between a nuclear war and peace had become. The period of time saw a shift in public opinion towards the bomb, how close the world had come to catastrophe had shown Americans the true terror of a nuclear attack. Popular culture moved into a new era of fear and more open criticism of the nuclear programme (Zeman and Amundson, 2004: 4) The scale of influence the nuclear agenda had on popular culture became elevated as the threat of nuclear war become more possible. The time frame saw a great deal of change within America. It becomes apparent that the early atomic culture had a huge influence on popular culture, but the ways in which it affected it were various to say the least. From civil defence videos to sci-fi b movies, the period generated a phenomenal amount of popular culture. The significance is perhaps the diversity of the materials and the changes the nuclear agenda brought into popular culture. The strength of the nuclear culture insured it was impossible for outlets to ignore, instead the bomb in sorts became commercialised and the threat of apocalypse became a somewhat side point. In truth, it would appear in an era of progression and change the nuclear agenda became quite dominant in popular culture. It affected the lives on not only Americans but those in a global community. The turning point perhaps comes at the end of this period during the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the nuclear agenda hatched up the fear and tensions of an American society who had been blissfully unaware of the true dangers happening behind closed doors.

Characterization in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goo

  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will demonstrate the types of characters present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† whether static or dynamic, whether flat or round, and whether protrayed through showing or telling.    R. W. B. Lewis in â€Å"The Return into Rime: Hawthorne† states: â€Å"†¦ there is always more to the world in which Hawthorne’s characters move than any one of them can see at a glance† (77). This is especially true with such flat or two-dimensional characters as are generally found in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† These type characters are built on a â€Å"single idea or quality† and are presented without much â€Å"individualizing detail† (Abrams 33). Faith, of course, represents or symbolizes the theological virtue of faith; Goody Cloyse, as a catechism teacher, represents â€Å"goodness†; the unnamed fellow-traveller in the woods is symbolic of â€Å"evil.† Q. D. Leavis explains this symbolic use of characters: â€Å"The first batch of works I specified [including ‘Young Goodman Brown’] is essentially dramatic, its use of language is poetic, and it is symbolic, and richly so, as is the dramatic poet’ s. . . Where the â€Å"symbol† is the thing itself, with no separable paraphrasable meaning as in an allegory: the language is directly evocative (27).    The flat character Faith is not developed like her husband; her dialogue is restricted to the opening few paragraphs. She speaks only four sentences in the entire story:    "Dearest heart," whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to his ear, "pr'ythee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husb... ...ng Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html    Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Lewis, R. W. B. â€Å"The Return into Time: Hawthorne.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Swisher, Clarice. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Human Rights in the European Union Essay -- Human Rights Policy in the

Introduction The development of a human rights policy in the EU has been a long and often undocumented journey. The sectoral approach of the Paris Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951 had an economic and functional intention, lacking a declaration of fundamental rights, as seen in national constitutions. It was not until the 2000 Nice Summit that the European Union first established a written charter, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, explicitly stating and guaranteeing human rights in the European Union. Documented EU human rights policy before 2000 can be seen primarily in two ways: 1. Internally, through case-law from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) 2. Externally, through enlargement and trade/development policy The Charter was an attempt to formally consolidate and solidify not only the EU’s internal and external human rights policies, but also material from a wide array of other human rights initiatives, such as common institutional traditions (from national constitutions), various awareness conventions, and international activist groups and NGOs. Overview The objective of this paper is to establish an effective analysis of the European Union’s human rights policy. After establishing the background of human rights policy within the EU, the application of Article 23 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights through internal case-law, trade policies, and enlargement is illustrated using historical case-studies. The application portion of this paper will examine a court case from the French national government, the EU’s trade policy with the Middle East, and the issues surrounding the accession of Turkey into the EU. After examining these three cases, ... ...n Rights: Thematic Issues (http://ue.eu.int/pesc/human_rights/en/99/main5.htm) - EU Turkey Communication Platform (http://www.euturkey.org/) - Dinan, Desmond. Ever Closer Union. - Wallace, Helen and William Wallace, Policy-Making in the European Union. - EU Enlargement: Second Wave - news.bbc.co.uk/.../world/europe/ newsid_643000/643623.stm - Pre-accession assistance for Turkey http://europa.eu.int/eurlex/pri/en/oj/dat/2001/l_342/l_34220011227en00010005.pd - Alston, Phillip. â€Å"The EU and Human Rights† European University Institute, Florence. [1] More specifically: Articles 2, 3(2), and 141(3) of the EC Treaty; Article 20 of the revised European Social Charter of May 3, 1996; and Article 2(4) of the Council Directive [2] Article 141(4) EC

Database: Design, Create, Populate, and Test

To achieve the criteria the evidence must show that the learner is able to: Task No. Evidence Create and populate a database [SMS] 3 Import data from an external source Create features in data entry forms to ensure validity and integrity of data Perform queries using multiple tables and multiple criteria VI Export data to an external source Include an advanced feature in a database design Implement an automated function Test a relational database [SMS, RL] Discuss how potential errors in the design and construction of a database can be avoided [III] 4 Evaluate a database against the specified user needLearner Declaration certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own. I have clearly referenced any sources used in the work. I understand that false declaration is a form of malpractice. Learner Signature: Title Date: Assignment Design, create, populate and describe the features of a relational database. Purpose of this assignment The aim of this unit is to enable students to understand the features of relational databases and develop the necessary skills to design, create, populate and test a relational database incorporating advanced features. Task 3 – ScenarioImplement the database design from task 2 in Microsoft Office Access Task 3: 3. 1 Implement the database design from task 2 in Microsoft Office Access by creating at least five tables. Create all the tables as identified in your data model Set up relationships and enforce referential integrity to allow cascade updating and deletion of linked records Populate tables with valid and sensible test data Export all table definitions to a Word document This Provides evidence for CPA] 3. 2 Create test data in a spreadsheet and import into the relevant tables. You will need to document each step of this processThis Provides evidence for [MM] 3. 3 Design and implement all the forms (including at least one sub-form) that have been outlined in the Requirements Specification (see task 2 in the Syst ems Analysis and Design assignment). A consistent of style must be used in order to create a professional mage to allow users to interact with the system. Your implementation must include at least three features for ensuring data validity. Demonstrate and explain your forms to your tutor who will provide a witness statement confirming your success. This Provides evidence for CPA] 3. 4Perform three different types of queries using multiple tables and multiple criteria to search and sort data that are required from the output requirements (see task 2 in the Systems Analysis and Design assignment). Demonstrate and explain your queries to your tutor who will provide a witness statement confirming your success. This Provides evidence for [UP] 3. 5 Export the results of a query to another application. This Provides evidence for [MM] 3. 6 Design and implement all the reports that have been outlined in the requirements taking care to ensure consistency in line with your form designs.Create a â€Å"Main Menu† form as detailed in the requirements and implement at least one advanced feature. This Provides evidence for [MM] 3. 7 Demonstrate and explain the process to your tutor who will provide a witness Implement at least one automated feature from the list below: Macro Scripts program code This Provides evidence for [AS] 3. 8 Once you have completed the database, you will need to make sure that the database is working correctly. You are required to create a test plan that tests the main database functionality. Any test failures should be corrected and annotated using screen shots in a est. log.

Grave of the Fireflies My Personal Reactions Essay

Yet again this is another war movie. But unlike so many American blockbusters that treat brave soldiers as heroes (such as Pearl Harbor, We were soldiers, Windtalkers, etc.), this one addresses war’s brutal impact on innocent civilians, especially children. With the war on Iraq now undergoing, this point has all the more relevance. Under the same American bombing, innocent Iraqi children are now suffering just as much as Seita and Setsuko in this movie have suffered, and even more, for the Iraqi people and land have long known the horrors of poverty, hunger and dictatorship. This essay, with at the beginning a brief summary and an elaboration of three classic scenes in the movie, is going to present to you the three dimensions of the complex feelings that the movie provokes in my heart on a personal level and thus tries to offer an individual yet hopefully worthy viewpoint for those interested in the movie. Summary and Three classic scenes Grave of the Fireflies is based on a semi-autobiographical book by Nosaka Akiyuki about the death of his sister, and is a very well known book in Japan. The movie itself is about a teenager boy named Seita and his 5-year-old sister Setsuko, and how they try to survive in mainland Japan after the entirety of their port town, Kobe, is destroyed by American fire bombings. Their mother dies shortly after the fires are put out, in a graphic and poignant scene at a community hospital. Their father is in the Navy, and unbeknownst to them, has already died in battle. Unable to tell Setsuko that their mother has died, Seita takes her with him to live with their Aunt. The Aunt, however, cares little for them, and barely feeds them. Seita eventually takes Setsuko, and leaves their aunt’s house for a dug-out shelter by a pond, where he struggles hopelessly to find money and items to trade for food. It all spirals downward in a tragic, yet foreseeable, path to a heartbreaking end, which is slow-suffering death for both brother and sister. There are three scenes in the movie that I find particularly striking and believe do most in delivering the themes of this movie. One is when after  the siblings use the fireflies to illuminate the cave, Setsuko is seen the next morning burying the dead insects, and as she tells that she knows her mother has died and is now also in a grave, she asks with her two large sparkling eyes shadowed and barred by the horrors of war, â€Å"Why do fireflies have to die so quickly?† Another comes after Seita carries his little sister to the hospital and is informed that his sister is starving and needs food, he is somber for a moment murmuring ‘food’, then in a sudden burst of desperation, cries out: â€Å"Where am I supposed to get food?† These two questions stabbed my heart like spears the moment I heard them. These are questions that never really need to be answered but they nevertheless need to be remembered. In the last scene, the ghost of Setsuko lays sleeping comfortably in the lap of her older brother, while he gazes at the night sky over the skyline of a fully modernized city. As one critic elaborates on this last shot, and here I quote, â€Å"They live on, though the world has forgotten them, and will continue to live on forever, reliving their story. They have not forgotten the past; they cannot. And neither should we.† Troubled, Moved, and Pity In fact this is a feeling any human being would have after watching this movie. The story the movie tells is heart-rending enough, as could be well seen from the above description and elaboration. However, the movie’s strength is not in the story, but in the untold. From the time Seita’s ghost appears after his death in a train station at the beginning of the movie, the viewer is haunted by the remembrance of what is to come as he retells his story. There are times when the viewer is allowed to forget about the future, but only for a little while, as Seita and Setsuko’s reappearance brings them back to the sad reality of their impending deaths. A feeling is created that some ghosts (like Seita and Setsuko) are still living, breathing people, and are cursed to watch their agony over and over again. In a scene where Setsuko cries violently for her Aunt not to take her mother’s kimonos and sell them for food, the screen pans slowly and deliberately out of vie w of the main characters, where the orange glow of Seita’s ghost appears. He covers his ears and cringes at his sister’s tears, almost crying himself, but can do nothing to stop them. Even the few heart warming scenes in the movie are interrupted by the truth of what the brother and sister face. There is a scene about a half hour into the movie where Seita takes Setsuko to the beach for the first time. It is a beautiful display of sibling love, and flashbacks of warm memories from their family enter the story. They are all too brief, however, as Setsuko soon discovers a dead body from the war wrapped in straw. Seita tells her the man is asleep, and they do not go to the beach again. Another disquieting scene is of Seita’s ghost watching himself carry his sleepy sister on his back, about to enter his Aunt’s house for the first time. He watches, knowing full well what will come of it, but unable to stop it. Indeed, as Roger Ebert, the famous critic for Chicago Sun-times, wrote in his review essay of the movie, one of Grave of the Fireflies’ greatest gifts is its patience; shots are held so we can think about them, characters are glimpsed in private moments, and atmosphere and nature are given time to establish themselves. The movie does not try to create a dramatic plot or atmosphere; rather it narrates the story out simply and directly, giving the animation an amazingly realistic touch and mood. There is time for silence in almost every scene and between scenes. And in these silences allowed for meditation we the audience are deeply troubled by the horrors of war, moved by the beauty and spirit the siblings display while confronting these horrors and at the same time we feel great pity for their tragic fate. Being a Chinese†¦ Being a Chinese, I found myself at times revolting to the movie in the course of viewing, mainly because, I think, it narrates through a Japanese military family’s point of view and takes a great pity upon the Japanese people. I thought to myself: â€Å"How about the cities you bombed and the villages you burned down? You deliberately invaded other countries and you massacred other peoples at will. During World War II, thousands upon thousands of Chinese people not only died from poverty and hunger, they died as victims to your soldiers’ barbaric slaughtering-for-fun-and/or-competition craze, and as experimenters in your notorious chemical weapon labs. You raped our  women and murdered our children, what right have you got to make such a movie and complain to the world about your miseries in a war largely initiated by your own government’s greed for power and resources?† Some of the characters’ remarks in the movie I find offending, like â€Å"Daddy will make them pay for this†, â€Å"†¦defend our country and motherland†, â€Å"We surrendered? The great Japanese Empire surrendered?† etc. Also the portrait of the impression of the boy’s father being loving, upright and brave somewhat angers me. In this movie, the father is the only soldier of the characters involved, and therefore to some extent he represents the Japanese military. This has some effect in creating the false impression that the Japanese military is upright and is only defending their homeland. Moreover, I cannot help thinking that if Seita was but a dozen years older, he would have been fighting somewhere in the Asias or the pacific, tormenting innocent people of other countries and serving the fascist greed of the Japanese government. Nostalgic Mood Still I admire many of the movie’s beautiful scenes. I believe that the scene of numerous fireflies dancing in the dark and around the brother and sister will remain one of animation’s most memorable scenes and it tickles every child’s heart with wonder. The way that the siblings capture fireflies and set them free inside their net is the most peculiar yet fascinating way of illuminating I have ever seen. The effect it produces is overwhelming: imagine sleeping inside such a net! —- Just as the movie shows, it is just like sleeping under the starry sky in the open air! In fact many of the movie’s scenes ring familiarly with my childhood memories. I remember vaguely when I was small I also went out after dark with my peers to capture fireflies; I also crushed the firefly the first time I tried to hold one in my hands. To me, many of the movie’s displays of natural landscapes and field views accord to South China’s beautiful countryside scenery. It resembles my hometown as I remembered. Nowadays things are unfortunately different. Industrialization and modernization have robbed today’s children the privilege and pleasure of swimming in little ponds and catching fireflies and grasshoppers on summer nights. In fact I have never ever seen a firefly when I go back every summer since I came to Beijing. For  me personally, thereof, the movie in some respects counts more as a nostalgic one remembering good old days than a war movie with profound meanings.