Al- Qaeda, Homeland Security, and US Patriot Act

Terrorism was viewed in the early days as an act of violence against a limited group of individuals. The acts then were consisted of bombing, kidnapping, killing prominent public officials, and others. The purpose of staging the terrorist act was to catch the government’s attention with the hope that the government may give in to the terrorists’ demands. The demands may be considered political, economical, or ideological. However, no matter the purpose is, the government usually do not heed the terrorist groups for they have been considered as a mere nuisance of the society that can easily be eradicated through military force.Additionally, terrorist groups were likened to a group of rebels operating as a group of limited members. The terrorist groups were not considered as a major threat to the nation’s security. But then, the horrifying 9/11 terrorist attack have drastically and clearly changed the world’s perception about terrorism. America, on the other hand, has greatly changed in its dealing with terrorism and terror groups. The International Community also realized that terrorism is a real threat to the world’s security. The remarkable 9/11 has indeed revealed the true face of terrorism.In response to the terrorism, America hunted all those responsible for the bombing by declaring an all out war against terrorism. Concomitant to the war is the enactment of all that would justify the government’s acts against terrorism. The government has enacted the U. S. Patriot Act and the Homeland Security. The president has rapidly heightened all measures to ensure security and to pursue all those responsible for the 9/11 and those who are connected with terrorism. Despite criticisms on the effect of the legislations to civil liberties, the government has been adamant on its stand to battle terrorism.The vengeance has eventually resulted to the war in Iraq and bombardment of Afghanistan. Likewise, the head of terrorism, Osama bin Laden and Sadam Hussein were apprehended and punished accordingly. Despite the declared death of the prominent architects of terrorism, the fight against terrorism still continues because of the belief that terrorism is still alive. The laws are also controlling within the nation. In line with this, the study will explore the organization of Al-Qaeda and at the same time present an evaluation of the counterterrorism laws. BodyThe name Al-Qaeda started to reverberate at the very onset of the 9/11 terrorist attack. The horrifying bombing of the very symbol of economic and military prowess of America, the World Trade Center, was rapidly linked to the Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Right after the attack, the government of the United States and foreign allies has united to condemn the unjustified act of terrorism. Al-Qaeda was believed to have been established in 1988. The Al-Qaeda was the by-product of the Muslims’ retaliation against the Soviet Union that occupied Afghanista n in 1979 through 1989 (Katzman).During the war against the Soviet Union, group of Muslims have started to recruit jihadis to fight against the Soviet Union. The recruiting and funding of the jihadis or fighters were initiated by Abdullah Azzam and his former student, Osama bin Laden, by founding the Maktab al-Khidamat which means Services Office (Katzman). This was also known as or Al Khifah. Notably, the Maktab al-Khidamat was believed to be the forerunner of Al-Qaeda. After the war with the Soviet Union, bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam established the Al-Qaeda in 1984 (Katzman). Al-Qaeda is an Arabic word which means â€Å"the base† (Katzman).Purposely, Al-Qaeda was established as a â€Å"rapid reaction force available to intervene wherever Muslim were perceived to be threatened† (Katzman). Al-Qaeda is also defined as â€Å"a secret, almost virtual organization, one that denies its own existence in order to remain in the shadows† (Atkins, 2004). The Al-Qaeda whi ch was jointly founded was eventually controlled by Osama bin Laden as a result of Abdullah Azzam’s assassination. Meanwhile, the assassination of Azzam was linked to Osama bin Laden. Remarkably, Al-Qaeda came to be known worldwide right after the 9/11 attack.The firmness of the organization of Al-Qaeda was believed to have been founded on ideology. There has been several controlling ideology of Al-Qaeda. Aside from being a religious duty, the Holy War has been viewed as necessary for the salvation of one’s soul and a means of defending the Muslim nation (Martin, 2006). Second, peace with the West is impossible and the only course of action in defending Islam is through violence (Martin, 2006). Third, the Al-Qaeda considers Muslim government as apostasies and is violently overthrown when they cooperate with the West (Martin, 2006).Fourth, the Al-Qaeda believes that only two sides exist and that no apocalyptic conflict between Islam and forces of evil exist (Martin, 200 6). From the time Al-Qaeda was founded in 1989, several terrorist activities were perpetuated in some other parts of the globe. In October 1993, the World Trade Center was attempted to be blown by Ramzi Ahmed Yusef (Katzman). In June 25, 1996, US Servicemen were killed while hundreds were wounded when a bomb exploded outside the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (Martin, 2006).Then in August 7, 1998, a bombing was also planned n the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Tanzania that caused almost 200 innocent people. The USS Cole was also damaged by suicide bombing in October 12, 2000 where 17 sailors were killed (Martin, 2006). The most damaging terrorist activity was the terrifying 9/11 attack. The 9/11 terrorist attack has totally crashed the World Trade Center in New York. The third plane was directed Pentagon killing hundreds of people and the fourth plane crashed in the Pennsylvania field (Martin, 2006). The 9/11 terrorist attack has drastically changed the world’s p erception on terrorism.Likewise, the attack has changed the world’s perception about Osama bin Laden. Primarily, the target of Al-Qaeda is the US government and the American people. America has been considered as the enemy of the Muslim nation because of the wars perpetrated against them. The economic embargo and the control over the world’s economy have been highly criticized by the Muslim nation. Eventually, the perception that the West is the enemy to Muslim nations has been shaped. Since the West is considered as the enemy, the Al-Qaeda’s target has been the American people.It is noteworthy that all the attacks have been perpetrated against US embassies and US nationals. Aside from the Americans, the terrorist also targeted citizens of Europe, Israel, Russia and other allies of America. Likewise, the 9/11 is a clear message or expression of hatred of terrorist against the Americans. In order to send a clear and strong message, the terrorist has implemented h igh-profile target. In addition, they adopted the suicide bombing as a means of carrying out their designs because it is simplified and a means of eliminating last minute flexibility (Mannes, 2004).In addition, they targeted high officials and use the media in order for the government not to undermine the target. Al-Qaeda also adopted the unconventional means of acquiring information through an extensive research and contacts of professionals. Internet has been essential for Al-Qaeda in penetrating the security, intelligence, and military organizations of other countries. Notably, the information the Al-Qaeda has gathered were used in planning their attacks in several countries. Additionally, Al-Qaeda’s primary goal was to obtain nuclear weapon (Mannes, 2004).The Al-Qaeda has successfully created their own bomb through the documents they have captured. Besides, professionals were also recruited and being turned into a radical in order to obtain materials from the outside. Int erestingly, the group was able to create a biological weapon through the extensive research done by Ayman Zawahari, a medical doctor (Mannes, 2004). The group also studied in order to create their own weapons. Another tactic of the Al-Qaeda in carrying out their mission is to at least impair the economy of other country.This has been done by terrifying tourists through kidnapping of foreign nationals visiting a particular nation. Furthermore, bombing of public places has also threatened tourists from visiting places occupied by terrorist groups. In assessing the Al-Qaeda organization, it can be observed that the group has been patient and enduring in order to succeed in their plans. The tactics and strategies adopted by the group can be considered to have been brilliantly drafted and carried out. However, the group was molded and blinded by extremism. On the part of the American government, the 9/11 attack cannot just be disregarded.Right after the attack, the administration of Bush formed the 9/11 Commission. Primarily, the Commission was directed to conduct an investigation on the bombing. Thereafter, the name of Al-Qaeda appeared. In response to the 9/11 attack, Bush administration has created a new federal office of Homeland Security nine days after the attack (Andryszewski, 2004). Pres. Bush also signed into law the U. S. Patriot Act, 45 days after the 9/11/. In addition, then President Bush also signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 in November 22, 2002 (Andryszewski, 2004).All these were the result of the fear of another terrorist attack. Furthermore, these laws have essentially changed the essence of security in the country. Meanwhile, in order to identify the targets of the laws, the government found the need to define terrorism. Terrorism has been defined by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as â€Å"the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives† (Sauter and Carafano, 2005, p. 65).From the definition, it is clear that terrorism has been recognized to exist within the country targeting the citizens and outside the country targeting Americans. Hence, the counterterrorism laws have been designed to deal with terrorism within and outside America. One of the weapons of America in fighting terrorism is the Homeland Security which has been referred to; â€Å"consists of all military activities aimed at preparing for, protecting against, or managing the consequences of attacks on American soil, including the CONUS and U. S. territories and possessions.It includes all actions to safeguard the populace and its property, critical infrastructure, the government, and the military, its installations, and deploying forces† (Larson, et. al. , 2000). As to the military function of the Homeland Security, it has five major key areas of focus. One is the WMD domestic prepar edness and civil support (Larson, et. al). Second is continuity of government to ensure or restore civil authority (Larson, et. al. , 2000). Third is border and coastal defense which includes management of large-scale refugee flow and revention of WMD smuggling that may potentially create threat to security (Larson, et.al, 2000). Fourth is the continuation of military operation (Larson, et. al. , 2000). And, last is the national missile defense (Larson, et. al. , 2000). In domestic preparedness, the FBI and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can request from the Department of Defense the cooperation of the federal Army (Larson, et. al, 2000). Likewise, the National Guard can also participate in maintaining civil authorities. Interestingly, military has an essential role in all areas of Homeland Security.In a broader scope, the Homeland Security is defined as â€Å"a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within United Sates, reduce America’s vulnerabi lity to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur† (Bolt, Colleta, and Shacklford, 2005, p. 433). In order to effectively fight terrorism, the administration of Bush has formed the Department of Homeland Security. The Department is composed of 22 federal departments, agencies, and bureaus from Central Intelligence Agency, FBI, DOD, and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Andryszewski, 2004).These different agencies have been divided into Directorates with unique duties and jurisdiction. The first is the Border and Transportation Security Directorate which is responsible for ensuring the borders of America from terrorists coming from the outside of the country (Homeland Security, 2009). Aside from that, the Directorate ensures safety of land, sea, and air transportations. Immigration laws are also attached to the responsibility of the Directorate. The second is the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate which is tasked to coordina te with federal government in case of attack (Homeland Security, 2009).The third is Science and Technology Directorate responsible for biological, radiological, and chemical attacks, and nuclear weapons (Homeland Security, 2009). The last is the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate tasked to gather intelligence and information in detecting terrorist activities (Homeland Security, 2009). Furthermore, it is also mandated to identify infrastructures which may be vulnerable to terrorism. An Undersecretary is assigned to administer each Directorate. The Undersecretary has been assigned a task toâ€Å"access, receive, and analyze law enforcement information from agencies of the Federal Government, State and local government agencies, and private sector entities, and to integrate such information to identify and assess the nature and scope of terrorist threat to the homeland; detect and identify threats of terrorism against United States; and understand such thre at in light of actual and potential vulnerabilities of the homeland† (Bolt, Colleta, and Shackelford, 2005, p. 433). Looking back into the definition, Homeland Security has three major concerns.First, prevent terrorist attacks in America (Fisher and Green, 2003). Second, reduce the vulnerability to terrorism of America (Fisher and Green, 2003). Third, minimize damages and recovery in case of attack (Fisher and Green, 2003). In preventing terrorist attack, the Department of Homeland Security has enhanced its intelligence and warning devices capable of tracking terrorist activities (Sauter and Carafano, 2005). In addition, national laws have been enacted to deal with domestic terrorism. Security within borders has also been intensified.Furthermore, transportation has been highly monitored to detect travelling terrorists. In the second duty of the Homeland Security, the Department is tasked to minimize vulnerability by curbing any possibility of bringing any weapon of mass destru ction into the country. This way, critical infrastructure and catastrophic terrorism are prevented (Sauter and Carafano, 2005). These kinds of terrorism involve attack through computer. Finally, the third duty is fulfilled by improving the capability of the Department in responding to a terrorist attack.Response may not only involve military defense but rather, it entails preparedness in rescuing lives of the victims and in containing the place attack to limit the number of victims. Another prevalent counterterrorism law of the government is the U. S. Patriot Act. Since the Act was abruptly enacted into law as it was signed 45 days after the 9/11 attack, the Act was perceived to be an effective means of curbing terrorism. Primarily, the U. S. Patriot Act was enacted to prevent terrorism but has effectively expanded the power of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies in carrying out their duties with regard to terrorism.There are basically four ways in carrying out the respons ibilities of the Act. First, the Act applies to fighting terrorism through the use of investigative tools previously available in fighting other forms of organized crime (Katzman). Second, the Act has eradicated any kind of barriers that hinders the free flow of information between and among law enforcement (Katzman). Third, the act validated the use of new technology and identifying new threats (Katzman). Last, the Act has created new terrorism-related crimes and increased penalties of crimes (Katzman).Under the first way, the tool that has been accepted or authorized includes electronic surveillances to detect terrorism in full-range and roving wiretaps to be authorized by a federal judge (Katzman). Through the roving wiretaps, the authorities are allowed to use electronic surveillance in response to â€Å"time-sensitive criminals or terrorist activities† (Purpura, 2007, p. 176). In addition, federal agents can also conduct investigations secretly under the authority of a v alid warrant obtained also secretly. The person being investigated is not also informed about the warrant.Through this, the federal agents would be able to identify agents, eliminate immediate threats, and coordinate the arrest of suspected individuals (Katzman). Furthermore, business records of individuals linked to terrorism can be examined through the order sought from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Katzman). The information held by one federal agency can also be shared to other agency in order to effectively fight terrorism. Traditionally, each agency kept information confidential from other agencies in adherence to the agency’s independence.However, through the Patriot Act, the confidentiality of information or record is no longer controlling. In order to fully empower the federal agents in eradicating terrorism, jurisdiction as to warrant has been made general. Warrants can be obtained in any district and may be executed at any place being investigated for terrorist activities. Interestingly, cyber hacking has also been allowed in order to trace communications related to terrorism and at the same time tract hackers (Katzman).Furthermore, in order to fully prevent any terrorist activities and ensure the punishment of terrorists, the Act has increased penalties and added crimes that are categorized as terrorism. Among the crimes includes harboring any person linked to terrorism. Likewise, conspiracy crimes and offenses have been redefined and penalties of such have been increased. There has also been a specific penalty for mass transit attack and attacks using biological weapons. Finally, some terrorist crimes have no statute of limitation while some crimes have a lengthy.It is noteworthy that the Patriot Act has been criticized because of some acts that are obviously interfering with the rights of the citizens. Through the Act, the security in airports has been intensified and the law enforcers are even authorized to detain immigrants or suspected terrorist within the authorized time of detaining a person for questioning. Profiling has also been prevalent because Arabs, Muslims, and Asians were treated separately. Visas and passport of these people were also subjected to strict scrutiny. In addition, library records have been authorized by the Act to be reviewed by the federal agents.Furthermore, Emails can also be tracked by the federal agents on the mere basis of suspicion. More importantly, bank transactions suspected of funding a terrorist activity can be legally tracked by the federal agents. This has in fact changed the law on money laundering. Since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and U. S. Patriot Act, terrorism has been effectively deterred. The enhancement of security measures within borders and ports have hindered terrorist from pursuing their evil designs. In addition, several crimes such as smuggling have been prosecuted through the implementation of the counterterrorism law s.Several terrorist suspects have also been arrested through the active fulfillment of the federal agent of their duties. In line with this, suspects were thoroughly investigated due to the expansion of the court’s jurisdiction in trying and hearing terrorism cases. Remarkably, the laws have effectively brought back security within the nation. The fear of another terrorist attack has finally been eradicated. Despite criticisms, the effort of the government in curtailing terrorism has bear fruit. Notably, the people behind the 9/11 attack and other terrorist attacks have been prosecuted and punished accordingly.The very seat of terrorism has also been bombarded and paralyzed in order to prevent the rise of any sign of terrorism. The measures taken by the U. S. in fighting terrorism has also been adopted by other countries in their own fight to terrorism. The application of the counterterrorism laws has also reached policies of other countries. One of which is the Money Launder ing Law which has affected the bank transactions that passes through countries. Meanwhile, financial supports from suspicious donor have contributed to the success of terrorist activities.In order to avoid the free flow of the funds to support suspicious organizations, the government has strictly monitored bank transactions involving suspicious depositors and suspicious funds through the Patriot Act. Terrorist acts have also been effectively deterred at the very port of entry. The security equipments have been intensified and upgraded to detect any weapon that may be used to perpetrate a terrorist activity. Such equipments include scanners, surveillance cameras, and x-ray machines. The use of such equipments has been legally justified by the counterterrorism laws.Remarkably, all these measures have been effective in pacifying the nation from the threat of terrorism. Conclusion Traditionally, security can be acquired through the walls erected around houses. Terrorism, on the other ha nd, was considered as a petty problem yet a crime capable of being curtailed. More importantly, any act of terrorism can be disregarded by the government and responded through defensive military attack. However, the essence of security and terrorism has drastically changed after the 9/11 attack. Terrorism has become real and the injury it causes is unimaginable. Terrorism has also become the main enemy of the whole world.It also united the international community in curtailing and in eradicating any sign of it. Likewise, the 9/11 has angered America. The architecture of the attack also proved that Al-Qaeda can penetrate and destroy the security of America. The world’s perception of security has also drastically changed. America, on the other hand, has been quite paranoid about its security. However, it cannot be blamed because of the damaged caused by the 9/11 attack. The America viewed threat to have existed within and outside its territory. More importantly, the reality abo ut Al-Qaeda has finally been revealed through the bombing of twin towers.Al-Qaeda has indeed existed for a very long period. It has been living as a shadow that its existence was doubted by security forces. The organization has also been intelligent in carrying out its mission by extensively and safely planning the attacks. Likewise, the measures it has adopted in implementing the plans are sure yet deadly. But such cannot be considered difficult because of the ideology that has been instilled among the members. On the part of the victim of the attack, the countermeasures that have been adopted are the Homeland Security and U. S. Patriot Act.The Homeland Security was established as a means of centralizing the effort of the government in curbing terrorism. The Patriot Act, on the other hand, has enhanced the power of the federal agents in carrying their responsibilities with regard to terrorism. Any means that may be effective in tracking any sign of terrorism has been adopted and ap plied all throughout the country. Above all, the intelligence and security capabilities of the federal government have been heightened to effectively and efficiently eradicate terrorism. Both laws have been directed against terrorism.Upon the implementation of the counterterrorism laws, several changes have transpired. The enhancement of security has ensured the safety of America and American people. Several terrorist has also been arrested and punished accordingly. More importantly, the fear that has been instilled by the 9/11 attack among the people has been pacified. Peace and security has also been restored. Above all, no terrorist attacked against America followed. Hence, the measures adopted and implemented by the government has been effective and responded to the international problem. References Andryszewski, T. (2004). Terrorism in America.New York: Twenty-First Century Books Atkins, S. (2004). Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups New York: Green wood Publishing Group. Bolt, P. J. , Coletta, D. V. , and Shackelford, C. G. (2005). American defense policy. Johns Hopkins University Press Homeland Security. (2009). Department Components. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://www. dhs. gov/xabout/structure/ Katzman, K. (17 August 2005). Congressional Research Service. Al Qaeda: Profile and Threat Assessment. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://fas. org/sgp/crs/terror/RL33038. pdf Larson, E. V. , Peters, J. E. , Arroyo Center, and Rand Corporation.(2000). Preparing the U. S. Army for Homeland Security: Concepts, Issues, and Options. New York: Rand Corporation. Mannes, A. (2004). Profiles in terror: the guide to Middle East terrorist organizations. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. Martin, G. (2006). Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. New York: Sage Publications. Purpura, P. P. (2007). Terrorism and Homeland Security: An Introduction with Applications New York: Butterworth-Heinemann. Sauter, M. , and Caraf ano, J. J. (2005) Homeland Security: A Complete Guide to Understanding, Preventing, and Surviving Terrorism. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.

Influence of Neoclassicism on Romanticism

Niccolo Machiavelli once said, â€Å"whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past†, seems to sum the influence of past artistic styles on works of art across varying time periods. Neoclassicism, a popular art style in the 18th and early 19th century drew inspiration from Roman and Greek culture, it rose in response to a desire to revive the classical art period, whilst Romanticism, an art style that became popular at the end of the neoclassical period, embraced medievalism and revolted against the Age of Enlightenment and the classics that was the heart of the Neoclassical movement. Whether artists chose to embrace past styles or deviate from them, either way they are influenced by them. Despite contrasting views and techniques between the two periods, Romanticism grew out of Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism can be defined as the revival of the classical style in art, literature, architecture and music. It was an influential style in art during the 18th and 19th cent ury that lasted from the 1760’s until the 1850’s. Neoclassicism rose in reaction to the Rocco and Baroque styles that were popular during the middle of the 18th century in the United States and Western Europe especially France.Neoclassicism was the result of a renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture as a result of archeological discoveries of buried Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which brought about new inspiration. The Neoclassical era was also called the Age of Enlightenment as the Industrial Revolution was taking place. There were many new inventions and this lead to the growth of many factories. With new inventions, there was new knowledge, hence the reference to enlightenment and â€Å"neo† which means new.During the Neoclassical period, artists also focused on moral revivalism due to admiration for philosophers like Aristotle and Plato and also reflected on the Renaissance era. Neoclassical artists looked to the past as a guide to the present because of the assumption that human nature was constant. They did not strive to be original but to express â€Å"old truths in a newly effective way†. Neoclassical artists emphasized distinct characteristic styles in their work. These included the themes of patriotism, justice and honor.French artists of the Neoclassical movement drew parallels between ancient Rome and France. During the Neoclassical period, France was fighting the French Revolution and citizens reshaped France by uprooting the absolute monarchy. Neoclassicism appealed to artists who were in support of the French Revolution . French artist, Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii 1784 is one of the most renowned paintings of the Neoclassical era. It depicts a scene of two warring cities in Rome, in which three brothers are preparing to fight for their country, which demonstrated patriotism.Other characteristic styles of this period included clean lines, symmetry and restraint in emotion. Painti ngs featured vivid contrast between light and dark colors. These features can be seen in The Oath of Horatii in which clean lines and symmetry can be seen in the depiction of Roman columns and the standing position of the brothers, the only emotion depicted is that of the women portrayed in the painting. The background color is dark compared to the foreground, which is bright and vivid, emphasizing the soldiers, which was a main technique used by the artists .Another feature characteristic of Neoclassicism was the attempt to depict in great detail, the setting and costumes of the era with as much historical accuracy. Joseph-Marie Vien, Young Greek Maidens Decking the Sleeping Cupid with Flowers 1773 demonstrates this attention to detail, as the center point of this painting is the three Greek maidens whose dress is executed with great detail and vivid colors. Romanticism began during the 18th century and lasted until the 19th century just as Neoclassicism, with Romanticism peaking a fter the neoclassical period.Romanticism grew out of a need to express the emotions and the adoration of nature that Romanticists felt had become lost during the Age of Enlightenment. They sought to search the subconscious and spirituality for answers rather than pure logic of the Neoclassical period. Other themes distinctive to this period were supernatural elements and historical nostalgia. Romanticism was especially popular in Britain and Germany. It was a reaction to the dehumanization that occurred during Neoclassicism due to industrialization.Romanticism bore many characteristics such as appreciation for nature, it saw nature as an escape from the dehumanization caused by industrialization. It examined the power of nature as evident in Philip James de Loutherbourg, An Avalanche in the Alps 1803 that depicted an avalanche so awesome that it terrified the people in the foreground of the painting. Another characteristic style of the Romantic period was the revival of past styles such as medievalism. Medieval ruins were an inspiration to these artists, and can be seen in paintings such as Gaspar David Friedrich, Eldena Ruin 1825.The supernatural was another theme explored by the Romantics. Ghosts, fairies and demons were symbolic of the rejection of materialism for spiritualism; this was depicted in William Blake, The Great Red Dragon and the Women Clothed with the Sun 1805 that portrays a dragon from the Book of Revelation. Artists during this period sought to express as much emotion they could in their artwork. There were expressions on every face including animals and humans; an example of this is Theodore Gericault, Mad Woman With A Mania of Envy 1822-1823 in which he depicts an old woman with a worrisome expression and uncanny stare.Neoclassicism and Romanticism were two art styles that were popular during the 18th and 19th Century. Neoclassicism celebrated the classics such as the Greek and Roman culture. It was a rebirth of the new classical period an d artists sought to emphasize on patriotism, honor and justice. Many paintings depicted Roman soldiers and Greek temples and philosophers and were in support of the French Revolution whilst Romanticism drew emphasis on emotions and nature; it celebrated the modern and the medieval time.Romanticism embraced the individuality of the painter, who drew on creativity to paint rather than adherence to rules and tradition like their Neoclassic counterparts. Neoclassicism celebrated the French Revolution and Industrialization, which Neoclassicists saw as enlightenment as there were new ancient findings and industrialization, which brought new knowledge. Artists inspired by the Romantic period saw enlightenment as dehumanizing. They rebelled against conformity to societal norms to which Neoclassicists saw as being of great importance.Romanticism was more creative than Neoclassicism; it sought to draw on spirituality and emotion, as Romanticists believed that not all questions could be answer ed by rationality but rather by irrationality. Neoclassical painters stressed drawing with lines and symmetry which is symbolic of living within the lines of conformity, they also used vivid color contrast with light and dark with no visible brushstrokes to draw interest to the main focus of the art piece. However, Romanticism used rich color, and a painterly technique with no distinct lines and visible brushstrokes in their works.Subjects depicted in Neoclassical art were from Roman and Greek history whilst Romantic artists subjects were legends, ghosts, witches, violence and nature. The role of Neoclassicism was to morally uplift as depicted in The Oath of Horatii in which men were strong and loyal to France, whilst Romanticism sought to create a dramatic effect that would take the viewer away as seen in An Avalanche in the Alps in which the avalanche is so magnificent and terrifying at the same time.When examining renowned paintings from both artistic periods: Neoclassicism and R omanticism, Neoclassicist Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii and Romanticist Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Slave Ship are some of the most renowned paintings of their respective eras. The Oath of Horatii depicts a scene in which three brothers take swords from their father. The men are dressed in red, white and blue that represented the colors of France. This was thought to inspire patriotism, as it was symbolic of the brothers fighting for the good of country.In contrast to the theme of patriotism and the fight for the greater good of all, the Slave Ship sought to inspire anti-slavery efforts and the fight for human kind versus country as in the Neoclassical period. The Oath of Horatii can be viewed as celebrating the Industrial Revolution as it inspired the French to fight for economic progress whilst The Slave Ship revolted against Industrialization, which it viewed as the exploitation of slaves and human labor for economic growth.Another feature was the use of col or; in The Oath of Horatii, the background is dark compared to the vivid colors of the foreground, allowing the focus to be on the brothers hence reinforcing the theme of loyalty and patriotism. The brushstrokes are controlled and there are distinct lines, which is seen in the position in which the men stand, point their swords. Lines are symbolic of conformity, which can be viewed as staying between the lines. In The Slave Ship, brushstrokes are soft, colors are bright as seen in the deep red sunset and are blended in so there in no distinct lines.The symbolism of the lack of lines represents man’s freedom to choose and his individuality. The use of color draws attention to the background rather than the foreground, which makes the sky the main focus point. Human nature is also explored in The Oath of Horatii; the human need to stand strong in the face of adversity is depicted by the men in the painting, all of who raise their hands to their father in support of the fight un like the women who seemed fearful and crouched over in distress. In The Slave Ship, nature depicted does not refer to human nature but simply, nature.Neoclassicism used humans as their subjects and Romanticism used nature as their subjects. The rough sea and the majestic sky are the main focus in this artwork, which celebrates nature and shows how powerful nature is as the dead slaves are visible in the water along with nature’s creatures that are feeding on human carcass. The Oath of Horatii is symbolic of Neoclassicism as it depicts patriotism, linear painting technique, use of light and dark colors and human nature, which are characteristic of this era.The Slave Ship is representative of the style of Romanticism; it depicts revolt against industrialization, nature, use of painter techniques and bright colors. Romanticism influenced the future art world by leaving its legacy behind and for others to follow and lead to new artistic styles. It stimulated the birth of many art schools such as the Norwich School of Landscape Painting, which was the first provincial arts body to hold exhibitions in Britain during the 19th century. Famous artists from this school included John Crome who was famous for his paintings depicting sceneries of Norfolk.Another school influenced by the Romantic art style was the St Ives School of Art in England which flourished in the 20th century with its paintings being displayed today at the best art museums in the world such as the British Art Museum. St Ives School of Art later became renowned for its abstract sculptures and paintings that led to the development of modern art including Avant-Garde art that pushed the boundaries of cultural norms. Romanticism can be see as influential to the development of Avant-Garde as it began as a deviation from norms of society.Famous artists from this school included Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson who were renowned their abstract art and cement sculptures. Romanticism calls for the ar tist to be creative and not follow the classics. Marcel Duchamp, Fountain 1917 in which he exhibits a ready made urinal as a piece of art can be seen as being influenced by Romanticism as it asks for the artist to be creative. Hence we can see Avant-Garde and Dadaism being influence by Romanticism . Whether artists chose to embrace past styles or deviate from them, either way they are influenced by them.Both Neoclassicism and Romanticism were popular art styles in the 18th and early 19th century, with Romanticism occurring during the later years. Neoclassicism drew inspiration from Roman and Greek culture and embraced the classics while Romanticism drew inspiration from emotions, nature and the historical period of medievalism. Romanticism grew out of contempt for the basic foundation of the Neoclassical era as Romantics felt that the Age of Enlightenment suppressed our creativity and dehumanized us, despite their contrasting views, we can see the influence of Neoclassicism on Roman ticism.

Looking for Alabrandi and the Simple Gift Essay

Good morning teachers and fellow students. The idea that we continue on as we are: unchanged, unchanging is unbelievably illogical. In a time and world where things are constantly changing, it is impossible to be in existence without being affected by the process of change. Changes are inevitable, and they are happening everywhere around us. This idea is portrayed in the Prescribed film â€Å"Looking for Alibrandi† and my ORT The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick. The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances if there is a reaction, both are transformed. This quote by Psychologist Carl Jung is clearly evident in both texts looking for Alibrandi and The Simple Gift. During the opening scene of the film looking for Alibrandi there is a Qantas plane taking off or departing likewise in the Simple Gift the symbol of Change is more dramatic with Billy illegally riding the freight train out of town; he is unsure where he will end up. This is very contrasting to the symbolism of leaving in looking for Alibrandi where Josie believes she knows exactly what she wants to do, where she wants to go and who she wants to marry. Josie Meets Jacob Coote from cook high at a public speaking event, the two have an instant reaction it could even be described by chemical. Josie and Jacob are portrayed as opposites Josie’s believes that she is better than Jacob. When the Sydney schools have the first social event of the year Josie looks to John Barton (the son of the national liberal party leader) But john never asks her it is Jacob that asks her to dance, Jacob Says â€Å"It’s a pity you’re not school captain we could have been perfect† this highlights that Jacob is aware of Josie’s views towards him. In The Simple Gift Billy’s life changes significantly, as does Old Bill’s. When readers first get to know Old Bill, the technique of recounting is used as we learn why he is a homeless man. When Billy enters Old Bill’s life, he is prompted to change the way he lives. At first, Old Bill opposes these changes, as he swears â€Å"piss off kid†. He then begins to accept the changes as we observe him getting up early, having showers and quitting drinking. Old Bill’s attitudes towards change develop through the novel and by the end, he looks forward to change as he deals with his past When Billy first becomes homeless I believe that this moment is the catalyst for change in Billy’s life. Billy meets many challenges in this new place, such as where to sleep and where to find food. He meets these challenges head up, as he is determined to enter this new world and make a new life for himself. He sleeps in an old train carriage, and most of his meals are scraps from McDonalds. His attitude towards this change is enthusiastic and he feels that this change is beneficial for him. Josie meets thernominal challenges also with the death of John Barton, Josie’s world is thrown into turmoil and Josie seeks answers as to why someone like John Barton with all the things he had going for him would commit suicide. And asks the rhetorical question â€Å"I wonder what his parents will do with the sheets, will they throw them away or will they scrub and scrub so that they can always sleep on them. † Josie is in an emotional state for quite a while. One day on the train Josie and Jacob cross paths and Josie has a break down, Jacob comforts her. I believe that this is the catalyst of change for Josie between her and Jacob. Josie’s Initial reaction to her father Michael Andretti coming back into her life was nothing short of her dismissing him as a useless selfish object. This is parallel with the reaction of Billy towards his father. This is supported by the extracts ‘soulless tyranny’ of â€Å"the old bastard’ his father. This technique of expletive language is used to depict the poor relationship he shared with his father. I believe that Josie chooses to have a positive relationship with her father when she calls him after Josie hits Carly with one of her ancient history textbook. Michael gets Josie out of trouble at school and also changes Josie’s perception about fathers Josie now believes that fathers have a use, she is also growing quite fond of her father. Josie now stays at her father apartment on Sydney harbor on most weekends and enjoys spending time with her father. In the closing scene of the film it is exactly one year later on tomato day again and the picture quality is a lot sharper this conveys that Josie is clear about her decision to be there and even invites her friends over this time. The key idea conveyed in both â€Å"Looking for Alibrandi† and â€Å"The simple Gift† is quite nicely summed up by â€Å"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances if there is a reaction, both are transformed† this is clearly evident in both with Josie’s relationships with Jacob Coote and her father Michael Andretti and Also for Billy with his relationships with Old Bill and Caitlin.

Should governments be allowed to use cameras to give tickets to those Research Paper

Should governments be allowed to use cameras to give tickets to those who run red lights - Research Paper Example It is one good way to avoid controversy and disputes, especially with fines becoming quite hefty. People who live in civilized society need to comply with its laws. By agreeing to do so, it is incumbent upon citizens to obey traffic laws because this is all part of the social contract. Its aim is to impose order; otherwise, societies can become chaotic when laws are disregarded. This social contract implies the surrender of certain freedoms in order to be governed. The ability to strictly enforce the laws, such as those on taxation, is an example of the social contract features (Krugman 1) for society to function in a decent manner. This means all people should comply to all laws and nobody is exempted from compliance. The key players are those local governments and its citizens, with the issue being compliance with the social contract. The expectations are a good citizen will avoid violating traffic laws and the government hopes to raise some revenues. When drivers are aware that cameras are installed at intersections, they are more likely to drive a bit carefully and less pron e to beat a red light (Schlundt, Warren & Miller 77); it is a good way to reduce unintentional injuries, similar to wearing helmets or putting on seat belts for safety. Krugman, Paul. "The Social Contract." The New York Times, p. A35. 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. Schlundt, David G., Warren, Rueben C. And Stephania Miller. "Reducing Unintentional Injuries on the Nations Highways: a Literature Review." Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 15.1 (February 2004): 76-98.

Employee Engagement On The Scope Of Future Career Growth Of Employees Dissertation

Employee Engagement On The Scope Of Future Career Growth Of Employees - Dissertation Example In the words of Collings & Wood (2009), the most hyped topics in the context of international human resource management are ensuring employee commitment and engagement. Considering the current business environment, the internal management process of firms is being aligned with the strategic mission and vision of the firms for ensuring an appropriately directed performance. Scholars such as Dyne & Pierce and Konrad (2009) have questioned the authenticity of the organizations in the context of providing the scope of growth for their employee base. Carrying forward a similar concern Bakker & Leiter mentioned that employee engagement and job satisfaction does not go hand-in-hand. Focusing on these arguments and the evaluation of the practical work conditions and processes, the research will focus on analyzing the influence of employee engagement on their career growth opportunities with the help of a mixed methodology. Human resource management processes have transformed along with the changes in the requirements of the business firms and the increase of complexities in business management. Saks noted that methods such as downsizing are commonly used by the firm in order to reduce their operational expenses and at the same time maintain their competence in their respective industries. In this context, Green & Medlin observed that employee engagement concepts being followed in business are mostly implemented with the help of reward structures which can be considered as short-term obligations from the end of the organizations.

Is it ever justified to kill animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is it ever justified to kill animals - Essay Example r not but if to take into consideration the killing of animals in non-wild habitat it becomes obvious that all motives for this in the people’s world are explained by mankinds domination over the world of the living creatures. The problematic issue of this aspect is the question of appropriateness and justification of the killing animals for different goals of people. To begin with it is necessary to define the concept of animals. A well-known and scientifically proven opinion is that animals unite wild creatures as well as domestic ones. Consequently the question of interaction and life mission of humans and animals as biological kinds arises. They say people have to use products of animal origin in order to live – it is as for the domestic cattle and wild animals. As for the pets people receive such feelings as devotion, love, affection from them. From this point of view humans are perceived as consumers of animals’ positive effect on their lives in all levels from physical to moral one. Then there is a dilemma whether a mankind is a friend or an enemy of living creatures, whether people feel the responsibility for animals which were killed in order to be eaten by a human (meat and beproducts of domestic cattle, etc.) or to serve as an indicator of a luxurious life (furs, horns, heads of wild animals). There is no doubt that unfor tunately there are many other reasons for killing animals which are widely accepted and practiced in our life. Let’s see what are the pros and cons of this issue in more details. One of the main justifications often given for killing animals is that people are to maintain the viability and provide their physical needs in food and related needs in clothing (clothes from wool, fur, leather and so on). In this respect animals are perceived as creatures that are called for people’s trouble-free existence only. Then it appears that a human being is a tyrant who is guided just by physical instincts not by moral norms in his life.

The life and beliefs of Amanpreet Gill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The life and beliefs of Amanpreet Gill - Essay Example This is supposed to welcome good spirits that the visitor came with into the home. They do this because according they believe that visitors are forms of good spirits that come to bless a home. Gill’s dad was not an educated man, neither was he academic in nature. However, this did not hither him from encouraging Gill to partake English and other English related courses. Gill took this encouragement seriously and due to her positive attitude, she performed well in her English papers. Interestingly, whenever Gill sat an exam, the teacher would award her 19 Â ½ points out of the total of 20 points. This was very irritating to Gill since she would be forced to write another better composition. One of the most interesting experiences for Gill while in class was when they were having reading sessions. She enjoyed reading and would always express what she was reading on her face. For instance, if the character in the book was angry or scared, she would portray this on her face, cre ating clear images of the character in the minds of her classmates. Gill also enjoyed reading since her teacher always told her class that the more one reads, the more one became knowledgeable and expounded on the vocabulary prowess. This was a tip Gill took seriously and spent every opportunity she got to read and read out loud, something that contributed to her strong command of English. Besides being good in class, Gill took part in other curricular activities. She took part in card making competitions, and painting sessions.

Computer Crimes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer Crimes - Research Paper Example Consumers have their own personal data and they have their own personal communication taking place on the computer through the internet. Computer viruses and hacking programs tend to affect all these innocent victims and they become helpless in all these situations. They lose their confidential data and at times many organizations may lose their back up data and end up in many official and organizational level problems. Credit transaction information can be hacked easily by professional hackers and it causes huge losses to the consumers, companies and as well as government agencies. Government agencies have their own official transactions taking place on the computers and they transfer their information through the internet as well. When these various types of computer crimes are taking place it affects the government and at times may affect the country as well. All these innocent victims tend to get targeted in a serious manner when computer crimes are taking place. There are many computer manufacturing companies that are operating around us. These computer companies while manufacturing the computers are not able to develop programs that may protect the computers from the hackers. The hackers are always up with new types of programs and viruses that tend to affect the computer users and cause a lot of damage to them. The computer manufacturers are not able to have programs that show evidence of tracking down the hackers in a fast mode. It is extremely difficult to trace the hackers from where they have operated the viruses or hacked the computers of all the innocent people and organizations. The computer manufacturers are not able to develop programs that can protect their valuable users from the various computer crimes that are taking place in the society. Any user that is using the computer and the internet are prone to be attacked by hackers and various types of viruses. The antivirus

Love biblical narratives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Love biblical narratives - Essay Example In some ways, the teachings in Leviticus seem to equate physical imperfection with spiritual imperfection. Other topics in addition to instruction for the Levites concern how to remain pure by avoiding all sorts of activities and items that are considered unclean. The book of Job is one of the books of the Old Testament that is in the wisdom genre. The book begins by establishing Job as a righteous person. He has a large family, is pious and has been blessed with great wealth. Satan asks permission to tempt Job, accusing God of protecting Job too much. God agrees and Job looses his material wealth and family in a series of mishaps. Job is devastated but stays faithful to God. Three of his friends arrive to comfort him. By this time, Job has been afflicted with boils and other physical ailments. All of Job’s friends agree that Job must have sinned to warrant such treatment from God. Job denies this and stays faithful to God. After much debate, God’s voice can be heard congratulating Job for his faithfulness and scolding Job’s friends for their lack of understanding. The lesson to be learned is that God rules over all of his creations and requires faithfulness even during trials. The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament is a narrative book. Nehemiah begins the story in the court or Artaxerxes, the ruler in Babylon. He convinces him to allow him to return to Jerusalem with a small group of Jews to reestablish the city walls and temple worship. Nehemiah is granted permission but is immediately opposed by Sanballat and other local leaders who are not pleased to see a return of Jews to Jerusalem. Nehemiah arms his laborers and they complete the construction of the wall and repairs to the temple. Sanballat continues to scheme against Nehemiah, but is thwarted by the righteousness of the people. Many Jews return to Jerusalem to worship. Ezra reads from scripture and Nehemiah

Communication Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Communication Research - Assignment Example 2). Qualitative research on the other hand entails a process of inquiry which enables the researcher to understand the social or human issue confronting the society and enables the analysis of this complex phenomenon through a holistic perspective and reporting of detailed views of those involved i.e. the informants/ participants in the study in a natural setting (Cresswell, 2002: 2). For the purpose of this study a qualitative research design is proposed since it offers a wider platform for the researcher to understand and explore the topic of study by methods which help in gathering information that help in understanding one’s qualitative understanding (Guba and Lincoln, 1998). Qualitative research entails several methods of inquiry for analysis such as biography, phenomenological study, grounded theory, ethnography as well as case study. All these types of method afford the researcher in thoroughly exploring the topic of the study and understand the meaning and intentions o f the participants. For the purpose of this study the case study methodology is proposed whereby some key blogs will be selected and its impact on the traditional mainstream media will be observed and analysed. This method is chosen to avoid a mere theoretical interpretation of the phenomenon and engage in a practical discussion thorugh application of case studies that help in supporting the analysis. The blogs will be carefully chosen based on various parameters number of readers, number of views, types of topics dealt with etc among others. References: Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson Education. Guba, E. G. & Lincoln, Y. S. (1998). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In Norman K. Denzin & Yvonna S. Lincoln (Eds.), The landscape of qualitative resea

Info About Dengue Essay Example for Free

Info About Dengue Essay Humans are the major hosts of the dengue virus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes represent the principal vector .A aegypti is closely associated with human habitation and its larvae are often found in artificial water containers such as discarded tires, buckets and water storage facilities. Dengue is a mosquito borne disease that has recently become a public health concern. The WHO has estimated that 40% of the world’s population is at risk of getting dengue and there are currently 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year. Despite its high economic costs, dengue is often neglected in the face of more severe diseases. It is found in urban and semi-urban areas (WHO, 2002). Fact Sheet: Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. (2002). 2010, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/ Dengue has the threat potential to put large numbers of a country’s most productive population out of work for weeks which makes it an extremely costly disease. In order to stop that, we have these three variables playing a vital role to some extent. Income: Gallup and Sachs (2001) showed that countries with intensive malaria had significantly lower incomes levels (dependant variable) than those without (Gallup Sachs 2001). The period they analysed was 1965 to 1990. Their approach is hence replicated below for the dengue case to parse the effects of dengue on income levels. Awareness: Any vector control policy however needs to be reinforced with an effective community engagement effort. This includes a strategic public education and community involvement program to spread awareness about dengue amongst the population. This awareness about disease could include media advertising, and outreach to community groups, schools and other social organizations. Report of the expert panel on dengue [monograph on the internet]. (2005).). Singapore: Singapore Ministry of Health. Access to Hospitals: The total economic cost of dengue however far exceeds the simple costs of vector control. Direct patient, hospitalization, mortality and morbidity costs, along with opportunity costs of time and productivity losses due to illness also need to be considered.

The California Education in budget cut Essay Example for Free

The California Education in budget cut Essay Save our children, save our education: The California Education in budget cut Considering that the majority of the population of California is dominated by those who can only afford public school education, it is almost going to be useless for parents to send their children to school. They might think about what they would gain from being at the school. Instead they would just allow their children to work, which is the gravest type of exploitation that a child could experience, being just young. There has been school demonstrations in several districts of California participated in by the teachers, parents and school administrators shouting in anger against the governor. Cutting of the educational budget is fast approaching and realization of this upon enforcement in 2008-2009 shall be the peak at which the protesters and the â€Å"accused† should be a lot more prepared . The proposed budget cut rooted from the governor’s 10% across-the-board cuts to provide venue for state social programs. $4. 8 billion is to be deprived from the secondary education, whereas $1. 3 billion from the higher education will be harvested by him. This will save the governor from the deficit when he declared fiscal emergency to account for the state project shortage of funds, which was actually $16 billion turning $14. 5 dollars (Conway Martinez, 2008). Education is the most important possession parents can leave to their children as a gift. From childhood, every parent is excited on the first day of school that they buy their children’s uniform and prepare for the very first experience of their children to formally hold their pencils and receive their marks, whether excellent or not, they still accept it. What matters is they get the right education and it only depends upon how their children are going to take advantage of the opportunity. The preschool level is just a foretaste, when their children are already at the higher level, which I more crucial, and expensive, that is the time they need to support their children more. They will have to work really hard. Sometimes, when they want their children to get the best education, they send them to an exclusive school because they are confident enough of the training teachers get to be qualified in that school. Preschool and lower school levels are somewhat less in effect, what is usually more important is the college level, wherein students are really shaped as professionals. At some point, whatever type of character the youth will have will basically be under the custody of the biological parents, and of course the secondary ones, the teachers. Academically speaking, this qualifies the children from entering the real world, the better the education gets, the easier it is to go beyond interviews and usually the companies look at the aspect of educational foundation that will serve the professional goals of their company. For Californians, especially the business executives of the top companies, education is ranked as the most important component of their companies in public policy concerns. But then, according to their professional assessment, this can only be achieved when subsequent reforms are done in the educational system. The more competitive is the curriculum in a school and the teachers’ competitiveness on a parallel then what will be achieved is a powerful tool to building up the necessary foundation. They insist that even in high schools this must be already implemented. They claim that this will affect the academic and vocational issues in the future, especially on the race of choosing their future leaders. The government of the United States provides the education of the people from on the federal, state or local levels of provision and control. This makes attending classes really mandatory (till the age of 8) to come up with the most valuable use of time and funds specifically in the primary and secondary level. The school boards are responsible for the monitoring, funding, and setting of policies within their respective districts, which are independent from other local jurisdictions. The catch here is that the education is free for all; it is just an option not to go to public schools and spend big money the private ones. Funding of public education is done by putting on the taxes they are able to get from their districts from the property taxes from each family, side from the funds that the government still subsidizes. Public schools follow the policy set forth by the national government to prevent the inefficient use of the district funds. To maintain the level of academic standards, teachers within them form plans in developing supplementary materials. Education is not mentioned in the constitution of the United States. The government has no control over the schools ran by the district boards. Bush administration initiated the NCLB act or ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ to somehow centralize the educational system. The current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the government official patronizing the budget cut, stating that this would cause no harm to the educational system and classrooms of Californian schools. He cut $4 billion from the educational fund, from the country’s 47th in rank in the per-pupil spending. This has significantly negative impact on the educational working force, because doing this drops 57,000 teachers. Other side effects are eliminating 4 weeks of the school year, or increasing the class size by about 23%, making the population in the classroom bigger (Perata, 2008). Ninety-seven percent of the school districts were not able to meet the demands of NCLB. This move of the governor is much of negative impact on him as a political figure because people will think that this is the most illogical thing to do. They believe that cutting the budget will definitely send the remaining three percent to the same situation ang aggravating the performance of the lower majority. How would this affect the future of the children in California? How would this provision affect the learning of the future adult society of America? Shamefully, the truth is obvious to us that it will ruin the educational freedom. Children will suffer from under-education because they will not get the necessary level of knowledge that must be translated to them through proper attention. A classroom blown up in number will be a dilemma; the topics might be taught very slowly in pacing because barriers in effective communication will be magnified, especially when students have a lot to join conversations with, instead of listening to their teacher. Teacher might also lose their teaching capacities because they cannot shoulder themselves the materials needed to effectively deliver their subject matter. Entering school will just become a responsibility, nobody will enjoy it both sides. The young minds which are in fact the easiest to shape shall be blocked with these incapacitating budget cut-off. The ineffectiveness of learning strategies can accumulate and may make the movement of knowledge stagnant, because from the start, they are no longer learning anything. It is very surprising: what we could only think of is that the governor did not really consider the present situation of the struggling population of children hungry for educational support. Its is very alarming that students need to attend extra classes in learning centers just to cope up, with what should have been actually supplied by the school. What should have been implemented about the NCLB policy is no longer met. Isn’t it already a violation of the government policies, and merely the violation of human rights? How possible is it that he claims of the good performance of the students when the current situation is disgusting? Now, how do we think of the future of California having these students under-educated? These children we look at now might find it misty to follow their dreams, to find their positions in the globally competitive industries. What they might have thought of as the only key to save their families from poverty will actually stop them from getting to what they want to reach out for. Their expected growth in terms of spending power shall be hindered because they will not be able to get into the top companies of really good pay, because of the lack of competitiveness. They might be lost and be left behind in the fast changing world, and in exaggerated sense be trapped and die without having to reach what they thought proper education might lead them to. Reference Conway, D. , Martinez, K. (2008). The California budget and the crisis of public education. News and Analysis Retrieved May 21, 2008 Perata, D. (2008). The California Budget Update [Electronic Version]. California Progress Report. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from http://www. californiaprogressreport. com/2008/02/california_educ_1. html

Determining The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Biology Essay

Determining The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Biology Essay The basic structure of penicillin.The first two steps in cell wall synthesis specifically the formation of acetylglucosamine to from peptidoglycan chains, cannot be inhibited by penicillin. However, in the final step where the crosslinking between peptidoglycan by side peptide chains, the penicillin inhibits this process. This is because penicillin has similar structure to the terminal D-alanine-D-alanine if the pentapeptide, which binds covalently to the active site of the transpeptidase enzyme (Gorbach et al., 2003). Chloramphenicol is another antibiotic and it has the ability to penetrate though cellular membranes and be easily in engagement with the bacteria colonising in human cells to allow its antimicrobial characteristics to take place. Chloramphenicol has a simple structure and the mechanism depends on the propanoeidol moiety and dichloracetamide chain. C:Usersctlee11Desktop12.jpg Figure 2.0: The basic structure of chloramphenicol.What chloramphenicol does is that it inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria, however nucleic acid synthesis in unaffected. Chloramphenicol binds reversibly to the larger 50S ribosome subunit of the 70S ribosome. This inhibits the protein synthesis by preventing aminioacyl-transfer RNA from attaching to the 50S binding site (Gorbach et al., 2003). However, it has been recorded that chloramphenicol affects the mitochondrial protein synthesis. This is because the mammalian mitochondrial protein has strong similarity to bacterial ribosome where both are of 70S, with the mitochondria of the bone marrow especially susceptible (Riviere Papich, 2009). Protein synthesis plays a major role in bacterial growth as there are various cofactors and enzymes needed for multiple metabolic pathways. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the minimum concentration of a drug which inhibits bacterial growth, but does not kill the microorganism. Minimum bacteriostatic concentration (MBC) is the minimum concentration of a drug which kills the bacterial and thus, no longer grows. AIMS This investigation was done to determine Minimum inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bacteriocidal Concentration (MBC) of Penicillin and Chloramphenicol of Escherichia coli as well as; to determine the antibiotics sensitivity against the Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. METHODS AND MATERIALS The methods and materials are as per laboratory manual of Medical Microbiology BTH3722 of Monash University Semester Two, Year 2012 of pages 17 20. RESULTS SESSION/DAY ONE There are two sections to this investigation, where there is (i), the MIC and MBC determination of antibiotic Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol against Escherichia coli, and then there is (ii) antibiotics testing towards two microorganisms which are Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the determination of MIC, serial dilutions of antibiotics are done with known concentrations. Then, each tube containing different antibiotic concentration is the inoculated with bacterial culture and incubated overnight. This goes the same for the determination of MBC. Then, for each serial dilution of antibiotic, there would be two control tubes, one positive where the tube is inoculated with bacterial culture and the incubated without antibiotics and then, negative control where the tube is not inoculated but theres presence of antibiotics. For the antibiotic sensitivity testing, there are two Mast rings used and both of them are ready-made device that can simultaneously test for antibiotic susceptibility testing using 8 types of antibiotics. The Mast Rings used in this investigation is MAST M43 to test against MG8 culture: Staphylococcus aureus and MAST M14 to be used to test against MG53 culture: Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All these are done on the MHA plate using spread plate technique. SESSION/DAY TWO The MIC and MBC for each antibiotic type (Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol) is determined by observing the turbidity in the test tube. A turbid medium signifies for bacteria growth. Then all the tubes that are sterile are then poured into respective Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB) bottles including the tube that has the minimum positive bacteria growth to determine the MBC. These bottles are then incubated overnight. Results are on Table 1.0. For the antibiotic susceptibility testing, the annular radii of the clear zones are measured for each antibiotic type and these measurements are recorded. The measurements and interpretation are on Table 2.0 and Table 3.0. Tube Concentration of Antibiotics (c),  µg/ml Growth of Escherichia coli Penicillin G Chloramphenicol 1 125.00 + 2 62.50 + 3 31.25 + + 4 15.63 + + 5 7.81 + + 6 3.91 + + 7 1.95 + + 8 0.98 + + 9 0.49 + + 10 0.24 + + 11 0.12 + + 12 (+ CTRL) 0.00 + + 13 (- CTRL) 0.00 Table 1.0: The table below shows the results of the from the MIC determination of Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol on E. coli. In Table 1.0, it is shown that there are 13 tubes where the 12th and 13th are controls, 12th as the positive (+) and the 13th as negative (-). Positive control is the control which is inoculated without antibiotics and Negative control as the control which not inoculated. On the growth column, + signifies theres growth and thus turbidity in the tubes, while (-) signifies negative growth. It is also that has been determined that the MBC value is 125  µg/ml for Chloramphenicol. Table 2.0: The table below shows the annular radius that was measured form the MHA plate cultured with Pseudomonas aeruginosa using MAST Ring M43. MASTRING ANTIBIOTICS M43 Antibiotics Abbreviation Annular Radius Sensitivity PG Penicillin G 0 R CD Clindamycin 1 R GM Gentamycin 10 S FC Fusidic Acid 20 S E Erythromycin 0 R TM Trimetroprim 0 R SMX Sulphamethoxazole 0 R T Tetracyclin 0 R The general rule is that if the annular radii are more than 6mm in length, then the bacteria are susceptible to that particular antibiotic. However, if the annular radii are 6mm or less than, it is considered resistant to the particular antibiotics. Table 3.0: The table below shows the annular radius that was measured form the MHA plate cultured with Staphylococcus aureus tested using MAST Ring M14. MASTRING ANTIBIOTICS M14 Antibiotics Abbreviation Annular Radius Sensitivity AP Ampicillin 0 R KF Cephalothin 1 R CO Colistin Sulphate 7 S GM Gentamycin 8 S S Streptomycin 8 S ST Sulphatriad 1 R T Tetracyclin 0 R TS Cotrimoxazole 0 R The general rule is that if the annular radii are more than 6mm in length, then the bacteria are susceptible to that particular antibiotic. However, if the annular radii are 6mm or less than, it is considered resistant to the particular antibiotics. DISCUSSION The MIC and MBC value of penicillin G cannot be determined as at all concentrations of the serial dilutions, the bacteria is resistant to the Penicillin G (PG) even from the concentration of 125  µg/ml. This is because there was growth observed from the turbidity of all the serial dilution tubes. However for the antibiotic Chloramphenicol, the MIC is at 31.25  µg/ml while the MBC is at 62.6  µg/ml. At these concentrations, in treating infections that are E. coli related, a rather heavy dosage of PG is needed to be administered. Thus, PG is not really effective in killing E. coli. Besides, the MBC value is always expected to be higher than the MIC value is higher dosage is needed to kill a microorganism (Prescott et al., 2005). As it has been previously mentioned, PG targets the peptidoglycan structure of the cell wall. If the bacteria were able to resist PG, it would be because that the bacteria have a mechanism to counter such actions. True enough, E. coli could be resistant t o PG because it could produce beta-lactamase that inactivates penicillin (Sorbo Marshall, 2006). Beta-lactamase which is also known as penicillinase, acts by hydrolysing the CO-N bond in the beta lactam ring of the penicillin molecule and then the amidase group cleaves the CO-NH bond found within the side chain and the six amino acid groups of penicillic acid group of the penicillin molecule (English et al., 1960). However, not only E. coli is not the only one bacteria that possesses the beta-lactamase gene which can caused by the fact that certain bacteria passed on their DNA to another bacteria during conjugation, or from a virus to a bacteria during transduction or also that the bacteria can take in foreign DNA from their surroundings (Karp, 2009). In the antibiotic testing on the bacteria lawn, it is found that the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is less resistant than Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) as S. aureus is susceptible to three kinds of antibiotics (susceptible: CO, GM and S; resistant: AP, KF, ST, T and TS) compared to P. aeruginosa which is susceptible to two types (susceptible: GM and FC; resistant: PG, CD, SMX, T and EM). The reason P. aeruginosa is so particularly so resistant is to most of the modern antibiotics is because of its intrinsic resistance that arises from the permeability and secondary resistance mechanisms such as energy-dependent multidrug efflux and chromosomally encoded periplasmic ÃŽÂ ²-lactamase. At such level of natural resistance, mutational resistance to most classes of antibiotics can readily arise (Hancock Speert, 2000). For instance, the resistance of P. aeruginosa towards PG is because of de-repression of chromosomal ÃŽÂ ²-lactamase and also the overexpression of the MexA B-OprM multidrug efflux pump due to a NalB mutation. Specific plasmid-mediated ÃŽÂ ²-lactamases also infer that the resistance to PG could be a form of introduction of foreign DNA from surroundings or via conjugation with other bacteria (Hancock Speert, 2000). As for S. aureus, the bacteria is resistant towards ampicillin and that would probably due to the act that most strains of S. aureus are able to produce ÃŽÂ ²-lactamase to breakdown the beta-lactam ring of the penicillin-derivate antibiotics. CONCLUSION The MIC and MBC values are important in determining the correct dosage of antibiotics that is supposed to be administered to the patient. However, E. coli was particularly resistant to Penicillin G and thus, was unable to produce any MBC or MIC values. In such cases, an AST can be ran first before testing E. coli against its susceptible drug for MIC and MBC values. IX. REFERENCES English, A.R., McBride, T. J. and Huang, H. T. (1960). Microbial Resistance to penicillin as related to penicillinase or penicillin acylase activity, Proceedings of the Society or  Experimental  Biology and  Medicine, Vol. 104, pp. 547 549. Gorbach, S.L., Barlett, J.G. and Blacklow, N.R. (2003).Treatment of Infectious Disease, Infectious Disease, Lippincott Williams Wilkins, pp. 184 186. Hancock, R. E. W. and Speert, D. P. (2009). Antibiotic Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: mechanisms and impact on treatment, Drug Resistance Updates, 3, pp. 247 255. Karp, G. (2009). The Growing Problem of Antibiotic Resistance, Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments, John Wiley Sons, pp. 105 106. Riviere, J.E. and Papich, M. G. (2009). Chemotherapy of Microbial Diseases, Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, John Wiley Sons, pp. 944 946. Sorbo, L. D. and Marshall, J.C. (2006) Antibiotic Resistance in the Intensive Care Unit, Intensive Care Medicine: Annual Update 2006, Springer, pp. 582 583.

History of Turkey and the European Union Essay -- Turkey History Polit

History of Turkey and the European Union Turkey has had a long history with Europe and the European Union that stretches back many years. In 1952, Turkey joined the United States and most of Western Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey would look at this as the first step toward European acceptance, which had been so important to the country's founder and hero, Kemal Ataturk. It would become an associate member of the Western European Union.[1] As early as 1959, Turkey tried to gain entrance into what is now the European Union, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).[2] Under the Ankara Agreement of 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC.[3] Denied entrance into the European Union in 1987, Turkey still continued to push for membership.[4] The next pivotal moment came in 1996 when Turkey was admitted into the European Union's Customs Union.[5] However, it was disappointed a year later when Turkey was not listed as part of the European Union's plans for enlargement. Fin ally, in 1999 at the Helsinki summit, Turkey was named as a candidate country.[6] This meant that Turkey was one step away from starting the accession process and realizing its goal of becoming a recognized member of Europe. Requirements to Join the European Union The European Union has specific yet numerous qualifications that must be met before accession. The European Council set the criteria for accession in June of 1993. It stated first that a country must have strong democratic institutions, including the rule of law and a guarantee of civil rights. A viable economic market must exist, along with evidence that the economy of the applicant country can compete with those already in the EU. Al... ...Opportunity in Turkey, Financial Times, Oct. 21 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). Gherghisan, Mihaela, ?Verheugen Careful about Turkish EU Accession, EUObserver.com, Apr. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (8 October 2003). Heper, Metin. Historical Dictionary of Turkey. 2nd ed. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. EU Enlargement Commissioner Says Turkey Giving ?Mixed Picture,? ? AFX.? Com, Oct. 27 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Databas? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Euro 145 Million Pre-Accession Aid Package Granted to ? Ankara,? European Report, Oct. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier? Database, Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Gunter Verheugen Cites 2011 as Possible Membership? Date,? European Report, Apr. 30 (2003). Academic Search Premier History of Turkey and the European Union Essay -- Turkey History Polit History of Turkey and the European Union Turkey has had a long history with Europe and the European Union that stretches back many years. In 1952, Turkey joined the United States and most of Western Europe in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey would look at this as the first step toward European acceptance, which had been so important to the country's founder and hero, Kemal Ataturk. It would become an associate member of the Western European Union.[1] As early as 1959, Turkey tried to gain entrance into what is now the European Union, then known as the European Economic Community (EEC).[2] Under the Ankara Agreement of 1963, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC.[3] Denied entrance into the European Union in 1987, Turkey still continued to push for membership.[4] The next pivotal moment came in 1996 when Turkey was admitted into the European Union's Customs Union.[5] However, it was disappointed a year later when Turkey was not listed as part of the European Union's plans for enlargement. Fin ally, in 1999 at the Helsinki summit, Turkey was named as a candidate country.[6] This meant that Turkey was one step away from starting the accession process and realizing its goal of becoming a recognized member of Europe. Requirements to Join the European Union The European Union has specific yet numerous qualifications that must be met before accession. The European Council set the criteria for accession in June of 1993. It stated first that a country must have strong democratic institutions, including the rule of law and a guarantee of civil rights. A viable economic market must exist, along with evidence that the economy of the applicant country can compete with those already in the EU. Al... ...Opportunity in Turkey, Financial Times, Oct. 21 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). Gherghisan, Mihaela, ?Verheugen Careful about Turkish EU Accession, EUObserver.com, Apr. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Database,? Lexis-Nexis (8 October 2003). Heper, Metin. Historical Dictionary of Turkey. 2nd ed. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002. EU Enlargement Commissioner Says Turkey Giving ?Mixed Picture,? ? AFX.? Com, Oct. 27 (2003).? Academic Search Premier Databas? Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Euro 145 Million Pre-Accession Aid Package Granted to ? Ankara,? European Report, Oct. 29 (2003).? Academic Search Premier? Database, Lexis-Nexis (29 October 2003). ?EU/Turkey: Gunter Verheugen Cites 2011 as Possible Membership? Date,? European Report, Apr. 30 (2003). Academic Search Premier

Is This Really Happening To Me? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One bright early morning at around 7:00 A.M. I woke up. After waking up I proceeded to use the restroom then took a shower. After showering I then ate breakfast then began to brush my teeth and got dressed for school. Finally, I was done with my morning routine and then I headed out for my day at school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On my way to school I followed the speed limit to avoid getting a ticket. When I got to school I proceeded to go to my first class which is Sociology. When class was let out I went to the quad where I smoked a cigarette and did home work for my classes for the next day. Then at approximately 12:00 P.M. I met up with my friend Tonya then we walked to our next class, Theatre, which we had together. While in our Theatre class we joked around and criticized different movies, and the bad acting in several of those movies. When that class ended my friend Tonya and I decided to got to the mall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we got to the mall we parked at the food court so we could get something to eat at Chick-Fil-A after our long day at school. On the way walking to Chick-Fil-A we decided to stop at Abercrombie and Fitch, our favorite store. While in Abercrombie and Fitch I saw this really fine outfit but I only had enough money on me for me to eat that day. So my friend told me that I should just steal it so I could wear it when we went out that weekend. But I knew better I knew it would be wrong so I decided we should just leave and go eat and I would go back and get the outfit once I had enough money for the outfit on me. After we ate we decided to leave the mall. While I was bringing her back to her vehicle another friend of mine, Kenny, called. He called to invite me over before work because he was going to be cooking and few people were going to go over. So I told him I would but I had to go home and get dressed for work before I went out there to meet them. I then went home and got dressed for a long night at work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After I took my shower and got dressed I left and went to Kenny’s.

The Folly of Hypocrisy Exposed in Arms and the Man :: Arms and the Man Essays

The Folly of Hypocrisy Exposed in Arms and the Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Satire is the "biting exposure of human folly which criticizes human conduct, and aims to correct it" (Di Yanni 839). Moliere was the French master of satiric comedy, and Shaw has been hailed likewise--as the "Irish Moliere." In Arms and the Man, Shaw demonstrates his genius for satire by exposing the incongruities of life and criticizing the contradictions in human character.      Ã‚   Love and war are the main subjects of this play. Shaw addresses each, showing the disparity between how these issues are perceived and what they are in actuality. Love, of course, is often regarded in romantic terms. Raina, of Arms and the Man, is described as a young, beautiful woman who indeed does hold to idealistic notions concerning the emotion of love. To her, "the world really is a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act in its romance!" (Shaw 1294, act 1). She acts as though she can continue to live in her ideal world forever and believes that she has found a true love in Sergius. As a couple, they put on a show for each other to prove their emotions are real. Raina says, in effect, that she is perfect in Sergius' company--"'When I think of you, I feel that I could never do a base deed, or think and ignoble thought'"--and he, in hers--"'You will never disappoint me, Sergius,'" she adds (1311, act 2).      Ã‚  Ã‚   However, by the play's end, Shaw is eager to reveal that all is not as it seems with any of the characters, especially with Raina. The audience knows it, and the characters learn the truth, too. When Sergius discovers the facts about his fiancà ©e, he exclaims, "'You love that man! . . . You allow him to make love to you behind my back, just as you treat me as your affianced husband behind his'" (1329, act 3). Later, he comes to the realization that their "romance is shattered. [And] Life's a farce" (1330, act 3). It almost seems as though the playwright himself is saying this line; he speaks them to the audience as directly as if he were on stage. For Shaw often stocked his plays "full of lines in which the characters explode romantic elusions" (Ervine 269).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Love, though, is not the only concept around which romanticism abounds.

Locke and Hobbes

What is politics? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as â€Å"the total complex of  relations between people living in society.† This phrase is the root of all politics and all  government. Whether we are ruler or subject, in the end we are all just â€Å"people.† And how can  Ã¢â‚¬Å"people† best relate to each other? Over the years, countless individuals believed that they  possessed the magic answer to this age-old question. Two figures in particular have endured the  praise and the criticisms: Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Each man represents a philosophy  that has marked him in history and in the popular consciousness. And each man offers his  unique commentary—along with some surprising commonalities—on this abstract word we call  politics. How should an affective government approach its duties and functions? John Locke and Thomas Hobbes did hold some similar viewpoints on government’s responsibilities. Both men favored a social contract between government and its people (Baker, 2000). Hobbes stated in Leviathan, â€Å"Whensoever a man transferreth his right, or renounceth it, it is either in consideration of some right reciprocally transferred to himself, or for some other good he hopeth for thereby.† In other words, a man must be willing to sacrifice some of his basic rights in exchange for a promise of security and stability from his government. Ever since Moses and Biblical times, Hobbes points out, Man has operated on a contract system (Panagia, 2003). Likewise, John Locke also advocated this precursor to federalism (Baker, 2000): â€Å"men, when they enter into society give up †¦ liberty of a kind; yet it being only with an intention in every one the better to preserve himself, his liberty and property†¦.† (Locke, 2001) Locke believed that entering into such a covenant with government officials would best serve a â€Å"common good† and serve to create a â€Å"common law†Ã¢â‚¬â€ideals which were also shared by Hobbes (Baker, 2000). Hobbes himself claimed that â€Å"the point of the social contract is to orchestrate a multitude into some recognizable whole†¦.† (Hobbes, 1968). The government was dependent on the support of the people, and its â€Å"legitimacy†¦stable only as long as the public continues to recommend it† (Hobbes, 1968). Once the function of a government is determined, the next question becomes, â€Å"Who is the  government?† On this point, Hobbes and Locke part ways. Since Hobbes held that human beings were essentially â€Å"born bad,† then logic would follow that they are not fit to rule themselves.   Instead, they need â€Å"an overarching power to awe them†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..likened to a sea monster, or a â€Å"leviathan† (Geib, 2002). Hobbes argued for a single-person leadership by claiming that multiple voices of authority created â€Å"too much diffidence† (or difference). Such confusion would inevitably plunge mankind back into a primitive state of warfare, the very condition it sought to eradicate through laws and government (Kreis, 2005): â€Å"for powers divided mutually destroy each other† (Hobbes, 1968). Hobbes had witnessed firsthand the conflicts between the English king and Parliament, which hurled that country into a state of near-civil war (Chodorow, 1994). War and conflict resulted from every man’s universal need for power. When one puts such strong egos into one room, resolution can never hope to be obtained. To Hobbes’ thinking, an entrustment of the power to one individual was the best way to ensure stability. And a monarchy, with its fixed and non-debatable succession of rulers, was Hobbes’ preferred choice of government (Panagia, 2003). Although Hobbes anticipated such democratic mantras as â€Å"the right to remain silent† and the â€Å"right to property,† his association with democracy affectively ends there. His absolute monarchy refutes the people as a sovereign power, and his concerns for individual liberty are miniscule (Gray, 2003).   In fact, Hobbes’ conservative views infuriated John Locke to such a degree that he published his own Treatises of Government, advocating a public-run government based on the liberty of the citizen. Locke raged that Hobbes’ monarchy left ruler and subjects in the very state of turmoil it proclaimed to avoid (Chodorow, 1994). A singular government could only serve to oppress and deny. Government should instead divide itself into branches, each serving its own specialized function while keeping the other branches from becoming too powerful (like the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of American government today). (John Locke, 2001) After all, Locke claims, the people cannot sacrifice more power than they possessed in their natural, pre-law state. Once the people enter into a social contract with their chosen government, then the sovereignty necessarily rests with the people (Landry, 1997). The people declare their leaders, and decisions rest with the â€Å"consent of the majority, giving it either by themselves or their representatives chosen by them† (Locke, 2001).   The government may tax, it may allocate funds based on need (Landry, 1997), but it â€Å"can never have a right to destroy, enslave, or designedly to impoverish the subjects† (Locke, 2001). Most crucial in Locke’s philosophy, the people rule. In the end, we are left with the question, â€Å"Whose philosophy is best?†Ã‚   Give us another  thousand years, and we will still probably be quarrelling about the answer.   Perhaps it is best   instead to let each man have his final say on the subject and leave it at that: â€Å"During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man.†Ã¢â‚¬â€(Hobbes, 1968) â€Å"It is a power that hath no other end but preservation, and therefore can never have a right to destroy, enslave, or designedly to impoverish the subjects..†.—(Locke, 2001) References Baker, W. J. (2000). â€Å"Faces of Federalism: From Bullinger to Jefferson.†Ã‚   Publius 30(4), 25. Chodorow, S. (1994). The Mainstream of Civilization. 6th ed. Fort Worth: The Harcourt Press Geib, R. (2002). Thomas Hobbes. Retrieved October 24, 2006, from The Pessimists Page: http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/nature/hobbes-bio.html Gray, J. (2003). â€Å"The beast stirs.† New Statesman 132(4634), 50-51. Hobbes, T. (1968).   Leviathan.   C.B. MacPherson, ed.   Harmondsworth:   Penguin. John Locke. (2001). Retrieved October 24, 2006, from   Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/l/locke.htm Kreis, S. (2005). Lectures on modern intellectual history:   Thomas Hobbes. Retrieved October 24, 2006, from The History Guide: http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/hobbes.html Landry, P. (1997). John Locke (1632-1704). Retrieved October 24, 2006, from Biographies: http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Philosophy/Locke.htm Locke, J. (2001). Two Treatises of Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration. Penguin Classics: New York. Panagia, D. (2003). Delicate discriminations: Thomas Hobbes's science of politics. Polity 36 (1), 91-114. ; ; ; ; ;

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 11

I don't understand,† Eric said pitifully as Thea towed him toward the bleachers. â€Å"Well, that's reasonable.† â€Å"Blaise wants to talk to me alone and you want me to do it.† â€Å"That's right.† Thea hadn't realized it was possible to sound bright and bleak at the same time. â€Å"I told you she'd probably go after you-â€Å" â€Å"And you told me to be careful of her. You made the point very strongly.† â€Å"I know. It's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea searched for an explanation that wouldn't be too much of a lie and clutched her bottle of Evian water. She didn't need to ask him if he had the protective charm with him- she could smell New Hampshire pine needles. â€Å"It's just that I think it's better to get things settled,† she said finally. â€Å"One way or the other. So maybe if you talk to her face-to-face†¦ well, you can decide what you want, and we can get this over with.† â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric stopped, forcing Thea to stop, too. He looked completely bewildered. â€Å"Thea-I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't need to talk to Blaise to know what I want.† He put his hands gently on her upper arms. â€Å"Nothing she can say could make any difference.† Thea looked at him, at his clean, good features and his expressive eyes. He thought things were so simple. â€Å"Then you can just tell her that,† she said, trying to sound optimistic. â€Å"And the whole thing will be resolved.† Eric shook his head, but allowed her to guide him onward. Blaise was leaning against a concrete dugout by the baseball diamond. When they were about ten feet away, Thea stopped and nodded at Eric to keep going. He walked to Blaise, who slowly straightened with the leisurely grace of a snake uncoiling. Thea put her thumb into the Evian bottle and jiggled it gently. â€Å"Thea said you wanted to talk to me.† Eric's voice was polite, but not encouraging. He looked back at Thea after he said it. â€Å"I did,† Blaise said in her liquid, persuasive voice. But to Thea's surprise, she addressed the ground, as if she felt awkward. â€Å"But now†¦ well, I feel so embarrassed. I know what you probably think of me-trying to say something like this while your girlfriend is standing there.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric glanced back at Thea again. â€Å"It's okay,† he added, his voice softer. â€Å"I mean, it's better to say whatever it is in front of her than behind her back.† â€Å"Yes. Yes, that's true.† Blaise took a deep breath as if steeling herself and then lifted her head to meet Eric's eyes. What on earth is she doing? Thea stared at her cousin. Where did this scene come from? â€Å"Eric†¦ I don't know how to say this, but†¦ I care about you. I know how that sounds. You're thinking that I have dozens of guys, and the way I treat them I can't possibly care about any of them. And I don't blame you if you just want to walk away right now, without even listening to any more.† Blaise fiddled with the zipper at her throat. â€Å"Oh, look, I'm not going to walk away. I wouldn't do that to you,† Eric said, and his voice was even more gentle. â€Å"Thank you. You're being so nice-much nicer than I deserve.† Absently, as if it were the most casual of gestures, Blaise reached for the zipper at her throat and pulled it down. The necklace was revealed. Don't look directly at it, Thea told herself. She stared instead at the back of Eric's sandy head-which suddenly went very still. â€Å"And you know, this is going to sound strange, but most of those boys don't really like me.† Blaise's voice was soft now-seductive but vulnerable. â€Å"They just-want me. They look at the surface, and never even try to see any deeper. And that makes me feel†¦ so lonely sometimes.† In Thea's peripheral vision, gold stars and moons were shifting and flowing. Yemonja root and other delicious scents wafted toward her. She hadn't even noticed that the first time; she'd been too deep in the necklace's spell to analyze it. And a faint, high resonance hung in the air-two or three notes that seemed to shimmer almost above the threshold of hearing. Singing crystals. Of course. Blaise was assaulting every sense, weaving an inescapable golden web†¦ and the whole thing was tuned to Eric's blood. â€Å"All I've ever wanted is a guy who cares enough about me to look deeper than the surface.† Blaise's voice had a slight catch now. â€Å"And-well, before I knew Thea liked you, I guess I thought you might be that guy. Eric, please tell me-is that completely impossible? Should I just totally give up hope? Because if you say so, I will.† Eric was standing oddly now, as if he were crippled. Thea could see his breath coming faster. She didn't want to see his face-she knew what it would be like. Like Luke's. Blank wonder changing into slow adulation for Blaise. â€Å"Just tell me,† Blaise said, raising one hand in a gesture full of pathos. â€Å"And if you say no, I'll go away forever. But if†¦ if you think you could care about me†¦ even just a little†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She gazed at him with luminous, yearning eyes. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric's voice was thick and hesitant. â€Å"I†¦ Blaise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He couldn't seem to get started on a sentence. And no wonder. He's lost already. Certainty hit Thea, and she stopped shaking her plastic bottle. Her little Elixir of Abhorrence didn't stand a chance against Blaise's magic. Eric was hooked and Blaise was reeling him in. And it wasn't his fault. Nobody could be expected to hold out against the kind of enchantment Blaise was using. Enchantment and psychology so beautifully mixed that even Thea found herself half believing Blaise's story. But she had to try anyway. She couldn't let Eric go without a fight. With one final, violent shake, Thea took her thumb out of the bottle neck. Colorless liquid skyrocketed, spraying up and then raining down on Eric. A geyser of loathing. Only one thing went wrong. As soon as the mysterious downpour hit Eric, he turned to see where it was coming from. Instead of looking at Blaise when the elixir soaked into his skin, he was looking at Thea. She stared back into his gray-flecked eyes with a kind of horror. Twice. He'd been twice enchanted now, once to love Blaise and once to hate her. Oh, Eileithyia, it's over†¦. It was a crisis, and Thea responded instinctively. She reached for Eric, to save him, to be saved herself. She flung out a thought the way she'd fling out a hand to someone going over a cliff. Eric. A connection†¦ Like dosing a circuit-and that was all it took. Thea felt a wave of†¦ something, something hot and sweet, more magical than Blaise's magic. Distilled lightning, maybe. The air between her and Eric was so charged that she felt as though her skin was being brushed with velvet. It was like being at the intersection of cosmic force lines. And it was all okay. Eric's face was his ordinary face. Alive, alert, full of warmth-for her. Not zombie worship for Blaise. Thea. It can't be this simple. But it was. She and Eric were staring at each other in the quivering air and the universe was just one big singing crystal. We're right together. A yell shattered the silent communion. Thea looked toward the dugout and saw that Blaise the vulnerable had disappeared. â€Å"I'm wet,† Blaise shrieked. â€Å"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what water drops do to silk?† Thea opened her mouth, then shut it again. She felt giddy with the sweetness of relief. She had no idea if Blaise really thought the elixir was only water-but one thing was clear. However strong Blaise's spell had been, it was broken now. And Blaise knew it. Blaise jerked the zipper up and stalked off. â€Å"She's mad,† Eric said. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea was still dizzy. â€Å"I told you she likes getting mad.† She took Eric's arm, very gently, and partly to steady herself. â€Å"Let's go.† They'd only gone a few steps when Eric said, â€Å"Thank God you hit me with that water.† â€Å"Yes.† Even if the elixir hadn't worked it had somehow broken Eric's concentration or distracted Blaise or something. She'd have to see if she could figure out what had happened to disrupt a spell as potent as the one Blaise had created†¦. â€Å"Yeah, because, you know, it was getting really awkward,† Eric went on. â€Å"I kept trying to think of a polite way to tell her there wasn't a chance, but I couldn't. And just when I realized I was going to have to say it and hurt her feelings-well, you soaked us.† Thea stopped dead. She stared at him. He was serious. â€Å"I mean-I know I hurt her feelings anyway. Or she wouldn't have gone away mad. Uh, are you mad now? Thea?† She started walking again. â€Å"Are you saying you didn't even want to be with her? Not even just a little?† He stopped. â€Å"How could I want to be with her when I want to be with you? I told you that before this whole thing started.† Maybe it's because we're soulmates. Maybe it's because he's so stubborn. But, whatever, I'd better never tell Blaise. She'll have a whole new reason for killing him if she finds out her spell bounced off like water off a duck. â€Å"Well, anyway, it's resolved now,† she murmured-and at that moment she really believed it. She was too happy to think about anything dreadful. â€Å"Is it? Does that mean that we can finally go out? Like on a date?† He sounded so wistful that Thea laughed. She felt light and free and full of energy. â€Å"Yeah. We could go right now. Or†¦ we could go in. Your house, I mean. I'd like to see your sister and Madame Curie again.† Eric made an â€Å"ouch† face. â€Å"Well, Madame Curie would probably like that. But Roz lost her case- the court ruled that the Boy Trekkers are a private organization. And she is not-pardon the pun-a happy camper.† â€Å"All the more reason we should go see her. Poor kid.† Eric looked at her quizzically. â€Å"You're serious? You have a choice of anywhere in Las Vegas and you'd like to go to my house?† â€Å"Why not?† Thea didn't mention that a human house was more exotic to her than anywhere else in Vegas. She was happy. It turned out to be a modest frame house, shaded by a couple of honest-to-goodness trees, not palms. Thea felt a twinge of shyness as they went inside. â€Å"Mom's still at work. And†-Eric checked his watch-â€Å"Roz is supposed to be in her room until five. Home detention. This morning she microwaved her Barbie dolls.† â€Å"That doesn't sound good for the microwave.† Rosamund's door was plastered with homemade Signs. DO NOT ENTER. KEEP OUT AND THIS MEANS ERIC. FEMINISM IS THE RADICAL NOTION THAT WOMEN ARE PEOPLE. When Eric opened the door a piggy bank shaped like a skunk came flying toward him. He ducked. It hit the wall and, amazingly, didn't break. â€Å"Roz-â€Å" â€Å"I hate everybody! And everybody hates me!† A hardback book came soaring. Eric shut the door fast. Bang. â€Å"Everybody doesn't hate you!† he yelled. â€Å"Well, I hate them! Go away!† Bang. Bang. Crash. â€Å"I think maybe we'd better leave her alone,† Eric said. â€Å"She gets a little moody sometimes. Want to see my room?† His room was nice, Thea decided. Lots of books, some smelling of mildew-â€Å"I get them at the used book stores.† Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy. Development and Structure of the Fetal Pig. The Red Pony. Most of them were about animals in some form or other. And lots of trophies. Baseball trophies, basketball trophies, a few tennis trophies. â€Å"I have to switch between baseball and tennis different years.† Sports equipment was scattered carelessly around, mixed with the books and some dirty socks. Not so different from a teenager's room in the Night World. Just a person's room. There was a picture of a man on the desk, a man with sandy hair and a glorious, lightning-bolt smile like Eric's. â€Å"Who is it?† â€Å"My dad. He died when Roz was little-a plane crash. He was a pilot.† Eric said it simply, but his eyes went dark. Thea said softly, â€Å"My parents died when I was little, too. What's sad is that I don't really remember them.† Eric looked at the picture again. â€Å"You know, I never thought about it, but I'm glad I do remember. At least we had him that long.† They smiled at each other. By the bed was a tank that gave off a pleasant percolating sound. Thea sat next to it and watched iridescent blue fish dart around. She turned off the bedside lamp to see the lighted tank better. â€Å"You like it?† â€Å"I like everything,† Thea said. She looked at him. â€Å"Everything.† Eric blinked. He eyed the bed Thea was sitting on, then slowly sat at the desk. He stuck out a casual elbow to lean on and papers showered to the floor. â€Å"Oops.† Thea stifled a laugh. â€Å"Is that the U.C. Davis application?† He looked up hopefully from gathering them. â€Å"It sure is. Want to see it?† Thea almost said yes. She was in such a cheerful mood, ready to agree to anything, be open to anything. But a moment of thought changed her mind. Some things were just going too far. â€Å"Not right now, thanks.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He put the papers back. â€Å"You know, you still might think about transferring to the zoology class at school. Ms. Gasparro is a great teacher. And you'd really like what we're studying.† Maybe I could, Thea thought. What would it hurt? â€Å"And if you were ever interested. Dr. Salinger is always looking for extra help. It doesn't pay much, but it's good experience.† And†¦ what would that hurt? It's not as if I would be breaking any laws. I wouldn't have to use any powers, either, I could just be close to the animals. â€Å"I'll think about it,† she said. She could hear the suppressed excitement in her own voice. She looked at Eric, who was sitting with his elbows on his knees, leaning forward, watching her earnestly. â€Å"And- thanks,† she said softly. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"For†¦ wanting the best for me. For caring.† The light from the fish tank threw wavering blue patterns on the walls and ceiling. It made the bedroom seem like its own little underwater world. It danced over Thea's skin. Eric stared at her. Then he swallowed and shut his eyes. With his eyes still shut, he said in a muted voice, â€Å"I don't think you know how much I care.† Then he looked at her. That connection again. It seemed to be drawing them together-an almost physical feeling of attraction. It was exciting, but scary. Eric got up very slowly and crossed the room. He sat by Thea. Neither of them looked away. And then things just seemed to happen by themselves. Their fingers were intertwined. Thea was looking up and he was looking down. They were so close that their breath mingled. Thea shivered with the electricity. Everything seemed wrapped in a golden haze. Crash. Something hit the other side of the wall. â€Å"Ignore it; it's poltergeists,† Eric murmured. His lips were an inch from hers. â€Å"It's Rosamund,† Thea murmured back. â€Å"She feels bad-and it's not really fair. We should try and make her feel better.† She was so happy that she wanted everyone else to be happy, too. Eric groaned. â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Let me just go see if I can cheer her up. I'll come back.† Eric shut his eyes, opened them, and turned on the lamp. He gave her a pained smile. â€Å"Okay. I have to water Mom's outside plants and feed the rabbits and stuff, anyway. Let me know when she's cheered up enough. I'll be waiting.† Thea knocked and ducked as she entered Rosamund's room. â€Å"Roz? Can I just talk to you for a minute?† â€Å"Don't call me that. I want you to call me Fred.† â€Å"Uh, how come Fred?† Thea sat cautiously on the edge of the bed-or not the bed, actually, the box springs. The mattress was across the room, standing on its side in a corner. The entire room looked as if it had been hit simultaneously by a hurricane and an earthquake, and it smelled strongly of guinea pig. Slowly, part of a sandy head appeared above the mattress. One green eye regarded Thea directly. â€Å"Because,† Rosamund said with terrible maturity, â€Å"I'm not a girl anymore. Things have always been this way for girls and they will always be this way and they are never going to change. And don't give me any of that B.S. about how females hear better and do better in submarines and have better fine motor skills, because I don't care. I'm going to be a boy now.† â€Å"You're a smart kid,† Thea said. She was surprised at how smart Roz was, and at how much she wanted to comfort her. â€Å"But you need to study your history. Things haven't always been this way. There were times when women and men were equals.† Rosamund just said, â€Å"When?† â€Å"Well-in ancient Crete, for one thing. They were all children of Eileithyia, the Great Goddess, and boys and girls both did dangerous stuff, like acrobatics on wild bulls. Of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea paused, struck by a thought. â€Å"The Greeks did come and conquer them.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"But, um†-Thea wracked her brain for human history-â€Å"Well, the ancient Celts were okay-until the Romans came and conquered them. And†¦ and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Human history was a problem. â€Å"I told you,† Rosamund said bitterly. â€Å"It always turns out the same. Now go away.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea hesitated. It was the excitement that did it. The giddy feeling of everything being right with the world. It made her overconfident, made her feel as if Night World law were a little thing that could be dispensed with if necessary. Don't, a part of her mind whispered. Don't or you'll be sorry. But Rosamund was so miserable. And the golden glow was still around Thea, making her feel protected. Invulnerable. â€Å"Look,† she said. â€Å"This may not help much, but I'll tell you a story, a story that always made me feel better when I was a little girl. Only you have to keep it a secret.† There was a flicker of interest in Rosamund's green eyes. â€Å"A true story?† â€Å"Well-I can't really say it's true.† And that's true-I can't. â€Å"But it's a good story, and it's about a time when women were leaders. About a girl called Hellewise.†