Los Angeles Riots – Speculating About Causes

May 14, 2012 Born of Neglect – The Los Angeles Riots â€Å"It was the city that failed†¦It was police management, past and present, that has failed. This has to be taken into account to reflect a just and fair sentence†¦There simply has to be some allowance for the official negligence of the city which allowed this to take place and which will take place again† (qtd. in Cannon 3) On April 29, 1992, the day the verdict in the Rodney King trial was read, I was seventeen years old. Standing in the living room, I watched the news with my parents as they waited for the verdict.When the four â€Å"not guilty† verdicts were announced, I asked my parents why the police were found not guilty if they were caught on tape, that didn’t seem fair. My mom answered, â€Å"No one ever said life is fair. † This was news to me; however the people of Los Angeles had learned this lesson the hard way. The people of L. A. and the justice system have had a long a nd rocky relationship. There have been three major riots in L. A. since 1942, and coincidentally or not, each has a direct correlation with racial bias of the judicial system.While there is good cause to question whether mob mentality took over and created the riots themselves, the circumstances that created the perfect atmosphere for violence cannot be discounted. The Zoot Suit Riots of 1942 involved the predominately Mexican youth of central L. A. and the predominately white servicemen that had been stationed there. Tension between the two had been building, partly due to the servicemen’s rowdy behavior and perceived disrespect to the Mexican community, and partly due to the Mexican youth’s territorialism and pride.Due to the current wartime state of the country however, the media and most citizens gave favor to the servicemen, and portrayed the Mexican Zoot Suitors as gangsters and troublemakers. When Jose Diaz was discovered murdered, the media and police were quic k to label it a gang killing. The subsequent arrests and trial were such a charade of justice that all of the convictions were later overturned. However, the resentment the Mexican youth had for being treated so unfairly simmered, and created the tinderbox that ignited the Zoot Suit Riots. In 1965 the L. A. P. D. ulled over Marquette Frye, a young black man suspected of drunk driving. Frye was new to L. A. , and did not realize the seriousness of the police in L. A. He attempted to joke with the officers, and being close to his home, Frye’s mother arrived on the scene and began to scold Frye for getting into trouble. At this time a crowd had begun to form, and look on as the police used their batons to subdue Frye, his mother, and his cousin with excessive force. The crowd began throwing things at the police, and the rumblings of what became the worst riot in Los Angeles’s history began.Unlike the previous riots, The Los Angeles Riot of 1992 started abruptly. Still, th ere was a general distrust between the L. A. P. D and the people of Los Angeles, and many complaints of police brutality were ignored. In March of 1991 a fifteen year old girl named Latasha Harlins walked into a Korean-owned store to buy some juice. She had her money in her hand, but put the juice into her backpack before she paid. The store owner, Soon Ja Du, perceived Latasha to be stealing, and grabbed her arm. Latasha struck Soon Ja Du and knocked her down.She threw the juice on the counter, and turned to leave the store. Soon Ja Du pulled out a gun and shot Latasha in the back of the head as she was leaving, and instantly killed her. The community went into an uproar, and racial tension was stronger than ever. Soon Ja Du went to trial and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and her recommended sentence was sixteen years. When she went before the judge for sentencing however, the judge assigned her five years probation, 400 hours community service, and a $500 fine.During th is same time period, a black man named Rodney King was pulled over after leading the police on a high speed chase, and brutally beaten by five white police officers. The police were unknowingly being videotaped, and the tape was released to the public. The trial of the officers involved was followed by the entire country, and the conviction of the officers seemed a sure thing. When a white jury returned four â€Å"not guilty† verdicts to an already tense city, it had the effect of setting a match to a fuse. The verdicts were announced at 3:15pm; 45 minutes later a flash mob formed at the intersection of Florence and Normandie.The group of people, angry and betrayed, began throwing bricks, shouting, and breaking windows. When the police arrived, they did not call for back-up to control the situation immediately, and instead retreated. The police formed barricades around the city, effectively protecting the upscale neighborhoods surrounding the city, as well as trapping anyone who might have wanted to escape. Around this time the line between righteous anger and mob mentality may have become blurred. In the full scale riot that ensued, building were looted and burned down, pedestrians were brutalized, and some were killed.One of the most remembered events of the riots was the live broadcast of Reginald Denny being dragged from the cab of his truck, knocked down, and being beaten with a fire extinguisher, hammer, and brick. In retrospect many people considered this a hate crime, because Denny was white. However, some people consider this merely a crime of opportunity, with Denny simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Duncan, Hugh Dalziel. Introduction. Permanence and Change: An Anatomy of Purpose. By Kenneth Burke. 1935. 3rd ed. Berkeley: U of California P, 1984. xiii-xliv. Print.

Integrated research essay Essay

Introduction Families in the twenty first century go through very many challenges. There are so many issues that are affecting this unit. Divorce is one of the factors that are really affecting this unit. Divorce can be defined as dissolution of the marriage when the partners are still alive. Since the twentieth century, there has been an increase in divorce rates in the society. This has been very prevalent in the developed countries rather than in the developing ones. Such countries include the South Korea, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. Single parent families have become widely accepted. This has affected how people view divorce and its rate. There are various reasons that people give to explain why they opt for divorce. Other people site unfaithfulness or financial issues as a reason for divorce. A law court has to certify the divorce and also determine the terms therein. Such a thing includes issues after and before the divorce is carried out. Many spouses usually fail to agree on these terms. Such conflicts need to be solved amicably though this is hard. There are times when couples divorce just because they are incompatible. Some spouses claim to have differences that are irreconcilable that lead to divorce. Research shows that Muslims show minimal divorce rates compared to other religions. Divorce is not something that has started recently. It began very long time ago. It was even allowed by the Athenians though it was not common in the Roman culture. Divorce in general posses a challenge to many families. When a family goes through divorce, it experiences many things. There are issues dealing with allocation of assets. Matters dealing with responsibilities and taking care of children become a hard nut to crack for the parties. Relation of divorce to my own family of origin story In my family of origin, there is a story that is quite related to divorce. There is a story that goes- once upon a time there lived a man called Flamz. The man had a wife called Staiz. The two stayed together for some time but later on divorced. They had four daughters from the marriage. Staiz left the children with Flamz. Later own the daughters also got married and also divorced one after another. This story was used to explain why divorce is so common in my family. My parents are divorced and I have witnessed my two brothers also divorce. So divorce as a topic is quite related to my family of origin stories. This shows that family background can really influence a persons’ decision on divorce. Loss When a family goes through divorce, the partners automatically experience loss. There are always feelings of grief. When this loss of a loved one through divorce occurs, the parties are mostly not prepared to deal with it. This is because in most occasions it is a new thing. It is something that they have never gone through in life. When people get married, they always expect a bright future. When divorce occurs it is really traumatic even if the parties had gone through it before. The feelings of grief have to be there and the parties should not just feel normal in relation to this loss. This loss of a husband or a wife normally brings memories to the spouses that are bitter- sweet. It is normal for a partner to go through the grief feeling and this helps him or her to come back to normal. There are times when this loss makes people to be so depressed. It is healthy for such people to seek help from counselors if the depression takes a long time due to loss of a partner. This loss can make a person to be drained physically. Some people lack appetite and fail to control their emotions. Divorce can make a person experience grief due to the loss. After the people divorcing most of them even lack interest in sex, they can feel very lonely and even lack interest in doing any work. The individuals just criticize themselves. They ponder over what they did or did not do. These people need to accept that the divorce has occurred. This helps them come to a reality of the loss through divorce. The people should allow themselves to go through the pain of the loss. It cannot be avoided. Partners need to learn to function without the other person. The first reaction to loss in divorce is denial. People just think that the other person is just having some issues and he or she will probably come back to his or her senses. A person just imagines that the other party will just come back. People assume that the other party is going through a mid life crisis. The next point is where the earlier issues that existed in marriage begin to surface. There are anger feelings on how one was treated. This shows that the person is going through a healing process. The other stage is bargaining and a person feels like promising that he or she will improve or change in the areas that they were short. There is then depression and acceptance. Identity Many people normally wonder whether they can regain their identity after going through a divorce. Sometimes the marriage terminates when some partners have gone through so much emotional abuse. Other people even go through physical abuse. In the midst of this emotional turmoil, many people fail to find their real identity. Many people who go through divorce feel that they are just not themselves. They feel that they have just lost their sanity. Many people at this time of stress reach out to friends and relatives to help them come back to themselves. They just feel useless and not themselves. Most ladies who go through divorce feel that they have lost their respectable identity in the society. They even neglect their personal hygiene and good grooming. Such partners always need to come back to themselves very fast because more often than not they have children and other responsibilities to take care of. People lose their vigor and the strength to go on in life or to do anything. The parties just have to pull themselves back to normal. Many men and women who go through divorce feel they have lost themselves completely. Psychologists always help such people to come back to their self esteem and to regain their self worth.

Adolf Hitler Rise To Power History Essay

Adolf Hitler Rise To Power History Essay During the 20th century, the Germans faced a terrible economic depression during which time the people lost trust in their government, and taking advantage of this opportunity, Hitler rose to power. The Treaty of Versailles, established post World War I, led Germany to humiliation. They lost their land, military, respect, and a say in world affairs. Germany became isolated, and to the German people, Hitler was their ultimate savior. In a matter of years, Hitler quickly rose to power and boosted the economy. He had satisfied Germany, in the early years, and came to power in a legal manner. Along with the rest of Germany, Adolf Hitler was depressed after World War I due to the loss and the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler, still enlisted in the German military, was assigned undercover duty as an agent. His main task involved finding out who were Marxists, and on September 12, 1919, he investigated them at a hall in Munich, Sterneckerbrau, where a meeting took place. Duri ng the meeting, he gave an emotional speech that mesmerized his audience, and as a result, he was asked to join the German Worker’s Party, to which he accepted. Abandoning his undercover spy mission, he became enthusiastic about the group and came to be highly involved with their activities. In addition, he placed ads for rallies and public meetings in anti-Semitic newspapers. Soon enough, the German Worker’s Party was changed to National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NAZI). For the party’s platform, Hitler created the twenty-five points that involved nullifying the Treaty of Versailles, revoking civil rights for Jews, confiscating war profits, and seizing land by decision of state. In addition, the Swastika (à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ) was adopted as the party’s symbol. Hitler hoped that the party would allow him to gain national recognition as well as a respectable politician that the German people would favor. In addition, the party allowed Hitler to use S torm Troopers or Brown Shirts and this would help him gain support from the people. Deploying the Storm Troopers in rallies impressed the German people by raising nationalism. These Storm Troopers would be present in parades all across the country and during election rallies that would significantly influenced the vote of many. CITATION In addition, thousands would join the party because they were victims of hyperinflation and blamed the Jews for economic troubles. Joining the party would show that they supported Hitler and wanted serious changes in Germany, starting with the Jews. On November 8, 1923, Hitler held a rally at a beer hall in Munich, known as the Beer Hall Putsch, to declare a revolution, and he led over two-thousand men to overthrow the Bavarian Government. The men all wore Brown Shirts to emphasize how much they supported Hitler and his beliefs to make Germany better. CITATION However, the rally resulted as a disaster and Hitler was charged with treason. He was taken to trial, which he used to his advantage by promoting the Nazi platform, and he gained popularity. He was ruled guilty by the court and sentenced to prison for five years, however, he had only served nine months due to a recommendation from the governor of Landsberg who stated that his behavior conduct in prison was satisfactory.

SWOT Analysis of Shellys Business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

SWOT Analysis of Shellys Business - Case Study Example Thus, it is true for the people who want to live their dreams and want to rule their own creative world. Clicking few pictures are a negligible part of a photographer’s life, professionalism comes with the thought of creating their own business. There are numerous aspects that need to be addressed when one is looking for setting a successful photography business. It forms a highly competitive market where every individual can own a camera and call themselves photographers. However, it depends on the credibility and acumen of the individual to make themselves different from the others (â€Å"Life through a Lens: How to Start a Successful Photography Business†). Conrad’s Photographer’s Supplies is situated in north end of Winnipeg in Canada. The owner of the business, Shelly Conrad is a photographer who has the desire to devote her time to professional photography by selling the business to the Bingley couple. ... Situation Analysis Shelly’s photography business has been doing well in the Canadian market since inception. Irrespective of that the owner is eager to sell the business so that she can continue her career as a professional photographer. She is willing to sell the business to Bingleys, who are interested to start a photography business. The Bingleys are quite impressed with the operation of Shelly’s business. They are happy with the type of equipments and fixtures that are owned by Shelly. But a SWOT analysis of the business will help the Bingleys to take the decision of purchasing the business from Shelly effectively. SWOT Analysis of Shelly’s business SWOT analysis is conducted in order to identify the state of the business. Strength The main strength of Conrad’s Photographer’s Supplies is the customer base. Shelly, the owner of the business has maintained a good relation with the customers so they naturally trust her with their photographs. The b usiness has got well acquainted in the community. Weakness The main weakness of the business is that it is taking much more time to run than expected by the owner. Thus, the business needs new improved ways for attracting customers. The business is operating from a shop which is taken in lease for three years. After the purchase of the business, if it fails to perform then the burden of the lease will be a problem for the Bingleys. Opportunity More and more people are getting into the photography profession which is making it more competitive with time. With the inception of digital cameras, the industry is expanding at a remarkable rate. Thus, there is opportunity for Conrad’s

This paper must demonstrate knowledge of the use of formal & informal Essay

This paper must demonstrate knowledge of the use of formal & informal assessment strategies - Essay Example First it's necessary to determine the assessment. Assessment is the process of observing and measuring learning.1 Assessment provides the professor with the better understanding of what students are learning and ensures that students will learn more of the volume of knowledge necessary for their career while using the added benefits of learning subjects. So the first advantage of the assessment can be defined as providing students with the incentive of learning more carefully. I am absolutely agree with the Taylor's motivation theory that every worker is lazy and should be controlled. The students are also lazy and it's evident that a considerable part of them is motivated by the necessity of passing examinations . In general there are four main functions of assessment: formative assessment, Educative assessment Evaluative assessment, Summative assessment. The value of he formative assessment was pointed by Black and William's 2(1998) paper. They pointed out that the high quality formative assessment has an impact on students learning. In addition, the assessment is useful to dived the students into groups according to their lever of school knowledge. There are some forms of assessment in higher education each with its own disadvantages and advantages. The traditional exams are demonstrably fair because all the students have the same tasks to complete. Another very important advantage is the captaincy that the work which is being assessed is done by he applicant and not by the other people. The disadvantages are that first badly set examinations cause surface learning that means students consciously clearing their minds of one subject as they prepare for exams in the next subject. . In addition, exams tend to evaluate how good are students in answering questions not in learning. In addition, it must be said that this is the most stressful form of assessment. In some cases, another system quiet similar to the previous one is implemented. It is called open book examinations. The major difference is that students are allowed to take reference information this them Such systems have many advantages of traditional exams in addition they check how good are students in using information sources. The next one is essay writing system such system allows seeing individuality and expression of students. But in some cases there is no guarantee that the work was prepared by the candidate himself not by other people. In addition it's the most subjective system of assessment. Essay-marking exercises at workshops on assessment show marked differences between the mark or grade that different assessors award the same essay - even when equipped with clear sets of assessment criteria. The most ancient method of evaluating is oral examination. The most important disadvantage when using

Evolution of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evolution of Art - Essay Example The Early Renaissance, spanning the 15th century, marked an era of broad cultural achievement as a result of renewed interest in the Classical Greek and Roman ideas. The Renaissance revived ancient forms and content, and the spiritual content of paintings changed from devotional to classically humanized. Classical artists, like Donatello, Verrocchio and Botticelli, introduced principles like realistic expression, harmonious proportion, and rational postures in their work. High Renaissance, which marked the climax of Renaissance art, is considered a natural evolution of Humanism. Art reached its peak of technical competence, rich artistic imagination and heroic composition. Characteristically, Renaissance Classicism was a form of art that removed the extraneous detail and showed the world as it was. The titans of this era included Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael Sanzio. However, in Late Renaissance, a technique named Mannerism became widely prominent. The art of Mannerism , contrary to that of the High Renaissance, was full of clashing colours, disquieting figures with abnormally elongated limbs, and often torturous-looking emotions and bizarre themes. The Renaissance movement in Europe was soon followed by the Baroque period, which brought in a style that struck a perfect balance between the graphic and the pictori

Management research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management research - Essay Example I found this dissertation talked a lot about concepts similar to the business practices of the institution that I own. After reading it I deducted some information I can apply in my trading. In fact Im planning to borrow or photograph the dissertation later to use it in the development of my organization. I am working on how to use the internet in an easy and simple matter within a limited area. In addition to that I read a lot of easy things that will help me greatly in developing my business in a short period time. In fact I cannot evaluate myself currently as either deductive or inductive, but as I said at the outset that I based my reasoning on the deductive dissertation I read. They talk about things that interest me and that had very relevant content. If the dissertation talked about other subjects that do not interest me then my mentality would be inductive. I always find myself interested more in deductive topics than inductive topics. That means my reasoning is deductive in the subjects that interest me and inductive in the subjects which I have no interest in. The second dissertation I read discussed retail trade in India. As I read this dissertation I also found myself applying more deductive than inductive reasoning as I tried hard to understand the subject where the retail trade increased highly in my home country of Saudi Arabia. I liked the conclusions of the main points on the topics and the knowledge of the differences in the retail trade between India and Saudi Arabia. I plan on reading these dissertations again to I can understand them more in order to apply its concepts in my business as well as to continue my deductive reasoning about

NAVAJO CULTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NAVAJO CULTURE - Essay Example Navajos are known to be semi-nomadic from the 16th century through the 20th century. By nomads, they move constantly in search for pasteur and a place to live. This explains their travel from as far as Alaska, to Canada, to finally settle in Arizona. Their homes are called hogans which were built in traditional fashion until the 1900s. This type of dwelling is made from wooden poles, tree barks, and mud. Due to the way they constructed their dwelling, early historians had difficulties confirming their accurate location and way of life. Their early language was referred to as Athabaskan. This type of language is spoken today by another type of Indian tribe known as the Apache. Details from the Navajo, indigenous people of North America found in Columbian Encyclopedia (2001 – 2007) noted that â€Å"their original language belongs to the Athabascan branch of the Nadene linguistic stock†. Like other cultural people from other parts of the world, the Navajo’s way of life was influenced by a diversity of different races. Since they were formally nomads, traveling from one place to the other, they got to meet different kinds of people: the Canadians, Spaniards, Pueblos, and other Indian tribes. They got to imbibe traces of the other people’s way of life and apply and adapt them as their own. Originally, they were farmers who planted corn and beans. They also hunted animals such as deer, elk and antelope, among others. Intermittently, the Navajos gathered wild vegetables, fruits and other plants for food. The Navajo Indians were famous for their weaving of blankets and rugs. Their blankets were indigenously woven using raw materials which they themselves gathered and prepared. As quoted from the article the Navajo Indian Tribe from, â€Å"no two blanket designs ever are the same†. The uniqueness and intricate patterns produced by the Navajos made them known for their woven

Arms, Mines, and Use of Explosive Force Research Paper

Arms, Mines, and Use of Explosive Force - Research Paper Example The working structure shown by Rutherford of how NGOs advanced their cause included two sections into which the agenda setting components could be divided. The first takes a keen view of level-one agenda setting called â€Å"cognitive agenda setting,† and the second takes another keen view of level-two agenda setting, called â€Å"norm agenda setting†. The first section investigates how NGOs placed the landmine issue on the agenda of the government and the public. The second investigates the influence of the particular elements of the landmine issue on the agendas of the public and the government (Rutherford 78). Another reason why Rutherford’s explanation is more compelling is that he shows the three important components of agenda setting that were addressed by NGOs in both sections, as they advanced their cause leading to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. These are framing, schema, and priming. Framing means the selection of elements within a particular issue . These elements are used in the promotion of a particular problem definition, evaluation in moral terms, and treatment recommendation for the item viewed. The core of the second level of setting agendas is the transference of the salience of attributes. Schema on the other hand is a concept linked closely to framing, but takes a deeper view on how people organize their thinking. Priming is the process of activation of schemas. It assumes that features of a stimulus or frequency activates cognitive structures that were previously learned and has an influence on ambiguous stimulus interpretations. These three important components of agenda setting were then addressed in both sections. In addressing framing in section one, the landmines were listed as a new issue and in the process, get people to think about landmines as a humanitarian issue. In section two, the horrible effects and disproportionate consequences of landmines were exposed. In addressing schema in section one, outrageou s landmine statistics were listed, and in section two, leadership games to control the landmine issue were revealed. In addition, in addressing priming in section one, landmine victim stories were told, most of them sad. In section two, incoherent arguments among anti-ban states were brought up. This is more convincing (Rutherford 78). Hubert on the other hand chooses to focus more on the proceedings of conferences that were held prior to the signing of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban treaty. This, in my view, is not very convincing, as it does little to show how the NGOs and other organizations influenced the debates and proceedings at those conferences. For example, at The Conference on Disarmament, he explains of how supporters of the CD approach were opposed by the supporters of the Ottawa Process. He does not go further to explain how the CD process was reached at and who exactly came up with the process (Hubert 19). The third reason why Rutherford advanced a more compelling argume nt is that, apart from coming up with a structure of how NGOs advanced their cause leading to the Anti-Personnel Landmine Treaty, he went ahead to explain the structure comprehensively. Hubert had no comprehensive structure in the first place and therefore, his explanations were not very catchy. Rutherford explained his structure well by stating the three agenda-setting components in the two levels. In stating the agenda-setting c

How a criminal develops Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How a criminal develops - Essay Example For example, these children will latter be found practicing what they had watched earlier. The theory has also been proved as true by a considerable number of serial killers who have admitted to have watched horror films and scary pictures (Erika, 2006). Types of feelings that lead to criminal development Alpha motives are feelings that result impulsively from day to day ordinary behaviors therefore proving that social learning theory is exhibited (Miller and Dollard 1941). Nonetheless, other motives might be resultants which are environmental experiences. For instance, in learning theory, an individual who has been insulted by his colleague might feel that the friend has established control over him and therefore this feeling instigates him to seek counter attack. A considerable number of criminals are influenced by these feelings of control in stances where they have perceived that other people have advantage in their lives (Bandura, 1977). As pointed out by Hensley and Singer (200 4) the social learning theory a person is â€Å"instigated† toward a behavior that is a precursor situation of which the predicted rejoinder is the consequences. The social learning theory is supported by psychological findings on frustration theory, regarding criminal activity and the things that lead to developing of criminal behavior. For example, in instances where one expects positive results from a behavior, or perceives there is a high possibility of a positive outcome, then they are most likely to be involved in that behavior. The behavior is encouraged, with positive result, making that person to engage again in the behavior. There are numerous evidences supporting social learning theory through frustration theory including retaliations for nonreward (Erika, 2006). For instance, serial killers come from a stressful environment. They in one way or another have been subjected to some degree of frustration at a tender age or latter by their parents, siblings, and or soc iety. This theory is extensively supported by psychological studies of the criminal mind of a serial killer. It has been established that a mind of a criminal is managed by various distressful sensations which the criminal tries to stop by committing a particular act (Bandura, 1977). Fundamentally, in social learning theory, a criminals’ mind is motivated by various motives which in essence are the feelings of distress (Hensley and Singer, 2004). This urge is necessitated by a stimulus which leads to voluntary behavior to please and meet the psychological needs. For instance, it is evident that when an individual decides to stealing food, that person is a victim of distress and is acting from the feelings of distress (Erika, 2006). Therefore, feelings of hunger might drive a person to steal in order to satisfy his immediate needs of starvation. Nonetheless, in the event that the same individual has enough food and decides to continue stealing more food, then it is observed th at this persons’ motive is motivated by the reaction of feeling anguish. According to Hensley and Singer (2004) other significant reports showed that serial killers might have acted out of instigation and also out of frustrations from failed intimate and other social relations therefore indicating social learning theory. For instance, this is exhibited by David Berowitz alias Son of Sam, a serial killer of New York, who

A poem which depicts a violent incident Essay Example for Free

A poem which depicts a violent incident Essay TASK: Choose a poem in which there is a dramatic or violent incident. Show how the poet conveys the incident using various poetic techniques. ‘Glasgow 5 March 1971’ by Scottish poet Edwin Morgan effectively conveys a violent incident which occurs on a busy street in Glasgow. The incident captured in this instamatic poem involves a violent attack on a young couple who are pushed through a shop window by thieving youths. The incident is shown vividly through various techniques such as imagery, word choice and structure. Through this poem, Morgan effectively criticises society and our reluctance to help others in need. One of the ways in which Morgan helps us understand the incident is through the use of imagery. The poem begins with a striking metaphor to describe the â€Å"ragged diamond of shattered plate-glass†. The broken glass is being compared to a diamond to help us picture the sharp, glinting edges of the window. This immediately shows how violent the incident is. He goes on to describe the man’s face as â€Å"bristling with fragments of glass†. This metaphor compared the numerous shards of glass on his face to a beard. This again highlights the pain and damage caused to the innocent â€Å"young man†. The serious nature of the injuries is also conveyed by the words â€Å"spurts of arterial blood† which creates the image of blood gushing out of the girl. Her â€Å"wet-look white coat† emphasises the amount of blood and the contrast of red blood on white which creates a strong visual image. The poem then moves on to describe the attackers using effective word choice to convey the lack of compassion shown to the victims. The incident is described as the â€Å"operation† which suggests that this is a purely business-like transaction for these people. There is no emotion. The word â€Å"loot† suggests that the youths’ only care is to grab as many valuables as possible and do it â€Å"smartly†. This highlights the impersonal, business-like manner again, showing a lack of humanity. Again this is done with â€Å"no expression† which shows no concern or care for the couple whose faces show â€Å"surprise† and â€Å"shock†. The word choice used here effectively shows the selfishness of the youths whose only care is to steal with no concern for who gets hurt in this violent incident. . Morgan achieves this by using the present tense, â€Å"a young man and his girl are falling†, â€Å"their arms are starfished†. This creates the effect of seeing the event as a picture rather than an ongoing event. The writer emphasises this with the words â€Å"sharp clear night† which relates to a camera image again. This helps the reader stand back and look at the event objectively without be involved. Morgan is trying to make the point that this is what we do in society when we see violence occurring – stand back and not get involved. This theme of society’s reluctance to help others is shown through the deliberate reference â€Å"in Sauchiehall Street†. This makes it clear that this violent incident took place on a busy street in Glasgow where lots of people would be. He goes on to refer to drivers â€Å"in the background† which again highlights the fact that people do not come forward to help the victims; they â€Å"keep their eyes on the road†. This final line effectively conveys Morgan’s attitude that people turn a blind eye to violence, most likely from fear or lack of compassion. Through presenting this ‘snapshot’ of the incident in â€Å"sharp clear† detail, it makes the reader think about what we would have done in this situation and why people failed to act. In conclusion this poem effectively conveys a violent incident on a busy Glasgow street. Edwin Morgan successfully highlights the lack of concern in our society for others. He achieved this through his instamatic technique, vivid imagery and effective word choice. These techniques helped me visualise the incident well and understand the writer’s message. The poem really made me think about how we treat one another in society as this incident is set in Glasgow in a busy street. It made me wonder if this would actually happen and if people would help or turn a blind eye.

Lessons in Pragmatism Essay Example for Free

Lessons in Pragmatism Essay Having been a Para Educator since 1994, serving both Special Education as well as General education children, I have had countless opportunities to observe incredible teachers in action. In fact, one of my most vital responsibilities is to collect observational data on various special education students and their IEP goals. This allows the teacher to generate reports of student progress and to help in modifying goals and objectives as needed. It is unfortunate that the writing of this paper falls during the summer months making it impossible to conduct a formal observation of a specific lesson plan in real time. Therefore, the focus of this presentation shall be a lesson plan which was located in the database of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an organization dedicated to providing enriching, meaningful mathematics curriculum while ensuring availability for all students. This particular lesson plan is a multi-dimensional lesson, or a better an investigation, written by Laurie St. Julien (2008) and printed in the publication Teaching Children Mathematics. It has been generated toward third graders as a means to â€Å"pose their own mathematical questions from real data† (St. Julien, 2008, pg. 506) Before performing any critique of a lesson plan, it is first helpful to identify the basic philosophies that provide its foundation. In a course structured around empowerment through group dynamics conducted by Brunson and Vogt (1996), the results correlated with the theology that â€Å"an empowering educational philosophy promotes trust, collaborative learning and tolerance for ambiguity†. (Brunson Vogt, 1996, pg. 73) Pragmatism is a philosophy that centers not on the simple passing of knowledge from teacher to student, but around the teacher and student acting as co-learners in the educational process. Stallones, 2011) Pragmatic teachers believe that in order for children to flourish, they must be provided with opportunities to create their own knowledge through experience with the real world in a social context. This Pragmatic theology can be traced back to philosopher John Dewey (1859 – 1952). He saw education as the process of reconstructing knowledge through experiencing the real world; seeing Philosophy as a discipline that required constant change, paradoxically requiring the same reconstruction in education. Neubert, 2009) Following this school of thought, students are guided to generate their own questions, and to use scientific means to come to their own conclusions. This seems to go in tandem with the 7000 Pancakes lesson plan, centered on the theme of the incredible weekend output of the busiest International House of Pancakes in the country. This is quite pragmatic in that it clearly relates to a real world construct familiar to most children, as well as the fact that this particular pancake house just happens to sit next to Disneyland. The students have not been asked to arrive at a singular conclusion, but rather to hypothesize and test their theories, problem solve solutions to and adjust their assertions. This is done in a systematic way over more than one period. (St. Julien, 2008) They are also asked to generate and share their own small group generated questions, This allows for the development of scientific analysis and critical thought, particularly when coupled with the opportunity to scientifically attempt to answer each other’s questions through experience. In addition, Pragmatism favors the merger of various disciplines, in this case the blending of mathematics and science. The lesson plan includes an element that focuses on the eggs that are needed to create various numbers of pancakes in various time increments; however it also questions the properties of the egg and how they change when prepared differently embodying a scientific component to the lesson. This is accompanied by hands on demonstration of all of the aforementioned components, even culminating in a pancake breakfast! St. Julien, 2008) The real world connection in every aspect of this lesson, and the scaffolded guidance required by the teacher to implement it effectively, shows the true pragmatic nature of the lesson and its creator. The strengths of the lesson in question are numerous. The social requirements within the various groups and in the numerous opportunities for open discussion provided a psychosocial aspect to this lesson. These social skills are vital in every aspect of adult life, beyond the practicalities of mathematics. This is support by Siegel (1995) in her assertion that â€Å"learning is a social process in which learners actively construct their understandings†. (Smith, 1995, pg. 407) By using the real world construct of the familiar pancake house, and the visual aids that the lesson facilitates the students in developing a vested interest in investigating the questions that naturally arise through scientific analysis. The hypothesis and analysis process that resulted were well established and right on target for the inquisitive mind of a third grader. Allowing them to tactilely handle the different components of the pancakes allowed them to commit the information to memory in meaningful ways, allowing them to apply this new knowledge to other situations. The scientific component is also a major strength, however I believe yet another discipline could have been added to this lesson; I would also ask them to keep a scientific journal chronicling the experience as well as write a short reflective essay at the end to tie in the language aspect as well. To find any other fault with the lesson plan in question or to better it would prove to be extremely difficult.

Effects of Viewpoints on Childcare Health Practice

Effects of Viewpoints on Childcare Health Practice Naela Mahboob How do ideas about childhood and families influence practice? When looking at ideas of childhood and families we bring in various views of how practitioners and professionals can help in supporting their needs in living a good and healthy lifestyle. The main aim is to ensure that development is being promoted and that every child is included within our society. The studies give information for human/childhood behaviour, attitudes, thought patterns, predictions, age range, gender and even cultural data; which in return allow programmes to be developed towards certain age group, gender, culture and ethnicity. The study of childhood behaviour and family is the baseline study from which theorists develop their theory. One of the main theoretical frameworks used to identify childhood and family behaviour is the social constructionism theory. Through social constructionism we are able to analyse our understanding of children and families in order to help, use and create an in depth knowledge in our work with children. It is stated that ‘Social constructionism provides us with a theoretical tool that can help us look at concepts like ‘childhood’ and how these concepts inform thinking, shapes our institutions and inform policy and practice’ (K218, Learning Guide 4, Section 4.3). It is a framework that helps us to understand ideas about childhood and families and in ways in which we can improve practices with them. With frameworks as such a more positive view is taken and the importance of families and children is taken at a high standard, tackling all issues and influe ncing practices deeply. Socially constructed views can have a huge effect on practice as it allows practitioners to be able to identify in depth any arising issues and to be able to find various methods and techniques to resolve them. In order to provide good practice it is necessary to ensure that the child’s needs are put first and are met to the highest ability. In order to put the children’s needs first, practitioners need to provide scaffolding for them ensuring they fully understand the child and are aware in detail of the support that is required. Many emotional strings are attached when working with children as they are vulnerable and unaware of life situations and these ideas give practitioners stronger connections in the way they work with them. It is stated, (K218, Learning Guide 4, Section 4.3) that ‘these social constructions of children are powerful – as many of us feel very strongly when we see images of children and young people in positions of vulnerabilityâ€℠¢. Working in an environment with children creates a raft of new ideas as day to day issues may arise, which in time help in overcoming barriers, developing a better working environment. As well as this due to the lack of resources within families, many of them struggle with stress and poor mental health. Therefore practitioners should prioritise children’s health and wealth being and also guide parents by working with them to access outside support and make use of resources that are accessible to them. The involvement of parents in their child’s education is vital as they have the responsibility to influence there learning by showing support at home and taking part in educational needs. Children with no support from families are vulnerable of becoming a part of the communities’ dangerous socialites. Clearly indicting, ‘A social constructionist argument here is that, the language we use actively constructs and produces the social world in which we live’(K218, Learning Guide 4, Section 4.3). The idea now of bringing agencies to support the home and child in achieving an education has increased. Further guidelines and procedures have been put in place to reach out to parents as well as to influence children in working towards leading a good life and successful future, ensuring now that the child becomes a vital member of society. With this in place, parents are trained to contribute fully, in creating a safe environment for their children, by attending works hops, open days and parent’s evenings. Working alongside families is a crucial aspect when dealing with and taking care of children. Parents, guardians and carers play a vital role in the wellbeing of their children and they must be included within every aspect and decision making any practitioners make, with regards to their children. Practitioners have a duty of providing ongoing support to families when needed in difficult situations. It is specified that, ‘it is important that practitioners are able to assess families where there are difficulties and respond appropriately’ (K218, Learning Guide 5, Section 5.5). Thus, good practice such as observing the interactions between children and parents and also observing they live and work in. must be portrayed by practitioners to influence children’s development, so that, parents are able to take good care of the upbringing of their children. This also helps pupils develop and exceed in their own educational attainments and future wellbeing. However, the main challenges for practitioners are working and dealing with parents who are difficult or unwilling to engage with services. In many situations parents disagree with the support them or their children are being given, leading to conflicting issues. There are many reasons as to why families refuse to participate with the services, which can cause several problems for practitioners in helping them maintain their lifestyles and resolving any issues they may be facing. It is identified (K218, Learning Guide 5, Section 5) ‘working with children, young people and families inevitably involves working with families who are experiencing difficulties, and practitioners need to develop the knowledge and skills to work with these families’. A number of families may feel that they know what is best for their children and therefore are not in need of any help. As well as this many have a lack of trust in the ‘systems’ put in place, which may be due to previ ously bad experiences. To influence practices these issues need to be taken into consideration by practitioners and the knowledge of these situations needs to be a key principle. Over the years, there have been many labels attached to the concepts of childhood and families. The most common label attached to children is disability. The idea of labelling influences practice vastly when working with children and families, as being labelled as disabled often leaves children feeling separated and being looked upon differently within the society, meaning parents needing extra support it taking care of their children. ‘Supporting families where there is an identified need means working with the family as a whole rather than focusing on the needs of one member as opposed to another, although practitioners still have an obligation to assess the needs of the child’ (K218, Learning Guide 5, Section 5.4). In certain circumstances a lot of responsibility comes on the practitioners as they have to work closely alongside the family and a lot of other professionals to ensure the children are developing both mentally and physically. Those with disabilities are in need of extra attention and the need to feel included in order for them to cope. The impact this has on the child’s life can be minimised and improved through resources and professional support from practitioner agencies. The surveillance of children, young people and families has a huge impact on influencing practice. There are many advantages of the use of surveillance, through surveillance we are able to monitor families and children and identify problems they may be facing. One of the main advantages is being able to observe in detail the development of children ensuring that they are protected from any harm. Garret, 2004 ‘links the increased surveillance of children not only to the belief that children need to be protected, but also to the belief that young people need to properly prepared for the world of work, so that they can function in the ‘flexible’ labour market’ (Arai, 2011) As well as this families health and wellbeing can also be closely monitored and with the information given, sufficient amount of support can be provided. With this idea there are also some implications which families go through. One of the main issues is the pressure practitioners, families a nd children face in being looked upon continuously. If a family has been assessed as being in need of monitoring they then have to go through a lot of procedures and regular visits being observed thoroughly. With the use of social constructivist frameworks and through intense studies, programmes are piloted and when deemed successful it is then used in all institutions, via insets/training. Piloted scheme are used quite often base from studies conducted from different childhood experiences and a variety of families situations. Recently, awareness has been raised with the major changes families and children face. ‘These changes in society, family structure, attitudes and practice mean that children and young people have diverse experiences of family life’ (K218, Learning Guide 5, Section 5.2). With this board pictures and feedback from surveys, it is tailor made and created into programmes from life cases studies. Without ideas/cases studies from those areas the programmes are not reliable and success isn’t certain. One of the key challenges is responding to diversity in parenting within practice and assessment. Diversity is sometimes a difficult concept for practitioners to deal with. It is stated ‘Practitioners need to think carefully about the assumptions they make about people to make sure they treat everyone with respect and work to promote equality in the treatment and opportunities offered to all children, young people and families’ (K218, Learning Guide 6, Section 6.1). To influence practice it is necessary that practitioners promote equality and diversity within the working environment. In the Leith example we saw how, due to the social and economic changes, a more diverse community had been created in which children and young people were growing up in. The media as we know plays a huge part in exposing information and opinions on children and young people. The way in which they are seen, often has a huge impact on the way they are treated and taken care of, when working with them. To be able to work effectively with them practitioners need to adapt a positive approach and can influence the decisions taken on their behalf and how the rest of the community see them. ‘Participation involves sharing images and headlines about children and young people as well as discussing discourses of childhood and youth’(K218, Learning Guide 4, Section 4.4). The media can help in reminding people that children deserve to be respected and are permitted to equal rights as well as raising an awareness of their needs. Through the media, we are able to visualise children in depth, showing a clear understanding and seeking out ways to tackle difficult issues in order to influence practice. To be able to work effectively with them practitioner s need to adapt a positive approach by allowing the opportunity for them to be able to speak up for themselves. Our ideas of childhood and families come across a variety of experiences brought forward throughout the centuries. Working alongside families and their children has now become a central focus in ensuring their needs are being fulfilled. Many codes of practice, frameworks and guidelines have been set out to ensure good practice is being influenced conducted across all institutions to send forth a uniformed approach to the people being serviced. The change in perspective and thought about childhood and families, when designing service plans, the need of the individual, educational programme, and policy and funding decisions. In the delivery of a quality service, practitioners have to put them self aside; their crucial thinking, the way of doing things in order to best understand the people they service. With regards to the cultural differences studied, the practitioners now develop an in depth understanding behind their actions. This eliminates stereotypes and al service providers to e mbrace the diversity of young people’s cultures. References Arai, L. (2011) ‘The Surveillance of children, young people and families’ in O’Dell L. and Leverett S. (eds) Working With Children and Young People, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan/ Milton Keynes, The Open University. Kellett, J. and Apps, J. (2011) ‘Assessments of parenting and parenting support need’; in K218 Reading, Working with Children, Young People and Families, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2011) K218 Working with Children, Young People and Families, Learning Guide 4 ‘Children, young people, childhood and youth’, The Open University, https://learn2.open.ac.uk/ mod/oucontent/view.php?id=573719 [Accessed 29 December 2014] The Open University (2011) K218 Working with Children, Young People and Families, Learning Guide 5 ‘Children, young people’s and families’ wellbeing’, The Open University, https://learn2.open.ac.uk/ mod/oucontent/view.php?id=604592 [Accessed 29 December 2014] The Open University (2011) K218 Working with Children, Young People and Families, Learning Guide 6 ‘Diversity, inequalities and rights’, The Open University, https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/ oucontent/view.php?id=580650 [Accessed 29 December 2014]

Special Education Essay -- Educacional Policies, Non Discrimination

According to the democratic theory postulated by Amy Gutmann, citizens should be entitled to make rules that govern educational policies at national levels. These policies should reflect the ongoing scrutiny of the liberal principles of nonrepression (education may not proscribe deliberation pertaining to any particular set of rational ideas) and nondiscrimination (parents nor educators may espouse practices that may deter children from partaking in a democratic education). Importantly, the discretional power of these citizens should be constrained by those fundamental principles of nondiscrimination and nonrepression. The realm of special education and its historical background in conjunction with the many facets of nondiscrimination should be the focal point. Thus, it is my hope that this paper will give students, parents, and educators the knowledge and insight into the issues i.e. court cases, which surround nondiscrimination and its key ideologies in the domain of special education reform. To understand how special education reform emerged, we need to bethink some of the first federal laws of the United States that were designed to assist people with disabilities. Specifically, there was a federal law passed by the Fifth Congress dating back to 1798. This law authorized a Maine Hospital Service later known as the Public Health Service to bestow medical services to disabled sailors (Braddock, 1987). Unfortunately, up until World War II there were only a paltry number of federal laws able to assist persons with disabilities. Only war veterans with service-related disabilities were allowed assistance (NICHY, 1997). This purported that, for nearly all of United States history, institutions i.e. schools were permitted to... ...cided in its ruling that all students including those with disabilities be provided a publicly supported education. The court also adjured that the board of education allocate its funds equitably so that all children receive a free and appropriate education. Lastly, the court ordered the board to provide due process safeguards in the event the school attempt to alter a child’s educational status i.e. reassignment, transfers, suspension, and expulsion. In response to the seminal cases elucidated above, specifically PARC and Mills and impending litigation, Congress began passing new laws to further augment the rights of those students with disabilities. These new laws, most notably, utilized many of the legal principles that were integrated in those preceding suits insofar that students would be entitled a free and appropriate public education. Special Education Essay -- Educacional Policies, Non Discrimination According to the democratic theory postulated by Amy Gutmann, citizens should be entitled to make rules that govern educational policies at national levels. These policies should reflect the ongoing scrutiny of the liberal principles of nonrepression (education may not proscribe deliberation pertaining to any particular set of rational ideas) and nondiscrimination (parents nor educators may espouse practices that may deter children from partaking in a democratic education). Importantly, the discretional power of these citizens should be constrained by those fundamental principles of nondiscrimination and nonrepression. The realm of special education and its historical background in conjunction with the many facets of nondiscrimination should be the focal point. Thus, it is my hope that this paper will give students, parents, and educators the knowledge and insight into the issues i.e. court cases, which surround nondiscrimination and its key ideologies in the domain of special education reform. To understand how special education reform emerged, we need to bethink some of the first federal laws of the United States that were designed to assist people with disabilities. Specifically, there was a federal law passed by the Fifth Congress dating back to 1798. This law authorized a Maine Hospital Service later known as the Public Health Service to bestow medical services to disabled sailors (Braddock, 1987). Unfortunately, up until World War II there were only a paltry number of federal laws able to assist persons with disabilities. Only war veterans with service-related disabilities were allowed assistance (NICHY, 1997). This purported that, for nearly all of United States history, institutions i.e. schools were permitted to... ...cided in its ruling that all students including those with disabilities be provided a publicly supported education. The court also adjured that the board of education allocate its funds equitably so that all children receive a free and appropriate education. Lastly, the court ordered the board to provide due process safeguards in the event the school attempt to alter a child’s educational status i.e. reassignment, transfers, suspension, and expulsion. In response to the seminal cases elucidated above, specifically PARC and Mills and impending litigation, Congress began passing new laws to further augment the rights of those students with disabilities. These new laws, most notably, utilized many of the legal principles that were integrated in those preceding suits insofar that students would be entitled a free and appropriate public education.

Bill Cosby :: essays research papers

Bill Cosby was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1937. He was the oldest of four boys. He had three brothers, and their names were: James, Russell, and Robert. His father ran away near Christmas time when he was very young and he had to get a job to help support the family. In school he was the class clown and was sent to a special school for rowdy boys. In his new school his teacher was Mary Forchic. She saw that he was a great comedian and she put that into her lessons to make them more understandable for Bill. She made the lessons fun for him and made it easier to learn. He said that she made him what he is today. After a couple years he went back to his old school and even though his grades were dropping he still kept it together. Bill was starting to look up to comedians on the radio and the TV. They were comedians like Sam Levenson, Sid Caesar, and Carl Reiner. Even though his grades were poor in junior high, when he took the standardized tests he was accepted to Central High School, which was a school for all the gifted children in Pennsylvania. Now being six feet, he was on the high school football team. But in the first week of football he broke his arm. Since there were few blacks in the school and he was slightly a target of biggotous remarks he went back to getting attention by clowning around in class again. He was later sent to Germantown Highschool where all his neighborhood friends went. He was back with his friends but his grades started to drop. He was left back twice. He was also too old to participate in the city track meets (which he could easily win). Bill dropped out of high school. He went to be a shoemaker=s helper, but the shoemaker didn=t like it when he nailed the ladies heels onto the mens shoes!Then Bill decided to join the Navy. There he found discipline and no room to joke around. He spent four long years in the Navy but he says that it made him more mature and able to control himself better. He was trained as a physical therapist. Helping men who lost their legs and arms, he finally realized how lucky he was. While in the Navy

Fixing Racial Disparity Essay -- Racism

The term minority encompasses African Americans and Hispanics that live in the United States. These special populations are often overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Although our laws designed to make life fair and equal for minorities, they still report unfair treatment and struggles that white Americans do not experience. Policy changes in areas of social prevention, arrest and incarceration, and discharge, such as implementing help groups for youth, reform of and creating trust in law enforcement, and strong exit programs, can lead to fair treatment and reduction of representation of minorities in the criminal justice system. When looking at social prevention, one issue that should be addressed is education problems in minority communities suggested by Horton (2002). Judge Mathis speaks about young African Americans turning to crime because they are uneducated and how a mentor who pushed him to go to school made a big difference in his life (Levister, 2010). According to Charles Ogletree, a Harvard Law School Professor, after school and mentoring programs help keep young people out of trouble (Devarics, 2009). There should be policies to provide these programs to the youth. There should also be policies that provide funding to update or build new schools and ensure proper teaching methods in these communities. A recent lawsuit in Tangipahoa Parish, LA addressed this issue. It was presented as a desegregation suit but all the plaintiff wanted was equal education opportunities for the children in minority communities as are afforded children in neighboring white communities. This suit resulted in new schools, renovation of others, implementation of similar education programs, and fair access to extracurricular ac... ...al Profiling: What the Evidence Suggests. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 6(4), 87. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Jan, T. (2009, July 20). Harvard professor Gates arrested at Cambridge home. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from boston.com website: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/harvard.html Levister, C. (2010, March 4). Judge Mathis reaches out with 'jail to judge' message. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from blackvoicenews.com website: http://www.blackvoicenews.com/news/44093-judge-mathis-reaches-out-with-jail-to- judge-message.html Toth, R. C., Crews, G. A., & Burton, C. E. (2008). In the margins: Special populations and American justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Walker, S., Spohn, C., & Delone, M. (2012). The color of justice race, ethnicity, and crime in America (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Essentialist and Post Structuralist Theories of Race and Ethnicity Essay

Identity Analysis Toward Productive Pedagogies: An Essentialist and Post Structuralist Perspective Race and ethnicity will be used to analyse the central theme of identity from an essentialist and post structuralist perspective. Definitions of race and ethnicity will be presented and distinctions made between the two categories. The character Eva from the film The Freedom Writers will be used as a medium and present an argument that race and ethnicity are social constructs but not absent of essentialist influences. Following a self reflection of my own identity the similarities between Eva and I show a congruence between essentialist perspectives of race and ethnicity to the existence of ethnic tensions and prejudice. In the context of Post structural theory it will be argued that it offers a more realistic and progressive appraisal of identity as fluid and changing through social contexts. Differences between Eva’s and my own identity serve to highlight the inequality of dominant culture over ethnic minorities. Therefore, pedagogical strategies will be examined from a post structural perspective as a means to promote inclusivity and authentic Indigenous perspectives within the classroom. Essentialist theories about ethnicity and race present these identity themes as fixed and unchangeable. Weber (1978) defines race identity as â€Å"†¦ common inherited and inheritable traits that actually derive from common descent† (p. 368 ). The character Eva from the film The Freedom Writers identities her race as â€Å"†¦ those south of the border†, or specifically Hispanic. Ethnicity from an essentialist perspective differs from race as Zagefka (2008) ascribes to the notion that â€Å"†¦ essentialist accounts of ethnicity maintain that ethnic groups have a certain ‘essence’ which determines their character† (p. 1). Therefore, essentialist ethnicity elaborates on race identity informing that behavioural traits are also biologically determined. Eva’s statement â€Å"We fight over race, pride and respect† illustrates the essentialist nature of fixed, unchangeable boundaries that exist between her group and other ethnic groups. Eva’s racial hatred of the other ethnic groups is evident through her gang affiliations and violent behaviour toward them. An essentialist perceptive would assume that Eva’s racial hatred is determined at birth but as Eva’s character develops throughout the film the essentialist perspective loses validity and Eva’s sense of identity is seen to be socially constructed. Post structural theory maintains that race and ethnicity are socially constructed presenting Eva’s identity as fluid and evolving. However, Morning (2006) concludes that â€Å"†¦ the conception of race as rooted in biological difference endures, at least in the United States today†. Therefore, ethnicity offers a more authentic analysis of Eva’s identity formation from a post structuralist perspective then the residual of essentialism that exists in relation to her racial conceptualisations. In Eva’s formative years her subjectivities about race were essentialised from her fathers’ emphasis of her origins and therefore the â€Å"†¦ need to protect your own†. The violence from other ethnic groups and the arrest of her father because of his ethnic background resulted in an intense hatred for white people. Eva â€Å"†¦ hated white people on sight†. Eva’s hatred developed over time through social contexts involving ethnic and racial violence. Eva’s changing identity is represented from a post structural perceptive through narrative and social interactions in Mrs Gurwall’s classroom. Marra (2005) states that â€Å"Narrative is a powerful means of constructing different kinds of social identity, including ethnic identity†¦. † (p. 2). Using a diary as an artefact Eva is able reflect on her own subjectivities about identity to better understand her beliefs and values (J Nailer, 2005 p. 152). Through social interactions in the classroom under the guidance of her teacher Eva’s ethnic identity is reconstructed to establish a type of class ethnicity involving students from different races. As a self reflection process my own personal identity can be examined through essentialist and post structural perspectives centred on themes of race and identity. During my childhood years race identity was represented from an essentialist perspective. I identified as a member of the white race and was educated from a white, colonial historical perspective. Instilled from an early age was the notion that being black meant being inferior. Not only did I perceive Indigenous people as those who sat in the park and got drunk but I engaged in racist language such as ‘nigger’ and ‘coon’. My prejudice is highlighted by Brickman (2009) who suggests â€Å"Indeed, for social categories based on race, increased endorsement of genetic theories (one component of psychological essentialism) has been linked to increased prejudice† (p. 2). My parents assisted in the facilitation of my racial essentialism as did many other adults and peers of my own racial group. During my formative years my identity based upon being a member of the white race assumed greater intelligence, privilege and more appropriate behaviour than Indigenous peoples. The distinction between race and ethnicity is evident when according to Chandra (2006), an ethnic group is â€Å"†¦ a named human population with myths of common ancestry, shared historical memories, one or more elements of a common culture, a link with a homeland and sense of solidarity† (p.403). This statement relates to when I left my small town and attended an affluent private college whilst undertaking university study. Although surrounded by members of the same white race I identified with an ethnic group in the context of people from my own town. The essentialist and constructiveness theories for identity are distinct yet in practice difficult to separate. Ayirtman (2007) presents constructionist perspectives as â€Å"†¦ the intersubjective formation of individual identities through confrontation and interaction with other(s)† (p.10) whilst Chandra (2006) proposes that changes in ethnicity are constrained by â€Å"descent-based† attributes. In the context of race and ethnicity both statements were appropriate to the way I constructed my own identity throughout my adult years. The immersion in multiculturalism from a large city and university institution influenced me to many different races and ethnic groups. The confrontation of cultural diversity increased fluidity in the boundaries that constituted my identity about themes of race and ethnicity. However, the recognition of cultural differences in relation to my original culture and race still left intact some relatively fixed boundaries around essentialist perspectives. It is evident that Eva and I had different life experiences yet similarities emerge between our two identities. Prominent commonalities between Eva and I relate to the essentialist perspective of race and ethnicity our childhood and adolescence years. Both Eva and I expressed prejudice toward other ethnic groups based on the biological characteristics of race and ethnicity. In relation to ethnicity and race the formative years consisted of seemingly fixed and rigid boundaries around identity groups. Juteau (1996) describes these boundaries as â€Å"†¦ monolithic and static, seen as grounded in common origin, genealogy and ancestry† (p. 57). Similar to Eva the fixed nature of my identity boundaries correlated to racial and ethnic tensions resulting sometimes in violence, in varying degrees. Despite essentialised race and ethnicity in formative years commonalities exist between Eva and me through a post structuralist perspective. Racial prejudice was socially constructed through repeated discourses of conflict between racial groups throughout childhood and adolescence. Narrative through the evolving artefact of a diary allowed both Eva and I to analyse our subjectivities about aspects of our identities and both had the experience of an excellent teacher through which effective social interactions allowed empowerment and progressive reconstruction of identity. A key difference between me and the character Eva in The Freedom Writers is that I identified with the dominant Discourse in society and Eva identified as a member of a minority ethnic group. Thomson states â€Å"A successful school student is one who has acquired much of the dominant ‘habitus’, that is, ways of being in the world, as well as the cultural and symbolic capital derived from their schooling† (p. 8). An analysis of Thomson’s statement works on two levels. At the school level, and identifying as a member of the dominant culture, allowed me to be familiar with school discourse and the knowledge’s valued there in. Eva’s ethnic and racial identity immediately placed her at odds with the school discourse which restricted her acquisition of cultural capital. At the level of society I was able to exert more agency through the social influence that a familiar discourse facilitated. A seemingly natural relationship existed through identification with a common culture, language and physical race attributes. Eva’s race and ethnicity reduced the agency she could exert against the dominant culture. Her common culture and race attributes are at odds in a society where the majority race was white. The similarities and differences evident between Eva’s identity and my own identity offer invaluable understandings to develop positive, productive teacher-student interactions in the classroom. Taking a post structural approach to pedagogy teachers can be aware that their own subjectivities will influence the way they teach. (Nayler 2005). . In a multi-cultural scenario where individual students bring a variety of cultural identities into the classroom a teacher faces the challenge of facilitating inclusive pedagogical practices. Carrington advises that â€Å"†¦ the teacher facilitates a culture of respect and value for all members of the class. † (p. 113). This statement requires student interactions that involve listening to other students and being encouraged to support each other through peer assisted learning. Classroom organisation must allow students to actively participate in whole class, group collaboration, independent and problem- based learning. These student practices must be based around purposeful knowledge that engage what Thomson (2002) refers to as a student’s â€Å"†¦ virtual schoolbag† (p. 1). Through strong relationships between teacher, parent and community what students have learnt at home and in wider society can be transferred into the classroom. Therefore individual student’s â€Å"†¦ knowledge’s, narratives and interests† can be recognised and built upon with high teacher expectations of connecting them to the valued knowledge’s of the school curriculum. (Thomson, 2002). More specifically, is the need to embed Indigenous perspectives into the classroom. When embedding Indigenous studies into the classroom teachers (non-indigenous especially) need to access authentic knowledge and often admit their shortcomings in relation to skills and knowledge required to teach such units. Miller, Troy and Currell (2005) point out the risk that â€Å"as members of the dominant culture (we are all white Australian), perhaps we found it easy to revert to a knowledge base that we had naturally accepted since early childhood† (p. 61). Teachers must be critical about the resources they select to teach Indigenous studies whilst forging strong relationships with Indigenous communities. These factors will ensure that Indigenous studies are taught from an indigenous perspective and not corrupted by social, political and historical perspectives of the dominant culture of which many teachers identify with. The identity categories of race and ethnicity can be analysed from an essentialist and post structuralist perspective. The post structural perspective of race and ethnicity presents a more authentic analysis of identity as being influenced by different social contexts. Whilst the post structural perspective offers a more progressive application to Eva’s and my own identities essentialist influences are not invisible. The commonality of prejudice through race and ethnicity being essentialised offers an excellent reference point to show the usefulness of a post structural approach to productive teacher pedagogies. A post structural perspective offers the opportunity for teachers to critically reflect upon their own subjectivities in the context of their own identities. Teachers can therefore adopt pedagogical strategies that promote inclusiveness in the classroom and embrace the richness of cultural diversity, whilst linking the diverse array of knowledge’s to the value knowledge’s of the school curriculum. References 1. Marra, M (2005). Constructing Ethnicity and Leadership Through Storytelling at Work. Retrieved from http://www. mang. canterbury. ac. nz/anzca/FullPapers/06WorkCommFINALed. pdf 2. Carrington, S. (2007). Classroom relationships, pedagogy and practice in the inclusive classroom. In M. Keeffe & S. Carrington (Eds), Schools and diversity(2nd ed. ). (pp. 108-127). Sydney: Pearson Australia. 3. Miller, M. , Dunn, T. & Currell, K. (2005). Learning and the importance of knowing: Student perspectives on centralising Indigenous knowledge in their preparation as teachers. In J. Phillips & Lampert (Eds), Introductory Indigenous studies in education: The importance of knowing. (pp. 60-79). Sydney: Pearson Australia. 4. Thomson, P. (2002). Vicki and Thanh. In Schooling the rustbelt kids:Making the difference in Changing times (pp. 1-18). Crow’s Nest: Allen & Unwind. 5. Nailer, J. (2005). Understanding ourselves. In J. Austin (Ed), Culture and Identity (2nd end). (pp. 139-154). Sydney: Pearson Australia 6. Morning, A. (2006). Ethnic Classification in Global Perspective: A Cross-National Survey of the 2000 Census Round. Retrieved from http://as. nyu. edu/docs/IO/1043/Morning_2008_Ethnic_Classification_in_Global_Perspective. pdf 7. Brickman, D. (2009). The Implications of Essentialist Beliefs for Prejudice. Retrieved from http://deepblue. lib. umich. edu/bitstream/2027. 42/63752/1/dbrick_1. pdf 8. Chandra, H. (2006). What is Ethnic Identity and does it Matter. Annual Review of Political Science, 9, (pp 397-424. ) Retrieved from http://www. nyu. edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/chandra/ars2005. pdf 9. Juteau, D. (1996). Theorising ethnicity and ethnic communalisations at the margins: from Quebec to the world system. Nations and Nationalism, 2(1), (pp 45-66. ) Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1354-5078. 1996. 00045. x/abstract 10. Ayirtman, S. (2007). Recognition through Deliberation: Toward Deliberative Accommodation of Cultural Diversity. Retrieved from http://arts. monash. edu. au/psi/news-and-events/apsa/refereed-papers/political-theory/sayirtman. pdf 11. Zagefka, H (2008). The concept of ethnicity in social psychological research: Definitional issues. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(3), (pp 228-241. ). 12. Gruwell, E (Writer), & Lagravenese, R (Director). (2006). In D. Devito, M. Shamberg, & S. Sheer (Producers), The Freedom Writers. Paramount Pictures.

Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank 7 March 1849 – 11 April 1926 Mercedes Moshier 3rd Hour Luther Burbank a man said to be the Edison of the garden. Born on March 7, 1849 in the small town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. Burbank grew up on a farm, always treating the plants just like humans. The garden his mother built was a haven for Luther, spending all his time there Burbank had little friends and usually kept to himself, even though he was the 13th child of 15 brothers and sisters. Luther received only a elementary education before he dropped out at age 15.He also visited the vocational college Atlantic Union during the wintertime for four years. Almost all of his knowledge came from the science books at his local library that he hovered over for hours on end. The book The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication by Charles Darwin sparked his curiosity and pushed him to learn more about evolution and botany. At the ripe age of 21 his father died leaving him a little inheritance. With t his money Luther bought a 17 acre of land near Lunenburg, Massachusetts. In 1870 Burbank picked up the lifestyle of market gardening.Where people were very competitive so he had to learn the secrets of the garden. The use of cold frames, hotbeds, fertilizers and the professionalism lead Burbank to making his first ‘creation’ the Burbank Potato. Which is now called the Russet Burbank Potato because of its color, and is known and used world wide and highly popular. Scrabbling for money after his discovery, Burbank sold the rights the the Russet Burbank Potato for 150$ in 1872 to a man named Gregory J. Using his well earned money, Burbank moved to Santa Rosa, California, where three of his brother were living at the time.In Santa Rosa Burbank purchased a 4 acre plot of land, where he built a nursery, greenhouse and a experimental fields. With these fields he tested crossbreeding many types of plants and trees. He soon named this plot of land the Luther Burbank Home and Gar dens, which is now a National Historic Landmark as of 1964. Not only did he become famous for his Burbank Potato, but Burbank also came up with thousands of other crossbreeds and plants and discoveries! Some of his most famous would be the Shasta daisy which he cross breeded with four different daisies.The Oxeye daisy, English field daisy, Portuguese field daisy and the most important one was the Japanese field daisy. The result was a bright white petite flower instead of the wild tall dull white flower. Creating 117 new varieties of prunes and plums which most are used in juices we drink everyday. Also making 169 new types of nuts and berries , Luther Burbank earned himself the key to California. For he also increased quality and growing rate and wealth of crops, added defenses to environmental pressures to 46 trees and plants, which helped them withstand extreme temperatures, drought and other things.Luther also helped create plants and concoctions that were resistant to viruses, fungi and bacterias. His added defense also helped with insects that would normally destroy the plant, and the tolerance to herbicides helped with production and distributing for it was almost always perfect. With a garden filled with all the colors of the rainbow, all of which Burbank had discovered and/or cross pollinated himself, Luther needed more space. So with the grants he received from the Carnegie Institution, which was a grant for 10,000 a year for a span of ten years.In 1885 Luther bought an 18 acre plot of land in Sebastopol, CA, which he named Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experimental Farms. Which was the main place that was promoted in Luther’s newly issued catalog â€Å"New Creations† which was released in 1893. Which newspapers said that this, at that time, was what made Luther Burbank famous. This catalog included many type of seeds, trees, flowers, fruits and vegetables that Luther was willing to sell and make profit from. A lot of the thing wer e highly expensive, but he claimed ‘Perfection and its riches was not cheap. Shortly after the catalog was released, Burbank was now making a recurring profit for all of hard work he has been doing. Claiming that he has just made the best of all Japan plums, the ‘Perfection Plum’ he named it. Burbank sold it for 2,500, and people wanted a bite of this perfect fruit. Although Burbank was highly known for his creation of the Shasta daisy, he also made many other flowers and seedlings. Also known for his blue Shirley poppy, Fire poppy, the fragrant Calla and the state flower of California.Since Luther lived in the vast land of California, there were many cattle there, and also droughts and bone-dry deserts. Plus there were so many types of cacti, most of them had edible juices, but the spikes were always a problem. And some farmers and cattle and cow raisers didn’t have the tools or wits to be able to cut into a spiky cactus without stabbing themselves. Luther , being the wizard he was claimed to be, came up with the spineless cactus. Making it billions of times easier for animals and people to eat and drink cactus without hurting themselves in the process.Some of his other achievements would have to be his involvement in many honorary clubs of leading scientific societies all over the world. Including one of the invitation only American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Horticultural Society. Which Burbank took great pride in, for many people took interest in his work and congratulated him. He also shared his work with other scientists and people of that nature. Such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. He also was the heroine of the song, ‘All Hail to Luther Burbank’ which is quoted in all of his schools, communities, businesses, and corporations.Luther Burbank’s name has been used for titles in 36 plants, schools, buildings, towns, streets, banks and corporations. Including the school he had at tended as a child in Lancaster, Mass. With all these dedications before and after his death, people started this ‘Fanclub’ called The Burbankens. California even got on the bandwagon of the Burbankens, and had parades dedicated and representing Luther Burbank. There are still Burbankens to this day that try to do what Luther did, learned and experimented for over 50 years.Two weeks after Luther’s 77th birthday, he suffered a severe heart attack from gastrointestinal complications and was immediately transmitted to a hospital. On April 10, 1926. Around 6:00 pm, Burbank slipped into a coma. 15 minutes after midnight, Luther’s heart stopped. Luther Burbank died on April 11, 1926. Cites: The Garden of Invention by Jane S. Smith ffrf. org/legacy/fttoday/back/burbank. php bookrags. com/biography/luther-burbank/ A Gardener Touched with Genius, the Life of Luther Burbank by Peter Dreyer people. famouswhy. com/luther-burbank/

Intro to Microeconomics Study Guide Essay

Economics is the study of allocation of scarce resources 1) Chapter One: The Principles of Microeconomics a. Four resources: Land, Labor, Capital (machinery), Entrepreneurship (human capital) b. Principle #1: People face trade-offs, government also faces them, the main one the gov. faces is efficiency vs. equity i. Efficiency is when everyone who makes the most, keeps the most money ii. Equity would be if everyone was taxed the same c. Principle #2: The cost of something is what you give up iii. Opportunity cost = the measurement of trade-off you give up something you can have later, to get something now d. Principle #3: Rational people think at the margin iv. They do what’s best for them and maximize benefits v. Think at the margin = thinking about the NEXT one vi. Margin=small incremental changes e. Principle #4: People respond to incentives vii. Prices are major incentives viii. Taxes/tax credit f. Principle #5: Trade can make everyone better off ix. Everybody can specialize x. More variety of goods xi. Doesn’t always make everyone better off ex: Jamaica, NAFTA xii. One partner can be strong and over power others g. Principle #6: Markets are a good way to organize economic activity xiii. People are guided by self-interest xiv. Markets are where consumers and suppliers come together and trade-off occurs h. Principle #7: The government can improve market outcomes xv. Main act of government – enforce property rights xvi. Government can step in if there’s market failureexternalities occur (taxes can be enforced for cigarettes), people who aren’t in the market are ffected xvii. Government can step in when there’s market power xviii. Monopoly/oligopoly-government might step in 2) Chapter 2: What does it mean to think like an economist? i. Objectively j. Scientific method xix. Observe, hypothesis, identify variables, collect data, test hypothesis, draw a conclusion k. Difficult to conduct a controlled experiment in economics l. Circular Flow Diagram = money and goods and services flow from input marketoutput market xx. Flow of Money: Market for factors of production (input market) households get income spending on markets of goods and services (output market) which generates revenue for firmswhich pay wages and rent for factors of production xxi. Flow of goods and services: Market for factors of production (input market) buys factors (land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship)firms which sell goods and servicesto market of gas and serviceswhich buy goods and services from households, which sell factors to market for factors of production xxii. This marketing is missing government, trade, savings, black market activities and charity work/non-profits m. Production Possibilities Frontier: how much a country can produce xxiii. Assumptions: one country, two goods, resource = labor xxiv. Bowed out PPF due to different resources (L) xxv. Opportunity cost increases with bowed out PPF because it takes more and more to make one more of the good xxvi. Any points along the PPF are efficient, outside the curve are not feasible and inside the curve is inefficient xxvii. Efficiency means we maximize our resources xxviii. To get more of the good, you have to give up some of the other good xxix. More resources for both goods increase: entire curve shifts out xxx. More resources for just one good increase: curve shifts on one side only xxxi. If the PPF is straight, it’s because there are multiple resources for both goods xxxii. Just stating a fact = positive statement and normative statement = subjective 3) Chapter 3: Absolute and Comparative Advantage n. Absolute advantage is when you make something more efficiently than someone else, so that less is required, which means less opportunity cost xxxiii. Assumptions: 2 people who can make goods, 2 goods that both people want to consumer, time is the only input, both people want to consume both goods and they’ll only trade if they can produce one good xxxiv. Each person works 8 hrs. per day o. Farmer can produce 8 donuts and 32 cups of coffee; Baker can produce 24 donuts and 48 cups of coffee xxxv. The baker has absolute advantage because he can make more donuts and more coffee than the farmer in 8 hrs. xxxvi. Graphing: use points (8, 0) and (0, 32) for farmer’s PPF and CPF (consumption possibilities frontier). Use points (24, 0) and (0, 48) for baker’s PPF and CPF p. Trade deal: Farmer will make only coffee (which is all 32 cups of coffee in 8 hrs. ), baker offers farmer 5 donuts for 15 cups of coffee xxxvii. Trade increases variety xxxviii. Farmer ends up with +5 donuts and – 15 cups coffee = 5 donuts and 17 cups coffee q. Comparative advantage is when you have a lower opportunity cost xxxix. The opportunity cost of one donut for the farmer is 4 cups of coffee and for the baker is 2 cups of coffeebaker is comparative advantage in donuts because of lower opportunity cost xl. The opportunity cost for one cup of coffee for the farmer is ? donut and for the baker is ? donutfarmer has opportunity cost in coffee because of lower opportunity cost r. The price range after the trade deal will lie between opportunity cost of both people, so both are better off xli. 2 cups of coffee ? P ? 4 cups of coffee 4) Chapter 4: Supply and Demand s. Assumptions: one good, one market, market is perfectly competitive (many buyers and sellers, all goals are the same across firms and price takers) t. Demand xlii. Demand curve shows relationship between price and willingness to buy (P and Qd) xliii. Quantity demanded (Qd) is the amount consumers are willing and able to buy xliv. LAW OF DEMAND: P, Qd = negative correlation xlv. Market demand is the sum of individuals’ demands xlvi. Variables that increase or decrease demand: IP-TEN 1. Income a. I, Qd = Normal good b. I, Qd = Inferior good 2. Price of related goods c. Pa, QDb = Substitutes d. Pa, QDb = Complements 3. Taste and preferences 4. ExpectationsEx: when you except the price of a good to increase later on, you will buy more now when it’s cheaper 5. Number of buyersMore buyers = higher demand u. Supply xlvii. Supply curve shows relationship between Price and Quantity supplied (P and Qs) xlviii. Quantity supplied is the amount sellers are willing and able to sell xlix. LAW OF SUPPLY: P, Qd = Positive correlation l. Variables that shift supply curve: I-TEN 6. Input price (Ex: wages increase) e. IP, Qs f. IP, Qs 7. Technologyadvancement means Cost, Supply 8. Expectationsexcepting a technological advancement 9. Number of sellers g. # Sellers, Qs h. # Sellers, Qs v. Consider: market for hybrid cars li. Event: price of gasoline goes updemand is impactedP of gas so people will look for substitutesdemand for hybrids (curve shifts right) lii. Event: technology advance reduces cost of productionsupply impactedsupply because it’s easier and cheaper to produce (curve shifts right)P , Qs liii. Event (i) & (ii): P of gas & technology –>D and S both impactedD, SQ and P is ambiguous (depends on degrees of shifts and how you graph curve shifts) w. Consider: market for bus rides liv.

Language Corrupts Thought Essay

Language Corrupts Thought Essay Speeches are given all the time, all around the world. Speeches are given to express thoughts and feelings by revealing the speaker’s qualities and opinions, which can impact business, politics, and world events. Politicians are constantly corrupting citizen’s thoughts. They do this in order to distort the truth, to gain your attention, and to go along and follow what they believe. In March 2008, Sally Kern stated her position in homosexuality.Looking through Kern’s speech, she is distorting the truth by telling biased statistics, information that is irrational, and that she is influencing others with her religion view. First, Kern use of statistics is completely biased. â€Å"Matter of fact, studies show no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it’s the death knell for this country. † This so called study is completely biased because she has no proof or evid ence that what she is stating is even a bit true.And she has no proof to prove to us that there have been societies that have died out because they embraced homosexuality. She is a bigot in such a way that she won’t tolerate those who hold different opinions from her own, which is not something we look for in a legislator or anyone who is a part of the government system. Throughout the speech, Kern demonstrates reasons to why she is against homosexuals. â€Å"I honestly think it’s the biggest threat even, that our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam, which I think is a big threat. OK? † Homosexuals are not a threat to our nation.The comparison between terrorism and homosexuals just cannot be made. Homosexuals do not cause a danger to our country or our universe, for that matter. There have been no Americans killed by LGBT citizens, if at all, there are more Americans killing LGBT citizens, not directly, but through suicidal acts. Terrorists have kil led thousands of people, posing a threat to our country, which are things that homosexuals have not done. â€Å"Homosexuals are already citizens who have equal rights. They want â€Å"special rights† for the acceptance of their deviant lifestyle.I'm thankful that Oklahoma is different than California and New York. I pray it stays that way. † Once again, Homosexuals do not want â€Å"special rights†, all they want is to be able to live their life, married with their significant other. What is so different between a man and woman marriage and 2 men or 2 women marriage? Throughout history, people have stood up for things that they did not agree with. African Americans were segregated for years. George Wallace, former governor of Alabama, said in his inaugural address, â€Å"I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever. judging African Americans based on the color of their skin. Or the Jewish people taken from their homes to concentration camps judging them based on their religion. Homosexuality is no different. Another thing Kern continuously states in this speech is her religious view, hinting that her religious view is superior to any other. â€Å"But if I were to ask you what is the one thing that has made America great, that makes us unique, what would it be?†¦ What made us great is that we were a nation founding on Christian principles†¦ I am not saying everyone has to be Christian; this is not a homogenous nation.What you have to be is someone who believes in a Judeo-Christian ethic, in other words, in knowing there's a right and wrong. † She asked the question, and then answered it herself. Instead of letting the American’s minds wander and to think for themselves, Kern just automatically answered for them without thought of a different opinion. Also, she contradicts herself in that last sentence. She’s telling us we can pick whatever religion we’d like, which is what should ha ppen, but telling us we need these requirements regardless of what religion we believe in or even if we believe in one.This is said simply to push more people towards Christianity and believe with what she believes in. Kern all the way through her speech, addressed the issue of homosexuality and why she thought it was inhumane and unjust for our country. However, Kern filled her speech with absurd ideas and invalid information. Kern’s speech about homosexuality evidently failed because Kern did not back up information with proof or evidence and tried using her religion to persuade people to side with her. Work Cited http://www. boxturtlebulletin. com/2008/03/20/1662