Discuss the legacy of Puritan thought in the work of Cotton Mather Essay

Discuss the legacy of Puritan thought in the work of Cotton Mather - Essay Example Still, he also used the technique of the constant application of religious and biblical ideology to the contemporary world. Mather serves as an icon for conservative, unapologetic Puritanism for social and political change. Mather was an outspoken Puritan thinker and an definitive conservative, lining as a clergyman, writer and sociologist in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds. He called for a return to the Puritanical ways of his grandfather and great grandfather if the new world (America) was to be saved and to thrive. Cotton Mather’s views are openly expressed in such works as Pillars of Salt and The Wonders of the Invisible World. Mather wrote personally and definitely not in an unbiased way, drawing on Biblical and figurative language to speak to the audiences of his time. Mather really emphasized the importance of the bible and conservative religious texts for characterizing moments in time and learning valuable lessons. For Mather, what he wrote was deeply personal. His biases can be seen in his writings and his writings are meant to unsettle, to stir the reader. Elements of this unrest lie in the fear that he invokes, and in the imagery and fiery language meant to press his cause. Cotton Mather’s pamphlet Pillars of Salt shows the self-criticality and sensational judgment of Mather’s writing and of the tenets of Puritanism. Pamphlets were a sort of true crime fiction, intended to show accounts of gruesome and sinful deaths. This example of an impious life was something Mather clung to in his own writings. Mather says to the condemned man James Morgan, â€Å"Mark what I say: You were born among the enemies of God, you were born with a soul as full of enmity against God, as a Toad is full of poison† (Mather). Humans are sinful- and the concept of original sin follows everyone, so they should live a holy life. Pillars of Salt included Mathers first sermon about

Impact of ICT on Country Development

Impact of ICT on Country Development Executive Summary In this presentation we give advice to the Government of Malambia, a least developed country with a GDP per capita of US$480 and whose population of 39 million people majority of whom live in the rural areas. In the capital city, a monopoly network of fixed telephones under the direct control of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, has reached only 9% out of over 5 million. The rural areas have a teledensity of 0.25%. This advice includes how the country, which has recently discovered a huge source of oil in an undeveloped location 100 kilometres from the capital to a prosperous ICT driven country. This advice is laid out in National strategy for communications development in a chronological order beginning with justification to break monopoly and need for competition policy in Malambia. It shows the legal requirements and explains the privatised commercial environment. In the next chapter the proposed establishment of a national regulatory authority is discussed showing: types of regulatory bodies, the role of regulatory authority which will include among others; monitoring use of frequency spectrum, approval of communication equipment, Management frequency spectrum, protection of consumers, licensing and pricing of telecommunications operators, managing Internet protocol addresses and number portability and Universal access, frequency planning and policy, and Interconnectivity, Under the same chapter we discuss possible structure regulatory body, the needed rules and regulation, the Legal, requirements for the regulatory authority, its independence and structure of the regulatory authority. In the next chapter we examine rolling-out ICT coverage in Malambia and we look at, Internet service provision, Connectivity of broadband, Introduction of VOIP services, Oil and its impact on ICT development and strategies for ICT expansion strategies. In the next chapter we propose radical proposals for network interconnectivity with emphasis on; general agreements on interconnectivity, requirements for smooth interconnectivity, interconnection services, handling interconnectivity disputes and interconnection billing and charges In the next chapter, we examine the likely impact of new ICT services for a rapid economic growth in terms of new technologies, new services in transformation of socio-economy, converged ICT services and give examples. Finally we make recommendations which we believe will be useful and urge policy makers in Malambia to examine them and apply them. Preamble At the end of 2009, over 145 Regulatory Bodies were identified as being in place worldwide but Malambia currently doesnt have one. The Telecommunications industry in Malambia is still in monopolistic environment with the incumbent only telecommunication network offering fixed telephone services under the control of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Luckily for the people of Malambia a huge source of oil was discovered recently in an undeveloped location 100 kilometres from the capital. One expert estimates this oil to produce revenue by 2015. The discussion in this paper is advice to the government of Malambia on how the country can transform itself from its current lowly developmental status with emphasis on telecommunications in its many forms. Specifically the paper will discuss the following: A national strategy for communications development A description of the proposed regulatory structure Suggestions as to how the coverage level of the population can achieve 65% by 2015 Radical proposals on network interconnection New services that will assist with transforming the countries economy It is suggested that the government and people of Malambia give the proposed changes support through the legislature and the different processes to achieve the transformation in telecommunications that will give the country the impetus to economic and social progress in the modern era of communications. National Strategy For Communications Development The Need To Break Monopoly The liberalisation is the opening of a monopolistic market to competitive provision of facilities and services removal of legal constraints which prevent communication service providers from entering markets and providing competitive services. Market liberalisation seeks to remove administrative and regulatory encumbrances that are related to business start-up, operation, trade, payment of taxes, closure and capital flows and profit repatriation by reducing the time and cost associated with various government and other requirements (Canto 2010: 1). Malambia needs to liberalise the telecommunications sector to make change to previous legal restrictions in telecommunications policy and come up with a new Communication laws, the creation of a Communication Regulatory Authority, the streamlining of national policy to international standards, and the preparation of policy for investment and business control. In most World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries, liberalisation has come to mean the opening of a monopolistic market to competitive provision of facilities and services, whether the former monopoly operator is a state enterprise or a private enterprise (World Bank, 2006). Justification For A Competition Policy In Malambia A monopoly granted either to an individual or to a trading company has the same effect as a secret in trade or manufactures. The monopolists, by keeping the market constantly under-stocked, by never fully supplying the effectual demand, sell their commodities much above the natural price, and raise their emoluments, whether they consist in wages or profit, greatly above their natural rate. (Smith 1776) ICT reforms in Malambia should geared towards breaking the monopolistic government owned telecommunications company and allow many operators to compete for service delivery. Competition helps the country in many ways such as; competitive prices as consumers can choose the company of their choice, introduction of different products and services and innovations. As competition among service providers increases more customers are brought into the business bracket and therefore the government gets more taxes which are used to develop other sectors of the economy. With prospects for oil revenues many international telecommunications companies will come to Malambia only if the telecommunications environment is liberalised. Legal Requirements In short, competition policy in Malambia will encourage efficiency, optimum allocation of resources and technical advancement but this will need to be secured by law. First, the single most important factor to successful privatisation or liberalisation is clear government goals for the telecom sector and the adoption of policies to achieve those goals. Second, one critical issue for successful liberalisation is an open and transparent regulation. The WTO agreement requires that the regulator be independent of state operator, as this allows accountability, transparency and equity (Canto 2010: 5). Malambian government will therefore need to prepare an anti-monopoly Bill that will be discussed and forwarded to the Parliament to be signed as an act of Parliament and then by the president into law. Modern competition law has historically evolved on a country level to promote and maintain competition in markets principally within the territorial boundaries of nation-states. National competition law usually does not cover activity beyond territorial borders unless it has significant effects at nation-state level (Martyn 2006: 1).When protected by law most international companies feel secure to invest in a country and Malambia will not be exceptional. The Privatised Commercial Environment An environment in which it is possible to establish a company with a number of shareholders under a legal name and trade mark is referred to as a commercial environment. Privatisation is the transfer of assets or service delivery from the Government agencies to individuals or groups of individuals. The transfer be exclusive to the operation, management or total ownership of formerly government owned entities. Privatisation of Malambia ICT services will bring about numerous benefits such as better and diversified products and services, cheaper services as there will not be price fixing, innovations in products and service delivery in order for companies to get or retain clients, wider coverage as competing firms search for clients and of course more revenues to the government in terms of taxes. A privatised environment calls for private investors to invest their capital in companies as companies need to use the capital to upgrade their hardware, invest in new technologies and acquire the essentials for the companies to because there are no government subsidies to use. Private investors want to make sure there will be returns on their investments and will make sure there is fair-play, a level playing field and security for their investments. Fair-play among the different operators is ensured by a regulatory body that monitors and evaluates how the operators follow and abide by the rules, regulations and laws in place. Proposed Establishment Of Malambia Regulatory Authority In order to enforce the application and use of the communication laws, rules and regulations in the liberalised market, attract regional and international investors and protect consumers from cartels and overpricing through collusion in ICT sector in Malambia, there is need to set up an Independent Communications Regulatory Authority to ensure a smooth transition from a single government operator to multi-operators in the ICT sector. Malambia should use the regulatory body to: create and deliver fair, accessible, faster and modern service to consumers; allow access to a wide range of communications services; attract regional/international investors; put in place reasonable prices and quality of communication services; protect consumers from high tariffs; allow smooth coexistence of different operators; ensure the independence for policy-makers and operators. Types Of Regulatory Bodies There are different types of regulatory bodies: a single-sector regulator, a converged institutional design, a multi-sector regulatory authority likes the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) and a non specific telecommunications regulatory authority (ICT regulation toolkit 2010): It is recommended that converged institutional design which refers to regulatory bodies that oversee a range of services which include telecommunications, information and communications technologies and broadcasting, will be best suitable for Malambia considering the fact that it will be changing from a one operator monopoly type of market, bearing in mind the availability of resources especially human resources. The Role Of Regulatory Authority In Malambia In discussing the role of the regulatory body in Malambia emphasis is placed on its role in the privatised and liberalised telecommunication sector. Other sector may be considered by the policy makers. The regulatory body should have the following policy principles: a. Always make consultations with all stakeholders and evaluate the possible impact of their action prior to imposing regulations actors in the sectors. b. Make research on markets always and remain abreast with technological understanding. c. Avoid intervention, but do so promptly, effectively and firmly when required. d. Ensure interventions that are proportionate, consistent, transparent, accountable and which is based on evidence when investigating and implementing the resolutions. e. Where specific statutory duty to work calls for it, Intervene for a public policy and goal which cannot be achieved by markets. f. With stated policy objectives, regulate and articulate publicly discussed annual plan. g. In regulatory matters, seek less intrusion to attain its stated policy objectives. Monitoring Use Of Frequency Spectrum This refers to the support and supervision of the operation of communication networks and stations according to the legislation. This will allow economical and sustainable provision of communication services to their customers by identifying transmitter, monitor compliance with regulations and whether the transmission meet the specified technical requirements. This will prevent unlicensed and defective transmitters from interfering with legally permitted transmitters. Approval Of Communication Equipment The Regulatory Authority ensures that all communication equipment entering the country conform to acceptable national, regional and international standards to ensure the quality and safety of users. It will the ensure quality of services provided by operators, safety and compatibility among the different users. In this regard the regulatory authority will ensure that the quality Malambians is above reproach and is acceptable. Management Frequency Spectrum There is need to set up a clear policy on frequency spectrum management to ensure a rational, efficient and economic use of frequencies. This should be by virtue of existing legal and regulatory framework that governs ICT in the country and applied by the Regulatory Authority. The frequency spectrum may cover three sections which are frequency assignment, frequency spectrum monitoring and frequency spectrum enforcement. Protection Of Consumers Communication licenses include conditions that protect the consumers such as billing practices, dispute resolution, consumer complaint mechanisms, price regulation, emergency services, and mandatory services to consumers and limitations of liability for service defaults. The Regulatory Authority should make and publicise a code of conduct for service providers showing the required behaviour, duties and responsibilities in ICT sector. Consumers should be protected from excessive prices, poor service delivery and unreliable service provision such as poor lines or intermittent telephone lines. Licensing And Pricing Of Telecommunications Operators The legal framework should empower the Regulatory Authority to receive and process applications for communication licenses, monitor the pricing, arbitrate disputes and interconnectivity between the different communications providers, if requirements are met. Operators licenses are normally issued through open tender to allow equal opportunities to the bidders and get the best offers from operators in the communication service providers. Internet Protocol Addresses And Number Portability Regulatory Authorities are responsible for developing national numbering plans in conformity with international standards bearing in mind the need to synchronise with regional and international norms. Regulatory Authority in Malambia shall set these numbers in tandem with the recommendations of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), telephone numbering plan and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Regulator will put in place the numbering system bearing mind the international standards and regional norms. The Regulator will also set requirements and registrars which must be met an entity to be licensed for IP address. Universal Access Universal accessrefers to the ability of all people to have equal opportunity and access to a service or product from which they can benefit, regardless of their social class, ethnicity, ancestry or physical disabilities. There should be a clause in each operators license obliging them not to discriminate certain areas because they are remote, poor or inaccessible and the regulator should monitor their implementation by ensure ICT services are spread according to the universal access principles in order to connect remote area so that each all people of can be provided with the benefits. The Regulatory Authority should also manage the Universal Access Funds and collect revenue from various sources, which targeted subsidies to implement universal programs. These funds shall be administered independently. Frequency Planning And Policy Regulatory Authority for an efficient development of implementation policies and plans relating to should plan and put in place policies for the spectrum utilisation. It is possible to use frequencies generate incomes and jobs with proper planning and management. Proposal Of Regulatory Structure In Malambia A regulatory Authority should be established in Malambia to ensure that ICT sector is regulated and that consumers are protected from unfair and get the service they pay for. There needs to be in place an affective Regulatory Authority to ensure credibility to ensure continued entry into the market and compliance with and enforcement of existing regulations. The authority shall issue Individual licenses delivery, monitor compliance to the rules and regulations, avoid cartels and anticompetitive tendencies on part of providers, ensure quality of service and ensure users are not cheated through high charges above the market prices. Putting In Rules And Regulation As indicated in the preamble, the current single fixed-line provider in Malambia is a government Institution under the ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. The current law cannot serve the commercial environment envisaged in the country. There is need to change the law and consequently, a regulatory authority and its independence. This calls for the following: making new policies and regulations that regulate network operation, frequency, numbers, IP addresses, liaise with regional and international organisations and manage disputes. Legal Framework Countries develop and adopt different laws and legal system depending on the local situations and the interests of those that make laws; the development of the Malambia regulatory framework, rules, laws, and regulations that identify contractual obligations and property rights of government and stakeholders must be developed basing on the local conditions while adopting best international norms and values. Requirements For The Regulatory Authority The Regulatory Authority in Malambia should incorporate International standards used and applied throughout the world. This will require the Regulatory Authority should ensure its independence, predictability, transparency, accountability, and capacity. Independence Of The Regulatory Authority The Regulatory Authority should be separate and independent in operation and strategic terms from the government agencies and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications so that it can carry out its duties without undue influence from the government control. This will give operators and the public confidence in the neutrality of its decisions and will attract investors. Structure Of The Regulatory Authority Under the supervision of the Director General, the Regulatory body should have the department shown below:   Spectrum and International Department   Legal Affairs   Licensing E-Commerce   Technology Development Department   Regulatory Affairs   Finance   Support Services   Corporate Communications Rolling-Out Ict Coverage This chapter examines the possibility of widen the coverage of ICT throughout Malambia. It is expected that with increased revenue from the discovered oil more investment opportunities will attract even more investors. But with or without oil the country should start planning for the rollout through private investments. There is no doubt that ICT development is an engine in increasing the awareness of nationals and their role in development, education sector and competitiveness. The growth in the use of ICT in society should benefit the country in many forms; commerce and banking through e-banking and e-commerce, faster and cheap communication, through e-education, e-health and telemedicine. Internet Service Provision The role of the Internet in increasing the efficiency of economies in different countries as well as fastening and easing communication and thereby raising countries economies and consequently GDP cannot be overemphasised. Internet provision as a solution in developing and reaching undeveloped or underdeveloped areas has been successful in many poor countries including while increasing revenues both at national and individual levels among the population and Malambia should be no exception. Issuing licences to multi-operator Internet Services Providers (ISP) in Malambia will reduce the price of connectivity while promoting competition among players. Connectivity Of Broadband Leased line prices are high in many developing countries which operate under monopolistic single provider marketplaces. The Internet broadband connectivity and wireless mobile telephone reduce the cost of communication. The aim should be to increase Internet penetration, promote investment in wireless connectivity, and urge landline operators to deliver reliable services through leased lines and improve the quality of overall services provided. Introduction Of VoIP Services The Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) greatly reduces the cost of telephone calls and many operators around the world are using this to carry their international traffics. The Regulatory Authority will decide whether to licence this medium of communication bearing in mind the views of telephone operators as the use of VoIP may impact their profitability. The Regulator shall then decide how the two media can coexist and whether will be forfeited at the expense of the other. The decision of the Regulator should be independent from any external influence whether government or otherwise. Oil And Its Impact On Ict Development According to an expert from Texas, in the USA, the discovered oil reserves in Malambia, ‘will produce revenues by 2015†. Bearing in mind that the current Malambian GDP per capita is US$480, there is possibility that peoples incomes will rise while the government revenues will increase multi-fold. This will avail the resources needed resources to put in place the necessary infrastructure while increasing peoples disposable incomes through job creation and other horizontal synergies related to the oil industry and therefore their ability to demand and pay for services. Oil has many products such as: aviation fuels, petrol, kerosene, diesel, LPG, lubricating oils and bitumen. All these products will be used for different purpose to enhance the living standards, purchasing power, and lifestyle of Malambians hence the need to for improved quality of service in ICT. With a population 39 million whose incomes and the standard of living are improved the purchasing power will be a magnet to international investors in the ICT sector. Ict Expansion Strategies The expansion of ICT services in a liberalised economy is the responsibility of service providers, who according to the terms of licences they bided for, follow the clause stipulating spreading their services to cover the entire nation without overlooking areas because of the geography, remoteness or development. The Regulatory Authority will ensure that those terms are followed and no areas of the country are excluded. This will ensure that Malambians of all walks can access the ICT services. To attain the expansion of ICT coverage in Malambia there will be need for train of people to help others in the use of the different ICT applications. For example groups of people should be trained to help the majority of Malambians who cannot access and use the internet in â€Å"Internet Cafes†. Universal access, for instance using the Universal Access Fund, should be used to fund and make improvements in service delivery in Malambia particularly areas that are under serviced or people are illiterate to train peers who will in turn train others. Radical Proposals For Network Interconnectivity Introduction The Regulatory Authority in Malambia will define the rules of interconnection and also establish the rules by which the former monopolist interacts with the other new operators. Where there is fair-play Malambia will attract investors. The Regulator must allow the new ICT Operators to recover their investments through a pre-determined exclusive period. General Agreements On Interconnectivity The agreement is be based on what type of service is provided by providers namely fixed to fixed phone network, mobile to mobile phone network, fixed to mobile phone network, mobile to fixed phone network, and ISP to mobile or fixed phone network. It is possible for two or more networks to exchange traffic and inputs in legally referred to as interconnectivity and this should be facilitated by law. The Regulatory Authority put in place principles of connectivity and makes them known. Agreement among operators regarding interconnectivity should be forwarded to Regulatory Authority together with interconnection fees. The Regulator will then monitor the implementation, competition and intervene when necessary. Interconnection is non-discriminatory and an operator should not enter into agreement with another operator for interconnection fees different from the ones published by the regulatory authority. Whereas monitoring domestic interconnectivity within the country is easy and beneficial to the service providers, the regulatory body should find modalities for easing international interconnectivity between Malambia and other countries networks for the Malambians who call or receive international calls. This may be achieved by reaching agreements and understandings with regulatory bodies of other countries or using the WTO regulations. Requirements For Smooth Interconnectivity Connectivity is based on the principles transparency and non-discrimination; Agreement on interconnectivity should involve willing parties; The acceptable standard of quality of networks should be agreed on; Adequate capacity for interconnectivity should be provided by operators; The cost of interconnectivity should be agreed on prior to interconnecting; Technical matters and international standards on interconnectivity between Network providers should be agreed on; Dispute between and among interconnected parties should be resolved by Regulator. Interconnection Services National and International Call Termination; also known as voice termination, refers to the handing off or routing of telephone calls from one telephone company, also known as a carrier or provider, to another. The terminating point is the called party or end point. The originating point is the calling party who initiates the call. National and International Call Transit/ Roaming; Indirect Access Services; Refers to the access that a subscriber whose service is directly connected to the network of one carrier may have to the services provided by another carrier or service provider (Ovum 2003) Source : Byung W. Kim, Chang Y. Choo, Seong H. Seol (n. d.) Economic Effects of Indirect Access Regime in the Mobile Telecommunicaion Market [online] available from [1 April 2010] Other services the Regulatory Authority must take care in interconnectivity are: Physical Interconnection; Access to the Information on the Operator and Directory Enquiries; Access to Emergency Services; Additional services (Premium Rate and Free Phone services); Co-location. Handling Interconnectivity Disputes The Regulatory Authority should resolve disputes among operators through negotiations and application of the standards and laws. There should be room for negotiations before cases are taken to the Regulatory Authority. Operators should not abuse consumer rights and the Regulator should apply the law where it occurs. Parties that are not happy with resolutions of the Regulatory body may appeal to the courts of law. Interconnection Billing And Charges Interconnectivity bills and charges may be done several ways such as: Parties can make their own reconciliation, Bills may be exchanged within an agreed period of time at the end of a billing period ; Exchanging invoices after reconciliation; Interconnectivity agreements should indicate the currency of payment whether local currency or international; Payment agreements should stipulate the payment after receipt of invoices. It common practice that providers pay a certain amount amongst themselves for calls. Impact Of New Ict Services For A Rapid Economic Growth Introduction When innovative technologies, ICT services and improved technologies are initiated in Malambia, the national economy will be enhanced. Synergies will be created with these technologies and services which will improve the socio-economic wellbeing of Malambians. This is likely to improve the living standards, health, commerce, fiscal state of the government and investment climate in the country. New Technologies With new technology in the countrys communication networks living conditions will be improved. Some of those technologies are listed as following: a. Multimedia applications such as WiMAX will be introduce in Malambia and their use will impact the different spheres of Malambians. b. Improvement of ICTs in Malambia will lead to provision high speed and quality, the multimedia audio and video and information streaming through technologies like WiBRO. c. Subscription to Pay per view Television (PTV) whether analogue or digital cable and satellite based TV services and digital terrestrial methods will ease access to information. Other modern technologies, which may bring rapid development and transformation, in Malambia, are: NGNs, W-CDMA, ADSL, GSM 1900, HC-SDMA, UMTS, CDMA, EV-DO and many others. New Services In Transformation Of Socio-Economy In Malambia The ICTs reforms in Malambia should be the socio-economic development and transformation. There is relationship between access to telecommunication and per capita GDP. With better communication Malambians will trade and get informed. All ICT services in Malambia will transform the socio-economic transformation of the people while giving confidence to international investors. This makes it imperative to the reform of ICTs in the country. Underdeveloped as the country is, Malambia needs to introduce different services to better its economy. Where such services have been introduced sustainable development been realised. The services that should be the acquisitions of Internet domains and sites, ICT Research and technological development, development and design in semiconductor, e-democracy, e-learning, e-government, telemedicine, e-procurement, e-commerce, video conferencing. There are many benefits to the people of Rwanlawi from the use mobile phones technology such as: Business will increase and become cheaper with the use mobile phones and use of SMS to make orders for products and service as sellers and buyers will be in touch at any time of the day. It will be important in Telemedicine, the Doctors can check on the status of the patients where they m

Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Nature of Religious Language Essay -- Languag

Ludwig Wittgenstein once believed that language's function was to name objects and the meaning of language was found in the objects for which it stands. He later rejected this and centred on how language works and is used, believing that problems of religious language come from misunderstanding its usage. Wittgenstein was no longer concerned with the truth or falsity of language but the way it is used and the functions that it performs, as he said 'Don't ask for the meaning ask for the use.' Wittgenstein recognised that language is equivocal as words have many different meanings, such as the word 'pen' whose meaning changes in different contexts. He saw language as a game, which like all games had its own set of rules. Different contexts or 'forms of life' are like different language games with their own self contained rules. Those not involved in a particular language game effectively become 'non-players' and so the language holds no meaning for them, however, this does not give the non-believer the right to dismiss religious language as meaningless. Wittgenstein used the example of 'soul' to illustrate the problems of trying to use words in the wrong language 'game'. He felt that the problems stemming from the word 'soul' are caused because people try to see it as a physical object. Such problems would disappear if people realised that the 'physical object game' didn't apply in this case. It was argued that language is a social product, therefore individuals could not have their own private language as one could not be certain that language was being used correctly. Wittgenstein therefore rejected Descartes ... ... Religious believers are also involved in other language games because they are involved in other aspects of life. This means that religious language is not totally isolated and there will be some common ground with other 'language games'. This may suggest that the non-believer may be able to understand religious language and decide if it holds any meaning for them. It is also argued that if anything, non-believers may be able to understand religious language better than a believer, as they can be more objective about it. It seems that Wittgenstein was mistaken as seeing religious language only being intelligible in the context of religious belief. Many religious statements entail a truth which is not dependent upon context, but statements such as 'Jesus died to bring salvation' are though of as true for everyone.

Mahatma Gandhis Influence on the Civil Rights Movement of the United States Essay

Mahatma Gandhi’s Influence on the Civil Rights Movement of the United States Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The influence of Mahatma Gandhi relating to peace movement was experienced as early as in 1920’s. His long-lasting dedication and support of passive resistance finally led to Indian gaining full independence in 1948. Gandhi fought for the Indians’ rights in South Africa in his stay there. He fought to ensure that immigrant Indians who shaped an image of African blacks in United States enjoyed equal rights during civil rights movement. The similarity had a weighty impact on the blacks’ interests in following what Gandhi showed them in Gandhi back in south Africa, a struggle which is non violent, with an aim of extending the same to America. The United States citizens and particularly African Americans have been receiving constant flow of information concerning the Indian struggle of freedom which was led by Mahatma Gandhi. Murial Lester who was Gandhi’s friend toured America during 1930’s delivering speech es concerning non violent undertakings of Mahatma Gandhi.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The struggle for independence by Indians got many supporters and sympathizers, inside as well as outside peace movement. The undertakings of the struggle which was non violent between 1930-1933 all- India operations were being reported by united state’s newspapers by man journalists for example Webb Miller and Negley Farson. Progressives and liberals of different kinds were inspired by the struggles which were successful against imperialism and colonialism. When Gandhi was undertaking his non violent resistance concept he was inspired by advice from Henry David Thoreau’s relating to resisting things which were not right.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thoreau gave an advice that people could defy immoral an immoral action by government by not cooperating. Mahatma Gandhi implemented many thoughts from Thoreau in developing his concept of Truth force or satyagraha (non cooperation)4. One of the most critical and tangible effects that India has had on life in America was the influence of mahatma Gandhi on Luther King who was a leader of the civil rights, who implemented the Gandhi’s thought of civil disobedience to the united states’ civil rights movement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luther king at all times paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi to be one of the most significant sources of his own values. Luther king in 1959 he made a pilgrimage to India. Martin Luther king who was a Baptist minister received much of his philosophy relating to resisting evil nonviolently from the holy Bible, from the king’s undertaking of the Jesus teachings and also from particular pacifist threads in the traditions of the Christians. Nevertheless, Luther king was highly inspired by particular non- Christian ideologies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps the most significant of these ideologies was nonviolence philosophy which was practiced by Mahatma Gandhi who was a spiritual leader who led India’s independence movement in first half of the twentieth century. Gandhi’s philosophy of non violence was not completely non-Christian since it was informed by both extensive studying of other moral and religious traditions including Christianity and also from his Hindu background.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also Gandhi was mentored by count Leo Tolstoy, who was a famous novelist of Russian origin who supported and adopted â€Å"back -to -basics’’ pacifist version of Christianity which was radical and was based on the factual understanding of Sermon on the Mount. Throughout history many individuals have resisted using violence and have refrained participating in war. Pacifism means deciding to be ineffectual and even resisting from participating in the righteous fights. Many good individuals have deemed it necessary to balance between being warlike and too violent versus being defenseless and too passive. Greatest contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to the history and the ground his was such a great influence to Luther King was calling into question this apparent truism that becoming nonviolent means becoming passive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gandhi used most of his adult life experimenting with nonviolent methods purposed to be effective in the real life and also morally admirable. His argument was always prevailing  over evil, resisting against injustice, standing up for oneself, living with integrity and dignity, etc. never necessitates willingness of using violence. In this regard Gandhi argued that there are many other strategies that can be used instead of violence. Martin Luther king from a tender was convinced that some things in this world are morally unacceptable. The intense racial discrimination of the Black Americans which king experienced was one example however war and poverty among other issues were very significant to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He perceived that these vices were morally wrong and were supposed to be opposed and curbed with all the intelligence, courage and strength by all individuals. King was very committed to Christian values and he felt obliged to even love his enemies, not to kill any one and also not to wish ill to anyone. King was faced with a dilemma, a similar dilemma that individuals of conscience have faced always. After discovering Gandhi, Luther king was able to get out of the dilemma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is because king was able to realize that it is possible to struggle for the rights of the Black people non violently without using bombs and guns or with propaganda and lies, but with truth and love. Under king’s leadership the civil rights movement was referred to be non violent and non passive. Luther king had always heard regarding Gandhi as a great player in the world scene from his early life however he did not notice Gandhi in a deeper way the time he attended crozer Theological seminary from 1948 to 1951. He was particularly inspired to know more about Gandhi in 1950 after he attended a talk which was delivered by, president of Howard University, Dr. Mordecai Johnson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Johnson had returned from India where he had visited and he had a lot to say concerning the nonviolent direct action by Gandhi. King took an action where he bought several books narrating about Gandhi and engaging himself in the mission of comprehending all he could relating to the Indian leader and also his philosophy. King had believed that ‘love your enemies’ philosophy and ‘The turn the other cheek’ philosophy were only valid when people were in a disagreement with other people; when racial groups and states were in conflict, a more realistic approach deemed necessary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a result it was starting in 1955 when Luther king became actively engaged in planning and executing strategies to struggle against racial discrimination which is experienced in America at the time he decided absolutely to adopt the nonviolent direct action methods by Gandhi. Over many years king was influenced further by other important figures in civil rights movement who admired Gandhi and proponents of nonviolence for instance Bayard Rustin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   King followed Johnson’s footsteps by making his own pilgrimage to India in 1959.In this visit king was able to meet Gandhi’s family members and also with Jawaharlal Nehru who was the prime minister. Jawaharlal Nehru for decades had been a significant all of Gandhi in the fight for Indian independence. Andrew Young who worked in civil rights movement together with Luther king when he was asked concerning the visit to India in 1959 he mentioned of how king constantly concerning this trip and also talked regarding how Gandhi had influenced his life. He was able to learn more about the meaning of heritage which he had grown up in and also spoke about that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He also clarified that – the March on Washington- the entire civil rights movement was a reflection and effort on their part to replicate salt march to the sea by Gandhi. Andrew Young also said that their methods and teachings that they used were all derived from the spirit and life of Mohandas Gandhi. Had Mahatma Gandhi not lived maybe Luther king would have become the leader of the American civil rights movement and also maybe he would have found other ways of embracing the Christian peace and love and also still be successful in resisting against injustice and evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it is evident that the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King would have been very different in absence of the influence of Mahatma Gandhi who was an Indian spiritual leader. After a journey to India which took him a month he returned to America where he rededicated himself to peaceful struggle without using violence for justice to which mahatma Gandhi gave his life to as India’s independence movement leader. King continued adopting Gandhi’s commitments and the Indians passionately adopted king’s campaigns since they both shared common strategies, common struggles and common values.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Gandhi and king lives were cut short as a result of violence up to date their values have much to teach the world relating to divisiveness, war, discrimination and terrorism. Most Americans know very little concerning Hinduism and only several of them imagine that Hinduism values had any influence concerning development of the American society. However, the little they know relating to Hinduism is probably gotten from their knowledge concerning Mahatma Gandhi. Several Americans understand that Gandhi life’s work and teachings had a tremendous effect on development of the American society all through the civil Rights movement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mahatma Gandhi brought a valuable gift of social justice, of non-violence and of the community service. Gandhi’s life acted as an example and this light illuminates the globe and which saved mankind from our own inhumanity to one another. The torch was handled by numerous hands. Such people included Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays who was the Morehouse college principal, who had just returned from India being one of the increasing numbers of the African-American disciples of Gandhi. When Luther king joined Morehouse aged 15 years old, Dr. Mays emerged to be one of the huge influences in his life. Therefore, in this regard a torch was passed on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. King and coretta scott king in February 1959 spent one month in India where they studied Gandhi’s march nonviolence techniques as guests of Jawaharlal Nehru, who was a prime minister in India. The effect of the teachings of Gandhi’s teachings and illustration on the life of Dr. Kings was considerable and he carried with him to USA the Gandhi’s message.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luther king once narrated a story Ebenezer Baptist church congregation in Atlanta concerning his visit to India. In February 2000, Mohan Gundhi arrived at Emory University as a resident fellow, Rev Andrew Young and Bishop Tutu took part in public discussion with him where they discussed concerning violence and Religion in southern states of America. Between January to April in 2000 was pronounced ‘A season for Non- violence,’ which was a public awareness campaign that was led by a group of eight kingandhian non violent fellowships and reconciliation across the nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The climax of the season took part over spiritual Awareness Week in between March-April in 2000 with fantastic ceremony dedicating honorary degrees posthumously for spiritual leader Gandhi and also his wife at Morehouse College, which is one of the most popular Black colleges in America. Gandhi institute for reconciliation was established at this occasion where massive plague containing the wordsâ€Å" I have a dream’’, Dr. kings jr’s historical speech. The reason why Gandhi was being honored and valued in a nation which is very far from his home country even 50 years following his departure was due to the clout that Gandhi had on civil rights movement and African Americans during 1950’s to 1960’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The leader of the American civil rights movement, martin Luther king junior who was later awarded the Nobel peace Prize was greatly influenced by the ideologies of Gandhi and he also advocated the same as a leader of the civil rights movement. The outcomes of the American civil rights movement using the ideologies of Gandhi are evident even today where African Americans are treated equally as the white Americans. There was severe racial discrimination on the Blacks and in South Africa there was an instance where an educated lawyer who was well dressed was harshly thrown out of the train’s first class cabin back in South Africa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A similar occurrence Montgomery Bus accident in 1955 led to a revolution and his experiments with the genuineness shall be important in leading the civil rights movement. Inspired by Ruskin and Thoreau, Gandhi’s experiments have developed both in size and shape and spread via his printing press in Durban and were successfully adopted in India, south Africa and finally it reached to the Negros. This was an instantaneous event that occurred over a long period of time. Influence of Mahatma Gandhi on peace movement was experienced in early 1920’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Holmes who was Unitarian minister and a popular debater who was very influential in forming NAACP(National Association for Advancement of colored people) laid down his finding of mahatma Gandhi in a sermon which was titled â€Å"The Christ of Today’’ that was circulated widely. In 1922 he gave another sermon which was titled â€Å"who is the greatest Man in World Today’’ where his description of Gandhi astonished many listeners where most of the listeners had not heard the name Gandhi before. Holmes also published â€Å"My Gandhi’’ in 1953 which was also one of his works where he described his interactions and meetings with Gandhi.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography was initially published in United States in magazine unity which John Holmes was the editor. Dandi March spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi which was a 200 mile walk to Dandi from porbandar has gained popularity and international media coverage where it served also as an inspiration source to many idealists. Inside Asia by John Gunther was widely read in United States where it gave sympathetic portraits of Nehru and Gandhi during this March heightening the significance in Indian independence movement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before this Gandhi attracted the world attention as he spearheaded the first successful satyagraha which was a Sanskrit word meaning firmness for the truth cause which was finalized by the south Africa’s liberation from the Apartheid reign. The movement which was undertaken simultaneously in South Africa although not fully active got constant source of inspiration from Gandhi’s ideology of active resistance which was based on the principles of non violence. In America the blacks were not fully aware of Gandhi’s initiatives until the emergence of martin Luther king who became their leader. However there was a constant flow of information which assisted in sparking the civil rights movement at times however not on large scale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Only a small number of the colored individuals mostly educated class and included a minority of blacks who were fully aware of non violent struggle occurring in South Africa in late nineteenth century and early twentieth century in India.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gandhi’s efforts and ideologies also influenced the religious leaders who also were social idealists where they learnt on applying religious insights to both political and social challenges. They were highly inspired by his battle against untouchability and caste.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While Holmes remained to be the leading populariser of the Gandhi’s ideologies in united states also there were also Stanley jones who was a Methodist missionary who highly influenced by his personal familiarity in India; and also Kirby page who was a key figure in peace movement for many decades.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   African American started attending conferences in paris and England on coloured peoples congresses and pan-African where Gandhi’s followers expressed the illogicality of the ordinary plight of â€Å"black and brown races’’. Among the participants from the United States was Du Bois whose association as also that of Marcus Garvey who was All-African leader with expatriate Indian nationalists resulted to a stable stream of them going aboard on lecture tours of United States and conference. There were some whites apart from African Americans who promoted the campaign of equal rights to all the American citizens. These whites were very active in supporting the African Americans where they attended the conferences which were held by Gandhi’s followers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In mid 1920’s they were joined by popular dignitaries such as Rev CF Andrews and also Mirabai who were who close English emissaries, joined by Gertrude Emerson an American journalist Activist who were sent abroad later by Mahatma Gandhi to correct deceptive polemics by British regarding the universality and motivation of the campaign he had spearheaded in India. Other many delegates of the Indian national congress also followed. Popular Negros ministers involved in peace movement were Howard Thurman and Benjamin Mays held interviews with Mahatma Gandhi and he commented to Howard that it may be via the Negros that the pure message of non violence will be delivered around the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reinhold Niebuhr was another significant character to be dealt with and in his book â€Å"moral man and immoral society’’ he said that Mahatma Gandhi’s non violent technique could be of great importance to a minority group which is being oppressed such as the blacks in America3. Reinhold also added that non violent resistance although it is not an absolute solution for Black Americans, but if it is used in the Gandhi’s manner then this could result to justice which is unattainable through moral persuasion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However it was until 1950’s when this Gandhi’s ideology was implemented in civil rights movement. Therefore each important step in the Gandhi’s struggle including his fasting, successful satyagrahas like the salt march, imprisonment, together with his powerful personal messages to the American Negroes were printed and distributed across the leading Black magazines and papers and also the independent church newsletters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specifically the most popular among them were crisis which was edited by Du Bois since 1910 together with Harlem Renaissance, the National council of churches, Atlanta Daily World, Christian century, The Chicago Defender, unity, Baltimore Afro-American, the American Negro Labor Council and the Norfolk Guide intensified Gandhi’s coverage in 1920’s and also 1930’s and also featured articles from the growing traffic between. American south and Gandhi’s India beginning with the opening African- American delegation, in order to meet Mahatma Gandhi in 1936.Black America joined in celebrations of India’s independence with a delegation which was led by Benjamin Mays and Mordecai Johnson leaving for New Delhi. Many writers had been greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and also their writings had a significant impact beyond the peace movement. Such writers included Chester Bowles, Louis Fischer, Edmond Taylor, Vinc ent Sheean, Pearl Buck, Herrymon Maurer, Frances And John Gunther.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gandhi had a great influence on martin lather king who was the leader of American civil rights movement thus this movement was operated and based on the Gandhi’s ideas and principles which had a lot of influence on many people even in America. This is because king who was the leader of the American movement of civil rights in the United States embraced Gandhi’s methodology and philosophy in struggling for justice. He became a great follower and an avid preacher of Gandhian principles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   King believed strongly that the moral justice can be acquired in the rightful approach through taking the method of non- violence. Concurrently, Luther king’s interest in Mahatma Gandhi and his principles increased. In universities and colleges there has been a constant interest in Mahatma Gandhi on part of those personalities who are interested in social justice and peace. New course which deals absolutely on Gandhian principles have started being introduced in the universities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The success of the tested Gandhian approaches in the struggle for Indian freedom and similarities between the African American movement of civil rights and Indian freedom  struggle has influenced both followers and leaders to adopt the ideologies of Gandhi in their struggle for equality. Martin Luther king was attracted to Gandhi due to the fact that he the first individual to use Jesus’ love ethics beyond personal level and also for using love ethic as a tool of effecting social change in large scale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With many young nonviolent activists eventually king, jr mobilized non violent human barricades, mass movement, marches, civil disobedience, undertaking satyagraha-style sit-ins systematically, non cooperation pickets and strikes, spiced by use of passionate speeches while risking police beating and arrests from Montgomery to Birmingham, Atlanta to Albany and the popular Selma march on Washington D.C or else at other civil rights campaigns sites across united states using his popular phrase â€Å" I have a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ King also spoke out also against the dangerous and distracting American participation in Vietnam War. However, it worth noting that king did not implement all methods that were preached by Gandhi. For example, he resisted using the idea of taking over the private property and refusing to pay taxes and he contemplated however he never adopted fasting. In spite of these discrepancies, king implemented Gandhiâ €™s overall non-violent resistance philosophy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2001 Martin Luther king was influenced by Gandhi’s approaches in becoming the civil  rights movement leader and is forever the Africans American’s hero. Coretta scott at National civil rights museum based in Tennessee said Gandhi’s example and teachings provided a strong influence on king’s leadership. Indian ambassador in USA, Latin man singh at the same event said that king and Gandhi joined America and India together through bonds of shared struggle and suffering.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The influence of Mahatma Gandhi on civil rights movement which occurred thousand miles away from India or England, where he got his education or in South Africa where Gandhi experimented with new principles had been very deep. It is evident that Mahatma Gandhi was invisible force of civil rights movement in United States4. King Jr was not only the leader who adopted ideologies of Gandhi into the fight for equality by African Americans there were many others like the followers of Gandhi from India who played a great role in giving the non- violent protest the shape as early as in the twentieth century. After the king’s arrival the civil rights movement in United States has strict adherence to the Gandhi’s principles like satyagraha and non violent protests. References â€Å"A freedom budget for all Americans: recapturing the promise of the civil rights movement in the struggle for economic justice today.† Choice Reviews Online 51, no. 07 (2014): 51-3956-51-3956. Brattain, M.. â€Å"JOHN A. SALMOND. Southern Struggles: The Southern Labor Movement and the Civil Rights Struggle. (New Perspectives on the History of the South.) Gainesville: University Press of Florida. 2005. Pp. xiv, 212. $55.00..† The American Historical Review 111, no. 2 (2006): 510-511. Hughes, Richard L.. â€Å"†The Civil Rights Movement of the 1990s?†: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Struggle for Racial Justice.† Oral History Review 33, no. 2 (2006): 1-24. Jackson, M.. â€Å"The Civil Rights Movement and Social Change.† American Behavioral Scientist 12, no. 4 (1969): 8-17. Larry Isaac. â€Å"Movement Of Movements: Culture Moves In The Long Civil Rights Struggle.† Social Forces 87, no. 1 (2008): 33-63. Morris, A.. â€Å"Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: The Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and Its Legacy.† Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews 35, no. 4 (2006): 413-415. â€Å"Northern protest: Martin Luther King, Jr., Chicago, and the civil rights movement.† Choice Reviews Online 31, no. 05 (1994): 31-2890-31-2890. Ralph, James R., and Duncan R. Jamieson. â€Å"Northern Protest: Martin Luther King, Jr., Chicago and the Civil Rights Movement.† History: Reviews of New Books 22, no. 4 (1994): 158-158. â€Å"Ring out freedom!: the voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the making of the Civil Rights Movement.† Choice Reviews Online 41, no. 09 (2004): 41-5114-41-5114. Robnett, Belinda. â€Å"by Johnny E. Williams:African American Religion and the Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas.† American Journal of Sociology 111, no. 4 (2006): 1239-1241. Scalmer, Sean. Gandhi in the West: the Mahatma and the Rise of Radical Protest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. â€Å"Sisters in the struggle: African American women in the civil rights-black power movement.† Choice Reviews Online 39, no. 09 (2002): 39-5391-39-5391. Taylor, K. W.. â€Å"Book Reviews : Southern Struggles: The Southern Labor Movement and the Civil Rights Struggle. By John A. Salmond. Gainesville, FL: The University Press of Florida, 2004. 212 pp. $55 hardback.† Labor Studies Journal 29, no. 4 (2005): 131-132. â€Å"The Economic civil rights movement: African Americans and the struggle for economic power.† Choice Reviews Online 51, no. 01 (2013): 51-0458-51-0458. Wallenstein, Peter. â€Å"To Sit Or Not To Sit: The Supreme Court Of The United States And The Civil Rights Movement In The Upper South.† Journal of Supreme Court History 29, no. 2 (2004): 145-162. Willie, C. V., and J. S. Sanford. â€Å"Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, and Educational Reform.† Educational Policy 5, no. 1 (1991): 29-43. Young, Michael P.. â€Å"by Kenneth T. Andrews:Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: The Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and Its Legacy.† American Journal of Sociology 111, no. 3 (2005): 911-913. Source document

Legalize Steroids in Sports

Ben Johnson was one of the first superstar athletes to be caught using steroids and was stripped of his 100m gold medal at the 1988 Olympics. He was eventually banned for life in 1993 for testing positive again (Richardson 2010). Performance enhancing drugs have become widely used since the 1970’s and have only increased in the numbers of athletes using the drugs to up their endurance and perform to their greatest potential. Professionals such as Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, and Hulk Hogan have all been humiliated and are now seen as cheaters after being caught using steroids.It is too late to stop these sports fuelled on drugs because of the large number of athletes using, so why not consider drug use as a way to level the playing field? The only way to stop the â€Å"cheating† in sports is to open up the gates and drop all performance-enhancing drug laws throughout the sports. We should stop all the hypocrisy and allow pro athletes to take whatever performance drugs the y please. In 1995 Bob Goldman, a Chicago physician, asked 198 Olympic U. S. athletes whether they would take a banned substance if they were guaranteed to win; 195 of those athletes said yes (Richardson 2011).Professionals know the risks of steroids, but if you offered an athlete a drug that would guarantee him glory and riches, but knock ten years off his life, most would take it (Madden 2011). The health risks caused by steroids have been broadly exaggerated. The athletes using these drugs want to become bigger, leaner, and faster. For example, a male athlete injecting testosterone into their body will gain better adaptations to training and better performance. This is because testosterone enhances muscle power and promotes recovery from tough workouts.The testosterone has a high anabolic effect, strengthening muscle cells, and repairing and toughening bones. Steroids allow the athletes to maximize their performance on field, which is their main objective in the sport. Allowing th e use of steroids would make sports safer as there would be less pressure on athletes to take unsafe enhancers and more pressure to develop new safe steroids for the athletes to use. People who believe the health risks are the reason these drugs should be banned need to look at Major League Baseball’s tolerance of chewing tobacco during games, and to the NFL’s glorification of hard tackles (Nathaniel 2010).For example, chewing tobacco is allowed and it can cause mouth cancer. The tackles in the NFL can cause major concussions and lead to long-term brain injuries. These are all detrimental to the health of the athletes. If steroids were taken under the care of a team physician, then it would allow for the regulation of dosage and the team physician can keep track of the overall health of the athlete, which will maximize their physical performance. Athletes are always trying to improve and be the best they can be. Steroids can take a regular athlete and turn them into an elite athlete.Most research studies that have demonstrated improved performance with steroids used experienced weight lifters who were capable of training with heavier weight, and when exposed to steroids increased their strength incredibly (Fahey 1998). Improved strength is just another factor in being an improved athlete, they still need the skill to hit that home run or throw a football. Almost all athletes that used steroids feel that they would not have been as successful without steroids (Fahey 1998). If professional sports allowed their athletes to use enhancers there would be certain effects that would occur right away.First, there would be more studies on the benefits and risks of these different drugs because the sports associations will want the safest and best steroids for the athletes. Second, the athlete’s physicians would prescribe the drugs and the effects on the athletes would be watched very closely. And third, the drug manufacturing would be taken out whic h means the black market on these steroids would die out (Nathaniel 2010). The legalization of the steroids would start a movement in the sports leagues where new records will be broken just as they were made to be.It is time for the government to legalize steroids. Because so many athletes are using, legalizing is the only way to get a level playing field like the sports associations want. Every athlete would have the option legally to use steroids. Morally and physically, each athlete would have that certain choice to make also. The situation would be out in the open though and drugs can finally be regulated in sports. Performance enhancers in sports have been used illegally throughout the history of sports; it’s time for pro sports to legalize steroids and similar substances.

How does a country recover from 40 years of destruction by an unchallenged tyrant

How does a country recover from 40 years of destruction by an unchallenged tyrant The author of the article, Dirk Vandewalle, is a professor at Dartmouth College. The article, ‘After Gaddafi: How does a country recover from 40 years of destruction by an unchallenged tyrant?’ analyzes the events going on in Libya after Colonel Gaddafi. The article first appeared in The Daily Beast on February 27.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on How does a country recover from 40 years of destruction by an unchallenged tyrant? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vandewalle borrows much of his reasoning from his previous works on ‘A History of Modern Libya’. The book discussed the life of Libyans and state of affairs in Libya under Gaddafi. The article evaluates available political solutions that can be applied in restructuring Libyan institutions in the modern world. The article offers insight to Libyan elites as regards to leadership. The paper links Gaddafi’s dictatorship with the w orst revolution experienced in the world. The article talks about the rise and fall of Gaddafi, who was a self-styled dictator. The essay observes that Gaddafi took over power through bloodless coup and went ahead to eliminate all forms of opposition to his regime. The fallen leader became aggressive after being inspired by Libya’s hero referred to as Omar al-Mukhtar, who was a Cyrenaican tribal chief. Italians assassinated the hero in 1931, something that did not auger well with Gaddafi. Gaddafi developed a negative attitude towards the West leading to a deadly attack in 1986, when Americans bombed parts of his kingdom. The West disliked Gaddafi because of his proposal of uniting the African continent and the Arab world. After taking over power in 1969, Gaddafi was faced with one big problem of uniting a state divided on tribal lines. He adopted a policy that would see off his opponents. He embarked on torture as one way of scaring political activists in the state. Indeed, m any people lost their lives, forcing others to fly out of the country. Political dissidents were further hunted in foreign lands, and were being referred to as dogs. Some normalcy and constancy was witnessed after 1992, when Gaddafi agreed to engage the West in oil trade.Advertising Looking for article on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The collapsing oil market was quickly reinstated and some political freedoms were granted to Libyans. However, Gaddafi never allowed active political. The article posits that Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, tried to urge his father to open up and allow some criticism, which he succeeded. Saif became the darling of the West because he was against his father’s style of rule and life style. The article ends by asserting that Libyans never wanted to be told anything related to Gaddafi’s regime after the uprising. This means that they were fed up w ith dictatorship and autocratic rule. Unfortunately, even Saif could not do anything to salvage his besieged father, because people could not listen to him anymore. In fact, he was likened to his father implying that he was in danger too. The paper discusses some of the important issues as regards to Gaddafi’s leadership and the position of Libya in the international system. The main point discussed is Gaddafi’s leadership style, which was disregarded by many people in the state. The leader was intolerant to criticism implying that no opposition was to be launched against his regime (Vandewalle, 2011). It is not surprising that when the uprising kicked off, he perceived demonstrators as mad individuals trying to fulfill their selfish interests. He went ahead to order the military to intervene. He wanted to silence the opposition completely but Western powers thwarted his plans. Another important point discussed in the article is Libya’s foreign policy during Gad dafi’s regime. Libya had been left in the cold for many years, leading to economic hardships and social sufferings. Oil was no longer sold to the Western countries because of economic sanctions imposed on Gaddafi’s regime.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on How does a country recover from 40 years of destruction by an unchallenged tyrant? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper is resourceful because it offers some chronological account to the rise and fall of Gaddafi. The paper explains to the reader clearly why Gaddafi failed and how he gained governmental power and authority. However, the writer’s findings are misplaced because he argues that Libya needs to choose the model it wishes to employ in restructuring government. Presently, Libya does not have any political and economic freedom because the West dictates everything. The writer does not consider external influence that is too powerfu l. Conversely, the article does not consider the interests of various Western powers such as France, USA, Britain and Russia that are all staged in Libya for selfish interests. The writer is misled by the notion that each state is independent and sovereign. This is usually not the case since the more powerful states impose ideas on the less influential states in the international system. It can be concluded that the material provides readers with enough historical data as regards to the rise and fall of Gaddafi. It also gives readers important information on the way forward for Libyans. However, the article cannot be relied on for critical analysis of events taking place in Libya. The uprisings are being caused by one major factor, which is oil. The Western powers want oil from the Middle East states and the only way of accessing it is through overthrowing uncooperative leaders like Gaddafi. Reference Vandewalle, D. (2011). After Gaddafi: How does a country recover from 40 years of destruction by an unchallenged tyrant? The Daily Beast. Retrieved from https://www.thedailybeast.com/Advertising Looking for article on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Identification Fraud essays

Identification Fraud essays Identification fraud is a crime that is committed frequently by persons under the age of 21. This fraud has been rapidly increasing over the past decade due to the growth advancing in technology. Being under the age of 21, I have seen the possession and use of Fake Identification Cards (fake ids) frequently among my peer group. The most common use of them is to purchase alcohol and be admitted into bars and/or clubs. I have found it intriguing how these cards are produced and how genuine they look. My curiosity led me to ponder on what the consequences some of my peers would encounter if they were convicted of identification fraud and why it is so common. As it turned out, the penalties were much more serious then what I first imagined. In the U.S., penalties vary from state to state. State government officials in Virginia are making the penalties harsher for underage individuals using false identification. Young adults (aged 18 20) who use a falsified DMV driver's license, military or university identification card to buy, possess or drink alcohol can be convicted of a Class 3 misdemeanor. When convicted they could have their driver's license suspended from 30 days to a year, be fined up to $2,500 and, face up to 12 months in jail. It is also illegal to loan a driver's license or identification card to another person and the consequence can be more severe than the person who used the id. The sale or production of a fake ID can result in conviction of a Class 1 misdemeanor a nd a Class 2 misdemeanor charge for possession of such ID. Manufacturing IDs, meaning large-scale production, is a class 6 felony. A felony is more serious than a misdemeanor. It means more jail time, higher fines, and longer suspension of driving privileges. The reason that young adults ignore the penalties is because they seldom hear of one another being caught. Yet bar owners and employees are becoming very good at spotting false Ids. They ...

The Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan Initially announced in 1947, the Marshall Plan was a U.S.-sponsored economic-aid program to help Western European countries recover following World War II. Officially named the European Recovery Program (ERP), it soon became known as the Marshall Plan for its creator, Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The beginnings of the plan were announced on June 5, 1947, during a speech by Marshall at Harvard University, but it wasn’t until April 3, 1948, that it was signed into law.  The Marshall Plan provided an estimated $13 billion in aid to 17 countries over a four-year period. Ultimately, however, the Marshall Plan was replaced by the Mutual Security Plan at the end of 1951. Europe: Immediate Post-War Period The six years of World War II took a heavy toll on Europe, devastating both the landscape and the infrastructure.  Farms and towns were destroyed, industries bombed, and millions of civilians either killed or maimed.  The damage was severe and most countries didn’t have enough resources to help even their own people. The United States, on the other hand, was different.  Because of its location a continent away, the United States was the only country that did not suffer major devastation during the war and thus it was to the U.S. that Europe looked for help. From the end of the war in 1945 until the beginning of the Marshall Plan, the U.S. provided $14 million in loans. Then, when Britain announced that it could not continue to support the battle against communism in Greece and Turkey, the United States stepped in to provide military support to those two countries. This was one of the first actions of containment outlined in the Truman Doctrine. However, recovery in Europe was progressing much slower than initially expected by the world community.  European countries compose a significant segment of the world economy; therefore, it was feared that the slow recovery would have a ripple effect on the international community.   Additionally, U.S. President Harry Truman believed that the best way to contain the spread of communism and restore political stability within Europe was to first stabilize the economies of Western European countries who had not yet succumbed to communist takeover.   Truman tasked George Marshall with developing a plan to carry out this goal. Appointment of George Marshall Secretary of State George C. Marshall was appointed to office by President Truman in January 1947.  Prior to his appointment, Marshall had an illustrious career as the chief of staff of the United States Army during World War II. Because of his stellar reputation during the war, Marshall was viewed as a natural fit for the position of secretary of state during the challenging times that followed.   One of the first challenges Marshall faced in office was a series of discussions with the Soviet Union regarding the economic restoration of Germany.  Marshall could not reach a consensus with the Soviets regarding the best approach and negotiations stalled after six weeks.  As a result of these failed efforts, Marshall elected to proceed with a wider European reconstruction plan. The Creation of the Marshall Plan Marshall called upon two State Department officials, George Kennan and William Clayton, to assist with the construction of the plan.   Kennan was known for his idea of containment, a central component of the Truman Doctrine.  Clayton was a businessman and government official who focused on European economic issues; he helped lend specific economic insight into the plan’s development. The Marshall Plan was crafted to provide specific economic aid to European countries to revitalize their economies by focusing on the creation of modern post-war industries and the expansion of their international trade opportunities.   Additionally, countries used the funds to purchase manufacturing and revitalization supplies from American companies; therefore fueling the American post-war economy in the process.   The initial announcement of the Marshall Plan occurred on June 5, 1947, during a speech Marshall made at Harvard University; however, it did not become official until it was signed into law by Truman ten months later.   The legislation was titled the Economic Cooperation Act and the aid program was called the Economic Recovery Program. Participating Nations Although the Soviet Union was not excluded from participating in the Marshall Plan, the Soviets and their allies were unwilling to meet the terms established by the Plan.  Ultimately, 17 countries would benefit from the Marshall Plan.  They were: AustriaBelgiumDenmarkFranceGreeceIcelandIrelandItaly (including the Trieste region)Luxembourg (administered jointly with Belgium)NetherlandsNorwayPortugalSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUnited Kingdom It is estimated that over $13 billion dollars in aid was distributed under the Marshall Plan.  An exact figure is difficult to ascertain because there is some flexibility in what is defined as official aid administered under the plan.  (Some historians include the â€Å"unofficial† aid which began after Marshall’s initial announcement, while others only count aid administered after the legislation was signed in April 1948.) Legacy of the Marshall Plan By 1951, the world was changing. While the economies of Western European countries were becoming relatively stable, the Cold War was emerging as a new world problem. The rising issues related to the Cold War, particularly in the realm of Korea, led the U.S. to rethink the use of their funds.   At the end of 1951, the Marshall Plan was replaced by the Mutual Security Act.  This legislation created the short-lived Mutual Security Agency (MSA), which focused not only on economic recovery but also more concrete military support as well.  As military actions heated up in Asia, the State Department felt that this piece of legislation would better prepare the U.S. and its Allies for active engagement, despite the public mindset that Truman hoped to contain, not combat communism. Today, the Marshall Plan is widely viewed as a success.  The economy of Western Europe rebounded significantly during its administration, which also helped to foster economic stability within the United States. The Marshall Plan also helped the United States prevent the further spread of communism within Western Europe by restoring the economy in that area.   Concepts of the Marshall Plan also laid the foundation for future economic aid programs administered by the United States and some of the economic ideals that exist within the present European Union. George Marshall was awarded the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in creating the Marshall Plan.

Risk Management - Critical Analysis Research Paper

Risk Management - Critical Analysis - Research Paper Example In addition, I also focused my analysis on how the history of the scenario contributed to the current state of affairs. I made a conclusion that top managers must be change-oriented to serve the interest of the company, external and internal customers. I also recommended that firm must ensure that change-resisting managers are dismissed to realize the company objective. In this paper, I will showcase how I managed to restore normality based on the risk of employee mass dismissal that led to strike within my workplace. The employee had been complaining about poor working conditions, as well as poor wage packages in our company for a long period of time, but the top management did not take any actions. The situation became worse with time as the manager was rigid and resisted change at all levels. The commandeering style of leadership that he portrayed at the workplace never augured well with the employee who decided to join hand to benefit from a collective bargaining but all their grievances fell on deaf ears. Several peaceful boycotts followed putting the company operations at a risk. Production declined to a greater degree, and the sales volume reduced to a worsening condition with lower employee productivity due to dissatisfaction. The top management ignored the pieces of advice that arose from the emergency and risk department to which I led an d thus it became very difficult to counteract the scenario proactively before it gets out of hands. I tried on several occasions to talk to the executives about the impending risk attached to the employees’ job dissatisfaction ranging from the threats of shuttering the brand image, low sales and even the collapse of the company. However, the executive would never buy any of my ideas as they have more positional power and authority of my position. The results were the company worsened reputation, low sales, massive loyal customers withdrawal with the greater possibility of the company collapse. I will,

SEO Changes over the Past Few Years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

SEO Changes over the Past Few Years - Essay Example As the discussion emphases there is a large number of personnel who examine the current trends taking place in SEO in various search engines. Bearing this in mind, this paper will focus on Google, as a search engine in relation to the SEO changes it has made in the last few years. According to Forbes, Google is a technology company that aims at boosting how information is linked with people. It is noted that Google major focus is on search, platforms, advertisements, and operating systems. With the primary focus of the paper being on searches, it is asserted that the search part of Google includes numerous online content and a large array of web sites that is accessible to any person with internet connectivity and the Google search engine. According to the paper findings good SEO is the utilisation of the strategies and techniques that ensure that a website ranks highest and appears most often in searches by the targeted client base. In the past, websites used to use a few appropriate explanations that were related to the content along with Meta tags. However, these traditional techniques cannot apply in the current setting due to changes that have occurred. The changes have been driven by Google, which provides the major search engine. Good SEO involves content that is of high quality. High-quality content ensures that the website has relevant subjects and terms that are normally used during searches. The more the information, the more the search engine will show up the website in the search results. Further, regular updates ensure that the quality is enhanced.

International Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Marketing - Case Study Example He contended that a lot depends upon the differences in the extent of geographical location and the degree to which the company is centralized for decision making. International marketing is different from home-country marketing and the success or failure of the decision basically depends upon; International market situations happen to be multilevel in their decision focus, with a hierarchy of decisions from country assessment and performance measurement decisions through to more traditional marketing mix allocations and programs. For the purpose of this assignment we choose 'BARCLAYS BANK', a UK-based financial services group, with a large international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia. Barclays is one of the largest financial services companies in the world, In terms of market capitalisation. It has been operating for more than 300 years with more than 25 million customers and 118,000 employees in over 60 countries. Barclays origins can be traced back to a modest business founded more than 300 years ago in the heart of London's financial district when goldsmith-bankers provided monarchs and merchants money for funding their business ventures. John Freame and his partner Thomas Gould established one such in Lombard Street in 1690. The name Barclay became associated with the company in 1736, when James Barclay also became a partner. The company amalgamated with the London, Provincial and South Western Bank in 1918 to become one of the UK's 'big five' banks. By 1926 the bank had 1,837 outlets. The modern banking business though started picking up in 1925, with the merger of three banks - the Colonial Bank, the Anglo Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa to form Barclays international operations. This helped the bank in adding more business in Africa, the Middle East and the West Indies. Besides the banking operations the Barclays' group has business interests in a range of fields like fund/ capital management, investment advisors, insurance, etc. But for our study we'll limit ourselves mainly to the banking operations. Some of the historical milestones and salient features about the Barclays' operations are; Barclays acquired Martins Bank in 1969, the largest UK bank to have its head office outside London. In 1981, it became the first foreign bank to file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and raise long-term capital on the New York market. Taking giant strides towards global acceptance Barclays listed its shares on the Tokyo and New York stock exchanges in 1986, thus becoming the first British bank to do so. In 2000 it took over the Woolwich, a leading mortgage bank and former building society founded in 1847. In July 2003 Barclays acquired the Banco Zaragozano, one of Spain's largest private sector banking groups, which was founded in 1910. Keeping pace with technological advancements Barclays started the telephone banking service Barclaycall in 1994 and later on-line PC banking in 1997. Barclays has also introduced

Assignement #4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignement #4 - Assignment Example Hence Type II error would occur if it was concluded that the infants did not detect any difference between the slides, when in fact they did. Study #2 - Some athletes will be given training in a new imaging procedure that they are to use just prior to shooting foul shots; they will be compared with other athletes not given any special training. (4 points) c. Let us consider the case when the null hypothesis is true. That is, the special training did not have any significant effect on the athletes. But if this hypothesis is rejected, this leads to an error called Type I Error which occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected even when it is true. Hence Type I error would occur if it was concluded that the special training had significant effect on the athletes, when in fact it did not. d. Let us consider the case when the null hypothesis is false. That is, the special training had significant effect on the athletes. But if this hypothesis is accepted, this leads to an error called Type II Error which occurs when the null hypothesis is accepted even when it is false. Hence Type II error would occur if it was concluded that the special training did not have any significant effect on the athletes, when in fact they

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout Essay

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout the text - Essay Example I will be analyzing all the social, historical as well as cultural features that can be found in the text, too, and also the problems mentioned in the book which are similar to today’s multi-cultural society. The protagonist of this book is Ebenezer Scrooge who, in the beginning is, shown as an old, ‘tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone’ man who is ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!’. Bob Cratchit works for him but Scrooge pays him a paltry sum which is not enough for him to bring up his large family. Scrooge is ‘self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 4) He does not like any celebrations, particularly Christmas, nor does he like having happy people around him. One of the most frequent adjectives used by Scrooge is ‘Humbug!’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 7). His personality undergoes a drastic change once the Ghosts of the Past, Present and Yet to Come visit him in his d reams. At seeing himself end up as a lonely person abandoned by all during all three of these, he wakes up a changed man, promising to ‘honour Christmas in (his) heart, and try to keep it all the year’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 125) He calls himself ‘as happy as an angel †¦ as merry as a schoolboy ... ... He has used adjectives very appropriately in the first stave to give the reader a sense of the characters and the setting. He also uses onomatopoeia to emphasize on emotions as well as the sounds: ‘Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash.’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 129) The reader would also notice the use of similes so one can compare the situation to something ‘Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 3) When describing Scrooge, Charles Dickens uses the weather elements to show what his character is like and even his facial structure: ‘The cold within him froze his old features †¦ He carried his own low temperature always about with him †¦ and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas †¦ No wind that blew was bitterer than he ....’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 5) Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is thought to be a novella by many. These are usually fictional, narrative stories which are not too long in length and the plot is not too diverse, but mostly focuses on a particular plotline, the endings usually suggesting a change. The story is in first person which makes the reader believe that it is the author Dickens himself who is the narrator of the book, an omniscient narrator to be precise. Using the first point of view allows him to capture the readers’ interest, allows them to believe that they are a part of the story. The narrative form also lets the reader to feel what is happening in the novella. There is a great deal of imagery one comes across in the book so one can have a vivid picture of what exactly is going on. It helps give a greater impact of the setting and the

Democracy and the Current Situation of Latin America Research Paper

Democracy and the Current Situation of Latin America - Research Paper Example These definitions are just two among the many but are representations of its broadest sense. Though no matter the word â€Å"democracy† is defined, it has no universal established definition. Different democratic countries all over the world have their own democracies in varying degrees. Despite the differences based on specific experiences of each nation, democracy is seen to be distinguished by mainly two characteristics. First is the equality among its people while the other is the freedom to what it is to be fully human. A very informative case of all the other aspect of democracy can be seen through Latin America with a special focus on countries namely Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico. These countries meet the conditions of a democratic regime. However, continental regions of Latin America are confronting serious dilemmas brought by their current democracy which is lacking in quality. Berkman and Cavallo’s (2006) research has found out that democracy is one of the top 10 that challenges the regions of Latin America. ...  Given the lack of effective political leaders that should govern and impose what it means to be democratic, the people of Latin America suffer from wide range problems, may it be individual or social. For the reason that Latin American nations have ineffective democratic governments, democracy comes closer to its negation. Instead of equality, it is inequality which shapes the said regions. Despite the unceasing conscious efforts of strengthening the political rights of the people, Latin America is extremely suffering from inequality as well as extreme poverty. The distinction between the rich and the poor becomes now clearly evident. This difference is even reinforced by different factors. Due to poverty, starvation is witnessed from the different regions. These regions lack the access and resources to the basic necessities. Not all are fortunate to have the right to education for it has been now a privilege amo ng those who can afford to get themselves educated. With the lack of education comes along the hindrance to employment. All these further lead to increase of poverty level which then, contributes more to all the other problems faced by the Latin Americans. Since all these are related and connected like a spider web, less and less are having the lives they should have as promised by the democratic system. Each day is getting worse and worse for the failure of the State of functioning properly to its people. Freedom is no longer attainable. Freedom to what it is to be fully human is now only for those who have all the means and all the capital. People feel suppressed with all the absence of their rights.

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout Essay

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout the text - Essay Example I will be analyzing all the social, historical as well as cultural features that can be found in the text, too, and also the problems mentioned in the book which are similar to today’s multi-cultural society. The protagonist of this book is Ebenezer Scrooge who, in the beginning is, shown as an old, ‘tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone’ man who is ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!’. Bob Cratchit works for him but Scrooge pays him a paltry sum which is not enough for him to bring up his large family. Scrooge is ‘self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 4) He does not like any celebrations, particularly Christmas, nor does he like having happy people around him. One of the most frequent adjectives used by Scrooge is ‘Humbug!’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 7). His personality undergoes a drastic change once the Ghosts of the Past, Present and Yet to Come visit him in his d reams. At seeing himself end up as a lonely person abandoned by all during all three of these, he wakes up a changed man, promising to ‘honour Christmas in (his) heart, and try to keep it all the year’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 125) He calls himself ‘as happy as an angel †¦ as merry as a schoolboy ... ... He has used adjectives very appropriately in the first stave to give the reader a sense of the characters and the setting. He also uses onomatopoeia to emphasize on emotions as well as the sounds: ‘Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash.’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 129) The reader would also notice the use of similes so one can compare the situation to something ‘Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 3) When describing Scrooge, Charles Dickens uses the weather elements to show what his character is like and even his facial structure: ‘The cold within him froze his old features †¦ He carried his own low temperature always about with him †¦ and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas †¦ No wind that blew was bitterer than he ....’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 5) Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is thought to be a novella by many. These are usually fictional, narrative stories which are not too long in length and the plot is not too diverse, but mostly focuses on a particular plotline, the endings usually suggesting a change. The story is in first person which makes the reader believe that it is the author Dickens himself who is the narrator of the book, an omniscient narrator to be precise. Using the first point of view allows him to capture the readers’ interest, allows them to believe that they are a part of the story. The narrative form also lets the reader to feel what is happening in the novella. There is a great deal of imagery one comes across in the book so one can have a vivid picture of what exactly is going on. It helps give a greater impact of the setting and the