Love as a Theme in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Essay

A German philospher by the name of Friedrich Nietzsche once said, â€Å"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. † Love, therefore, can cause some madness in a person and can make him or her forget reason. What then is reason and what then is logic if love exists within the depths of one’s soul? What then is common sense if love resides in the very core of a person’s heart and it makes him or her forget the logic of things? Love is just one very simple word, and yet it embodies so much within its existence. The actual presence and existence of the word of love itself can mean so much. Everyone thinks greatly of love. It is shown through the media, ever present in the schools, neighborhood, even in commercials and in advertisements. People have defined love as to be a many thing: love makes the world go around; love moves mountains; love is blind. Love, love, love — what is it? What is it with love that people are overly ecstatic about it? How does one know if he or she is in love? Many people have said that they have fallen in love, but have they really ever known what love is? What indeed is it? What is love? Today, I would like to cite a fine example of how love has made the lives of people revolve and point out how precious it is to love and to be loved in return. Love may be the greatest thing ever expressed by mankind. It is because of love that people are able to acquire great virtues and values. It is through love that people change for the better. It is through love that the world seem so much better to live in. However, there have also been many cases wherein love has been the cause of a person’s downfall. Love, being such a wonderful feeling and emitting an exhilarating aura, can also cause such great pain, suffering, fear, anxiety, sadness, and sometimes, even death. Love in Literature The theme of love has existed in literature for a long time. Many various works that have been written by renowned writers boast of both being popular and being a great example of quality literature—Mahabharata, The Iliad and the Odyssey, the Bible, The Notebook, and Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Myths and legends, epic, poems, stories, novels, and plays have had love pervade within the confines of their characters, lines, settings, motifs, and themes. This is no exemption with regard to the most famous love story of all time, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Also, another example of how love can change a person is Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Almost everyone knows the very famous story of Romeo and Juliet. It has been ingrained in the people’s minds about the lovers who cannot be lovers as their families have long been in conflict with each other. The famous play of William Shakespeare concludes in a tragedy as the lovers die in the end. Great Expectations, on the other hand, tells us a story of young Pip who gets fueled by his love for Estella and wants to succeed in life so he can be worthy for her. The novel, depending on what version of the ending a person would like to read, is either that of the happily-ever-after or that of the tragedy of love and fate unfulfilled, or maybe, that of love that is not meant to be and a fate that is meant to force them apart. The Theme of Love in Romeo and Juliet and Great Expectations Love as a theme is so obvious in the story of Romeo and Juliet. It has even been deemed as the greatest love story, for it embodies the strong impact between the emotion. It has shown the joys and pains of being loved. It is the theme of the play because the whole play’s existence and progress from the first act until the last act are based on the love of the two major characters—Romeo and Juliet. Moreover, by the end of the play, the death of the two lovers serves as the ultimate proof of how one can go to great lengths just because of love. By the end of the play, when Romeo and Juliet showed their families how great their love is, both the Capulets and the Montagues resolved to agree that they would end their feud with each other. Through the play, I realized that love is such a powerful emotion that a person would be willing to go to great lengths just for it. Because of love, a person will disobey his or her family and even forego his or her surname as what Juliet did when she said, â€Å"Deny thy father and refuse thy name / Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet† (Shakespeare, 2000, 2. 1. 34-36), which is also one of the more famous lines of the play. Love is a great emotion that people can even go crazy because of it. I know that love should never be treated with such shallow thinking or even played or toyed with because we can see how great the impact it can bring a person—it is so great that a person may even choose death just to be with his or her loved one. At the start of the speech, I quoted Friedrich Nietzsche on how people associate madness with love, and perhaps this is true. The fault of Romeo and Juliet lies with the fact that they loved each other so much to the point of being blind fools. Is it better then to be in love to the point of being foolish or just a plain fool who is in love? I think it is better to be a fool who is in love. Why? Because when a person is greatly in love to the point of being foolish, he or she is unable to be reasoned with—his or her mind is closed off to anything, to everything. He or she will not even give a chance to listen to logic. On the other hand, when a fool is in love, he or she is merely a person who is feeling a natural emotion, and he or she may listen to reason and then he or she will disregard it. Therefore, love, should be true and pure but moderate at all times. When young Pip fell in love with the beautiful Estella, he wanted to improve himself so he can be worthy for her. Thus, because of the love that Pip feels for Estella, he wanted to become a better person. I think, most of all, that is the most important thing — that people should fall in love and the feeling that they draw from that emotion is that they would want to be better in every way — a better individual. Love can indeed move mountains — in a metaphorical sense, that is. Unlike the play, the novel also focused on other aspects of the society, whereas, the play solely revolved around love and the chaotic things it may bring to a person. Love pervaded the whole play while the novel also touched on more serious things like societal problems present in the realities of the world. Conclusion To end my speech, I would like to cite the lines of the Prince of Verona who said, â€Å"See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate / That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love† (Shakespeare, 2000. 5. 3. 307-309). Love may also be connected to extreme feelings of pain and sadness, but love can also be a cause of such great happiness and redemption after the feeling of suffering has gone. When Romeo and Juliet died, the feud of the families of the Capulet and the Montague which seemed to be forever, finally came to a halt. Likewise, when the young Pip knew for a fact that he lost Estella, and he has lost a chance of the great feeling of love and being loved. He parts with her, as what he told Estella at the end of the novel, â€Å"Glad to part again, Estella? To me, parting is a painful thing† (Dickens, 2003, p. 484). However, eventually, when both parties have realized the pains of being apart and parting, they would come to understand that it is so much better to actually like the idea of love, be in pain because of naivete and ignorance, and meet each other again one day — because it is so much better to be in love when both have opened to the value of being in love. References Dickens, C. (2003). Great expectations. New York: Penguin Classics. William, S. (2000). Romeo and Juliet. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions.

Liberal and Conservative View About the Role of Government

As long as there have been politics in the United States, there has been a productive tension between liberal views and conservative views. These differences are most clearly demonstrated by the disparate views on subjects such as education, taxes and public health care. Liberals and conservatives have different views about the role of government. While liberals; currently represented by the Democratic Party; and conservatives; currently represented by the Republican Party; both believe that education, tax policy, and public health are important issues for the United States; they have different beliefs about the best approach for these policies. Liberals tend towards policies that empower the central government through large all encompassing programs. On the other hand, conservatives prefer locally run programs that are not the same in all communities but may produce results more consistent with community preferences. Currently, no topic provides a better example of the difference between conservatives and liberals than education policy. The liberal belief is that education policy is best when dictated from Washington D. C. with federal education subsidies contingent upon state and local government compliance with federal mandates. Conservatives believe that federal money should not be based on specific agendas developed in Washington D. C. but instead should be granted to state and local governments in the form of grants. These grants do not have strings attached and can be used for state and local education priorities. Conservatives and Liberals also disagree about where education dollars should be spent. The liberal view is that children should go to public schools regardless of quality, they believe that public education efforts and money should be directed towards public schools. Conversely, conservatives believe that children in non-performing schools should have the option to go to private school at public expense. Their view is that competition between public and private schools will improve both. Nobody likes tax time. Liberals and Conservatives both agree that taxes are unavoidable. Their beliefs about the use of taxes and tax policy are very different, though. Liberals seem to believe that taxes are a federal entitlement. They believe that tax money should be spent by the government on large government programs that provide services to people instead of by the taxpayer themselves. Furthermore, liberals believe that tax policy should be used to provide wealth distribution from the rich to the poor. This is most clearly demonstrated by the Earned Income Credit (EIC); the EIC is a tax provision that allows people to receive more in tax refunds than were paid in actual taxes. Conservatives on the other hand truly view taxes as a tool to provide for the common good; they differ from liberals in their approach. They believe that free market forces can more efficiently run large programs than the government can. They believe that large government programs are not inherently productive and taxpayers should be given wide latitude about the use of their money for services that directly affect them. Healthcare is another area where conservatives and liberals find very little common ground. Both sides agree that everyone needs health care, but they disagree what the government†s responsibility should be. Liberals believe that it is the government†s responsibility to provide cradle to grave health care. They believe this should be provided by government regulated quasi-HMO organizations funded by tax dollars. Conservatives think that the government has limited health care responsibility. They believe that the government should provide tax incentives to people so they can buy their health insurance; additionally, they believe that the government should provide limited health care to the poor and the aged. Two statements can best sum up the differences between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives believe in limited government and that government†s responsibility is to create an economy and environment where people can earn decent wages thereby making them self-sufficient. Liberals believe government†s responsibility is to provide for the people and conversely, the people should provide for the government. The truly interesting thing is that the extreme conservatism or fascism and extreme liberalism or communism, have both fallen into disfavor in the last few decades. I believe that this country was founded on conservative principles. Conservatives and liberals have very different views about the way this country should be run and the role of government, which everyone should listen to carefully.

Museum of Islamic Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Museum of Islamic Art - Essay Example The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Islamic art and culture goes back 1,400 years ago to the years of the Prophet through to the eras of the Caliphs and Ottoman Empire. Qatar has been known for the oil boom which led to massive and large scale construction works in the country in the past three decades. Many landmark buildings have been built within this period in strategic locations to maintain the unique features of the region. The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is located on the south end of the Doha bay and it is a major building located on the edge of the Doha harbor and it has unique and distinct features that makes it a might build that depicts Islamic arts in architecture, usage and construction. Project Initiation and Location The Museum for Islamic Art was designed by the architect, Ioeh Ming Pei who blended Islamic tradition and monumental modernism to create the structure (Ourousoff 31). The project was commenced in 2004 when the Qatari government announced the desire to build a major structure that will reflect Qatar's bid to become the cultural center of the Arab world (Skinner 1). Actual work and construction activities commenced in 2005 and this ultimately led to the completion of the project in 2006. The project reflected Qatar's quest to present itself as one of the most prosperous economies in the Islamic world with the highest gross domestic products per capita in the world (Skinner 1). This was reflected in the magnitude of the project and the resources committed to its completion. The location of the MIA in the city of Doha also makes it an extremely distinct work of engineering because it required a cross-functional role that involved marine engineers aside the normal construction site to ensure that the project remained within reasonable range. The project is located on a newly created Peninsular or man-made island that is protected by a seawall just off the harbor of Doha in the south of the city (Ourousoff 33). The project is meant to blend a set of different elements and present the Qatari nation and the Islamic world on an exceptional pedestal. First of all, the building involved an architecture that reflected elements of Medieval Arabic architecture that incorporated elements of palaces amongst great Arab leaders. Secondly, the building involved important and carefully calibrated to provide exhibitions for various categories of Islamic history and culture. This include the arrangement of exhibition spaces, galleries, library and an auditorium. The venue is meant to exhibit elements of various stages in Islamic history and will display works of art, numismatics, manuscripts and weapons. Socio-Cultural Elements of Qatar & the Islamic World it Depicts The Museum of Islamic Art was a project that was initiated under the auspices of Qatar's hereditary Al-Thani dynasty as an attempt to enhance Qatar's cultural status. To this end, the MIA was meant to bring together the relics, audience and artists to develop the cultural systems and structures of the country for the future (Hudson para 6). Upon deciding to build the museum, the Qatari Museum Authority, headed by Sheikha Mayassa al-Thani called upon the then 86-year old IM Pei to draw the blueprints and architectural plan for the museum (Hudson para 2). The Chinese-American IM Pei was called for retirement to assist in drawing

Cultural Interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Interview - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss the ethnic diversity at the workplace in the United States. In this case, ethnic diversity entails the employment of individuals without discriminating them on the basis of their ethnic background. Companies in the United States are supposed to employ a diverse workforce in order to understand the demographics of their clients. This will substantially increase their market and attract more customers. The jurisdiction in the United States is committed to protecting individuals from all forms of discrimination. According to the employees at Murray State University there interface between individuals is extremely crucial in enhancing respect and reducing biases at the workplace. In most workplace settings, the employees are faced with ethnic differences. After carrying out an interview with Raman Shaman who is Indian employee based in the United States, Shaman supported the aspect of ethnic diversity in the workplace setting. The details of the interview are presented below. Shaman: Diversity is all about employing different individuals in the business setting in order to enhance the business demographics. I am diverse because I strive to work with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and coping with their diverse nature. Shaman: I would describe my ethnic background as understanding because; according to my understanding most of the Indians understand the diverse nature of other individuals in the society. The Indian culture is strict concerning certain regulations, which are supposed to be followed strictly. Therefore, our cultural heritage involves several regulations and laws that are to be followed strictly. Shaman: As an Indian, I value my cultural beliefs and my religion. This is because, my background defines my personality. My diverse nature also impacts my identity in that I am able to relate with other individuals from all walks of life. I selected Shaman for the interview when I was

Unisys Credit Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unisys Credit Problems - Essay Example ch Unisys has invested will contribute to a greater loss if the company were to use them to remain liquid and be able to fund its operations with the ultimate consequence being a rights issue to finance the deficit. This situation has forced the company to rethink its position on the revolving credit facility which it operates with various funding institutions to the tune of $275 million. The idea is not to renew it and avoid the escalating interests due to such. This presents the company with the challenge of how it will be able to finance its operations and come out of the financial crisis. The management theory available for use by the firm is that what has to be done for the business to remain a float must be done. The company’s management will therefore review the available options and make crucial decisions on which ones are relevant so as to implement the most effective ones. The alternatives available at the disposal of Unisys are numerous but not with serious economic consequences. It seemingly must repay the debt of $300 million by the time of expiry of the revolving credit facility. Unisys can seek funding through issuing additional shares in the market (Malz, 2011). This might not be popular with investors since the market is already volatile and most people, especially companies in the debt market such as Bloomberg realize that Unisys has the most expensive borrowing costs compared to other IT companies such as Affiliated Computer and IBM. The other possibility for Unisys is to cut down on employment expenses by laying-off employees so as to reduce operating expenses (Harvard business review on crisis management, 2000). This will only aggravate the problem as most firms would be interested to know what the situation is like to warrant such a decision. It might also result into low productivity due to reduced manpower. The uncertainty that will be accompanied by such a move would cause distrust amongst many clients, possible clients and financers

Production And Perfect Competition - Megamergers and Oligopoly Coursework

Production And Perfect Competition - Megamergers and Oligopoly - Coursework Example The common market structure is either perfect or imperfect competition. Agricultural products are traded in a perfectly competitive market structure. For example, milk producers supply processed and non-processed milk products to the market for the consumers. The milk market is characterized by large of number of sellers and buyers who are involved in this exchange. In addition, the market is unregulated by the government hence a free-market with no government intervention. Owing to the large numbers of milk traders, the effect of a single seller/buyer may go unnoticed as each trader’s contribution is insignificant (Siegfried, & United States, 2010). Both the seller and buyer are price-takers in the market as the exchange price for milk products is determined by the market forces of demand and supply; therefore, each trader has limited influence on effective market prices (OaShaughnessy, 2005). The milk products traded in the market are homogeneous and undifferentiated. However, the sellers and manufacturers attempt to create a difference in the products through branding and packaging. Being a perfect competitive market, there are no barriers to exit or entry into this market. The buyers and sellers would leave or enter the market at will. Under this market, the milk products are similar in shape, size, quantity, and quality, hence, infinite cross elasticity of demand for milk products (OaShaughnessy, 2005). The buyers are therefore indifferent to all the milk brands and products in the market. Being a perfectly competitive market, milk market is characterized by perfect information symmetry. All the participants in the market have perfect information on all the prevailing market conditions, thus, no seller could benefit by charging abnormal prices for milk. Finally, the single unit price of the milk market is not affected by

The comparison of the Macroeconomic State of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Essay

The comparison of the Macroeconomic State of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for the years 2005 and 2011 - Essay Example Services include offshore banking, Islamic banking, insurance and tourism (CIA, Bahrain). Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia hosts one of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves with estimates ranging up to one fifth of all proven reserves on earth (EIA). The economy of Saudi Arabia depends in large part on oil processing and exports as well as goods derived from crude oil. Diversification is in the air but has yet to yield economically significant results. The major contributors to the GDP according to their value addition are listed in the table below (CIA, Saudi Arabia): 2005 2011 Agriculture 3.3% 2.1% Industry 74.7% 67.6% Services 21.9% 30.4% The major agricultural products of Saudi Arabia are wheat, dates, citrus fruits, barley, melons, dairy and poultry. The major industries in Saudi Arabia are crude oil production, oil refining, petrochemical industries such as fertilizers, ammonia production, caustic soda production, plastics, metal processing, aircraft and ship repair, constr uction etc. Comparison Bahrain’s GDP is markedly smaller than that of Saudi Arabia given the geographical size of both nations and the amount of oil and gas reserves. Saudi Arabia’s GDP displays more of agricultural input compared to Bahrain while it has a larger industrial sector. In comparison, Bahrain has a larger service sector when compared to Saudi Arabia. Services Bahrain’s service sector is composed primarily of financial organisations such as off shore banks, Islamic banks, insurance companies and the like. Oil production has supported the growth of such financial service sectors that link Bahrain to the rest of the region financially. In addition, Bahrain’s service sector displays public utility companies, telecommunications firms,...This paper seeks to compare the economies of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on a macroeconomic scale and to identify recent trends by performing comparisons for the years 2005 and 2011. Bahrain exhibits one of the highest GDP growth rates around the world given its small population and rich revenue streams. Mainly the economy depends on the export of processed oil and aluminium. Also, Bahrain exports finance services as well as construction materials. Saudi Arabia hosts one of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves with estimates ranging up to one fifth of all proven reserves on earth.. The economy of Saudi Arabia depends in large part on oil processing and exports as well as goods derived from crude oil. Diversification is in the air but has yet to yield economically significant results. Saudi Arabia’s GDP displays more of agricultural input compared to Bahrain while it has a larger industrial sector. In comparison, Bahrain has a larger service sector when compared to Saudi Arabia. For both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the major export item is essentially mineral products (crude oil, refined and processed oil etc.) contributing to around 90% of all exports for both nations. In addition, it is noticeable that the next largest export for both nations is chemical products In terms of the import structure, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are well differentiated since Bahrain imports crude oil in order to refine and process. Saudi Arabia major import items are machinery and transportation equipment. In terms of the larger picture, Bahrain shows greater GDP per capita compared to Saudi Arabia though its macroeconomic structure is more heavily government owned, regulated and controlled.

Athletes being role models Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Athletes being role models - Research Paper Example At that time, the existing definition of role models was â€Å"someone who demonstrates the appropriate behavior for a specific role or relationship with another person† (Gauntlett 226). Though this description is not complete For example, David Beckham might inspire someone who is not necessarily interested in being a football player. Therefore, a more comprehensive definition of a role model would be someone who tends to inspire and motivate people. Role models edify observers how to behave as well as inspire others to learn how to behave in certain situations. In another study conducted, adolescents and children are drawn to role models not only because of their skills and capabilities but also because they see potential in them. Sports form an essential part of entertainment and recreation for most people; many of them follow sports religiously and regard athletes as icons. Supporting a team and hoping for it to win becomes a personal cause. In consideration of the profound influence that sports have on the minds of the people, it is often debated whether athletes serve to be good role models or not. Keeping the definition of role models in mind and the impact they have on the psychology of the people, this paper attempts to explore and provide arguments for if athletes make good role models or not. In my opinion, athletes do not make very good role models. I have seen people follow athletes blindly, not thinking whether the attitude of the athletes is justified or not. If the athlete is involved in wrong acts, many people, especially children, tend to follow the athlete. This argument is supported by many people. Athletes have indulged in the illegal use of steroids in order to boast their performance; exc essive use of drugs has also led to the deaths of notable sports stars. Where sports and athletes have become a major part of the American life, it is not justified to treat drugs and other misdemeanors

Frankensteins Monster Essay Example for Free

Frankensteins Monster Essay In the beginning of the story, Elizabeth who was adopted daughter of Victor Frankensteins parents falls ill to a deadly illness, which is called scarlet fever. Victor Frankensteins mother nurses Elizabeth, and she finally gets better; however Victor Frankensteins mother contracts the illness with fatal consequences. Victor Frankenstein becomes very upset when his mother dies. This event make Victor Frankenstein very determined to study and become a doctor and preserve life. Victor Frankenstein goes to a university in Ingolstadt to study. He seems to be in two minds about his, departure for Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, because he feels guilty about leaving the house of mourning so soon but he is very eager to study. When Frankenstein begins his study at the university, he becomes interested in bringing people back to life. He becomes so interested that he convinces himself that he could revive a dead human being back to life, one of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and indeed, any animal endued with life. The next part of the story is when Victor Frankenstein creates the creature and he tries to bring him to life by using electricity, I collected the instruments of life around me, might I infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing . Once the creature gains life, Victor Frankenstein describes the creature as a demon and a wretch. Frankenstein can only see what the creature looks like on the outside and so believes the creature is evil, How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? Mary Shelley makes the reader feel sympathy for the creature by the way see the way the monster was made this fill us full of horror because the way he was made is completely unnatural I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animals to animate the lifeless clay This make u feel that the monster was born out of pain and horror. Another way Mary Shelley make feel sympathy for the creature is the way she describes the place the creature was made as no one should be brought in to the world in a place like that In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creations Some readers may gain sympathy towards the monster as Frankenstein refers to the monster as filthy as may mean filthy as physically filthy or mentally filthy. One of the biggest ways that Mary Shelley gains sympathy for the creature is the way she describes him, this tells the reader how ugly he is and it also tells the reader what Frankenstein thinks of him His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles arteries beneath; his hair was of lustrous black, and following; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but seemed almost the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. The description Mary Shelley uses gives the image that the creature is evil although the creatures personality is pleasant. Also this is how Frankenstein sees the creature as Frankenstein should be a farther figure and towards the creature he should help the creature to learn about the world instead he is disgusted by what he has created also and only see what the creature looks like not how the creature is inside and so he believes the creature is evil. One other way is the way that Frankenstein flees his creation The miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtains of the bed; and his eyes, if they maybe called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out seeming to detain me, but I escaped and rushed down the stairs. I took refuse in the courtyard belonging to the house, which I inhabited. This makes you feel sympathy towards the monster because Frankenstein should be like a father towards the monster and help him through the early stages of his life but instead he abandons him leaves him to survive on his own. Probably the monster feels frightened, and confused, as he is like a newborn baby unaware of anything also not knowing anything. Uneducated, Victor Frankensteins creation is forced to fend for itself, and find food, even he doesnt know how to or what food is.

Honour & Shame Essay Example for Free

Honour Shame Essay One Sunday morning I was driving my children back from their regular soccer game. It was a warm summer day, sun shining ever so brightly, making the uneven town picturesque. As I drove along in my Holden with rigid brown seats and the windscreen wipers that didn’t work, I looked over to my sixteen year old daughter sitting next to menodding and shaking her head rhythmically to, in her words, ‘legendary’ music band One Direction. An image of Asreen flashed through my mind†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Kiran?† the voice on my mobile phone was barely more than a whisper. â€Å"Kiran? Is that you?† .The train ride back home was a typical for Friday eveningIt was very busy Friday evening train ride back from work, â€Å"Are you able to speak up a little?† I asked, raising my own voice overagainst loud chatterschatters from fellow passengers and rattling noise from the train. â€Å"I found your number in Indus Age, My † the line went suddenly went dead. Indus Age is a local monthly newspaper. iIt has largest circulation to Indian and South East Asian community in the country. I was interviewed a week ago concerning about my plight with honour based violence. After two years of lengthy legal proceeding over evidence of injury which included tampered medical records I managed to get a divorce. I was sure that such crimeshonour based violence against women was prevalent and practiced behind closed doors, after my divorce I wanted to assist other women in similar situation and have my phone number published in the newspaper. I thought I lost her but then, few minutes later, she was back. â€Å"Sorry I had to hang up I thought someone was coming. My parents are forcing me to marry a 35 year old man who I don’t even know. I am a prisoner in my own house. I can’t take it any longer. I need help.† She stopped for breath. â€Å"Please help me,† she said in a trembling voice. She sounded frantic; it seemed that she was at the mercy of her family. I didn’t know who I was talking to but I knew I had to help. I spoke quickly, â€Å"Can you get out? There are all sorts of help available if you can get out.† I knew from my own experience that if a girl has made up her mind to run she usually finds a way to do it. This woman could be anywhere in the country but she was desperate and I had to reassure her. â€Å"There is help for you,.† I said. â€Å"There are women refuge houses, people to support. I would support you. You’ll be okay.† â€Å"But how†¦Wait, that’s Dad. He’s coming. I have to go† Her phone went dead. I felt anxiousiety, my pulse shot up as I tried as best I could to get on with my daily household choresroutine and parental responsibilities. Later in thethat evening while I was preparing dinner my phone rang again. I tried hard to understand but couldn’t make out anything except the gasping sound panting. I turned off my range-hood and enquired, â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"It’s me, Asreen,† she spoke, her voice penetrating as if she was right next to me. â€Å"I did it, I ran away† â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"Redfern.† â€Å"Asreen, you have to call the police. DailDial 000† I had put my phone on speaker as I washed my hands. â€Å"No, I don’t want police. My family will never see me again. My community will disown me,† she said claimed almost hysterical. I could imagine why Asreen didn’t want police to be involved. She was in a state of fear and frustration. Her parents who loved her dearly until very recently changed overnight and now consider family’s honour more important than that of their daughter’s well-being and happiness. â€Å"Meet me at Redfern railway station in 45 minutes,.† I said cleaning up my kitchen. â€Å"Please don’t be late,.† she hung up. I called on my children and explained them that I need to go out on an emergency. I drove as fast as I could past the motorway speeding up to maximum limit. I reached Redfern at 8 p.m. it was crowded, people pushing one another to get ahead in line. Few country trains hurried past while the intercity trains stopped at the platform for passengerss dark and deserted. I walked across the automatic ticket machine to find myself staring at a tall slim woman leaning against the closed door humming what I could understand a very popular song. from Justin Beiber. She looked no more than sixteen dressed in a traditional outfit her head was covered in a veil. I caught her eye and she smiled and then waved at me. â€Å"Kiran,† she said enthusiastically. â€Å"Yes.† I walked closer I could see her eyes swollen lips dried smeared make up over her face. I offered her a bottle of water and walked with her to my car. No one spoke, the two minute walk felt like an eternity. Breaking the silence she spoke softly, â€Å"Thank – thank you Kiran. You saved my life. I read your story and only after I spoke to you I found courage to leave my house.† I didn’t know what to say, I was in a state of shock. I felt rage I could barely focus on my driving I wanted to say something. Asreen continued, â€Å"There were bolts on all doors and someone from the family was always home. I didn’t know how to get out. And if I did, where would I go?† We talked about family, food, school, fashion and many other issues on our way back. We talked as if we were best friends and had known each other for many years. I introduced Asreen to my children Maya and Vicky and offered her rice and lamb curry for dinner. It was close to midnight she looked very tired and fell asleep as soon as she sat on the lounge. I imagined her situation; it was her mother who arranged her marriage. She grew up knowing that one day the subject of her marriage would come up but didn’t expect it when she was sixteen. She was one of the smartest girls in her school; she wanted to become a psychiatrist. One day when her parents woke her up and told her that she was going to get engaged Asreen said bluntly, â€Å"But I don’t want to.† For the next few days I enquired at women’s refuge centre, department of community services, legal aid and other community based organisations. What followed was another court proceeding lasting more than 12 weeks. I became Asreen’s foster parent while she continued her education. Later that year Asreen and I started Honour to help other women from South East Asian family facing honour based violenceI sat next to her contemplating on the events of the day. I wanted to help Asreen and reach out to other women in similar situations confronting criticism and oppression from inside their communities and often close family members for not being obedient to the traditional rules set by men for thousands of years. â€Å"Are you alright?† Asreen said waking up suddenly. I realised that I accidentally dropped my glass on the wooden floor breaking it into pieces. â€Å"Why can’t I live like any other sixteen year old girls? Why can’t I have boy-friends like girls from my school?† she cried while cleaning up broken pieces of glass. It was close to two, I was so exhausted I could barely feel any strength in my legs. I could hear Asreen’s voice slowly fading away. With my eyes closed I tried to seek explanation for such acts against own daughter. The issue of status of women is always in question in a patriarchal society. For thousands of years people from Indian sub-continent had considered daughter a painful burden, a potential source of shame to her father. Family is vital principal group and marriage hallowed as sacred. Women are deprived of their freedom and those who rebel or go against the norms faces threat the people of the community so much so that they are even killed for honour. †¦perhaps this comes out as it makes it like a newspaper article, not a narrative. †¦ As we arrived home I hugged my daughter tightly and said with tears running down my cheeks, â€Å"I love you.† The time frame here doesn;’t work, you’ve already taken the story on years but now go back to the present†¦

The History Of Afghanistan History Essay

The History Of Afghanistan History Essay After the September 11th attacks on America, many nations were drawn into the War on Terror. With this escalating conflict came the names of many countries that the American public knew little about. Prior to 9/11, Americans knew Afghanistan simply as a country in the Middle East. In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans now associate Afghanistan with words like Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Despite the recent press coverage on this land-locked nation, few understand the history of Afghanistan, including the rich cultural aspects, political climate, and society of this country. As the future of Afghanistan is being lived and written right now, a clear understanding of the countrys history is imperative in understanding the new global circumstances. It is for this reason that Meredith L. Runion has written this book, published by Geenwood Press. The author is a Program Manager in the Directorate of Science and Technology for the U.S. Federal Government and has been involved in several efforts regarding the Middle East. She is regarded as a specialist in the history of Afghanistan. The author has produced a volume that reflects her current research on Afghanistan. In addition to writing several articles on the subject, The History of Afghanistan, is her first published book. Meredith is a native of the Washington D.C. area, and holds advanced degrees in Decision Science and Business. The book is intended for students and general readers. It is also serves as an appropriate starting material for researchers trying to find concise yet all-inclusive text on the entire history of Afghanistan and the rulers that have governed it. The United States, being a superpower which attacked Afghanistan and is now embroiled in the War Against Terror in this region, shares a special relationship with this country. Yet, many Americans know very little about Afghanistan, its history and the people who occupy this region. Therefore the author has made special effort to keep the book simple, concise and easy to follow for the American readers. Among the many other questions the writer addresses some are as given: How did Afghanistan get to be the way it is? What kind of political systems have evolved there? What kind of influence does it have in the region? What are the dominant political, religious and cultural forces that move its leaders? These and many other questions have been answered in this volume. The book under review is a nonfiction account of the history of Afghanistan. It provides an abridged history of Afghanistan, from the emergence of civilization to the United States overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001. The history is almost entirely political and military in nature, recounting shifting dynasties and governments and successive invasions by empires and great powers. Major points in the book describe how modern Afghanistan is a melting pot of a multitude of cultures, tribes, and political influences all under the guiding belief of Islam. The author repeatedly stresses that due to the countrys strategic location along the crucial trade routes between Central Asia and the Middle East, Afghanistan has suffered repeated conquests throughout its tumultuous history. In spite of this, Afghanistan has proven to be a resilient force in the face of long term conquests, as the United States is experiencing today. It starts with an introduction to the country, focusing on its geography and people. It discusses its location in the region, its physical features and agricultural potential. It also discusses its economy and the ethnic groups inhabiting the country. It is interesting to note that the author has devoted a complete chapter to Afghanistans prehistory. While libraries and bookstores are filled with a multitude of works on the early life of Mesopotamia and Persia, very little can be found about Afghanistans prehistory. Further, most books provide only one or two paragraphs on the early civilization era of Afghanistan, usually after Alexander the Great conquered this region. By including a complete chapter on the countrys prehistory the writer has made the book appealing to general public as well as students of history. The next chapter discusses the early civilizations which flourished in this area. Brief yet informative material has been presented about the Aryan Civilization, the Medes Empire, the arrival of Alexander the Great in the region and the Greco-Bactrian rule in Afghanistan. Most books on the subject ignore the intermediate period between the early civilizations and the arrival of Islam in Afghanistan. However, the writer has discussed the Greek-Hellenistic culture prevailing in the area till the conquests led by Muslim invaders. The Macedonian Empire, the division under Seleucid and Mauryan Rule, the Greco-Bactrian and Parthian eras, The Kushan Empire and the Sassanid Dynasty have been dealt with by the author in this chapter before moving on to the advent of Muslim conquerors. Conspicuous, however, is the authors lack of attention to the rule of Islamic Empires in Afghanistan. The Islamic Empires of this region were some of the most powerful and influential ones during the period extending from 10th century A.D., and played a significant role in shaping the history of Central Asia, Persia and India. The indisposition of the author to handle this period of history in greater detail will come as a surprise to researchers and historians. The following chapter discusses the Mongolian Invasion, the Timurid Empire and Safavid Rule leading up to the creation of the first Afghan state under Ahmed Shah Durrani in 1747. A complete chapter has been written by the author detailing the Anglo-Afghan Wars from 1839 to 1919. Once again the author very concisely narrates the history of Afghanistan during this period ensuring that no important event is left out. Events leading up to the Soviet Invasion, Retreat of Soviet forces and the Afghan Civil War have been described by the author in a succinct manner. Since the history of Afghanistan during this period has been covered by a significant number of books, and that too in great detail, it is relieving to note that the writer has not presented extensive material reproducing the same events in the book. Instead the author sticks to presenting the events briefly. The next chapter in the book discusses the rise of fundamentalism in Afghan society. This covers the role of the Mujahideen, the rise of the Taliban, their war with the Northern Alliance and finally the advent of Osama bin Laden on the global scene. This chapter will be of particular interest to Western readers, especially those in the United States who are not clear about the origin of the Taliban. Afghanistan is a nation about which Western readers knew very little about till the events of 2001. Overall, Runion gives an insightful overview of such a country. In general, the book lays greater stress on the historical events occurring in the past 30 years. According to Frank W. Thackeray and John E. Findling, both professors at Indiana University and foreword-writers for the book, the past 30 years have been witness to a great deal of historical change, and it is to this change that this book is primarily addressed. The material in the book has been presented in an orderly manner, with the author focusing on the chronological order of the historical events. The language used is simple and helpful for students wishing to acquire knowledge about the subject matter in a short time duration. However it must be noted that the book presents a very brief overview of the history of Afghanistan, with the overly plain language at times becoming simple even for high school students. As the reader moves towards the more modern history of Afghanistan, it becomes perfectly clear that this book was written for Americans who wanted to know more about Afghanistan after 2001. If that is the only purpose of the readers, this book will prove fine. But if the readers are history students or researchers, they will find vast other eras of history getting ignored. The book contains additional chapters that add useful detail to the historical narrative. One chapter is a thorough chronology of important historical events, making it easy for readers to follow the flow of Afghanistans history. Another chapter features biographical sketches of the nations most important figures who have contributed to the historical development of the Afghan nation. The book also contains a comprehensive bibliography, so that those readers interested in the subject matter can find more about the nation and its history. Each chapter is followed by detailed notes explaining the contents of the chapter, making extensive references to works of other writers and historians on Afghanistan. Included alongside these items is a glossary of frequently used terms, and a guide to further readings. The author apparently did a great deal of research and references multiple sources to provide an unbiased look into Afghanistan. It was noted that the chronology of this book moves in a haphazard fashion, and the areas the author chooses to focus on are sometimes puzzling. Even though Afghanistan was a neutral nation during WWI and WWII, those wars are discussed in a paragraph. The authors style of narrating the events which have not yet occurred in a specific section becomes irritating at times. For example, the author writes: That king ruled until the war was over in 1967 Then the next section will begin: The war of regicidal independence began in 1960 This is fairly common, and has the readers sometimes struggling to put their mindset back into chronological order. The absence of maps was greatly felt, which could have assisted in explaining the historical contents of the book. Similarly, the book contained no illustrations or images, making it a tiresome and unamusing read at times. Inclusion of maps and illustrations could have added to the appeal and quality of the book Overall, the book makes a satisfactory attempt to explain the major historical events of Afghanistan very briefly. Some historical details have been ignored by the author. For an introductory history to Afghanistan, this serves its purpose, but it will probably pique rather than satiate the readers search for knowledge, which may have been the authors point all along. The book has about 150 pages, so if the readers want an in depth material this probably isnt recommended. However, this is a great starting material for those wanting to gain more understanding on the country and the current focus on modern events and conflicts It is recommended for general public wishing to acquire elementary knowledge and background information about the history of Afghanistan in a concise manner. Students of history and researchers looking for in-depth material on the subject however will be disappointed.

Othello: Racism Essay examples -- Othello essays

Othello: Racism  Ã‚        Ã‚   Just how serious is the problem of racial prejudice in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello? Is it pervasive or incidental? This essay intends to answer questions on this subject. Blanche Coles in Shakespeare’s Four Giants maintains that the racial discrimination in the play may be overstated by critics: In the first scene, Roderigo has referred to Othello as â€Å"thick lips.† No other character in the play attributes any such negroid features to Othello, and it should be remembered that Roderigo has a half-insane prejudice against and hatred for Othello. Brabantio refers to his â€Å"sooty bosom,† but may he not have meant his hairy chest? Some rather fair men have black hair on their chests. The word â€Å"sooty† seems to apply more aptly to this interpretation than it does to a mere black body. All other characters refer to Othello respectfully as â€Å"the Moor† or â€Å"the valiant Moor.† (80) In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his dislike, or rather hatred, for the general Othello for his having chosen Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello. Roderigo shares Iago’s prejudiced attitude toward Othello: â€Å"What a full fortune does the thicklips owe / If he can carry't thus!† The word thicklips is a disparaging reference to a facial characteristic of many members of the dark-skinned race. When, by loud shouting, Brabantio is awakened, Iago commences with a series of racial epithets: Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   your gown;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your heart is burst, you have lo... ...e.   EMILIA. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil! (5.2)    Following Iago’s murder of Emilia, he is captured; Lodovico addresses Othello, who is so dejected at having been deceived by his ancient:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O thou Othello, thou wert once so good,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fall'n in the practise of a damned slave,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What shall be said to thee? (5.2)    Needless to say, damned slave has racial overtones. Shortly thereafter, the hero, in remorse for the tragic mistake he has made, stabs himself and dies on the bed next to his wife, his sorrow being as deep as his love.    WORKS CITED Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos. Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.   

Using Ethos, Pathos and Logos in Advertisements Essay -- Advertising M

Using Ethos, Pathos and Logos in Advertisements An advertisement is a form of public writing in which the author uses writing strategies as a way to catch the attention of a reader and to persuade that reader to purchase what he or she is promoting. In order to create an effective advertisement, the author relies on the product’s credibility, uses reasons to convince the reader to buy what he/she is promoting, and attempts to appeal to the reader based on emotion. A way in which this can be achieved is through using three components of writing known as ethos, pathos and logos. As an example to illustrate how these strategies can be used as an effective method of persuasion, I have chosen to analyze an advertisement produced by a travel agency. In the ad, the author’s attempt is to use logos and pathos as his primary means of persuasion but touches on all three components of writing as a method of luring the reader into choosing Texas as the primary choice for a vacation destination. The author’s intent is to rely on this location to represent the travel agency as a source for planning the vacation. Using ethos is a way of appealing to the reader based on the credibility of the source in which the author is trying to promote. Credibility can be accomplished by using tactics to support reliability. First, the author attempts to establish credibility by relying on tradition and value. He accomplishes this in the advertisement by placing major emphasis on a man wearing a belt buckle. He states, "You look more closely. And see a grapefruit-sized rodeo championship belt buckle, dazzling in the sunlight. And you know at that moment, you must be in Texas" (McCALL p. 87). One may argue that the ad establishes the locatio... ...pathos is used as the most persuasive form to support the text of the advertisement. In analyzing the advertisement, it is clear that the author ties all these forms of writing together. In doing so, he hopes to gain the biggest audience by appealing to many different life styles. The author uses persuasion as a tactic, which is used to lure potential vacation hunters in to choosing his place of choice. He presents all forms of writing strategies (ethos, pathos, and logos) in the advertisement with the most concentration on logos and pathos. The author feels that the best way to persuade the audience of choice is to state the facts in the text, and then support those facts by appealing to the emotions, which is accomplished in the picture. In some cases, the author only selects one category of writing, which all depends on what he or she is trying to promote. Using Ethos, Pathos and Logos in Advertisements Essay -- Advertising M Using Ethos, Pathos and Logos in Advertisements An advertisement is a form of public writing in which the author uses writing strategies as a way to catch the attention of a reader and to persuade that reader to purchase what he or she is promoting. In order to create an effective advertisement, the author relies on the product’s credibility, uses reasons to convince the reader to buy what he/she is promoting, and attempts to appeal to the reader based on emotion. A way in which this can be achieved is through using three components of writing known as ethos, pathos and logos. As an example to illustrate how these strategies can be used as an effective method of persuasion, I have chosen to analyze an advertisement produced by a travel agency. In the ad, the author’s attempt is to use logos and pathos as his primary means of persuasion but touches on all three components of writing as a method of luring the reader into choosing Texas as the primary choice for a vacation destination. The author’s intent is to rely on this location to represent the travel agency as a source for planning the vacation. Using ethos is a way of appealing to the reader based on the credibility of the source in which the author is trying to promote. Credibility can be accomplished by using tactics to support reliability. First, the author attempts to establish credibility by relying on tradition and value. He accomplishes this in the advertisement by placing major emphasis on a man wearing a belt buckle. He states, "You look more closely. And see a grapefruit-sized rodeo championship belt buckle, dazzling in the sunlight. And you know at that moment, you must be in Texas" (McCALL p. 87). One may argue that the ad establishes the locatio... ...pathos is used as the most persuasive form to support the text of the advertisement. In analyzing the advertisement, it is clear that the author ties all these forms of writing together. In doing so, he hopes to gain the biggest audience by appealing to many different life styles. The author uses persuasion as a tactic, which is used to lure potential vacation hunters in to choosing his place of choice. He presents all forms of writing strategies (ethos, pathos, and logos) in the advertisement with the most concentration on logos and pathos. The author feels that the best way to persuade the audience of choice is to state the facts in the text, and then support those facts by appealing to the emotions, which is accomplished in the picture. In some cases, the author only selects one category of writing, which all depends on what he or she is trying to promote.

Dubai Culture Essay

Dubai is generally an Arabic country with Arab as its official language. However this should not scare you in any way because there are so many foreigners from all over the world who come as businesspeople, tourists or workers. This means that English is used as a language of communication because it common to many. In fact most of all road and location sign posts are in English and Arabic, this also includes restaurant menus, shop signs and so on. http://www. dubai-101. com/dubai-culture/dubai-culture-3. htm Dubai is therefore a cosmopolitan city because of the different nationalities that have converged here. This means that visitors can dress however they like but must be careful not to antagonize the local Muslim cultures. Therefore it would not be wise for women to dress in tight or skimpy dresses; it would be regarded as disrespectful. The local people love wearing traditional dresses, with men wearing â€Å"dishdasha† or â€Å"khandura† which is a long white shirt like dress that is full length. The men also wear a â€Å"gutra† which is a red or white checked headdress. The women on the other hand wear a headscarf and a black robe-like dress called â€Å"abaya†. The abaya is worn over their normal clothes and is worn while in public. http://www. dubai-101. com/dubai-culture/dubai-culture-3. htm The city is beautiful thus photography unless for restricted areas is not prohibited. One should be careful not to photograph Muslim women since it is considered offensive. Areas that photography cannot be allowed are government buildings, ports, airports and military installations, this because of security reasons. Also before photographing anyone it is considered polite to seek their consent. The main types of dishes are Arabic cuisines and sharwama a hot lamb or chicken sandwich with vegetables is sold in the streets by vendors. Alongside this vendors are juice vendors who take advantage of the hot weather. Alcohol is limited and only allowed in licensed hotels and bars. In general the culture of Dubai is â€Å"Vibrant and very colourful. † http://www. mapsofworld. com/dubai/dubai-culture/ REFERENCES Dubai- Dubai Culture: Retrieved on 9th June 2008 from: http://www. dubai-101. com/dubai-culture/dubai-culture-3. htm Dubai Culture: Retrieved on 9th June 2008 from: http://www. mapsofworld. com/dubai/dubai-culture/

Concern for the Environment Essay

Environment refers to everything that surrounds and influences an organism. Our environment is getting worse day by day, and we are suffering for other people and our mistakes. We might not be able to see all of the bad things in our environment, but they are for sure there. This could affect our families and our future one day. There are some problems affecting the environmental stability, namely- ozone depletion, enhanced greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change. First, what is ozone depletion? Ozone depletion is defined as the thinning of the ozone layer, caused by a group of manufactured chemicals called ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Ozone –depleting-substances include chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide, hydrobromofluorocarbons, and Bromochloromethane. Chlorofluorocarbons are mostly used in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump systems. Halons are used historically as fire suppression agents and fire fighting, but now only allowed in very limited situations. Carbon tetrachlorides are limited solvent use in laboratories and chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Methyl bromides are historically used in fumigation, soil treatment, pest control, quarantine, market gardening. Hydrobromofluorocarbons are historically used in fire suppression systems and fire fighting. Bromochloromethanes are historically used in the manufacture of biocides. Second, what is enhanced greenhouse effect? Enhanced greenhouse effect is an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that results in more heat being retained and an overall warming of the Earth’s temperature. Although they make up a small percentage of atmospheric gases, changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases have a huge effect on the balance of natural processes. Burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cutting down and burning trees also produce a lot of carbon dioxide. Because there are more and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped which makes the Earth warmer. This is known as global warming. Global warming is the increase of Earth’s average surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. Global climate change will affect people and the environment in many ways. Some of these impacts, like stronger hurricanes and severe heat waves, could be life threatening. Others, like spreading weeds, will be less serious. And some effects, like longer growing seasons for crops, might even be good! However, as the Earth keeps getting warmer, the negative effects are expected to outweigh the positive ones. From the previous discussions I have made, we already have known how ozone depletion, enhanced greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change would affect the environment. I think, if ozone depletion would still continue, the rate of skin cancers, cataracts, genetic changes and inability of human systems to respond to infection, will increase because, much UV rays can now enter the earth. I also think that, if enhanced greenhouse effect would continue to increase, more heat will be trapped in the atmosphere that will result in global warming of the earth. With connection to the enhanced greenhouse effect, if global warming would still continue, sea levels could rise due to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, and the current patterns of rainfall could change drastically around the world. With regards to climate change, if it would still continue, many larger cities could experience a significant rise in the number of very hot days. Air pollution problems would increase, placing children and elderly people suffering from respiratory problems. Each and everyone of us should be aware of what is happening in our environment. We could reach out to people who don’t care about our surroundings and we could change their negative attitudes to positive ones in creating a better place for us to live in. I guess, by becoming more environmentally aware we can minimize the detrimental effect we have on our world by keeping ourselves fully informed about the bad effects of these environmental issues such as- ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change.

Earth is my mother Essay

The author’s purpose in writing was to understand for herself and to be able to present Navajo sandpaintings as â€Å"dynamically sacred living entities whose meanings lie in the process of their creation and use† (page xix). Sandpaintings, created from different colored sands and sacred objects, are not art. They are representations of mythical beings and legends created for the purpose of reestablishing someone’s health and harmony. The study of sandpaintings and their various meanings permits the reader considerable insight into Navajo land-tied religious beliefs, world view, creation myths, society, history, and even concepts of time. The author, Trudy Griffin-Pierce, provides little autobiographical information in the book. She mentions her rootless Air Force upbringing and how her early readings were devoted to books about Native American culture, especially the Navajo. Although she is distantly related to the Catawba Indians of South Carolina, she always felt a kinship with the Navajo and lived for a time with a Navajo family, learning their traditions, history, and language. This bond drew her to Arizona after she completed her undergraduate degree in art at Florida State University. N. Scott Momaday, in his â€Å"Forward†, adds that Ms. Griffin-Pierce is a very creative artist, capable of understanding and discussing the artistic dimension of the Navajo world. She makes the inventive and imaginative Navajo system of belief without our understanding. Ms. Griffin-Pierce received her doctorate in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1987, where she is currently Assistant Professor in the Anthropology Department and teaches three courses. The information on her website at the University of Arizona reveals that this was her first published book. She has written four newer books, The Encyclopedia of Native America (1995), Native Americans: Enduring Cultures and Traditions (1996), Native Peoples of the Southwest (2000), and Paridigms of Power: The Chiricahua Apache Prisoners of War and Naiche’s Hide Paintings (in press); and two articles, â€Å"When I am Lonely the Mountains Call Me: The Impact of Sacred Geography on Navajo Psychological Well Being†, and â€Å"Navajo Religion†. All of her writings center on the history of Indians in the United States’ Southwest. She is currently studying aging and dementia among Arizona’s Native Americans. In Earth is my Mother; Sky is my Father, Ms. Griffin-Pierce details Navajo religious beliefs, world views, historical myths, societal structure, and astronomical concepts before she discusses the use and structure of Navajo sandpaintings. Basic Navajo religious beliefs are still followed by many Navajos who chose not to assimilate the tenets of Christianity presented to them in the 1800’s. There is no word for â€Å"religion† in the Navajo language. Spirituality, health, harmony, and beauty are inseparable. The universe is an all-inclusive whole where everything has a unique place and beneficial relationship to all other living things. God is the â€Å"Unknown Power† worshipped through His Creation. The Navajo also have a close relationship with the Holy People, with whom they interact daily. (page 34) Navajo religious beliefs are closely tied to their intense longing for and their love of their homeland, which they consider the â€Å"point in space from which all conceptions of the cosmos proceed†. (page xv) The land and the earth is their foundation of all belief, wonder, and meaning in human existence, and the four sacred mountains are the center. There are no permanent religious centers. The Native American Church is a local peyote visionary religion.    The Navajo have a circular concept of time that permits their mythic, spiritual world to coexist with their physical world. The author suggests that the Navajo sacred sandpaintings cannot be understood unless we accept the Navajo’s â€Å"mythopoetic context of layered time, space, and meaning†. (page 7) Navajo spirituality affirms humanity’s place in nature as a whole. Their ceremonies restore the interconnectedness of all life. They believe sickness results from failure to maintain reciprocal responsibilities with the environment, infringement of ceremonial rules, and transgressions against one’s own mind and bodies. Her purpose in writing this book is to share a more humane, more connected view of the world and its contributions in reestablishing humanity’s alignment with the universe. (page 9) Navajos still worship gods and goddesses of specific purposes. Their deities include the Sun; Changing Woman, who brings the earthly seasons; and their children, Hero Twins, Monster Slayer, Born-for Water, First Man and First Woman, First Boy and First Girl, the trickster Coyote, and the Speechless Ones, who cannot utter words. (page 34) These are often depicted in the sandpaintings. Navajos have a concept of the â€Å"Holy Wind†, reminiscent of the Christian Holy Spirit, as a being that exists everywhere and is in all living beings. For them this means that all living beings are related and that humanity has a responsibility to care for other living beings. Curiously, in Navajo Creation stories, the Holy People spoke, sang, and prayed the world into existence with their sacred words. Since everyone has an inner form and is part of the Holy Wind, each has a Holy Person located within. Oneness with the universe creates a responsibility to treat one’s fellow creatures with the same respect one has towards oneself. (page 73). The Navajos were among the last American Indians to migrate from Asia to North America and were late in arriving in the Southwest. They settled in the geographical area bounded by the four Sacred Mountains in the Four Corners area of the Southwest. Their geographical isolation protected them from diseases brought by the Spaniards and provided them with access to stealing their horses, sheep, and goats. They learned weaving from the Pueblos. The Navajo societal structure was and is matriarchal, clan, and family based, and they dwell in isolated family groups structured by the nuclear family, the matrilocal extended family, close relatives, and other relatives. Many Navajo live in frame houses today, but some still choose well-constructed hogans. (page 21) Navajo ceremonial healings involving sandpaintings are conducted by highly trained practitioners called â€Å"chanters† who have learned to sing the elaborate Navajo rituals. The Navajo chanter can cure witchcraft, exorcise ghosts, and establish immunity to illness.   A chanter is a priest, not a shaman, and never enters the shaman’s characteristic trance state. Most chanters are men. Women become diagnosticians, or shamans who acquire knowledge in a trance state. (page 39) Navajo ceremonials are rites (rattle is not used) or chants (rattle accompanies singing. The major rites (Blessingway and Enemyway) use drypaintings with pigments made from plants, including corn, pollens, cornmeal, flower petals, and charcoal. The author explains that Enemyway is a form of exorcism against the ghosts of aliens, violence, and ugliness. The chanting ceremonies (Holyway, Evilway, or Lifeway) use sandpaintings of different colors of sand, ocher and charcoal. Other sacred objects, vegetation, and bowls of water are incorporated into both types of ceremonies. (pages 40-41) There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different sandpainting designs. A sandpainting is a place of entry where supernaturals enter and leave, attracted by their likenesses in the painting. The establishment of this pathway lets the evil or illness in the patient be replaced by the good, or healing power of the supernatural being. (page 43) The healing ceremonies last for several days. It takes four to six people three to five hours to complete a sandpainting six feed in diameter. The workers begin in the center and work outwards. (page 45. The Navajos’ basic concept is that the powers of the heavens and earth are drawn into the sandpainting for the purpose of healing. Time is compressed so that powerful mythic events of the past coexist with the present and restore harmony and well being to the person being healed. (page 58) The sandpainted image is intended to let the sick person project his or her mind through time and space, rising above present earthly limitations.   The Navajo layered worldview becomes meaningless during a ceremony as all layers of heavens and underground become one. The Navajos study the constellations and star arrangements primarily for determination of seasons, and they are not part of the ceremonial core of sandpaintings, even though depictions of mythical gods of creation in the form of constellations may be used. (page 103) One of the more interesting myths is how Younger Brother went to the sky country and met an inner circle of hostile beings whom he left to stay with the friendly Star People in the outer dwellings. These friendly Star People, whom the Navajo call â€Å"The People†, and the hostile beings are still incorporated into sandpaintings. The author concentrated on the â€Å"Mother Earth, Father Sky† sandpainting because it is the most familiar to outsiders and presents the most detailed depiction of the Navajo heavens of sandpaintings in use today. (page 175) She describes the intricate, careful, detailed process involved in making a sandpainting. Mother Earth and Father Sky must be identical in shape and size. The act of creating a sandpainting is healing because it focuses everyone’s thoughts on the principles of balance and order. (page 177) The painting becomes â€Å"alive† to serve its transcendent purpose when the chanter strews sacred pollen on it and blesses those attending. (page 183). The sacred and blessed sandpainting forces the patient to reconnect in time and space to past and present sacred forces and reminds the patient of her connectedness to humans present physically or spiritually. (page 194) This book accomplishes the author’s stated purposes and does discuss the themes in detail. However, the information is disorganized and scattered, making the book itself hard to read. The author’s purpose was to teach the reader how to understand and appreciate the making, content, and purpose of Navajo sandpainting, which she accomplishes. Some of the information presented about Navajo religious beliefs is curiously similar to Christianity, and the author does not sufficiently discuss whether or not these were original to the Navajo who migrated to the Americas or picked up and changed a bit from what Christian missionaries tried to teach them. The Navajo ties to the religious symbolism of their land is remarkably similar to early Hebrew thought, but no mention is made of that. The textual sources used by the author are all documented research papers or books that are fairly recent in date. One would wish earlier sources had been consulted on some issues, but their availability is not known. The author combines quite boring detailed information with her myths and more lively text, making the book itself a challenge to complete. BIBLIOGRAPHY Southwest Studies Program. Biography of Trudy Griffin-Pierce. University of Arizona. http://web. arizona. edu/~swst/faculty/tgpierce. htm. Griffin-Pierce, Trudy. Earth is my Mother; Sky is my Father. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1992.

A Life in the Day of Juan Ponce Enrile

A life in the day of Juan Ponce Enrile By Bibeth Orteza, Philippine Daily Inquirer 26 February 2012 Source: http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/151905/a-life-in-the-day-of-juan-ponce-enrile (Editor’s Note: The author set out to observe a day in the life of her husband’s uncle, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, as he presides over what is one of the most important trials in the country’s history—the impeachment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice. Graciously welcomed by her subject into his home and allowed to tag along to the trial, she came away with much more than just the details of a daily routine.The star of the moment obliged her with a sometimes tearful recollection of his life, enough material perhaps for a scriptwriter like the author and a director like her husband Carlitos Siguion-Reyna to turn into a riveting movie. ) 8:15 a. m. THE MAN of the house is still in his bedroom. Sally Moneda, his cook and personal assistant of 26 years, reminds his clos e-in aide, Julius Gumban, not to take away the newspaper as â€Å"he has not read Bernas [constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, who writes an opinion column in the Inquirer–Ed]. The books under the stairs include the New King James Version of the Holy Bible (quick reference edition); â€Å"Spiritual Politics† by Gordon McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson; â€Å"His Excellency, George Washington† by Joseph J. Ellis; â€Å"1,000 Places to See Before You Die† by Patricia Schultz; and â€Å"The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World† by Joel Krieger. Also â€Å"Presidential Plunder, the Quest for the Marcos Hidden Wealth† and â€Å"Struggle and Hope,† both by Jovito R. Salonga, right next to five books written by Ferdinand E.Marcos during his martial law years. On the flyleaf of â€Å"The Marcos Years,† the former president had handwritten a dedication to the man who would remain his secretary of national defense until 1986 when a People’s Power revolt, aided and abetted by the latter, toppled his dictatorship. â€Å"Sept. 10, 1972, on the eve of my birthday To Johnny, who has contributed to the achievements of the Marcos years in a large way. † 8:25 a. m. Bing Rosales, sent to study reflexology for two years after showing aptitude for the therapy, leads her boss down the stairs. He’s good to us, so we pray that nothing bad happens to him,† she says. â€Å"Good morning, good morning! † exclaims Juan Ponce Enrile. First, his blood pressure is checked. It is normal at 126/60, from a high of 190/90 the previous afternoon. It shoots up every now and then so he has to take maintenance medication. He really should sleep early but just the other day, he didn’t hit the sack until 4 a. m. , he says. His bedtime varies, depending on the amount of reading he feels he has to do because, he says, he has to study and weigh things as well as he can. You see, I am not the court. Th e Senate is the court,† he says. â€Å"I sign the subpoenas, but I need the permission of the court. There is equal weight among the rights of the respondents, the policy of government, the impact of the decision on the public, on the business sector, on everybody. (If we) block disclosures on the basis of loyalties, the public will think we are covering up. People don’t really know the law as much as they do their doubts and their suspicions. 8:30 a. m. Breakfast is a sausage with a dab of mustard.Sometimes it’s a bowl of oatmeal, eaten with inihaw na pusit (dried squid), or rice with scrambled eggs and tuyo (dried fish). Some mornings it is pan de sal (roll) with cheese. Enrile is told this paper has referred to him and defense counsel Serafin Cuevas as the â€Å"superstars† of the ongoing trial. He shrugs, â€Å"I don’t know what that infers. † He likes to pore over his cases alone, he says, and tests the validity of the opinions of other s against his own study of all the issues involved. â€Å"I make my own trial brief,† he adds.In the years when he was practicing law, he says, he would first check a case for any violations against the Constitution, and then study the laws that could apply, given the facts, the pleading or the complaint. â€Å"I was fortunate to have met brilliant minds in and out of court,† he recalls, such as Vicente Francisco, Jose W. Diokno, Alberto Jamil, Rod Jalandoni, Claudio Teehankee, among others. At 88, he can still name his professors at the University of the Philippines College of Law where he received his law degree in 1953. Jose Espiritu for corporation law, Emiliano Navarro for criminal law, Enrique Fernando for constitutional law, Peping Campos for negotiable instruments law, Norberto Quisumbing for trial technique, Bienvenido Ambion for torts and damages, Mrs. Laurea—I forget her first name (it’s Norberta)—for contract law and family relations, J uan T. Santos, â€Å"who   made us memorize the Rules of Court from cover to cover, my goodness. † He asks Sally for coffee and continues, â€Å"My grades were good, but I didn’t become a bar topnotcher.I answered the exam questions both ways, and for that I got minuses. † Enrile placed 11th, with a rating of 91. 72 percent, in the 1954 bar examinations. If that’s not impressive enough, consider this: He got a perfect score in commercial law. An argument with professor Vicente Abad Santos caused him a â€Å"3† in civil law. â€Å"I didn’t know he was so sensitive. That was five units so bumaba ang average ko (that lowered my average grade),† recalls the man who would have graduated magna cum laude of the UP College of Law class of 1953 but had to settle for cum laude.When student and teacher met again, it was as secretary of the Department of Justice and head of the Board of Pardons and Parole, respectively. â€Å"I gave you a low grade even if you deserved a higher one because you so irritated me,† Enrile recollects Abad Santos telling him. â€Å"Never mind, I am now your boss,† he recalls answering. â€Å"We then became friends. † All his teachers, he says, were good to him, including the ones at Harvard University where, on full scholarship, he earned his Master of Laws with specialization in taxation and corporate reorganization. 9 a. m. I do not wish them to mark me absent at the legislative session,† he says, so he leaves home earlier than most people would expect since the impeachment trial doesn’t start until well after lunch. After taking some time to read the briefs and curriculum vitae of two ambassadors scheduled to pay him a courtesy visit this day, he breaks his silence. â€Å"I never expected to amount to anything. † For a caminero (laborer) like him who made 75 centavos a day smashing rocks on the road from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m. , to be able to get a good e ducation was nothing short of a miracle, he says. At the Harvard Law School, studies attered to him more than anything else. Again, Enrile is able to recall his graduate school professors: Paul Freund for constitutional law and conflict of laws (â€Å"one of the brightest professors ever at Harvard†), Milton Katz for international law (â€Å"he became the director of the Economic Cooperation Administration or the US Marshall Plan in Europe†), law school dean Erwin Griswold for basic courses in income taxation, Stanley Surrey for international taxation (â€Å"he became US Treasury assistant secretary†). â€Å"For corporate reorganization I had Ernest Brown. I could not understand a thing he was saying [in class],† recalls Enrile. My God, I did not know accounting at all! So I forthrightly admitted I had a problem following him. † The professor lent him two books and told him to come back only after he had read the books. â€Å"I did exactly that, an d only then did everything sink in,† Enrile says. â€Å"That was when I learned what corporate reorganization really entailed. † While at Harvard, the Ilocano scholar received a monthly allowance of $170. He managed to have $700 in savings by the end of his stay. â€Å"I didn’t go out much, except for few times with Paeng Salas, Ado Reyes and sometimes Beniting Legarda,† he says.At the time, too, his romance with a girl from Iloilo had just ended. â€Å"Her letters simply stopped,† he says. â€Å"I presumed she had found someone. I presumed wrong. I would find out she never married and that, shortly before she died, she wanted to see me. † He didn’t have to nurse a broken heart for long. While in Massachusetts he met a girl from Costa Rica and, shortly thereafter, marriage was being discussed. â€Å"Her condition was for us to live in her country, where her family had sizable land holdings,† recalls Enrile. â€Å"I said no. I h ad just met my father. He was as happy as I was to meet him.How could I agree to live in Costa Rica? † 9:20 a. m. Enrile swings by the legislative session in the same hall where he is to preside later and is marked â€Å"present. † Senate President Pro Tempore Jose â€Å"Jinggoy† Estrada is presiding over a group that includes Vicente Sotto III, Franklin Drilon, Gregorio Honasan, Ralph Recto, Joker Arroyo, Ramon Revilla Jr. , Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Villar, Manuel Lapid, Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano, Teofisto Guingona III, and Francis Escudero. Out of their robes the senators are easily recognizable. Senator-judge Juan Ponce Enrile as presiding officer at the Corona impeachment trial.INQUIRER file photo A short elevator ride takes Enrile to the Office of the Senate President, which has been his since the 14th Congress started in November 2008. He responds to morning salutations from employees not by merely nodding but by verbalizing a hearty â€Å"magandang umaga rin! † In his office, there is time for chitchat before the diplomat guests arrive. He knows exactly where he is in the conversation, so much so that one has to interrupt him and ask how he keeps his focus. He seems taken aback by the question, as if wondering why his focus is a concern. He answers nonetheless. Even before I sleep, I anticipate what is to come, what I’m to encounter. I make up my mind about certain decisions, the direction I’m going to take, and that’s it—unless someone can persuade me to the contrary. But I do not close my mind. I am not against hearing other positions. I need to be sure I am not making an error in judgment when I arrive at my present position. † 10:45 a. m. The diplomats arrive, and Enrile receives them in the conference room adjacent to his private quarters. After an hour, he returns with a brisk stride that says so much about his morning exercises and calisthenics. I sometimes dance, even by myself, while watching a dance DVD. I sweat and I get to stretch,† he says. â€Å"Every now and then I drop by the 365 Club at the Hotel Intercon. It’s no longer what it was in the days of Ka Doroy [then dean of newspapermen Teodoro Valencia–Ed. ] and Mesiong Yabut [former mayor of Makati–Ed. ], but I still have friends there. My sister Armida is also a member. † The relationship with Armida Siguion-Reyna has an interesting back story. The boy who was given his mother Petra’s family name, Furraganan, found out who his father was while he was getting ready to join the guerrillas in the last World War. Anakka iti ruar. Ponce ti nagan ti tatang mo. Maysa nga abogado. Awan ditoy, adda didiay Manila,† his mother had confessed to him in Ilocano. (You are my child out of wedlock. Ponce is your father’s name. He is a lawyer. He is not here, he is in Manila. ) From that day on, Juanito went by the nom-de-guerre Valentin Ponce, the first after his day of birth, which is Feb. 14, and the second, in honor of his father. Juanito had two older brothers Eduardo and Eligio, sons of his mother by her first husband Martin Paddayuman, who died early.He also has five younger siblings from his mother’s marriage to Macario Rapada of Ilocos Sur. They were Marciana, Melanio, Luisa, Juliana and Ireneo. The family tree gets more complicated. One day he was invited to the home of Vicente Alvarado, his father’s neighbor in Aparri. â€Å"There I was introduced, without any warning, to Nena, Teresing, Edeng, and Carmeling,† says Enrile. The girls, it turned out, were his father’s children by Rosario Martinez of Cagayan, along with a son named Mario, whose boat had been torpedoed by the Japanese on his way back to Manila to marry his girl.So there before him were four more Ponce-Enriles. Soon he would find out about Nancy, another half-sibling from their father’s liaison with Maria Balisi of Aparri. As far as h e knew then, he had seven half-siblings by his mother and six by his father, whom he had never met. 11:50 a. m. Executive Assistant Tala Maralit walks in with Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto. Enrile waves the senator in and they huddle. Senator Trillanes comes in next, with a procedural question. It’s a short, quite cordial exchange. 12 noon The Senate President is not one to lunch alone.Four others join him for a Chinese meal of clear soup, steamed garoupa, steamed shrimps, crabs with black-bean sauce and bok choy sprinkled with garlic. He continues with his recollection. â€Å"So I had met some paternal siblings. † Late in August of 1945, Alvarado returned from Manila, with a message for Juanito. â€Å"My father wished to see me, and I was to go with him to Manila at once,† recalls Enrile. In the city, he was brought to a house in Sta. Mesa. After a week, he still had not heard from the father who he had been told wanted so badly to meet him.He would soon dis cover that one of his roommates, William Balisi, was a full brother of the same Nancy whom he met in Aparri. William was therefore also his half brother. William whispered to the young probinsyano that he had disappointed their father, which was why he was doing errands in that household, in addition to holding a day job at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. â€Å"Don’t be like me,† Enrile recalls William telling him. â€Å"You study hard. † William then informed his younger half-brother that there had been a misunderstanding of sorts and it didn’t look like the Sta.Mesa Ponce-Enriles were going to introduce Johnny to their father. Johnny would have to go see the old man on his own, but how? He hardly knew his way around town. â€Å"Listen carefully now, this is the way to Papa’s office,† William instructed him. From Sta. Mesa, all the way to Legarda, to Azcarraga (Recto Avenue), to R. Hidalgo, to Quezon Boulevard, Enrile found himse lf in Quiapo where he was struck with a baton by an American sentry. â€Å"I had no idea what jaywalking was,† he recalls. He then walked straight to Carriedo, crossed Avenida Rizal, passed the Ideal theater, walked towards the Sta.Cruz bridge, walked around Plaza Sta. Cruz, found Dasmarinas Street, turned left around the corner and went on until he reached Plaza Cervantes. â€Å"And there it was, the Edificio Soriano. I entered the building from Plaza Cervantes. I saw people standing in front of a door on the right side of the corridor. I stopped and watched. William told me to go to the seventh floor of the building. As I stood there, I noticed people rushing out of the door as it opened, and people outside rushing in before the door closed. It was my first time to see something like that. I was afraid I would not get out from there alive.No one had told the boy from Cagayan about the wonderful contraption called the elevator. On the wall facing the elevator door on the se venth floor were the words â€Å"Dewitt, Perkins, and Ponce-Enrile Law Offices. † Juanito approached Santiago Gampued, the telephone operator behind a desk in the lobby, and introduced himself. â€Å"I want to see attorney Alfonso Ponce Enrile. I am Juanito Furraganan. † He was made to write his name on a small piece of paper and told to wait. Gampued returned shortly and motioned him to a narrow hallway that ended in front of a polished wooden door on the northeast corner.Seated behind a large desk cluttered with piles of paper was a man Castilian in appearance—light complexion, bushy eyebrows, hair almost all white, thick eyeglasses over his high-bridged nose. The man stood up upon seeing him. â€Å"He was of medium built and as tall as I was,† recalls Enrile. â€Å"I’d have thought him urbane, if I knew the word then. And imposing. †Ã‚   Although his face was somewhat haggard and marked with lines, Enrile thought him good looking. â€Å" He walked towards me, I met him halfway,† recalls Enrile. â€Å"He stepped forward, raised his arms, put them around me, held me tightly and said, ‘I am sorry, my son. † 1:45 p. m. Gumban has walked in and out of the office twice, perhaps to remind his boss of the time. He sees what he sees and backs out. The Senate President is crying. He apologizes, but is unabashed. â€Å"I break down every time I recall the first time I met Papa. † In October of 1944, he says, he was being beaten up by the Kempetei almost every day, and had no way of knowing if he was going to live or die. â€Å"Now, September of 1945, I find myself being hugged by the father I had only much recently found out about, and he’s telling me I’m not going back to Sta. Mesa. I’m to ride with him to Malabon.He is driving a black, three-seater Chevrolet convertible sports car,† says Enrile. The car stopped in front of the steel gate of a large compound that held a tw o story semi-concrete house a few meters away. They get off. They are met by a handsome woman, two girls and two boys much younger than Johnny. (Raquel, the oldest girl, happened to be with their maternal grandparents in Pinaglabanan. ) â€Å"Papa goes†¦ Papa goes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He removes his glasses, wipes the tears off the lenses and, half-laughing, half-crying, says, â€Å"Papa said,   ‘Mama, Mida, Nene, Junior, Toti—this is Juanito.He is my son. From now on he will live with us. ’† Enrile was 21 when he was enrolled a high school junior at St. James Academy in Malabon. After his senior year, he had to take a validating examination for all high school subjects from first year to the first semester of third year as his academic records were incomplete. After high school, Juanito was accepted at Ateneo de Manila for his two-year pre-law studies, and graduated cum laude, despite having to work as an assistant librarian in his father’s office .By this time, so many shovels and picks away from his caminero days, he was getting paid P120 a month. The library proved to be most memorable for the advice that came from his father’s senior partner Clyde A. Dewitt, a former Thomasite: â€Å"If you aspire to be a trial lawyer, master the rules of evidence. Gain the habit of knowing thoroughly the facts of every case you handle. Study the case from the viewpoint of the other side as much as you study your side. Learn the technique of cross-examination by heart.You acquire that skill, not from reading books, but from actual practice in the courtroom. To be a corporation lawyer, you must have a thorough knowledge of corporation law, a familiarity with business practices and a working knowledge of accounting. † Before Enrile entered the UP College of Law, his father instructed Mariano Carbonell, a senior lawyer in the same office, to file a petition to judicially change his surname. 2:14 p. m. The Presiding Officer, Sen ate President Juan Ponce Enrile, calls the Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona to order.

A Holy Nation

A Holy Nation Essay A Holy NationAfter creating the world, a paradise for human kind, God is forced to banish Adam and Eve because they disobey His orders to not eat fruit from the tree of wisdom. This results ultimately in the fall of man to earth. Immediately from the beginning of his time on Earth, man chooses not to follow the path set before him by God but instead spreads evil throughout the world. Therefore, the inherent problem humans face is the pressure to judge between good and evil, the need to aspire to be like God. Gods first solution to this problem was to flood the world killing everyone, but those on Noahs arch. God realizes, however, that this is not an answer to the problem that humans are, and decides upon a second solution, that being the Holy Nation of Israel. God creates Israel, so that the Holy Nation and its history can serve as a guiding-light to the world. Israel is therefore an example in which the world can look upon and learn from. A pivotal character within the great histor y of Israel, is the Holy Nations first king, King Saul. Saul epitomizes the problematic human being, and his character fully illustrates human pride, the need to rise up and be like God in judging what is right and wrong. This pride is ultimately the central source of all other sins. The rule of Saul over the people of Israel is a major turning point for the Holy Nation, for it marks the end of a line of Judges and begins a line of Kings. Saul is anointed king of Israel due to the sin of the people of Israel. The citizens of Israel, notice not only that Samuel, the Judge, was growing old, but also that his sons, whom he appointed to succeed him as Judge, did not follow their fathers ways but were intent on their own profit, taking bribes, and perverting the course of justice(8:3). As a result the people demanded a king be appointed to rule over them, even after they were given a solemn warning of the future kings tyranny (8:10-8:18). Because the Israelites reject the order of Judges , they thereby reject Gods word that He will save them, and have, as a result, lost faith in God. God states to Samuel, Listen to the people and all that they are saying; they have not rejected you, it is I whom they have rejected, I whom they will not have be their King(8:7). In spite of His peoples sin against Him, however, God finds a king to rule over Israel, and chooses Saul. In the beginning Saul is a strong and humble leader to his people. When is uncle questions him about Samuels remarks, Saul replies, He told us that the donkeys had been found but he did not repeat what Samuel had said about his being king(10:16). He does not tell his uncle that he is to become king of Israel because he is not overconfident and prideful in his position as ruler over Gods chosen ones. Moreover, Saul becomes very zealous and effective leader when he chooses to take a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and send messenger with the pieces all through Israel to proclaim that the same would be done to the oxen of any man who did not follow Samuel and himself to battle(11:5). Sauls first acts and first successes as king prove not only that he possesses the qualities of a good leader, but also reinforces in the mind of the people that he is Gods chosen. Sauls first victories against the nations enemies cause great joy and excitement amongst the Israelites. During this moment of rejoicing, Samuel gives a warning to the people of Israel that is more directed towards Saul himself. Samuel states, If you will revere the Lord and give true and loyal service, if you do not rebel against his commands, and if you and the king who reigns over you are faithful to the Lord you God, well and good, but if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, then his hands will be against you and against your king(12:14-15). Here, Samuel is effectually warning against the inherent human problem, telling the people not ever to substitute Gods judgement for ones own judgement. Although this is only a warning, it comes at a very unexpected time and foreshadows Sauls perpetual fall form Gods good favor. READ: 12 Angry Men EssaySauls mistakes and sins toward God begin in his very next campaign against the Philistines. The Philistines mustered to attack Israel; they had thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horse, with infantry as countless as the sand on the seashore. The Israelites found themselves in sore straits, for the army was hard pressed, so they hid themselves in caves and holes and among the rocks, in pits and cisterns(13:5-6). Upon this pathetic image of his countrymen Saul begins to doubt Gods promise to save His people, therein lies Sauls fatal mistake, and mans basis for sin. As a result Saul chooses to acting in the manner of pagans, make whole-sacrifices in order to ensure the Lords favor. Although sacrificing to God may seem slight and excusable, the reason for which Saul chooses to act in this manner is not. Saul has shown that he has lost his confidence in God, and that his actions no longer correspond to Gods wishes because he can some how judge between rig ht and wrong for himself. At this point Sauls downfall is not fully apparent to the reader, but Samuel is able to see through to Sauls deadly sin. Samuel states, You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the command laid on you by the Lord your God; if you had he would have established your dynasty over Israel for all time. But now your line will not endure; the Lord will seek out a man after his own heart, appoint him prince over his people, because you have not kept the Lords command(13:13-14). Samuels words at this point seem far too drastic, but Samuel makes this statement because he is able to recognize that Sauls broken reasoning can only lead to more extreme sins against God. During Sauls next campaign against the Amalekites, Samuels warning comes to fruition, and now not only is God and Samuel able to see Sauls apparent flaws, but so can the reader. God directly commands Saul during a time in which the word of the Lord was rarely heard, and there was no outpouring of visio n(3:1), stating, Go now, fall upon the Amalekites, destroy them, and put their property under ban. Spare no one, put them to death, men and women, children and babies in arms, herds and flocks, camels and donkey(15:3). Fully understanding the commands that God gave him, Saul goes directly into battle with the Amalekites, yet he chooses not to obey Gods word, in spite of the strong emphasis that was put on the correct course of acts he should have taken due to Gods rare direct instruction. Saul inflicted defeat on the Amalekitesbut Agag king of the Amalekites he took alive and his army spared the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat beasts and the lambs, and everything worth keeping; these they were unwilling to destroy, but anything that was useless and of no value they destroyed(15:7). Therefore Saul as acted out in total defiance of God. He no longer follows the word of God, but instead has acted out of his own volition. His rejection of the word of the Lord results in his loss o f the Kingdom of Israel as prophesized by Samuel who took Agag and hewed him in pieces. Sauls actions at Amalek become a pivotal point in Sauls life because God does not support him any longer; he has loss his anointment as King of Israel. The argument that ensues between Saul and Samuel is a most powerful piece of symbolism. As Samuel turned to go, Saul caught the corner of his cloak and it tore.(15:27). At this point Saul is standing like a guilty child, pathetically holding onto a shred of cloth. This image marks the start of Sauls drastic downfall. READ: Fahrenheit 451 - A Charred Existence EssayA new king is revealed to Samuel, by God, as being David. God also anoints David as King of Israel, presenting a major conflict since there are now two kings of Israel. David is also appointed commander of Israels army and succeeds in battle, routing his enemies a number of times. As a result Israelites begin saying, Saul struck down Thousands, but David tens of thousands(18:7). This causes Saul to become thick with jealousy of David, and soon Saul is seen hurling spears trying to murder David, yet David amazingly is able to dodge certain death. After this Saul was afraid of David because he saw that God had forsaken him and was with David, who led his men into action and succeeded in everything that he undertook(18:12). Yet Saul continues to pursue and try to murder David, a clear agent of God. Therefore, Saul has ultimately developed on three separate levels. On the first of these levels, he first begins to doubt Gods power and wor d when he sees the massive Philistine army and makes a sacrifice to ensure Gods support. This first sin slowly progresses onto a second level, when Saul chooses to openly defy God and decides to spare Agag. In his final level of development, Saul has deteriorated into an evil person searching for a way to destroy Gods good work. Although it is perfectly clear that God protects David, Saul continues to try and kill him. At this junction Saul finds himself alone; his son is on Davids side, his daughter is on Davids side, his people are on Davids side, and most importantly God is on Davids side. Therefore, Saul must die and give way to David, yet David is unwilling to kill Gods anointed one, and the Philistines are kept from kill Saul because they are all uncircumcised. The final solution presents itself when Saul is injured and thereupon he took his own sword and fell on it. Once Saul is dead as a result of his own hand, David is king and he is not stained with the blood of another an ointed king. Sauls progression from Gods chosen king to king against God comes full circle. He came from the sin of the people and therefore he must die when he returns to that sin. Sauls story serves as an example of human natures need to judge for itself in its purest form. This need is very problematic, as we have seen, because humans can only see the obvious cause and effects that present themselves throughout life. The Lord does not see as a mortal sees; mortals see only appearances but the Lord sees into the heart(16:7). As humans our perceptions are imperfect, and as a result we cannot possibly judge what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, the most basic human sin is then need to become like God in making these judgements that we cannot possibly make with any accuracy what so ever. Saul embodies pure pride and is apart of Israels development into a nation that will ultimately serve as a guide to the world because he is a model of what humans must restrain themselves form doing and bein g. Religion Essays