Wednesday, November 27, 2019

History of the Classic Teddy Bear

History of the Classic Teddy Bear Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, is the person responsible for giving the teddy bear his name. On November 14, 1902, Roosevelt was helping settle a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana. During his spare time, he attended a bear hunt in Mississippi. During the hunt, Roosevelt came upon a wounded young bear and ordered the mercy killing of the animal. The Washington Post ran an editorial cartoon created by the political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman that illustrated the event. The cartoon was called Drawing the Line in Mississippi and depicted both state line dispute and the bear hunt. At first, Berryman drew the bear as a fierce animal, the bear had just killed a hunting dog. Later, Berryman redrew the bear to make it a cuddly cub. The cartoon and the story it told became popular and within a year, the cartoon bear became a toy for children called the teddy bear. Who Made the First Toy Bear Called Teddy Bear? Well, there are several stories, but this is the most popular of teddy bear lore. Morris Michtom made the first official toy bear called the teddy bear. Michtom owned a small novelty and candy store in Brooklyn, New York. His wife Rose was making toy bears for sale in their store. Michtom sent Roosevelt a bear and asked permission to use the teddy bear name. Roosevelt said yes. Michtom and a company called Butler Brothers began to mass-produce the teddy bear. Within a year Michtom started his own company called the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. ï » ¿However, the truth is that no one is sure who made the first teddy bear.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Verb Conjugation Instructions for ESL Students

Verb Conjugation Instructions for ESL Students Learning how to conjugate verbs in English is not as difficult as many think. The key to learning how to conjugate verbs in English is to focus on how to conjugate the auxiliary verb. What are auxiliary verbs? Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs. They are verbs that help the main verb. All tenses in English conjugate using an auxiliary verb. Only the present simple and the past simple in the positive form takes no auxiliary verb! Follow these easy steps on how to conjugate verbs, and youll conjugate verbs in English with ease. Learn how to identify the main verb in a sentence. Verbs express what someone or something does. Look for the verb that expresses the action of the sentence.Decide on when the action takes place. Does it take place in the present, the past, or the future?Once you have discovered the general time, find out the specific time. Is the action happening at the moment? Does the action happen every day? Has the action happened up to a point in the past, present or future?If the action happens regularly or is a habit, use the present simple verb form: For example: He doesnt work on Saturdays. They play football after school. etc.If the action happens once in the past at a specific point in time, use the past simple. For example: They went to school when they were young. Did Mary visit you last week?If the action happens up to a point in time use a perfect form: present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect. For example: She has worked her for many years. They had finished lunch by the time he arrived. Mary will have finished the report by five pm. If the action is happening at a specific moment in time use a continuous form: present continuous, past continuous or future continuous. For example: She is working at the moment. They will be playing tennis at 5 pm. Tom was eating when she arrived.Now that you know WHEN the action happens, and in what time frame, learn your helping verbs. Present simple or past - do, perfect forms - have, continuous forms - be.Learn to conjugate the helping verbs: I, you, we, they do / she, he, it does | I am / you, we, they are | I, you, we have / he, she it hasLearn which form the main verb takes for each form. Simple forms verb without to (i.e. play, walk, eat, work, etc.). Continuous forms verb ing (playing, walking, eating, working, etc.) Perfect forms past participle (verb in the third form, i.e. bought, understood, played, etc.)Conjugate the verb. Here is the thinking process: 1) Whats the general time? - past 2) Whats the specific time? - at a specific moment 3) Aha! continuous in the pa st OR past continuous 4) conjugate the helping verb - She was 5) Use the continuous form of the main verb: doing 6) Conjugate the verb: She was doing Remember these simple steps: Time? Action Happening? Simple, Continuous or Perfect? Auxiliary verb? Main Verb? Conjugate Example 1 Time? PresentAction Happening? Up to the presentSimple, Continuous or Perfect? PerfectAuxiliary verb? haveMain Verb? liveVerb Form? livedConjugate We have lived here for ten years. Example 2 Time? FutureAction Happening? happening at a specific momentSimple, Continuous or Perfect? continuousAuxiliary verb? beMain Verb? watchVerb Form? watchingConjugate She will be watching TV at nine. Example 3 Time? PastAction Happening? one day in pastSimple, Continuous or Perfect? simpleAuxiliary verb? didMain Verb? playVerb Form? playConjugate Did you play the piano yesterday? Tips Be patient with yourself when learning how to conjugate verbs.Remember that the present simple and past simple do NOT take auxiliary verbs in positive forms.Changes occur in the auxiliary verb, not in the main verb EXCEPT for the present simple.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Alternative Recruitment Methods in HR Practice Essay

Alternative Recruitment Methods in HR Practice - Essay Example References Carlson, K.D, Connerley, M.L and Mecham, RL. 2002. Recruitment evaluation: The case for assessing the quality of applicants attracted. Personnel Psychology. 55(2): 461-490. Taylor, S. 2005. People resourcing. 3rd ed. London: CIPD Publishing. 2. Why do employers persist with the selection interview when more accurate alternatives are available? Selection interviews are the most widely used methods of selection because of the clarity and simplicity as well as cost-effectiveness. Most organisations do not opt for alternative selection procedures because of their complexity in interpretation as well as costs; usage of alternative methods requires training for the managers or selectors whereas the traditional methods do not require any special training other than understanding the job requirements and matching them with the candidates’ skills. However, research indicates minimal or no correlation between future job performance and selection interview (Lunenburg, 2010). I nterviewers do not bother to test the effectiveness of selection interviews. Moreover, managers’ perception of their intuitive abilities rule over structured interview testing; managers tend to have strong belief in their judgmental abilities. Managers believe that selection interviews help to assess the candidates in a variety of situations, which also provides a comprehensive idea of the candidate and his/her fit to the job. Selection interviews do provide opportunities for manipulating the answers by the candidates. Besides these, selection interviews highlight certain skills that may or may not be relevant to the job requirements. Such skills include intangible characteristics such as candidate’s confidence, speaking abilities, positive attitude, presentation, and... Selection interviews are the most widely used methods of selection because of the clarity and simplicity as well as cost-effectiveness. Most organisations do not opt for alternative selection procedures because of their complexity in interpretation as well as costs; usage of alternative methods requires training for the managers or selectors whereas the traditional methods do not require any special training other than understanding the job requirements and matching them with the candidates’ skills. However, research indicates minimal or no correlation between future job performance and selection interview (Lunenburg, 2010). Interviewers do not bother to test the effectiveness of selection interviews. Moreover, managers’ perception of their intuitive abilities rule over structured interview testing; managers tend to have strong belief in their judgmental abilities. Managers believe that selection interviews help to assess the candidates in a variety of situations, which also provides a comprehensive idea of the candidate and his/her fit to the job. Selection interviews do provide opportunities for manipulating the answers by the candidates. Besides these, selection interviews highlight certain skills that may or may not be relevant to the job requirements. Such skills include intangible characteristics such as candidate’s confidence, speaking abilities, positive attitude, presentation, and enthusiasm. Many organisations have understood the drawbacks of selection interviews.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Hinduism - Essay Example Such is the her greatness that the kings and all other men seek help from her as she is the one praised by all the gods; Goddess Lakshmi holds a dominant position in the hierarchy of Hindu gods. She is called many things such as; the sacred fire, the golden one, the one garlanded in silver and gold, are some of her attributes. Her arrival means good news for the people and her procession brings good luck and happiness for them. When the goddess approaches the poet it brings them comfort. Her sacred fire looks fierce but it glistens like smooth cool water. She herself is very content and also bestows contentment on her people. She is also the protector of people; the poor seek refuge in her presence. Her arrival is glorified in the original Sanskrit poems so much so that it appears that the concept of happiness and comfort is her creation. The poem tells that worldly pleasures like gold, cattle, horses and even loyal friends become the destiny of her followers when she arrives. It is as if when the goddess gives attention to the one invoking her she bestows contentment, love, satisfaction and worldly p leasures onto that person; Be it the common people or the king, everyone bows before the goddess Lakshmi and seeks her help. The poem praises her beauty and calls her the ‘sun brilliant’. The poem says that through her austerity the bilva tree springs up and gives fruits that has the power to dispel Alaksmi (the goddess of misfortune). Later the poem also asks the goddess to bestow fame and give wish fulfilling jewel. The fame and fortune is also in her powers to bestow upon the common people. Goddess Lakshmi does not only provide worldly pleasures and wealth. She also gives the peace of mind, the pleasure and the truthfulness in speech. When goddess Lakshmis daughter, Kardama, dwells in a person it will make Lakshmi dwell in his home. The Lotus garlanded Shri is also her title.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Why Beloved Should Still Be Taught in Schools Essay Example for Free

Why Beloved Should Still Be Taught in Schools Essay The concept of having Beloved banned in public schools is just a ludicrous idea and should be removed by the schools that currently enforce it. Although many students may not like reading, the book helped me realize the importance of the things I take for granted after reading the book. Beloved should still be taught in schools because of the major values it teaches including racism, family, and the true meaning of freedom. Beloved helps recognize the true meaning of freedom due to the many past experiences that are played out in the story. An example of freedom in the book is how harsh and cruel schoolteacher was to all of the slaves on the plantation. From Mr. Garner to schoolteacher, the conversion was horrific. Mr. Garner treated his slaves with respect and even gave his slaves last names, something that they had never had before. The chokecherry tree is a significant piece in the story because it is a collection of scars from all the whippings that Sethe had and is a memory of everything that she wen t through when she was still a slave. All the whippings that she received from schoolteacher align into the shape of a chokecherry tree. A final point of slavery is how Halle worked to buy Baby Suggs her freedom. After many years on the plantation and excruciating pain, Halle thought it was only right to free Baby Suggs from Sweet Home. Another important lesson that the story teaches is the value of family through the events that occur at 124. For example, the character Paul D is a character that falls in and out of the story. In the beginning of the book, Paul D temporarily stays with Sethe setting the tone that Paul D, Sethe, and Denver could all work together as a family. â€Å"The shadows of three people still held hands. (Morrison 49) As explained in the quote, the three of them held hands via shadow when they went to the carnival and seemed like everything would work out in harmony, all until Beloved was brought into the picture and throws off the balance in the house. The importance of family is also explained when Denver, Beloved, and Sethe develop a relationship upon each other developing the concept of she is â€Å"mine†. â€Å"You are mine†,( repeated three times by each character)( Morrison217) A final example of love for family is the point in the book when Sethe killed Beloved for her wn benefit to protect Beloved from being raised into slavery. A final example of why Beloved should still be taught in schools is because of the various points of views that it has on racism which is what connects all the characters in the story together. Sethe had been raped, robbed of her milk, and conditions forced her to kill her daughter Beloved. Paul D had been imprisoned in a cube in an all blacks prison after attempted murder, and Stamp Paid was forced to give his wife away to another white man who took his wife away for over a year. One of the racist events that occurs in the book is when Sethe was branded, lashed out, and thought of as a baby mill to her master thus putting her in inhumane conditions where she is treated and worked like an animal. Another incident of racism is when Sethe is at work and a woman is making racist remarks towards Sethe. A final example of racism in the book, is a time with Paul D where he is muzzled and gagged so he cannot speak or make any comments, putting him in poor work conditions and under schoolteacher’s rule, being treated like an animal. The poor memories that Paul D does not want to remember are stored in his â€Å"tobacco tin†.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Military Ethics †Humanitarian Aid in Somalia Essay -- Somalian Histor

In August of 1992, President George Bush Sr. sent US soldiers into Somalia to provide humanitarian relief to those Somalis suffering from starvation. The major problems in Somalia started when President Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown by a coalition of opposing clans. Although there were several opposing groups, the prominent one was led by Mohammed Farah Aidid. Following the overthrow of Barre, a massive power struggle ensued. These small scale civil wars led to the destruction of the agriculture in Somalia, which in turn led to the deprivation of food in large parts of the country. When the international community heard of this, large quantities of food were sent to ease Somali suffering. However, clan leaders like Aidid routinely hijacked food and exchanged it for weapons leaving thousands to starve to death. An estimated 300,000 Somalis died between 1991 and 1992 (Clancy 234-236). US soldiers were later sent into Somalia to capture Aidid, but when the operation got bloody, dis pleasing the American public, Clinton withdrew troops (Battersby 151). In The Morality of War, Brian Orend outlines ethical guidelines that should be followed in all three stages of war: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and jus post bellum. Orend states that a nation can be moral going into war, but immoral coming out of one. Did the US act justly in all facets of the Somali conflict? The United States espoused all the guiding principles of jus ad bellum but right intent, upheld the principals of jus in bello, and clearly failed to uphold several aspects of jus post bellum during the armed humanitarian intervention in Somalia. Jus ad bellum is defined as â€Å"justice of war† and is recognized as the ethics leading up to war (Orend 31). Orend contends that an... ...ed to uphold to the standards of jus post bellum. It is evident when one looks at Somalia today. Somalia still lacks a strong central government and several thousands, if not millions, of Somalis are at risk of starvation due to drought. Again, the United States entered the conflict failing to adhere to all the principals of jus ad bellum, espousing the principles of jus in bello, and inadequately upholding those of jus post bellum. The US entered the war an unjust nation, and left the conflict in a rather unjust manner. As a result, Somalia faces hardship over two decades later with no signs of a hasty recovery. Even worse, with the problem lingering and the international debt crisis, few countries are willing to intervene in Africa to cut out a solution. How long will the world let Somali people starve and whose job is it to intervene if America is unwilling?

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Prevalence of One Party Rule in African States Essay

Africa, often known as the ‘Dark Continent’ rightfully occupies its place as the ‘Cradle of Civilization’ as the first humans have been known to originate from this continent of diverse ethnicities, tribes and clans. Since ancient times, the very nature of African society predicated formation of kingdoms and states centered on ethnicities and clans. Later, the advent of colonialism brought to Africa new forms of governance, which included democratization, socialism, communism and dictatorships. One enduring feature of African style of governance has been the prevalence of one party rule in most African countries. This paper examines why there is such a preference for such single party model of governance in Africa. To fully examine the subject, this paper shall first provide a historical overview of the progression of styles of governance in Africa and then examine the trends in major countries that make up the African continent. The paper will argue that the intrinsic nature of the African society and the effects of colonialism predispose them to following a one party rule. Historical Overview Africa is the world’s second largest continent both in terms of size and population and has 54 countries many of which are struggling democracies, a few communist regimes, and a number of authoritarian regimes bordering on dictatorship. Since ancient times, Africa had its indigenous systems of governance based on tribes and ethnic affinities. Africa also had great civilizations like the Egyptian civilization in 3300 B. C (Martin & O’Meara, 1995, p. 79). The earliest foreign influence came in 814 B. C. with the founding of Carthage in present day Tunisia under the Roman Empire which was followed by Persian domination of Egypt. In 332 B. C. , Alexander the Great replaced the Persian domination of Egypt and Roman rule continued in much of North Africa till the advent of Islam in the early 7th century (Martin & O’Meara, p. 99). In all these cases, the style of governance was centralized, as exercised by the emperor based in Rome or Persia through an appointed sovereign. The influence was limited mostly to North Africa, while the rest of Africa was considered too difficult to traverse due to thick jungles. Thus even in North Africa, from ancient times, the focus was on one –man rule and that more or less ‘conditioned’ the North African people to accept models of ‘uni-power’ in those times. Since the jungles were impassable and large number of tribes and ethnicities abounded, it was natural that rest of Africa had thousands of small kingdoms, states and at times independent nomadic tribes who dominated a particular territory. Each tribe had its own set of rules, customs, traditions and styles of governance, which again was predicated on the rule of one man or a tribal elder. The concept of Greek ‘city-state’ like democracy complete with a senate and an executive was non-existence. Over time, some of the tribes became more powerful and evolved into larger settled kingdoms that coalesced around similar ethnicities and language such as the Ghanaian empire that existed in 790-1076 A. D. followed by the Mali Empire from 1230 to 1600 A. D. (Martin & O’Meara, p. 70) The significant changes in style of governance came with the advent of colonialism. From the 18th century and by the late 19th century, most of Africa was divided up between the colonial powers; France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Netherlands. Under colonial rule, the African people had to undergo centralized rule of the colonial powers and the brutal suppression of any African revolt reinforced this submissiveness to a one-man rule. During the colonial period, the colonial powers brought with them their systems of governance, jurisprudence and legislation (Martin & O’Meara, p. 8). Colonialism lost its vigor in the early 20th century and by 1980, most ex-colonies in Africa gained independence. The former colonial powers before exiting from the continent tried to put into place systems of governance in ‘their own image’. Thus across Africa, a variety of ‘democratic’ systems took hold. Most of these ‘democratic systems were basically presidential forms of government, being the closest approximation to what they were used to both as per their pre-colonial experience and their colonial experience. The end of the Second World War gave rise to the Cold War and the Soviet Union tried to expand its influence in Africa also. This gave rise to numerous socialist-communist regimes in Africa that were opposed by the U. S. leading to proxy wars. Having examined the broad trends of the historical period of Africa till the advent of independence, the paper will now examine specific examples of how prevalence of one party rule exists in Africa. It is not intended to cover all 54 countries, but few sample countries that typify the various regions of Africa. For the ease of comprehension and brevity, Africa will be discussed under the heads North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa. North Africa North Africa because of its proximity to Asia had significant influence of Asian and Islamic traditions superimposed on ethnic African traditions and cultures. It is because of the spread of Islam in the 7th century, most of North Africa is Islamic. Islam, an egalitarian religion is considered as a complete body of work wherein all aspects of human life including politics and governance can be practiced through the Quran, the Holy book and the Hadith, the Islamic interpretation of Jurisprudence. Under Islamic law and Islamic political systems, an Islamic state is governed by a Caliph and where a Caliph no longer exists, then by a monarch or a ruler. Ideas such as secularism and democracy have very little congruence with the practice of political Islam. When such a system is overlaid over ancient tribal culture of a village head, it becomes natural that a state be ruled by a monarch or an authoritarian head and if not, the nearest approximation, a single grouping or party. Take for example, Egypt. Egypt, since ancient times was a land ruled by the Pharaohs, then the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and the Arabs. In the colonial era, Egypt was ruled by Britain but the largely Islamic populace got independence from Britain in 1922 (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, 2003, p. 28). Egypt was initially a constitutional monarchy and had adopted the British parliamentary system of government but constant political interference from Britain led to internal turmoil that finally resulted in a military coup in 1952 (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 28) in which the monarchy was overthrown and Egypt declared itself to be a Republic under General Muhammed Naquib. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew Naguib in 1954 to become the Egyptian President. Nasser, on assuming power banned all political parties and created a one party named the Liberation Rally to run the government. This move helped him consolidate his power and rule Egypt till his death in 1970 after which he was succeeded by Anwar El-Sadat, the vice President (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat carried out political reforms and reverted to a multi-party system (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 31); creating one of the parties called the National Democratic Party and remained the President till he was assassinated in 1981 by a group of Egyptian army officers during an army parade (Pateman & El-Hamamsy, p. 29). Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak is still in office since 1981 and is the present leader of the National Democratic Party. Though by the Egyptian constitution, multi-party system is allowed, due to sustained state patronage, the National Democratic Party is the only party which has the necessary financial and political clout to win elections. There are other smaller parties that have virtually no chance of winning a single election and till to date Egypt is essentially ruled by a single party. Libya, a British colony was declared as a monarchy under King Idris in 1951 but was overthrown by a revolution led by Colonel Muammer al-Gaddafi in 1969 (Wright, 1981, p. 130) who has ruled the country ever since. Political parties were banned by Gaddafi in 1972 and the country is ruled by the ‘revolutionary leader’, Gaddafi aided by a Revolutionary Committee also called as the People’s Congress. Tunisia was a French protectorate that became independent in 1956 and adopted a Presidential form of government, copying the French model, except that it rapidly turned into an authoritarian police state where most ‘Presidents’ have been military personnel. The present incumbent, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a former military officer (Perkins, 2004, p. 7). On paper, political parties are allowed but in reality, it is only the President’s party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally that gets almost all the seats. The rest of the political parties are usually browbeaten into submission by the state’s security system and there is virtually no free press. The farcical nature of Tunisian ‘democracy’ can be gauged by the fact that in the 2009 presidential election, Ben Ali received 89. 62% votes to continue as the President (Lowe & Amara, 2009, p. 1). The ancient kingdom of Morocco, a French and Spanish Protectorate gained independence in 1956 as a constitutional monarchy, a system that continues till to date. Though the King of Morocco has a prime minister, a parliament and a multi-party system, the style of governance continues to be – rule by one man, the King (Forum, 2008, p. 49). West Africa In West Africa, the situation is slightly different. Here more than Islamic influence, it was the effect of local dynamics, ethnic rivalries, Christian missionaries and communist influence that has determined the preference for single party rule. Take for example Liberia, the only other country other than Ethiopia which has an American connection rather than a European past. Liberia was created through a private American enterprise to house freed African American slaves and became independent in 1847. Since, the project was American led; Liberia adopted a presidential form of system. However, the American backed Liberian elite who ruled the country came in conflict with 16 other indigenous ethnicities living in Liberia. Since the regime was thrust ‘top down’ from the Americans, tensions quickly developed and a coup by a group of ethnic military soldiers led by Samuel Doe took place in 1980. Doe replaced the presidential republic with his authoritarian regime. Political parties were allowed to exist but their freedom remained curtailed by the regime which furthered the hold of its own party, the National Democratic Party of Liberia. The 1985 election results in which the opposition Liberal Action Party won were declared invalid by Doe, which led to the Liberian Civil War in 1989. Doe was killed and the power passed into the hands of Charles Taylor (Moran, 2008, p. 106), who continued his dictatorial regime which again led to another civil war in 1999 that continued up to 2003 and only came to halt with Charles Taylor being forced into exile in Nigeria. From 1847 till 2003, Liberia was ruled by the Americo-Liberian elite and their single party. Since 2003, a transitional government was put into place with international intervention, which because of corruption was dissolved and fresh presidential elections were again held in 2005 and was won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the head of Unity Party who became the first woman President of an African country (Polgreen, 2005, p. 1). Nigeria got its independence from Britain in 1960 and had numerous political parties. These political parties were sharply defined along ethnic lines comprising of three main ethnicities; the Hausa, the Igbo and the Yoruba (Rotberg, 2007, p. 19). The Yoruba dominated Nigerian National Democratic Party won the elections in 1965, which led to political dissensions and instability resulting in two military coups in 1966. This did not resolve the problem as the Igbo, dominating the Eastern region of the country declared independence from Nigeria leading to the Nigerian civil war 1967-1970 that led to over a million deaths. The civil war ended but not the ethnic strife and the military continued to rule Nigeria with coups and assassination of the presidents being a regular feature. For thirty years, Nigeria continued under military rule till 1999 when it finally elected Lusegun Obasanjo, a former military dictator as its President. Obasanjo was re-elected in 2003 (Rotberg, p. 13) as the President amidst allegations of rigging. Obasanjo was replaced by Umaru YarAdua of the People’s Democratic Party in 2007 and on his demise now been replaced by Goodluck Jonathan (Nossiter, 2010, p. 1). So while the American model was adopted, the actual functioning of a presidential type of government has been a recent development in Nigeria’s history. At present there are two main parties in Nigeria, the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party with numerous smaller parties. What must be noted is that a democratic political system in Nigeria is still nascent and fragile and should ethnic differences arise again it will not be long that another military coup will take place in the interests of ‘national security’. Angola became independent in 1975 after having been a Portuguese colony from the 16th century. Angolan independence came right in middle of the Cold War where Soviet influence in Africa was rising. The independent country was immediately plunged into a civil war between the Soviet backed Communist MPLA faction and the American backed anti-communist UNITA rebels (Sheehan, Yong, & Lin, 2010, p. 38). The Angolan civil war continued for 27 years (Sheehan, Yong, & Lin, p. 43) till declaration of ceasefire in 2002 by which time over 500,000 people were killed. The ideological factions had an ethnic base too wherein the MPLA comprised basically Angolans of the Kimbundu clan and the UNITA, the Ovimbundu tribe. Presently, the Communist MPLA holds power in Angola. As can be deduced, this being a communist regime with no legitimacy, the concept of political parties in a democratic system does not apply. East Africa East Africa including the Horn of Africa portrays a region of extreme instability with a few deceptively stable nations. Sudan, the first country being analyzed, after gaining independence from Egypt and Britain in 1956, was gripped by a civil war till 1973 (Barker, 2008, p. 16). This civil war was basically because of ethnic differences between the people of Northern Sudan (Islamic of Arabic lineage) and Southern Sudan (non-Islamic of non-Arab lineage). While the civil war raged, Khartoum was ruled by the Sudanese military. A ceasefire in 1973 negotiated through granting autonomy to Southern Sudan kept the peace till 1983 when the military general, and the de-facto President, Nimeiry unilaterally decided to incorporate Southern Sudan into a federation. The civil war continued (Barker, p. 18), Nimeiry was ousted in 1983 and replaced by a democratic government under Prime Minister Al Sadig Al Mahdi which was not recognized by the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (SPLA) of Southern Sudan. Civil war continued anew. In 1989, Colonel Omar al-Bashir over threw Prime Minister Al Mahdi, abolished political parties and established an Islamic code on entire Sudan. Al-Bashir formed the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation and allied his group with National Islamic Front to consolidate Islamization of firstly, Northern Sudan and then the rest of the country. In the subsequent military action by the Sudanese army, the SPLA were defeated in Southern Sudan by 1994. Having achieved consolidation, Bashir dissolved the revolutionary council in 1993. In the 1996 election Bashir declared himself to be the only candidate eligible to run for President. All other political parties were disbanded and Bashir converted Sudan into an Islamic state with single party at its helm – the newly created National Congress Party (NCP). Meanwhile, Bashir unleashed a brutal war of suppression on the non-Arab ethnic minorities in the Darfur region using proxy militia known as the Janjaweed that has resulted in deaths of over 400,000 Darfuris (Kessler, 2005, p. 1) leading to an indictment of Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. At the tip of the Horn of Africa lies the failed state of Somalia where no functional government exists. Somalia was never formally colonized by any power and had come under a variety of influences ranging from Islamic influence during the Ottoman Empire, Fascist influence under Mussolini’s Italy and then British military administration from 1941 that was replaced by the formation of a republic of Somalia in 1961 with a parliamentary form of government (Lewis, 2008, p. 33). This brief democratic interlude was shattered in 1969 when President Shermake was assassinated and replaced by a military government. The military created the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party in 1976 and ruled the nation till 1990. Meanwhile, various Islamic factions and clans grew in size and potency that overthrew the military government leading to a series of skirmishes through the period, 1990-1991. The long standing military dictator, Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 and President Ali Muhammed was installed, yet the civil war continued. The UN Security Council approved the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) in 1992 that has since been replaced by UNOSOM II with no success. Presently, a Transitional Federal Government (Lewis, p. x)is the internationally recognized government of Somalia whose writ does not even run through the entire city of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. In the dismal narrative so far, Kenya appears to be a bright democratic spark in the African continent. After achieving independence from Britain in 1963, Kenya adopted a semi-presidential form of government albeit, with the peculiar African preference for single party rule. The Kenyan constitution mandated formation of only a single party in Kenya. Governments continued to be formed under the single party system until 1992 when electoral reforms were introduced to allow a multiparty system. The elections since then have been held in generally free and fair manner. The 2007 elections were marred by allegations of rigging in which the main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Freedom accused the ruling Party of National Unity for stealing the election. In the ensuing rioting, over 1000 Kenyans lost their lives (Raghavan, 2010, p. 1) and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Peace was restored through international mediation in 2008 and the country is presently being run by a grand coalition of members of both the parties under a new constitution (Raghavan, p. 1). Kenya’s relative stability is attributed to the British colonial era, where unlike the rest of Africa, the colonists set up educational institutions and government infrastructure. Also, unlike the other African countries, 78% of Kenyans are Christians while 10% are Muslims, 10% indigenous and the rest 2% are Asian immigrants (CIA World Factbook, 2010, p. 1). Central Africa In Central Africa, the Republic of Congo has been in the news for decades for all the wrong reasons. Congo received independence from France in 1960 and adopted the French presidential model of governance. However, the first President, Fulbert Youlou was ousted in 1963 by a military coup, which then installed a puppet civilian government (Rorison, 2008, p. 225) and also adopted communist ideology. In 1965, the Congo republic formally joined hands with the Soviet Union, firmly coming into the soviet bloc (Rorison, p. 226). This alignment did not bring about political stability as the original French democratic influence clashed with the ‘uni-power’ Soviet ideology leading to a series of coups and dictatorship under Denis Sassou. During his first spell of rule from 1979 to 1992, Sassou ruled Congo under a single party rule of the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) (Rorison, p. 227). When external pressures grew strong, he introduced multiparty system in 1990 and was defeated in the 1992 Presidential election. Sassou’s ouster led to a civil war between the supporters of Sassou and his competitor Pascal Lissouba. Sassou, a former colonel won the civil war and proclaimed himself as the President in 1997. In 2009, Sassou was sworn in for another seven-year period (Amnesty International, 2010, p. 1). In Congo’s case too, for most of its independent history, the country has been ruled by a single party and now despite a multi-party ‘democracy’ in place, the original political party, the PCT continues to rule the country. Southern Africa In Southern Africa, any discussion regarding Africa would remain incomplete without illustrating the case of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, originally Rhodesia became independent after a violent struggle with the British in 1980. Throughout the period, 1965-1979, the country was engulfed in a civil war between British government forces and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) led by Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) led by Joshua Nkomo as also a number of smaller splinter groups (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, 2009, pp. 141-165). In the 1980 elections, Robert Mugabe won by a wide margin but fighting with opposing parties and groups continued. The two main parties the ZANU and ZAPU fought bitterly until 1988 when ceasefire was declared and the two parties merged into ZANU-PF thus starting Zimbabwe’s slide into single party dominated system (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, p. 179). Till to date the ZANU-PF has won every single election by force. Mugabe’s policies of throwing out the white farmers and forcibly occupying lands and giving it to the poor black resulted in economic sanctions by the West and a meltdown of the economy. Owing to his bad economic policies, hyperinflation struck the country and created political space for Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change to challenge him in the 2008 elections. The results were rigged but could not conclusively establish Tsvangirai’s claim of having won the elections. In September 2008, Mugabe maintained his power as the President by agreeing to share power with Tsvangirai who became the Prime Minister (Raftopoulos & Mlambo, p. xxxii). Yet again, the single party rule dominates Zimbabwe. Finally, a discussion of Africa would be incomplete without examining its most prosperous and advanced state – South Africa. In South Africa, the colonial power, the Dutch did not relinquish their hold over the country and continued in the form of Apartheid, which was once again predicated on the dominance of a single party – the White minority party thereby conditioning the people of South Africa to rule by a single party. However, the violent suppression of the minorities could not continue indefinitely and ever since 1961, when South Africa left the British Commonwealth (Berger, 2009, p. 166) the white minority National Party faced constant protest from the black majority for equality. Till 1993, the National Party had banned other political parties (Berger, p. 166) and it was only in the face of sustained international pressure and internal struggle by the black and colored populations that the ban was lifted in 1993 and the African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela was allowed to participate in elections. In Mandela, the South Africans found a charismatic leader who exuded the moral authority and statesmanship, which promised to build a future for the suppressed races. Mandela delivered on his promises but also led to consolidation of the ANC as the only party of choice for the people of Africa. The National Party chose to merge with the ANC and this yet again showed the propensity of Africans to prefer single party rule. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be reiterated that analysis of all the regions of Africa shows a remarkable similarity of circumstances that seemed to have shaped their preference for single party rule. The ethnic make up into tribes and clans were at the most basic level, the building blocks for adhering to the instructions of the clan leader or village headman. This obedience in turn was further conditioned by brutal colonial rule, where the colonial masters used every suppressive means to keep the Africans submissive. Suppression and exploitation itself became the rallying point for the African clans to unite and fight for their independence. Since most of the colonial powers only exploited Africa and did not build institutions, the succeeding indigenous governments had no infrastructural back up to employ their people or give immediate succor; naturally, the people fell back to tribal and clan loyalties as rallying forces. Since these points of opposition had to be formed clandestinely, they became sort of secret societies that formed oligarchic groups to fight for independence. On attaining independence the basic dynamics of the groups did not change and they continued as a closed ‘in-group’, which only heightened social inequalities and strife broke out in most cases. As democratic institutions had not been allowed to mature under the colonial period, people tended to cluster around the ‘village headman’, in other words, any leader with some charisma and since one institution that always has a clearly defined leader is the army, most governments became victims of military takeovers. The populace conditioned by colonial repression now became victims of military repression. Military forces needed a ‘democratic fig leaf’ to govern nations and so they set up political parties which were then headed by serving or former military officers to perpetrate the rule of a single party in the states. Parts of Africa that had predominantly Islamic influence adopted Islamic laws, which ideologically are not compatible with democratic secularism. Therefore, these countries by default became ruled by a king or a dictator or by a single party. Where the Cold War intruded the African political space, communist regimes under laid by African tribalism became the dominant feature. In these cases, the political ideology required the rule of the state by a single party. Later, when communist regimes fell, the old habit of single party rule lingered on. Thus the assertion that there is prevalence of one party rule in African states is emphatically proved. However, as can be seen from the examples of African states discussed, the hold of one party system is slowly changing. Multiple parties are emerging as the African people are becoming more aware of the wider world through the process of globalization. They are also realizing the need for multiple choices for governance as a panacea against corruption and despotism. So while the one-party prevalence in Africa may seem predominant at the present, political evolution of the African polity is taking place that will, in time transform into a more inclusive political process across the continent. References Amnesty International. (2010). Congo (Republic of). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www. unhcr. org/refworld/country,,,,COG,,4c03a835c,0. html Barker, G. (2008). Sudan. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Berger, I. (2009). South Africa in World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CIA World Factbook. (2010, August 3). Kenya. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke. html Forum, A. P. (2008). An Audit of Police Oversight in Africa. Cape Town: African Minds. Kessler, G. (2005, April 27). State Dept. Defends Estimate Of Deaths in Darfur Conflict. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601397. html Lewis, I. (2008). Understanding Somalia and Somaliland: Culture, History, Society. NY: Columbia University Press. Lowe, C. , & Amara, T. (2009, October 26). Tunisian President Wins Fifth Term in Office. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Reuters: http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE59P03M20091026 Martin, P. M. , & O’Meara, P. (1995). Africa. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Moran, M. H. (2008). Liberia: The Violence of Democracy . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Nossiter, A. (2010, February 9). Nigerian Parliament Names Acting President. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/02/10/world/africa/10nigeria. html Pateman, R. , & El-Hamamsy, S. (2003). Egypt. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Perkins, K. J. (2004). A History of Modern Tunisia . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Polgreen, L. (2005, November 12). In First for Africa, Woman Wins Election as President of Liberia. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from New York Times: http://www. nytimes. com/2005/11/12/international/africa/12liberia. html Raftopoulos, B. , & Mlambo, A. (2009). Becoming Zimbabwe: A History from the Pre-Colonial Period to 2008. Harare: Weaver Press. Raghavan, S. (2010, August 6). Kenyans Celebrate Approval of New Constitution. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from The Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080500525. html Rorison, S. (2008). Congo. Guilford: The Globe Pequot Press Inc. Rotberg, R. I. (2007). Nigeria: Elections and Continuing Challenges. NY: Council for Foreign Relations. Sheehan, S. , Yong, J. L. , & Lin, Y. J. (2010). Angola. NY: Marshall Cavendish. Wright, J. (1981). Libya: A Modern History. Beckenham: Croom Helm Ltd.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Encephalitis Lethargica Compared to the Movie Awakenings

Encephalitis lethargica is a rare disease which is an atypical form of encephalitis that can cause symptoms that range from headaches to coma like states. Other potential symptoms include things such as double vision, high fevers, lethargy, and delayed physical and mental reactions. The treatment of the illness was the main focus of the movie awakenings and the book it was based upon. The cause of the illness even today still remains much of a mystery with successful treatment also following suit, thankfully however since a large outbreak of the illness in the late 1960’s there have been very rare reported cases of the disease since.When the movie Awakenings begins we find one of the main characters, Leonard Lowe, as a child. In the movie the viewer sees young Leonard begin to suffer from early symptoms of encephalitis lethargica, he quickly becomes unable to keep up in school and is taken out so he can be watched and also presumably to prevent the disease from potentially spr eading. The movie then jumps to 1969 where the viewer is Dr. Sayer apply for a job in Bronx, his experience up to that point had been all research but the hospital being underemployed hires him anyways.Dr. Sayer soon becomes determined to improve the quality of life for his patients and begins to look for a way to alleviate there illness, despite the skepticism of his peers. After investigating into several of his catatonic patients he finds out that many of them had suffered from encephalitis lethargica at one point or another in their past. Soon after discovering this Dr. Sayer proceeds to learn more about them by consulting a doctor who had treated many patients with the disease.He learns that many patients who survived the outbreak would seem to have periods where they would appear to recover from the illness for a time but after an amount of time would fall back into a state of catatonia. Shortly after learning this probably due to the simple fact that the catatonic behavior of his patients was similar to that of Parkinson's patients, he chooses to pursue the latest advances in Parkinson's treatments.He then attends a conference on Parkinson's treatments, there Dr. Sayer first learns about Levodopa (also known as L Dopa) Sayer proposes that L Dopa should be tested as a treatment for one of his catatonic patients, his superiors express doubts that he will be successful but in the end agrees to let him proceed to try it on one patient. He selects Leonard Lowe to be treated with L Dopa. After some period of time Leonard awakens, after this success Dr.Sayer then tries to lobby the patrons of the hospital for more funding to expand this treatment to other patients and after donations from staff members and after showing Leonard to the hospitals investors he gets the required funding and puts the rest of the patients on L Dopa. They, like Leonard, soon awaken after treatment and appear to all make a full recovery from their catatonic states.It’s not long before Leonard begins to suffer side effects from L Dopa, he experiences convulsions, paranoia, and psychotic behavior which are all real symptoms of L Dopa treatment; Leonard also begins to build a tolerance to the drug and he soon has his symptoms of his illness slowly return. The rest of the patients ultimately experience the same course of events and eventually all return to a state of catatonia. The movie ends with Dr. Sayer giving a speech about what he learned from his patients.The symptoms experienced by the patients and the side effects shown in the movie from L Dopa are extremely accurate with those experienced in real life, such as Leonard extreme emotional state and However the research Dr. Sayer, whose real name was Dr. Oliver Sacks, was similar but wasn’t exactly what occurred during the summer of 1969. Rather than starting the L Dopa treatment with just one patient and then expanding the treatment to the rest of the patients as was depicted in the film, Oliver Sacks actually began his study as a double blind procedure with a placebo group and with a treatment group.He also originally intended to only let the study last for 90 days however once he saw that fifty percent of his patients were showing improvement, Sacks went ahead and began giving the rest of the patients L Dopa and dropped his 90 day window for the study. Within the film Dr. Sayer is depicted going from one patient to his whole group of patients, apart from this the movie appears to be completely in line with the events of real life. Works Cited Micromedex, Drug Information Provided By:. â€Å"Levodopa (Oral Route). †Ã‚  Mayo Clinic.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 01 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Awakenings. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Side Effects of Carbidopa-Levodopa. †Ã‚  Side Effects of Carbidopa-Levodopa. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"NINDS Encephalitis Lethargica Information Page. †Ã‚  Encephalitis Lethargica Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Awakenings. †Ã‚  Oliver Sacks MD RSS. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

single sex education Essay Example

single sex education Essay Example single sex education Essay single sex education Essay Single Sex Education Single sex education consists of separating males and females and putting them in different classrooms or buildings in order to teach them differently. This type of schools relieves some of the pressure that parents have due to the stories they hear about the kids in co-education schools. Single sex education is psychologically, educationally and socially more effective than co-education due to scientific researches that have been held over more than a 100 elementary schools. Many people look at the idea of single sex schooling as a negative way of teaching. They ctually dont look at all the facts that have been proven scientifically. Scientific researches have concluded that there are brain differences between both boys and girls. They both need different teaching styles that will benefit each one academically in a specific way. For example, in an only-girls class, talking and discussing is used as a learning tool which results in an observation. While in a boys class, talking mainly results in a punishment. Other studies by David Chadwell have also proven that The composition of the male eye makes it attuned to motion and direction. Boys interpret the world as objects moving through space, he says (as mentioned in Kaufmann, C. ,n. d. , para. 4). This is why its suggested that the teacher should keep moving while explaining to keep them concentrated. However, girls are oriented towards shapes with a lot of details so to get their attention; the teacher sits them in a circle. David Chadwell also stated that the male eye is attracted to cool colours like blue, silver, grey, brown and black, while the female eye is attracted towards warm colours like red, yellow and orange. In addition to the sight, they also hear differently. Girls have a more finely tuned aural structure; they can hear higher frequencies than boys and are more sensitive to sounds,(as mentioned in Kaufmann, C. , n. d.. Para. 7) for example, girls get annoyed when a teacher raises her voice, while boys enjoy it as they find it exciting. Another reason for supporting single sex schooling is that it is more comfortable for the students to share their opinions and respond to questions in class. This causes them to become more competitive. They also act freely and arent afraid to be themselves as there is no pressure of trying to impress the opposite sex. Students choose the subjects they would like to study without having to think how theyd appear in front of the opposite sex. For example, girls can study math, science and technology subjects without the fear of appearing as tomboys; boys can study arts, poetry, music and advanced subjects without being afraid to be called a nerd or a freak. Scientists also found out by tests that girls mature earlier han boys and this might be the reason for the different thinking ways of the two sexes. Finally, an important factor found in single sex schools more than the co- educational ones is the fairness factor. In 1993, two professors in the American University, Myra and David Sadker, published a research that noted student-teacher interactions. They reached a conclusion which stated that in co-educational schools, female teachers always prefer male students and male teachers prefer female students. For example, when boys keep calling out answers and yell, the teacher oesnt remind them that they have to raise their hands first. While if a girl yells out Proponents of single sex schooling claim that the amount of academic improvement in this type of education is more than that in co-education. The idea of separating both genders eliminates any distractions that can be caused due to the relationships that could occur between them or the way both genders care about what the opposite sex thinks. When only one sex is available, it is easier for the teacher to find the most suitable technique for teaching her students. She becomes more effective due to the time spent trying to engage with the students through physical activities. Its also easier to explain topics that might embarrass girls when taught in front of boys, for example, the menstruation cycle. Opponents think that the social skills of students are affected by this type of education in a negative way. They assume that they wont know how to handle and socialize with the opposite sex. However, this idea can be easily refuted by scientific researches that have interviewed people who were n single sex schools and now are working and socializing normally. When interviewed, they totally disagreed with this assumption. They also said that single sex education tends to break social stereotypes that can be found in most of the co- educational schools. One of the most important social advantages of single sex schools is that the amount of bullying is very low. This is very important because some children who go through bullying eventually end up having socializing problems or becoming criminals. In single sex schools, students arent Judged by what they study, how they dress or how they look. They are accepted the way they are. It is a new experience that everyone should try. A new feeling not everyone gets the chance to feel! The school eventually becomes like a second home to the students and the people in the school are considered as a second family. People against this type of schooling should reconsider the idea and try it because there is a big possibility they will change what they think of it!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Freedom of the Press and Student Newspapers

Freedom of the Press and Student Newspapers Generally, American journalists enjoy the freest press laws in the world, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But attempts to censor student newspapers- usually high school publications- by officials who dont like controversial content are all-too-common. Thats why its important for student newspaper editors at both high schools and colleges to understand press law as it applies to them. Can High School Papers Be Censored? Unfortunately, the answer sometimes seems to be yes. Under the 1988 Supreme Court decision Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, school-sponsored publications can be censored if issues arise that are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns. So if a school can present a reasonable educational justification for its censorship, that censorship may be allowed. What Does School-Sponsored Mean? Is the publication supervised by a faculty member? Is the publication designed to impart particular knowledge or skills to student participants or audiences? Does the publication use the schools name or resources? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the publication can be considered school-sponsored and can potentially be censored. But according to the Student Press Law Center, the Hazelwood ruling doesnt apply to publications that have been opened as public forums for student expression. What qualifies for this designation? When school officials have given student editors the authority to make their own content decisions. A school can do that either through an official policy or by simply allowing a publication to operate with editorial independence. Some states - Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Oregon and Massachusetts - have passed laws beefing up press freedoms for student papers. Other states are considering similar laws. Can College Papers Be Censored? Generally, no. Student publications at public colleges and universities have the same First Amendment rights as professional newspapers. The courts have generally held that the Hazelwood decision applies only to high school papers. Even if student publications receive funding or some other form of support from the college or university where they are based, they still have First Amendment rights, as do underground and independent student papers. But even at public four-year institutions, some officials have tried to smother press freedom. For example, the Student Press Law Center reported that three editors of The Columns, the student paper at Fairmont State University, resigned in 2015 in protest after administrators tried to turn the publication into a PR mouthpiece for the school. This occurred after the paper did stories on the discovery of toxic mold in student housing. What About Student Publications at Private Colleges? The First Amendment only bars government officials from suppressing speech, so it cant prevent censorship by private school officials. As a result, student publications at private high schools and even colleges are more vulnerable to censorship. Other Kinds of Pressure Blatant censorship isnt the only way student papers can be pressured to change their content. In recent years many faculty advisers to student newspapers, at both the high school and college level, have been reassigned or even fired for refusing to go along with administrators who want to engage in censorship. For instance, Michael Kelly, faculty adviser to The Columns, was dismissed from his post after the paper published the toxic mold stories.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Response 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Response 2 - Essay Example For this reason, followers of the religion are the least westernized. In addition, Appiah (2006) recognizes the importance of religion is retaining the cultural and social balance. In an example, he cites that the superior nature of man over women is today recognized as a religious teaching. However, this is important in cultural or social setting. However, Appiah is correct to argue against the use of violence to retain social balance or cultural purity. Generally, the article portrays the role of religion as a mandatory way of retaining the purity of cultures and humanity. However, this approach to humanity cannot be effective in the modern humanity. People have the freedom to explore other cultures and social paradigms without being held back by religious customs or untimely religious interpretations. In the response by India Ferguso’s post, I agree with the argument that the religious view of one person should not be universal. This is based on that each religion or person may have different perception of religion, culture and social life. Regardless of the cultural or religious affiliation, a person may always explore culture that they perceive as appropriate for them. However, I disagree with the assumption that westernization has increased the disregard of culture and religion. The western culture is part of the paradigm of a changing world. If people, mostly leaders, enhanced their teaching on religion and tradition the world population would not be easily westernized. Westernization may be a failure on cultures and religion to remain stern and resist being versatile to suit the need and beliefs of every person. For instance, religions like Islam remain less corroded from the fact that they retain the original provisions of the religion regardless of the global

Friday, November 1, 2019

Champion of the world by maya Angelou chapter 19 Essay

Champion of the world by maya Angelou chapter 19 - Essay Example Chapter 19 gives a full description of small southern town of Stamp residents who are present in Momma’s store. These people are fully engaged to the ongoing championship boxing in the radio. This fight is between Carnera, who is Caucasian and Joe Louis representing the African American. In the event of the fight, Louis almost loses the fight but at the end of the fight he manages to win the fight. The win for the world champion title triumphs both the fighter and the whole race. In this respect, there is an indication that people can be united by a common belief or desires in the major events like this one. The fully crouched bodies in the store listening attentively to the prize fight indicate the coincidental placing of individuals with a common goal (Angelou 133). The reason behind the occurrence of the story is to create hope. The strong hope is then shaken when Louis indicates a sign of losing. Despair is uttered by the abrupt switch of confidence and hope. The author also uses the story to induce a sense of desperation where he points the fear of retreating to slavery for the African American people in the case of Joe losing the fight (Angelou 135). Another factor contributing to the happening of the story is the induction of the mood of greatness after the depression point uplift. In the story, Angelou plans the story events to empower rejoice mood in contrast with the desperation mood. The whole chapter narrates a story in the target for the deliverance theme immediately after the change of scene from the cool air in the night (Dungy and Whitaker 76). The story unfolds at the store full of people keenly listening to the main fight for Joe Louis on the radio. Joe is fighting the white man hence wins majority of the supporters in the store due to the black identity. Joe’s victory determines many factors amongst the black race. In accordance to the African American, Louis win gives supporters a