Counterargument of an essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Counterargument of an - Essay Example It is not the advertising that attracts and influences the individual but the contents included in the advertisement. Â  A company’s main aim may not be to sell their products or services alone because there are other important objectives of advertising such as advertising the company itself and introducing the new product in market. Company’s main objective varies from time to time and is considered necessary when it serves the purpose it is intended. However, the most important thing is to reach the target market as much as possible but not all people. Advertising may be received differently by consumers depending on whoever does the advertising and the contents of advertising. Consumers are different depending on the target market and therefore advertising is not bound to have similar effect on most consumers as alleged. Company’s main objectives cannot be targeting children alone since it depends entirely on what the company deals in. There is no way a company dealing in electronics would want to target kids since kids do not even have the capacity of purchasing the products. Furthermore, if any company targets kids, the kids may change their taste either by intending to experience something new or due to change fashion and

English usage and style in Academic Writing Essay

English usage and style in Academic Writing - Essay Example People are wrong when they compare the supremacy of English and Latin in ancient societies. The skeptics of the language are forgetting that Latin was preferable when there were limited resources for documenting languages. Additionally, Latin underwent consolidation around Europe. In contrast, English is a cross-cultural language that does not belong to a particular group of people. According to Mastin (2007, p, 1), different version of English exists but people still use the fundamentals of language. English will not become destroyed because the language is not limited to the workplace. The language also dominates communication on social networking sites. Spanish as a language in Singapore has not hindered the dominance of English as an approach to communication. English is the primary language that facilitated communication in Australia, US and Britain. Besides, countries like Nigeria have adopted the language for official duties. In the past, natives Britons communicate appropriately in English; however, this trend changed with civilization (David, 2003, p, 2). Presently, non-natives have developed a good command of the language despite English being their second language. For example, nations that considered English an alien language are cherishing the language during conversations. The emergence of English is an indication that dialect is not an influencing factor when using the language. The need for a global language sets the foundation for adopting English in different places around the globe. Scholars are encouraging people to use English as the global language with the intention of limiting misunderstandings that are attributable to communication. Indeed, English is the lingua franca for trade and other global activities (Peterson, 2006, p, 3). International bodies such as the â€Å"United Nations† contribute to the progress of the language as the Lingua Franca. Moreover, the academic field is

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome In Stories English Literature Essay

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome In Stories English Literature Essay Post traumatic stress syndrome is a mental disorder that arises from exposure to a traumatic, awfully frightening or life threatening experience happening either to oneself or to a close friend, relative or colleague. The symptoms of this disorder are manifested a while after the experience. The symptoms include reliving the experience, avoidance and hyper arousal. One can re-experience the trauma through flash backs, nightmares, anxiety and frightening thoughts. Avoidance involves keeping away from places, objects or events that remind one of the experience. A person may sink into depression. There is also a loss of interest in activities that once seemed enjoyable. The individual in question also experiences emotional numbness. In hyper arousal, the person gets tense, is easily upset and over-sensitive. The person is also hyper watchful. For diagnosis to be made, the symptoms must have lasted for at least a month. The onset of these symptoms is also delayed by weeks or months. Even though this disorder has been in existence for a long time, it was formally diagnosed in 1980. It has been given other names such as shell shock, stress syndrome, traumatic war neurosis and battle fatigue. In the First World War, the victims of this disorder were said to suffer from gross stress reaction and surviving soldiers of the Vietnam War were said to suffer from post Vietnam Syndrome. With the above background on Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, one can clearly state that the disorder cannot be dissociated from surviving troops of a major war. For the soldiers who survive a war and its traumatic experience, there is no escaping the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and in most cases, life is never the same again. This statement can be evidentially supported by the three war stories given. In the first story, the narrator is the brother of a soldier who survived the Vietnam War. As stated above, the troops in this were said to have Post Vietnam Syndrome (Medicinenet.com, 2010). The narrator reminisces the good times he shared with his brother before he joined the army and was sent off to war. The brother, Henry returns a totally changed person but not for the better. In the second story, Krebs is a soldier who returns from war long after the war heroes have been celebrated. Much as he tries hard to live a normal life, no one understands him and he seems to be living in a world of his own. The third story is narrated by a former war veteran who talks about his experiences with his fellow soldiers in the war. He talks about how a true war story is not moral but full of atrocities. He however says that the truth of a war story is someones experience and is judged by the listener. Story One: The Red Convertible In the first story, Henry is a guy full of life and enjoying it to the fullest. He shares a warm relationship with his brother Lyman the narrator. He is also very friendly and can make conversation even with strangers. On their summer tour, he invites a girl he had not met to ride with them so they could take her home and they end up spending a substantial amount of time at the girls home. He is also funny and makes people laugh like when he carries the long haired girl on his shoulders so that he can have a feel of having long pretty hair. He is adventurous, which is clearly shown when he and his brother spend the whole summer driving across the country. Henry is also depicted as being very enthusiastic and lively. He is spontaneous and not afraid of taking risks. Together with his brother, he spends his pay checks impulse buying a car even after he has been laid off. During their summer tour, Henry is depicted by his brother as having a carefree attitude. This is shown in the way he relaxes under a tree napping peacefully with no cares in the world and enjoying the moment while it lasts. Henry then joins the army immediately after the summer trip. He is sent off into the Vietnam War and it takes about three years for him to return home. By the time he returns home, he is a completely different person. The narrator indicates that the change is not for the better. He also says that even though the war is over in the governments mind. It is going to be long before it is over in Henrys meaning that the war experience will be engraved in his mind for a long time. Lyman also goes on to say that it is going to be hard to expect his brother to change for the better. Research shows that war veterans who develop Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome have difficulty re-entering the society after war and having normal relationships. They bear invisible wounds and battle with their emotions. The shame they fight with causes them to isolate themselves. They are unable to talk about their war experiences with anyone. A significant number will commit suicide when they lose the battle within themselves (Sederer, 2010). In this story, we see Henry struggling to fit into the society once more. As is the case with most war veterans, he struggles to have normal relationships with his family and friends and doesnt talk about his war experiences. As one veteran says, war stuff is stuff you cannot talk about in the civilian world, that is so detached from the war (Simon). Avoidance (Medicinenet.com, 2010), a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome sets heavily on Henrys life after the war. In addition to not talking about his experiences in the war and avoiding the subject altogether, he also avoids close relationships for example the cordial relationship he shared with his brother before the war. He loses interest in the red convertible that he once liked very much which worries his brother. Nothing seems to matter anymore and according to his brother he was such a loner. He seems emotionally numb and when he laughs, he seems like he is crying. He is also no longer the jolly person he was, always cracking jokes and as his brother says, you cannot get him to laugh. Henry also becomes very quiet. He also cannot sit still and is ever moving up and down. This is in contrast to his relaxed carefree self before when he would sit down whole afternoons without moving. He seems to always be on the lookout for something and was always tense, sometimes gripping the armrest of his chair with all his force as if afraid that if he let go he could crash. This indicates hyper arousal a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. You can tell that Henry is reliving his experiences when he bites through his lip. Blood flows down and he does not even notice it. It soaks his bread but he continues eating it which is probably a scene that he lived through in the war. He also kept wearing the clothes he had come back in. When he sets about to repair the red convertible, he works nonstop to the point of his brother thinking he will freeze himself to death with the work, an indicator that he still remembers the hard days at war. At one point, Lyman can feel the struggle that his brother is going through. Despite all that he tries to be normal and to fit into the society once more. There are times that he seems better and acts normal. Post Traumatic Stress has however got the better of him and no matter how hard he tries, he finds that a war veteran does not get over his experiences and become normal that easily. He does not live in the same world as other civilians and soon enough, he becomes one of the statistics in the record of war Veterans who survive the war ordeal but lose their inner battle to suicide (Sederer, 2010). Story Two: Soldiers Home In this story, Ernest Hemmingway tells a story of Harold Krebs a soldier who returns home after fighting five major battles. On his return, Krebs tries hard to fit into the society. It does not help things that he returns long after the heroes have been celebrated. Before the onset of symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Krebs is seen as a sociable person. On his return, he goes to the poolroom to try and reconnect with people. He also somehow never stops liking his sister as stated, He liked her. She was his favourite sister. This indicates that he shared cordial relations with the sister and still liked her. There is also an indicator that Krebs was ambitious as indicated when his mother speaks to him concerning his fathers worries; He thinks you have lost your ambition. He however seems to have been very detached from his father. When Krebs comes back, he initially wants to talk about his experiences in the war. However, no one gives a listening ear and his stories do not seem interesting enough compared to the atrocities that people had heard from other veterans. Soon enough he is forced to lie in order to get people to listen to him. Clearly he is having difficulties re-entering the society after war and fitting in. This is aggravated by the fact that he did not receive a heros welcome. According to a Vietnam veteran, soldiers were likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome when they are not welcomed back home as was the case with most Vietnam veterans (Wellness Directory of Minnesota, 2006). Krebs badly wants to resume his normal life but no one understands him and he seems like he is living in a world of his own. Even when he tells lies, the stories are still not interesting enough. The society that is supposed to help him deal with his experiences and cope with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome fails on its part. One researcher says that after returning home, A combat veteran needs time, support and understanding of other people (Wilson, 2009), and have an opportunity to talk about and, eventually, to feel the emotions associated with (Wilson, 2009) the trauma. As is the case with an Iraq war veteran (Simon), Krebs true war story is incomprehensible by the people around him. Krebs is pushed by the society he is living in into assuming that nothing happened and he has to go through avoidance to face the situation. Avoidance sets in in full gear in Krebs life and his once normal relationships fall apart (Medicinenet.com, 2010). The once sociable Krebs now decides to seek refuge in solitude at the library. This is clearly observed in victims of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome as is noted by one medical doctor (Sederer, 2010). In his words, he says that the shame they soldiers go through in the battlefield has them isolate themselves. Krebs also avoids intimacy, romantic relationships and any other thing that would make his simple lifestyle of avoidance any complicated. This is characteristic of the sufferers of PTSD. He does not want to come out of his shell and face anything that would complicate his life further. He starts living in fear of facing reality. He tolerates his mother but he does not love for. He wishes anyone would understand the world he is living in and the fact that he does not love anyone. He has undergone emotional numbness and also lost interest in things that he had previously liked (Medicinenet.com, 2010). To avoid being pushed further, he promises to go and look for a job. In relation to fellow soldiers, Krebs seems to think they understand him more. However, when he talks to them, he relives his experience at the war which was scary and is forced to face reality. This makes him guilt laden and all the things he did nauseate him. He feels guilty that he survived and shame for all the things he did in the war. Story Three: How to tell a true war story This story is told by a soldier who is trying to find out the mystery behind a war story in relation to reality. He talks about his fellow soldiers in combat and the stories they tell while trying to tell a war story in order to be understood. In the story, there is Bob Kiley whose best friend and fellow soldier Curt Lemon is killed and Mitchell Sanders who is seeking to be listened to and understood. The soldiers in this setting are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Rat Kiley is struggling to stay in touch with his feelings when his best friend dies. He is emotional and humane and despite the war experience, he still has a very vulnerable part of him. According to the narrator, a true war story is never moral otherwise it wont be believed. Consequently when Rat writes an emotional and moral letter to his friends sister, she never replies. The frustration of not being understood leads to him being insensitive and emotionally numb, a case seen in PTSD (Wilson, 2009). A little later, Rat is talking dirty and calling the sister a dumb cooze. He has a lot of anger which according to a war veteran is a symptom of PTSD and is misdirected. Rat unleashes this anger by mutilating a baby buffalo as the other soldiers look on without saying much. They clearly understand what he is going through. According to the narrator, war is a mysterious experience. It is rarely about acts of heroisms and more about anger and inability to deal with terrible and awkward experiences effectively. A war story only makes sense to the narrator and only the listener can judge the truth of the story. Its also about what is real to the story teller whether they die or live after the incident. The narrator portrays the challenges of a soldier in the battle for example, when Mitchell is telling a story; he really wants to be believed. He keeps asking, Understand me. Even though he tries to act as though he tries to act as though he does not care whether he is believed, the narrator can tell from his sadness that he wants to be believed. The narrator also expresses symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. He relives the experiences he has been through and has the images engraved in his mind twenty years later. He can remember the last moments of Curt lemon and how he looked like. He can also remember getting Curt Lemons body parts of the tree; I remember the white bone of an arm. He tells the story in a very indifferent way portraying emotional numbness (Medicinenet.com). He ends the story by talking about the true picture of war as the memories and the unique experience a soldier goes through which involves being afraid and is nothing close to heroic acts. He echoes the words of a former veteran who says that what is learnt in combat is never forgotten (Wellness Directory of Minnesota, 2006) The other soldiers also portray their share of PTSD symptoms through the weird experiences and the noises they hear that lead them to doing things that even their commander would not understand. All in all, the soldiers understand each other because they have been through similar experiences but their experiences are beyond civilian comprehension. Conclusion Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is an experience all too familiar with most war veterans. Their suffering is however incomprehensible to most civilians and their experiences are not understood by civilians. At the end of a war, the soldiers may receive a heroic welcome but due to the bizarre experiences they go through, their lives are never the same again and it takes a lot for them to fit back into the society.

A Corporate Code of Ethics is Not Enough Essay -- Sarbanes-Oxley Act o

After news of the scandal of Enron, one of the hottest items on e-Bay was a 64-page copy of Enron’s corporate code of ethics. One seller/former employee proclaimed it had â€Å"never been opened.† In the forward Kenneth L. Lay, CEO of Enron stated, â€Å"We want to be proud of Enron and to know that it enjoys a reputation for fairness and honesty and that it is respected (Enron 2).† For a company with such an extensive code of ethics and a CEO who seemed to want the company to be respected for that, there are still so many unanswered questions of what exactly went wrong. I believe that simply having a solid and thorough code of ethics alone does not prevent a company from acting unethically when given the right opportunity. Investors and the media once considered Enron to be the company of the future. The company had detailed code of ethics and powerful front men like Kenneth Lay, who is the son of a Baptist minister and whose own son was studying to enter the ministry (Flynt 1). Unfortunately the Enron board waived the company’s own ethic code requirements to allow the company’s Chief Financial Officer to serve as a general partner for the partnership that Enron was using as a conduit for much of its business. They also allowed discrepancies of millions of dollars. It was not until whistleblower Sherron S. Watkins stepped forward that the deceit began to unravel. Enron finally declared bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, leaving employees with out jobs or money. For a company to be successful ethically, it must go beyond the notion of simple legal compliance and adopt a values-based organizational culture. A corporate code of ethics can be a very valuable and integral part of a company’s culture but I believe that it is not strong enough to stand alone. Thought and care must go into constructing the code of ethics and the implementation of it. Companies need to infuse ethics and integrity throughout their corporate culture as well as into their definition of success. To be successfully ethical, companies must go beyond the notion of simple legal compliance and adopt a values-based organizational culture. Creating a Solid Code of Ethics What a Code of Ethics Should Entail The importance of having a code of ethics is to define acceptable behaviors and promote higher standards of practice within a company. The code should provide a benchmark for... ...y’s code but to our own code. We must make the choice of what is right and wrong and if put in a situation that is against our code we must stand up for what is right. A corporate code of ethics is a necessity in today’s society, but the company cannot simply rely on just a code. For the code to be successful, the company must prove to their employees that they have the desire and drive to back the words of their code. Bibliography Enron. Code of Ethics. Jul. 2000. 20 Feb. 2005. . Flynt, Sean. â€Å"Enron Whistleblower Tells Chilling Tale of Corporate Ruin.† Samford University. Ed. Donna Fitch. 19 Feb. 2004. 3 Mar. 2005. . Hawkins, John. â€Å"The Path to Ethical Internalization: Moving the Code from the Wall to Daily Life.† Leadership Lifestyle. May. 2003 Johnson & Johnson. Our Credo. 18 August 2004. 3 Mar. 2005. . Wee, Heesun. â€Å"Corporate Ethics: Right Makes Might.† Business Week Online. Ed. Douglas Harbrecht. 11 Apr. 2002. 3 Mar. 2005. United States of America. One Hundred Seventh Congress. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Sec 406. Brooks, Leonard J. Business & Professional Ethics for Directors, Executives, & Accountants. Mason: Thompson South-Western, 2004. p227.

Ancient Greeks and Romans.

Running head: ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS Comparison and Contrast of Greeks and Romans World Civilization 1 HIS 103 There were many different cultures and civilizations in the ancient world. Each of the cultures had their own customs and ethnology that either set them apart from the rest of the world or rendered them similar. Two civilizations that have a multitude of similarities as well as differences are the Greeks and the Romans. In the eyes of some, the Greeks and Romans are synonymous. While they do have their share of similarities, they also have defining characteristics that make them extraordinarily different.The Greeks and the Romans are similar and different in many aspects including religion, social/political aspects, influence of geographical factors and the lasting effect they have had on later civilizations. Abraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. † If only the Greeks and Romans thought of Religion with such simplicity. Both ancient Roman and Greek civilizations took their religion very seriously and built temples and shrines showing their appreciation to the gods. Religion was a very important aspect of Greek society and culture.They participated in sacrifices and regular worships of gods for the purpose of unifying the people in a common goal to please the Gods. The Greeks were a polytheistic civilization and believed that their gods would protect their city-states if they were kept appeased. The Greeks pleased their gods by frequently performing rituals, sacrifices and ceremonies. Greek religion was more than legendary tales and fictitious myths; it was a complex organization with each city-state containing its own divinities, which acted to cement the body of citizens into a true community [ (O'Connell, 1999) ].In this concept, the Romans were similar. They also were polytheistic and very concerned about appeasing their gods. The Romans were great copiers. They b orrowed many of their gods from the Greeks, but unlike Greek gods, they were more cold and formal and did not have as much of a personality. The Romans lived under the gods and constantly tried to please them with rituals and sacred rites. The Romans also performed human and animal sacrifices in addition to the ceremonies. Over the years, these rituals became very complex and needed special people to perform them.Unlike the Greeks, the Romans had priests who were usually distinguished statesmen or generals. Roman religion and politics were intermeshed, and it was not uncommon for the emperor (during the empire period) to be worshipped as a god himself [ (O'Connell, 1999) ]. Because the Greeks were divided into many different city-states, they had many different forms of government. Aristotle divided the Greek governments into monarchies, oligarchies, tyrannies and democracies. In 510 B. C. he city-state of Athens created the first democratic government and shortly thereafter, the re st of the city-states followed suit [ (Carr, Ancient Greek Government, 2009) ]. They no longer had one single leader as the Romans did. Rome was originally ruled by kings, in a monarchal system. After this time period known as the Ancient Roman period, the Roman Republic was formed in 509 BC. The Roman Republic provided for a more representative government. Roman imperialism created a sizable gap in wealth and social classes within Rome.With such power and wealth, there was great economic as well as social conflict. The noblemen of Rome were constantly fighting for more wealth as small farm owners suffered when large plantations were being formed with slaves. The Roman nobles were fighting for greed and personal wealth creating extensive conflicts in Rome. Despite the conflict, the development of political institutions was one of Rome’s greatest accomplishments [ (Carr, 2009) ]. As the documentary source Histories: The Roman Constitution clearly exemplifies, the Romans had a very effective political system.As Polybius states in this excerpt, â€Å"For the people is the sole fountain of honor and of punishment; and it is by these two things and these alone that dynasties and constitutions and in a word, human society are held together: for where the distinction between them is not sharply drawn both in theory and practice, there no undertaking can be properly administered – as indeed we might expect when good and bad are held in exactly the same honor. † It is clear that the Roman constitution is equally balanced in power, and has contributed to the strength of the Roman ivilization [ (Sherman, Grunfeld, Markowitz, Rosner, & Heywood, 2006) ]. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, â€Å"Men hate each other because they fear each other, and they fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they are often separated from each other. † The many ancient Greek city states were isol ated from one another by the mountainous terrain of the Greek peninsula. Much of their land was barren so most Greek city-states arose along the coastline. Map 4-2 clearly shows the extent of Greek settlements around the Mediterranean and Black Seas between 750 and 550 B.C. E. It exemplifies the Greek civilization by illustrating the location of the Greek colonies in comparison to the competing Phoenician colonies that the Greeks often came into contact with. It also shows the importance of colonies for diffusing culture throughout the Mediterranean and explains how Greek and Greco-Roman civilization came to dominate most of the Mediterranean basin even when the Greeks were no longer a great military-political force and their colonies ceased to be independent. Because the Greeks were surrounded by mountains, they were not as open to attack as the Romans were.Map 5-1 clearly shows some of the civilizations that occupied Italy and its immediately surrounding territory during the fifth century B. C. E. It further exemplifies the Roman civilization by illustrating the many influences other civilizations had upon the Roman Republic. Before Rome became a dominant power, the Etruscans, Carthaginians and Greeks all ready had strong literate sophisticated civilizations. As Rome expanded, many of the institutions and practices of these civilizations were incorporated into their civilization.Therefore, Rome’s geographic and cultural environment played an important role in the development of the Roman Republic [ (Sherman, Grunfeld, Markowitz, Rosner, & Heywood, 2006) ]. The Roman and Greek cultures have long been admired for their literature, government and scientific accomplishments. They have not only left their foot prints on later civilizations, but they continue to be studied and admired all around the world today. Greece was home to Herodotus (the first historian) who is regarded as the father of history. Greece is also ecognized for accomplishments such as t he initial development of dramatic and comedic plays, and for being the home of the first mathematicians. In addition, Greece contributed many developments in political science including the creation of democracy and republics and the fundamentals of classical western philosophy, as found in the works of Plato and Aristotle [ (Conservapedia, 2008) ]. In The Republic as written by Plato, democracy is scrutinized. This literary work exemplifies the Greek civilization by illustrating how democracy was implemented, yet also met with resistance and criticism.Plato says â€Å"Because of the liberty which reigns there – they have a complete assortment of constitutions; and he who has a mind to establish a State, as we have been doing, must go to a democracy as he would to a bazaar at which they sell them, and pick out the one that suits him; then, when he has made his choice, he may found his State. † It is clear that Plato did not hold the Athenian form of democracy in highe st regards [ (Sherman, Grunfeld, Markowitz, Rosner, & Heywood, 2006) ]. The Romans contributed just as much as the Greeks did.Their styles of architecture are still used around the world today. Most importantly, Christianity arose and was adopted as the official faith of the Roman Empire. Although it contradicted Roman civilization by insisting that there is only one God, it still continued to spread throughout Rome and much of Europe. The Roman Republic conquered Greece in 146 BC. They took much of the Greek religion and incorporated it into their own until the 4th century CE when Christianity prevailed. The Greco-Roman population in the seventeenth century did much to shape the contemporary western world.The philosophy focused strictly on the role of reason and inquiry. Many philosophers today concede that Greco–Roman philosophy has shaped the entire Western thought since its foundation. Their architecture styles are still used as well as the democratic form of government w hich is used not only in Europe but all around the world. Seventeenth century Greco-Roman literature is still renowned, studied by historians and taught in schools all over the world. Greek and Roman contributions to the contemporary world are great in both number and significance.Their advancements in mathematics, architecture, science, philosophy, government and literature not only advanced their own civilizations but the world as a whole. Humanity has benefited greatly from the contributions of the Greeks and Romans. The world would be an entirely different place if the Romans and Greeks had not existed. The Greeks and Romans have existed in the world as separate entities and also as one community. Because they have been so intermingled, in some ways they are parallel.The Greeks and the Romans are similar and different in many aspects including religion, social/political aspects, influence of geographical factors and the lasting effect they have had on later civilizations. The Gr eek and Roman civilizations were some of the greatest civilizations to evolve. They mutually succeeded in showing other civilizations both how to succeed and how to fail at the things which men might try. Both civilizations had their peaks and their declines. While these two great civilizations continue to present their similarities, they also are extensively different.Just like many countries today have their similarities and also their differences. Despite the many technological and societal advances achieved by societies today, wars still continue to ravage the world. That fact has not changed. Differences continue to divide the globe; and until we can embrace them, will always do so. â€Å"Our greatest strength as a human race is our ability to acknowledge our differences; our greatest weakness is our failure to embrace them (Henderson, 2009). † References (2008, September 7). Retrieved March 11, 2009, from Conservapedia: http://www. conservapedia. com/Greek_influence_on_ Western_CultureCarr, K. (2009, January 15). Ancient Greek Government. Retrieved April 11, 2009, from Kidepede: http://www. historyforkids. org/learn/greeks/government/ Carr, K. (2009, January 15). Kidepede. Retrieved April 11, 2009, from Roman Government: http://www. historyforkids. org/learn/romans/government/ Grunfeld, A. T. , Heywood, L. , Markowitz, G. , Rosner, D. , & Sherman, D. (2006). World Civilizations: Sources, Images, and Interpretations (4th Edition ed. , Vol. I). New York: McGraw Hill. O'Connell, L. (1999). Paganism; Past ; Present. Retrieved March 10, 2009, from ThinkQuest:Library:

A Modern America: Industrialized Immigrants Realizing The American Dream Essay

The â€Å"American Dream† is a phrase or concept that gets thrown around a lot here in America, and if ten different people were asked what it meant, you would probably get ten different answers. It is generally seen as the fact that anyone can get anything if one works hard enough. In his book the Epic of America which was written in 1931, James Truslow Adams defines the â€Å"American Dream† as: â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.† I see the â€Å"American Dream† as one of the reasons why Americans should get on their knees every day and thank God for this country (along with baseball and apple pie). To me, the â€Å"American Dream† is the fact that anyone, no matter the social or financial stature, can obtain anything he wants if he gives the required effort. In â€Å"The Newsies†, the main characters are Francis Sullivan (a.k.a. Jack Kelly) and his unlikely friend David. Jack’s father is a convict and his mother is dead, but he tells others that they are out West looking for a ranch and are going to send for him when they find one. Although he knows that this is not true, he still dreams of catching a train out West to Santa Fe. Railroads are vital to the realization of Jack’s dream, as it is his transportation out West. Jack believes in the equal opportunity rights that make our nation great. David is a member of a struggling, but loving family and he has a valuable education. He is working as a Newsie while his Dad is out of work. David’s father had an accident at a factory and became useless to his employer, thus he was fired. The factories of the time provided virtually no opportunity for advancement due to the fact that everyone generally does the same thing over and over, which is why the factory was so quick to fire Mayer. Since he had no workers union to protect him, he was forced to live with only the income David and his younger brother Les could bring in. David’s mindset that you can achieve anything you work towards if you believe in and do it with passion directly correlates with the American dream. In the 1900’s, catchy headlines were essential to selling newspapers; especially headlines with words like maniac, corpse, love nest, or nude in the title. During this time when a trolley strike was in full effect, good headlines were hard to come by, so the newsies decided to improve the truth a little by exaggerating uninteresting headlines and making them seem like interesting stories. The newsies bought the â€Å"papes† that they sold and got to keep the profit from what they sold, so a 10-cent price increase was almost crippling. Because the was not a Newsies Workers Union, it was imperative for all of the newsies to come together if there was going to be an effective strike. The owner of â€Å"The World†, Mr. Pulitzer, exemplifies the corrupt businessmen of the time. He was a man that judged his quality of life by the size of his wallet. It came quite easy to him to up the paper price to the â€Å"distribution apparatus† 10 cents. He also uses his money and political power to influence those around him. He influences the mayor to stop the strike by baiting him with a conversation about the upcoming election with a few others as wealthy as himself. Pulitzer also tries to bribe Jack with everything he’s been dreaming of: money, freedom, and a trip out West. He knew that if he cut of the strike at the head, the rest would follow. In America during this time, both immigrants and children were treated poorly. This is demonstrated in the movie when the police violently stop the convention using their force. Children along with immigrants were often given poor working conditions. Also, a shot was seen of men being beaten because they would not join the trolley strike. Obviously at this time land and money were more valuable during this time of industrialization than human life. At the conclusion of the movie, Jack’s dream is realized, but not in the form of Santa Fe. All of his effort is rewarded when (with a little help from others) the prices are brought back down. He realized that just because you don’t have family doesn’t mean no one cares about you. Moreover, in the American â€Å"happily ever after† style, he falls in love with David’s sister Sarah (as if a kiss is any sign of true love, right Ms. K?). David’s dream of winning as the underdog is also realized, and all of his hard work is rewarded. Without suffering through these growing pains, America would not be what it is today. Jack and David’s dream that anyone can be anything if they work hard enough and believe in it has almost become a right as an American. Though greed is still evident and corrupt politicians are as prevalent as ever, it is not a trademark of our society anymore, and for that I am thankful. In conclusion, it was the immigrants that came to America so they could become something that gave the nation a big part of its character today. Their sacrifices have become our blessings.

Free Essays on Straight Edge

Straight Edge or Violent Edge? The â€Å"Straight Edge† philosophy is one that promotes a drug, alcohol, caffeine and smoke-free lifestyle in addition to no â€Å"casual† sex. Although most parents and teachers are thrilled when youth espouse these beliefs, there is a violent subculture within this broad philosophy that is reason for concern. Unfortunately, a sect of youth are violently enforcing the positive philosophy on fellow students who do not choose the Straight Edge lifestyle. Not all â€Å"Straight Edgers† should be labeled as a threat, but understanding the roots of this philosophy and of the violent tendencies that could occur may help fellow youth, parents and school officials recognize potential danger before a beating takes place or worse – a death. Origins and Symbols Most gang experts agree that the philosophy emerged from the punk rock music scene in the mid-1980’s when the phrase â€Å"Straight Edge† was coined from a song of the same name by the band Minor Threat. The straight edge symbol is the letter X, a symbol that is commonly placed on youths’ hands at bars and concerts to indicate that they are not of age to consume alcohol. For group members, it is not uncommon to see straight edge written out sXe. Those who have taken on the beliefs of the Straight Edge lifestyle usually have the X in a visible location on their body. The triple Xs are a symbol for â€Å"Hardline† straight edgers and some are considered to have violent tendencies, according to Michelle Arciaga, Research Associate with the National Youth Gang Center and national expert on Straight Edge. Other Interests Hardline individuals have expanded on the principles of Straight Edge to include activism for animal rights, environmentalism, anti-abortion, anti-sexism and anti-racism. The Hardline Manifesto states that any means, even violence, is appropriate to accomplish the goals of the manifesto, which include furthering the abo... Free Essays on Straight Edge Free Essays on Straight Edge Straight Edge or Violent Edge? The â€Å"Straight Edge† philosophy is one that promotes a drug, alcohol, caffeine and smoke-free lifestyle in addition to no â€Å"casual† sex. Although most parents and teachers are thrilled when youth espouse these beliefs, there is a violent subculture within this broad philosophy that is reason for concern. Unfortunately, a sect of youth are violently enforcing the positive philosophy on fellow students who do not choose the Straight Edge lifestyle. Not all â€Å"Straight Edgers† should be labeled as a threat, but understanding the roots of this philosophy and of the violent tendencies that could occur may help fellow youth, parents and school officials recognize potential danger before a beating takes place or worse – a death. Origins and Symbols Most gang experts agree that the philosophy emerged from the punk rock music scene in the mid-1980’s when the phrase â€Å"Straight Edge† was coined from a song of the same name by the band Minor Threat. The straight edge symbol is the letter X, a symbol that is commonly placed on youths’ hands at bars and concerts to indicate that they are not of age to consume alcohol. For group members, it is not uncommon to see straight edge written out sXe. Those who have taken on the beliefs of the Straight Edge lifestyle usually have the X in a visible location on their body. The triple Xs are a symbol for â€Å"Hardline† straight edgers and some are considered to have violent tendencies, according to Michelle Arciaga, Research Associate with the National Youth Gang Center and national expert on Straight Edge. Other Interests Hardline individuals have expanded on the principles of Straight Edge to include activism for animal rights, environmentalism, anti-abortion, anti-sexism and anti-racism. The Hardline Manifesto states that any means, even violence, is appropriate to accomplish the goals of the manifesto, which include furthering the abo...