Nafta 5 Years Of Failure Essays - Mexico, , Term Papers

Nafta 5 Years Of Failure NAFTA Five Years of Failure In December of 1992, Presidents Salinas (Mexico), Bush (U.S.) and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Mexican legislature ratified NAFTA in 1993 and the treaty went into effect on January 1, 1994, creating the largest free-trade zone in the world. NAFTA's promoters promised 200,000 new jobs per year for the U.S., higher wages in Mexico and a growing U.S. trade surplus with Mexico, environmental clean-up and improved health along the border. The reality of the post-NAFTA surge in imports from Mexico has resulted in an $14.7 billion trade deficit with Mexico for 1998. By adding the Mexican trade deficit to the deficit with Canada, the overall U.S. NAFTA trade deficit for the year 1998 is $33.2 billion dollars. In the last five years we have gone from a pre-NAFTA trade surplus of $4.6 billion with Mexico to a $14.7 billion deficit. Using the Department of Commerce trade data in the formula used by NAFTA proponents to predict job gains, the real accumulated NAFTA trade deficit would translate into over four hundred thousand U.S. jobs lost. A number of companies that specifically promised to create new jobs actually laid workers off because of the agreement. Allied Signal, General Electric, Mattel, Proctor and Gamble, Scott Paper and Zenith all made specific promises to create jobs, and all have laid workers off because of NAFTA as certified by the U.S. Department of Labor's special NAFTA unemployment assistance program (NAFTA TAA). (1) These are not the only companies who broke their promise of new jobs. In February 1997, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch conducted an investigation of companies that had specifically promised that they would create jobs if NAFTA were enacted in 1993. Of the 67 companies studied, 60 had not created jobs or even increased their exports to Mexico. When we look at the goods exported from the U.S. to Mexico, we must understand that the figures used do not mean goods to be sold in Mexico. Most of the figures released by the government include what is termed as ?industrial tourism?. This means we send goods to Mexico to be assembled in their low wage plants and then re-imported into the U.S. as finished products. (2) A significant portion of the jobs lost to Mexico due to NAFTA are in the higher wage sectors of manufacturing. Many of these are in the automobile and electronics industries. The latest government data shows that 70% of the jobs lost were in manufacturing. The U.S. has gone from a pre-NAFTA manufacturing trade surplus of $4.6 billion with Mexico in 1993 to a $8.9 billion deficit in 1998. Imports from Mexico have increased 129% since NAFTA went in to effect. (3) According to the U.S. Department of Labor, approximately 214,902 American workers have been certified as having been laid off due to NAFTA. These numbers do not take into account the workers displaced out side of the factories. When a plant closes and moves to Mexico it is not only the line worked who is affected but also the entire community. One must look at the retailers who have to layoff works due to decreased sales; restaurants and all service industries tied to the consumer are affected. These workers are not considered by the government as being displaced by NAFTA. The wages paid in the new high tech plants being built in Mexico, are so low there is not a single U.S. worker who could take enough of a pay adjustment to compete. The average hourly compensation for a U.S. manufacturing job is approximately $18.74/hour,) and the average wage in Mexico is $1.51 per hour. (4) NAFTA is directly responsible for the wage stagnation being experienced in the U.S., this is largely due o the threat of closing the business and moving to Mexico every time workers try to organize and negotiate a wage increase. Kate Bronfrenbrenner of the Cornell University School of Industrial Relations found that the percentage of U.S. companies following through on threats to close in response to union drive tripled under NAFTA. NAFTA was supposed to raise the standards of living in Mexico so that the Mexican citizens would be able

Collateral Learning Essay Example

Collateral Learning Essay Example Collateral Learning Paper Collateral Learning Paper When it came to Neil Postman who talked about how television and movies can also double as being educational, I would have to agree with him. There are many shows on television that prove to be a good way to learn about different aspects of life that one may not have known about before. For example, the food network is where one would turn in order to learn more about a certain food dish, while a channel like the history channel would be used to learn about past times and other countries. Then, there are childrens shows Like Dora the Explorer, that help children learn Spanish Just by watching television for a mere thirty minutes. Postman made It clear that the television was not the only answer to educating people. There skull needs to be a classroom environment In order to ask questions and socialize with other people. On the other hand, Bell Hooks talked about how many television shows and movies portrayed poorer people as sort of lazy and not really wanting to better their lives for themselves and their families. She did not like this because she herself came from a poorer background which she got herself out of by going to Stanford. Even though she had to take out many loans in order to attend the school and often could not go home for holidays, the people she ended up spending the holidays with taught her that she did need to be there In order to improve her life and move up in the world. The television show the Fresh Prince of Bell-Alarm, was a good example to me that Postmans concept of learning from watching something Is extremely true, and also Hooks concept of someone wanting to better their life Is also true. During episodes of this television show, you see a young man who came from almost nothing, make his way into becoming a well-educated and independent man. When it came to what Bell Hooks had to say about representing the poor, I believe that this show did a good job of that. The main character Will Smith, was a lower class citizen from West Philadelphia where he would get into trouble often and have a bad life for himself. But once he moved to Bell-Air to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle, e learned that there was a different life out there that he wanted. Will finished high school and ended up going to a college in California called LILA. Here, is where he knew that what he was doing would make him have the life he wanted, as long as he worked hard for It. Watching him proved that nothing comes easy and everyone must work hard for what they want In order to better their life. Collectively, between Postman and Hooks, what many can learn Is that It Is k to watch television and movies because although they are there for entertainment they are also there for earning purposes. Although sometimes television snows may portray something In a way that does not always shine the best light on it, people need to look past that and see that there is something better out there than what those people are currently in. Everything one sees whether it be in television, movies, or even plays, proves to be a teaching experience, even if it does not seem like it is at the moment. In the end, Postman and Hooks points both prove to make sense and have reasoning behind them that many people will be able to understand.

Biography of Kerry James Marshall, Contemporary Artist

Biography of Kerry James Marshall, Contemporary Artist Kerry James Marshall (born October 17, 1955) is a prominent contemporary African-American artist. He broke ground for black artists by rising to the upper echelon of the art world while remaining steadfastly dedicated to presenting work that explores the black experience in America. His experience growing up in the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles profoundly influenced his art. Fast Facts: Kerry James Marshall Occupation: ArtistBorn: October 17, 1955 in Birmingham, AlabamaEducation: Otis College of Art and DesignSelected Works: Voyager (1992), Many Mansions (1994), Portrait of Nat Turner with the Head of His Master (2011)Notable Quote: One of the reasons I paint black people is because I am a black person. Early Life and Career Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Kerry James Marshall moved with his family to the Watts neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles as a young child. He grew up surrounded by the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s. He was an eyewitness to the Watts riots that occurred in August 1965. As a teenager, Kerry James Marshall took part in a summer drawing class at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles after a teacher nominated him for inclusion. There, he was shown the studio of artist Charles White who later became his instructor and mentor. Kerry James Marshall enrolled as a full-time student at the Otis Art Institute in 1977 and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978. He moved to Chicago in 1987 after completing a residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City. Marshall began teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1993, and he earned a genius grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1997. History as Subject Matter Many of Kerry James Marshalls works reference events from American history as primary subject matter. One of the most prominent is 1992s Voyager. The boat featured in the painting is named Wanderer. It references the story of the former yacht that was the last ship to bring a large number of African slaves to America. In violation of a 50-year-old law prohibiting the importation of slaves, the Wanderer arrived at Jekyll Island in Georgia in 1858 with over 400 slaves on board. It was the final event in the history of the African slave trade in America. In 2011, Marshall painted Portrait of Nat Turner with the Head of His Master. It is a nearly full-length portrait in the manner of traditional portraiture, but the grisly image of a man slaughtered in his sleep lying behind Nat Turner is chilling. The historical event referenced is the two-day slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in 1831. Housing Projects In 1994, Kerry James Marshall painted a series titled The Garden Project. He depicts life in public housing projects in the U.S. inspired by his own experience living in Nickerson Gardens, a 1,066-unit apartment complex in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. His paintings in the series explore the dichotomy between the imagery evoked by the names of the projects using the word Gardens and the reality of harsh life in public housing. It is a metaphor for the lives of African-Americans in contemporary America. One of the key pieces is 1994s Many Mansions. It shows three black men in formal clothing performing the manual labor of planting flowers for a housing project. Their depiction is at the center of Marshalls juxtaposition of the ideal evoked by the concept of a public housing project with the reality of the residents experiences. Another painting in the series, Better Homes, Better Gardens, shows an idyllic young black couple strolling through a brick housing project. The inspiration for this piece is Chicagos Wentworth Gardens. It is notorious for a history of gang violence and drug problems. Concept of Beauty Another frequent subject of Kerry James Marshalls work is the concept of beauty. The people depicted in Marshalls paintings usually have very dark, almost flat black, skin. He explained to interviewers that he created the extreme to specifically draw attention to the distinctive appearance of black Americans. In a series of 1994 paintings of models, Marshall depicts male and female black models. The male model is shown against a mostly white background that emphasizes the blackness of his skin. He is lifting his shirt to presumably share the power of his physique with viewers. He painted a topless female black model with the names Linda, Cindy, and Naomi inscribed in the upper right. They are the iconic supermodels Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell. In another model painting, Marshall juxtaposed the image of the female black models face with those of blonde white models. Mastry In 2016, Kerry James Marshalls work was the subject of the historically significant retrospective Mastry at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. The exhibition covered 35 years of Marshalls work with nearly 80 pieces displayed. It was an unprecedented celebration of the work of an African-American artist. In addition to its overt celebration of the black experience in America, many observers saw Kerry James Marshalls work as a reaction to the movement of much of the art establishment away from traditional painting. Unlike celebrated experiments in minimalist and conceptual art, Marshall creates his works with an eye toward arranging his subject matter in ways that stretch back to the traditions of art from the Renaissance era. Kerry James Marshall has explained that he is more interested in being a painter than creating art. When the Mastry exhibition traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Kerry James Marshall selected 40 works from the museums permanent collection that he particularly valued as inspiration. The exhibit within an exhibit was titled Kerry James Marshall Selects. Public Works Controversy In 2018, Kerry James Marshalls paintings made headlines in two controversies over the value of public art contrasted with the benefit of public services that could be provided with money earned from sales of the art. In May, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority of Chicago sold the monumental piece Past Times to rap artist and entrepreneur Sean Combs for $21 million. The original purchase price was $25,000. The piece previously hung in the McCormick Place convention center on public display. The money earned from the auction provided a windfall to the budget of the public agency. Even more controversial was the announcement by Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel that the city would sell the 1995 Kerry James Marshall painting Knowledge and Wonder. It hung on the wall in one of the citys public library branches. Commissioned for $10,000, experts pegged the value of the painting at somewhere near $10 million. Emmanuel planned to use the funds from the sale to expand and upgrade a branch of the library on the citys west side. After intense criticism from the public and the artist himself, the city withdrew plans to sell the work in November 2018. Source Tate, Greg, Charles Gaines, and Laurence Rassel. Kerry James Marshall. Phaidon, 2017.

Marketing Blog Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Marketing Blog - Article Example Distribution is intended to avail a product to the consumer in the right form and at the right time. Therefore, the chain of distribution has major stakeholders including the producers, wholesalers, retailers and the final consumer. When the distribution chain is full with many middlemen, it is the final consumer who feels much pain since, many middlemen increases the final price of the product. Due to changes in technology and also the exploitation by several middlemen, there has emerged the new electronic form of distribution of products such as music pieces and books can be distributed through electronic medium. This has made it easier for people to receive music and books of their choices just through electronic shopping. Last week alone, I remember watching several videos of my favorite artistes through the online subscribed service where the videos are available. Again, most of my books I purchase through kindle, hence I enjoy the reduced gap in the distribution chain that has been created by the electronic

Japanese Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Japanese Economics - Research Paper Example Most of the workers on the short-term basis worked hard to get long-term employment. This helped in post war Japan takeoff in terms of economics (Ohno, 2006). The transition from 1970 to 1980 saw Japan catch up with the other industrial economies of the world. However, this trend was not to remain due to unchanging policies. There was a lack of modern investment opportunities and poor management (Sakisaka & Gaimusho, 2007). This led to business firms, real estate and financial institutions falling prey to speculation. This finally led to the ‘bubble’ economy (Ohno, 2006). The effects were to be felt in the 1990s. Japan continues to struggle to get out of these effects until now. This will only be possible through sweeping reforms. This paper seeks to focus on the Japanese economy. Japanese Geography, Language, Population Japan is one of the countries of East Asia. It is made up of thousand of islands. However, there are crucial islands. They include Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyu shu and Shiloku. These are the largest of those islands that make up Japan. Japans neighbors are Korea, Russia, and China. It has a size equal that of Germany or California (Japan Guide, 2013). The language of most of the population is Japanese. However, there has been infiltration of foreign languages. The population is estimated to be 125 million (Japan Guide, 2013). In this estimate, two million are foreign residents. Most of the foreigners are the Korean. This place is also vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanoes. This is because this country is mostly mountainous. There is also variation in climate due to different islands that make up the country. Economy Japan economy ranks high in the world. In fact, Japan rank second among the most... Japan has been struggling with inflation for a long time. However, inflation is expected to slow down. For example, the central bank has introduced an inflation target of 2 percent (Einhorn, 2013). Various initiatives have been taken to curb inflation are already in place. The current one has been buying Yen to issue bonds. This will help by weakening the Yen and hence reviving inflation rate. However, Japan trade deficits have declined significantly. It stands at 362.4 billion yen that is half of what was reported at the beginning of the year (Einhorn, 2013). Moreover, in Japan there has been an increased in the number of unemployed individuals. For example, in March the unemployment rate was 4.10 percent as compared to the onset of the year when it stood at 4.3 (Trading Economics, 2012). For the last six decades, unemployment rate in Japan has averaged 2.68 percent. However, it was at its highest level in July of 2009 at 5.60 percent (Trading Economics, 2012).Japanese Openness, Cur rency, Current Exchange Rate, Primary Exports, Imports, Current Account Balance, Major Trading Partners, AgreementsThe rate of openness of a country influences its economy in myriad ways. There is a role and importance of this trend to economic growth. This openness is reflected in terms of international knowledge streams and international movement of people, resources and technology (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2011). Openness can also lead to failure of some key sector of the economy.

Is Odysseus a Hero Essay Example for Free

Is Odysseus a Hero Essay I feel that Odysseus, like any person, can be a hero at some times and very selfish at other times. During the war in Troy, Odysseus was surely a hero, thinking smartly and protecting his men well. However, in books nine through twelve, Odysseus is definitely not playing the role of a hero among his crew. On almost any page you turn to in the book, you can find some act of selfishness coming from Odysseus. During his journey, Odysseus performs many courageous acts. At the island of the Lotus Eaters, he rescues his men from the addiction of the lotus flower. After the Cyclops captures them in his cave, Odysseus blinds the Cyclops with a sharpened log. Then Odysseus’ men sneak out of the Cyclops cave under sheepskins. Odysseus also performs a courageous act when he steers his ship around the deadly whirlpool Charybodis and valiantly tries to defend his men from Scylla, but she strikes to fast for him causing him to lose six men. When Odysseus arrives at the island of the Sun God’s cattle, he and his crew face famine. Therefore, when Odysseus falls asleep his men slaughter some of the Sun God’s cattle. Odysseuss extreme pride and arrogance seems to cause trouble for him on many occasions throughout the book. Epic heroes ought to be proud of their accomplishments but they should not brag or expect things from people because of it. Odysseuss pride and arrogance show up throughout the book. However, one occasion seems to stick out best. In book 9 of The Odyssey, Odysseus lands on an island bordering the land of Cyclops. He watches their brutish ways for days yet he still decides to pay them a visit. His men suggest taking the cheeses and animals but Odysseus refused (The Odyssey, Book 9). Odysseus fought gloriously on behalf of the Greeks in Troy and was considered a war hero of sorts because of it. However, he became to full of himself and did not give the Gods credit for helping him. That is why Poseidon punished him. He bravely endured Poseidons punishment and in the end learned that Man is nothing without the Gods. Therefore, I guess that makes him a hero, that he endured so much and learned a valuable lesson in the end.

Diana Ross :: essays research papers

Diana Ross Diana Ross was born in 1944. Emerging from the housing projects in Detroit to become an international superstar, she gained prominence first as a member of the supremes, then as a solo artist. The mention of her name evokes the indelible image of the broadly smiling diva, the long hair, sequined gowns, etc. Ross first recorded on the small lupine label in 1959, as a member of the Primettes. The group signed to Motown in1961, and later changed their names to the supremes. In 1963, all the singles released by the supremes featured Diana Ross as the lead singer. That year they first hit the top 40 with â€Å"when the love light starts shining through his eyes†. In 1964 the supremes single â€Å" where did our love go† began a run of five consecutive #1 singles. Thereafter where a series of #1 hits such as, â€Å"the happenings†, â€Å"baby love†, â€Å" stop! in the name of love†, â€Å" you can’t hurry love†, and you keep me hanging on†. Someday well be together was Ross’ last hit with the supremes before going solo. Ross moved to California to launch her solo career. Her reworking of the Ashford and Simpson standard â€Å"ain’t no mountain high enough† became their first #1 hit as a solo artist. In 1971, Her first child Rhonda was born later announced as berry Gordy child (the founder of Motown). Ros married her first husband, Robert Ellis Siberstein, a union that produced two children, Tracee (from girlfriends) and Chudney Ellis. In 1972 Diana Ross made her first debut portraying the late jazz singer Billie holiday in â€Å" lady sings the blues†. The film was successful, and Ross was received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

Religion and Homosexuality in the United States Essay

I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction Religion-led moral crusades are not novelties in American history. The abolitionist movement, for instance, originated from religious teachings about freedom and equality among all human beings. Early education reforms and laws barring commercial business on Sundays also had similar foundations (Walzer 4). In the early 20th century, the temperance movement agitated for a prohibition on sales of alcohol due to religious beliefs about the evils of liquor. In the 1960s, black churches and religious leaders took the lead in the struggle for equality for African-Americans (Walzer 5). Since the late 1960s, however, conservative Christian denominations have increasingly become the voice of religion-based moral fervor in the United States. The 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, is generally acknowledged as the root cause of this phenomenon. Many right-wing Christian organizations held the aforementioned ruling responsible for the prevalence of premarital sex, easier access to birth control, decriminalized abortion, homosexuality and no-fault divorce laws. They believed that for a sound and healthy society to take place, these social â€Å"evils† must be stopped (Walzer 5). Fundamentalist Christians considered homosexuality to be the most dangerous among the above-mentioned social â€Å"evils.† This is because the sexual orientation and behavior of homosexuals â€Å"(clash) with the moral and religious teachings of the Bible† (Walzer 5). Simply put, homosexuals are â€Å"immoral† for the reason that their gender and lifestyle deviates from the Judeo-Christian principle of sexual relations as a means of procreation. They must therefore be denied any venues in which they could â€Å"spread† their â€Å"immorality,† such as gay civil rights (Walzer 5). The conflict between faith and homosexuality in the US eventually divided Christians between those who regarded homosexuality as a morality issue and those who viewed homosexuality as a social justice issue that both society and organized religion must address instead of ignore (Dawkins 290). This research paper will utilize the Marxist theoretical frameworks of dialectical and historical materialism. Dialectical materialism is based on the argument that history is defined by an endless struggle between different social classes. Historical materialism, meanwhile, asserts that the present state of a given society can be explained and understood by studying its past (Boobbyer 142). These theoretical frameworks are applied to the research paper through the study of the histories of gay civil rights and church-state relations in the US. To prove the thesis, the researcher will conduct a critical analysis of current government statistics or research data that are related to the topic. Qualitative descriptions of relevant government policies or research data will likewise be carried out. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Data and Data Analysis Conservative Christian denominations often attack homosexuality by warning the public about the increasing number of homosexuals in the US. As they are operating on the premise that homosexuals are â€Å"immoral,† these religious groups would therefore claim that the rise in homosexuality would translate to an increase in social â€Å"evils† such as HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. They would further drive this point home to audiences by bombarding them with related statistics from â€Å"reputable† sources. In the end, bigotry and homophobia are reinforced among the addressees. Recent statistics do show an increase in homosexuality in the US from previous decades. The 1994 National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) showed that an estimated 4.3 million Americans (2.8 million men and 1.5 million women) identified themselves as â€Å"homosexual or bisexual† (Sprigg 78). In addition, about 1.4 million Americans (0.9% of men and 0.4% of women) were exclusively engaged in same-sex relationships since age 18 (Sprigg 78). By 2000, according to the Washington, D.C.-based gay rights organization Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the gay and lesbian population in the US reached about 10,456,405. Data from the 2000 US Census, meanwhile, revealed that the number of same-sex couples in the country rose to 601,209 from 145,130 in 1990 (Burda 1). But the aforementioned figures are misleading. The institutions that produced these statistics do not have a clear idea of what constitutes â€Å"homosexuality,† â€Å"bisexuality† and â€Å"same-sex relationships.† Numerous studies on human sexual behavior have proven that it is possible for human beings of the same sex to engage in sexual activities regardless of sexual orientation. The term â€Å"homoerotic behavior† refers to same-sex sexual behavior that is performed for reasons that do not include homosexuality. Possible motivations for homoerotic behavior are identity crisis, exploration, same-sex bonding, glorification of maleness or femaleness and lack of opposite-sex partners (Turner 158). Mistaking homoerotic behavior for homosexuality is dangerous, as doing so has detrimental effects to both homosexuals and society in general. Positive qualities that could grow out of same-sex bonding, like caring, intimacy and nurturance, are suppressed and undervalued because such traits are associated with homosexuality (Abramson and Pinkerton 239). Furthermore, negative gender stereotypes are reinforced. â€Å"Masculinity† is linked with emotional detachment and superficial forms of socialization such as drinking, smoking and gambling. â€Å"Femininity,† on the other hand, is connected to submissiveness and lack of initiative. Experts have long debunked the â€Å"connection† between homosexuality, HIV/AIDS and pedophilia. It is true that HIV/AIDS was initially called the â€Å"gay cancer† because majority of its first victims were homosexual men. But this does not mean that HIV/AIDS is a disease that is restricted to homosexuals or that homosexuals alone are responsible for its spread. HIV/AIDS is spread by behavior and not by sexual orientation. A heterosexual who practices unsafe sex is just as prone to the disease as a homosexual who has a similar lifestyle. It is also not true that homosexuals are more prone to pedophilia than heterosexuals. As a matter of fact, about 90% of sexual abuse on children was committed by heterosexual men. A 1994 study that was published in the journal Pediatrics revealed that out of 296 cases of child sexual abuse, there were only two in which the perpetrator was a homosexual. Moreover, a heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child was the alleged offender in about 82% of the said cases (Moe 70). Apart from baseless and damaging myths, another assault that Christian fundamentalists carry out on homosexuality is the elimination of gay civil rights. Proposition 8, passed in California’s general elections on November 4, 2008, was a constitutional amendment that prohibited same-sex marriage in the state. Catholic and Mormon organizations overwhelmingly supported the proposition, arguing that same-sex marriage threatened the sanctity of marriage and the family. These groups were likewise concerned that allowing same-sex marriage to remain legal in California would deprive children of the right to have a â€Å"normal† family – one that was composed of a father and a mother (Kuruvila n. pag.). The enactment of Proposition 8 is ironic, considering that one of the largest and most active homosexual communities is based in San Francisco. There were already about 18,000 same-sex couples who got married in California just four months prior to the passage of Proposition 8 (Garrison, DiMassa and Paddock n. pag.). The proposition would thus force the state’s homosexual couples to get married in one of the five remaining US states where same-sex marriage is legal – Maine, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont (Montanaro n. pag.). Although Proposition 8 won 52% of votes (The Huffington Post n. pag.), some of California’s leaders are questioning its legality. The Democrat-controlled state Legislature, for instance, argued that the Constitution cannot be revised by a mere majority vote – it would strip the minority group of their constitutionally protected right. At present, California’s Supreme Court is dealing with a series of lawsuits that involve the contention of Proposition 8 (Ewers n. pag.). III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Findings Even if the US Constitution clearly stated that there is an official separation between church and state, American society remains to be a â€Å"deeply religious polity† (Walzer 5). Simply put, American society is a democracy that continues to be heavily based on religious doctrine. This phenomenon is a legacy of the country’s colonial past – the first whites that came to the US were members of spiritual communities fleeing religious persecution in England. Consequently, the Founding Fathers declared that the US would not have an official state religion. All citizens were allowed to worship as they pleased and to openly propagate their faiths (Walzer 5). But this did not mean that the debate about the role of religion in American life has ended. The leaders of the US in its formative years were overwhelmingly of Christian faith. Thus, it became inevitable that the legislative and judicial philosophies of American society were founded on Christian principles. The Founding Fathers, for instance, believed that despite the absence of an official religion, the US should be a â€Å"Christian nation whose morality should be reflective of Christian values† (Walzer 4). It is true that many Christian denominations were responsible for instigating much-needed social changes in various parts of American history. But as American society became increasingly pluralistic in the succeeding centuries, the need for more secularism in its major institutions emerged. This dilemma resulted in a conflict between conservative Christian denominations and a Christian populace that was slowly becoming tolerant of behaviors that were used to be considered as deviant, such as homosexuality. In the process, certain aspects of the societal and legal discussions of gay civil rights were negatively affected (Walzer 6). Although judges are supposed to be neutral interpreters of the law, personal experiences (including religious training and beliefs) still shape their perspectives both consciously and unconsciously (Walzer 6). Indeed, Christian fundamentalist groups are notorious for their attempts to hinder the passage of or weaken laws that promote homosexual rights (Walzer 7). In the name of religion, conservative Christian organizations will not think twice about harassing homosexuals and gay rights associations, as well as interfere with the creation and enactment of gay civil rights laws. It is no longer surprising, therefore, if legal rights for homosexuals such as same-sex marriage, protection from workplace discrimination and adoption by gay parents were attained only in the recent decades. Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church is an example of how far fundamentalist Christians could go just to prove their homophobic stance. He once organized a picket at the funeral of homosexual rights activist Coretta Scott King, proclaiming that her soul would be punished in hell due to her advocacy. Since 1991, Phelps has reportedly organized 22,000 anti-homosexual demonstrations in the US, Canada, Jordan and Iraq. These protest marches of his often displayed homophobic slogans such as â€Å"THANK GOD FOR AIDS† (Dawkins 291).   IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion Conservative Christian denominations in the US were unprepared for the increasingly liberal atmosphere of American society. They therefore harshly criticized everything that was associated with it, particularly homosexuality. For Christian fundamentalists, homosexuals were â€Å"immoral† because they do not comply with the Judeo-Christian principle of sexual relations as a means of procreation. Such a way of thinking eventually spawned all forms of harassment against homosexuals, such as damaging and baseless myths, deceptive statistics and laws that hinder the enactment of gay civil rights. It would be impossible for the US to claim that it is a Christianity-based democracy when homophobia is rampant in its turf. Homophobia can be eliminated from the country by educating people regarding the myths and the facts surrounding homosexuality. Stiffer penalties for and stricter implementation of laws against hate crimes would also help. As long as people are discriminated upon for any reason other than involvement in criminal activity, there can be no such thing as a free or just society.

O level papers

Are downloaded e-books a passing fad or are they here to stay? One attraction of e-books is that some of them are free. Others can be downloaded at a much cheaper price than the bookshop price, and for avid readers this is an obvious advantage because the money saved can be spent on other things, perhaps new clothes or days out. There is no need to make time-consuming trips to bookshops, which is a real hassle, especially for parents with children to bundle into the car or bus. Instead, books can be paid for and downloaded from the comfort of our own living room.E-readers don't take up much space, which makes a huge difference to people whose living space might be limited, for example, families with several young children wing for space for toys, games and all the paraphernalia of family life. Moreover, e-readers are extremely portable; instead of having to choose which book to take with you to read on the train, or having to narrow your choice to three or four books to fit into your holiday suitcase, you can have the delightful experience of carrying hundreds on your e-reader.E-readers are a blessing to short-sighted or visually-impaired readers because, as with all computer screens, the size of the print can be increased; no more squinting at the pages of a book or, worse, having the frustrating experience of not being able to read the book at all. Lights can also be attached to e-readers, and this is generally conducive to keeping eyes healthy. Users of e-readers can personalize their reading in the same way that people often personalize their mobile phones, as e-readers can be purchased with covers in a variety of materials and colors.While those who are generally wary of technology complain that e-readers are mere gimmicks, teachers and parents, who often regret that children don't read enough, hope that the novelty value of e-readers will lead to increased reading and improved examination results. Gone is the need for bookmarks and the frustration of losi ng the place in your book, as e-readers remember where you stopped reading and take you automatically to that point when you open up to start reading again. 4 However, e-readers have their critics too.There are those who say that e-readers ill bring about the closure of libraries, which will be a great loss to society as a whole. Although downloaded books are cheap or even free, the initial cost of e- readers is high, as they are essentially computer-based, and computers are expensive. This is all very well for those who can afford it, but it is socially divisive because not everyone can. If e-readers do bring about the closure of libraries, some people – those who can afford neither books nor the technology to read e-books – will have little opportunity to read at all. And what about the sheer, aesthetic pleasure f owning books? Many people delight in holding, and Just possessing, their favorite books. Snuggling up on the sofa with an e-reader pales into insignificanc e when compared with doing so with a ‘real' book. When people are moved to tears or to fury by characters or plots in a book, they instinctively tell their friends about it, and often books change hands and are temporarily swapped. This delight is denied to readers of e-books.Furthermore, students are not able to annotate e-books and use them for buying e-books from home, readers have to know what they are looking for, whereas rousing in a bookshop allows readers to stumble on books they might otherwise never have come across. It would be a great pity if bookshops had to close because they were unable to compete with e-readers, either because the customers didn't come any more, or because they were reluctant to pay the higher prices inevitably charged for books as opposed to e-books. Moreover, Jobs would be axed if bookshops closed. Will society have to pay too high a price for this latest technology?

A Clean, well lighted Place

A Clean, well lighted Place The short story â€Å"A Clean, well lighted Place† has been written by the author named Ernest Hemingway in the year of 1962. The story is basically a narration of different stages of life where the interest and thought process of people changes with time. Age is the biggest focus line of this story as people’s thought process changes with the growth in age.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Clean, well lighted Place specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author had illustrated different stages of human life with the help of illustrating characters of old waiter, young waiter and an old man at the cafà ©. This paper evaluates the similarities and differences in the traits of all three characters. The author had illustrated the younger age of human’s life to be full of excitement. The author has portrayed the character of the younger aged waiter as a young human who has his short terms goals. The a uthor claims that the young waiter did not really felt considerate of the older persons around him. To the young waiter, older people are filthy and clumsy who have nothing better to do in life (Hemingway). In the story, the author had described the traits of younger waiter’s personality as impulsive, inconsiderate of older people, focused to a conservative vision of sleeping with his wife and one who had no idea how death could come to his life in his later years of older age. I have a wife waiting in bed for me (Hemingway 28). The second stage of human life has been projected with the help of character of an old man who stays in the cafà © till late night to drink. He does not spill a single drop of liquor on the counter and when he leaves the bar, he walks with dignity instead of unsteady walk. The older age of the man had been regarded to a stage where there are no hopes left but the fear of darkness at home (Hemingway). The darkness had been used as a symbol of death. S taying at the cafà © for longer hours helped the older man to escape from the fear of darkness. The cafà © was well-lighted that had been used as an escape from the darkness. The light is very good and also, now, there are shadows of the leaves (Hemingway 62)Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third character which is quite similar to the character of old man is the waiter at the cafà © who is also old. The young waiter asked him about the old man who stays for loner hours at the cafà © late night. I wish he would go home. I never get to  bed before three oclock. What kind of hour is that to go to bed? (Hemingway 8) In reply to the question of the young waiter, the older waiter answers from his experience stating that older stage of life is full of fear of darkness (death). The older waiter states that the older man was in a progression towards old weary day s that ends with death (Hemingway). Through the above analysis of the traits of the three characters of the story A Clean, well lighted Place, it comes to our understanding that the old man was in a progression of an older age and had similar personality traits as the older waiter had. The younger waiter had been projected as a different human who is in his younger age and does not understand the fear of death and the need of light as an escapee in the older age. Hemingway, E. A Clean Well-lighted Place. New York: Creative Education, 1990.

Biography of Henry David Thoreau

Biography of Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts. As a poet and essayist, he was sending a good life. Sadly, he was pasted on Concord on May 6, 1862. In the first year of his life, his family moved, but returned after five years. He grew up in the village and later reached masculinity. His favorite villages are forests, streams and meadows. He is the third child of the family. As his life expanded and made new friends, he established friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson. This year's favorite book is a biography of Laura Dassow Walls' Henry David Thoreau, he lives in Concord, Massachusetts, lives with Emerson, Hawthorne, Al, Technology weakens the ability to learn through observation Thinking that we might make it, we can find the answer on Google, but what is the importance of discovery? Thoreau from 1820 to 60 years and the explanation of New England life are attractive Biography of Henry David Thoreau Henry David T horeau was born on July 12, 1817. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts. As a poet and essayist, he was sending a good life. Sadly, he was pasted on Concord on May 6, 1862. In the first year of his life, his family moved, but returned after five years. He grew up in the village and later reached masculinity. His favorite villages are forests, streams and meadows. He is the third child of the family. - Henry David Thoreau Walden's Walden, Henry David Thoreau's first person is about events and ideas when he lived in Walden Pond in the '800s. Henry David Thoreau is a poet and philosopher who lives a simple life to build a direct connection between people, gods and nature. He thinks that knowledge is intuitive power, not logical proof of learning. In the work of Henry David Thoreau, he has explored another more thoughtful lifestyle. Thoreau is a student of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson gave Thoreau the property at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts; Thoreau spent two years here. Thoro ugh's social experiment demands him to separate him from society, become individuals, and learn from his experience. Emerson gave the facility of Walden Pond to Henry David Thoreau. - Lincoln is believed to struggle for racial equality When he believes African Americans are inferior, the image that people give to him is not true, radical radical Republican reconstruction It will be promoted to the era of. The thoughts of many people, even when they were tested, or even their own inference. Compared with reality, Henry David Thoreau's ideas and ideals did not go well.

The impact of social media on our society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The impact of social media on our society - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the emergence and popularity of online social networks in recent years has changed how living beings interact with each other and has made society undergo profound changes. The popularity of and easy access to social media has definitely contributed to the society in a positive way, bridging gaps between different communities and helping people to grow and market their businesses. Social Networks have made it possible to instantaneously share data within no time, with no space limitations. Be it social activism, promotion of one’s business, a community networking former schoolmates, social media has helped humans to discover their potential and creativity in new ways. Social media sites propping up on a daily basis contribute to â€Å"all phases of the content value chain including production, processing, distribution, and consumption. It also originated and brought to the multi media sector a new underestimated and now a criti cal aspect of science and technology: social interaction and networking. The importance of this new rapidly evolving research field is clearly evidenced by the many associated emerging technologies and applications including online content sharing services and communities, multimedia communication over the Internet, social multimedia search, interactive services and entertainment, health care and security applications. It is evident that this medium isn’t limited for entertainment use only, but also facilitates societal change in a faster and convenient way.