An Examination of Outsiders in Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford and North Essay

An Examination of Outsiders in Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford and North and South - Essay Example In Cranford, the outsiders and their relationship to the central characters are depicted with gentle satire and humor. Human foibles are examined with compassion and the tale holds out the promise of redemption. With typical narrative skill, Gaskell highlights the characteristics that mark both groups as unique in their own right and cleverly demonstrates the benefits to be enjoyed if their differences are ironed out. However she does not stress this point and brings out how it is also possible for the two to exist independent of the other, without too much hostility, overt or otherwise. In North and South, the role of outsiders is handled on a more solemn note, in keeping with the gravity of the subject matter. Gaskell reveals a thorough grasp of the situation as she depicts the painful antagonism that characterizes the mental framework of the outsiders and the inevitability of open conflict. Human existence itself becomes fragile under the oppressive, all - pervasive atmosphere of ill - concealed hatred, intolerance and mutual fear. She emphasizes the absolute need for reconciliation between the warring factions and the need for peaceful co - existence, improved communication channels, tolerance and better understanding. The novel reveals how such a ceasefire is not only possible but imperative in order to ensure better living conditions for all concerned. The difference in the depiction of outsiders in both the novels lies largely in the stronger stand she adopts in the latter. A thorough analysis of this subject helps one better understand the nature of the differences in the portrayal of outsiders and is likely to result in a better understanding of the content, themes and the narrative techniques employed, which in turn makes the reading experience far more rewarding and enriching. A Study of Outsiders in Cranford At the very onset of the text it is possible to identify the outsiders. Gaskell says, "Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses, above a certain rent, are women In short, whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford" (1). Thereafter, men who arrive on the scene are perceived as the outsiders on account of their gender. From this point Gaskell sketches the peculiarities and peccadilloes that are the defining characteristics of both sexes with particular attention to the female sex. The traits unique to both sexes are seldom disparaged but often celebrated. Like the mythological Amazons, the women of Cranford had for the most part excluded men from their lives and are remarkably self - sufficient. However unlike their mythical counterparts they refrain from killing men, but do not baulk at driving them away by the sheer strength of their disapproval and superior numbers. Therefore the women are the central characters in Cranford; however despite the fact that theirs is a secluded community, insulated from the rest of the world, they cannot keep out men from their lives. Therefore male characters make their appearance at regular intervals for better or for worse and are essential elements of the plot. The community at Cranford is a close - knit one, where the genteel ladies are well established in their ways and are accustomed to the monotony of their uneventful lives. The ladies are used to each other's eccentricities and they take

Politics Essays Advertisements Campaigns Voters

Politics Essays Advertisements Campaigns Voters Advertisements Campaigns Voters Political Advertisements reflecting Political Orientations This paper tries to argue, and somehow support, that political advertisements during electoral campaigns reflect the political orientation of the voters. The Philippines is known for its festive mood all year round done through fiestas and other celebrations showcasing the very Filipino among us. To bring this to home is to mention our annual celebration of the Sinulog. The Sinulog 2007 Magazine presents the colorful celebration of the whole country in honor of the child Jesus Senor Sto. Nino. This celebration along with the other celebrations all over the country signifies the dynamics of our culture and this had been passed from one generation to another. Making the young ones realize and appreciate its value and importance. But festivals are not the only colorful features of the Philippines, we are likewise known to have very festive conduct of elections. Yes, elections in the Philippines resemble the celebration of fiestas. In the very recently concluded May 14, 2007 Congressional and local elections the whole country have witnessed how politicians have used almost all forms of campaigning just to be properly known and eventually be voted by the electorates. In fact, as a result of campaign many of the politicians’ tarpaulin were left scattered prompting a businesswoman to convert them into bags, which were distributed to the fire victims somewhere in Metro Manila. The reason for this was the huge volume of tarpaulin spent for by the candidates all for their desire to vote. To add, flyers and sample ballots were voluminously reproduced for the same purpose. However, for those who have a broader financial base they took advantage of the mass media in airing (broadcast and print) their political advertisements. The patronage of politicians to the use of media is itself a statement of the wide reach of the latter as well as the extent of its possible impact on the decisions of the electorates. Most studies about the media try to look into how it operates in the â€Å"democratic† Philippines or how it influences the behavior of people, especially during elections. However, it is likewise interesting to explore what is reflected by the media as the society’s character, behavior and culture. Hence, this essay describes the electorates’ political orientation that is projected or reflected in the political advertisements of politicians. However, it is bounded by the following delimitations: only the political advertisements of the Mayoral and Vice-Mayoral candidates of Cebu City are considered, this is for purposes of a more focused analysis. Furthermore, I made use of only print ads from newspapers, this is due to limited access to television advertisements. These delimitations may in the end limit as well the conclusion of this essay, however this can also serve as an initial study for a broader consideration by other scholars. Culture, Politics and Media From the sociological point of view, Giddens (2002) defined culture broadly to be the way of life of the members of society or groups within a society. It is that â€Å"something† that unites a society together and that which stitches the relations of people and social structures. However, culture is by nature not easily definable due to the fact that it’s merely manifested, such as its tangible and intangible aspects. Many theorists have imparted their own share of conceptualization about culture. Worth mentioning in this essay are the contributions of Jules Henry (1980). Jules Henry postulated the anthropological idea that culture is preserved and perpetuated, and it is necessarily reproduced through the process of interaction among people in society. From here it can be deduced that culture is by its very nature transmissible therefore learned. Hence, the culture of a society is passed on to the next generations in a dynamic fashion of learning. The example highlighted by Henry is the cultural dreams turned nightmare of the Americans because of the highly consumeristic culture projected by the media. Jules Henry is decisive in prescribing the idea that the media is constructing a culture that is not reflective of the real needs of the public. From this contribution of Henry we can understand that the process of transmitting culture can be facilitated by a number of ways and means or agents. Socialization is a primary channel for the transmission of culture over time and generation. There had been a continued discourse on culture and many scholars were engaged in more cultural studies during the heights of the behavioral revolution and the participation explosion after World War II. The behavioral revolution did not exclusively affect the cultures of the world but also the functioning of polities. If in the past the study of politics was focused on the state, being the only institution which can authoritatively allocate the values to the society (Easton, 1953: 146) the behavioral revolution had inspired other political scientists to engage in scholarships involving politics and culture. Among them were Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba in their breakthrough study published in 1963. They studied about the Civic Culture of five countries by looking into the political attitudes as well as the practice of democracy in said five nations. In the study of political culture, culture must be understood as an individual’s psychological orientation toward social objects (Almond and Verba, 1963: 14). Almond further emphasized that political culture refers to the political system as internalized in the cognitions, feelings and evaluations of its population. From here, the specificity of culture as applied in understanding politics is clarified. Hence, political culture refers to the specifically political orientations attitudes toward the political system and its various parts, and attitudes towards the role of the self in the system (Almond and Verba, 963: 13). Verba also contributed his definition of political culture to consist of the system of empirical beliefs, expressive symbols, and values which defines the situation in which political action takes place (1965:513). The polity’s political culture is only one aspect of politics at the same time only an aspect of culture. From such definitions we can draw the different modes of political orientations referred to by Almond and Verba, which are considered of high relevance because these help us understand how an individual may potentially react to political stimulus. They are: 1) cognitive orientation; 2) affective orientation; and 3) evaluative orientation. Cognitive orientation refers to the knowledge of and belief about the political system. Ranney added that this include the information that an individual has about political affairs (1995:65). Moreover, other scholars look into the person’s level of awareness as a way of knowing his/her cognitive orientation. Example of this is whether a person is aware of the list of local officials in their local government. Or it could be an inquiry into the various political issues s/he is aware of. From here the level of a person’s cognitive orientation is defined. Therefore, if the kind of information presented before the public is more knowledge-based we can infer that the presumption is that the public still need to be fed with pertinent information to be aware. Affective orientation refers to the feelings an individual may have about the political system, its roles, personnel and performance. This orientation includes how individuals feel for a political phenomenon. For instance, how the people feel about the cheating issues posed against the Arroyo administration last 2004 elections. The emotions or the mood developed on the individual constitute his/her affective orientation. Hence, if the information presented for the public appeals more to the recipient’s emotion, it be could under the presumption that people already know the information and have developed shared emotion with the messenger. Lastly, Evaluative orientation, this refers to the judgments and opinions formulated by individuals as a response to political objects which involves the combination of value standards and criteria with information and feelings. This is considered to be the most important type of political orientation because it determines the type of political culture of the polity. Furthermore, public opinions, to be useful, must be translated to public judgment and the latter must be manifested through public action. There is a need for an individual to translate one’s judgment to action in order to substantially affect how political objects function. Good examples for this were EDSA 1 and 2. The people’s knowledge and feelings about the abuses of Marcos’ dictatorship were eventually translated to a public judgment of discontent hence, making possible the flooding of people in EDSA as a manifestation of their feeling of discontent and disappointment, very similar to the EDSA 2 circumstances. Therefore, if an information ignites action it presupposes that the people are already aware and have similar affect to a particular issue and would just need to share such sentiment to the rest. These three will be the basis in analyzing the campaign advertisements of the candidates for mayor and vice-mayor in Cebu City. I will look into the kind of messages they have and from there try to understand the orientation they believe the voters have. Both references did not only provide definitions of socialization but went on to say that this processes proceeds from an individual’s early stage in life up to one’s old age. This only means that this is continuous and dynamic. They also added that since this process is continuous there are various agents which help transmit the necessary political orientations. These agents are but not limited to the: Family; School; Peer Groups; Church; Mass Media; Government; and International Community (Ranney, 1995: 61-65; Almond and Powell, 2004: 58).On the other hand, understanding political culture with the general concept of culture would mean that political culture is also transmissible, and is best facilitated through political socialization. Almond and Powell defined socialization to be the way in which political values are formed and the political culture is transmitted from one generation to the next (2004: 52). Austin Ranney also gave his conception of political socializ ation to be the developmental process from which people acquire their political orientations and patterns of behavior (1995: 58). Each of these agents has their respective ways of influencing an individual about the political. Among the most popular of these are family and mass media. In fact, most literature describing the political culture of Filipinos propound the idea that it is governed by familism, kinship ties and patron-client relations (Lande, 1965; McCoy, 1994; Sidel, 1999). On the other hand, the next most popularly regarded to influence an individual’s political orientation is the mass media. In fact, scholars have concluded that the media really have social and political effects to the public. Furthermore, they contend that â€Å"every culture has means of preparing and conditioning its members to adopt expected social roles and activities and the mass media often times have an unrecognized role in this process.† Hence, the importance in looking into how the media influence or reflect the public is very much important. Most often the influences of these agents are best manifested every time an individual takes part in a democratic exercise such as elections. The paragraphs to follow will be devoted into discussing the relevance of the media in politics as well as the evolution of the conduct of elections in the Philippines. Media In general terms, understanding the media inevitably requires understanding of communication which, in its simplest context, is the act of sending ideas and attitudes from one person to another. Moreover, communication of people may either be intrapersonal, interpersonal, or through mass communication. Communicating within one person is intrapersonal communication. While, communicating with another person is interpersonal. Lastly, communication between a person or a group of persons to a larger audience through a transmitting device is mass communication. In mass communication there are important elements that need to be present: a) sender or the source who is responsible in putting in the message on the channel; b) channel, which is the medium that delivers the message to the receiver, an example of this would be the television, newspapers, magazine and the like; c) receiver, who is the intended (or unintended) audience of the message the public; and d) the feedback from the receiver, this occurs when the receiver responds to the message sent by the sender. Mass communication is best characterized by: a) the message is sent out using some form of mass media (newspaper or television); b) the message is delivered rapidly; and c) the message reaches large groups of different kinds of people simultaneously or within a short period of time. The idea of mass media really brings as much information to as wide an audience as possible, this makes the transmission of information easier and corollary to this would mean a more precise message. There is more to mass media than merely transmitting messages. Other theorists propounded that â€Å"a person who takes a steady diet of mass media messages may be conditioned to believe that the world presented by the media is an accurate reflection of reality.† This is very much related to the concept of Jules Henry wherein the media, through its various advertisements, create a â€Å"cultural dream† for the public as evidence by growing consumerism among the people (1980). This brings me to the book of Dan Nimmo and James Combs Mediated Political Realities (1983). The book centers on the public having mediated realities. Walter Lippman said that â€Å"people act on the basis of pictures they carry around in their heads, pictures of the way they think things are† furthermore, he added â€Å"these pictures are derived from and changed by one’s direct experiences as well as those which they don’t deal directly.† This only means that not all realities are experienced firsthand, rather, our realities are complemented by things we are made to believe to be realities this is facilitated by a medium which is the mass media. Hence, it becomes a valid inquiry of whether the realities we see reflected by the media are in fact real. The authors went on to postulate that â€Å"each of us forges our own reality† which means that what we may consider reality may not be conceived similarly by others. In addition, a situation may mean various realities to various people hence, there cannot be a universal reality because they are all mediated. The concept of mediated realities is brought by the influx of other means of communications, which is mass communications sometimes complementing and in competition with other means or agents (Nimmo and Combs, 1983: 5). The authors went on to say that â€Å"social reality is constituted, recognized, and celebrated with media.† Meaning that the media indeed has a huge role to play in the process of making and unmaking realities. This pushes us to another level of looking into realities, whether they are truly real or otherwise. From here, a caveat is better put in place, that what we see and experience through the media may simply be a construction we are made to believe or could be a reflection of what is truly real. The second postulation is taken adeptly by this essay for a number of reasons: a) the context of this essay is in the Philippines wherein a number of legislations are in place to govern the media; and b) such regulations highlight the importance of responsibly delivering the news to the public. Media in the Philippines As initially stated above, studies about media are often centered on its role/s in a society. For example, the role of the media during the time of Marcos it was noted that the media during the Martial Law years were either under the payroll of some politicians or were frankly against the reign of Marcos. Furthermore, Sussman also mentioned that there were over twenty journalists documented to have been killed during the time of Marcos for expressing disagreeable opinion against local warlords. The struggle for press freedom was also strong but was forcefully countered by a number of Presidential Decrees issued by Marcos to curtail any free expression through the press. Marcos even ordered the closure of media companies which were directly countering the mandates of his government, one of them was ABS-CBN of the Lopezes. However, the tides took a different turn on the eve of EDSA 1, the airwaves were useful when Cardinal Sin through Radio Veritas urged the people to pray and defend democracy. The remaining media strength who looked into the political situation in the Philippines were the foreigners as they covered most of the fraudulent activities, especially during the conduct of previous elections. Moreover, the change of government from dictatorial to democratic also paved way for a freer mass media. To further ensure its free exercise, the same is guaranteed in Sec. 4, Art. III of the 1987 Constitution Freedom of Speech and Expression and of the Press. The â€Å"press† specifically cover every sort of publications: newspapers, periodicals, magazines, books, handbills, leaflets, other written materials, television and radio broadcasting are also included. This only proves how much we regard, in terms of importance, the sector of the media in our country. Media and Philippine Elections The conduct of Philippine elections is likewise filled with a rich experience. The Documentary Eleksyong Pinoy is actually a very rich resource in terms of the evolution of our electoral exercise. To make it very comprehensive, the producers included personalities who have been actively engaged in the conduct of elections in the country such as former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioners Haydee Yorac, Christian Monsod; former National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) Chairperson Jose Conception; Philippine Center for Good Governance (PCGG) Chairperson; His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin (due to his role in EDSA 1); a UP History Professor and other significant personalities. In all the documentary showed how elections were so limited in the past. In fact, it presented that the elections during the later part of the Spanish colonial rule were exclusive only to those who have the stringent qualifications biased for the males, literacy, taxing capabilities, ownership of properties and others. Corollary, the chance to run for public office is also limited to those who have landholdings and were educated. But this limited access have been widened by the institutionalization of the democratic institutions by the American colonial rule as prepared by a number of US legislations. These organic acts essentially installed democratic ideals upon which people are given the chance to actively participate in the affairs of government, initially through elections. Proof to this was the right to vote granted to women in 1937 after a massive success reaped from a nationwide plebiscite on the matter. Philippine elections have long been open to the participation of the public, though there were interruptions as to how free it is during the Martial Law years. In fact, based on the well-researched documentary, elections during the time of Marcos were noted to be fraudulent ones due to massive cheating and anomalies. Elections according Mojares is a â€Å"collective rite of collective passage, with liminal phases, beginning with the preliminal period of ‘presubjectification’; the ‘limen’ of Election Day; and the postelection period of resubjectification during which results are validated, winners are proclaimed.† As for the progress of this essay, I will focus on the presubjectification period or the course of campaigns. It was noted that the way Filipinos conduct campaigns are actual replica of that of US. Luz Rimban, writing for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, stated that when US introduced elections in the Philippines it likewise included in the package its own style of campaigning, and this includes the use of mass media to somehow ‘manipulate public images’; the hiring of public relations and advertising professionals, and employing other sophisticated tools for campaign. The mass media had since then been useful in projecting the image of the Filipino politician the newspaper, radio and television were proven useful. The mass media exposure includes presentation of news coverage of the affairs of politicians. However, the use of mass media was strengthened by the passage of Republic Act 9006 otherwise known as the Fair Elections Act in February 2001. Section 3 of this legislation provides that: Lawful Election Propaganda. Election propaganda whether on television, cable television, radio, newspapers or any other medium is hereby allowed for all registered political parties, national, regional, sectoral parties or organizations participating under the party-list elections and for all bona fide candidates seeking national and local elective positions subject to the limitation on authorized expenses of candidates and political parties, observance of truth in advertising and to the supervision and regulation by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). This opened the doors for a free use of the mass media as a means of launching a politician’s campaign. The most common among these mass media is the television. In fact, aside from the television and newspapers, other politicians made use of new technologies such as mobile phones and launching ‘text brigrades’, while others used the world wide web to introduce and sell themselves to the voters, especially the younger ones. In fact, for this May 14 elections, many political parties and candidates used Friendster as a means of inviting potential voters. Hence, the old type campaigning buttressed by the new legislation truly expanded the campaigns of running politicians. Included in the list, and the focus of my paper, are newspapers. They are as well tapped by politicians to place their advertisements in. Therefore, we can really say that the media has a huge role to play in Philippine elections. It is then a challenge to look deeper into these campaign ads and determine what particular political orientation are projected about the Filipino, in particular Cebuano, voters. How to look into this? I will look into the used and the face value of the print advertisement and from there analyze themes or connotations that would somehow clearly define the political orientation of the voters as reflected by it. To call this process content analysis or semiology would be an overstatement. Rather, this analytical framework is simply innovated. Campaign Ads: Cebu City Elections The candidates for Cebu City mayoral and vice-mayoral posts are Tomas Osmena VS. Mary Ann delos Santos and Michael Rama VS. Raymond Alvin Garcia, respectively. Both Tomas Osmena and Michael Rama are incumbent Mayor and Vice-Mayor of the City. Mary Ann delos Santos, on the other hand, was the Barangay Captain of Lahug, while Raymond Alvin Garcia is the son of former Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia. Each camp had been organizing their respective campaigns: the use of streamers, tarpaulin, leaflets, mobile ads and print advertisements were taken advantage. Hence, for the latter I decided to look into one of the leading local newspapers in the islands: Sun-Star Newspaper. I was able to scan the consecutive issues of Sun-Star Newspaper from April 1 up to May 12, 2007. Among the 42 issues the following were the breakdown:

Business Letter of Reference :: Business Reference Letters

October 11, 2014 2987 Strawberry Lane Suite 1555 Somewhere, ST 01234 To Whom It May Concern: RE: Customer Reference - Cool Arts Inc. I have been asked to write this letter of reference because our company will no longer be operating its printing plant that has served Cool Arts Inc. for more than two decades. Cool Arts has been one of our top customers for the past 22 years. Accordingly, I have no hesitation in recommending them as a company with which to do business. In addition to doing business with his company for many years, I have known the president and founder of Cool Arts, Pablo Picasso, for over 25 years. We were classmates and teammates at Somewhere University in the mid 1970s. Knowing him for so long I am quite comfortable in vouching for him as a great individual as well as a concerned and active citizen in this community. As far as a company to do business with, Cool Arts Inc. is one of the best that we have ever dealt with. Its practice has always been to pay our printing invoices within the 30-day time limit. We did significant amounts of business, especially during the past 8 years, and I cannot recall a late-payment situation involving the company. Billing disputes were rare, and those only required some minor additional documentation for clarification and resolution. Cool Arts was one of the best companies that I have ever dealt with from a change-order and work scheduling perspective. We maintained close communication with the company's production people and they always kept us apprised of their upcoming workload. Thus, scheduling jobs on our presses was never a problem.

Computer a Boon or a Bane

According to me the computer is boon to mankind. People are helpless without computer. Today it is the employments of millions of people. Computer is the greatest invention on earth especially for students. In fact, students and teachers are encouraged to use Information and Communication technology. It connects everyone in world. We can communicate with each other. The computer has made everybody's life easier. According to the recent research kids play online games regularly have better reaction time, visual activity and dexterity than kids who do not play  games on computer. Games help children to identify things in a faster way, to develop skills in sport and business. Computer considered as Machinery God , is an electronic device that reduces human laborious effort. In this 21st century,computer can be known by the name of next human brain. The invention of computer made human life much easier,faster and comfortable. Computer is regarded as one of the greatest achievements made by Scientist till now. Computer ,an electronic device, which has made life easier and comfortable is today surrounded with many questions of threats . Whether Computers are helping us or creating problem to us is matter of discussion. This is a topic to be put forward in the mass discussion. No doubt,the use of computer has lowered human labor lots and lots The work which required much time before can now be done simply within fraction of seconds. This is one of the main cons of computers. Sitting in a room and controlling world has now become possible due to discovery of computers. Communication has become possible due to internet. Information can be easily gained through internet. Globalizationhas become possible due to computers. Computers are used in each and every sector. From offices to school,from colleges to houses †¦ everywhere it is used. Even in defense system it is used. In hospitals to keep record of patients,to find symptoms of various diseases its been used. Similarly,it is been used for entertainment by teenagers. Likewise,it is been used as source of education. Distance education has become possible. So, these are the advantages of invention of computers hich might make us think that they are very useful. But one thing that must be kept in mind is its negative aspect too. Computer hackers are the main cause for its negativity. Online robbery has become possible. Hackers are actively involved in cyber crime. Piracy has become so frequent that business organization has to face heavy loss. Important file and datas can be easily stolen which might be foundation of a country. Porn sites are been viewed by people which is promoting rapes and many other†¦

Importance of Sex Education in School

Many parents are against sex education being taught within the schools. Sex is a very sensitive subject. Many parents feel that it is not appropriate to teach children these  ¡Ã‚ §facts of life ¡ at such a young age. Shouldn ¡t one wait for marriage to learn about these things any way? The overwhelming fact is that a growing number of teens especially are thinking about and even having sexual encounters. Should sex education be taught in school? Some say that is no longer the question, but rather how should it be taught. Over 93% of all public high schools currently offer courses on sexuality or HIV. More than 510 junior or senior high schools have school-linked health clinics, and more than 300 schools make condoms available on campus. (Sex Education in the Schools) The following is a discussion of the many questions associated with teaching sex education at school. 1. Why do youth need sex education? – The United States has more than double the teenage pregnancy rate of any western industrialized country. More than a million teenagers become pregnant annually. In addition, teenagers have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of any age group. In fact, one in four young people contract an STD by the age of 21.(Sex Education in Schools) 2. Why should schools be involved in sex education? – Most parents still avoid the issue. Keeping children ignorant endangers their lives ¡Xespecially for the millions of teens who have already begun having sex. An overwhelming 61% of male high school students and 48% of female high school students fit in this category. (CDC, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Sexual Behavior Among High School Students, What You Should Know About Sexuality Education) 3. If sexuality education is so useful, why are so many teens still having sex and getting pregnant? – It is also the product of the child ¡s environment and experiences that leads them down a certain path. The total responsibility cannot be placed on school education. Here are some tips provided by Planned Parenthood for parents dealing with the issue of sex with their children. (National Family Sexuality Education Month) „h Be open and respectful about your child ¡s questions „h Examine your values about sexuality Here are some scary STDs, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, which teens should be aware of: „ « HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This weakens your immune system, making you susceptible to any other virus or bacterial germ in creation. HIV leads to AIDS, which is fatal and is now the leading cause of death in America with no cure or vaccine available. (Three Scary STDs) HIV is passed through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. „ « CHLAMYDIA- It's called the â€Å"invisible STD† because a large percentage of people who have it don't show symptoms. Chlamydia is bacterial, so it can be treated in its early stages with antibiotics. However, if left untreated, it can leave you sterile. „ « GENITAL WARTS – A type of the Human Papilloma Virus. Some types of this virus cause warts, others show NO symptoms. There are 60 different types altogether. Luckily, there are a number of ways to treat it. However, even with treatment, the warts can always recur. Condoms do offer some protection, but viruses can â€Å"shed† on areas not covered by the condom. (Three Scary STDs)

Freedom In The United States Essays - Freedom Of Expression

Freedom In The United States Essays - Freedom Of Expression Freedom in the United States No other democratic society in the world permits personal freedoms to the degree of the United States of America. Within the last sixty years, American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have developed a set of legal doctrines that thoroughly protect all forms of the freedom of expression. When it comes to evaluating the degree to which we take advantage of the opportunity to express our opinions, some members of society may be guilty of violating the bounds of the First Amendment by publicly offending others through obscenity or racism. Americans have developed a distinct disposition toward the freedom of expression throughout history. The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect toward the freedom of religion. It also prevents the government from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since the early history of our country, the protection of basic freedoms has been of the utmost importance to Americans. In Langston Hughes' poem, "Freedom," he emphasizes the struggle to enjoy the freedoms that he knows are rightfully his. He reflects the American desire for freedom now when he says, "I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread." He recognizes the need for freedom in its entirety without compromise or fear. I think Langston Hughes captures the essence of the American immigrants' quest for freedom in his poem, "Freedom's Plow." He accurately describes American's as arriving with nothing but dreams and building America with the hopes of finding greater freedom or freedom for the first time. He depicts how people of all backgrounds worked together for one cause: freedom. I selected Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 as a fictitious example of the evils of censorship in a world that is becoming illiterate. In this book, the government convinces the public that book reading is evil because it spreads harmful opinions and agitates people against the government. The vast majority of people accept this censorship of expression without question and are content to see and hear only the government's propaganda. I found this disturbing yet realistic. Bradbury's hidden opposition to this form of censorship was apparent throughout the book and finally prevailed in the end when his main character rebelled against the practice of burning books. Among the many forms of protests are pickets, strikes, public speeches and rallies. Recently in New Jersey, more than a thousand community activists rallied to draft a "human" budget that puts the needs of the poor and handicapped as a top priority. Rallies are an effective means for people to use their freedoms effectively to bring about change from the government. Freedom of speech is coneztly being challenged as is evidenced in a recent court case where a Gloucester County school district censored reviews of two R-rated movies from a school newspaper. Superior Court Judge, Robert E. Francis ruled that the student's rights were violated under the state Constitution. I feel this is a major break through for students' rights because it limits editorial control of school newspapers by educators and allows students to print what they feel is important. A newly proposed bill (A-557) would prevent school officials from controlling the content of student publications. Critics of the bill feel that "student journalists may be too young to underezd the responsibilities that come with free speech." This is a valid point; however, it would provide an excellent opportunity for them to learn about their First Amendment rights that guarantees free speech and freedom of the press. In his commencement address to Monmouth College graduates, Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School defended the broad right to free speech. He stated, "My message to you graduates is to assert your rights, to use them responsibly and boldly, to oppose racism, to oppose sexism, to oppose homophobia and bigotry of all kinds and to do so within the spirit of the First Amendment, not by creating an exception to it." I agree that one should feel free to speak openly as long as it does not directly or indirectly lead to the harm of others. One

The eNotes Blog 5 Times King Lear Had Some (Surprisingly) GoodAdvice

5 Times King Lear Had Some (Surprisingly) GoodAdvice There’s no putting it lightly: Shakespeare’s King Lear contains so much tragedy that it gives Game of Thrones a run for its money. The play is brimming with family betrayal, loss, and struggles for status, wealth, and power that drive characters into utter madness. But if the tragedy of King Lear were nothing more than meaningless, chaotic mayhem, there’s no way it could have persisted for centuries as one of the most culturally significant Shakespearean tragedies. I probably dont need this spoiler warning, but just in case: Warning! Spoilers! I don’t think many would disagree that King Lear is a serious contender for the â€Å"Worst Dad Ever† award. At his worst, Lear is a textbook narcissist obsessed with flattery and guilty of some very poor social, political, and parental decision-making (with disastrous consequences). But for all his flaws, Lear actually drops some (surprisingly) profound knowledge throughout the play regarding love, loss, loyalty, nature, regret, madness, grief, sorrow humanity, and the importance of family. Although Lear eventually descends into madness, the insight he gains from his loss actually makes him seem at times more sane than other characters. (cough Edmund, Goneril, and Regan, cough.) So, lets look at five times that Lear offered us some rather solid, if unconventional, advice: 1. Be Humble Let’s face it, we often forget that we are tiny, transient specks in a huge world that doesn’t always have our best interests at heart. But before we have an existential crisis, let’s consider that this humble reminder doesn’t have to be sad or upsetting. In fact, remembering that our current emotions, worries, and problems (though certainly valid) are temporary and somewhat small in the grand scheme of things, can be kind of comforting. Lear learns this lesson early on, reflecting that nature, animals, and humans are really not all that different: Allow not nature more than nature needs/ Man’s life as cheap as beast’s - act 2, scene 4 Lear points out, in a surprisingly philosophical critique of society, that an elevated sense of self-importance can lead to a lack of compassion for those who are suffering- and often, to a desire for power. Goneril and Regan could have definitely listened to this â€Å"dad wisdom.† Stay humble, my friends. 2. Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder My own father almost lost his breath repeating phrases like this to me. To say that â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder† is almost too cliched, but the idea persists largely because of its truth. Likewise, King Lear shares this bit of advice with the world: The art of our necessities is strange/ And can make vile things precious- act 3, scene 2 Nice things are, well, nice. But when we are truly desperate, things that we might have previously thought to be ordinary or shabby seem much nicer than before. The moral of the story here: Looks are not always what they seem, so don’t jump to conclusions (which Lear really would have benefited from learning earlier on). 3. Don’t Be Greedy, Be Grateful Similar to the lesson in humility, Lear teaches us to be grateful and not greedy. When Lear’s â€Å"pelican daughters† (that is, â€Å"ungrateful daughters†) throw him out into the storm, Lear says: Take physic, pomp, Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel- act 3, scene 4 Or in other words: â€Å"Pompous men, take a taste of your own medicine.† Lear basically means that getting caught up in a quest for wealth, prestige, or prosperity makes us blind to those in need. Greed manifests itself in some very harmful ways in King Lear and in the real world. If we have a sense of gratitude for the abundance we do have, we can help avoid this. Thanks for another helpful dad lesson, Lear! 4. Admit Your Mistakes, and Learn From Them We all make mistakes- although let’s all hope to never end up in this kind of Shakespearean disaster. However, what’s important is that we learn from these mistakes, apologize to those we’ve wronged, and try to do better in the future. Lear makes some calamitous mistakes: he harms his family and the social and political order. But, he does admit his wrongs and gains a lot of insight from them. Toward the end of the play, he says to Cordelia, his youngest daughter, whom he wronged despite her loyalty: You must bear with me. / Pray you now, forget and forgive.- act 4, scene 7 Better late than never, I guess. But a lot sooner sure would have been better. 5. Appreciate the Little Things Ok, we know life can be chaotic and painful, and there is definitely no shortage of this reminder in King Lear. As Lear showed us in act 3, we can hurt one another deeply (sometimes unintentionally) in our endless desire for more and more (money, power, stuff, etc.). If there’s another thing to take from Lear’s experiences, it’s that we must learn to enjoy the little things: And take upon’s the mystery of things, / As if we were God’s spies- act 5, scene 3 In other words: There are many precious and beautiful things in the world, if only we decide to start looking into the â€Å"mystery of things.† In his last bit of advice, Lear reminds us not to underestimate the little things. They might be some of the last memories we have of others. Reaches for tissues. Whew, ok. That was quite an emotional roller coaster through a tragedy that certainly no one would call â€Å"uplifting.† But, we’ve definitely found some wisdom in here that not only reminds us why King Lear endures as a classic, but that’ll hopefully better us by having read it.