Globalization is a Good Thing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization is a Good Thing - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that globalization has had a long history, with some scholars believing that it has spanned millennia but this form of globalization has come to be surpassed by that which is taking place in the current world. Globalization, as it is today, is mainly based on the idea of free trade and the fact that people from all over the world have come to depend on one another to acquire commodities for their daily use. Thus, one would suggest that while globalization has enabled the development of positive relations between people of different cultures, it has also had some negative impacts as well. Globalization has led to the increase of understanding between peoples from different cultures and backgrounds and this has ensured that individuals, who in previous years could not interact peacefully, can now do so without any prejudice and stereotypes. The interaction between people from different cultures has taken place mainly because of the fact that th ere have developed new forms of technology such as social networks. The latter form of technology has enabled the interaction of individuals from all over the world and has made it possible for individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds, who have not met face to face, to become friends. This has ensured that a situation has developed where these individuals have come to understand each other and found out the reasons behind each other’s cultural practices, hence greater understanding. The cultural understanding that has developed has also led to the creation of greater conditions to enable world peace and it is for this reason that not only governments but also individuals have taken the initiative to work towards the achievement of lasting global peace.

MV Sewol Sinking: Media Reaction

MV Sewol Sinking: Media Reaction 2014 is a year with frequent accidents, many of them attracted large attention around the world. Media from different countries follow-up report these events under different views and media policy. The sinking of the MV Sewol is one of the concerned event. It occurred on 16th April 2014, a ferry named â€Å"SEWOL† carrying 470 passengers was sank dramatically in the southwest coast of South Korea. Most of passengers are Danwon High School’s students. Lots of passengers rescued by some fisher and merchant ship, South Korean coast guard and ROK Navy ship arrived minutes later. According to the official announce number, by the end of 15th May 2014, 295 people died in the accident and 172 people were injured, the whereabouts of other 9 people are still unknown. The captain and three other crew have been accused of murder, the other 11 crew members are charged to abandoned passengers which lead to people die. Domestic and foreign media gave increasing coverage to the sinking of the MV Sewol event (Asia Bulletin, 2014). It is not clear wrecks cause of the accident, however officials believe that overloading may be the main reason of vessels sinking. Throughout the media coverage about this event, not all of them are objective and authentic, lots of factors such as media policy, national interest, self-censorship, public opinion etc. can influence the media coverage and the representation of journalists. This essay will focus on the sinking of the MV Sewol event to explore and analysis the U.S. and South Korean’s media context of the media policy. Focusing on this event, not all media are objective, compare with some Korean media, U.S. media are more objective. The obvious reasons are not only media in U.S. have more relative free speech  but also any truth cannot influence U.S.’s public interests, national interests or government image. The United State is a country with democracy and freedom, the news media also has freedom. The first press law is the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1971, it stipulates that congress shall not abridging the freedom of speech or of the press (CRS,1971). It strongly protect news media’s freedom. Some major newspaper in South Korea such as The Chosun Ilbo, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikhoesa and JoongAng Ilbo have report lots of inaccuracy information which can mislead readers. For example, at the beginning of the accident MBC report that all students have been rescued (The Chosunilbo, 2014), this parlance sustained nearly half hour. Also, the initial report shows that rescuer rescued 368 people from freezing water and most of are students, but South Korea government clarify that 295 people were missing. In the morning of 17 April, Chosun Ilbo report that 174 people were rescued, 6 people had died and 290 people were missing. Compare with Chosun Ilbo, CNN report tha t 6 people had died (Hancocks, Shoichet and Pearson, 2014). The JoongAng Ilbo also reported similar inaccurate reports, for example at the beginning of the accident, they report the number of passengers and the number of rescued people which government announced and not verified, it is false report. In the coverage of the number of rescue divers who enter the water, JoongAng Ilbo quote the government announcement that â€Å"178 divers participate in the rescue†, it sounds like all 178 divers enter the water to search and rescue the victims at once. However, in fact, the number provide by government mean that 178 divers can participate into the rescue and in general, at the scene of the accident, only around 20 divers go into the water to search and rescue the victim every time(Nam, 2014). It can be seen that some of these South Korea medias are trend to government or controlled by government. In general, the standpoint of Chosum Ilbo is on the conservative side. Bennett deal with press-government relations as â€Å"indexing hypothesis† which considered that â€Å"reporters index the slant of their coverage to reflect the range of opinions that exist within the government† (Bennett, 1990). This view is one of the function of media. It is a common phenomenon that some media controlled by government and what they express is represent government opinion and what government want people to know. In this case, for this tragedy, media try to reduce the effect of the event in the society. Media always use less obvious expression to mislead readers. It can be understand as â€Å"symbolic power†, it is indirect and having the power to induce people and control their minds (Van Dijk, 1995). Through the representations, media can influence large number of people. However, lots of people have the ability to judge right from wrong, there are lots of foreign media and some of the local media to lead the correct, mainstream and objective opinion. Focusing on the Sewol tragedy, the main topics are considered about the mass sorrow, why this accident can happened and what should the government and state do to protect and help their citizens. The information that â€Å"all passengers have been rescued† reported by various media cause disastrous impact to the public (Sridharan, 2014). Hundreds journalists have gone on strike to protest government control media. Under the pressure from public, the president of South Korea public broadcasting KBS had resigned (Jun, 2014). The South Korea government and their media drew strong condemnation, which necessitate them to do apologize to public and victims and their families. On 16th May, JoongAng Ilbo published an article to do apologize for its false news during the period of Sewol tragedy. After that , criticize government and media controlled by government become the core topic.The Korea Herald published an article named â€Å"Sewol disaster reveals failure of mass media as watchdog†, it indicate that media blindly depend on government’s inaccurate announcement (Lee, 2014). The president of the journalists association of South Korea Park Chong Ryul said that reporters should listened to public and report what public want to know instead of government said. He think media should standing on its’ ‘watchdog’ and public role. â€Å"Watchdog† is a defined of media in classical liberalism communication theory, media with fair and objective position is a tool that stand for public and help to supervise government behavior. These media didn’t to self-censor themselves and didn’t rely on political correctness to restrict the expression before report which cause disaster effect. The social force lead to the threat to free speech on t he campuses which is the underlying logic of political correctness (Loury, 1994). People afraid of ostracism to avoid the candid expression of their views and opinion which are compelled with communal wisdom, it can be known as self-censorship, argued by Loury. The phenomenon that most of media stand on one side to criticize government and its’ media is an example for self-censorship. Once a common concern has been established, it will spread quickly, just as the wave to criticize and censure South Korea government and its media. On the other hand, other media follow up the critical comments are doing the self-censorship and political correctness perfectly. Although U.S. Media always boast their objective and nonpartisan principle, in fact, U.S. news media become the instrument of monopoly capital and consortium of political. They always put the so-called national interest, rather than public interests first and build the basic frame of political correctness. The partisanship of America media is obviously. For instant, The New York Times and Washington Post are inclined to the Democratic Party of the United States. To coverage the incident of South Korea, they are relative objective. Most of coverage are about the incident without any censure government speech and expression. U.S. media strictly follow the potential limitation: political correctness. It includes U.S. national interests, as a tool of extending national interest, the core mission of U.S. media is to guide audiences accept the standard of U.S. value and regard the U.S. national interest as public interest. It can understand easily, U.S do not want to destroy the South Korea-U.S. Alliance relations. In this case, U.S. Media can only report the objective fact and avoid to accuse South Korea government directly. This is kind of media self-censorship, the basic reason is U.S. national interest. Nevertheless, on the other aspect, Korean and some local media are focus on criticize the government and its’ media. As an example that the America overseas Korean published an advertisement on New York Times to criticize South Korea government, it states that mainstream media shaping public opinion and report false news deliberately to defense for government. Accuse that Park Geun-hye guide South Korea back to the authoritarian regime. The JoongAng Ilbo coverage this issue not only described the advertisement, but also mentioned that publishing this advertisement cost $160000 U.S. Dollar (Shen and Kim, 2014). This news article also quote the speech of the Saenuri Party who strongly condemn this advertisement. They asserted that these America overseas Korean utilize Sewol tragedy to reach their political purpose, they stressed that mourn over Sewol victims and against the government behavior should be distinguished. The article quote the opinion that such high advertising cost s which is better to donate to bereaved family. To analyze JoongAng Ilbo’s coverage, it can be seen that this media is still slant to government. It seems like they coverage the America overseas Korean’s opinion, but in fact they want to tell government’s opinion which induce people to rethink their speech. This article can influence lots of readers’ opinion. As Loury explained about political communication that the transmission of ideas and information about affair of common concern with the purport to form public opinion or influence policy consequence (Loury, 1994). Due to the large number of coverage about the Sewol tragedy and public opinion tendency, it influence the government policy making. According to the coverage of Yonhap on 7th November, South Korea Congress pass by , in order to find out the truth of the incident, taking back the illegal income from criminals and donate to the bereaved family, determining the basic frame about some stuffs wh ich to protect national security (Yonhap, 2014). Government’s policy making should considered about public interest, according to the Down (1962) explanation about public interest, it can be know as â€Å"the will of the people†, it is the combination of individual interest which establish a common value. McQuail(1992) defined public interest as informational, cultural and social benefits. In short, public interest is public’s interest, is citizens common interest. The basic opinion of public interest is that the law should reflect and protect public and public interest. The Sewol incident and the failure of the rescue in the Sewol tragedy damaged the public interest, large number of people died, young students stop their life, government lose public reliance. Most media in this incident are trying to emphasize describing the tragic victims and their family to give pressure to government and prompt government make some measure to remedy the damage of public inte rest, based on the media policy, media should supervise government to protect the public interest. In this case, South Korea government punished abandon captain and crew, passing by the to support victims and their families. The pressure of government not only come from media but also come from public opinion. Public opinion is an aggregate of individual views, attitude and other beliefs. Public opinion have strong power in many fields. Politician support that public opinion have influence on the development of government policy. In contrast, sociologists state that public opinion is an outcome of social communication. Media and communication is a tool to spread the opinion, when the opinion presented by media, the influence of public opinion has been enlarged (Davison, 2012). In this case, public opinion have more power to influence government policy. On the other hand, media can guide the public opinion, media always provide an opinion to incite mass and guide the public opinion. After the incident, the support rate of Park president declined dramatically, more and more people do not trust their government and suspicious of government’s rescue capabilities. According to the organ of public opini on survey Realmeter, more than 1,000 adults was do the survey, 51.7% interviewees are dissatisfied with Park Geun-hye government, only 41.4% interviewees are satisfied with Park Geun-hye government which is lowest in the history (Chung, 2014). People no long trust their government, they thought that if they were encounter similar incident, their government cannot rescued them. In this case, Park Geun-hye later anthologized publicly for several times, severely punished the abandon captain and crew, government also pass by policies to deal with problems arising from the accident. All of them are certified that public opinion have influence on government policy making. Media as an instrument to convey the public opinion to the government, at the same time, it affects the people’s view about government. It’s hard to explain the relationship between the South Korean media and politics by using authoritarian or liberalism theory. Analyzing the developing trend, the relations of South Korean politics and media is transforming from authoritarianism to liberalism. In South Korean political-media relations structure, political power is in a strong position. However, under the democracy pressure, political power have to comply with public opinion. Political power gradually tamed by democracy. It can be summarized from the Sowel incident. Moreover, in South Korea, political and capital have different effect on different media in different time. Just like newspaper media under the influence of capital will be more obvious and the TV media is affected by the government. The American media also controlled by interest group, guiding the public opinion that lead to the country’s leader stepping down. The â€Å"Watergate scandal† is kind of example. In short, through the anal ysis of South Korean media coverage and American media coverage about the Sewol tragedy, it can be seen that media restrict by self-censorship and political correctness, at the same time, the expression and representation of media can stand for the will of interest group, it can be controlled by government to lead the trend of public opinion. In this case, media is a double-edged sword, it not only can representative public opinion to influence government policy making, but also can help government lead the public opinion. References Asia Bulletin. (2014).Four crew members of sunken South Korea ship charged with murder.Available: http://www.asiabulletin.com/index.php/sid/222031775. Last accessed 13th Nov 2014. CRS. (1971).FIRST AMENDMENT RELIGION AND EXPRESSION.Available: http://www.law.cornell.edu/anncon/html/amdt1afrag1_user.html. Last accessed 13th Nov 2014. The Chosunilbo. (2014).140 Minutes to campsizing A country that loses children while staring.Available: http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/04/17/2014041700213.html. Last accessed 13th Nov 2014. Hancocks p., Shoichet C.E. and Pearson M., CNN. (2014).South Korean shipwreck survivors: Passengers told dont move as ship sank.Available: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/16/world/asia/south-korea-sinking-ship-students/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2014 NAM, I.S. (2014).Media Outlets Apologize Over Sewol Ferry Disaster Coverage.Available: http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2014/05/16/media-outlets-apologize-over-sewol-ferry-disaster-coverage/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2014. Bennett, W.L. (1990). Toward a theory of press-state relations in the United States.Journal of Communication. 40 (2), p103-105. Van Dijk, T.A. (1995). Power and the News Media. In: David L PeletzPolitical Communication in action: states, institutions, movements, audiences, Cresskill. NJ: Hampton Press. p9-36. Sridharan, V. (2014).South Korea Ferry Tragedy: US Amphibious Assault Vessel to Join Rescue Operation as 295 Remain Missing.Available: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/south-korea-ferry-tragedy-us-amphibious-assault-vessel-join-rescue-operation-295-remain-missing-1445002. Last accessed 15th Nov 2014. Jun, J. H. (2014).KBS President under pressure to quit.Available: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/05/116_156954.html.Last accessed 15th Nov 2014. Lee, S. S. (2014).Sewol disaster reveals failure of mass media as watchdog.Available: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140516001217. Last accessed 15th Nov 2014. Loury, Glenn.C., 1994, ‘Self-censorship in public discourse: a theory of ‘political correctness’ and related phenomena,Rationality and Society, 6, pp.428-461. Shen, G.Z. Kim, J.X. (2014).Some American Korean published NYT advertising require that check the truth of Sewol.Available: http://chinese.joins.com/gb/article.do?method=detailart_id=119413. Last accessed 15th Nov 2014. Yonhap. (2014).Cabinet passes package of bills in aftermath of ferry accident.Available: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/search1/2603000000.html?cid=AEN20141118002900315. Last accessed 15th Nov 2014. Iosifidis, Petros, 2011, ‘Media policy and regulation in the public interest,’ inGlobal Media and Communication policy, Palgrave Macmillan. pp.23-75.P95.8.I672011 Davison, W. W. (2012).Public Opinion.Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/482436/public-opinion. Last accessed 16th Nov 2014. Chung, M.U. (2014).Parks approval ratings slip steeply.Available: http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/04/113_156249.html. Last accessed 16th Nov 2014. Is the American Dream Achievable? Is the American Dream Achievable? The American dream came about during the United States Declaration of Independence where it was meant to be a land of freedom where prosperity and success to the people prevailed regardless of their social status or where or how they were born. All people were to be treated equally by having their rights exercised freely with their happiness. Children were to be given good education and career without any barriers. Everyone was to make his or her own choice without the obstacles of their class, caste, religion, race ethnicity (Kronenwetter, 1997). By this it meant life should be great, richer and be enjoyed to the fullest by everyone according to their opportunities and achievements. Ever since independence, America has been seen to be a land of opportunity where good life can be achieved through your sweat, freedom of democracy is allowed and where everyone has a right to exercise his or her religion and moral beliefs. Equality was the in-thing. American Dream ever since has been operating under the principle of freedom but nowadays, much has changed in America. It has been born from a nation of freedom to a nation of materialism (Adamson, 2002). Before, one earned his leaving through hard work which was considered to be an achievement of financial success but nowadays people no longer look into the vision of the future which includes time, sweat and ultimate success but instead they sit in their comfort waiting for it to come true. American being a nation of capitalism, the quest for money was part a way forward to achieve their dreams. Instant wealth to the Americans was never part and parcel to their success, working hard was always their dream. During the colonization period, Benjamin Frankline counseled people on their way to wealth, according to him, retiring early to bed and waking up earlier will make you healthier, richer and wiser (Adamson, 2002). The American Dream education system has also been influenced towards not achieving the dream. One needs to qualify in a given area in order get an opportunity in the society instead of developing genuine competence and knowledge or show their interest. The poor who cannot afford education cannot fit in the system with whatever knowledge and experience they have because all this is left to the educated ones. Freedom of the people has also been altered because most of them nowadays have been turned into slaves to some people, the government and any other kinds of institutions. They have got no freedom of their own to rest. They work hard for other people instead of themselves. The achievement of security for all has also become a mirage with the United States topping the list of countries with the highest crime rates in the world. Crime rates heighten to new levels every day and curbing terrorism has become a hard nut to crack, increasing government spending and worsening the already b ad economic situation of America hence hindering the achievements of the American Dream (Kronenwetter, 1997). With all the above happenings, the American Dream can still be achieved through the norms that have been isolated. Norms such as old principles should be observed instead of being materialistic, the concept of being right or wrong, believing in inalienable freedom and the liberty of the individual. With the above, some achievements can be attained. Adaptation to change in institutions, organization or the government can also contribute very much towards the achievement of the American Dream. Faithfulness in what the nation stands for, for instant obeying the rules or the constitution of the nation and being a good citizen rather than being an obligation to the country. Poverty, ignorance, oppression and those things which are meant to hinder the countrys progress towards achieving its dream must be fought in all means (Lasch, 1995). With poverty, addressing the issue of inequitable distribution of wealth among the American people will solve the issue. This can be termed as a sign of justice and fairness among its people since there will be no favor or class of distinction (Adamson, 2002). Education should be put into consideration because with the old principles forgotten, achievement in academic can lead to achievement of a dream, happy and prosperous life. Best education comes with hard work and with this, knowing the root course what is hindering the achievement of the American Dream today can be possible. Economic crisis among the American citizen should be observed. Of recently, the Obama administration has been able to observe that by helping the needy through extending health and unemployment benefits and increasing food-stamp benefits. The problem of unemployment has been able to be addressed through the economic stimulus funding to the state and local government as they concentrate on other infrastructures such as repairing the aging transportation infrastructures. Safety among the citizens should be observed. Violent crimes should be abolished. Instead of crime, good virtues such as peace and prosperity should prevail. With unity, the gift is happiness; integrity of the country is always showing true spirit of the citizen. Goal achieving has been part and parcel of everybodys life but obstacles at times do come on the way. Political instability in a country can affect one to achieve the nations dream. If you want to start a business and the country or two groups are always at war with each other then your business will not grow either. Lack of motivation and drive is a major and key contributor to the achievement of the set goals and dreams (Adamson, 2002). Intrinsic motivation for goal attainment increases once drive to follow through the plan. Developing a set of ambitious life dreams is one thing, but having the drive, motivation and determination to follow through and work toward making your dreams a reality is entirely different. Knowing the motivating factor and never losing sight of it aids in sticking to the action plans. Once motivation is not cultivated in ones inner being the spirit of making the first step towards achieving the dream is deterred and in the long run the dream shuttered. Its therefore a pre-requisite for one to set attainable dreams and walk the dream (Lasch, 1995). Flexibility in making decisions is another critical factor that impacts on dream achievement. Fixed mindedness is a deterrent factor since individuals are not allowed to think beyond in a wider context but rather follow the st rict guidelines in achieving there set targets and as a result the spirit of invention and innovation is not appreciated. It is therefore upon every individual to look at various means of achieving the dream and the most productive decision empowered (Weir, 2007). Skills and competences also sway once judgment in setting dreams. Having the skills to follow through with the desired action is an important factor to consider when elaborating your plan to achieve your dreams (Lasch, 1995). It is therefore once obligation to be handy in identifying his special attributes and align them with his dreams even if means developing the skills through training and research an example would be a carpenter will never achieve his dream of becoming the best unless he continuously improve on his skills. Despite the above achievements and obstacles, they are those who have made the American Dream to become a reality. For instance Abraham Lincoln at some point was quoted saying Where is the American Dream and this, he achieved. Kennedy Abraham Lincoln who was the 16th president of the U.S between 1861 and 1961 took over power when the country crisis of Civil War was on the rise with millions of the Americans already dead (Kronenwetter, 1997). The war was between two worlds with their own visions. These worlds were the Union states of the North and Confederate states of the South. This gave rise to the War of Succession or Civil War. This was a time when the unity of the U.S and its territories were at risk. Lincoln was determined to end this war through the means of unifying the nation. By achieving this, he arrested those suspected to be secessionists and put them under detention without trial. Lincoln career as a president was a very humble person who never loved war. At one point, Lincoln became under attack by both sides of the Union states of the North and Confederate states of the South, Radical Republicans voiced for harsher treatment of the South while Democrats desired Compromise of which he fought back with patronage by making them feel sorry for each other (Adamson, 2002). He had power in speech to convince the American people. For example, at one occasion when addressing the Gettysburg in 1863, he was quoted saying and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, will not perish from the earth (Kronenwetter, 1997). This statement remained to be an icon of the Americas dedication to the principles of nationalism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy. Abraham Lincoln dream came true when he abolished slavery in the U.S. With time discrimination and segregation came to an end. Racism only remained in many older North Americans while the young ones continued to interact with different races. Civil Rights Act allowed anybody from any race to study in the U.S with no discrimination. Equality was considered first. Most migrants moved in to the U.S in search of different freedoms and opportunities. Other intermarried for example the blacks and the whites. Then black man, Barrack Obama, with Lincolns footsteps came into being the president. Abraham Lincoln remained a hero and one of the greatest U.S presidents after giving freedom to the slaves (Lasch, 1995). Martin Luther King Jr. was never left behind for fighting for the American Dream. Being a Baptist minister, he was in the war front fighting discrimination against the blacks. All he wanted was racial equality among the Americans. 1963 is the day to be remembered when Martin and his staff went to Birmingham Alabama and protested non-violently. This kind of behavior intrigued bad publicity, forced the white leaders of Birmingham to agree to some anti-segregation demands. He was later arrested and jailed. This was the last time to be seen in public until the memorial of Abraham Lincoln (Lasch, 1995). Here, he invoked the name of Lincoln in his I Have a Dream which was televised across the country. In his speech, he talked about slavery which Lincoln had fought for before. In his own word he said, I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood (Lasch, 1995). All he meant was the equality among the American people. His speech of I Have a Dream to the Americans has achieved the American Dream. The fight for the racism has been achieved equality between the blacks and the whites (Lasch, 1995). Black people are being offered same opportunities in the American at large. Kings was against crime to the humanity, he was against the Vietnam War. In his speech titled Beyond Vietnam he openly declared that he was against U.S involvement with the Vietnam War. To him, U.S was in Vietnam to occupy it as an American colony and calling the American government the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today. He also didnt miss the wealth and poverty topic, to him, U.S needed some moral changes in which he said, A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Africa, Asia, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries (Lasch, 1995). Politically, his prediction about his four children living in a nation where a black will rule came to be accomplished the Barrack Obama. Martin Luther King Jr. left a legacy behind for fighting equality and human rights. Despite this kind of lives, the two leaders demonstrated leadership in themselves. Trying to look at their personalities and their achievements, we can see each having growing up to fight for the rights of the human nature. Their life stories, memorable phrases and quotes and incredible feats that give us a glimpse of what we already know. There destinies were shaped by the obstacles but they managed to overcome it. For instant, Born on February on 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln came from a very humble family and made a living with simple jobs like cutting wood, failed merchant. With nine years old, Lincoln lost her mother due to milk sickness, and then her older sister died also when giving birth at a young age (Kronenwetter, 1997). His father re-married again of which his fathers wife became very close to Lincoln despite the distance between him and his father. Slavery was part of their family. This haunted Lincoln very much with the kind of hard labor his father was going through due to lack of education. All cores expected of him as a male in the household such as building rail fences was his work. Lincoln worked so hard when he was young and whatever he earned, he gave his father and when he grew older, he at times loaned some money from his father. His romance life was also full of obstacles, her first love died of typhoid fever before they could settle together. Her second romance didnt work either after courting for some time. At the end, he married Mary Todd Lincoln whom they had children together who died later with different ages. This haunted both parents so much and at some point Mary was committed to a mental care asylum in1875 while Abraham Lincoln suffered from melancholy (Kronenwetter, 1997). Life went on with lots of ups and down until Lincoln became a legislator of Illinois, an advocate against the extension of slavery, later a candidate of the nascent Republican Party, later the President of the United States, and, finally, a man of principles who believed in the essential virtue of democracy for resolving conflict of which he fought for so much and at one point, he was quoted saying As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy (Lasch, 1995).Education wise, Lincoln was very smart. He observed nature with a lot of closeness which enabled him later to accomplish his American dream. Living in Illinois opened his future of becoming a lawyer and this helped him sharpen up the skills of politics. Through politics he managed to become the president of the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and confederate spy from Maryland in 1864. Martin Luther King Jr. was also assassinated in 1968 in his room that he had booked. He was born in January 15, 1929 as Michael which later changed to be Martin, grew up in a Christian family. His father was a pastor in Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta where he acted as a co-pastor. Martin was a learned man, he attended segregated schools in Georgia, graduated from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B.A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. Three years after his theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected preside nt of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951 (Kronenwetter, 1997). Later he married MaCoretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments of whom he had two sons and two daughters with. He worked as a strong worker for Civil Rights for the members of the race. He fought for the equality of the American citizens. Left behind a legacy of predicting that one day the American will be ruled by the blacks. Of which it has been accomplished. This two leaders had some few things in common, the both fought for the humanity rights (Lasch, 1995). The both wanted America to be a land where freedom is exercised and opportunity citizen to both are adhered to. Through their fight for humanity, American Dreams have been achieved. Education wise, resources are being distributed freely to all the people. In summary great people dream big, this can be translated to mean people will always try to get a good life. The Promised Land flowing with goodies will always attract masses; in view of this fact America has been seen by many as a country that promises the good life. What people do not realize is that the country was built through hard struggles and sacrifices to achieve the success. Successful people commit to achieving better than their peers. For them, commitment has becomes an instinctual habit they practice every day. However, commitment is not merely about the intention or the strength of your promises, it is all about taking action. Even the strongest commitment is just another broken promise unless a commitment to take action occurs. In conclusion achieving once dream is a product of individual efforts and intrinsic power to venture into the world of unknown unveiling discoveries. Americas top two icon leaders have lived the example and the idea of achieving once dreams made practical and many more yet to be unfolded.

How many wolves are too many? :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1922 the federal government passed a law that allowed wolves in Yellowstone National Park to be hunted. In just four years later the last wolf was hunted. In 1995, the gray wolf was reintroduced to the park. The government started off by introducing 31 wolves in the Montana and Wyoming parts of the park. Now 116 wolves now live and more then 75 pups.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversy surrounding the reintroduction of the wolves are many from both sides. Some local farmers are against it because some wolves hunt their animals. However, if the farmers can prove their animal was attacked by a wolf, then the government would reimburse them for the animals value. Another problem is that some taxpayers are against the reintroduction because it cost them money to get the wolves back into the park. Another issue for taxpayers is that they have to pay for the damage the wolves do to the farmer’s animals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pro for the reintroduction is the ecosystem is healthier. With the reintroduction, the wolf hunts sick deer and elk. The weak are sorted out and the strong survive. The same goes for the wolves. The wolves that are injured or have diseased cannot survive. When they die scavengers get to eat their meat, which contributes to the ecosystem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another pro is more people come to Yellowstone National Park to see the wolves since they were extinct for more then 30 years. According to the National Parks Conservation Association, an average of 15,000 people see a wolf in Yellowstone a year. Douglas Smith, who is doing research about the wolves, recording a wolf sighting for 135 straight days from the park roads.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In other parks, the federal recovery program is going well. At Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, wolf’s population reached 29, which is the maximum number to survive in the ecosystem. Those 29 wolves can easily live sustainable off the 210 square miles of land. The state of Minnesota has more then 2,500 wolves living and roaming the lands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many controversies surrounding the wolf protection policy. From the view of the farmers who loss there live stock, I understand why they would not want the wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park or any place else. The problem I have with it is how does the government find market value for a cow? Is it a flat rate? Many questions surround the value of a cow or any other livestock.

Corporal Punishment and the Damages of Spanking on Children

?CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND THE DAMAGES OF SPANKING ON CHILDREN You have probably heard the expression, â€Å"spare the rod, and spoil the child. † Do you agree with it? Perhaps you were spanked as a kid. Was it appropriate? Some people see spanking as an outdated method of punishment or even child abuse, while others view a swat on the bottom as a parent's prerogative. People differ a lot on their views when it comes to administering corporal punishment on children. While some view it as being barbaric, some consider those who spare the rod and spoil the child to be sloppy in their tutorage of children. The basis for taking an exemption to the administration of corporal punishment on children might stem from legal, educational, medical, communal and even economic reasons. Where do we draw the line when it comes to disciplining our children? When considering if the administration of corporal punishment is good or wrong, some questions have to be initially answered. What can be referred to as corporal punishment? What precipitates corporal punishment? What effects can corporal punishment accomplished? Is the practice healthy in all and any ramifications? Are there noticeable differences in the lives of adults that were/were not subjected to corporal punishments? Based on these, should the practice be discouraged or continued? If these questions are successfully answered without bias or prejudice, the issue of if or if not corporal punishment administration on children will be laid to rest. Corporal punishment is the intentional infliction of pain on the human body for purposes of punishment or controlling behavior. It includes slapping, spanking, and forcing to stand for long periods of time; spanking involves hitting with the palm of the hand. Children often undergo some form of corporal punishment in response to punishment for flouting of rules, regulations or norms, failing grades, exhibition of unwholesome traits and so on. Quite agreeably, corporal punishments might have succeeded in curbing the delinquencies of juveniles in some cases. However, the effects are definitely short lived and results often in astronomical failures! Obedience to an authority out of love and respect is more sustainable as compared to obedience evoke from fear and dominion. It common situations in homes that children often tend to do what is not expected of them to do if there is an element of risk involved (corporal punishment and spanking in this case). If a parent patiently explains why using of a particular brand of drug might be helpful, the child respectfully obeys; however, in cases where threats are issued, intriguing human nature sets in and the rule is disobeyed! If restrictions are placed on the freedom of children without issuance of threats and physical abuse, but lovingness, patience and kindness is expended, the tendency to disobey is greatly reduced. Research have shown that people that end up being serial killers, rapist, drug dependents and who involve in all social vices are most times, the victims of physical abuse brought about by spanking (Gershoff , 2002). Children and people in general that are subjected to corporal punishment lack or have reduced empathy and human compassion for other people (Lopez, Bonenberger, & Schneider, 2001). Any effect of corporal punishment is negative (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1998; Lytton, 1997; J. McCord, 1997; Straus, 1994a). Those who do not become bullies end up being timid and insipid people that have no control over their own minds. Such people do not know what it means to be loved, have self respect and to respect others. The only way they can communicate love is via pain and suffering (at least that is the way they were brought up), and that good and lessons can only be learnt or achieved through hardship, pain and suffering. As adults, they become the inflictor of pain because they have always being the recipient (Gershoff & Bitensky, 2007). Furthermore, parents that practice corporal punishment are often times victims of corporal punishment when they were children. Why should the hate cycle continue? Being spanked is an emotional event. Adults often remember with crystal clarity times they were paddled or spanked as children. Many adults look back on corporal punishment in childhood with great anger and sadness. Sometimes people say, â€Å"I was spanked as a child, and I deserved it. † It is hard for us to believe that people who loved us would intentionally hurt us. We feel the need to excuse that hurt. Spanking often leave bruises, marks and wounds which sometimes may never heal or leave it trails. Medically, this is unacceptable. Bearing marks of manhandling often times results in emotion mess and immaturity, sporadic acts of wickedness, cowardice and lack of self assurance. Peers of children who are being spanked often tease and bully such. They cannot concentrate on their education both in school and at home. Adult survivors of abuse are subject to a substantial array of long term effects of their abuse. In Cruz and Essen (1994) a variety of effects are suggested including emotional roblems, behavioral problems, physical problems, sexual dysfunction problems and social problems. Psychological abuse of children has been described as the most ambiguous to define and yet maybe the most common type of abuse to be inflicted on children by parents. Legally, children have rights under the international human rights charter that are often contravened with the administration of corporal punishments. Can those who carry out corporal punishment set their actions within the confines of the law? Most sadly, no! Studies show that even a few instances of being hit as children are associated with more depressive symptoms as adults (Strauss, 1994, Strassberg, Dodge, Pettit & Bates, 1994). A landmark meta-analysis of 88 corporal punishment research studies of over six decades showed that corporal punishment of children was associated with negative outcomes including increased delinquent and antisocial behavior, increased risk of child abuse and spousal abuse, increased risk of child aggression and adult aggression, decreased child mental health and decreased adult mental health (Gershoff, 2002). While most of us who were spanked turned out OK, it is likely that not being spanked would have helped us turn out to be healthier. It is important to note that corporal punishment is not the only form of correcting undesirable traits in children (Day and Roberts, 1983; Roberts and Powell, 1990). Often times, parent/guardian and children relationship are at best frosty when incidences of child spanking and corporal punishment are melted out. Love and respect fosters better relationship and communal existence, than fear and domination, which is the product of spanking. Children find it easier to deal with daily problems in a mature manner, and they grow up to be responsible and law abiding adults. Even in most species of animals, biting and kicking is absent between offspring and parents, yet communion in such class is excellent; obedience to the call of a parent, following hierarchy and abiding within existing norms and social standings are respected. Should not human parents show some intelligence superior to animal parents? The society has nothing to lose and everything to gain if spanking is abolished. In the absence of corporal punishment, the society thrives happily on the reduction in crimes of juveniles, adult sociopaths and other child abuse related problems. Also, it makes the society saner and more civilized. For instance, children that are continually subjected to corporal punishment see no issue with picking up a fight, being bullies and destructive agents. They often seek companionship with people of their like minds, resulting in the proliferation of delinquent gangs, whose sole end results are vices such as drugs dealing, rape, stealing and robbery, wanton destruction and creating public unrest. An end to spanking and corporal punishment will see an end to a lot of the unnecessary evil crimes being perpetuated in our society. REFERENCES American Academy of Pediatrics. (1998). Guidance for effective discipline. Pediatrics, 101, 723–728. Day, D. E. , & Roberts, M. W. (1983). An analysis of the physical punishment component of a parent-training program. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 141–152. Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal Punishments by parents and Associated Child Behaviors and Experiences: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review. The American Psychological Association. Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 128, No. 4, 539-579. Gershoff, E. T & Bitensky, S. H. (2007). The Case against the Corporal Punishment of Children: Converging Evidence from Social Science Research and International Human Rights Law and Implications for U. S. Public Policy. The American Psychological Association. Psychological, Public Policy and Law. Vol. 13, No. 4, 231-272. Lopez, N. L. , Bonenberger, J. L. , & Schneider, H. G. (2001). Parental disciplinary history, current levels of empathy, and moral reasoning in young adults. North American Journal of Psychology, 3, 193–204. Lytton, H. (1997). Physical punishment is a problem, whether conduct disorder is endogenous or not. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 211–214. McCord, J. (1997). On discipline. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 215–217. Roberts, M. W. , & Powers, S. W. (1990). Adjusting chair timeout enforcement procedures for oppositional children. Behavior Therapy, 21, 257–271. Straus, M. A. (1994a). Beating the devil out of them: Corporal punishment in American families. New York: Lexington Books.

April Morning by Howard Fast Essay

â€Å"April Morning† by Howard Fast is a novel that takes place during the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775. The entire book takes place during a 24 hour time period. Adam Cooper is the antagonist in this novel. When Adam goes to bed on the eve of April 18, 1775 he is a boy. When he awakens the next morning he is forced to become a man. In the early hours of the morning he, along with the rest of the town, is awakened by a lone rider racing to Lexington to warn them that a British army, of maybe a thousand men, is marching their way. Immediately the town is in a frenzy to prepare for the British arrival. The book is about Adam’s journey during the Battle of Lexington. Adam Cooper is just 15 years old when he chooses to fight alongside his father in the Battle of Lexington. He is a brave and courageous character. He admits, at least to himself, that he is scared to fight but it does not prevent him from fulfilling his duty to his people. During the battle Adam reveals that he does not enjoy killing and shooting people. His character is full of sarcasm and curiosity. He is constantly questioning everything including God which was practically unheard of in his time. Moses Cooper is Adam’s father. He is a strong man who loves to argue and debate with anyone. He is tough on Adam, so much so that Adam is convinced that his father hates him. There is only one point in this novel where Moses shows any kind of affection towards Adam, and it is right before the battle where Moses is killed. Solomon Chandler is an older man whom Adam runs into while running away from two redcoat soldiers. Solomon takes Adam under his wing so to say for the rest of the battle. He comforts Adam and provides Adam a shoulder to cry on after Adams father is shot and killed. Later we find out that Solomon has a darker side to him when he is shooting the Redcoat soldiers and laughing like it is a game. Granny also known as Goody Cooper is Adams grandmother. She and Adam seem very close. You can tell she is a tough woman but she is much more sensitive than her son Moses. Constantly you read about her reprimanding Moses even though he is full grown and has a family of his own. She is not afraid to voice her opinion to anyone. When the Redcoats are ransacking her home, she does not sit and cower, she follows them into every room and yells and screams at them calling them thieves and murderers. Ruth Simmons is Adams second cousin once removed. She is also his love interest in the story. Ruth has known Adam her whole life and decided when she was 13 years old that he was the man she wanted to marry. One of the many conflicts in this novel includes the physical size of the British Army verses the townspeople’s army. The British have an army of well over 1000 men, whereas Lexington was only able to acquire less than 100 men. When the British arrive at Lexington all of the men are faced with the option to both stand and fight, which was considered suicide, or they could run away. They had to make up their mind quick. Every single man ran and fled the town. Had they not there is no doubt that they would all have been slaughtered. Once the committees get together all the remaining men from nearby towns they plan to ambush the British. Adam describes how tiered and weak his body is. He is so tiered that he actually stops shooting and finds a spot under a tree where he falls asleep! He cannot physically stay awake any longer. At the end of the battle when Adam returns home he finds Ruth and they talk about the future. He confirms to Ruth that he does in fact love her, and to himself he confirms that he doesn’t want to marry any other girl but her. However, there is still the matter of Adam going to fight again and when Ruth asks Adam if he will sign the muster book he is torn between staying with his family and Ruth or going to war and fighting. As I read â€Å"April Morning† I found it very hard to stop reading. It is a fast moving book that goes through, in detail, each battle that Adam had to face in just 24 hours. I loved Adams character mostly because of his sarcasm in the beginning of the novel. I liked the fact that he did not really want to shoot and kill the Redcoats he just wanted them to leave. The book was cleverly written, and I admired Howard Fast for being able to write a book just about one day and still keeps it interesting the whole way through. I never found myself getting bored or tiered of reading it. I think it gives a great perspective on what the Battle of Lexington was like. It had everything a book, in my opinion, should have: love, hate, sorrow, terror, adventure, and action. A great read for anyone interested in learning more about our American history and how the American Revolution began.