Thursday, October 31, 2019

3 questions need answers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3 questions need answers - Coursework Example Musical examples combining these are; Tossin and Turnin (Bobby Lewis), Hey Little Cobra (Bruce and Terry), Dream Love (Bobby Darin), The Happy Organ (Dave Cortez) and The Twist (Chubby Checker). In America in the 1950s, popular music dominated and totally defined musical trends. Earlier on at the end of the World War II, swing had been replaced by classic pop. The post war swing put emphasis on orchestration while pop focused on storyline and emotions. 1950s saw emotional delivery in pop music reaching the apex especially in the miniature psycho-drama songs by Johnnie Ray, a singer and writer. Due to the fan hysteria at this time when most of the fans were teenagers, the birth of other genres like rock n roll came to root through the original pioneers. This evolution was caused by amongst others; Jezebel (Cry of the Wild Goose), Johnnie Ray (The Four Lads), Frank Sinatra (Young at Heart), Tony Bennett (Cold) and Rosemary Clooney (Come On-a My House). These two bodies came to aid artists in their music given that radio stations had the habit of discriminating against some upcoming musicians. Moreover, even the established artists were not benefitting from the music they created and there was an inevitable move to try and harmonize conditions in the industry

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Maria Sotomayor Essay Example for Free

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Maria Sotomayor Essay Justice Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009. A vacancy became open upon the retirement of Justice Souter. If her nomination and approval by the Senate is approved, she would become the 111th Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Her confirmation hearing by the Senate did not go without controversy. Justice Sotomayor gave a speech at the University of California, Berkeley and in her speech, she said, â€Å"I would hope that a wise Latina Woman with richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life. † Some, including commentators such as Rush Limbaugh, view this statement as being racist. She acknowledged the phrase, â€Å"wise Latina woman† was a bad attempt to playing on words. In the end, Justice Sotomayer was confirmed by a vote of 68-31. Justice Sotomayor life is one that is full of achievement and disappointment. Her appointment has changed the landscape from of the court. Sotomayor was born in The Bronx, New York City and is of Puerto Rican descent. Her father died when she was nine, and she was subsequently raised by her mother. As a child, she aspired to be like Nancy Drew, the detective in the popular childrens mystery series. But at the age of 8, she was diagnosed with diabetes and told she would not be able to pursue that line of work. Sotomayor said it was another fictional character that inspired her next choice. I noticed that [defense attorney] Perry Mason was involved in a lot of the same kinds of investigative work that I had been fascinated with reading Nancy Drew, so I decided to become a lawyer, Sotomayor told the American Bar Association publication in 2000. Once I focused on becoming a lawyer, I never deviated from that goal. Her parents moved to New York during World War II – her mother served in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps during the war. Her father, a factory worker with a third-grade education, died when Sotomayor was nine years old. Her mother, a nurse, then raised Sotomayor and her younger brother, Juan, now a physician in Syracuse. After her father’s death, Sotomayor turned to books for solace, and it was her new found love of Nancy Drew that inspired a love of reading and learning, a path that ultimately led her to the law. Most importantly, at an early age, her mother instilled in Sotomayor and her brother a belief in the power of education. Driven by an indefatigable work ethic, and rising to the challenge of managing a diagnosis of juvenile diabetes, Sotomayor excelled in school. Sotomayor graduated as valedictorian of her class at Blessed Sacrament and at Cardinal Spellman High School in New York. She first heard about the Ivy League from her high school debate coach, Ken Moy, who attended Princeton University, and she soon followed in his footsteps after winning a scholarship. Judge Sotomayors Legal Realist Judicial Philosophy Formalism is an appealing view because it purports to validate the rule of law, in contrast to the rule of the men and women who serve as judges. If the judge is simply a vehicle for expressing the laws meaning, then when the judge interprets the law, the judge is not adding his or her own gloss, but rather simply applying the rules and standards previously chosen through democratic processes. For this reason, Justice Scalia, who has also espoused formalism, specifically associates it with the rule of law. Yet formalism has been under assault for over a century. Legal realists have long noted that the formalists view of the law is false, or at least radically incomplete. Even a legal realist will likely admit that, yes, in some very simple casesthe sort that are either never brought or that settle quicklythe formal legal materials uniquely determine the answer. However, legal realists point out that in the sorts of cases that reach appellate courts, and especially a court of last resort like the United States Supreme Court, there is usually a substantial gap or ambiguity in the law. That is the very reason why we need such courts, legal realists say. As the term legal realism suggests, legal realists believe that formalists are not being honest (perhaps, not even with themselves) when they disclaim any influence from their own values upon their judicial decisionmaking. Nor, they say, could matters be otherwise in a complex and evolving society in which legislators and constitution writers cannot possibly have anticipated all of the circumstances in which the provisions they wrote would be applied. The point was aptly made this way: The constant development of unprecedented problems requires a legal system capable of fluidity and pliancy. Our society would be strait-jacketed were not the courts, with the able assistance of the lawyers, constantly overhauling the law and adapting it to the realities of ever-changing social, industrial and political conditions; although changes cannot be made lightly, yet law must be more or less impermanent, experimental and therefore not nicely calculable. Much of the uncertainty of law is not an unfortunate accident: it is of immense social value. Who said that? None other than Judge Sonia Sotomayor, in a 1996 speech at Suffolk University Law School. Formalism, Legal Realism, and Judicial Empathy Knowing that Judge Sotomayor is a legal realist does not tell us everything about her judicial philosophy, but it does paint a vivid contrast with the formalism expressed by Justice Thomas and Chief Justice Roberts at their confirmation hearings. That contrast, in turn, makes sense of the controversy over President Obamas view that a Justice ought to have empathy. If one thinksas many conservative commentators apparently dothat formalism correctly describes American law, then empathy is irrelevant to judging. The judges job is simply to apply the formal legal materials. Empathy is no more useful to the formalist judge than it is to someone writing a dictionary. In each case, one is simply looking for the meaning of words. However, if one thinks that the legal realists have it right, then a broad capacity for empathy is crucial to judging. According to the legal realist view, in filling in the laws gaps and ambiguities, a judge will necessarily be making value-laden decisions that derive in part from her background and experience. The broader the background, and the greater her ability to step outside her own circumstances to see the laws effects on others, the greater will be the judges ability to, as Judge Sotomayor put it, adapt the law to the realities of ever-changing social, industrial and political conditions. Neither legal realism nor empathy alone constitutes the whole of Judge Sotomayors judicial philosophy. To fully appreciate her approach, it would be necessary to read a substantial number of the hundreds of opinions she has authored as a federal judge. But at least with a professed legal realist judge like Sotomayor, one knows where to begin. In an era when we are all too familiar with 5-4 Supreme Court decisions splitting along conservative/liberal lines, it is refreshing to have a nominee who does not pretend that her background and values have nothing to do with her legal decisions. The Case Against Sotomayor Sotomayor’s former clerks sing her praises as a demanding but thoughtful boss whose personal experiences have given her a commitment to legal fairness. â€Å"She is a rule-bound pragmatistvery geared toward determining what the right answer is and what the law dictates, but her general approach is, unsurprisingly, influenced by her unique background,† says one former clerk. â€Å"She grew up in a situation of disadvantage, and was able, by virtue of the system operating in such a fair way, to accomplish what she did. I think she sees the law as an instrument that can accomplish the same thing for other people, a system that, if administered fairly, can give everyone the fair break they deserve, regardless of who they are.† Her former clerks report that because Sotomayor is divorced and has no children, her clerks become like her extended familyworking late with her, visiting her apartment once a month for card games (where she remembers their favorite drinks), an d taking a field trip together to the premier of a Harry Potter movie. But despite the praise from some of her former clerks, and warm words from some of her Second Circuit colleagues, there are also many reservations about Sotomayor. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking to a range of people who have worked with her, nearly all of them former law clerks for other judges on the Second Circuit or former federal prosecutors in New York. Most are Democrats and all of them want President Obama to appoint a judicial star of the highest intellectual caliber who has the potential to change the direction of the court. Nearly all of them acknowledged that Sotomayor is a presumptive front-runner, but nearly none of them raved about her. They expressed questions about her temperament, her judicial craftsmanship, and most of all, her ability to provide an intellectual counterweight to the conservative justices, as well as a clear liberal alternative. The most consistent concern was that Sotomayor, although an able lawyer, was â€Å"not that smart and k ind of a bully on the bench,† as one former Second Circuit clerk for another judge put it. â€Å"She has an inflated opinion of herself, and is domineering during oral arguments, but her questions aren’t penetrating and don’t get to the heart of the issue.† (During one argument, an elderly judicial colleague is said to have leaned over and said, â€Å"Will you please stop talking and let them talk?†) Second Circuit judge Jose Cabranes, who would later become her colleague, put this point more charitably in a 1995 interview with The New York Times: She is not intimidated or overwhelmed by the eminence or power or prestige of any party, or indeed of the media. Her opinions, although competent, are viewed by former prosecutors as not especially clean or tight, and sometimes miss the forest for the trees. It’s customary, for example, for Second Circuit judges to circulate their draft opinions to invite a robust exchange of views. Sotomayor, several former clerks complained, rankled her colleagues by sending long memos that didn’t disti nguish between substantive and trivial points, with petty editing suggestionsfixing typos and the likerather than focusing on the core analytical issues. Some former clerks and prosecutors expressed concerns about her command of technical legal details: In 2001, for example, a conservative colleague, Ralph Winter, included an unusual footnote in a case suggesting that an earlier opinion by Sotomayor might have inadvertently misstated the law in a way that misled litigants. The most controversial case in which Sotomayor participated is Ricci v. DeStefano, the explosive case involving affirmative action in the New Haven fire department, which is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court. A panel including Sotomayor ruled against the firefighters in a perfunctory unpublished opinion. This provoked Judge Cabranes, a fellow Clinton appointee, to object to the panel’s opinion that contained â€Å"no reference whatsoever to the constitutional issues at the core of this case.† (The extent of Sotomayor’s involvement in the opinion itself is not publicly known.) Not all the former clerks for other judges I talked to were skep tical about Sotomayor. â€Å"I know the word on the street is that she’s not the brainiest of people, but I didn’t have that experience,† said one former clerk for another judge. â€Å"She’s an incredibly impressive person, she’s not shy or apologetic about who she is, and that’s great.† This supporter praised Sotomayor for not being a wilting violet. â€Å"She commands attention, she’s clearly in charge, she speaks her mind, she’s funny, she’s voluble, and she has ownership over the role in a very positive way,† she said. â€Å"She’s a fine Second Circuit judgemaybe not the smartest ever, but how often are Supreme Court nominees the smartest ever?† I haven’t read enough of Sotomayor’s opinions to have a confident sense of them, nor have I talked to enough of Sotomayor’s detractors and supporters, to get a fully balanced picture of her strengths. It’s possible that the former clerks and former prosecutors I talked to have an incomplete picture of her abilities. But they’re not motivated by sour grapes or by ideological disagreementthey’d like the most intellectually powerful and politically effective liberal justice possible. And they think that Sotomayor, although personally and professionally impressive, may not meet that demanding standard. Given the stakes, the president should obviously satisfy himself that he has a complete picture before taking a gamble. Racial Discrimination Judge Sotomayors most high-profile case, Ricci v. DeStefano, concerns white firefighters in New Haven who were denied promotions after an examination yielded no black firefighters eligible for advancement. Joining an unsigned opinion of a three-judge panel of the appeals court, Judge Sotomayor upheld the rejection of a lawsuit by white firefighters, one of them Hispanic, claiming race discrimination and, as part of the full appeals court, she declined to rehear the case. The Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s decision in a 5-to-4 vote. Judge Sotomayor dissented in part in an earlier case, Gant v. Wallingford Board of Education, finding that race discrimination had occurred when a school demoted a black child from first grade to kindergarten. Lawsuits Against Federal Contractors An opposition memo on Judge Sotomayor cites her ruling in a case about lawsuits against federal contractors to claim that she is willing to expand constitutional rights beyond the text of the Constitution. The case concerns an inmate who lived in a fifth-floor room while serving a federal prison sentence for securities fraud. He was allowed to use the elevator because of congestive heart failure, but when a guard had him climb the five flights, he had a heart attack, fell down the stairs and suffered an injury. He sued the company that ran the halfway house for the federal Bureau of Prisons. As part of the appeals court, Judge Sotomayor emphasized precedents that permitted suits against companies performing state government functions. The Supreme Court reversed Judge Sotomayor, ruling 5 to 4 that only individual agents, not corporations, may be sued for such violations. Justice Stevens joined by Justices Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. â€Å"Extending Bivens liability to reach private corporations furthers [its] overriding purpose: providing redress for violations of constitutional rights.† (Bivens was a 1971 Supreme Court case that allowed some people whose rights have been violated by federal agents to sue.) —Makesko v. Correctional Services Corporation, 2000 Related Documents * Makesko v. Correctional Services Corporation Top Environment In a defeat for environmental groups, the Supreme Court ruled this term that the Environmental Protection Agency may use cost-benefit calculations to decide whether to require power plants to make changes that could preserve aquatic organisms. The case mostly concerned the meaning of a phrase in the Clean Water Act that requires the power plants cooling structures to reflect the best technology available for minimizing adverse environmental impact. Judge Sotomayor had previously ruled that weighing the costs of the changes against the value of the organisms in dollars was not permitted by the law. Instead, the EPA could consider only what cost may reasonably be borne by the power plants. When her ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David H. Souter, dissented, saying that cost-benefit analysis was prohibited by the law and pernicious in practice. â€Å"Congress has already specified the relationship between cost and benefits in requiring that the technology designated by the EPA be the best available.† —Riverkeeper v. Environmental Protection Agency Related Documents * Riverkeeper v. Environmental Protection Agency (2007) Top Workplace Discrimination: Disabilities Some of Judge Sotomayors more prominent opinions on discrimination concern people with disabilities. In one case, Judge Sotomayor ruled that a law school graduate with a reading and learning disability was entitled to extra time in taking the bar exams. After the Supreme Court decided that people are not protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act if they can function normally by wearing glasses, taking medication or otherwise compensating for their disabilities, it told the Second Court to reconsider its decision in this case. Judge Sotomayor again found that the woman was disabled, and must be given accommodations, writing that test scores alone were not enough to diagnose a disability. Another case concerned a trucking company that rejected applicants who were taking some medications. Judge Sotomayor dissented from the majority, writing that Hunt, the company, had determined the applicants were substantially limited in the major life activity of working, and not, as the, majority found, merely unsuited for long-distance driving of Hunts 40-ton trucks on irregular stressful schedules. â€Å"By its very nature, diagnosing a learning disability requires clinical judgment.† —Bartlett v. New York State Board of Law Examiners Related Documents * Bartlett v. New York State Board of Law Examiners (1999) * E.E.O.C. v. J.B. Hunt Transport (2003) Top International Law Some of her Judge Sotomayors most notable decisions have come in child custody and complex business cases. One case concerned a child of divorced parents who lived in Hong Kong. The mother had sole custody of the child and the father had reasonable access. The mother took the child to New York, and the father filed a petition for return of the child to Hong Kong. A custody order said the child could not be removed from Hong Kong without the consent of the father or the Hong Kong court, and the case centered on whether this clause confers rights of custody under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction. If it did, it would require the childs return to Hong Kong. On appeal, the court ruled the removal was not wrong because the father did not possess rights of custody. In her dissenting opinion, Judge Sotomayor argued that a broader interpretation of custody was more in line with the object and purpose of the Convention, and that this was how foreign courts had considered the issue. The question in this case, Croll v. Croll, is before the Supreme Court in Abbott v. Abbott. Another case concerned jurisdiction. Federal courts can hear cases between citizens of a State and citizens or subjects of a foreign state. According to British law, citizens of Bermuda are nationals, but not subjects. A panel found, therefore, that federal jurisdiction did not apply. Judge Sotomayor dissented, writing that the Constitution used citizen and subject to refer to a range of relationships. [ 1 ]. http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1910403,00.html [ 2 ]. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-14/politics/sotomayor.hearing_1_sotomayor-hearings-wise-latina-woman-hispanic-supreme-court?_s=PM:POLITICS [ 3 ]. http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-26/politics/sotomayor.bio_1_judge-sonia-sotomayor-supreme-court-nancy-drew?_s=PM:POLITICS [ 4 ]. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Background-on-Judge-Sonia-Sotomayor/ [ 5 ]. http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20090603.html [ 6 ]. http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/the-case-against-sotomayor

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Unequal Pay Among the Sexes

Unequal Pay Among the Sexes Group Smith, Bauer, Tetteh, Vice   Unequal pay is not a new subject but since it still happens, we felt that we should shed some light on this subject and give our fresh opinions. Before we go any farther let me explain some of the background of Equal pay. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 Applies to virtually all employers, large and small, and prohibits sex-based wage discrimination between men and women working in the same place of business who are performing substantially the same work. (Snow). This Act was created because of the significant wage gap among genders back in 1963, yet we still struggle with it today. when the Equal Pay act was passed the average wages of women were less than sixty percent of men.( Kubasek). Now that, that has been explained in detail the following will be explained Since unequal pay is still relevant and well define why it is unfair and what steps people can take if they believe it is happening to them. Lastly, we will talk about the consequences of unequal pay to the companies who allow thi s to happen. There are several reasons given by experts as to why there is still a gap between men and women wages. According to Hartmann, Gault, Lovell, Sinzdak, and Caiazza the number one feature in womens earning less than men is that of hours worked, or on the part of women, hours not worked.(Kennedy). For this reason, You can imagine that women may have to get leave form work to take care of a sick child or a family member. Sad to say but, of the thousands of single parents in the workforce today, more than half of them are women (Kennedy). This is some of the reason that results in less hours worked by women as to men. Many excuses have been made that the difference is attributed to productivity but according to professor Francine Blau this information cannot be proven. The existence of large pay differentials between male and female workers that cannot be attributed to individual differences in productivity-related characteristics (Blau). Another reason why many believe the gender wage gap still exist is lack of experience and skills at the work place. Many jobs are dominated by male workers are worth more money than those dominated by female workers (Kennedy). For example; An employer who owns an electric company and has a male electrician and a female secretary is not likely to pay the secretary the same as the electrician. The secretarys job is not of less importance to the system of the organization, but her day-to-day work does not contain the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that keep her alive on the job as to where by the electricians job is more dangerous, requires more knowledge and training (Kennedy). Since these two positions cannot be considered the same, there should be a wage gap expected. The Equal Pay Act of1963 requires equal pay for men and women doing substantially equal work, as opposed to comparable worth, that is equal pay for men and women doing equal work for an employer. (Kennedy) The third reason why we still see a gap between men and women wages is simply discrimination. Wall (2000). indicated women are making only 76.5% of mens wages, a gender wage gap of 23.5 cents for every dollar earned by the median man and when it comes to hourly standpoint, the pay wage gap decreases to 16.2 cents. (Kennedy, Nagata, Mushenski, Johnson, 2008). when it comes to the discrimination standpoint, expert has given many reason why the wage gap is not to be considered a discrimination against women. We all have rights to protect whether you are a man or women. Thank goodness that there is a law that fights for unequal pay so if you feel there is a discrimination on your pay there is ways to fight it. According to The American Association of University Women, if unequal pay is occurring, you have the right to file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If you want to file a charge, its best to do it as soon as possible because you must file a charge within 180 days of the discriminatory action to preserve your legal rights. There are different options when filing. You can either file a lawsuit, although youd have to hire an attorney for that. The other option is to just go to the EEOCs website and file the charge. If a complaint is filed, courts or the EEOC will examine a broad range of pay practices to analyze compliance, including the employers overtime pay practices, bonus structures, stock options, profit sharing, life insurance, vacation pay, car allowances, hotel accommodations, reimbursement for travel expenses, and other fringe benefits. Importantly, if there is an inequality in wages between men and women, employers may not reduce the wages of either sex to make their pay equal (Snow). There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to unequal pay, much more than what meets the eye. Speaking up as soon as possible is clearly the best option. No one should have to settle for unequal pay. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was designed to protect men and women from pay discrimination from their employer; most cases involve women and even more so women of color and other nationalities. If these women decide to peruse they could take it to court, if they have proof of the pay discrimination is taking place if a women are preforming equal in the terms of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. The gap is so big between women and men almost 0.24 cents with the right evidence that gap could be closed more than it already has. Equal Pay Act are intended to bring much more than shame to an employer. Suits may be initiated and enforced by the EEOC, a group or class of employees in a class action, or individual plaintiffs. The statutory damages can be crippling to employers. Like the FLSA, the Act provides for recovery of two or three years (if violation is willful) of back wages, liquidated or double damages of an amount equal to the back wages, as well as reimbursement of attorney fees and costs. (Snow) Under the Equal Pay act of 1963 it outlines what happens of a company is found guilty the plaintiff may recover damages under the Equal Pay Act and gender discrimination (Snow, pg.4). A company could face severe damages to pay to the plaintiff and all who is involved in the case or others who works there. Importantly, individuals, such as owners, officers, or supervisors, may be held personally or individually liable under the Equal Pay Act if they had the capacity to exercise control over the plaintiff employee (Snow). Ways that a company can justify differences in pay could be merits seniority, productivity and commission based sales. The ways listed can justify pay differences and they work if the company follows the rules of The Equal Pay Act of 1963. A successful plaintiff may recover damages under both the Equal Pay Act and Title VII for gender discrimination the court will calculate damages to give each plaintiff the maximum award to which he or she is entitled under either s tatute (Snow) unequal pay can be crippling for a company so it is important to follow the laws when it comes to gender and equal pay. Unequal pay is unfair and employees should know what they can do to report unequal pay. Importantly, individuals, such as owners, officers, or supervisors, may be held personally or individually liable under the Equal Pay Act if they had the capacity to exercise control over the plaintiff employee (Snow). Without a doubt this is a serious topic, it interferes with employees lives and means of making a living. The Equal Pay Act is there to help people and preserve their dignity. The consequences can be grave and destroy employee morale A successful plaintiff may recover damages under both the Equal Pay Act and Title VII for gender discrimination. (Snow). Unequal pay in wrong and employers and employees should be vividly aware of the consequences Works Cited Blau, Francine D. Gender, Inequality, and Wages. Oxford Press Oxford Univ, 2016. Print Kennedy, A., Nageta, E., Mushenski, B. P., JohnsonD. L. (2008). Wage Discrimination Based on Gender and Race. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 75(2), 13-19. Know Your Rights at Work: The Equal Pay Act. AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881. AAUW, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2017. Kubasek, Nancy, M. Neil Browne, Daniel J. Herron, Lucien J. Dhooge, Linda L. Barkacs, and Carrie Williamson. Chapter 24/ Emplyement and Discrimination Law. Dynamic Business Law: Summarized Cases. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw- Hill/Irwin, 2013. N. pag. Print. Snow, Christopher B. and Jane K. Snow. The Equal Pay Act of 1963. Utah Bar Journal, vol. 29, no. 6, Nov/Dec2016

Friday, October 25, 2019

Grapes of Wrath - Many Questions and Few Answers :: Grapes Wrath essays

Many Questions and Few Answers in The Grapes of Wrath    The book The Grapes of Wrath focuses on a particular section of America called the "Dust Bowl" during the early nineteen thirties. During this time, when tenant farming was a way of life for so many Oklahomans, there came a drought which drastically cut down production of crops and forced the bank to evict the tenants in order to cut losses. The problem may seem straightforward at first, and maybe it is, but the cause of the problem should not be simplified. Naturally, the three participants in this disaster, the tenants, the bank and the workers, have their own separate, and logical, points of view. Who is right? In the larger picture, events occurring during this time period involving banks and corporations are primitive examples of the widespread greedy capitalism infused in our modern society. One cannot think of the tenants of these farms without feeling some sort of pity or sympathy, because they had no concept of banks or land ownership. To them, land was theirs if they lived, struggled, and eventually died on it; not just because of a flimsy sheet of paper in hand. "My pa come here fifty years ago. An' I ain't a-goin'."(60), was the sentiment expressed by Muley Graves and felt by many Oklahomans when first ordered off their farms. Some reacted quite violently, threatening to shoot anyone who came onto their land with a tractor to tear down their house, but when the tractor came and one of their friends drove it, they laid down their guns in submission. "Who gave you orders? I'll go after him. He's the one to kill."(49), said one disgruntled farmer. "You're wrong. He got his orders from the bank." the driver replied. The farmer also found out that the bank got their orders from the East and wondered in exasperation, "But where does it stop? Who can we shoot?"(49) Basica lly, the tenants were cut off from their livelihood and without hope since they weren't even sure whom they could kill or what person to talk to in order to keep the land. The Bank. Who is a bank? Is it a person? A physical thing? Couldn't it see that it was causing such suffering and despair? Although the heads of the bank could sympathize with the plight of the tenants, they felt that for some reason, the eviction could not be stopped.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Angel – Ted Hughes Poem Analysis

1) What is the poem about? My personal view is that Ted Hughes has attempted to interpret his inner feelings relating to the deaths of his two wives and mother in his writing. The poem is centred around Halifax and I think this is of relevance because Ted Hughes grew up in the town so will always be able to make a connection between the actual place, his family and his upbringing. I find it significant that Hughes was frequently accused of writing poetry which is unnecessarily violent as my opinion is that he was simply being a typically blunt Yorkshire man, describing visions as he sees them. I am aware that the understandings of meanings may vary from reader to reader, but from studying the poem I understand that Hughes is describing a vision of what he thought to be an angel over the Calder Valley landscape. I also think that Hughes may use his poetry as a method to display his emotions and guilt felt towards both of his wives committing suicide. Also you can read Analysis July at the Multiplex 2) How does the poet use language to convey the meaning, give examples of use of any figurative or metaphorical language? Hughes endeavours to use his poetry as a powerful way of reaching our feelings and emotions in a subconscious manner. In his position as a writer, Hughes attempts to help release our suppressed creative energies, and he believes that poetry is particularly effective for this purpose. Hughes technique involves using appropriate wording to influence the reader's imagination which results in the effect being a release of emotional energy. I don't think his language and structure of writing is necessarily easy to understand. My approach to this was to study the background of Hughes as a person, this helped me to appreciate his work and recognize the style in which Hughes aspires to create a vision. I have researched more of Hughes poetry and upon doing so, noticed and become aware of the fact that certain images recur in his work. In his poem The Angel, Hughes uses metaphors such as â€Å"it was a swan the size of a city!† this type of wording will attract the reader's attention with an element of surprise as a metaphor is a phrase or figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing, is used to designate another. The result is it makes an implicit comparison. â€Å"Smoking Snow† is an oxymoron as two contradictory terms are combined. Realistically, it is not possible for snow to smoke but this is designed to add effect as it sounds quite dramatic. â€Å"Rippling its fringed edges† – Rippling is an onomatopoeia as is fluttered. Hughes uses these types of words to imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to (such as fluttered referring to dress). â€Å"Glowed like the night-cloud over Sheffield† would be classed as a simile as it is making a comparison and using the word like. I find the wording â€Å"Strange square of Satin† to be alliteration as Hughes is repeating the consonants to result in the same types of sounds. My view is that Hughes has used the word â€Å"enigmatic† as a personification as it is giving a human attribute to an inanimate object (square of satin). 3) What senses is the poet using to convey his vision and meaning? I think Hughes mainly tries to illustrate his poem The Angel as a vision in which we can receive a vivid and quite clear picture in our heads of the events and images. I think this is particularly correct of the sentence â€Å"She was cast in burning metal† as I can actually envisage the sight of the angel surrounded by the hot, flaming metal. Part of Hughes piece also appeal to my touch senses such as â€Å"When I next saw that strange square of satin I reached out and touched it†. This comment made me think of the soft and silky feel of holding satin in my hand. When Hughes is quoting his vision of the words of advice spoken by his mother it appeals to the senses of sound. Read also  Case 302 July in Multiplex 4) Which pieces of the poem do you especially like and why? The first reason I favour the poem is because I am familiar with the towns he is referring to (Halifax and Sheffield) and I think it is important to comprehend the significance of his Yorkshire origins in order to understand his work. I am curious of the fact that there is often a darker side to Hughes poetry. I particularly enjoyed the section where Hughes was describing his vision of an angel and how it suddenly changed into an omen surrounded by burning metal as I receive a clear picture of the event in my imagination and I can almost feel the terror and panic that Hughes aspires to describe. I like the way that Hughes describes his experiences realistically and does not try to express himself in the traditional and romantic way for which other English poets are famous. I especially favoured The Angel as it arouses strong emotions and it is not a conventional piece. I have noticed that Hughes frequently does not conform to the conventions which society expects of him, and naturally this upsets people.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Dangers of Undercover Police Cars Essay

By definition, the police are a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. Many people in today’s society do not trust the police. Many feel that the police are out to get them. While some feel that police keep our society in tact, some feel that they are given way to much power. Policing predominantly concerns the preservation of order and peace in our country. With that being said, keeping peace is much different from what I feel that our police enforcement agencies in this country actually do. Often, they do the opposite. Trying to find anything and everything that a citizen is doing incorrectly is not keeping peace. In fact, this causes the distancing between our police and the citizens they are policing. My bill speaks on the removal of undercover police cars from law enforcement. The impacts that these types of police vehicles have on our society all seems to be negative. They are used as a way to catch our citizens off guard, since these vehicles do not appear to be cops. As citizens, we have the right of knowledge. When a police officer is present, I think that we should be able to know. Why are they hiding from us? If they’re here to protect us, why are the not acting like it? Hiding from us makes it seem like they do not want to protect us, but trick us. Police offices’ auction off police cars that are out of commission. At a fairly cheap price, these cars are stripped off all lighting and sirens. But that is not to say they are not deceiving. With a couple of hundred dollars and computer access, you can order almost identical lights and sirens to a police officer. Here is a very scary story involving an innocent women, a criminal and a unmarked police car: It was only 1:30 in the afternoon when the unmarked police car pulled alongside Laura Johnson’s car with their flashing light on their rooftop, and signaled for her to pull over. She sensed something was off, so she kept going and immediately contacted the dispatcher who checked it out and called her back to tell her there were no unmarked police cars in that area. She was told to keep driving. In a short time 4 police cars surrounded Laura and the suspect car. The police apprehended not only a criminal impersonating a police officer, but a convicted rapist wanted by the police for other crimes. That day, Laura got lucky. But if she wouldn’t have sensed that something was off, her fate could be much different. Finally, these undercover police units cost our taxpayers more money that you may imagine. Police cars are purchased in bulk, averaging around 30 thousand apiece fully loaded. But the technologies of an undercover car, with low-key lighting and high tech LED lights placed all around the car push that number up, to around 34 thousand dollars. Lets say in one year there are 10 new undercover cop cars purchased, that’s 40 thousand dollars wasted! Of our taxpayer’s dollars, that could be used for so many other things. With all of that being said, we must pass this bill to remove undercover police cars. For the conversation of our tax money, the honesty we deserve as citizens, and the safety of the men, women, and children of our community. Thank you for your time.

Which Era or Society Would I have Liked to llve In essays

Which Era or Society Would I have Liked to llve In essays At long last, the wars were over. Arthur, the great king Camelot, had devoted his life to building a land of peace and justice. Now he wished to marry. But the peace was not to last. The most powerful of Authors knights, Prince Malagant, had long been jealous of the kings glory. Now he found cause to quarrel with Author and left Camelot with hatred in his heart. And so the land was divided again, between those who rallied to Prince Malagant, seeking the spoils of war, and those who stayed loyal to the king. And then there was Lancelot, a wanderer who had never dreamed of peace or justice or knighthood. Times were hard. A man made his living and way he could. And Lancelot had always been good with a sword...(The First Knight) This is the dialogue from my favorite movie. This is the era, period in which I have always dreamed of living in. To gallop on a white horse with my extra long hair flowing in the wind, as my knight and shining armor leads the way. It seems very romantic, but I have always been fascinated by the era. In history class all I can remember learning is about the kings and there selfish ways of ruling and the kingdoms they ruled. King Alexander and king Charles the eighth. I dont remember all the king just that many of them were pail from no sun light, and they rules there countries to the best of their abilities. Well, some did others kings just ruled to the best of their evilness. In most history books and paintings, the Queens wore extravagant clothing. I have always liked their clothing, along with how they did their hair. Every queen and princess had many servants and their servants did everything for them, even helped them go to the bathroom. If I were living during this time the toilet thing would have to be changed. All the kings and queens lived in beautiful castles, some with big walls surrounding the whole city, to protect the people. The castles had tons of rooms and ...