Free Essays on Prometheus Bound

The Similarity in Prometheus Bound and Plato’s Apology on ‘Shame’ According to the Oxford University Press, shame is defined as, â€Å"a feeling of humiliation or distress caused by awareness of wrong or foolish behavior,† or, â€Å"a regrettable or unfortunate thing.† In Prometheus bound, shame was defined by any action that would cause a god to act like a human ( lesser of a god). In Plato’s Apology, shame was defined by an action that one was willing to beg for forgiveness for so that the judges’ punishment would be less harsh. Prometheus and Socrates would both agree that the true meaning of shame is defined by an action that one is willing to admit to wrongdoings and have guilt because of it. Prometheus and Socrates both believed that regardless of the consequences they had to pay, they should not be shameful for their actions because they truly believed in what they did and that it was not â€Å"a regrettable or unfortunate thing†. In Prometheus Bound, although Prometheus was sentenced to being bound in chains for eternity, he continued to believe that his actions were justified, and he did not regret it even though he knew he would suffer. When the story first began, Prometheus was being dragged a location where he was forced to spend eternity, â€Å"ironbound†. (PB, p. 33, ln.123) Prometheus was punished by the ultimate god, Zeus, for giving humanity the gift of not being able to foresee their own deaths and, â€Å"gave them fire.† (PB, p. 41, ln. 374) Between gods and humans, a rocky relationship existed. Mainly, the gods look down on humans as being worthless. In contrast, the effect of Zeus’ punishment caused Prometheus suffering and shame–two elements that the gods condemned the humans for. In the eyes of the gods, suffering was a sign of humanity and therefore created the most shame for Prometheus because he was no longer acting like a god. Later in the story, the Cho rus visited Prometheus to ... Free Essays on Prometheus Bound Free Essays on Prometheus Bound The Similarity in Prometheus Bound and Plato’s Apology on ‘Shame’ According to the Oxford University Press, shame is defined as, â€Å"a feeling of humiliation or distress caused by awareness of wrong or foolish behavior,† or, â€Å"a regrettable or unfortunate thing.† In Prometheus bound, shame was defined by any action that would cause a god to act like a human ( lesser of a god). In Plato’s Apology, shame was defined by an action that one was willing to beg for forgiveness for so that the judges’ punishment would be less harsh. Prometheus and Socrates would both agree that the true meaning of shame is defined by an action that one is willing to admit to wrongdoings and have guilt because of it. Prometheus and Socrates both believed that regardless of the consequences they had to pay, they should not be shameful for their actions because they truly believed in what they did and that it was not â€Å"a regrettable or unfortunate thing†. In Prometheus Bound, although Prometheus was sentenced to being bound in chains for eternity, he continued to believe that his actions were justified, and he did not regret it even though he knew he would suffer. When the story first began, Prometheus was being dragged a location where he was forced to spend eternity, â€Å"ironbound†. (PB, p. 33, ln.123) Prometheus was punished by the ultimate god, Zeus, for giving humanity the gift of not being able to foresee their own deaths and, â€Å"gave them fire.† (PB, p. 41, ln. 374) Between gods and humans, a rocky relationship existed. Mainly, the gods look down on humans as being worthless. In contrast, the effect of Zeus’ punishment caused Prometheus suffering and shame–two elements that the gods condemned the humans for. In the eyes of the gods, suffering was a sign of humanity and therefore created the most shame for Prometheus because he was no longer acting like a god. Later in the story, the Cho rus visited Prometheus to ...

The Battle of the Falkland Islands - World War I

The Battle of the Falkland Islands - World War I The Battle of the Falklands was fought during World War I (1914-1918).  The squadrons engaged on December 8, 1914, off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.  Following his stunning victory over the British at the Battle of Coronel on November 1, 1914, Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee turned the German East Asia Squadron for Valparaiso, Chile. Entering port, von Spee was compelled by international law to leave after twenty-four hours and first moved to Mas Afuera before heading to Bahia San Quintin. Assessing his squadrons situation, von Spee found that half his ammunition was expended and that coal was in short supply. Turning south, the East Asia Squadron set a course around Cape Horn and made for Germany. British Commanders Vice Admiral Doveton Sturdee2 battlecruisers3 armored cruisers2 light cruisers German Commanders Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee2 armored cruisers3 light cruisers Forces in Movement Pausing at Picton Island off Tierra del Fuego, von Spee distributed coal and allowed his men to go ashore to hunt. Departing Picton with the armored cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau, the light cruisers SMS Dresden, SMS Leipzig, and SMS Nurnburg, and three merchant ships, von Spee planned to raid the British base at Port Stanley in the Falklands as he moved north. In Britain, the defeat at Coronel led to a rapid response as First Sea Lord Sir John Fisher assembled a squadron centered on the battlecruisers HMS Invincible and HMS Inflexible to deal with von Spee. Rendezvousing at the Abrolhos Rocks, the British squadron was led by a rival of Fishers, Vice Admiral Doveton Sturdee, and consisted of the two battlecruisers, the armored cruisers HMS Carnarvon, HMS Cornwall and HMS Kent, and the light cruisers HMS Bristol and HMS Glasgow. Sailing for the Falklands, they arrived on December 7 and entered the harbor at Port Stanley. While the squadron stood down for repairs, the armed merchant cruiser Macedonia patrolled the harbor. Further support was provided by the old battleship HMS Canopus which had been grounded in the harbor for use as a gun battery. von Spee Destroyed Arriving the next morning, Spee sent Gneisenau and Nurnberg to scout the harbor. As they approached they were surprised by fire from Canopus which was largely hidden from view by a hill. Had Spee pressed his attack at this point, he may have scored a victory as Sturdees ships were cooling and ill-prepared for battle. Rather, realizing he was badly out-gunned, von Spee broke off and headed for open water around 10:00 AM. Dispatching Kent to track the Germans, Sturdee ordered his ships to raise steam and set out in pursuit. Though von Spee had a 15-mile head start, Sturdee was able to use his battlecruisers superior speed to run down the tired German ships. Around 1:00, the British opened fire on Leipzig at the end of the German line. Twenty minutes later, von Spee, realizing he could not escape, turned to engage the British with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in the hope of giving his light cruisers time to flee. Taking advantage of the wind, which caused the funnel smoke from the British ships to obscure the Germans, von Spee succeeded in striking Invincible. Though hit several times, the damage was light due to the ships heavy armor. Turning away, von Spee again attempted to escape. Detaching three of his cruisers to pursue Nurnberg and Leipzig, Sturdee pressed the attack on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Firing full broadsides, the battlecruisers pummeled the two German ships. In an attempt to fight back, von Spee tried to close the range, but to no avail. Scharnhorst was put out of action and sank at 4:17, with von Spee aboard. Gneisenau followed a short time later and sank at 6:02. While the heavy ships were engaging, Kent succeeded in running down and destroying Nurnberg, while Cornwall and Glasgow finished off Leipzig. Aftermath of the Battle As the firing ceased, only Dresden succeeded in escaping from the area. The light cruiser evaded the British for three months before finally surrendering off the Juan Fernndez Islands on March 14, 1915. For the crew of Glasgow, one of the few surviving British ships that had fought at Coronel, the victory at the Falklands was particularly sweet. With the destruction of von Spees East Asia Squadron, commerce raiding by warships of the Kaiserliche Marine was effectively ended. In the fighting, Sturdees squadron suffered ten killed and 19 wounded. For von Spee, casualties numbered 1,817 killed, including the admiral and his two sons, as well as the loss of four ships. In addition, 215 German sailors (mostly from Gneisenau) were rescued and taken prisoner. Sources World War I Naval Combat: Battle of the FalklandsFirst World War: Battle of the FalklandsHistory of War: Battle of the Falklands

Rewrite Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Rewrite - Essay Example Even as the Communist Party declared the â€Å"one country, two systems† rule, most Hong Kong citizens predicted that mainland would not fulfill its promise of leaving Hong Kong’s existing government system intact. The Occupy Central movement, also known as the â€Å"Yellow Ribbon Revolution† or â€Å"Umbrella Revolution,† is a movement led by students to vie for genuine democracy in the city of Hong Kong. The movement claims that the Chinese Government cannot inhibit the intrinsic rights of humans, including freedom of speech and political representation in the government. Although the movement was initiated on the belief that more people should be aware of the current situation and Hong Kong people should fight for their own rights, Occupy Central nearly caused the whole city into violent uprising and a military takeover. Occupy Central was led by the Joint Committee of Students’ Unions of Hong Kong’s eight prominent universities. John Lo, the Administrative secretary of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union said that HKU students are the vanguards of political awareness in society (1). As students do not share as much of the burden to care for a family, they should stand in the forefront of this fight. The picture shows protesters with yellow ribbons to symbolize pro-democracy supporters (YoungPost 1). This fight for democracy is not only for the current generation, he said, but future generations. Secretary Lo participated in the movement by camping out in the street along with thousands of other protestors as a form of nonviolent civil disobedience. He and his cabinet also urged the HKU Union Council to issue a decree condemning the Communist Party and National Party Congress for passing laws that effectively prohibit Hong Kong from reaching universal suffrage at least until 2018. As of now, HKSAR’s government system is not in function. The imbalance of power among the three branches of government is obvious. The legislative branch is

A direct government action related to Amtrak Research Paper

A direct government action related to Amtrak - Research Paper Example government owned corporation started its operation from 1971. It provides passenger train service in 46 states of U.S.A. and three provinces of Canada. Before 1971 the rail service was provided by several private corporations. Because of the declining financial condition Amtrak was established by U.S. congress. The board of directors’ members is appointed by the U.S. president and the senate of U.S. Most of the track of Amtrak is owned by the freight railroads which is a major source of earning. Amtrak has also its revenue from the ticket sales. In spite of these earning Amtrak needs government subsidies. There were many controversies has taken place about the direct government action. From the inauguration of Amtrak the financial condition was never stable. Despite of several financial aid given by the U.S. government Amtrak has never became self sufficient. This is the main cause of the controversies about Amtrak. But from the year 2007-08 the number of riders increased cont inuously which is a boost for the organization. This paper is an attempt to analyze that whether the government should continue to play a direct role in the operation of Amtrak. Description of Stakeholders The stakeholders of Amtrak are the U.S. government, the employees of Amtrak and the board of directors, the passengers, the taxpayers and the companies who are partners of Amtrak. The government owns all the stock of Amtrak and thus they would get the profit generated by Amtrak, but it is a fact that Amtrak has never been able to generate profit from 1971. The government has to provide subsidies for continuing the operation as it is an important medium of communication. The employees and the board of directors are the major stakeholders of the company. Approximately 19000 employees employee is working with Amtrak till date. They are responsible to provide quality service to its passengers and take steps necessary to improve it and inform the U.S. congress about the operations of A mtrak (duty of inspector general) (Amtrak Office of Inspector General, â€Å"About Amtrak OIG†). The taxpayers are providing tax and funding a major part of the needed capital of Amtrak. Some private companies or other government companies are work as the partner of Amtrak like Access America, AAA, eBags, Continental Airlines, iSeatz, Greyhound. They are the stakeholders of Amtrak as they have certain interest that how Amtrak will perform in the future and it is sensitive decision to continue partnership with them. The passengers are the major stakeholders as they are paying the price of the tickets and receiving the service. They would take the decision whether to continue travelling in the railroad or take some other medium. Arguments in support of Government’s Direct Role According to some critics if Amtrak get privatized then the company would become self sufficient and would generate profit. The private companies would divest the operations which is not so profita ble. But there are also lots of demerits of this decision. These are described as follows. If the transport medium gets privatized there is a high chance that the cost of transport would increase and the common people get affected, as this would cost more. There would be less money in people’s hand and this could be a reason of economic crisis. Though the organization is generating a loss every year the government is providing subsidies to them. The recent increase of riders results in decrease the net loss of the company. If the private sector would be there they would take measures for cost cutting or steps to increase the revenue. They can generate more revenue by increasing the costs of tickets or the cost of advertising and cut down the costs by decrease the budget which may lead to some lower

Domestic Terrorism In The United States Essay Example for Free

Domestic Terrorism In The United States Essay To varying degrees, domestic terrorism has survived and affected the social and political structure of the United States. As defined by the country’s Department of Justice, these words connote â€Å"the unlawful use of force or violence, committed by a group(s) of two or more individuals, against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives† (U. S. Department of Justice, 1994, p. 26). Though such characterization is considerably clear in its meaning, oftentimes a case-by-case interpretation is necessary to ascertain where extremism ends and terrorism begins. Terrorism vs. Extremism A more concise demarcation between extremism and terrorism is evident in the recognition that extremism is not unusual in any political environment, and is more often than not directed by societal pressures, civil discourse, education and the law. On the other hand, in terrorism, the violence is far beyond control by civil, educational or societal elements and must be tracked down, penalized and castigated by law enforcement agencies. The Dictionary of Political Thought defines extremism as â€Å"a vague term, that can mean a) the taking of a political idea to its limits, regardless of unfortunate repercussions, impracticalities, arguments and feelings to the contrary and with the intention not only to confront but also to eliminate opposition; b) intolerance towards all views other than one’s own; and c) the adoption of means to political ends which show disregard for the life, liberty and human rights of others† (Scronton, 1982). The complexity of separating terrorism and extremism is that in various situations, domestic groups which are seemingly law-abiding at present, may be contemplating of violent actions in the future. As it is, many violent groups started as non-violent discussion or protest movements with very lofty ideals; however, as time elapsed they evolved into something else. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, provides a suitable and a more fitting characterization of terrorism when he described it as â€Å"the deliberate and systematic murder, maiming and menacing of the innocent to inspire fear for political ends. † USA Patriot Act Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Act stretched the definition of terrorism to include domestic in contrast to international terrorism. An individual is said to be involved in domestic terrorism if he/she does an act that is dangerous to human life, that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or the United States, and if the act appears to be intended to a) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; b) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or c) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping. Further, the acts have to take place chiefly within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States and if they do not, then these acts can already be regarded as international terrorism. Clearly, Section 802 does not create a new crime of domestic terrorism. Nonetheless, it does extend the kinds or the nature of actions that the government can examine and probe into when it is investigating terrorism. The USA Patriot Act stretched out the powers of the government when they do their investigations and some of these powers are applicable to domestic terrorism. Such definition of domestic terrorism is expansive enough to cover the actions and activities of many known activist campaigns and organizations. Greenpeace, Operation Rescue, Vieques Island and WTO protesters and the Environmental Liberation Front have all recently engaged in activities that could make them subject to investigations as engaging in domestic terrorism. Contemporary Domestic Terrorism Though governments, private and public institutions have been beleaguered and weighed down by terrorism for hundreds of years in one form or another, the strategies and the application associated with it have changed and progressed as surely as the societies upon which it is imposed. Technological advances in the transportation, communication and in the area of weaponry have permitted the capacities of current domestic terrorist groups to get their message out and have enhanced their ability to take aggressive and sadistic action to achieve their objectives. President Clinton launched a counter-terrorism bill to the Senate and House of Representatives in February of 1995. One exceedingly contentious proposal in the bill is the assigning of the Department of Defense a dominant role in assisting the investigation of domestic terrorism incidents in which chemical and biological agents are utilized. Currently, the military can be used in cases of terrorist activities where there is an alleged employment of nuclear weapons or devices and much more if such allegation has been established (Hall, 1995, Sec A). Though the amplified role of the military would be limited, necessitating a further amendment to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, civil liberties experts cautioned that it would infringe the tenets of civil supremacy over the military and would only rekindle the hostilities and anti-government sentiments of the citizen-militias and conspiracy theorists (Landay, 1995). Furthermore, several Congressmen, law-enforcement officials and some military advisers concur that such employment of the military would be an exceedingly precarious approach in combating domestic terrorism. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat from New York, responded to questions as to whether the use of the military, in an expanded role, should be a part of the counterterrorism package, said, â€Å". . . the military defends the nation and does not involve itself in internal affairs† (Minzesheimer, 1995, Sec A). Incidents and Implications There has been an evident and persistent decline in the number of terrorist incidents in the United States during the past twenty years. To further delineate the trend of decline over time, a comparison of the average number of incidents per year during each of three, six-year periods would be useful. During the six year period from 1977 through 1982, there was an average of 59. 0 incidents/year; from 1983 through 1988 an average of 15. 7 incidents/year were recorded; this compared to an average of 5. 3 incidents/year investigated during the period from 1989 through 1994 (FBI, 1994). *** ACTIVE GROUPS OPERATING WITHIN THE UNITED STATES CLASSIFIED AS TERRORISTS African National Prison Organization (ANPO). An arm of the African Peoples Socialist Party. Animal Rights. Principally against use of animals for any purpose beyond their natural existence. Armed Resistance Group (ARG) aka Revolutionary Fighting Group, Red Guerrilla Faction. This group has been characterized in 1988 as tired and aging revolutionaries. Greenpeace Principally environmental-use extremists. Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Reorganized and relocated several arms of its group in 1989. Macheteros. Puerto Rican nationalists. Ohio Seven. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Very public-relations oriented. Radical Feminist Organizing Committee (RFOC). Driven-out of the feminist movement in 1989, operating independently. RAMBOC (Restore a More Benevolent Order Coalition). Targets and actively pursues the US assets and people of foreign groups with terrorist links, such as the PLO, SWAPO, ANC, etc Rolling Thunder aka American Foundation for Accountability; primary focus is to draw attention to the POW/MIA issue from Vietnam War. Satanic Cult. Associated with attempted bombing of churches and kidnapping, and animal sacrifices, tombstone vandalism, and miscellaneous actions. Skinheads (SKA). Groups consist of both racist and anti-racist factions. SS Action Group. Principally anti-Semitic. Apparent Motivation There are principally four classifications into which groups that are regarded as domestic terrorists can be distinguished currently existing in the United States. These groups can be generically delineated as being either motivated by religious convictions, racial prejudice and supremacist goals, anarchistic/anti-government/politically motivated, or in pursuit of unique special interests. These classifications have been extracted from a collection of the categorization and delineation of extremist and terrorist groups by two respected subject-authorities, Stephen Segaller and FBI’s Department of Justice. Segaller, in his book Invisible Armies, classified domestic terrorism in the United States into four groups as well, but lists them as being: a) Cuban infighting (political), b) â€Å"backwoods terrorism† (a combination of religious, racist and anarchistic), c) violent Puerto Rican independence groups (political), and d) a handful of domestic revolutionary Marxist groups (anarchistic/anti-government and racist) (Segaller, 1987, pp. 221-225). Theoretically speaking, the stimulus for the creation and sustained existence of extremist and terrorist groups can unequivocally be associated in many circumstances to ethnic, cultural, religious, and racial feelings of superiority. An accurate depiction of the continuum formed by these supremacist attitudes, and how they promote further tension is succinctly articulated by Frank G. McGuire, when he said that as long as Christians feel superior to Jews (or vice-versa) and Catholics feel superior to Protestants and Ashkenazic Jews feel superior to Sephardic Jews, men feel superior to women and whites feel superior to blacks/browns/yellows/reds and so on, such phenomenon will be with us (McGuire, 1990, p. 10). These cultural, racial, gender, and a myriad of other differences that are present among people in society, particularly one as diverse as the United States of America, must be acknowledged and respected, but shouldn’t be seen or considered as a encumbrance to peace and harmony within society. Nor should these diversities be seen as wholly benign in their impact on the functioning of society as a whole. Tibor Machan, a social and political commentator, showed a well-timed dissertation on the myths and erroneous beliefs associated with viewing multiculturalism as simply a difference in dress, music, dance, and customs. Dr. Machan asserted that cultural differences, whether a result of race, gender, religion, or whatever, impacts both negatively and positively on other cultures within the society (Machan, 1996, pp. 134-135) and further opined that attitudes of cultural-superiority and intolerance are directly related and incorporated into many of the extremist views and motivations that are plaguing America today. The period from 1982 through 1994 showed that the targets of domestic terrorism were predominately commercial establishments. The majority of incidents directed against commercial establishments were conducted by animal-rights and/or anti-abortion extremists, either attacking stores that sold fur, or clinics that performed abortions or provided abortion advice, respectively (FBI, 1994; McGuire, 1990). Religious Racial Supremacy/Intolerance Religious intolerance founded upon fundamentalist standpoints has been the stimulus for acts of terrorism all throughout history and such as involved Orthodox Jews, Moslems, Catholics, and Protestants. Perhaps, there is no issue or idea among human beings that is as provocative and as seditious as that of religious beliefs. Auspiciously, at least as far as the United States is concerned, terror stimulated by religious intolerance has not been as significant a threat as in other parts of the world like in Africa, the Middle East or Bosnia. â€Å"America is a unique nation in that it guarantees the freedom of religion with the First Amendment and the right to [keep and] bear arms with the Second Amendment. This means that people can believe whatever they want, and they can buy the guns to protect that belief† (LeBaron, n. d). The statement was made in direct reference to Mormon fundamentalism and summarizes the very ideology upon which this country was founded which also provides an insight into the potential dangers that exist with religious extremist groups. Recently however, there has been rhetoric and open threats of aggression from different extremist groups that describe themselves as being inspired by religion, nonetheless, have undisputedly displayed racial supremacist and hate-mongering views. The leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, advocates sundry rhetoric of black supremacist views and religious fervor. He professes to have the faith and devotion of some four million people (Fletcher, 1996). In addition, several white-supremacist clusters, including some of the many Christian militia splinter groups, advocate exceptionally caustic and hate-filled threats as well, apparently an endless, ages-old game of â€Å"I call you a name, you call me a name. † Oddly enough, two racial supremacist groups representing opposite extremes, the Nation of Islam and the Posse Comitatus, have concurred to an ultimate end-state segregation of the United States into regions of pure racial integrity. Another group operating within the United States that has historically merged a racist agenda with religious rhetoric, and was truly very sadistic in its actions and objectives, is the Ku Klux Klan. They have, however, considerably lessened in both their membership numbers and invisible power-base in recent years, and though there are still very strident individuals appearing from time to time, the danger posed by the Klan nowadays is essentially restricted to local regions, and their activities are in the form of parades and rallies. As the Klan has faded in its activities and numbers, it has been replaced by the tremendously vicious and rapidly growing racist movement known as the Aryan Nations, which is strongly associated with the Identity Church that proclaims Anglo-Saxons as Gods chosen people. The fundamentalist Mormons are another religiously-motivated cluster within the United States that are catching the attention and concern of law enforcement and other government officials. This group has been at odds, to a certain degree, with the government since its creation in the early 1800s. Many of these fundamentalist Mormons are well-armed conspiracy-minded survivalists, who have retreated to the mountains of central Utah to await Armageddon, which they believe will occur on April 6, 2000. Believing in their gifts of prophecy and revelation, and fired-up by heavenly visions and doctrines of blood atonement and oaths of vengeance, they have isolated themselves awaiting the end of the world and fearing that the government is about to take away their freedoms (LeBaron, n. d. ). A specifically insightful yet explosive issue to a huge section of the American people, despite individual beliefs, is the classification of particular abortion clinic-related hostility as domestic terrorism. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994 in concurrence with the Attorney General Guidelines (AGG) on General Crimes, Racketeering Enterprise and Domestic Security/Terrorism Investigations, instigated and directed the creation of the Department of Justice Task Force on Violence Against Abortion Providers to look into conspiratorial acts of violence against abortion clinics and personnel as domestic terrorism (FBI, 1994). Although personal opinions on the ethical aspects associated with abortion, whether for or against, are not wholly confined to religious beliefs, the most articulate, open and visible anti-abortion advocates are directly allied with religious organizations. As it is, abortion rights and issues persist to be one of the most contentious and conflict-ridden questions among Americans and motivate exceedingly passionate and rousing rhetoric and reactions from people from both sides of the matter. In the period between 1982 and the end of 1984, there were a total of 220 separate acts of violence, including 89 cases of bombing, arson and other serious incidents, conducted against clinics where abortions were performed or abortion-advice offered (Segaller, 1987, pp. 222-223). Ethnically and racially stimulated bias, extreme loathing and carnage are as much a part of human history as any other characteristics of mankind, and have at least to some extent have a bearing on the cultural and social identities of essentially all civilizations to date. From the subjugation of Hebrews by ancient Egyptians, to present-day current situation in the Balkans, racial and ethnic differences have triggered incalculable suffering and death. The history of racial and ethnic turmoil in the United States is no different, and is seemingly experiencing an increase in such activity recently. Racially-motivated extremist and terrorist groups in the United States, especially those of today, seem to employ religious rationalizations and teachings for their sadistic tendencies and aggressive actions, and all indications point to the fact that such trend will continue at an accelerating rate into the foreseeable future. Anarchistic/Anti-government /Political Terrorist clusters of today that are actually anarchist, anti-government or political in their motivations are mostly associated with the growing self-determination, radical citizen-militia movements, or have been around a relatively long time, such as the Puerto Rican freedom fighters. The former has drawn considerable attention, and extracted wary concern from law-enforcement and civil-rights groups due to the bombing in Oklahoma City, and their rapid and continuing growth in numbers and visibility. A few of the more extreme citizen-militia groups, often motivated by New World Order conspiracy theorists and anger over a belief that government has become too large and repressive in everyday life, are openly soliciting and calling for the overthrow of the United States government. These groups, when linked with the self-described â€Å"Constitutionalists,† are being considered as extremely dangerous by many law-enforcement and watchdog groups (Knickerbocker, 1995). The Puerto Rican terrorist groups have been almost exclusively limited in their actions to operating within Puerto Rico against local and federal targets of opportunity. Unique Special Interests Within this designation of domestic terrorist groups are those of relatively recent creation, or at least they have relatively recently gained high public visibility through their actions. Groups such as the extremist animal-rights groups, environmental extremist groups and homosexual-rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Earth Night Action Group, and Act Up, respectively, have emerged within the past two decades and have actively used violence, destruction and intimidation to gain recognition, and to further their respective political agendas. References *** McGuire, Frank. 1990. Security intelligence sourcebook: Whos Who in terrorism. Silver Spring, MD. : Interests, Ltd. U. S. Department of Justice. 1994. Terrorism in the United States, 1994. Washington, DC. : National Security Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Terrorist Research and Analytical Center Scronton, R. 1982. Dictionary of Political Thought. New York: Hill and Wang Hall, M. 1995. â€Å"Clintons Military Police Plan Under Fire. † USA Today, 11 May Sec. 5A. Landay, J. S. 1995. â€Å"Tempering Terrorism. † The Christian Science Monitor, 8 May Sec. US. Minzesheimer, B. 1995. â€Å"Terrorism Bill Warning: Go Slow. † USA Today, 1 May Sec. 5A. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 1994. Terrorism in the United States 1982 – 1992; Terrorism in the United States 1994. Segaller, S. 1987. Invisible armies, terrorism into the 1990s. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Machan, T. 1996. â€Å"Fallacies of Uncritical Multiculturalism. † The Freeman, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 134-135. LeBaron, G. Jr. â€Å"Mormon Fundamentalism and Violence: A Historical Analysis available at http://www. tcd. net/~garn/ polygamy. html. Fletcher, M. A. 1996. â€Å"Farrakhan Vows to Take Libyas Aid. † Washington Post, 26 February, Sec. A1. Knickerbocker, B. 1995. â€Å"US Militias: The Dark Side of Frontier Independence. † The Christian Science Monitor, 24 April, Sec. NATIONAL.

Reality and Illusion in Death of a Salesman :: Arthur Millers play Death of a Salesman

Reality and Illusion in Death of a Salesman In Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, the major theme as well as the main source of conflict is Willy's inability to distinguish between reality and illusion. Willy has created a fantasy world for himself and his family, a world in which he and his sons are great men who "have what it takes" to make it in the context of business and free enterprise. In reality, none of them can achieve greatness until they confront and deal with this illusion. Willy's most prominent illusion is that success is dependant upon popularity and personal attractiveness. Willy builds his entire life around this idea and teaches it to his children.   When Willy was young, he had met a man named Dave Singleman who was so well-liked that he was able to make a living simply by staying in his hotel room and telephoning buyers. When Dave Singleman died, buyers and salesmen from all over the country came to his funeral. This is what Willy has been trying to emulate his entire life. Willy's need to feel well-liked is so strong that he often makes up lies about his popularity and success. At times, Willy even believes these lies himself. At one point in the play, Willy tells his family of how well-liked he is in all of his towns and how vital he is to New England. Later, however, he tells Linda that no one remembers him and that the people laugh at him behind his back. As this demonstrates, Willy's need to feel well-liked also causes him to become inten sely paranoid. When his son, Biff, for example, is trying to explain why he cannot become successful, Willy believes that Biff is just trying to spite him. Unfortunately, Willy never realizes that his values are flawed. As Biff points out at the end of the play, "he had the wrong dreams." In many ways Biff is similar to his father. In the beginning of the play we see that Biff shares many of the same ideas as Willy. He values being well-liked above everything else and sees little value in being smart or honest. One of Biff's main flaws is his tendency to steal. Early in the play we learn that he has stolen a football from the school locker. When Willy finds out about this, instead of disciplining Biff, he says that the coach will probably congratulate him on his initiative.

Crime is Predominantly an Intra-Racial Event Essay

Introduction: Society has this perception that it is other races why crime occurs. Some people blame these crimes on black-on-black crimes, or Hispanics-on-Hispanics crimes. Being that crime seems to be predominantly an intra-racial event involving victims and offenders of the same race; will this type of destruction ever come to an end? While interviewing two of my co-workers while we were on break in between our runs, it was very interesting to learn of their intakes on this particular topic. The first co-worker I talked to is Hispanic. His name is Steven. Steven agrees that crime in a way is predominantly an intra-racial event, involving victims and offenders of the same race. Steven relates Hispanic-on-Hispanic intra-racial crime because of economic gaps in society. Steven feels that Hispanics are always given such a hard time when it comes to getting jobs. Hispanics are always first asked if they have a green card and can they legally work here in the United States. Steven says this comes from his own experience in trying to get a job as a mechanic. He felt very offended because of the stereotypes that society put on people of his origin. Steven says that he may be Hispanic but he was born and raised here in the United States. His parents were in the military, where they were stationed in San Antonio, Texas. His parents are from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Steven feels that this intra-racial crime comes from Hispanics having a lack of work and education to support their families. Steven has witnessed his own people killing one another over fearing being deported back to their country. Hispanics cross the border so that they can raise their families in a better environment with better opportunities. The second co-worker I talked to is African-American. His name is Chuck.  Chuck’s outlook on intra-racial crime is very similar to Steven’s outlook. Chuck feels that intra-racial crimes are a choice. Chuck grew up watching black-on black crimes like gangs killing other gangs because of crossing into their territory. Chuck says that society plays a big part in why blacks act the way that they do. He believes that society puts out negative stereotypes about blacks and people run with it. Chuck says black-on-black crime comes from a number of things like kids killing kids with illegal guns found in their houses, drug deals gone bad, young black men fighting in the clubs over females or fighting in the streets over a senseless argument. Crime Is Predominantly an Intra-Racial Event 2 Both Steven and Chuck agree that no matter what the situation may be, these unfortunate intra-racial crimes should not even occur. They both feel that people need to get a better education and obtain some type of work skill which is positive. Conclusion Intra-racial crimes leave families in disarray. Black-on-black crimes can be avoided if they are yes, re-educated and taught a trade to learn a meaningful skill. These crimes can be cut down tremendously and the African-American race can begin rebuilding. Hispanic-on-Hispanic crimes could also be cut in half if those who are here in the United States legally or who have their green cards, could go to school and get and education and earn a degree to help better them. Hispanics could also go to a trading school and get the skills that they need to find decent work. This way, Hispanics do not have to be paid under the table and they can earn a decent paycheck to help in supporting their families. The victims in these intra-racial crimes are the ones who have been hurt and families destroyed. The offenders in these intra-racial crimes just make excuses why they did as they feel that they had to do. Many offenders have no remorse for their actions and to them, it is everyone else’s fault but their own.