The history of the Islamic faith Essay Example for Free

The history of the Islamic faith Essay Introduction This is a topic on the Muslims {Islam}. I will be covering the history of the Islamic faith. I will also be talking about the mosques and I will give a drawing on one. I will mention Ramadan and what it is like for a kid to fast in the month of Ramadan. I will write about a birth and marriage and also death. So please read on. The History Of Islam The Islamic faith first started of when a man called Muhammad. Lived in a city called Makkah, 1,400 years ago. He was being troubled by his destiny and poverty. One day when he was in the rocks of Makkah, he saw an angel. In the hand of the angel was a cloth, on the cloth was some writing, and Muhammad could not read the writing so the angel told him what it said. The cloth was explaining how much power Allah had, and that he should be worshiped more. So Muhammad went back to his village and told everyone about Allah and the angel. Mekkah Mekkah is the holy place for Muslims. They have a rule that you must be a Muslims to enter Mekkah. It is most important place to Muslims because, it is were Muhammad live years ago. Muhammad was at the age of 40 when he saw the angel at the top of the massive pile of rocks. In the town of Mekkah there is a massive building called the Kaba. Kaba is cube-shaped shrine, covered in a black and gold velvet. The Muslims for good luck kiss the Kaba. Quran We believe the Quran (also written Koran) contains the words of Allah, which the angels revealed to Muhammad. Muhammad learned the words off by heart, and friends wrote them down for him. The words are in Arabic, and Muslims try to learn the Quran, the Quran is the words that were given to Muhammad. The Quran is treated with great respect and is only touched by people that are clean all over. It is wrapped in an ornate cloth to keep it in neat condition. The Quran is written in different styles of Arabic because it was written in a period of 23 years so different people wrote the Quran. Ramadan Ramadan is a fast every 9 months. During he month of Ramadan Muslims must fast (not eat or drink) from dawn to dusk. Adults eat breakfast before daylight and then nothing until dinner after sunset. Part of the reason for Ramadan is to make us aware of the needs of others. There are some people who are permitted to eat during daylight; they are pregnant women, to keep their baby healthy, and women who are feeding their babies. Also the very young or very old are permitted to eat. If you are a sportsman/woman and are training a lot in the day you are allowed to drink. The sick and disabled are also allowed to eat and drink. Birth This is what happens when a baby is born:- The first ceremony takes place as soon as a baby is born. We believe that a child is a gift from Allah and must be brought into the faith as quickly as possible. The baby is washed and the call to prayer is whispered in its right ear. A second call to worship is whispered in the babies left ear. Next honey or a piece of sugar is placed on the babies tongue as a sign of a happy life. Marriage A Muslim marriage is usally a lot of fun, with partys and colourful cloths. Many marriages are arranged by the brides farther, although our law is that the bride cannot be forced to get marred. The wedding ceremony is not a religious ceremony. The man proposes, and the woman accepts in front of witnesses. They both sign a contract (document) to make it legal. Also the man gives the bride a sum of money that is only the brides to spend. Death This is what happens at a burial or death:- When a person dies, the body is wrapped in white sheets and buried as soon as possible. Friend call on family to show there respect and support. Muslims believe that one day the dead will rise to life and be judged by Allah. It is to be said that the good will go to paradise, and all the others will go to ever lasting fire. Mosque The word Mosque comes from an Arabic word, meaning Place of Prostration. It is the house of prayer, where Muslims gather together to worship Allah. There are many different styles of Mosque, and they reflect the traditional architecture of the countries in which they are found, however, all of them share common design features. Perhaps the most distinctive element of a Mosque is its minaret, the tall slender tower designed to be seen from a distance as a reminder of Allahs presence. Before you enter a Mosque you must be clean all over, e.g. wash hands, legs and arms etc. You must also take off your shoes for cleanliness and health. Conclusion I learnt too much in this topic to right it all down, so I will give some ideas of what I learnt. One of the main things that I learnt is how the Islamic faith stared, and that the Quran was some words on a piece of cloth show to Muhammad by an angel sent by Allah .I also learnt that Ramadan is hard to keep and it is I good thing to show what it is like for poor homeless beggar.

Desert Flower by Cathleen Miller and Waris Dirie

Desert Flower by Cathleen Miller and Waris Dirie Last year, I watched the adapted movie of the book, Desert Flower in the cinema. That movie has fascinated, motivated and likewise evoke interest in me. In my opinion it is incredible how people can live under those bad conditions in Africa. For that reason, I wanted to read the book. In the following essay I will focus on the ancient customs and the culture of the nomads. There are several questions to think about when discussing about the role of women in Somalia. In particular, I will find out about the importance, meaning and purpose of the female genital mutilation. After writing my thesis I would like to research in what way the women in Somalia are treated and if they are put under pressure by their men and whether there is egalitarianism in their society. In addition, during those researches, I want to develop my own point of view. Introduction Desert Flower is the true Story based on the life of Waris Dirie. All actions, mentioned in the text are factual. The author of the book, Desert Flower, Waris Dirie, is a very hardworking girl. She is one of the children born into a traditional family of tribal desert nomads of Somalia in East Africa. With her family, she has experienced a very closed and formative culture, whose habits and rituals, in the truest sense of the word, left scars behind. She has a very good relationship with her family. However, Waris Dirie is adversely affected by the practice of the painful female circumcision. Later, she is going to report about the genital mutilation due to her family tradition and to draw attention to what happens with the girls in her home land. Efficient Examination with my topic 1. Characteristic Lives of Nomads in Somalia To begin with, in the extraordinary journey of a desert nomad Dirie speaks from her own daily experiences in a traditional living nomad family during her epitaxial growth. Therefore, the reader gets to know about the parents, teaching their children all the skills they need to survive. They neither learn how to read nor to write because the family cannot afford to pay for their children education. Her mother teaches Dirie to care about her younger siblings and how to provide her family with enough food, whereas her father teaches her how to take care of their animals. Usually nomads are uneducated. They just live very simple and know about things that have been passed on throughout generations. At times, there is not enough food for the whole family. The priority is to feed the smallest children, then the older ones. Waris Dirie cannot remember ever seeing her mother eat. Her mother always has waived her rights. Somalia remains a very deeply troubled country because everyone lives th e way their ancestors had for thousands of years. Like most of Somalis, Diries family lives the lifestyle of herdsman. That means Somali nomads never stay at a place longer than four weeks. They always look for another place where new water resources are available and move there. That is why they do not have a certain habitation. (p. 40- 41) The father of every family is the head and protector. He makes all the decisions which concern the whole family. At many times, Waris Dirie has to feel the brutal beat of her father because he wants to remind her of taking her work seriously. Being nomads, the family of Dirie does not have any material prosperity like automobiles, electricity or telephones. They do not have any artificial time constructions like clocks and calendars. That is why Dirie do not really know how old she is, she can only guess. Dirie (1998) argues that In Africa there was no hurry, no stress. African time is very, very slow, very calm. (p. 42) I believe that nomads have a much different perspective of life. Generally speaking, their routine of the day is incomparable. They decide every morning anew what they have to do and therefore they are living by the seasons and the sun. In particular, Waris talks about children in Somalia who are not allowed to attend to her parents affairs. She just has to obey all the time, regarding her parents with great respect, following their wishes. In addition, it is usual for the man having multiple wives. The man wants to have a lot of children but after a while, the women are either physically not able to carry out children anymore or are mentally against another birth due to pain during pregnancies or for other emotional reasons. As a result, the man leaves and looks for another wife that is willing to carry out children. (p. 41- 43) According to Dirie (1998), The nomads life is a harsh one, but it is also full of beauty- a life so connected to nature that the two are inseparable (page 58). A better way for nomads to put this is that water is a very important but an infrequently and scarce resource in life because they do not have any water- taps. They have a deep respect for water and they love it. Dirie (1998) describes the source of water as such an uninhibited feeling of freedom and joy. (p.322) People have to pray for rain and if there are not any raindrops, they have to go on a long search for it. Simply looking at it gives me great joy. (Dirie, 1998, p. 60) This quotation shows that people in Somalia appreciate the simple things they have in their lives. Furthermore Dirie tells about their celebrations where they thank God for having such a precious and beautiful life where all are praying, singing, dancing and eating together. (p. 43, 47- 61) The infancy of Waris Dirie: Growing up with animals For Waris Dirie, her family, nature and the animals (compare App. p. 12, figure 2) are the main elements of life. We grew up with animals, prospered when they prospered, suffered when they suffered, died when they died (Dirie, 1998, p. 17). Animals are very vital and helpful for nomads and they probably have the first priority, because they keep the tribes alive. (p. 16- 17) People in Somalia have large herds of cattle, sheep, goats and camels. When Dirie was a young girl, she had been responsible for these herds of her family. Every morning she had to get up very early to move the herds to a fresh area. While the animals were grazing, she had to watch for other predators, like hyenas. A loss of the herd meant for Somali nomads the worse. A very important animal for the Somali nomads is the camel. No animal is such as suitable und valuable for living in the wilderness like camels. In addition, the camels have a special significance for the culture of the Somalia-nomads who always write poems and songs about their camels. Even the children know about the value of the protection of the camels. From the time I was a baby, I knew of the great importance of these animals, because theyre absolutely gold in our society. (Dirie, 1998, p. 18) A camel is never killed to be eaten. The qualities of a camel are too valuable, so that the death of these animals would s how only one big loss. The camels are inalienable components and indispensable for the life of the Somali nomads in the desert. They make their lives considerably easier and have a cultural meaning for them. (p. 18- 25) Anyhow, she has not experienced a typical childhood. At the age of four, she is raped by a friend of her father. She just feels something hard pressing into her vagina and she even does not understand what has happened to her in that moment. Later, when she runs away from home she is nearly raped a second time. She asks a trucker if he is able to pick her up. But then, he takes his pants down and Dirie (1998) states that His erect penis bobbed at me as he grabbed my legs and tried to force them apart, (p. 13). Unlike me, he was experienced, no doubt raping many women; I was simply about to become the next one. (Dirie, 1998, p. 13) With all her strength, she jumps off the truck and then, runs away. (p. 11- 14) 2. Nomads rituals: female circumcision in Somalia It belongs to the culture of Somalis that every girl must experience the female genital mutilation (FGM) at the pubescent age which achieve the status of a Somali woman and therefore being able to marry. The curtailment of her sisters and later also her own, were carried out by a gypsy. In the society of the Somali nomads, she takes a high value and a high position, because she belongs to one of the least ones which know how to do the practice. Moreover, she gets a huge pay of the family because of the curtailment. (p. 64- 65) When Waris goes through this practice at the age of five, it has changed her life because she trespasses the boarder of her childhood into her womanhood. Her younger sister and two cousins died fom this procedure. She describes this ancient ritual as very painful, but she is very jealous of her oldest sister because after the circumcision she becomes a women. When I hears the old gypsy was coming to circumcise Aman, I wanted to be circumcised, too. (Dirie, 1998, p. 64) Because of this big desire for the circumcision, she screames: Mama, do both of us at the same time. Come on, Mama, do both of us tomorrow!. (Dirie, 1998, p. 64) Besides, it concerns removing the female genitals. The next thing I felt was my flesh, my genitals, being cut away. (Dirie, 1998, p. 70). During the execution, Waris losts also her consciousness. After removing the female genitals the girls have just one small opening left, in the size of a match head, for urinating and the monthly period. Waris suffered durin g her period always from strong pains, because the blood cannot flow naturally through the tiny hole. The prevailing wisdom in Somalia is that there are bad things between a girls legs, parts of our bodies that were born with, yet are unclean. (Dirie, 1998, p. 63). Also she had problems while urinating what mostly lasted several minutes. Moreover, this is a sign for the future man that she is still purely, so a virgin. (p. 62- 72) After the execution of the genital mutilation, it is the traditional custom of the Somalis to built a hut for the girls until her physical scars left accured. This hut which is built out of staves and branches is placed far away from the trunk. Because of this expended distance the tribes could not hear the yelling of the pain. For the same reason, the curtailment is curried out in the early morning if still the other members of the family sleep. Because of the painful procedure, girls are lying helpless and unable to run. After the curtailment, merely food is brought to her in the lodging. Furthermore there is always danger of dying after the practice due to infections. If the woman has entered then into marriage, her husband either has the possibility to use a sharp object or just press his genitals into the women until it bursts again. As tools for the operation of this genital mutilation mostly arbitrary, filthy- sharp objects are used because the possibilities of suitable equipm ent are impossible in such regions and also no medical institutions exist. The disastrous results with themselves which end in many cases with the death bring the use such of immoderate utensils. The Somalis look at this tradition as an inalienable one, because girls with unscathed genitals are considered as inexpedient about the marriage, dirtily, repellent and slovenly. (p. 73- 78) There are also a lot of unforgettable consequences which are closely connected with acute pain. In the conditions under which female circumcision is generally performed in Africa, even the less extensive types of genital cutting can lead to potentially fatal complications, such as hemorrhage, infection and shock à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.(compare App. p. 11, figure 1)(Althaus, 1997) Becoming a women-the Marriage contract If a girl is cut, she is ready to be married. She must remain a virgin up to her wedding which her father always predicts her: Youre supposed to be a virgin when you marry. Girls know they will marry as a virgin, and will marry only one man, and thats it. Thats your life. (Dirie, 1998, p. 81) She would marry even once in her life and spend her whole life with her husband. However, men have the right to have several women at the same time. The choice of the future husband is always made by the father and often against the will of the daughter. Besides, the choice mostly falls on that man which offers most camels. However, the wedding is one of the least and most important holidays in the life of the Somali nomads which is celebrated also accordingly traditional like Dirie (1998) reports in her journey that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾When a girl marries, the women from her tribe go out into the desert and collect these flowers. They dry them, then add water to them and make a paste to spread on th e brides face that gives her a golden glow. (p. 58) Dirie (1998) also reports that In my culture, a woman earns a badge of respect when she becomes a mother. (p. 347) For a girl or a woman the wedding means the beginning of a new life, regardless and independent of her family and the foundation of an own family. (p. 81- 89) A few years after her curtailment, at the age of about twelve years, Waris should be also married. It is hard for her father to found a man who advertises around them or offers an adequate price of the hand of his daughter. He is sixty years old but her father arranges his daughter a marriage. He offers five camels for Dirie. This is a high price for the marriage with this little girl. She denies and do not want to marry him. Dirie (1998) defends the argument that As a girl in Somalia, I never thought about marriage or sex. In my family- in our culture- nobody ever talked about any of that. It never, ever, came to mind. (p. 80) However, she defends herself not to marry this old man and to spend the rest of her life with this man. Dirie has always her own will and objections. This behavior pattern is not typically for a properly traditional educated Somali nomad. Somali men estimate women who obey and do not contradict. She has only two possibilities, either she would obey and marry t he old man or to run away. She decides to leave her family, like her sister Aman did before and so she flees in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu. (p. 90- 95) 3. Flashback to her childhood and aims for the future In spite of criticising the practice of the female genital mutilation, Waris Dirie reports very positvie about her culture and she is still completely proud to be a nomad, born in Africa. From Diries point of view, her mothercountry probably is not comparable to other countries because the families have a strong solidarity like nowhere else. From the beginning, I had the instinct for survival; I learned joy and pain at the same time. I learned that happiness is not what you have, because I never had anything, and I was so happy. (Dirie, W. 1998, p.363) The growing up has changed the personality of Dirie (1998), because she reports that Today, I cherish the value of the simple things. (p. 364) On account of the horrible circumcision, Dirie is very angry, feels sad and often much pain. She cannot imagine that anybody would accept the practice and just because at the thought of the mutilation to other girls who all have to accept their fates. (p. 239- 242) As Dirie (1998) has grown older, she realizes that Well, these are my legs, and theyre a result of who I am and where Im from (p. 286). That means she is very proud of her legs and her traditional past because they are the symbol for her origin and her family background. And everywhere she goes in the world, Dirie can remember the days with her family and her culture. At the end of the journey, Waris Dirie (1998) comes to the conclusion that the most important priorities in the world are nature, personal goodness, family, and friendship. (p.294) Dirie wants to do something for all the women, which have to be circumcised. Apparently, there are millions of girls who also plague health problem because of the violent practice. Dirie (1998) is of the opinion that Because of a ritual ignorance, most of the women on the continent of Africa live their lives in pain. (p.349) On account of have been born female, Dirie is very worried and saw herself responsible to speak up about the female circumcision and to help the women in Africa. For all the women in her country who are silence, Dirie arranges the Waris Dirie Foundation which organizes a lot of worldwide projects and they are about to fight against the FGM. (Dirie, W. 2001) I have started the Desert Dawn Foundation to raise money for schools and clinics in Somali. They want to protect the women in Somalia and to stop the ignorant selfish men who demand their wives be circumcised. And the legacy of pain, suffering, and death that results from it is more than enough reason for it to stop. (Dirie, W. 1998, p. 360) That is the reason why Waris Dirie fights for the restraining order of the female genital mutilation. (p. 362- 369) 4. Conclusion Waris Dirie who shows an amazing strength, experienced an inconceivably heavy life with difficult circumstances, customs, traditions and cultures depending on animals, the nature and the vegetation in the desert of Somalia. She suffered from dry weathers, famines, illnesses and at the age of about five years the curtailment. These are all situations which are foreign for the most of our society. Only because of her traditional culture she got a very strong and self- confident ability. That is why she got her life under control. Dirie persuades me with showing her lifelong strong will power. The development and the discussion with the life of the nomads in the desert of Somalia, has shown me other sides of life by illustrating to me another culture. During further researches, I found out that even after the time of the clarification, there are tribes that still practice this FGM. I recommend her untiring fight against the genital curtailment (compare App. p. 13, figure 4). In my opinion, Waris Dirie has succeeded delivering her message with help of the book à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Desert of Flower. She had drawn the attention and the interest of many people towards her homeland, their cultures, traditions and especially on the female genital mutilation or the compulsive marriage. She has also visualized under which circumstances the Somali nomads must live and how they master this life in a very unique way. I can definitely agree with Mire (2002) that Women in Somalia are hard workers, and keep themselves engaged in a variety of roles from morning to night. The womans role is very important and when not fulfilled, the whole family suffers. While writing my essay, I realized that women in Somalia are very much oppressed by their men in the everyday life. I am convinced that women in Somalia have no rights and they are not allowed in any decision making. They have to do everything their man tells them. I want to emphasize that they have neither influence on their agonizing circumcision nor on their marriage. Let me end by saying that the role of women in Somalia is not comparable with the relation between women and men in our society. References Books Dirie,W. (1998). Desert Flower, New York, NY Web- sources Althaus, F. (1997) Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights. Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2313097.html (21/02/2010) Dirie, W. (2001) What is the Waris Dirie Foundation? Waris Dirie Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/en/network/wp-content/myphotos/wuestenblume-szenenbilder-ii/Szenenbild_02jpeg_1400x937.jpg (02/03/2010) Gibson, H. (2002) Somalias Desert Flower. Time in partnership with CNN. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901020715-300618,00.html (03/03/2010) Mire, A. (2002) A Look at Women in Somalia. Taking it global. Retrieved from http://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=865 (03/03/2010)

The Reconstruction Era in the US (1865 to 1877)

The Reconstruction Era in the US (1865 to 1877) Can the period be evaluated as both a success and a failure? The Reconstruction Era occurred from around 1868 to 1877. Preceding the Civil War, the Souths industry and infrastructure was virtually left in ruins. It was in great need of help, and had to rely on the government that they had tried to stray away from. The Reconstruction can be evaluated as both a success and a failure of ideals chiefly because of the bills and laws that were passed, as well as the failures and step backs that were encountered. The restoration of all 11 ex-Confederate states to the Union, the Radical Republicans, and the Reconstruction Acts that were passed are all examples of accomplishments made during the time. The Black Codes, the belief in white supremacy, and the corruption in business and in government are among the many failures of the Reconstruction. Overall, the period was a time of corruption, greed, and discrimination. To begin with, one of the greatest accomplishments of the Reconstruction was the restoration of all 11 ex-Confederate states to the Union. This was accomplished during the Lincoln and Johnson administrations. By 1868, they were successful in the readmission of South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee into the Union; and by 1877 the readmission of Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia (Doc H). Another accomplishment would be the creation of a new agency called the Freedmens Bureau. The Freedmens Bureau offered shelter, food, and medical attention to anybody in need of it after the war. Many criticized the agency and accused it of keep[ing] the negro in idleness at the expenses of the white man (Doc D). Under General Oliver Howard, it was successful in the establishment of some 3,000 schools for freed blacks, which included several black colleges. Soon after, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were passed. The Fourteenth Amendment st ated that the first section prohibits the states from abridging the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States, or unlawfully depriving them of life, liberty, or property, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (Doc C). Thaddeus Stevens, a Radical Republican, declared that the amendment allows Congress to correct the unjust legislation of the States, so far that the law operated upon one man shall operate equally upon all (Doc C). The supporters of the rights for freed blacks were called Radical Republicans. Among this group was a man named Benjamin Wade who endorsed the rights of women, northern blacks, and labor unions. African Americans were adjusting to their new freedom and branching out to do new things. Many joined Negro Baptist and African American Episcopal churches, and some migrated from the South to form new communities. A popular place they went was Kansas (Doc F). They also created colleges, like Howard and F isk, which trained black ministers and teachers. At the same time, many things were going wrong in the country. Sharecropping became very popular among freed African Americans trying to fulfill their dreams of owning their own farm and providing for their families. Unfortunately, the corrupt style in which these farms were run kept them in an unending cycle of debt. It was almost a new form of slavery. Meanwhile, Republican politicians in the South were beginning to take advantage of the kickbacks they received and took bribes. This illustrated a decline in peoples morals. Black Codes were another failure of the Reconstruction. They were created to restrict the rights of freed blacks. One code stated, Every laborer shall not be allowed to leave his place of employment until the fulfillment of his contract (Doc B). They restricted every right and movement of the freed blacks and subjected them to even more discrimination. Particularly corrupt was the idea of white supremacy that was growing in the South. Many men organized groups of secret societies to intimidate the freed African Americans and white reformers. One group in particular, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), were especially famous for their burning of blacks buildings and the murder of many freedmen to keep them from voting. Simultaneously, there was the corruption in business and government that was distracting the North from the issues in the South. Spoilsmen, such as Conklin and Blaine, were politicians who unfairly displayed patronage on their supporters. The Credit Mobilier scandal was brought to the attention of the government. They had been giving stock to members of Congress so that they wouldnt investigate the profit they were making from government funding for the transcontinental railroad they were building. Another scandal involved Jay Gould and James Blaine who along with Grants brother-in-law attempted to corner the gold market. They were discovered but Blaine had already gotten away with his own profits. The Whiskey Ring involved federal agents conspiring with liquor companies to take millions of taxes from the government. One man, William Tweed, may have profited the most from the money he stole from taxpayers. He was the one behind many plans to help himself to large quantities of graft. He was successful until a cartoonist from the New York Times, Thomas Nast, exposed him and led to his arrest. In time, the new president, Rutherford B. Hayes, agreed to a compromise. The Compromise of 1877 was mainly to end the support for Republicans in the South and to build a transcontinental railroad. Eventually Hayes withdrew the troops that were protecting the freedmen, and the Supreme Court repealed the Reconstruction laws that protected the blacks from being discriminated against. In essence, the period can be evaluated as both a success and a failure of ideals. It just depends on how it is viewed. They did make many accomplishes in the rights for African Americans. They freed them, provided education for them, and allowed them to form black communities. On the whole, the Reconstruction was not a good thing. It was a failure, in a sense. Everything that had been accomplished were basically forgotten or taken back with the Compromise of 1877. It was a period of corruption in business, government, and in ethics. In the long run, the only thing that was a living accomplishment was the freedom of African Americans. More innovations were yet to come.

Illusion Verses Reality in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Essay

Illusion Verses Reality in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Death of A Salesman," by Arthur Miller, is a play that tells the story of a traveling salesman, Willy Loman, who encounters frustration and failure as he reflects on and experiences his own life. Willy's quest for the American Dream leads to his failure because throughout his life, he pursues the illusion of the American Dream and not the reality of it. His mindset on perfection, his obsession with success, and his constant reminiscence of the past and foretelling of the future, all contribute to his defeat in the end. The reality of the American Dream is that people are capable of succeeding. Success, though, requires one to work hard and be dedicated to both his/her professional life and family life. Yet, the illusion of the Dream is that attaining material prosperity defines success. Failing to acknowledge the importance of hard work in achieving the American Dream is another aspect of the illusion. By ignoring the present, Willy fails to deal with reality. He has a tendency of living in the past and thinking of the future. He always thinks that if he had done something differently then this could have happened, or things will get better as time passes. His habit of distorting the past, never allows Willy to realize what is going on right then and there in the present. At one time, when Willy goes off down memory lane, he "says" to Biff and Happy, "America is full of beautiful towns and fine, upstanding people. And they know me, boys?the finest people?there?ll be open sesame for all of us, ?cause one thing boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street?and the cops protect it like their own" (31). Willy makes this distortion of the pa... ...ind. Willy Loman portrays a "common man", who lives a life that is purely an illusion. Although Willy has good intentions, his tragic flaw is that he focuses only on the appearance of the American Dream and never on the reality, the work ethic, or how to achieve it. Willy brings about his own downfall, his defeat, because he tries to pursue this "superficial" idea. Miller includes this theme of the American Dream in his social criticism in an attempt to portray the deviation in the values of society. For instance, materialism and technological advances, causes the American Dream to change as times changes. The salesman is a position that has declining importance at the time. He shows that an individual?s values are based on what society has established. Yet, as society changes, the values one has may not, causing conflict between the society and the individual.

Greed In Sports :: essays research papers

Greed In Sports Recently Michael Jordan wanted to de-certify the union of the National Basketball Association, because he felt he could never make what he was â€Å"worth† under the current agreement. Michael Jordan had an estimated income of $33 million in 1994. Last year, Major League Baseball players went on strike because they felt the deal that the owners were proposing was unfair. The minimum salary for a major league player is $119,000. For the first time in ninety years, there was no post-season baseball, and no world series. Eric Turner was designated as the Cleveland Browns franchise player. He then proceeded to hold out during spring training, because he knew he could get more money then his current $2.15 million dollar contract. At one point in every athletes life, there is nothing they would want to do more than play their sport, not because it fattens their wallet, but because they have a true love for it. At what point does the athlete lose the love and gain the greed? The NBA has become the land of the guaranteed contract. These players want their millions handed to them on a silver platter, no matter what happens. If they get injured and can no longer play; pay up! If they averaged thirty points a game in college, but struggle to make the transition into the pros, and average only four points; pay up! If their egos swell so much that they are out of control in public and do something to disgrace the organization they play for; pay up, because the contract guarantees that they get their money. The NFL is a breeding ground for holdout players. I think that Holdout 101, taught by Professor X-Pro Millionaire, is a required class for all pro football players. Rule number one: if you think you can get more money than what your contract says, holdout. Rule number two: if you are in the middle of a multi-year contract, then fuck that contract. Remember, if rule one applies, who gives a shit about a commitment. A new trend in baseball started about ten years ago. Players now sign one year contracts, and play for a different team each year. They don't ask themselves if that team will be a contender, or if that's the team they truly want to be a part of. They look at all the offers put in front of them, and see which one has the most dollars signs in it. It has gotten to the point where if someone asks â€Å"who did he used to play for?

Political Culture Essay

Political culture is how many people define who they are and how they vote. The factors that can contribute to a regions political culture, define how the people in that region see themselves. Texas for example see themselves, for the most part, as a proud, tough, freedom loving people, who like their independence and their firearms. The political culture in Texas is geared toward traditionalistic and individualism, both wanting the government to stay out of the way, and also not to do much. The conservative roots in Texas are shown in Texas’s adoption as an amendment to the constitution establishing marriage as between a man and a woman. Texans also do not like the government to do much, it is for this reasons that the Texas senate is not in session except for 140 days, every other year. The state constitution, establishes that almost every office in the state is up for election. This unique effect of Texas political culture means that school boards are elected, judges are elected, and even our executive branch has been split up into seven different pieces, not just a Governor. The power of the executive was split due to the abuses of the governor put in place after the civil war Edmund J Davis. Davis’s administration was very centralized, giving the governor most of the power in the state. His abuse of this power led to the early Texas constitutional framers decisions to reduce the power of the office, and to put checks and balances on the offices. This is another of the unique effects that the Texas political culture has, the checks and balances they put in was to require public votes on amendments to the constitution. This has led to the primary issue with the political culture in Texas, voter apathy. Texas voters get to vote on so many things, that by the time the reach the end they are tired, and many people just turn to vote straight ticket voting, when the vote at all. This makes change in Texas politics very hard, if your current party is in favor, like the current Republican Party. Many people see Texas as a state that has deep republican roots. The vast majority of Texan governors have been Democrats; Texas has only been a republican state for the last fifteen years, the state has leaned more to the conservative side of politics, providing fertile ground for the Tea Party movement. Governor Rick Perry and the Tea Party have gained a lot of publicity in Texas. However with the shift towards urbanization, people tend to vote Democratic. The inclusion of the Latino population, the poorer areas of the state, and a population which is growing ever more progressive, is shifting the political culture of Texas. This can be seen as the major urban areas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio voted for the Democratic Party in the last presidential election.

Genesis Gonzalez

Genesis GonzalezApril 18, 2018DefenseAngelia Alam – Opening StatementMatthew Tem- ChemicalRthura Cevallos- MedicalMayra Reyes- GeologistOdorico SanNicolas- EpidemiologyGenesis Gonzalez & Riley Desmarais- Companies/expert witnessesLily K. – Closing StatementStatement of ChargeSchlichtmann charged W.R. Grace & Company, of New York, and Beatrice Foods Company, of Chicago, claiming both companies had contaminated two municipal wells in East Woburn. W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company are being charged individually for incorrectly disposing the following chemicals:Trichloroethylene (TCE) Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA)1,2-trans-dichloroethylene (DCE)Chloroform. W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company are both individually responsible for exposing the residents of Woburn, Massachusetts to the toxic amounts of chemicals and/or the dangerous illnesses, mental disease, and emotional sufferings brought about by the contamination of the water through chemicals in wells G and H. Some of the known causes of these exposing oneself to such chemicals are leukemia/ other cancers, damage to one's organs, neurological problems, disease, and even cardiac arrhythmias.Statement of ResponsibilityI, Genesis Gonzalez, am representing W.R. Grace ; Company along with Beatrice Foods Company. Both companies are being blamed by the plaintiffs for not properly disposing of the chemicals which were found in the wells, and they are charging us for their children becoming ill and acquiring leukemia. Neither of these companies had any involvement in the contamination of wells G and H, where the residents of Woburn received their water. Both W.R. Grace ; Company and Beatrice Foods Company followed all regulations which were required at the time of the incident. It seems the river was believed to be already contaminated before arriving to the wells, thus explaining why even though the companies' disposed chemicals into the river, leukemia did not come from either of the companies sources. There is no way the companies are to blame for the plaintiffs claims because they managed the wells not the water in those wells. Therefore, the chemicals that were used from W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company have no relation to the children of certain residents getting leukemia, as other members from my group have tried to state and prove. They need someone to blame for this series of unfortunate events and since W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company were local companies, they put the blame on them.Evidence for ArgumentW.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company are being held responsible for the illness and resulting deaths of children of the residents in the Woburn, Massachusetts area due to the contamination of wells G and H which, according to the parents of the children, gave them leukemia. W.R. Grace & Company did dispose their waste in the river behind the plants each evening and even though it tested positive for Trichloroethylene, it could not have been the cause to the illness and death of the children. W.R. Grace & Company followed all regulations to the best of their ability in that time period to keep the company safe, and they did because the chemicals they disposed of, as displayed by our experts, cannot be found in leukemia. Wells G and H were not contaminated by the company's disposal of chemicals, but rather by the flow of the river water. We have reasons to believe the river water was contaminated before it reached wells G and H. Trichloroethylene could have been part of what created leukemia, however, it was not only Trichloroethylene, which is what the plaintiffs are arguing we disposed of incorrectly. It is stated in Woburn's City Hall that â€Å"Woburn's public water supply is over 125 years old, one of the oldest systems in the state. Development of the water supply system closely followed the growth of the city's population and industry.† This statement goes to show that the water supply in Woburn was old and could have been one of the reasons for it being contaminated which makes W.R. Grace & Company not to blame, but rather the government.Beatrice Foods Company purchased fifteen acres of land in the Woburn area where wells G and H belonged. The investigators found a dozen decaying barrels of waste that containedsome Trichloroethylene, but they were decaying because they were left for such a long period of time, leading to the conclusion that this could not have been a valid reason to charge Beatrice Foods Company. The decaying barrels were simply on the property Beatrice Foods Company owned, they did no damage to the river nor the wells. Hence, this charge is invalid towards this Beatrice Foods Company because the barrels were simply placed there and a photograph has proven the waste shown. â€Å"Historic aerial photographs of the site showed drums of waste present on the site as early as 1968.† This quote gives proof that Beatrice Foods Company had no way of contaminating wells G and H. Although Trichloroethylene was found in these barrels, as the other experts have already testified, Trichloroethylene alone could not have caused leukemia- it was the river which was contaminated with other chemicals which reacted to the Trichloroethylene. Since Beatrice Foods Company had the barrels on the side of their property it gave the wells more contact with the river. W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company are both excellent companies and would never intentionally do anything to result in the illness and/or death of a human being. Therefore having the plaintiffs accuse both of these companies for causing multiple illnesses and deaths for not correctly disposing of chemicals is wrong because it was not their fault. The plaintiffs saw this as an opportunity to put the blame on these big companies since they were neighboring the properties to wells G and H, along with the actions they took, but as has been proven, the disposal of the chemicals and the barrels could not have contaminated the wells. Both companies followed the regulations in place for the enhancement of a safe environment within and outside the company. No real identified harm came from the companies, it was simply an accusation to get retribution for the sickness and death of the Woburn children. The chemical, epidemiology, and medical experts, along with the geologist of this case have helped bring in evidence, along with my evidence, to display that Trichloroethylene had slight to zero ties towards leukemia, instead it was the river being alread y polluted when it reached wells G and H. How the chemicals were handled could not have caused leukemia. In the end, the government knew the people of Woburn would be drinking from wells G and H and had the responsibility to ensure the water being drank met the Federal Safe Water Drinking Act standards, making them to blame for allowing the wells to get exposed to whatever caused leukemia.References†Case Summary.† A Civil Action- The Woburn Toxic Trial. N.p., 14 Nov.2016. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. This reference was used in my paper to prove the actions taken against W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company and how the plaintiffs were wrong.Chesler, David.†Woburn's Water Supply.† Woburn's Water Supply: Clean and Safe. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. This reference showed it was neither W.R. Grace & Company nor Beatrice Foods Company's fault the children became sick then died, but rather the government's because they had the responsibility to ensure the safeness of the water since the public drinks from those wells.Myette, Charles F. â€Å"Excerpts from Area of Influence and Zone of Contribution to Superfund Site Wells G ; H Woburn, Massachusetts.† Beyond A Civil Action, U.S. Geological Survey Report. N.p.,01 Nov. 2006. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. This reference points out all of the chemicals found in the river that W.R. Grace & Company and Beatrice Foods Company had no relation, thus proving it was not their fault. It also claims leukemia could not have been caused just by this one chemical that the companies were.