Sociological Imagination Essay

Sociological Imagination Essay INTRODUCTION Definition of sociological imagination Sociological theories describe causes and effects of human behavior; study the social life, and society. Above definition displays two concepts: human being at the micro level and society at the macro level. Sociological imagination is a sociological theory that encapsulates these two concepts: individual, and society (What is Sciology). An individual is an element of society. The society acts forces on this element. Sociological imagination enables the individual to identify these forces, their impacts. Sociological imagination is the ability of connecting micro level to the macro level, and distinguishing personal troubles and social issues. Importance of sociological imagination External act of an individual displays what one does, which is the result of cause and effect. The cause aspect defines why one acts in a specific way. Individual act also displays the structural arrangement of a society at a location and a historical point of civilization. Individual act, history, and location are intertwined. Sociological imagination demonstrates how an individual perceives the social forces, as well as the cause and effect relationship of an individual or group of individuals with social issues or social forces. This is why we should care for sociological imagination. Examples In India, many centuries ago, widow women used to commit ritualistic suicide by being burnt alive along with the dead husband. The act of widow women was the result of social forces that existed during that time in India (Deducing with sociological imagination). In John Grishams novel A Time to Kill, the African American Carl Lee Hailey kills two white men who raped and killed his little daughter Tonya. Acts of the white men and Carl Lee Hailey were the result of social forces that existed in social groups in the USA at that time. The social force in this case was racism. Two white men raped and killed Tonya because she was black. Carl Lee killed the white rapists because he knew justice would not prevail for white men (A time to kill 2008). Thesis statement When I analyze my own life through sociological imagination, I am able to explain my acts and social forces behind them. If I can distinguish, good and bad acts using wisdom then I can change my behavior and worldview. Conflict theory envisioned a society as fragmented into groups. More powerful social groups exert forces on less powerful groups. Social imagination discloses the characteristics of social forces when and only when individuals interact with these forces. SOCIAL CONTEXT Definition of social context In a net shell, sociological imagination is an interaction between an individual and social forces. This abstraction points towards the concept of existence of correlation between psychology and sociology. Social context theory reveals this relationship and show societal and social changes over the passage of time, explains the causes that brought changes and offers future change patterns. The model includes three factors: micro socialization process through the behavior of individual and collective of individuals, macro social forces through the social structure, and time (Social context theory). Social context theory is analyzed through social environment dimension and time dimension. Social environment dimension consists of social structures that shape the behavior of individual or group of individuals, social process demonstrates how individuals perceive, interpret and interact with the social structures, and social behavior represents the social realities through behavior of ind ividuals. Time dimension enacts the power of the existing societal forces in maintaining social behavior patters (Social context theory). Social imagination acknowledges the existence of interaction between individual or group of individuals and social forces. Social context theory explains how and why the relationship emerged and what changes the relationship could bring over the passage of time. Specific socio-historical force 1 I lived in Russian part of the Ex-Soviet Union. During mid 1980s, countrys economic conditions started deteriorating. By late 1980s absence of adequate commodities started hurting public. Bad economy as a social structure shaped individuals behaviors with the concept that Russian Federation was feeding the parasites, non-Russians, so Russians must abandon them, the non-Russians. When social structure (bad economy) and social process (individuals interaction) came into conflict, it resulted the break up of the country. Specific socio-historical force 2 I was born and raised in Palestine. Social structure was poor economy, poor living conditions, fundamental religious belief, and constant aggression from Israel. Social process was my perception about Israel and their politics towards Palestine. Poverty, religion, and bad living environment shaped my behavior. My perception was to change living environment, which I found in cooperation with Israel. I voted for peace roadmap with Israel. How your social context could be different Imagine I am living in the USA during the period of segregation. I am an African American. The social structure created by European whites suppressed my rights; I cannot get proper education, proper job, and even a decent place to live. Now, guess I live in the USA when the country has a president who is an African American. It took a long time to make this change, however, now I have equal rights as whites. SOCIAL LOCATION Definition of social location The concept social imagination assigns two attributes: an individual or group of individuals and social forces. Social imagination defines the interaction of an individual or group of individuals with social forces. At the same time, the individual is a character located at a certain place in the society. In American society, white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, male, heterosexual, upper middle-class, educated, older defines social location of a person (Social location). Social location defines a persons place in their particular social order. A persons bias, belief, and values are shaped based on social locations. Gender, color, economic level, coming from the village or town, healthy or sick, young or old; these are some of attributes of social location. Individuals from similar social location create their own social hierarchy. Social hierarchy classifies individuals in a group based on esteem, prestige, economic success, and accumulation of wealth into social classes. Description of social location I am from India, a country with 1.22 billion populations. I am male, less than 25, from town, literate, which respectively corresponds to 50 %, 51 %, 75 %, and 28 % of the total population. From the economic standpoint, 18 % constitutes rich and upper middle class, 23 % constitute middle class, and 59 % of the total population are poor. I belong to the 18 % social class (Indias middle class population 2011; Indias population 2012). Personal experience #1 My childhood social location should be classified than middle class. I faced absence of money in fulfilling a childs desire of purchasing toys. Personal experience #2 Teenage years were financially little better, but my parents still were unable to pay tuition for schools with better teachers, and technology. I studied in schools for children from underprivileged families. Personal experience #3 In college years, I became interested in Marxism and concept of conflict theory. Years of impoverished economic conditions contributed social imagination that rich and upper middle class are greedy and want to keep the middle class economically handcuffed forever. RELATIVE CULTURE Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes #1 Edward Taylor defined culture as a complex of behavior pattern and perception which includes knowledge, beliefs, morals, customs, ethics and any other skill and habits acquired by man as a member of society (What is culture?). At the same time, belief, customs, and ethics are relative to individual within his own social context. This is how anthropologist explains comparative culture concept (What is culture relativism?). Sociological imagination is interaction between individual or group of individuals acts and social forces. Individual act is a function of social process; hence, it characterizes consciousness of individuals. Perception, on the other hand, is a function of relative culture. Belief, morals, ethics form the foundation of human perception and its value varies from one social context to other. Social imagination relates to the culture. Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes #2 My social location is poor class in India. Belief, morals, customs relate to orthodox Hindu religion. This culture determines my social context. Hindu religion believes cows are sacred animals. On the other hand, Muslims of the society sacrifice cows in the name of their religion. Social imagination is to make protest to this practice and stop sacrificing cows in the name of religion. Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes #3 I am a Palestinian youth, spend the life in the ghetto in poverty; this is my social location. Belief, morals, customs and ethics relate to fundamental Muslim culture. Social context is formed by the fundamental culture. I perceive that Israel is the cause of my personal problems. Social imagination is to change Israeli attitude toward Palestinians. That is way; I am a member of Hamaz political party. Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes # 4 Social location rich, male, middle aged, an Arab, and an owner of an industry that feeds 300 families. I believe my financial position is vital for the well being of employees. However, due to the economic downturn, the plant has stopped several employee support activities and has reduced salary by 15 %. Employees are blaming me for their personal financial problems. Employees are also blaming that the owner has not reduced own expenses. Employees have taken vows to fight me back. My social imagination is to suppress these new social forces with the help of countrys law enforcement agency. CONCLUSION Sociological imagination to a certain extent accepts Marxs conflict theory and agrees that society is divided into fragmented classes with respective social, political and economic power. Conflict arises when a class or group feels social forces from other classes. Social imagination theory recognizes that social behavior is a result of social culture.

Bicycle Propulsion Systems

Bicycle Propulsion Systems 1.Abstract This report documents the development of bicycle propulsion systems over time and mentions the changes made to make the bicycle more efficient, safe, faster and resistant. It defines what a bicycles drivetrain system is in a few words and what they are used for on a bicycle. It includes brief information about 4 of the first bicycles made in the 1800s and refers to the changes in design and materials used for these bicycles. It also consists information of the 2 main bicycles used today and the improvements they have had compared to the older bicycles. At last, this report recommends improvements that could be made to the bicycle to make it more efficient. 3.Nomenclature Km/h = kilometers per hour Kg = kilograms Torque = a force that causes rotation Cadence = the number of revolutions of the crank per minute 4.Introduction Public transportation has changed and improved over a great period of time. These improvements have helped make transportation ,from one location to another, much easier. The bicycle is a great example of a method of transportation that has gone through a lot of improvements so that it is easier to use, faster, safer and more damage resistant. All this has happened by engineers taking into consideration the materials they use and the design of the bicycle. 5.Discussion and Analysis of Material 5.1 Bicycle Drivetrain Systems (Appendix 1 and 2) Bicycle Drivetrain Systems are used to transmit the riders power to the drive wheels in order to move the bicycle forward. Nowadays, most drivetrain systems include mechanisms that are used to convert speed and torque via gear ratios. Over the years propulsion systems for the bicycle have ranged from the riders legs, to the modern drivetrain systems that include gears and pedals. 5.2 History (Appendix 3) Over the past couple of centuries many different bicycles have been invented that have different characteristics in order to improve safety and efficiency, but still had a similar structure. Many of the different developed bicycles include: Hobby Horse (Appendix 4) The Hobby Horse was invented in 1817, by the German inventor, Baron Karl Drais. This bicycle had a primitive design and did not include a drivetrain. It was a 23kg bicycle which was made out of wood, including the wheels. It also included a leather saddle for the rider to sit on, and resembled a modern handlebar. The riders feet was the propulsion system for this bicycle. This meant that the rider wouldnt be able to go very fast and would require a great amount of effort to move it forward due to its weight. It would also be difficult to transfer the bicycle uphill, thus the rider would have to carry it. Whilst going downhill, the lack of brakes would cause the bicycle to travel at a fast speed without anything, other than the riders feet, to stop it. Velocipede (Appendix 5) The Velocipede was invented in 1858 by the French Michaux company. This bicycle was a great development from the Hobby Horse. It first had a cast iron frame which was then changed to wrought iron for better damage resistance. The seat featured suspension which was inspired by the suspension used in wagons. Although, the bicycle was not comfortable to ride, hence why its also called the Boneshaker. The wheels were wooden but consisted of iron tyres. It also included pedals on the axle of the front wheel as the bicycles propulsion system. The pedals would allow the rider to use less effort, compared to the Hobby Horse, to move the bicycle forward. This bicycle also consists of the introduction of a first brake, which included a metal lever that pressed a wooden pad against the rear wheel, making it much safer as it has the capability of stopping, though the wooden pad would wear out due to the friction between the pad and the wheel. Penny Farthing (Appendix 6) The Penny Farthing was invented in 1869 by French, Eugene Meyer. The bicycles design was based on the desire to make it faster, thus using it for sport. Since gears were not invented yet, the front wheels size was increased so it would travel a longer distance after one full rotation. The frame weight was reduced to increase riding comfort including solid rubber tires, and the use of hollow steel tubes made it lighter. With the introduction of spokes and ball bearings, the wheels were also improved. The Penny Farthing would reach top speeds of 40km/h, but despite its advantages it had many disadvantages. It required a running start and a mounting step for riders to be able to mount it. To stop, the rider would require to jump off the bike. The higher centre of gravity on the bicycle would mean that if the rider fell they would have great accident. And at last, if the rider went over a bump they would be sent flying, leading to a fatal accident. The Penny Farthings propulsion system were still the pedals, although, their positioning on the bigger front wheel would require riders with tall legs to ride them. Due to the bigger wheel, one rotation of the pedals would allow the bicycle to cover a longer distance, hence why it is faster than previous bicycles. This design might my the bicycle faster and more efficient, but it was more dangerous due to the height and centre of gravity of the bike, the lack of feasible brakes and the high speeds it can reach. The Rover (Appendix 7) The Rover was invented in 1885 by English John Kemp Starley. This bicycle was chain driven and was also known as the Safety Bicycle. It featured equal sized wheels and a diamond frame, used to equally distribute the forces throughout the bicycles frame, though it still lacked a seat tube. The solid rubber tires were also replaced in 1888 with pneumatic tires, which made it more comfortable to ride. The original model of The Rover used treadles to turn the rear wheels, but the later updated model used a chain drive which consisted of a large front sprocket and a small rear sprocket used to multiply the revolutions of the pedals without the need of a large front wheel. The pedals were more centred putting the riders feet away from the front wheel, and the centre of gravity was lower making it easier for the rider to stop by putting their feet on the ground. To also better stop the bicycle, it included a lever which pushes a metal pad onto the front wheel. This bicycle was much safer due to its frame design and its low centre of gravity. It had increased efficiency due to the positioning of the pedals and the two same sized wheels whilst still being capable of travelling at high speeds with the brake being able to stop the bicycle if needed. The design of the handlebar also helped to improve the handling of the bicycle. The use of metal on the frame and on the chain mechanism also made it resistant from damage. Although, with the introduction of the new chain mechanism, pebbles or sticks could get caught in the chain, possibly damaging the mechanism. 5.3 The modern bicycles Today there is a variety of bicycles that are used for different situations. To be able to adapt to the different situations, the bicycles have different characteristics but still have similarities structure-wise. The 2 main types are mountain bikes and racing bikes. Mountain Bikes (Appendix 8) Mountain bikes are bicycles designed for off-road riding. They are similar to other bikes but consist features that help enhance performance and durability on rough terrain. They consist of suspension on the frame and fork making the ride on rough terrain more comfortable, knobby tires which adds more grip on the wheels, heavy duty wheels that add durability, and more powerful brakes to help stop the bike instantly when on the rough terrain. The bicycles propulsion system includes derailleur gears (Appendix 2) that consists of a crankset for the rotation of the bicycles pedals, a cogset which is a set of different sized metal cogs or sprockets that are used as the gears, and a chain that links the cogset with the crankset. Different gears provide different torque and speed and requires different amounts of effort to rotate the pedals. The higher the gear, the more torque, speed and effort. The gears are controlled by a shifter which is connected to the gearing gearing mechanism by a cable. Mountain bikes tend to have up to 30 gears, yet mountain bikers choose to use 10 or 9 speed bikes due to the lighter weight and less complexity. The mountain bikes are very efficient and safe bicycle as they include disk brakes that help with instantaneous stopping, a gearing system that helps reduce the amount of effort the rider will have to use and is adaptable to different types of roads, and suspension that provides comfort. Racing Bike (Appendix 9) Racing bikes are designed for competitive road cycling. Its main characteristics are its light weight for higher speeds, and its stiffness due to the lack of suspension also to achieve high speeds with the sacrifice of comfort. The handlebars are designed and positioned lower than the saddle so that the rider has a more aerodynamic posture. The front and back wheels are positioned close together to allow for quick handling. For the propulsion system the bicycle uses a derailleur system similar to the Mountain Bike. The gear ratios have close spacing so that the rider can pedal at the optimum cadence. To shift gears the bicycle consists of an electronic shifting system. The switch is connected wired or wirelessly to a battery pack and to a small electric motor that is used to drive the derailleur, moving the chain between the cogs. This improvement allows for the rider to switch gears faster. The Racing Bike is quite efficient in terms of speed, and quite safe as it includes disk brakes that stop the bike instantly with the exception of knobby wheels as it would decrease the speed of the bike. The materials manufactures use for the frame e.g. Carbon fibre, cause the bike to be light in weight and capable of travelling at faster speeds. 6.Conclusions There have been many major developments in public transport over the years, with the bicycle as a great example. Many improvements have been made to the bicycle and the methods it uses for the rider to move it forwards. The introduction of new drivetrain systems and the vast use of different materials according to their properties are the cause of these improvements. The invention of, more complex, propulsion and brake systems have helped improve the efficiency and safety of the bicycle and the implementation of stronger and lighter materials has increased the bicycles damage resistance and has made it capable of reaching higher speeds (Appendix 10) with less effort required by the rider. Also improvements on the seat and the suspension on the bicycle have contributed to make it a more comfortable method of transportation. 7.Recommendations The bicycle has had great developments over the years, though more improvements can be made in order to make the bicycle safer, faster and more efficient. Such improvements may include: Adding a cover, made of a light plastic, for the gearing system so that nothing can get caught in the mechanism, running the brake lines through the frame of the bicycle so there arent any cords hanging, adding a cogset to the front wheel making it a 2-wheel drive thus making it faster. 8.References Crazyguyonabike April 15, 2009, The Hobby Horse: 1817 Karl Drais and his running machine. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=40616 , (accessed 1/3/2017) Crazyguyonabike May 2, 2007, The Boneshaker: 1867 Pierre Lallement, the Michaux family and their velocipede. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=40617 , (accessed 1/3/2017) Crazyguyonabike July 2, 2007, The Penny Farthing: 1878 James Starley and his ordinaries. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=40618 , (accessed 1/3/2017) Crazyguyonabike March 27, 2009, The Rover: 1885 The modern bicycle born in England. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=tSpage_id=40621v=9Y , (accessed 1/3/2017) Wikipedia January 6, 2017, Racing Bicycle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_bicycle , (accessed 2/3/2017) Wikipedia February 23, 2017, Mountain bike. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_bike , (accessed 2/3/2017) 9.Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 Appendix 7 Appendix 8 Appendix 9 Appendix 10

The Theme of Paralysis in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock :: Love Song J. Alfred Prufrock Essays

The Theme of Paralysis in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock " 'I grow old ... I grow old ... I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.' What does that mean, Mr. Marlowe?" "Not a bloody thing. It just sounds good." He smiled. "That is from the 'Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' Here's another one. 'In the room the women come and go/Talking of Michael Angelo.' Does that suggest anything to you, sir?" "Yeah- it suggests to me that the guy didn't know very much about women." "My sentiments exactly, sir. Nonetheless I admire T. S. Eliot very much." "Did you say 'nonetheless' ?" (Chandler 356-7) "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is one of the most influential poems of the twentieth century (Williams 49). It is certainly not a love song like any that had been written before. The second and third lines shock the reader because of their unusual imagery that would be out of place in a traditional love poem, describing the setting sunlit sky as looking "like a patient etherised upon a table" (Eliot 3). This "etherised" outside world is the key to understanding all of Prufrock's views. He is afraid of the increasingly industrialized and impersonal city surrounding him, and he is unsure of what to do and afraid to commit to any particular choice of action (Mays 112). Paralysis is the main theme of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Eliot composed "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" during a period beginning in 1909, and ending with the culmination of his first published book, Prufrock and Other Observations, which was published in 1917 (Scofield 46). The changes he made over several years may account for the fragmentation of the poem, but the main theme of paralysis was ever present, and would continue to be a major theme of Eliot's for much of his career (Scofield 46). Originally, the poem was titled "Prufrock Among The Women", which was later adapted and used in "Sweeny Among The Nightingales", and of course parodied E. B. Browning's "Bianca Among the Nightingales" (Loucks 1). Eliot chose to use the more ironic title, of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" instead, echoing the form of his name that Eliot himself was using at the time, that of T. Stearns Eliot (Southam 1). In 1909, Eliot completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard, and wrote what would be relatively unchanged in its final edition, the beginning of "Prufrock", lines 1-14.

The Ebonics Controversy Essay -- Education Language Speaking Essays

The Ebonics Controversey What is the controversy over Ebonics about? The Internet offers diverse views on the Ebonics topic. Ebonics entered the lime light in December of 1996. The television and news media have made the issue unclear and have left many people wondering what the recent controversey over Ebonics entails. Long after the "six o'clock news" has comfused and abandoned the public on the issue of Ebonics, the Internet is alive with commentary. Sampled together, the pages present a social mood, conscience, or lack thereof. Depending on the page you visit, you will learn that the answers for the above question are mixed, jaded and sometimes very opinionated. The term "Ebonics" is the most recently coined name for a speech pattern that has been around for several hundred years. Synonyms for Ebonics include, but are not limited to, Black English, Black Vernacular, African American Vernacular English (AAVE),"Jive," "Rappin," even the derogatory term of "Nigger Talk"(Shabaz). The words "language" and"dialect" are ambiguous and often interchanged when they should not be, because of the confusion they can elicit. For my own use of the terms, I draw on the commonly available reference book, Webster's New World Dictionary. I will use the word "language" to signify " the vocal sounds, words, and the ways of combining them, common to a particular nation." When the term "dialect" is used, it is to signify "any form of speech considered as deviating from a real or imaginary standard speech [or language]". The use of these two words as interchangeable has led to much confusion, particularly in the case of the Oakland Unified School District 's resolution. Through its use of the word "language", in reference to Ebonics,... ...us/AmendRes9697-006.html]. (4/12/97). Kephart,R. "Views of linguists and anthropologists on the Ebonics issue (Part 1)." [http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~rickford/ebonics/LingAnthro1.html] (3/7/97). Labov,W. [http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~labov/L102/Ebonics_test.html]. (4/9/97). Labov, W. "Can Reading Failure Be Reversed? A Linguistic Approach to the Question." [http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/RFR.html]. (4/9/97). Landrum-Brown, J. "Black English." [http://www.west.net/~joyland/BlkEng.html]. (3/7/97). "Original Board Resolution." [http://www.emich.edu~/linguist.issues.html/8-53.html#1]. (2/17/97). Royko, M. "When you talk Ebonics, words just get in the way." Chicago Tribune. [http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/ebonics/ebon3.htm]. (4/9/97). Shabazz, A. "All Our Fault Now!." [http://www.afronet.com/COLUMN/ARCHIVES/121296malik.html.] (3/7/97).

Benedict Arnold Essay -- essays research papers fc

Benedict Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Arnold received his schooling at Canterbury. While away at school, a few of Arnold’s siblings passed away from Yellow Fever. Arnold was a troublesome kid that would try just about anything. As a 14-year-old boy, he ran away from home to fight in the French and Indian War. Later, Benedict Arnold left and returned home through the wilderness alone to work with his cousins. The army had excused him without penalty because of his young age. In 1762, when Benedict was just twenty-one years old, he went to New Haven, Connecticut where he managed a book and drug store and carried on trade with the West Indies. (B Arnold) In 1767, he married Margaret Mansfield, a daughter of a sheriff of New Haven County. They had three sons together. When the Revolutionary War was just beginning to break out, Benedict Arnold became a prosperous ship owner, merchant, and trader. Within days, Arnold became very interested in the war once again and joine d the American Army. All of the battles Arnold commanded over showed immense courage and bravery, but he was soon known as America’s greatest traitor due to his betrayal of the American’s. As the Revolutionary War broke out, Benedict Arnold decided to volunteer to head over 1,000 men up to Maine. He asked for additional men from his companies to join the army. Arnold then became a captain in the Connecticut Militia. General George Washington had his favorites, which Arnold was among the very few. So, Benedict Arnold was sent on an infernal 500 mile march to Maine by Washington, also known as "The Rock". (Macks 72) Benedict Arnold and only about fifty percent of his original soldiers made it to the St. Lawrence River where they met up with General Montgomery. Their plan was to attack the British Army by surprise in Quebec City, Canada. Both Montgomery and Arnold arranged to start on the lofty mountainsides of Quebec. Arnold and his soldiers found themselves tr apped by the British. A member of the British Army shot a musket ball directly towards Arnold’s leg. His leg was badly broken and he had to be taken to a hospital bed almost a mile away from the attack. The attack had lasted fifty days and the secret journey resulted in a catastrophe for the volunteer soldiers who marched away. The conditions were terrible. It was said that almost fifty percent of the men froze, starved... ... and the other three were from his first marriage to Margaret. His four sons then became members of the British military. America now has their first despicable traitor! Bibliography Works Cited Benedict Arnold on Lake Champlain. The Battle of Valcour Island. Online. Internet. 7 March 2000. Available: http://www.heroswelcome.com/Arnold.htm Connecticut SAR. The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Online. Internet. 28 Feb. 2000. Available: http://www.ctssar.org/ Flynn, J. Michael. Benedict Arnold: The Traitor Who Saved America. Online. Internet. 18 March 2000. Available: http://www.magweb.com/sample/scry/sch23ben.htm Historic Valley Forge. Benedict Arnold. Online. Internet. 19 March 2000. Available: http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html Kenneth, Dave C. "Say You Want a Revolution." Don’t Know Much About History. U.S.A: Avon Books, 1995. Liberty. Chronicle of the Revolution. Benedict Arnold’s Leg. Online. Internet. 7 March 2000. Available: http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/ben.arnold.leg.html Mack, Stan. "Redcoats and Guerrillas." Real Life American Revolution. USA: Avon Books, 1994.

Drugs Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized

Running Head: SHOULD DRUGS BE LEGALIZED Comp II Drugs: Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized Arnold Heningburg Palm Beach Atlantic University Instructor: Heather Patton Drugs: Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized? In the last 50 plus years, the support of legalization of drugs has been a very hotly argued topic in the United States society and the world. Many believe that â€Å"street drugs† should be legal and everyone should have the choice of using them if they desire. After the introduction of these street drugs, (some that were legal for medicinal purposes), they had to be banned in society because people were abusing them.Many of these drugs now known as illegal substances were considered legal and were manufactured and created by chemists, and at some point were used for medical reasons. Unfortunately, due to many detrimental effects of prolonged use that caused human beings to become sick or die, these drugs were deemed dangerous and made illegal by the government. William Bennett's â€Å"Drugs: Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized† goal was to tell the general American public or the communities know how important it was to uphold the countries current drug policy.The beginning of Bennett’s statement started by saying, â€Å"The issue I want to address is our national drug policy and the intellectuals† (Bennett, William). He was particularly addressing our nation about the danger of making these drugs legal. Bennett wanted everyone to know that he undoubtedly was on the side of keeping and imposing the ban on making narcotics illegal. Bennett’s article seems to be motivated by the desire to confirm his support for the current U. S. national and international policies regarding narcotics. .†Bennett’s purpose was to win over those individuals who were not sure and those who were opposing the nations drug policy, by sharing where he stood on the issue of the nations drug policy. In the article that was w ritten by Elliott Currie which was called â€Å"Toward a Policy on Drugs†, Currie maintained that illegal drugs are an deep-rooted problem for law enforcement agencies, therefore the only resolution that could aid in resolving the problem is by seeking the views or ideas of the public on how the police and the court would take action in reducing the impact of use and sale of illegal drugs in the community and society.Curie argued that by using the free sell approach it would advocate making laws less restrictive on drugs, as well the law being less discriminating of drug users. This would mean that the government ‘s ban on illegal imports would be downgraded, which would also cause the drug users not to be treated as criminals and not being punished for their illegal activities. Currie felt that this approach has been proven effective in some of the European countries like Netherlands, where they have legalized the use of small amounts of marijuana.He also argued that d ecriminalization and deregulation are not the definitive resolution to the deteriorating drug condition, but could significantly lessen the unscientific and cruel methods currently used to battle the use and sale of illegal drugs. Currie contended that it has proven and studied that there is a correlation between the prevention of drugs and the existence of crimes and violence in communities. His contention was that if illegal drugs would be made legal then it would be safe to assume that the incidence of drug-related crimes will decrease and eventually lead to the eradication of drug problems.Although, he did contend that people should not exclusively depend on this type of approach, since there are other factors and complication implicated that cannot be addressed by this approach. In my opinion, legalization of drugs will cause an increase in drug problems and in crime. The reason I state this is that while dealing research and reading the journals and articles I found that many experts agree that illicit drugs are addictive and dangerous.Those that want to legalize can admit this, but contend that if we legalized them we would have less of a problem because by making illegal drugs legal less people would consume them and therefore by legalizing it and making it accessible people would be less likely to become addicted because they would use drugs more moderately or some may just stop using drugs altogether, since it is available if they ever did want to use, comparing it to those that don’t use cigarettes or alcohol because it is legal to use.But as I read different research and journals I found that the message from history is that periods of careless controls are accompanied by increased drug abuse and that when there is strong drug control, there is less drug abuse. References Barnet, Sylvan, Bedau, Hugo, Contemporary & Classic Arguments, A Portable Anthology, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005. Caulkins, Jonathan P. and Haijing Hao (2008). Modeli ng Drug Market Supply Reductions: Where Do All the Drugs Not Go? Journal of Policy Modeling. 30(2), pp. 251-270, DOI: 10. 1016/j. olmod. 2007. 04. 003. Hartnett, Edmund, Deputy Chief and Executive Officer, Narcotic Division, Drug Legalization: Why it Wouldn’t Work in the United States, New York City Police Department, New York [FN1] Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization, U. S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington, DC U. S. A. May 2003, www. DEA. gov; David Corcoran, Legalizing Drugs: Failures Spur Debate, New York Times, November 27, 1989; Morton M. Kondracke, Don’t Legalize Drugs, The New Republic, June 27, 1988

The Picture of Dorian Gray

English Essay Oscar Wilde’s novel is an extended metaphor that reinforces his idea that ‘There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book’. In The Picture Of Dorian Gray his view is very contradictory. His theory is reinforced through the changes in Dorian’s personality, the ‘yellow book’ A Rebours (‘against nature’) which was one of the most important novels during the decadence period, which was given to Dorian Gray by Lord Henry. Consequently, leading us to the corruption of Dorian Gray and his inevitable death. Dorian’s change in personality reinforces Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Dorian is living a double life, and in regards to the novel elements of his good and bad side is shown. This is shown with hints in the novel and shows the cautionary tale of the novel. As his friends, such as Lord Henry attempted to â€Å"spoil† his â€Å"beautiful nature† one of his closest friend Basil was cautious this was going to turn young Dorian from good to evil. Wilde does this to show how Dorian’s lifestyle can be corrupted morally and immorally, as things such as the painting make him accomplish the things he always wanted accepting pleasures moral or immorally. In spite of this, Lord Henry threatens Dorian’s fear of the painting losing beauty. Wilde uses this scenario that challenges his idea, because as Dorian is in constant fear of his loss of beauty this links in with Wilde himself as he wants â€Å"to be like Dorian† Wilde is always cautious of presenting his homosexuality within the book because the society didn’t practice it. Nevertheless he clearly states his desires for men in the book which doesn’t reinforce his idea as they are immoral feelings that are represented. The influence of the ‘yellow book’ is fundamental to Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Lord Henry gives the book to Dorian Gray and once Dorian has read this book he starts to get thoughts in his head which corrupts his mind. Thus shown in the novel as the yellow book as Dorian is now starting to become influenced by it showing the book has a moral, but the feelings in the novel that are present are immoral. Wilde uses this ‘poisonous’ yellow book to represent his aesthetic sensations without the concern of what the society will think, as the yellow book reveals aesthetic sensations that links to decadence because the end of novel ends in gothic fashion due to the influence of the yellow book. By doing this, this doesn’t reinforce his idea because it shows that if you believe in something it’s bound to have a moral like the moral book so his idea is yet again contradicted. The corruption of Dorian Gray is consequent to the things I have identified and challenges Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because as Oscar Wilde starts to show the reader Dorian’s corrupt soul more and more throughout the book as he commits crimes and makes the one he ‘loved’ commit suicide. By showing us Dorian’s corrupt soul more through the book it gives the reader a sense that there is a moral to it because no one can be once an almost ‘perfect’ human being to a criminal almost who neglects his close friends without a meaning behind it. Thus going against Oscar Wilde’s idea because his book was based on getting homo erotic views across so he must be presenting something that has meaning for example Dorian’s beauty and how it lead to his corruption. All of these elements contradict Oscar Wilde’s approach towards this book. His constant use of Dorian and his changed personality and the yellow book doesn’t reinforce his idea very well at all. In spite of this perhaps Oscar Wilde could be presenting these ideas on purpose to give his analytical side to his idea. A good example is the â€Å"yellow book† once Dorian read the book his mind state changed because he believed the words and the moral behind the book. Therefore this could lead to Oscar Wilde’s intention that books are influencing to people if they believe it from the start. He wants to tell us that if you think books are moral you’ll be influence by them. This is a result to why Oscar Wilde’s novel is so contradictory today he uses all the elements in the book which makes people believe in the book thereby creating a moral and some others who don’t agree with his view and his explicit behaviour won’t believe in the book meaning the novel has no meaning making it have no moral which is why he presents Dorian, the â€Å"yellow book† and his corruption in such a way. The Picture of Dorian Gray English Essay Oscar Wilde’s novel is an extended metaphor that reinforces his idea that ‘There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book’. In The Picture Of Dorian Gray his view is very contradictory. His theory is reinforced through the changes in Dorian’s personality, the ‘yellow book’ A Rebours (‘against nature’) which was one of the most important novels during the decadence period, which was given to Dorian Gray by Lord Henry. Consequently, leading us to the corruption of Dorian Gray and his inevitable death. Dorian’s change in personality reinforces Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Dorian is living a double life, and in regards to the novel elements of his good and bad side is shown. This is shown with hints in the novel and shows the cautionary tale of the novel. As his friends, such as Lord Henry attempted to â€Å"spoil† his â€Å"beautiful nature† one of his closest friend Basil was cautious this was going to turn young Dorian from good to evil. Wilde does this to show how Dorian’s lifestyle can be corrupted morally and immorally, as things such as the painting make him accomplish the things he always wanted accepting pleasures moral or immorally. In spite of this, Lord Henry threatens Dorian’s fear of the painting losing beauty. Wilde uses this scenario that challenges his idea, because as Dorian is in constant fear of his loss of beauty this links in with Wilde himself as he wants â€Å"to be like Dorian† Wilde is always cautious of presenting his homosexuality within the book because the society didn’t practice it. Nevertheless he clearly states his desires for men in the book which doesn’t reinforce his idea as they are immoral feelings that are represented. The influence of the ‘yellow book’ is fundamental to Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because Lord Henry gives the book to Dorian Gray and once Dorian has read this book he starts to get thoughts in his head which corrupts his mind. Thus shown in the novel as the yellow book as Dorian is now starting to become influenced by it showing the book has a moral, but the feelings in the novel that are present are immoral. Wilde uses this ‘poisonous’ yellow book to represent his aesthetic sensations without the concern of what the society will think, as the yellow book reveals aesthetic sensations that links to decadence because the end of novel ends in gothic fashion due to the influence of the yellow book. By doing this, this doesn’t reinforce his idea because it shows that if you believe in something it’s bound to have a moral like the moral book so his idea is yet again contradicted. The corruption of Dorian Gray is consequent to the things I have identified and challenges Oscar Wilde’s idea. This is because as Oscar Wilde starts to show the reader Dorian’s corrupt soul more and more throughout the book as he commits crimes and makes the one he ‘loved’ commit suicide. By showing us Dorian’s corrupt soul more through the book it gives the reader a sense that there is a moral to it because no one can be once an almost ‘perfect’ human being to a criminal almost who neglects his close friends without a meaning behind it. Thus going against Oscar Wilde’s idea because his book was based on getting homo erotic views across so he must be presenting something that has meaning for example Dorian’s beauty and how it lead to his corruption. All of these elements contradict Oscar Wilde’s approach towards this book. His constant use of Dorian and his changed personality and the yellow book doesn’t reinforce his idea very well at all. In spite of this perhaps Oscar Wilde could be presenting these ideas on purpose to give his analytical side to his idea. A good example is the â€Å"yellow book† once Dorian read the book his mind state changed because he believed the words and the moral behind the book. Therefore this could lead to Oscar Wilde’s intention that books are influencing to people if they believe it from the start. He wants to tell us that if you think books are moral you’ll be influence by them. This is a result to why Oscar Wilde’s novel is so contradictory today he uses all the elements in the book which makes people believe in the book thereby creating a moral and some others who don’t agree with his view and his explicit behaviour won’t believe in the book meaning the novel has no meaning making it have no moral which is why he presents Dorian, the â€Å"yellow book† and his corruption in such a way.