The Verb Impeach As Defined By Websters Third International Dictionary

The verb "impeach" as defined by Webster's Third International Dictionary is to cause an official to be removed from office because of conviction of impropriety, misdemeanor, or misconduct while in said office. The right to impeach public officials is secured by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Sections 2 and 3, which discuss the procedure, and in Article II, Section 4, which indicates the grounds for impeachment: "the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Treason and bribery are specified by the framers as "high crimes," however, it is the "other high crimes and misdemeanors" that, as Amar points out, "will ultimately call for a more nuanced interpretation" (Amar). It is my contention that this interpretation may or may not include the sexual misconduct of William Jefferson Clinton, but it does warrant conviction for perjur y to a jury about such actions. As the Southmayd Professor of Law at Yale Law School, Akhil Reed Amar has authored several books regarding the Constitution and Bill of Rights such as The Constitution and Criminal Procedure: First Principals (Yale, 1997), and The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction (Yale, 1998). He has written widely on constitutional issues for such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Monthly, Policy Review, The New Republic, and Slate. He is considered an expert in this area, and has been widely cited by scholars, judges, and justices. It is clear that his credibility is unquestionable. In his recent article entitled Trial and Tribulation, published in the magazine The New Republic, Amar opens that "No president is above the law, but the law for presidents is different than for others, at least in the case of impeachment." As Amar also points out "A president must pursue sound national policies that may render him unpopular in some localities"; therefore he "should not be obstructed by a grand or petit jury from any one locality." In other words, if the president were to enact a policy that some small municipality, or county, or even a state may wholly disagree with or even find unlawful in their representation, that entity should obviously not be able to pursue the president for prosecution solely on the grounds of political differences. This is necessary in order to protect the office of the presidency, and protecting the presidency is of great importance to this nation. Protecting it would be the very reason for the removal of Bill Clinton. His acts of indiscreti on only added to the already tarnished reputation of politicians in general, but now he brings this infection into the most sacred of houses, the White House. Another point is that to remove a president from office would mean to "undo the votes of millions of Americans on Election Day." For the Senate to be able to do this frivolously would mean a "slide toward a kind of parliamentary government that our entire structure of government was designed to repudiate." This would be a bad thing. Our government is structured so that the president, chosen by the people, has a powerful role in government; powerful enough to enact drastic changes as the changing world calls for. This populist presidency that we have chosen to govern ourselves by gives a lot of power to one man. If this endowment is not used to our liking, the people also have the power not to re-elect. However, in times of drastic misuses or abuses of power, the Constitution stipulates a course of action to protect us from such an administration. Amar seems to focus too much on the difference between the impeachment of a judge, or other, and that of a president. He doesn't spend enough time discussing whether or not what Clinton actually did was impeachable. He refers to it as "the pesky definitional problem posed by" what the Constitution refers to as "high crimes and misdemeanors". Here he makes the valid point that when interpreting the Constitution, specifically Article II, section 4 (paraphrased above), we need not take it so literally. In his opinion "This clause lumps together presidential impeachments with all others

Benifits of the death penalty essays

Benifits of the death penalty essays The justification of the death penalty is a constant controversy in todays society. The ultimate decision is a burden over all who execute this final sentence and the society that allows for it. Is it just or unjust? Does the criminal deserve this heinous sentence? According to 80% of United States citizens surveyed, the answer was yes (Stewart 1). Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for societys decision to go pro death penalty is that no executed murder has ever killed again (Lowe 20). It eliminates the burden on society that the murder creates in prison and serves as deterrence for future murders. However, twenty or so percent of death penalty opponents in the United States have made their own justification of why the death penalty should be nullified. They believe that combating violence with more violence doesnt solve anything and question the logic of killing to show that killing is wrong. Although there is much controversy surrounding the death penalty, it is clear that it is a necessary part of the judicial process. Opponents argue against the death penalty for a number of reasons. In the first place, it is in violation with the teachings of the Bible and United States Constitution, but more importantly they believe this action is immoral due to the barbaric methods. They also argue that it is a racial issue and an expensive method to put an end to crime. There seems to be some legitimate arguments. In the words of the New Testament, Jesus once said, Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her. (John 8:7) John Dear, a death penalty opponent interpreted these words. He wrote: Jesus not only condemned the death penalty, he poetically chastised the scribes and Pharisees for considering themselves sinless and able to pass judgment on others. Jesus words made them realize their own sinfulness and filled them with shame (Dear 75). Even today we have...

Northern Renaissance of European Art

Northern Renaissance of European Art When we talk about the Northern Renaissance, what we mean is Renaissance happenings that occurred within Europe, but outside of Italy. Because the most innovative art was created in France, the Netherlands, and Germany during this time, and because all of these places are north of Italy, the Northern tag has stuck. Geography aside, there were some significant differences between the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance. For one thing, the north held on to Gothic (or Middle Ages) art and architecture with a tighter, longer grip than did Italy. (Architecture, in particular, remained Gothic until well into the 16th century) This isnt to say that art wasnt changing in the north - in many instances, it kept apace with Italian doings. The Northern Renaissance artists, however, were scattered about and few initially (very unlike their Italian counterparts). The north had fewer centers of free commerce than did Italy. Italy, as we saw, had numerous Duchies and Republics which gave rise to a wealthy merchant class that often spent considerable funds on art. This wasnt the case in the north. The only notable similarity between northern Europe and, say, a place like Florence, lay in the Duchy of Burgundy. Burgundys Role in the Renaissance Burgundy, until 1477, encompassed a territory from present-day middle France northward (in an arc) to the sea, and included Flanders (in modern Belgium) and parts of the current Netherlands. It was the only individual entity standing between France and the enormous Holy Roman Empire. Its Dukes, during the last 100 years it existed, were given monikers of the Good, the Fearless and the Bold. Although apparently, the last Bold Duke wasnt quite bold enough, as Burgundy was absorbed by both France and the Holy Roman Empire at the end of his reign. The Burgundian Dukes were excellent patrons of the arts, but the art they sponsored was different from that of their Italian counterparts. Their interests were along the lines of illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, and furnishings. Things were different in Italy, where patrons were more keen on paintings, sculpture, and architecture. In the broader scheme of things, the social changes in Italy were inspired, as weve seen, by Humanism. Italian artists, writers, and philosophers were driven to study Classical antiquity and explore mans supposed capacity for rational choice. They believed that Humanism led to more dignified and worthy humans. In the north, possibly in part because the north did not have works of antiquity from which to learn, the change was brought about by a different rationale. Thinking minds in the north were more concerned with religious reform, feeling that Rome, from whom they were physically distanced, had strayed too far from Christian values. In fact, as northern Europe became more openly rebellious over the authority of the Church, art took a decidedly secular turn. Additionally, Renaissance artists in the north took a different approach to composition than did Italian artists. Where an Italian artist was apt to consider scientific principles behind composition (i.e., proportion, anatomy, perspective) during the Renaissance, northern artists were more concerned with what their art looked like. Color was of key importance, above and beyond form. And the more detail a northern artist could cram into a piece, the happier he was. Close inspection of Northern Renaissance paintings will show the viewer numerous instances where individual hairs have been carefully rendered, along with every single object in the room including the artist himself, distantly inverted in a background mirror. Different Materials Used by Different Artists Finally, its important to note that northern Europe enjoyed different geophysical conditions than did most of Italy. For example, there are lots of stained glass windows in northern Europe partly for the practical reason that people living there have more need for barriers against the elements. Italy, during the Renaissance, produced some fabulous egg tempera paintings and frescoes, along with glorious marble statuary. Theres an excellent reason the north isnt known for its frescoes: The climate isnt conducive to curing them. Italy produced marble sculptures because it has marble quarries. Youll note that Northern Renaissance sculpture is, by and large, worked in wood.   Similarities Between the Northern and Italian Renaissances Until 1517, when Martin Luther lit the wildfire of Reformation, both places shared a common faith. Its interesting to note that what we now think of as Europe didnt think of  itself  as Europe, back during  Renaissance  days. If you had had the opportunity, at the time, to ask a European traveler in the Middle East or Africa where he hailed from, he likely would have answered Christendom regardless of whether he was from Florence or Flanders. Beyond providing a unifying presence, the Church supplied all artists of the period with a common subject matter. The earliest beginnings of northern Renaissance art are eerily similar to the Italian  Proto-Renaissance, in that each chose Christian religious stories and figures as the predominant artistic theme. The Importance of Guilds Another common factor that Italy and the rest of Europe shared during the Renaissance was the Guild system. Arising during the Middle Ages, Guilds were the best paths a man could take to learning a craft, be it painting, sculpture or making saddles. Training in any specialty was long, rigorous and comprised of sequential steps. Even after one completed a masterpiece, and gained acceptance into a Guild, the Guild continued to keep tabs on standards and practices amongst its members. Thanks to this self-policing policy, most of the money exchanging hands, when works of art were commissioned and paid for, went to Guild members. (As you might imagine, it was to an artists financial benefit to belong to a Guild.) If possible, the Guild system was even more entrenched in northern Europe than it was in Italy. After 1450, both Italy and northern Europe had access to printed materials. Though subject matter might vary from region to region, often it was the same, or similar enough to establish commonality of thought. Finally, one significant similarity that Italy and the North shared was that each had a  definite artistic center during the 15th century. In Italy, as previously mentioned, artists looked to the Republic of Florence for innovation and inspiration. In the North, the artistic hub was Flanders. Flanders was a part, back then, of the Duchy of Burgundy. It had a thriving commercial city, Bruges, which (like Florence) made its money in banking and wool. Bruges had cash aplenty to spend on luxuries like art. And (again like Florence) Burgundy, on the whole, was governed by patronage-minded rulers. Where Florence had the Medici, Burgundy had Dukes. At least until the last quarter of the 15th century, that is. Chronology of the Northern Renaissance In Burgundy, the Northern Renaissance got its start primarily in the graphic arts. Beginning in the 14th-century, an artist could make a good living if he was proficient in producing  illuminated manuscripts.   The late 14th and early 15th centuries saw illumination take off and,  in some cases, take  over  entire pages. Instead of relatively sedate red capital letters, we now saw whole paintings crowding manuscript pages right out to the borders. The French Royals, in particular, were avid collectors of these manuscripts, which became so popular that text was rendered largely unimportant. The Northern Renaissance artist who is largely credited with developing oil techniques was Jan van Eyck, court painter to the Duke of Burgundy. Its not that he discovered oil paints, but he did figure out how to layer them, in glazes, to create light and depth of color in his paintings. The Flemish van Eyck, his brother Hubert, and their Netherlandish predecessor Robert Campin (also known as the Master of Flà ©malle) were all painters who created altarpieces in the first half of the fifteenth century. Three other key Netherlandish artists were the painters Rogier van der Weyden and Hans Memling, and the sculptor Claus Sluter. Van der Weyden, who was the town painter of Brussels, was best known for introducing accurate human emotions and gestures into his work, which was primarily of a religious nature. One other early Northern Renaissance artist that created a lasting stir was the enigmatic Hieronymus Bosch. No one can say what his motivation was, but he certainly created some darkly imaginative and highly unique paintings. Something that all of these painters had in common was their use of naturalistic objects within compositions. Sometimes these objects had symbolic meanings, while at other times they were just there to illustrate aspects of daily life. In taking in the 15th century, its important to note that Flanders was the center of  the Northern Renaissance. Just as with Florence, at this same time, Flanders was the place that northern artists looked to for cutting edge artistic techniques and technology. This situation persisted until 1477 when the last Burgundian Duke was defeated in battle, and Burgundy ceased to exist.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 30

Case Study - Essay Example It is worth noting that for increased size and ability to sustain global positioning, Logitech have acquired some companies such as Intrigue Technologies to harmonize its remote controls, Connectix for its webcams, Slim Devices for its music systems, and Labtec for its audio functionings (Cellich, 1997). Logitech has also retained its strength in the market due to its ability to innovate and diversify. This is shown through the introduction of; computer keyboards, a digital still camera, a headphone/microphone, coupled with a joystick gaming applications. In addition, there is a web camera on a flexible arm. The innovation ability has to be continuous since the attitude and taste of consumers always changes, and this gives designers and obligation to continue to be at their best to ensure they continuously meet the consumer demands. The growth and subsequent increase in size of Logitech will affect the speed of decision making as the organization and management structure become more and more complex (Zoltay Paprika, Wimmer & Szanto, 2008).This is because most of the company follow a decision structure that is long and tedious wasting a lot of time in the process before the top management that has the power to make a decision get enlighten. However, key decision that involves expansion and positioning are discussed by the top organ of the management and that has to take patients and time. Therefore, it is logical to point out that the global dominance and expansion will affect the speed of decision-making, and various strategic method exist that can be used to improve such time and make Logitech more competent. Business success depends fully on the decisions of the management and such simple measures if not well handle can result in the downfall of a company (Ilori & Irefin, 1997).In large organization, decision -making runs from the executives to the

V8 engine block assambley Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

V8 engine block assambley - Research Paper Example The first thing to go onto the block is the cam shaft. It is important to keep very clean while installing all engine components. It is important to lube the cam while installing. Second, the crank shaft must be installed and checked. After the crank shaft is installed it is necessary to install the rear main seal with gaskets if needed. Third, the timing gear and chains need to be properly installed. After the timing is accurate, the oil wrist pins, rod bearing and the rings need to be properly installed on the pistons. Next, it is important to properly oil all cylinders, bearing, rings and crankshaft. Then it is very important to install the pistons. The pistons need to be at a certain compression to prevent damage. After the pistons are installed, make sure all rods and pistons are in the correct spot. This can be achieved by proper torque of all rod nuts. Then it is important to install the timing cover and oil pump, followed by head gaskets, head, and bolts. At this time the valves need to be set. Finally, the valve covers can be installed and the engine is

Developmental Stages Essay Example for Free

Developmental Stages Essay Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. He believed that personality develops in a series of stages. In his theory he explains eight stages through which a healthy developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. According to Erikson (1950), â€Å"Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future†. In Erikson’s first stage, infancy (birth to 18 months), he centers on the concept of trust vs. mistrust where the infants basic needs are being met. During this stage, the child’s relative understanding of the world and society comes from parents/primary caregiver. Infants are especially dependant for food, sustenance, and comfort. According to Erikson (1950), the major developmental task in infancy is to learn whether or not other people, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy basic needs. If caregivers are consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant learns to trust that others are trustworthy. If they are neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead learns mistrust in that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous place. As an infant, I was fortunate to experience the love and nurturing that was needed to gain trust from my caregivers. My mother would rock me to sleep while singing or reading to me. As a result, I developed a passion for music and reading. My parents made me feel like everything was going to be alright. I still believe no matter what happens that eventually everything is going to be alright. In Erikson’s second developmental stage, Early Childhood (18 Months to 3 years), he asserts that a child begins to explore his surroundings after they gain control of eliminative functions and motor abilities (Harder, 2002). A child has the opportunity to build self-esteem and autonomy as he gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills (learning right from wrong). In this stage the parents or primary caregivers help the child by being patient and encouraging, which fosters autonomy in the child. Parents or caregivers who are highly restrictive are more likely to instill in the child with a sense of doubt and reluctance to attempt new challenges. My parents allowed me to explore but not to the point where my safety was in jeopardy. They popped my hand if I reached for the socket, floor heater, ashtray, or anything else that was in harm’s way. It was during this stage of my life that I received praise for things that I accomplished; for instance, using the potty and putting my toys away. I learned how to master certain skills for myself. Erikson believes that the third stage, Play Age (3 to 5 years), is essential to a healthy child. It is during this time that children really learn what they live. They want to imitate adults and others around them. This is the stage where most healthy children begin to broaden their skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy. They also learn to cooperate with others and to lead as well as follow. Young children in this category face the challenge of initiative versus guilt. Nevertheless, Erikson (1968) said that at this stage children usually become involved in the classic â€Å"Oedipal struggle† and resolve these struggles through â€Å"social role identification†. As a result, the child can be immobilized by guilt. According to Erikson (1950) the child is fearful, hangs on the fringe of groups, continues to depend unduly on adults, and is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination. As a child, I remember walking in my mother’s shoes when she was not wearing them. We played dress up and pretended we were queens. My basic family was the most significant relationship. In Erik Erikson’s fourth stage, School Age (6 to 12 years), children are capable of creating, learning and accomplishing new task (Harder, 2002). They are becoming more aware of themselves as individuals and, as a result, they become more reasonable to share and cooperate. They work hard at being responsible, being good and doing it right (Allen Marotz, 2003). Allen Marotz (2003) also list some perceptual cognitive developmental traits specific for this age group. Children understand the concepts of space and time in more logical, practical ways and begin to gain a better understanding of cause and effect and calendar time. At this stage, children are eager to learn and accomplish more complex skills such as reading, writing, and telling time. They also get to form moral values, recognize cultural and individual differences and are able to manage most of their personal needs and grooming with minimal assistance (Allen Marotz, 2003). At this stage, children might express their independence by being disobedient, using back talk, and being rebellious. For myself, I became disobedient but it didn’t take much for them to get me back on track. My parents only had to spank me several times in my life and never for the same thing. If children are encouraged to make and do things and are then praised for their accomplishments, they begin to demonstrate industry by being diligent, preserving at tasks until completed and putting work before pleasure. On the other hand, if children are punished or ridiculed for their efforts or if they feel they are not meeting others (teachers/parents) expectations, they develop feelings of inferiority about their capabilities. In Erikson’s fifth stage, Adolescence (12 to 18 years), he believes up to this stage development mostly depends upon what is done to us. From here on out what we do determines our development (Harder, 2002). The concept of identity vs. role confusion is used in that it is where a child is neither a child nor an adult. The adolescent is concerned with how they appear to others. This is when what was learned early on play an important part of how an adolescent see themselves. For example, if a child learned mistrust in infancy, shame in early childhood, guilt at play age, and inferiority at school age, what are the chances of this child having a positive image of themselves as an adolescent? Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from family. As they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents ponder the roles they will play in the adult world. Initially, they are apt to experience some role confusion- mixed ideas and feelings about the speci fic ways in which they will fit into society- and may experiment with a variety of behaviors and activities. At this stage in my life my Grandma taught me some very valuable things. My grandma farmed a beautiful garden which she kept me involved with. From tiling the land, planting the seeds, and watering the garden I learned a great deal. Not only did I learn about vegetation, I learned about life. My grandma taught me the valuable lesson of reaping what you have sown and how one bad fruit can spoil the whole bunch. I also learned that you have to believe in yourself, as well as believe in a Higher Power. My grandma taught me how to live off the land, but most importantly, she showed me by being a good example for me to follow. Erikson (1968) is credited with coining the term identity crisis because each stage that came before and that follows has its own crisis, but even more so now, for this marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is necessary for this passage to take place because throughout infancy and childhood a person forms much identification. As a marked turning point in human development, it seems to be the reconciliation between the person one has come to be and the person society expects him to become. An emerging sense of self will be established by forging past experiences with anticipations of the future. In relation to the eight life stages as a whole, the fifth stage corresponds to the crossroads, a time of great change of the body as well as the mind. Youth is a bridge between childhood and adulthood. Currently, I find myself in Erik Erikson’s sixth stage of development, Young Adulthood (18 to 35 years). Erikson (1950) expressed that young adults are in a stage of intimacy versus isolation. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized around the ages of 20 to 34. At the start of this stage, identity vs. role confusion is coming to an end, and it still lingers at the foundation of the next stage (Erikson, 1950). In this stage individuals develop intimate and close relationships with others (Crandell, C randell, Vander Zanden, 2009). I find myself struggling with this particular concept extensively. With the type of personality that I have, I constantly look for everyone to like me; therefore I never really established a close and intimate relationship with a significant person that means anything. Zucker, Ostrove, Stewart, (2002) reported that identity certainty may continue to increase over the course of adulthood. I am finding that having tried to make people like me that I lost a part of myself. I lost who I was. In finally having the chance to really experience life with someone who loves me for me, I can focus on doing things for myself as well as doing things for my significant other as well, thus making us both happy in our relationship. Erikson (1950) also argues that Intimacy has a counterpart he calls distantiation which is the readiness to isolate and, if necessary, to destroy those forces and people whose essence seems dangerous to our own, and whose territory seems to encroach on the extent of ones intimate relations. Once people have established their identities, they are ready to make long-term commitments to others. If people cannot form these intimate relationships (perhaps because of their own needs) a sense of isolation may result. In comparing Kohlberg’s and Erikson’s developmental theories, I discovered that I can relate my life to both theories. There have been both internal (Erikson) and external (Kohlberg) forces that have affected my life. Internally, it was the nurturing and love I received from my Grandmother as a child. She also taught me life lessons. Externally, I watched my grandmother care for her grandmother. It gave me a love and passion for caring for the elderly, not realizing that it was also teaching me how to care for her when she could no longer care for herself. In the mention of Erikson’s â€Å"identity crisis†, I realize that most of my life stages were identified by such crises. At the age of 5, I experienced abandonment and rejection from my father. This shaped my childhood and adolescent years around seeking to hurt before being hurt and also looking for love and attention in others. I learned that a child who grows up not receiving a lot of love and affection may later in life look for love in all the wrong places, thus leading to promiscuous behavior, gang involvement, and /or drug use to fill the void. Subsequently, as an adult I found it hard to acquire and maintain intimate relationships. Kohlberg’s moral development theory focuses more on reasoning. Though growing up I never tried to figure out why I was the way I was or why I did the things I did for attention or to get my way, I have begun to look at the reasons behind those actions and have started to correct the negative characteristics of my being. Other factors come into play when speaking of the developmental stages of one’s life. These factors include gender differences, environmental, cultural, and ethnical influences. My father, not having nurturing abilities, failed to realize or comprehend the devastation and effects of his leaving the home had on me. Environmentally, most of us lived off of the land and were friendly to each other. However, most of the environment was that of country living and also racial separation. Culturally, our elderly were not placed in nursing homes but remained in the home to be cared for by family. My grandmother cared for her grandmother who cared for her daughter, one not absent from the other. My grandma instilled in me many morals and values that influenced my behavior today. In conclusion, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development theorize that there are certain accomplishments that one must encounter to successfully move to the next stage in life. His findings have shown that, in life, sometimes it requires an â€Å"identity crisis† to force an individual into another stage so that person may keep moving forward. There are many different aspects of his psychosocial stages that can shape a person into a healthy human being. Personally, I feel that as growing through each stage of my life according to Erikson, I am on my way to being the perfect role model for his theory. References Allen, K. E., Marotz, L. R. (2003). Developmental profiles (4th ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar. Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of development. New Jersey:Prentice Hall. pp.118-136 Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., Vander Zanden, J. W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.).Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton; Triad/Paladin (1977), p. 242. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton, p. 54 Harder, A. F. (2002). The developmental stages of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.html Stevens, R. (1983). Erik Erikson, an introduction. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved from http://openlibrary.org/books/OL3161476M/Erik_Erikson_an_introduction Zucker, A. N., Ostrove, J. M., Stewart, A. J. (2002) College-educated womens personality development in adulthood: Perceptions and age difference. Psychology and Aging. 17(2), 236-244.

Summary of Danielle Steels Granny Dan :: essays research papers

Granny Dan Written By Danielle Steel, 1999, Delacorte Press (fiction, historical) I came upon this book one day while rifling through my mother’s yawn-inducing adult paperbacks, due to a lack of recent visits to the library. They were the kind of books that are thick, fine print, and usually about some unhappy beautiful heroine who finds true love through a turbulent 700 pages. Then I came across Granny Dan. It was hardcover, a mere 223 pages, and had no close-up shot of a gun, or broken glass, or some other imagery in that vein. So, I did the obvious thing, I opened it up and began to read. Granny Dan was a magical grandmother, who enjoyed roller skating in her kitchen, singing to her family in Russian, and mostly just loving her family in her own little ways. But when she passed away, no one knew anything about her past, which she’d spoken little of. When cleaning out her house after her death, her granddaughter is sent a small brown box, containing all the secrets of Granny Dan’s life, secrets just bursting to be understood. The box contained very few things, a pair of satin toe ballet shoes, a gold locket, and letters tied together. Granny Dan suddenly becomes more than just an endearing grandmother, she becomes Danina Petroskova, the great ballerina. Learning more of Danina’s past, her granddaughter slowly begins to unravel the mystery surrounding her life. As a young girl, Danina’s father and brothers gave her up to a ballet school in St. Petersburg, Russia, because so many men would not know how to raise the motherless girl. For years, Danina devoted her life to ballet, she did not know the outside world. While other girls fell in love and began to ruin their focus for training, Danina only ate, slept, and danced, it was a monastic life, enduring gruelling hours of training with her teacher, Madame Markova. By the age of seventeen, Danina was a prima, and from her performances, she was soon recognized by the Czar and Czarina, members of the royal family. As time went on, she became a favourite of the Imperial family, especially the sickly Czarevitch, Alexei. (The Czar is basically the equivalent of the king, the Czarina, the queen, and the Czarevitch, the prince. Alexei’s family, the Imperial family, were real) Many shattering events occur to Danina, from losing precious brothers to war, to falling in love with Alexei’s (the Czarevitch) doctor, Nikolai Obrajensky.

Economy of the United States Before During and After World War Ii Essay

They were also encouraged to ration their food and gas, and often grew â€Å"Liberty Gardens. † Unfortunately, World War II also made the American Government used to relying on ‘deficit spending’ (government spending of borrowed money), causing economic problems that still linger today. That’s all I have. Hope it helps! Everything listed above is definatly true to a point, I’m a history major who has to answer this question for an exam later this week so I thought I’d help add some more information for the people who are looking†¦ WWII was an expensive war, it would cost $304 billion just to finance it. For this reason the governmnet pushed war bonds which encouraged common people to help support the war both with their money and with their hearts. From the get go the war was marketed to the common people, proven by the use of popular movie stars in the promotion of War fund-raising and compliance with governmnet measures. After pearl harbor, the American people were ready to pour everything they had into the war effort. Women donated thousands of tons of aluminum cooking supplies to help build planes– though it was later found that only virgin aluminum was good enough for aircraft and so their pots and pans were melted down and sold back to them as pots and pans. In the first months of the war Washington was a mess, and mobilization was slow. This is because our governmnet is not made to act swiftly, it was designed to take time and thought before any decision can be made. Scrap drives were unorganized and so were the efforts of the common people. Those who could not physically join the armed forces wanted to know what they could do to help but the governmnet expected little more from them than the purchasing of war bonds and for them to practice conservation of goods. Other items which were recycled included bone and fats which were used in making explosives and other materials. One of the greatest failures of American govenmnet was the policies which did not encourage the full use of all of the American people. While â€Å"Rosie the Riveter† posers might make it seem that women were begged to help in factories, the truth is that Americans tried to keep the women home for as long as possible before labor shortages around 1943 made it nessisary for factories to stop policies of discrimination. Comming out of the Depression, America had 9 million men that needed jobs. Each and every one was employed before women and minorities were given a chance to go to work. Even more difficult than the position of minorities was that of married women, especially those with the men of their families fighting overseas. America had been progressing socially as a nation under FDR, but his social reforms had taken a back seat to the war effort. Day care was almost non-existant, and where it was it was impossible to afford. Many stores also chose to keep the same hours they had during peace time and so women who worked late had a hard time getting the items they needed. Married women who had husbands in the workforce were also discriminated against because a common attitude was that the man should be the sole bread-winner of a household and children would â€Å"be denied proper care† if their mother’s worked. Many goods that people took for granted disapeared, and with more money than they had seen in years the American public had little to spend it on. Gasoline was rationed and in many cities â€Å"Sunday driving† was banned, those who violated the laws had their gas coupon books taken away. The decrease in driving worked both to save gasoline and to put many new business, which depended on â€Å"drive-in† coustomers, to fail. Most people were given a card that allowed them 2 gallons of gas per week, with unrestricted gas reserved for emercency vehicles, police officers, and a few unscrupulous congressmen. Meat was also rationed at 2lbs per person per week which was very difficult for some people to live with. Conservation and the war effort also found its way into popular fasion. Durring the war shoes could only be found in limmited colors (i. e. 4 shades of brown, and black) and clothes were not allowed to be made with any more material than was absolutly nessisary, pleats, ruffles and other embelishments were thrown out for the durration. (This is one of the reasons why short skirts and bare-backed dresses were all the rage). A black market of rationed goods and consumer goods (such as sheets) was strongly revived during this period, but was not so pervasive as to undermine the system. With money burning holes in their pockets, Americans turned to the entertainmnet industry, which with it’s glamourous actors and fantastical stories, helped to distract the public from their problems. Also, the governmnet had it’s own idea about what Americans should do with their extra money, during the war the income tax was introduced to suppliment GI spending and has been with us ever since. One thing I would like to correct from what is stated above is the idea that minorities gained rights as a result of the economic boom and the war effort. What happened is that minorites began to actively fight for their rights after WWII. Women did not want to be thrown out of their positions after the men came home from the war, they liked the freedom of having their own income and enjoyed doing something other than cooking and cleaning. African-Americans also were feircly discriminated dirring this time. It would not be until after the death of FDR that the new president Harry Truman would finally desegrigate the military. This nations’ minorities were fighting overseas for freedom and equality when in fact they were not given these freedoms at home. After the war, blacks who had served in the military moved out of the south and sought a better life in the north where they could escape the racial caste system which existed there. Jews were also discriminated here as well as in many other countries. We were eager to condemn Hitler for murder and open persecution, but we did not want to take the Jews off of his hands alive. If you need more info, consult this book: O’Neil, W. L. (2002). A Democracy at War: America’s Fight At Home and Abroad In World War II. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Most of my ideas come from that text, nothing is quoted directly. Hopefully this helps too!

Caffeine and its effects on the human body Essay

Over 90% of Americans consume caffeine every day of the year. Caffeine is the ingredient that makes the public crave coffee, soda, chocolate and many other caffeine-carrying products. Americans consume about 45 million pounds of caffeine each year. In the United States, coffee drinkers drink an average of 2.6 cups per day. Total caffeine intake for coffee drinkers was 363.5 mg per day – this includes caffeine from coffee and other sources like soft drinks, food and drugs. Non-coffee drinkers get plenty of caffeine as well: former coffee drinkers get about 107 mg per day and people who have never had coffee get about 91 mg per day. Many facts are known about caffeine, such as its composition, effect on the human body, and origin; however, there are many long term effects that are currently being studied in order to discover how harmful this substance truly is. [Caffeine- Neuroscience for Kids] Caffeine occurs naturally from the coffee tree indigenous to Ethiopia, and it may have been used as early as 850 AD in Upper Egypt, though it is considered a legend. Coffee is the seed of a cherry from the tree of the genus Coffea. The tree yields about one kilogram of coffee per year. There are over 25 different species of coffee, the three main ones being Robusta, Libaria, and Arabica. The Ethiopians mixed crushed dried coffee beans with rolled fat balls used as food on journeys. Its cultivation and use as a beverage occurred in Arabia. By the early 16th century, the beverage was well-established in the Islamic world. Through cultural diffusion, coffee was a fashionable drug of the 17th and 18th centuries. From thereon, coffee’s popularity grew tremendously. America owes its present day coffee habits to the Boston tea party of 1773, which made coffee’s availability easier. [Owen, Daniel] Caffeine is an organic substance medically known as trimethylxanthine, and its chemical formula is C8H10N4O2. Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous alkaloids. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in different plant sources. These compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids, which are also similar in chemical structure  .Pure caffeine is odorless and has a bitter taste. This chemical is a useful cardiac stimulant and mild diuretic substance, or increases urine production. Many people take advantage of its energizing sensation; hence, it has become the world’s most widely used drug. Caffeine increases dopamine levels, like cocaine and heroin but to a lower extent. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in specific parts of the brain that can activate pleasure sensations. Because caffeine be longs to the xanthine chemical group, it interferes with the production of adenosine in the brain. Xanthenes are yellow crystalline organic compounds that are soluble in ether and are used as a fungicide and in organic synthesis. Adenosine is a naturally occurring xanthine used as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Adenosine binding to the brain causes slowing down of the nerve cells and drowsiness. Caffeine is very similar to adenosine, since they are from the xanthine chemical group. Caffeine interferes with the binding of adenosine because nerve cells recognize the intruding caffeine as adenosine. When caffeine binds to the receptors, nerve cells speed up. Caffeine causes the brain’s blood vessels to constrict because it blocks the adenosine’s ability to open them up. When the caffeine blocks the adenosine, neurons start firing at an accelerated pace. Henceforth, the brain’s signals help to other body parts, causing them to react. The pituitary gland reacts to the signals of excessive neural activity and sees it as an emergency. It then releases hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands then produce adrenaline thought out the body, Adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress and it stimulates autonomic nerve action. Adrenaline causes: dilation of the pupils, expansion of respiratory tubes, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, tightening of muscles in order to make them ready for action, a release of sugar by the liver into the bloodstream for extra sugar, and increase blood flow to muscles. The euphoric feeling induced by caffeine makes the chemical addictive to its consumers. [â€Å"Caffeine,† Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2004] Caffeine, like any other drug, is addictive. The long term effects of caffeine are unhealthy as they change the natural chemistry of the brain, primarily sleep. Adenosine is important to deep sleep because it causes proper reactions in the brain during sleep, yet caffeine interrupts its  function. The half-life of caffeine in a human body is about six hours long, meaning that for six hours the consumer’s body and brain will be in an accelerated state. This can tire the body, especially the heart, which has to keep up in speed to pump the necessary blood throughout the body. After months of use, a person who consumes caffeine may develop a dependency on the drug because his/her body has grown accustomed to being stimulated by the foreign substance. Withdrawal symptoms are common among caffeine consumers, which is a body’s way to ask for caffeine. Headaches, stomach cramps, irritation, and depression are common symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. These symptoms can occur within 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine. In huge doses, caffeine is lethal. A fatal dose of caffeine has been calculated to be more than 10 grams (about 170 mg/kg body weight) – this is the same as drinking 80 to 100 cups of coffee in rapid succession. Like many other chemicals, caffeine is deadly in large doses. [Caffeine- Neuroscience for Kids] There are many harmful effects which caffeine is blamed for, but there is no solid proof of most of the accusations. Pediatricians and Nutritionists argue that caffeine is harmful to developing individuals, mainly children and adolescents. They think that by using caffeine, the developing individuals are upsetting the normal and natural balances of neurochemistry. Withdrawal shows that there has been a disturbance in the brain since the brain rewires itself to crave the caffeine. In addition, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found the effects of caffeine on pregnant women. The equivalent of one to three cups of coffee increases the risk of miscarriage of pregnant women by 30%. Consumption of three to five cups increases the risk by 40%. The study was directed by Dr. Sven Cnattilgils involved 562 women between six to twelve weeks of pregnancy. After the publication of the study in 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the March of Dime, which finds r esearch on birth defects, have advised pregnant women to avoid caffeine. There were several other studies made with regard to infertility in women between 1987 and 1990 by the Centers for Disease Control and Harvard University. They found that caffeine had little or no influence in infertility. Caffeine has also been linked to calcium loss in bones, yet its effects are not strong enough to be  considered dangerous by the FDA. Aside from the negative aspects of caffeine, the drug is used in prescription and nonprescription drugs because it boosts their power. Aspirin and other painkillers contain caffeine to improve its effectiveness. Furthermore, a study by the Journal of the American Medical association suggests that consuming caffeine may help prevent Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’ disease is a progressive nervous disease happening most often after the age of 50, associated with the destruction of brain cells that produce dopamine and characterized by weakness, muscular tremor, slowing of movement, and partial facial paralysis. Apparently, caffeine reduces the neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, which can kill neurons under certain conditions the same way it reduces adenosine. Caffeine also increases the levels of dopamine in the body, which are destroyed by Parkinson’s disease. Caffeine can also be used to treat asthma attacks as it stimulates the production of adrenaline, causing the respiratory muscles to expand. [Cherniske, Stephen & Weinberg,B.A] In summary, caffeine is the world’s most widely used drug for a reason. It triggers pleasure areas in the brain that cause its user feelings of elation. However, using caffeine in excess or for a prolonged amount of time can be hazardous to health by causing problems such as birth defects, miscarriages, and the body’s dependence. Though there are no concrete studies on the neurological effects of caffeine, many doctors and scientists agree that caffeine is not as safe as it appears. They recommend that consumers be careful of how much caffeine they are using or possibly abusing, since health is too precious to ignore.

Social Work Values essays

Social Work Values essays Identify and examine their own values, attitudes, and spirituality by considering societal responsibilities for others in need. Throughout all of my reading I have done a lot of thinking. Mainly thinking about what I believe is the right decision or view on topics. Reviewing this topic of social work values brought me to chapter 3. I read about how social workers are to be culturally sensitive to others beliefs upon many different ways of life. I want to examine values, attitudes, and spirituality. A social worker must understand his or her own self before he or she can help other people with their own problems or concerns. Should abortion be legal? Are gay and lesbian marriages right? Is it okay to have one nation under God on our countrys currency? These are all questions that I can quickly answer. I can answer them because I have already established a set of values that I follow in life. Some questions may be hard even though my values have already bee established. Values are the key to making decisions. What my values are will determine how I handle and take a stance on a given situation. I am sure this a very hard aspect of being a social worker, because many of the things that I have read about that social workers are obligated to do I do not believe in. I wonder how I would make a decision in those cases. The next aspect is attitudes. I really couldnt find any straight up answers to attitudes that should be given, but I know that the attitudes I form and show will be a result of my values, which have already been formed. The attitude, in my opinion, is how I display myself through actions or words after a situation has been handed to me. It is important to help all people and your reaction could be the result of them getting better or worse. So sensitivity is defiantly the key. The last is spirituality. This should be handled with the greatest care, in my judgment. Base ...

African Women under Slavery

This paper discusses the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives. Also, this paper presents the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. Slavery was a destructive experience for African Americans especially women. Black women suffered doubly during the slave era. Slave Trade The West African Slave Trade was a global event that focused on West Africa. It was the sale and ownership of another human being that was put into slavery. It was a type of â€Å"forced Migration† that lasted 300 years. From around 1551 thru 1850 about 15 million people were brought into the slave trade it is said that roughly 5 million people did not survive, and may have immediately died before making through the shock of enslavement. About 10 million people in the western hemisphere survived and were sold on the auction block. Generations continued into slavery, the offspring was also brought into slavery. The owners liked the idea of their slaves reproducing. This meant their work force would grow without having to spend much money on slaves. About 250 million lived in slavery throughout the 300 years. Slavery was also a traditional part of African society, various states and kingdoms in Africa operated one or more of the following: chattel slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, and serfdom. Ghana, Mali, Songhai were kingdoms that had large economies and supported large populations, they had knowledge of agriculture, and grew many different crops that sustained many people. Because of the West African Slave Trade, These kingdoms were affected by greed and would often go to war and capture prisoners to sell into slavery. The Middle Passage was the journey of slave trading ships from the west coast of Africa, where the slaves were obtained, across the Atlantic, where they were sold or, in some cases, traded for goods such as molasses, which was used in the making of rum. However, this voyage has come to be remembered for much more than simply the transport and sale of slaves. The Middle Passage was the longest, hardest, most dangerous, and also most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships. With extremely tightly packed loads of human cargo that stank and carried both infectious disease and death, the ships would travel east to west across the Atlantic on a miserable voyage lasting at least five weeks, and sometimes as long as three months. Although incredibly profitable for both its participants and their investing backers, the terrible Middle Passage has come to represent the ultimate in human misery and suffering. The abominable and inhuman conditions which the Africans were faced with on their voyage clearly display the great evil of the slave trade. While there was slavery throughout World History, never has it reached such an epic proportion as during the Middle Passage/ transatlantic slave trade. At this time, no one knows exactly how many Africans died at sea during the Middle Passage experience. Estimates for the total number of Africans lost to the slave trade range from 25 to 50 million. The Middle Passage was a term used to describe the triangular route of trade that brought Africans to the Americas and rum and sugar cane to Europe. It was synonymous with pain and suffering. The journey from Africa to the Americas would take as many as 30 to 90 days. Many of the ships were called â€Å"loose packers† which meant that the slaves were not overlapping each other or â€Å"tight packers†, describing the capacity of the slave ship. The smell of rotten bodies thrown overboard lured sharks to the ships route; European countries participating in the slave trade accumulated tremendous wealth and global power from the capturing and selling of Africans into slavery. Originally, slaves were sold to the Portuguese and Spanish colonies in South and Central Americas to work on sugar cane plantations. The middle passage was the worst thing that could happen to African American slaves. For most women who endured it, the experience of the Slave Trade was one of being outnumbered by men. Roughly one African woman was carried across the Atlantic for every two men. The captains of slave ships were usually instructed to buy as high a proportion of men as they could, because men could be sold for more in the Americas. Women thus arrived in the American colonies as a minority. For some reason, women did not stay a minority. Slave records found that most plantations, even during the period of the slave trade, there were relatively equal numbers of men and women. Slaveholders showed little interest in women as mothers. Their willingness to pay more for men than women, despite the fact than children born to enslaved women would also be the slave-owners’ property and would thus increase their wealth. Women who did have children, always struggled with the impossible conflict between, their own physical needs and their children’s need for care, not to mention the requirements forced on them by plantation work regimes. Women’s inability to maintain the pace of work required by plantation owners during pregnancy, their need for recovery time after childbirth, and the needs of their young children to be fed, cleaned, loved, and integrated spiritually and socially into the human community, all brought them into conflict with the demands of the owners and managers of the plantations on which they worked1. Exploitation The slave owner’s exploitation of the African woman’s sexuality was one of the most significant factors differentiating the experience of slavery for males and females. The white man’s claim to the slave body, male as well as female, was inherent in the concept of the Slave Trade and was tangibly realized perhaps nowhere more than the auction block. Captive Africans were stripped of their clothing, oiled down, and poked and prodded by potential buyers. The erotic undertones of such scenes were particularly pronounced in the case of black women. Throughout the period of slavery in America, white society believed black women to be innately lustful beings. The perception of the African woman as hyper-sexual made her both the object of white man’s disgust and his fantasy. Within the bounds of slavery, masters often felt it was their right to engage in sexual activity with black women. Sometimes, female slaves made advances hoping that such relationships would increase the chances that they or their children would be liberated by the master; most of the time, slave owners took slaves by force. For the most part, masters made young, single slaves the objects of their sexual pursuits. They did on occasion rape married women. The inability of the slave husband to protect his wife from such violation points to another fundamental aspect of the relationship between enslaved men and women. The restrictions of slave law and circumstances of slave life created a sense of parity between black wives and husbands. A master’s control over both spouses reduced the black male’s potential for dominance over his wife. Whenever possible, black slave women manipulated their unique circumstances in the struggle for their personal dignity and that of their families. Black women rebelled against the inhumanities of slave owners. Like their ancestors and counterparts in Africa, most slave women took their motherhood seriously. They put their responsibilities before their own safety and freedom, provided for children not their own, and gave love even to those babies born from violence2. Secrecy Due to the sexual escapades of the white slave owners, both white and African American women had to keep births on the plantation a secret. A female slave was never able to say who the father of her child was. In some of the books on slave records, the father of the slave child would not be recorded because the child would have the status of the mother, regardless. If the female slave ever tried to tell who the father of her child was, she could be sent to jail, beaten, sold to another owner, or killed as a result. If a mistress knew that her husband was cheating on her, there was not very much that she could do. In some cases, the white women would make the slave woman work harder, be very rude to her, or even ask her husband to beat her3. Traditions With many diverse women coming from various places in Africa the daily living, clothing, religion and vast personal mile stones like circumcision, birth, and even marriage are handled differently. Beginning from a child where you grow determines the traditions you inherit. Children in rural Africa communities were all seen as sons and daughters of the entire community. After being sold as slaves many families were torn apart, which mean people had to carry this tradition along because there actually family were gone. On plantations every adult was respected as one’s mother or father. Older women and men stood cherished for the fact they were the wisest to the way to survive. One day a week the slave families would be allowed to gather for a type of religious gathering where they were only allowed to praise whomever they worshiped for an hour of the day. Polygamy was also practiced by many of the slaves, either men had many wives or vice versa. This was brought over to the plantations, as it was also practiced in the homeland. Variety of Tasks and Positions of Slave Women African American women were responsible for a lot of tasks that had to be done inside of the slave owners household or fields. Enslaved women were charged with a different variety of tasks such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, running errands, going to the market, plantation work, looking after children, etc. 4. Slavery taught women to be self-reliant, whereas white women were dependent socially and economically on men. On plantations, men and women did equally difficult work as stated before but often they did the same jobs. Not all labor by women was traditionally women’s work, though men did not usually perform tasks traditionally done by women. Women worked in the fields alongside the men, but most of the hard labor was performed by the men or women past childbearing age. Pregnant women and nursing mothers were often given lighter work. Several positions were open to female slaves that were considered skill labor and so quite respected by the slave community. One of these was the cook, who prepared food for the master’s household and for the slaves themselves when they came back from the fields. The other one is sewing. Some women, who knew how, were responsible for sewing the clothes for the entire community and if they were quite excellent, for the master’s family, too. The skill of midwifery was strictly for female slaves, and like cooking and sewing was considered a highly skilled labor. Learned from the mother or another relative (aunt), a midwife catered to blacks and whites alike, and continues to be a prominent job among African American women. Many times, slave women were looked up to for leadership because of their occupation, their age, or their number of children, and the fact that the work done by the majority of the women was done in groups. The existence of skills was respected labor strictly for women, and the control of child and medical care by women points to the idea that black females were able to order their own community among women5. Female Slave and Ex-Slave Narratives There were quite a few female slave and ex-slave narratives written during the slave era. As historical documents, slave narratives chronicle the evolution of white supremacy in the South from eighteenth-century slavery through early twentieth-century segregation. Most of these autobiographies as narratives give voice to generations of black people who, despite written off by white southern literature, still found a way to donate a literary legacy of enormous collective significance to the South and the United States. The narratives portrays slavery as a condition of extreme physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual deprivation, a kind of hell on earth which precipitated the slave’s decision to escape is some sort of personal crisis, such as the sale of a loved one or a dark night of the soul in which hope contends with despair for the spirit of the slave. Impelled by faith in God and a commitment to liberty and human dignity comparable (the slave narratives often stresses) to that of America’s Founding Fathers, the slave undertakes a difficult quest for freedom that climaxes in his or her arrival in the North. The attainment of freedom is signaled not simply by reaching the Free states, but by renaming oneself and dedicating one’s future to antislavery activism6. Additionally, slave and ex-slave narratives stressed how African Americans survived slavery, making a way out of no way, often times resisting exploitation, occasionally fighting back and escaping in search of a better prospects elsewhere in the North. The most memorable of these narratives evoke the national myth of the American individual’s quest for freedom and for a society based on â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. † Slave and ex-slave narratives are important not only for what they tell us about African American history and literature, but also because they reveal the complexities of the dialogue between whites and blacks in America, particularly African Americans. Several women come to mind when slave and ex-slave narratives is talked about. The first being, Phyllis Wheatley, she became the first African-American woman author to publish a book of Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Another one being Lucy Terry, although her poems was not published until after her death, â€Å"Bar Fights† was the first poem composed by another African American woman. Her poems recalls the popular captivity narrative of the colonial period, in which she recounts her experience in captivity among the Indians, and establishes early on the central role of African American women in American literary history. Also, Harriet Jacobs cannot be forgotten. She published â€Å"Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, which is an account of her brutal life and thrilling escape. She describes spending seven years of her life hiding in a crawl space – nine feet long, seven feet wide, and three feet long in her narrative. Two of the most iconic women during the slavery period was Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Sojourner Truth is now like a nearly mythical figure who was a strong proponent of equal rights for both African Americans and women, never compromising her struggle for one to gain the other. She was the first to attend the First National Women’s Rights Convention in 1850, where she was the only black woman to be a speaker. Not only was Sojourner Truth a highly visible symbol of abolition on the speaking platform, so was Harriet Tubman. Harriet was a powerful underground force of liberation. She became the most active conductor on the Underground Railroad, returning 19 times and helping 300 slaves escape through the North to Canada7. There are so many more great women such as Frances Harper, Ida Wells-Barnett, Mary Church Terrell, and Anna Cooper that made significant contributions to African American women history. These women paved the way for other great women like Zora Hurston, Gwendolyn Brooks, Jo Ann Robinson, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison to make their mark in history. Significant Contributions Based on the research and reading, we can agree that women during the slave era made significant contributions that led to monumental changes in equal rights for women. Women have always played second behind the man which makes it hard to feel equal. Women slaves were the central nucleus that kept families together. The information presented shows that a lot of the families were solely raised by the woman. Black women learned to cope with the problems of raising children without men. Also, because of the experiences of women under slavery, they opened doors for women to have better pay, jobs, and the most important one, being able to vote. Women have made tremendous strides during the abolition era, the feminist era that reemerged in the sixties as a result of the male chauvinism within the Civil Rights, Black Power, and student movements that traces directly back to women under slavery. This courageous history should inspire every woman today, reflecting back on what our ancestors had to fight for, for us to enjoy the liberties we take for granted. In conclusion, this paper discussed the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives; also, this paper discussed the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. What must not be forgotten, is that African American women never stopped fighting against racial prejudices and sexual abuses. We will never know the exact number of slave women who were raped, but their testimonies make us think that almost all of them had been raped. Most importantly, the most efficient method women developed was to speak out about their experiences in order to make people discover this hidden part of American history, and they surely did.

Trade and Lending Act Violation Class Rescission Essay

Trade and Lending Act Violation Class Rescission - Essay Example The families now want to rescind their mortgages. The clinic has already sent a letter to LFB on behalf of all the families. The KF cannot afford individual lawyers and must sue as a class, requesting rescission of the mortgages. LFB has refused to rescind the mortgages, because the three day right of rescission period had passed. Probably. Class action rescissions under the TILA will likely be permissible because while the KF may not be successful in arguing that the plain language of the TILA included class rescissions, the KF will like prevail because of the Congressional intent in protecting consumers along with the KF seeking a judgment as a class in order to then individually seek rescission justify class rescissions under the TILA. The KF will also likely prevail because their particular situation can only be remedied by class rescissions. The TILA was enacted in 1968 to ensure that creditors provide a meaningful disclosure of credit terms giving the consumer the ability to easily compare the various credit terms available to them and avoid uniform uses of credit. Truth and Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1601 (1995). Creditors must clearly and conspicuously disclose certain key terms such as annual percentage rates, finance charges, and the total number of loan payments due before consummating a credit transaction. Elizabeth Renuart, Stop Predatory Lending 84 (National Consumer Law Center) (2002). The TILA allows the consumer a right to rescind a transaction for non-purchase money home-secured loans if a creditor fails to make specific disclosures for up to three years. Truth and Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1635(f) (1995). Rescission voids the security interest in the home and eliminates the obligation to pay interest or other finance charges or closing costs. Elizabeth Renuart, Stop Predatory Lending 99 (National Consumer Law Center) (2002). Courts have not accepted the TILA class actions lawsuits lightly. Williams v. Empire Funding Corp., 183 F.R.D. 428, 435 (1998). The TILA does create a right for debtors to rescind their contracts under 15 U.S.C.A. 1635, while the TILA addresses class action damages under 15 U.S.C.A. 1640, Truth and Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1635, 1640 (1995). It does not address class action suits for rescission explicitly. There is no controlling precedent on this issue; consequently, courts appear divided on this matter. Some courts say that class rescissions are inappropriate, while other courts have relied on carefully drafted complaints to assist in deciding on granting rescission. Elizabeth Renuart, Stop Predatory Lending 106 (National Consumer Law Center) (2002). The factors courts consider are considered in this memo: (1) the plain language of the