Americas Inhumanity essays

Americas Inhumanity essays Americas Inhumanity The greatest tragedy is war, but so long as there is mankind, there will be war. -Jomini The Art of War On March 16, 1968, Charlie Company of the Americal Division moved into the hamlet of My Lai and committed one of the most brutal atrocities in the Vietnam War and American history. However much their actions resulted from inherent stresses of the war, their brutal targeting of noncombatants was said to be an exceptional deviation from orders. Some 500 civilians were killed and it was not until a year later, with a letter from Ron Ridenhour, that the Criminal Investigation Division of the US Army checked the validity of the accusation. Then General Peers was asked to head a Commission to determine what happened and who was at fault. Since then, countless attempts have been made to explain how such an atrocity could have occurred. One of the strongest suggests that as an attempt to lift the demoralized spirit after the Tet offensive, the Charlie company platoon leader, Lt. Calley, led a mission to eliminate a Viet Cong stronghold in the vicinity of Son My village. This mi ssion succeeded only in the death of unarmed, innocent men, women, children and babies thus revealing the brutal nature of war. To understand why the My Lai incident happened, one must understand the events leading to it. In 1967 the North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (NLF) decided the time had come to launch an all out offensive aimed at the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and US forces. In December of 1967 the North Vietnamese attacked the US marine base at Khe Sanh. General Westmoreland, the commanding US military officer in Vietnam, wanted the outpost at Khe Sanh held at all costs. As a result, 50,000 troops were called to the area thus weakening positions further south. The main thrus...

What are the differences between the SAT and ACT

What are the differences between the SAT and ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you curious about what the differences between the SAT and ACT are? If you want a summary, click here to see quickly whether you would be better at the SAT or ACT. But if you want the nitty gritty details about the differences, read on below! 1. What are the content differences on the SAT vs ACT? Take a look at the content difference below. Are there any items that you love or hate? If so, then give the relevant test an extra point. Tally up the points at the end to see which is ahead: 1A. Math The SAT and ACT are very similar in terms of math, but the ACT has more and harder math. Both Tests Cover: Properties of Integers and Rational numbers Sequences Linear and Quadratic Equations: Word problems: Functions Basic Geometry, including Lines, Triangles, Polygons, Circles, 3-D and Coordinate geometry Data Interpretation, Statistics and Probability The ACT Also Covers: Matrices Complex numbers Trigonometry Logarithms Conic Sections 1B. Writing/English Like the Math section, both tests cover the topics below and the ACT also covers the topics listed at right. Both tests cover: Faulty ModifierParallel ConstructionSentence FragmentsPronounsVerb FormsConciseness and RedundanciesNumber AgreementIdiomsAdjective vs Adverb The ACT also covers: comparison/descriptionword choice (non-idiom)transitional logic: which words are best to move from one idea to anothermacro-logic: how to order sentences and paragraphsauthor’s formality and tone 1C. Reading The main difference between the SAT and ACT Reading sections is that the SAT includes fill-in-the-blank questions and the ACT’s Reading is only passages and questions about them. The SAT covers: Passages: main point, identifying details, inferring information, vocabulary in context, and the function of specific parts Sentence Completion: relationship between 2 words and vocabulary-based questions The ACT covers: Passages: main point, inferring information, vocabulary in context, and the function of specific parts Fact Finding: without line number references, find and explain a phrase or sentence Comparisons/Contrasts Cause-Effect Author Method 1D. Science The SAT does not have a Science section, so if you like science, the ACT has a huge advantage for you. Basic Science Knowledge (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) Data Representation: analysis, interpreting trends, and calculations based on data Research Summaries, including: Experimental design/Researcher intent Hypothetical Experimental changes Interpreting experiments Understanding of viewpoints Comparing viewpoints 2: What are the rule differences on the ACT vs SAT? Guessing: On the SAT, there is a  ¼ point penalty for each wrong answer (each correct answer is worth 1 full point). There is no penalty for omitting (just not answering) a question. On the ACT, there is no guessing penaltyguessing wrong and omitting are the same. Passages:While SAT passages do tend to follow the same basic patterns, they are not labeled by type or topic. The ACT, on the other hand, always labels its 4 passages (that are always in the following order): Literary Narrative, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science. Sections:The SAT doesn’t title its sectionsMath is obvious, but Reading and Writing have to be differentiated by question type. The ACT titles its sections in huge bold letters. Questions:The tests have very similar question styles in Math and Reading; the English questions in both tests involve students choosing how to replace underlined parts of sentences and paragraphs. However, they differ in how they apply this format. The easiest way to understand this is to compare the English section of the ACT to the Writing section of the SAT. You can download a PDF of each test here:SAT,ACT. Test Structure:The SAT alternates between Math, Reading and Writing sections, and until thechange in 2016, the essay is always the first section (in 2016 it will be the last section and optional.) There are always 10 SAT sections: 3 math, 2 writing, and 3 reading, and 1 experimental section that is not identified (it looks like all the other sections) or scored. They don’t go in any particular order, but you’ll never see 2 math sections back-to-back. A sample order of SAT sections might be: Essay Math Writing Reading Experimental Math Reading Math Reading Writing So, in the end, on the SAT, you’re scored on 8 sections and the essay. The organization of the ACT is much simpler: it has 4 sections that are always in the following order: English, Math, Reading and Science. Sometimes there is an experimental section, but it’s always Section 5, so you know which one it is. 3. How can I see these differences myself? Take a look at three real ACTs from the past, and three real SATs from the past. Examine the real tests themselves and see how they feel different! Also, check out our article on whether the ACT or SAT measures your IQ better. What's next:Are you better on the ACT or SAT? Use this one surefire method to find out. Read about whether you'll be better on the SAT or ACT.

Responce lettr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Responce lettr - Essay Example Therefore, the meaning family tends to be on an individual basis because each individual could be living in a unique household. The increase in divorce rates is relatively alarming and the changes in sexual preferences have influenced families to adopt different family structures across many of the civilized nations. The implication of this is that this concept is not a unique challenge because the occurrence of broken families applies in mostdeveloping and developed societies. However, parents have the responsibility of helping their children to understand that these challenges exist rather than leaving them to suffer because of the sour relationship that may exist between them and their estranged spouses. In this case, this response letter will seek to explain how best individuals can express themselves without harming the feelings of other family members using the Johari window of disclosure. Further, it will also focus on the ways of easing dialect tension that may exist between family members using the dialect tension theory and the possible ways of communicating with them in order to avoid such tensions in the future. 1. Self-disclosure As per this scenario, the advancements made in technology such as social media helped in establishing a relationship with a sibling from the father that abandoned his family years back.The challenge here is that how does one remain loyal to the family that provides them with shelter and the other necessities of life andalsoseek to establish a bond with siblings from the other parent without hurting their feelings. One feels as though they have the obligation to lay out the facts straight before both parties, but this has a high likelihood that one of the parties might be hurt in this process (Rotenberg, 2006). Essentially, this can be challenging to the self-disclosure aspect in which one feels that developing a relationship with a family that their parents do not approve of makes them disloyal and ungrateful. Self-disclos ure is the most advisable way of handling such a situation as compared to lying, secrecy, or making hints that may suggest disloyalty to family. However, no options for maintaining a healthy relationship between family members are without consequences, but the outcome has not been as severe in the event that one comes out clean about the situation. In this case, an individual seeks to know the other family members that they share a lineage with the mistakes committed in the past are hindering the prosperity of this newfound relationship. However, the secret conversations that began without intending any harm could have been the beginning of this stalemate, but this does not mean that anyone is to blame for this situation. In this case, the mother and the stepbrother appear to be of importance, but the question that begsis to what extent. There is also the opportunity to know the stepbrotherbetter and develop a lasting relationship or maintaining the good mother-child relationship th at has existed for a much longer time. In order to establish whether the self-disclosure process is worth the risk, it is pertinent to ascertain whether it is substantive to do so or whether it is worth the risk. On the contrary, the execution ofself-disclosure should be with caution especially on the sibling met via Facebook because their personality is still a mystery. The Johari Window model of self-disclosure 1. Open/ free

Research Process for the Rights of the Mentally Ill to Have Children Paper

Process for the Rights of the Mentally Ill to Have Children - Research Paper Example Literature Review Nicholson et al. (1993) conducted a study to find out whether the state departments of mental health of sixteen states are giving enough healthcare rights to mentally ill women who have preschool aged children. They found that not many states had satisfying policies to provide outpatient services to mentally ill women, and there were no policies regarding the visitation of their children to them when they were hospitalized. This study shows that much improvement is needed in this area and insufficient healthcare is restricting the rights of the mentally ill to look after their children properly. Jacobsen and Miller (1998) conducted their research on mentally ill mothers to find out if they are capable of looking after their children properly. They found that many mentally ill parents are deprived the right of their children’s custody â€Å"due to child abuse or neglect†, due to which the children have to live in foster care. The researchers claim that since parents with long chronic mental illnesses cannot ensure safe parenting, hence they should be denied their parental rights. Feldman, Stiffman and Jung state in their study that children of mentally ill parents are likely to suffer from many behavioral disorders (1987). The researchers studied 306 children of ages between six and sixteen. They found that the children had disturbed relationships with their mentally ill parents because the parents could not provide them with secure family environment. This study supports the fact that mentally ill parents are not able to care for their children properly. Cohler et al. (1980) compared the two groups of participants, one of which consisted of mothers who were discharged from psychiatric hospitals and the other one consisted of normal mothers to find out â€Å"child rearing attitudes and adaptation to adult social roles†. They found that mentally ill mothers were unable to foster healthy relationships with their children and could not differentiate between their own and children’s needs. This hindered with the children’s abilities to adapt adult roles later in life. Gamer et al. (1977) had also reached the same conclusion earlier in 1977 when they conducted their research on three year old children performing an interaction task with their well and mentally ill mothers suffering from psychosis. They found that there were â€Å"differences in the pattern of intercorrelations among these interaction variables between the two groups† (Gamer et al., 1977). Bagedahl-Strindlund (1986) found that acute mental illness was positively related to pregnancy complications. They studied pregnant mothers admitted in psychiatric hospitals and found that delivery complications were also there in those patients who showed prepartum onset of mental illness. Mentally ill mothers also had a history of more abortions than well women. Mohit (1996) supported this research by finding in their research that seriously mentally ill mothers underwent frequent psychiatric hospitalization due to motherhood strain. This study helps prove that mentally ill mothers are not able to cope with motherhood roles efficiently. Stanton, Simpson and Wouldes (1999) found that mentally ill mothers are also involved in filicide. They interviewed mentally ill women who pretended to be very caring toward their children but at the same time regretted the killing of their children under unexplainable intentions. Research Question The research question formulated is that: Are the mentally ill able to bear and

Describe how water quality is determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Describe how water quality is determined - Essay Example Keywords: Water quality, guidelines, standards, contamination, pollutants, permissible limits, microbiological. Water Quality Standards Water is essential to life on this planet and its quality impacts both human beings and aquatic marine life (Anon., edugreen, n.d.). Pure water, fit for human consumption and other applications, is odorless, colorless and tasteless but these qualities are lost when contamination takes place. World Health Organization (WHO) has been the nodal agency for developing water quality parameters and recommending them for adoption by the different nations with appropriate modifications, through respective national agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US. WHO guidelines are only recommendatory in nature, and factors like socio-economic conditions, traditional usage practices, need to conserve water as a resource etc. play important role in the quality standards of water in each country ((Fewtrell and Bartram, 2001). To study the quali ty and lay down relevant parameters, water is broadly divided under three different usages for developing standards for each category - drinking water, wastewater for reuse and recreational water (Fewtrell and Bartram, 2001. pp.17-20). Contamination itself is caused by chemical, physical and microbiological factors. Hence quality standards are based on the matrix of water usage and the relevant contaminants. For example, permissible contamination in agricultural or recreational use water is significantly higher/different than that for human consumption. Thus, the pollutants and permissible limits for different water usages have been developed. Chemical contaminants are very many and include chlorine (as disinfectant), pesticides/herbicides (used in agriculture), toxic organic/inorganic chemicals from industry, soaps and other cleaning agents in domestic wastewater running into sewers, canals and river streams etc. (Excel, n.d.). WHO guidelines indicate the tolerable daily intake (TD I) limits for presence of different chemicals in water, beyond which it is considered unfit for consumption. In respect of genotoxic carcinogens, TDI is nil. For other chemicals, standards of maximum permissible concentration levels are developed for each end-product. While developing the guidelines and standards, verification by relatively easy chemical analysis methods either on spot or in laboratories was kept in mind for practical reasons. Physical contamination consists of suspended particles like sand, soil, clay, decaying vegetative matter, precipitated salts etc. apart from metals, dissolved salts and minerals. These contaminants give color, taste and odor to water, impacting quality of the end-products. Dissolved salts and minerals also discolor clothes when such water is used for washing. Multilayer filtration, water softening and demineralization processes help to reduce physical contamination of water. US-EPA recommends a limit of 500mg per liter or 500ppm for total diss olved salts (TDS) (Excel, n.d.). Individual permissible limits have also been laid down by EPA for heavy metals (toxic) like arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and silver. Microbiological contamination is the presence of pathogenic microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminthes, and is usually caused by fecal matter ingress. WHO guidelines identified Escherichia coli (E.coli) for sampling and recommend a zero presence in a 100 ml sample and a presence in

Major Forces of Globalization

Major Forces of Globalization Globalization is a phenomena which influences everyday life as much as it does events happening on a world scale. Such a broad phenomena, which invests in every expect and spectrum of life, has more then one driving force, which all together create this global village, which has no precedent in any epoch of human history. Globalization is political, technological and cultural as well as economical. Science and technology have been a major driving force behind Globalization. Our epoch developed under the impact of science, technology and rational thought, where religion and dogma where replaced with a more reasonable approach to practical life. Science and technological inventions changed the world and the way we perceive life. Globalization has been influenced above all by developments in systems of communication dating back only to the late 1960s. The connection between different states around the world have accelerated in the past fifty years due to dramatic advances in communication and information technology. The velocity by which new inventions such as computers and internet became popular in few years all over the world shows the importance of these inventions and their contribution to this phenomena of globalization. Development in information and communication technologies have intensified the speed and scope of interaction between people all over the world. Satellite Communication, Telephones, mobiles, fax machine, digital and cable televisions, electronic mail and internet have all helped to create this notion of globalization.  [1]  The internet is the faster communication tool ever developed. Widespread use of the internet and mobile phones is deepening and accelerating the process of globalization. More and more people are becoming interconnected. Nowadays with the information and images transmitted across the globe, we are regularly in contact with others who think differently and live differently from ourselves. This has brought a broader awareness of other cultures and also brought in influences from the outside world. This is seen by some as positive therefore they try to enhance such a development and as negative by others who try in every way to hinder and stop this phenomena. It all depends on ones perspective. Countries around the world have to come to terms with the fact that what happens in one country affects all the others. Another impact of Science and technology is that of improving our quality of life making our homes and the world around us more comfortable but these achievements came at a cost. Things which improved our life have had also an negative effect. Global climate change and other hazards to the environment are a result of intervention on the environment brought about by development through Science and technology. According to Anthony Giddens in his book Runaway World, the notion that with further development of science and technology, the world should became more stable and ordered does not reflect reality. Instead he states that the world Rather than being more and more under our control, it seems out of our control  [2]  . Trade and comers Trade and comers are surely a driving forces behind Globalization. All countries with the exception of North Korea, trade significant proportions of their national income. A large percentage of world output is traded. Trade is a key mechanism for increase goods, moving goods, and increasingly services around the globe, and it is also central to technology transfer. It has connected domestic markets to international markets transforming domestic economies  [3]  . Trade involves more than simply the exchange of goods and services between separate economies since it suggests the emergence of worldwide markets for trade goods and services. This does not mean that all countries trade between them. Instead it assumes the existence of a trading system in which trade activity between any two countries may affect trade relations between the rest.  [4]  Trade covers the whole globe, where International trade barriers have fallen steadily, opening markets up to boarder range of products The intensity that trade and comers has had on globalization is reflected in the creation of regularized exchange of goods at the interregional level. Trade has removed barriers to transport, costs or protection. Foreign products from one region may compete with domestic products from another region. Firms supply goods across the world and have to respond to competition from foreign firms.  [5]  Thus many national and local firms respond to world wide demand and face competition from firms based in other countries and regions. The geo-political coverage of trade and comers on globalized level is debatable. Sceptics argue that countries gain only a small amount of their income from external trade. They also argue that a good deal of economic exchange is between regions rather then being truly world wide. The countries of the European Union for example mostly trade among themselves. The same is true of the other main trading blocks.  [6]  While those in favour of globalisation argue that the effects of trade and comers can be felt everywhere and that global markets are indifferent to national boarders. The impact that trade and commerce has on the life of many people is reflected through the enormous diversity of products we have became accustomed to seeing in super markets. When you go to a supermarket you can find food from all over the world. This reflects the complex economic and social ties which link people and countries around the world. Trade has helped to generate connections which link people from different societies. One must also take into consideration that trade and comers do not have the same effects on the whole globe. The impact that trade and comers has on ones life depends also from which part of the globe one comes. Free trade for example does not have the same benefits for all countries. Less developed countries are dependent upon a few products sold on world markets. This means that they are very vulnerable to shifts in prices as well as to technological change. Most of the giant multinational companies are based in the US or come from the rich countries. In many lower developed countries, safety and environmental regulations are low or non existent. Some transnational companies sell goods in third world countries that are controlled or banned in the industrial countries for eg. poor quality medical drugs, destructive pesticide or high tar and nicotine content cigarettes. As Giddens said Rather then global village, one might say this is more global pillage  [7]  . Political changes Political changes occurring in the modern era have helped to shape this global village. After the second world war the western powers decided to create organizations which had to help them shape the post war period. This brought a rapid growth of international organizations, such as the League of Nation and its successor United Nations which were concerned primarily with the maintenance of international order, which helped the flourishing of comers and trade and technological innovation on a global sphere creating the necessary on which these could flourish. Institutions such as international monetary funds and the world bank also helped to maintain international economic order and promote economic development. The Intensity which political changes have on Globalisation is reflected in the growth of international and regional mechanisms of government. The United Nations and European Union are two good examples of this phenomena. Both the EU and UN are two international organizations that bring together nation states into a common political forum. While the UN does this as an association of independent sates, the EU is more a transnational governance in which a certain degree of national sovereignty is shared by its member states, in order to reap the benefits of political and economic union at a regional level. The EU states are bound by directives, regulations and court judgements from common EU bodies  [8]   Globalization is also being driven by intergovernmental organizations and international non governmental organizations, NGOs. The IGOs regulate issues ranging from civil service aviation to broadcasting to the disposal of hazard waste  [9]  . While NGOs with their independent work alongside governmental bodies make policies, addressing international issues. Globalization, westernization or Americanization?. Some argue that globalisation in reality is Americanisation. America is the sole superpower, which dominates economic, cultural and military position in the global order. Infact most visible cultural expressions of globalization are American such as McDonalds, CNN, Coca-Cola. No one can doubt that Globalization is led by the west, imprint of American political and economic power and that it is highly uneven in its consequences. But Globalization is not just the dominance of the west over the rest. Globalisation affects the US as it does the rest of the world. Democracy in itself in a way is a driving force behind globalization, but at the same time Globalisation lies behind the expansion of democracy. Infact Democracy is currently spreading world wide. The collapse of communist Russia made possible that former soviet bloc and its satellite states started moving towards western style political and economic system. They are not isolated from global community but are becoming integrated within it. The collapse of communism has hastened the process of globalization, but should also be seen as a result of globalization itself. Soviet Communism with its state run enterprise and heavy industry could not compete in the global electronic economy. The communism ideology and control upon which communist political authority was based similarly could not survive in an era of global media. The soviet and the East European regimes were unable to prevent change. The intensity that politics has had on this phenomena of globalization is reflected trough the creation of transnational organizations and also from the transnational movement of money, where TNCs shift their investments from one country to another often in search of lower labour costs. Transnational movement of money can go rapidly elsewhere if governments pursue policies seen as threatening profits or weaken profits or weaken currency . This threatens government policies.  [10]   The impact of politics on Globalization is also reflected in the creation of the phenomena of migration of labour. The widening gap between rich and poor countries accelerated the migration of people from poor countries to seek jobs and welfare in rich ones. This has created a greater ethnic cultural and religious diversity within nation states. This could threaten national identity and create conflict. Conclusion The driving forces underlying globalization are various and all intertwined between them. They help us understand better the concept of globalisation and the effects these have on our lives, where globalisation is changing the way the world looks, and the way we look at the world. This can help us become more conscious of the problems the world is facing and help us understand that our actions have consequences for others and that the world problems effect us as well.

Flannery O’Connor Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Flannery O’Connor Mary Flannery O’Connor was born in 1925 in Savannah, Georgia. She was an only child, and her parents were deeply religious Roman Catholics. She was educated at the Women’s College of Georgia and the State University of Iowa. While she was at college, she wrote short stories which were published. During this time her father died of lupus, a blood disease that would eventually claim her life as well. After she was diagnosed, she moved to Milledgville, Georgia, for treatment of the disease. She continued writing and published two novels, Wise Blood and The Violent Bear it Away, as well as two collections of short stories, A Good Man is Hard to Find and Everything That Rises Must Converge. She died from Lupus in 1964 (Charters, 1079). The short story "Everything That Rises Must Converge" centers on the relationship between Julian, a young man who has recently graduated from college, and his mother. It takes place in a city in the South soon after integration. Much like Emily Grierson in William Faulkner’s "A Rose for Emily," Julian’s mother is a product of the "Old South." She takes tremendous pride in her heritage due to the fact that her ancestors were people who were once very highly respected. Her grandfather was a former state governor as well as a plantation and slave owner. Julian sees his mother as a dinosaur who is a product of the past and cannot see and accept the realities of the present. The fact that she clings to her old values embarrasses him, and he sees her more as a child who does not know any better. The plot of the story revolves around a bus trip that Julian and his mother take. Once a week, Julian’s mother goes to the local Y for her "reducing" class. Julian accompanies her on the bu... ...involving the confrontation between the mother and her son, Julian seizes the opportunity to berate his mother so she can see how ignorant she is and how he has elevated himself to a status higher than hers. Tragically, this incident leads to his mother’s stroke. It is only at this moment of his mother’s helplessness that all three worlds collide together. Julian’s world of self-righteousness and his mother’s world of self-importance are shattered by the world of reality. Only then is truth apparent to all of the characters in the story. Works Cited Charters, Ann. The Story and Its Writer An Introduction to Short Fiction. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 1999. O'Connor, Flannery. "Everything That Rises Must Converge." The Story and Its Writer An Introduction to Short Fiction. Ed. Ann Charters. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 1999. 1080-1091.