The Code Of Ethics Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde By Robert...

As future nurses we are taught the principle of ethics; which focus on providing our patients with respect, and protecting their right to make their own decisions. The practice of nursing is governed by the American Nurses Association, which the cornerstone of the association is the code of ethics. Nonmaleficence, beneficence, fidelity, autonomy, justice are just a few of the ethics that nursing focuses on to provide adequate patient care. Autonomy means to respect the patient’s right to make their own decisions. Returning to a patient when when a nurse says they will return is a nurse maintain fidelity, and keeping their word. Starting CPR on a patient that has no pulse is an example of beneficence meaning to do what is best for the†¦show more content†¦However, some readers may feel empathy for Frankenstein, we will later discuss what he did was unethical. Memoranda During the War by Walt Whitman is an account of his time as a journalist during the civil war along w ith ways that he comforted some of the soldiers. Although these are substantial pieces of literary work, there are several ethical inaccuracies that would result in healthcare workers losing their jobs and mental damage caused to patients. Through out this paper I will discuss ethical dilemmas posed by the novels that I have read this semester, in relationship to the code of ethics for nursing; such as nonmaleficence, fidelity, autonomy and justice. As stated earlier, nonmaleficence means to do no harm to a patient, in the nursing practice this means not performing procedures on patients that will cause more harm than good. Also, nurses should not perform procedures that they have not be taught, because of the risk to the patient. Healthcare workers have a responsibility to their patient to ensure their safety and this is done by preventing mental or physical damage to the patients. A few of the required reading over the semester dealt with this ethical dilemma directly; such as Fra nkenstein, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Although the patients from the novel are inpatient psychiatric patientsShow MoreRelatedSociety Pressure in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay2012 Words   |  9 PagesSociety is a community of people who share the same government, religion, environment, or culture. Society creates a set of unspoken rules that the community blindly follows. Without society, there would be no morality codes to live by, no standards that people should live to. These â€Å"unspoken† rules are altered when going to different societies. One of the most popular societies is the Victorian society which is known for its rapid development in science and also its oppressive restrictions. There

The Rape Kits Should Not Be Tested - 1164 Words

Why Backlogged Rape Kits Should Not Be Tested Imagine being an overworked investigator. More and more cases flood the desks of everyone, even though they are already pushed to their breaking point. Each person tries to handle each case that comes in, but some of these cases have no hope of ever becoming trials. Should not those cases be dropped, so investigators can focus on current cases that need immediate attention? This scenario ensues everyday in not only the offices of police and investigators, but also forensic laboratories. Even though this situation happens presently, it does not have to continue in severity, and not testing backlogged rape kits will halt this scenario from becoming worse. Backlogged rape kits should not be tested due to the massive amount of burdens and the insignificant amount of benefits that would arise as a result of having all backlogged rape kits tested. Testing all backlogged rape kits (also known as sexual assault kits) places colossal burden on government employees. Analyzing all untested rape kits stresses forensic laboratories. Ritter states that, â€Å"the demand for DNA testing continues to outstrip the capacity† (40). This information portrays that forensic laboratories that test DNA found in rape kits cannot handle any more kits, since the laboratories already have too much genetic information to test. Because the labs already have a tremendous amount of DNA to test, adding to that amount will only stress workers. Since theShow MoreRelatedIs Rape Serious? : Rape1453 Words   |  6 PagesBrettin Linder Miss Windish English II 2 October 2017 Is Rape Serious? Imagine a young women going to a party and having a good time; yes, she may be drinking a little too much, but she’s just trying to have fun. She sees one of her classmates, a boy who’s in a couple of her classes, and he makes his way over to her. They start to dance and have fun, when all of a sudden he pulls her into one of the bathrooms in the house. She keeps telling him no, that she doesn’t want to do this, but he’s notRead MoreLack Of Rape Kits On College Campuses Essay1598 Words   |  7 Pages Lack of Rape Kits on College Campuses A Senior Project Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of Waiakea High School In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Senior Project Shania M. Rapoza Public Services Academy Capstone Mr. Joel Wagner-Wright August 23, 2016 Shania Rapoza Joel Wagner-Wright PSA Capstone 23 August 2016 Words: 1273 Lack of Rape Kits on College Campuses â€Å"What is the point of having a national DNA database, if the rapist s DNA is never entered into it?† (â€Å"PatternRead MoreCongratulations You Have Been Accepted To College. These1353 Words   |  6 Pages205 reported and 0 expulsions. If a student is to cheat or plagiarize the days for expulsion would be increasingly larger than those of rape. Perpetrators are raping fellow students and getting a slap on the wrist or even worse an â€Å"ada boy† and nothing is getting done. Until students from University of Carolina began doing research after becoming victims of rape it was common for the female to get blamed for the occurrence. In the horrific aftermath of their assaults, the victims described symptomsRead MoreAn Epidemic Of Sexual Assaults Across The Nation1492 Words   |  6 PagesIn most recent years there has been an epidemic of sexual assaults across the nation. In the United States alone, a rape occurs every 6.2 minutes resulting in 1 out of every 5 women as well as 1 out of every 71 men being sexually assaulted or raped in their lifetime. This problem has been something that has been hushed for many years affecting the lives of the victims for a lifetime. We the nation need to take a stand to teach our young men and women that it is inappropriate to violate a person’sRead MoreSolving Cases with Forensic DNA Analysis975 Words   |  4 Pagesbeing analyzed, scientists focus on the remaining 0.1% of DNA that differentiates one person from another (The FBI DNA Laboratory). History of Forensic DNA Analysis: DNA fingerprinting was introduced around 1986 to identify an alleged suspect in a rape-murder case (Panneerchelvam and Norazmi 22). Since then, using forensic DNA analysis has become more prevalent and has helped to exonerate many innocent suspects involved in such cases. Despite being used in only one percent of criminal cases, DNARead MorePsychological Motive For Committing Stranger Rape Essay1669 Words   |  7 PagesThe four different categories included rape, concerning the sexual assault and trauma, predator, the weapons and restraint used, fury, or trauma to the victim, and perversion, specifically how the victim’s body was disposed of and found (Kocsis, Cooksey, Irwin, 2002). Kocsis, Cooksey, and Irwin (2002) were able to categorized 85 sexual murder offenders. This model can be used to later create criminal profiles depending on the behaviors exhibited at the crime scene. Behaviors, such as control behaviorsRead MoreForensic Misconduct1639 Words   |  7 PagesFish testified for the prosecution. It wasn’t until after the state settled the Willis case that they refused to renew Fish’s contract for employment (Fisher, 2014). John Willis was accused and later convicted of five armed robberies and two rapes; which occurred inside of the beauty salons on the Southside of Chicago between 1989 and 1990. Although he was in jail, five more crimes with the same distinctive patterns occurred. Though another man name Dennis McGruder had been arrested and chargedRead MoreEvidence Collection in Sex Related Crimes Essay2612 Words   |  11 Pagesgoal for every crime is to apprehend and prevent future crimes. The same can be said of sex crimes. Sex crimes include more than just rape. While investigating sexual assault crimes involve the careful approach of the first responder, other parties involved with the investigation of a sex crime, must have specialized training to handle crimes of this nature. 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These tests revealed the presence of sperm, but failed to provide a conclusive DNA profile. The victim’s sheets and pillowcases were also sent to the lab, however, they were never tested. Following his conviction, Button appealed based on the absence of scientific evidence. Following his appeal, DNA testing

Kartinyeri V Commonwealth-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignment

Questions: 1.Explain the interpretive question concerning the application of section 51(xxvi) to Indigenous people that the High Court had to resolve in Kartinyeri. 2.Suppose that a successful referendum resulted in a change to the Constitution and the establishment of a First Nations Voice to advise Parliament on law-making with respect to Indigenous affairs, as called for in the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Final Report of the Referendum Council. Would, or should, this make any difference to the interpretation of laws enacted under section51(xxvi) that apply to Indigenous people? Answers: 1.Kartinyeri v Commonwealth[1] is amongst the leading cases of the High Court in the matter of interpretation of Constitutions section 51 (xxvi) and this matter was related to the application of this section to the Australian Indigenous people. This section provides that the Australian Parliament could legislate in the matter related to people of any race, save for the aboriginal race in any of the States, and for them, it was obligatory to create special laws. This section had been deliberately included in the nations constitution so that the commonwealth could be allowed to discriminate against a particular section in the community owing to their race[2]. Kartinyeri was a case where the minister had the declaration making power for safeguarding the Aboriginal areas. A group of women made a claim that the island was being used for the secret business of women and the same could not be disclosed to the men. After a woman being appointed for carrying an enquiry, the minister was allowed to make recommendations. There were problems in this enquiry and this led to the government passing an act in order to go ahead with the bridge and for going ahead even with the objections of Aboriginals. The key issue in this case was whether or not the commonwealth could pass legislation under the race power which was actually disadvantageous for the racial group[3]. This decision remained undecided as the court was split in their decision. Two judges, Hayne and Gummow, believed that this could be done. This was because the power could be used for both the detriment and the benefit. The reason for this decision was given as the requirement for this power to be enacted in a valid manner only when the same was done for the benefit of the Aboriginal people; hence this was rejected. As per these two judges, there were no constitution requirements that the law of the commonwealth could not distinguish between the responsibilities and needs of the different localities or people. Section 51 (xxvi), in these judges view, did not limit the legislation to laws, which is applicable to the people of any race[4]. They also suggested the limit under this section based on the phrase of deemed necessary[5]. Though, the argument regarding the related limitations to be drawn from the 1967 referendum circumstances was rejected. Another argument which was rejected w as regarding the interpretation of 1997 act in order for it to be consistent with the human rights standards applicable under the international laws[6]. However, there were two other judges, Kirby JJ and Gaudron, who believed that this power was not to be used for a purpose which was disadvantage for the racial minority; and so, this law would be invalid. So, these two judges did suggest the limitations based on section 51 (xxvi)[7]. Kirby believed that the law did not require the members of the race to be directed; though, they may be needed to validly deal with the subgroup. The last two judges, McHugh and Brennan did not consider this powers scope. They did not make any decision on section 51 (xxvi) to be subjected to such limitations. The conclusion given by the court reaffirmed the interpretative principle which was highlighted earlier. And as per this, in cases of ambiguity in the constitution, the universal fundamental rights had to be conformed with[8]. 2.In case of a successful referendum being passed, for making changes to the Constitution of the nation, whereby a Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First nations Voice (Voice) would be established, which would be responsible for advising the Parliament on the issues of law making, which relate to the Indigenous affairs, as set out in the Final Report of the Referendum Council and the Uluru Statement from the Heart, would definitely make a difference in the manner of law interpretation of section (xxvi) which is applicable to the Indigenous people of the nation. The first and foremost difference which this would bring is a decision being given in the cases like Kartinyeri, which otherwise resulted in an indecisive situation. If Voice would be established, it could certainly make it clear before the High Court that the power granted under section 51(xxvi) could not be used for the detriment of the Indigenous people. This would be due to the backing which could be highlighted by the Voice regarding the need for upholding the international human rights, aligned with the rights of the Indigenous people. Hence, in situations like Kartinyeri, the Voice could present the weighatge to the views of Kirby JJ and Gaudron, who also believed that this power could not be used for the detriment of the Indigenous people. Hence, section 51(xxvi), as interpreted by Hayne and Gummow could no longer be done. So, this section could no longer be used for the detriment of the Indigenous people. Further, this would bring clarity to the issue which they raised regarding this benefit to be only given to the Indigenous people. With the new reforms, this power could, to increase its scope, protect the other races too. So, this safeguard could be for any race. Though, for this to happen, the reforms would have to specifically provide this provision Bibliography Articles/ Books/ Reports Williams G, Brennan S, and Lynch A, Blackshield and Williams Australian Constitutional Law and Theory (Federation Press, 6th ed, 2014 Kartinyeri v Commonwealth (1998) 195 CLR 337 Australasian Legal Information Institute, Kartinyeri v Commonwealth [1998] HCA 22; 195 CLR 337; 152 ALR 540; 72 ALJR 722 (1 April 1998) (2017) https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/HCA/1998/22.html Fox B, Essay (2012) https://www.cefa.org.au/bowen-fox Jade, Kartinyeri v The Commonwealth (A29/1997) [1998] HCA 22 (2017) https://jade.io/article/68043 Nettheim G, The Hindmarsh Bridge Act Case: Kartinyeri v Commonwealth (2017) https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/IndigLawB/1998/48.html Williams G, Inquiry into issues affecting Indigenous economic development in Queensland (9 November 2010) https://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/documents/2011/Feb/Indigenous%20Economic%20Development%20and%20Review%20of%20Wild%20Rivers%20Bill/Attachments/wild-rivers-qg-sub%5B1%5D.pdf Williams G, The Races Power And The 1967 Referendum (2007) https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUIndigLawRw/2007/95.pdf (1998) 195 CLR 337 George Williams, The Races Power And The 1967 Referendum (2007) https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUIndigLawRw/2007/95.pdf Jade, Kartinyeri v The Commonwealth (A29/1997) [1998] HCA 22 (2017) https://jade.io/article/68043 Bowen Fox, Essay (2012) https://www.cefa.org.au/bowen-fox George Williams, Inquiry into issues affecting Indigenous economic development in Queensland (9 November 2010) https://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/documents/2011/Feb/Indigenous%20Economic%20Development%20and%20Review%20of%20Wild%20Rivers%20Bill/Attachments/wild-rivers-qg-sub%5B1%5D.pdf Garth Nettheim, The Hindmarsh Bridge Act Case: Kartinyeri v Commonwealth (2017) https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/IndigLawB/1998/48.html George Williams, Sean Brennan and Andrew Lynch, Blackshield and Williams Australian Constitutional Law and Theory (Federation Press, 6th ed, 2014) Australasian Legal Information Institute, Kartinyeri v Commonwealth [1998] HCA 22; 195 CLR 337; 152 ALR 540; 72 ALJR 722 (1 April 1998) (2017) https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/HCA/1998/22.html

Write a critical appreciation of pages 214-16 of The Kite Runner Essay Example

Write a critical appreciation of pages 214-16 of The Kite Runner Essay In The Kite Runner, the author Khaled Hosseini tells a narrative spanning the lives of characters amid political upheavals and war. Therefore, the themes he presents to the reader are highly prevalent to their understanding of the war throughout the novel, and this scene reflects these themes well. The sheer destruction war causes is a rather established theme throughout the novel and is an important theme in the scene where the protagonist, Amir, returns to Kabul after living in America. It is between pages 214 to 217, that this scene presents how the brutality and violence of war has detrimentally affected both Afghan society and the physical surroundings itself and reinforces the themes presented throughout the novel. The social and historical context surrounding the novel is significantly important in considering the portrayal of Afghanistan, particularly Amirs return to Kabul. Afghanistans history during the latter decades of the 20th century directly influenced the lives if the characters and provides a basis for the readers own understanding of the war. From 1973, when a coup dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tat ended the monarchy, Afghanistan has been fighting against both foreign invaders and itself. In 1992, Afghanistan was converted into an Islamic state and in 1996, a group of Pashtun supremacists, the Taliban, took control of the country. They massacred Shiites and Hazaras in addition to enacting fundamentalist laws. The strife of war continued and undoubtedly is presented in this scene and throughout the novel as a whole. We will write a custom essay sample on Write a critical appreciation of pages 214-16 of The Kite Runner specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Write a critical appreciation of pages 214-16 of The Kite Runner specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Write a critical appreciation of pages 214-16 of The Kite Runner specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The placement of this scene within the novel, concerning the plot and movements of the characters, is also highly important in consideration of the war. Historically, Amirs return is during the Talibans control of Afghanistan, after many years of fighting. His memories of Afghanistan and Kabul are from his childhood during peacetime and as a result, his return after many years of war presents a detailed illustration of how Kabul now is. His use of the past continuous tense such as: There used to be shops here and hotels draws references to his experiences from when he was young serving as a reminder that for a long period of time prior to the war, Kabul had many amenities that have now been destroyed. This reinforces the fact it was war that destroyed these amenities and so war that has dealt a serious blow to society, plummeting it into what one would expect from a fledgling third world nation rather than a country rich in culture and tradition. The atmosphere that Hosseini creates is incredibly significant in his portrayal of the key themes of violence and brutality of war. His use of diction, imagery and syntax creates a unique yet alluring style of writing which allows the reader to delve deeply into the atrocities of a war-torn Kabul. Significantly, the opening sentence of the final paragraph on page 214 sets the tone for the remainder of his description of the city. Hosseini deals with the harrowing social problems caused by fighting for he simply states: Rubble and Beggars. This automatically sets the precedent one might expect for a city ravished by war. What is quite intriguing about this statement is its blunt approach to the issue. Rather than skirting around the subject, Hosseini instantly illustrates a city ravaged by fighting. He demonstrates the poor conditions Afghans are living in simply by stating: beggars which suggests an enormity of poverty-stricken people living on the streets (of which have turned to rubble) and shortly after by saying: they squatted at every street corner. This reinforces the idea that there were large amounts of people displaced by the war and the term squatted suggests that these people are close to the earth and so seen as dirt by the Taliban. These are the victims of the wars much as the Hazaras were victims of the Taliban. This is an excellent use of empathy to convey Hosseinis outlook on war and helps to contribute to the readers understanding of it. It allows the reader to experience from the victims point of view of war how it was indiscriminate, that it was not only the racial targets of the Taliban that suffered but also society overall. It shows that the war indiscriminate and so reflects one of the novels chief concerns: the idea of brutality of and its destruction li ves. Hosseini makes it clearly apparent that the victims of the war were the innocent, evidently remarking upon how the war was indiscriminate. The war did not care who it hurt, for it ruined the lives of children who were left without fathers for: fathers had become a rare commodity in Afghanistan. The use of the word commodity suggests an item of value to be bought or sold and in this sense is a metaphor for the value of a father. It suggests that fathers are very important and valuable to a child, as stereotypically (yet especially real in Afghan society) men are the breadwinners and provide for their children. The men have fought in the wars leaving their children without fathers, without a means of support and subsequently must rely on supporting themselves. This idea relates to the novel as a whole for Amir returns to Kabul in search of Sohrab, Hassans son, who has been orphaned by the war. In a sense Amir is this rare commodity, somebody looking to help and provide for a child whos e life has been destroyed by the war. It is quite ironic that this person should be Amir, the one who witnessed yet did nothing to stop the rape of Sohrabs father by Assef, who has subsequently sexually abused Sohrab. This shows how the war has hampered Afghanistans future, for the new generation must not only be burdened in the future with looking after the old, but will have had the burden of looking after them up until that point. It contributes to my understanding of the war; that the war has not only destroyed the current society of Afghanistan but its legacy will continue to destroy future generations as well. The war severely affected Afghanistans culture, traditions and society through physically destroying many of the amenities and through impoverishing much of the population. Hosseinis powerful descriptions and literary techniques allow the reader clearly to empathise with both the characters but more importantly with the victims of war. He allows me to understand that the war was indiscriminate, many of the victims being children. This means that the war has severely hampered Afghanistans survival in future years because of the enormous strife the younger generations have been through caused by the war.

Looks Can Be Deceiving Essays - Logic, Philosophy, Abstraction

Looks Can Be Deceiving Essays - Logic, Philosophy, Abstraction Looks Can Be Deceiving Looks Can Be Deceiving Paradoxes are sometimes composed of contradictory ideas presented together, ultimately leading to an unworkable situation. Paradoxes, however, are not simply ambiguous questions. Paradoxes are the essence of the inherent complexity of systems (Internet 1). Each paradox must be analyzed and clearly understood before it can be explained. Since mathematics is, in a sense, a universal language, certain paradoxes and contradictions have arisen that have troubled mathematicians, dating from ancient times to the present. Some are false paradoxes; that is, they do not present actual contradictions, and are merely slick logic tricks. Others have shaken the very foundations of mathematics requiring brilliant, creative mathematical thinking to resolve. Others remain unresolved to this day, but are assumed to be solvable. One recurring theme concerning paradoxes is that each of them can be solved to some degree of satisfaction, but are never completely conclusive. In other words, new answers wil l likely replace older ones, in an attempt to solidify the answer and clarify the problem. A paradox can be defined as an unacceptable conclusion derived by apparently acceptable reasoning from apparently acceptable premises. This essay provides an introduction to a range of paradoxes and their possible solutions. In addition, a questionnaire was composed in order to demonstrate the extent of knowledge that the general population has pertaining to paradoxes. Paradoxes are useful things, despite their mind-boggling appearance. Generally, however, most paradoxes can be solved by searching for specific properties that they may contain. Therefore, if you try to describe a situation and you end up with a paradox (contradictory outcome), it usually means that the theory is wrong, or the theory or the definitions break down along the way. Also, it is possible that the situation cannot possibly occur, or the question may simply be meaningless for some other reason. Any of these possibilities are relevant, and if you exhaust all the possible interpretations, one of them should prove to be incorrect (Internet 1). The following type of paradox is called Simpsons Paradox. This paradox involves an apparent contradiction, because when the data are presented one way, one particular conclusion is inferred. However, when the same data are presented in another form, the opposite conclusion results. Paradox 1: Acceptance Percentages for College A and College Chart 1 Section A Section B Accepted Rejected Total Percent Accepted Accepted Rejected Total Percent Passing Women 400 250 650 61% 50 300 350 14% Men 50 25 75 67% 125 300 425 29% Total 450 275 725 175 600 775 As is evident in Chart 1, when the data are presented in two separate tables, it looks as if men are accepted more often than women, because in each case (College A and College B), men are accepted at a higher ratio than women. However, when the same data are combined into one table (Chart 2), a contradicting result is implied. Acceptance Percentage Totals for the University Chart 2 Accepted Rejected Total Percent Accepted Women 450 550 1000 45% Men 175 325 500 35% Total 625 875 1500 This table shows women actually having a higher overall acceptance rate than men. This is an example of Simpsons Paradox because it involves misleading data. Obviously, the presentation of the data is very important, and can lead to incorrect assumptions if the data are not used properly (Internet 2). Paradox 2: An Arrow in Flight One can imagine an arrow in flight, toward a target. For the arrow to reach the target, the arrow must first travel half of the overall distance from the starting point to the target. Next, the arrow must travel half of the remaining distance. For example, if the starting distance was 10m, the arrow first travels 5m, then 2.5m. If one extends this concept further, one can imagine the resulting distances getting smaller and smaller. Will the arrow ever reach the target? (Internet 3) The answer is, of course, yes the arrow will reach the target. Our common sense tells us so. But, mathematically, this fact can be proven because the sum of an infinite series can be a finite number. The question contains a premise, which implies that the infinite series will result in an infinite number. Thus, 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ... = 1 and the arrow hits the target (Internet 3). Paradox 3: Two Equals

The Amazing and Horrifying Story of Kurt Gerstein

The Amazing and Horrifying Story of Kurt Gerstein Anti-Nazi Kurt Gerstein (1905-1945) never intended to be a witness to the Nazi murder of the Jews. He joined the SS to try to find out what happened to his sister-in-law, who had mysteriously died in a mental institution. Gerstein was so successful in his infiltration of the SS that he was placed in a position to witness gassings at Belzec. Gerstein then told everyone he could think of about what he saw and yet no action was taken. Some wonder if Gerstein did enough. Kurt Gerstein Kurt Gerstein was born on August 11, 1905, in Mà ¼nster, Germany. Growing up as a young boy in Germany during the First World War and the following tumultuous years, Gerstein did not escape the pressures of his time. He was taught by his father to follow orders without question; he agreed with the growing patriotic fervor that espoused German nationalism, and he was not immune to the strengthening anti-Semitic feelings of the inter-war period. Thus he joined the Nazi Party on May 2, 1933. However, Gerstein found that much of the National Socialist (Nazi) dogma went against his strong Christian beliefs. Turning Anti-Nazi While attending college, Gerstein became very involved in Christian youth groups. Even after graduating in 1931 as a mining engineer, Gerstein remained very active in the youth groups, especially the Federation of German Bible Circles (until it was disbanded in 1934). On January 30, 1935, Gerstein attended an anti-Christian play, Wittekind at the Municipal Theater in Hagen. Though he sat amongst numerous Nazi members, at one point in the play he stood up and shouted, This is unheard of! We shall not allow our faith to be publicly mocked without protest!1 For this statement, he was given a black eye and had several teeth knocked out.2 On September 26, 1936, Gerstein was arrested and imprisoned for anti-Nazi activities. He had been arrested for attaching anti-Nazi letters to invitations sent out to invitees of the German Miners Association.3 When Gersteins house was searched, additional anti-Nazi letters, issued by the Confessional Church, were found ready to be mailed along with 7,000 addressed envelopes.4 After the arrest, Gerstein was officially excluded from the Nazi Party. Also, after six weeks of imprisonment, he was released only to find that he had lost his job in the mines. Arrested Again Not able to get a job, Gerstein went back to school. He began to study theology at Tà ¼bingen but soon transferred to the Protestant Missions Institute to study medicine. After a two-year engagement, Gerstein married Elfriede Bensch, a pastors daughter, on August 31, 1937. Even though Gerstein had already suffered exclusion from the Nazi Party as a warning against his anti-Nazi activities, he soon resumed his distribution of such documents. On July 14, 1938, Gerstein was again arrested. This time, he was transferred to the Welzheim concentration camp where he became extremely depressed. He wrote, Several times I came within an ace of hanging myself of putting an end to my life in some other way because I hadnt the faintest idea if, or when, I should ever be released from that concentration camp.5 On June 22, 1939, after Gersteins release from the camp, the Nazi Party took even more drastic action against him regarding his status in the Party - they officially dismissed him. Gerstein Joins the SS In the beginning of 1941, Gersteins sister-in-law, Bertha Ebeling, died mysteriously at the Hadamar mental institution. Gerstein was shocked by her death and became determined to infiltrate the Third Reich to find out the truth about the numerous deaths at Hadamar and similar institutions. On March 10, 1941, a year and a half into the Second World War, Gerstein joined the Waffen SS. He was soon placed in the medical services hygiene section where he succeeded in inventing water filters for German troops - to his superiors delight. Gerstein had been dismissed from the Nazi Party, thus should not have been able to hold any Party position, especially not become part of the Nazi elite. For a year and a half, the anti-Nazi Gersteins entry into the Waffen SS went unnoticed by those that had dismissed him. In November 1941, at a funeral for Gersteins brother, a member of the Nazi court that had dismissed Gerstein saw him in uniform. Although information about his past was passed on to Gersteins superiors, his technical and medical skills - proven by the working water filter - made him too valuable to dismiss, Gerstein was thus allowed to stay at his post. Zyklon B Three months later, in January 1942, Gerstein was appointed the head of the Technical Disinfection Department of the Waffen SS where he worked with various toxic gases, including Zyklon B. On June 8, 1942, while the head of the Technical Disinfection Department, Gerstein was visited by SS Sturmbannfà ¼hrer Rolf Gà ¼nther of the Reich Security Main Office. Gà ¼nther ordered Gerstein to deliver 220 pounds of Zyklon B to a location known only to the driver of the truck. Gersteins main task was to determine the feasibility of changing the Aktion Reinhard gas chambers from carbon monoxide to Zyklon B. In August 1942, after having collected the  Zyklon B  from a factory in Kolin (near Prague, Czech Republic), Gerstein was taken to  Majdanek, Belzec, and  Treblinka. Belzec Gerstein arrived at Belzec on August 19, 1942, where he witnessed the entire process of gassing a trainload of Jews. After the unloading of 45 train cars stuffed with 6,700 people, those that were still alive were marched, completely naked, and told that no harm would come to them.  After the gas chambers were filled: Unterscharfà ¼hrer Hackenholt was making great efforts to get the engine running. But it doesnt go. Captain Wirth comes up. I can see he is afraid because I am present at a disaster. Yes, I see it all and I wait. My stopwatch showed it all, 50 minutes, 70 minutes, and the diesel did not start. The people wait inside the gas chambers. In vain. They can be heard weeping, like in the synagogue, says Professor Pfannenstiel, his eyes glued to a window in the wooden door. Furious, Captain Wirth lashes the Ukrainian assisting Hackenholt twelve, thirteen times, in the face. After 2 hours and 49 minutes - the stopwatch recorded it all - the diesel started. Up to that moment, the people shut up in those four crowded chambers were still alive, four times 750 persons in four times 45 cubic meters. Another 25 minutes elapsed. Many were already dead, that could be seen through the small window because an electric lamp inside lit up the chamber for a few moments. After 28 minutes, only a few were still alive. Finally, after 32 minutes, all were dead. 6 Gerstein was then shown the processing of the dead: Dentists hammered out gold teeth, bridges and crowns. In the midst of them stood Captain Wirth. He was in his element, and showing me a large can full of teeth, he said: See for yourself the weight of that gold! Its only from yesterday and the day before. You cant imagine what we find every day - dollars, diamonds, gold. Youll see for yourself! 7 Telling the World Gerstein was shocked by what he had witnessed. Yet, he realized that as a witness, his position was unique. I was one of the handful of people who had seen every corner of the establishment, and certainly the only one to have visited it as an enemy of this gang of murderers. 8 He buried the Zyklon B canisters that he was supposed to deliver to the death camps. He was shaken by what he had seen. He wanted to expose what he knew to the world so that they could stop it. On the train back to Berlin, Gerstein met Baron Gà ¶ran von Otter, a Swedish diplomat. Gerstein told von Otter all he had seen. As von Otter relates the conversation: It was hard to get Gerstein to keep his voice down. We stood there together, all night, some six hours or maybe eight. And again and again, Gerstein kept on recalling what he had seen. He sobbed and hid his face in his hands. 9 Von Otter made a detailed report of his conversation with Gerstein and sent it to his superiors. Nothing happened. Gerstein continued to tell people what he had seen. He tried to contact the Legation of the Holy See but was denied access because he was a soldier.10 [T]aking my life in my hands every moment, I continued to inform hundreds of people of these horrible massacres. Among them were the Niemà ¶ller family; Dr. Hochstrasser, the press attachà © at the Swiss Legation in Berlin; Dr. Winter, the coadjutor of the Catholic Bishop of Berlin - so that he could transmit my information to the Bishop and to the Pope; Dr. Dibelius [bishop of the Confessing Church], and many others. In this way, thousands of people were informed by me.11 As months continued to pass and still the Allies had done nothing to stop the extermination, Gerstein became increasingly frantic. [H]e behaved in a strangely reckless manner, needlessly risking his life every time he spoke of the extermination camps to persons he scarcely knew, who were in no position to help, but might easily have been subjected to torture and interrogation. . .  12 Suicide or Murder On April 22, 1945, near the end of the war, Gerstein contacted the Allies. After telling his story and showing his documents, Gerstein was kept in honorable captivity in Rottweil - this meant he was lodged at Hotel Mohren and just had to report to the French gendarmerie once a day.13 It was here that Gerstein wrote down his experiences - both in French and German. At this time, Gerstein seemed optimistic and confident. In a letter, Gerstein wrote: After twelve years of unremitting struggle, and in particular after the last four years of my extremely dangerous and exhausting activity and the many horrors I have lived through, I should like to recuperate with my family in Tà ¼bingen. 14 On May 26, 1945, Gerstein was soon transferred to Constance, Germany and then to Paris, France in early June. In Paris, the French did not treat Gerstein differently than the other war prisoners. He was taken to the Cherche-Midi military prison on July 5, 1945. The conditions there were terrible. On the afternoon of July 25, 1945, Kurt Gerstein was found dead in his cell, hung with part of his blanket. Though it was apparently a suicide, there is still some question if it was perhaps murder, possibly committed by other German prisoners who did not want Gerstein to talk. Gerstein was buried in the Thiais cemetery under the name Gastein. But even that was temporary, for his grave was within a section of the cemetery that was razed in 1956. Tainted In 1950, a final blow was given to Gerstein - a denazification court posthumously condemned him. After his experiences in the Belzec camp, he might have been expected to resist, with all the strength at his command, being made the tool of an organized mass murder. The court is of the opinion that the accused did not exhaust all the possibilities open to him and that he could have found other ways and means of holding aloof from the operation. . . .Accordingly, taking into account the extenuating circumstances noted . . . the court has not included the accused among the main criminals but has placed him among the tainted.15 It was not until January 20, 1965, that Kurt Gerstein was cleared of all charges, by the Premier of Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg. End Notes Saul Friedlnder,  Kurt Gerstein: The Ambiguity of Good  (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1969) 37.Friedlnder,  Gerstein  37.Friedlnder,  Gerstein  43.Friedlnder,  Gerstein  44.Letter by Kurt Gerstein to relatives in the United States as quoted in Friedlnder,  Gerstein  61.Report by Kurt Gerstein as quoted in Yitzhak Arad,  Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps  (Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1987)  102.Report by Kurt Gerstein as quoted in Arad,  Belzec  102.Friedlnder,  Gerstein  109.Friedlnder,  Gerstein  124.Report by Kurt Gerstein as quoted in Friedlnder,  Gerstein  128.Report by Kurt Gerstein as quoted in Friedlnder,  Gerstein  128-129.Martin Niemà ¶ller as quoted in Friedlnder,  Gerstein  179.Friedlnder,  Gerstein  211-212.Letter by Kurt Gerstein as quoted in Friedlnder,  Gerstein  215-216.Verdict of the Tà ¼bingen Denazification Court, August 17, 1950 as quoted in Friedlnder,  Gerstein  225-226. Bibliography Arad, Yitzhak.  Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka: The Operation Reinhard Death Camps. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1987.Friedlnder, Saul.  Kurt Gerstein: The Ambiguity of Good. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1969.Kochan, Lionel. Kurt Gerstein.  Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Ed. Israel Gutman. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1990.

Brain and Physical Injuries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brain and Physical Injuries - Essay Example The researchers found that most of the family members were less psychologically distressed. However, people suffering from brain injury had poorer psychological outcomes than their relatives did. The study also found that spouses of patients with brain injury were subjected to trauma and psychological distress. Bell, Kathleen R., Nancy Temkin R., Peter Esselman C., Jason Doctor N., Charles Bombardier S., Robert Fraser T., Jeanne Hoffman M., Janet Powell M., and Sureyya Dukem. â€Å"The Effect of a Scheduled Telephone Intervention on Outcome after Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Trial.† Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 86.5 (2005): 851-856. Print. The authors studied the effectiveness of telephone interventions in counseling and education for brain injury patients. These interventions, coming from home, were compared with the standard follow-ups conducted after one year. The researchers found that constant telephone interventions made patients feel better than interventions that come after a long time. Esser, E., Valencia, E., Conover, S., Felix, A., Tsai, W.Y. and Wyatt, R. J. â€Å"Preventing recurrent homelessness among mentally ill men: a "critical time" intervention after discharge from a shelter.† American Journal of Public Health 87.2 (2007): 256-262. Print. The authors set out to establish strategies that can protect mentally ill persons from becoming homeless. They sought a bridge between community care and mental institutions. They sampled 96 men with severe mental illness, including brain injury and gave them critical care in an institution. The researchers discovered that most of the men longed for home and families despite the good care they received at the institution. The researchers sought to determine the factors that predict family system functioning after one member of the family experiences brain injury. The

Trust Can Make or Unmake Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trust Can Make or Unmake Organizations - Essay Example Hong Kong had been a bastion of capitalism for so long, hopping and prospering in a nearly unbridled free enterprise system that it looked at mainland China as untrustworthy as the new lord and master of a freedom and fun-loving group of people. China was of course known for its regimented economic and political life as well as its severe, heavy-handed style of communist rule. Their minds made up on the undesirability of Chinese control, many business interests fled Hong Kong before the Chinese took over. But just as many companies stayed - and found that the earlier fears and feelings of distrust by the others were unfounded. The Chinese let the former British colony live the way it used to and in fact opened up mainland China to fresh winds of reforms. What happened in Hong Kong was an example of how lack of trust and full understanding of how trust operates can blindside people and in the process erode the level of economic activity and the quality of life desired for everyone. This is one of the reasons why the formal study of trust is attracting a lot of interest among scholars in the fields of international relations, political science, psychology and sociology, management and economics, and conflict analysis. Results of the initial studies confirm that people suspect or mistrust others based on surface impressions. More important, they cannot work together as a group without each appreciating the value of trust. Tr Trust Trust is a key enabler of cooperative human actions (D'Amico, L., 2003). The intensified studies on trust in many relevant fields in effect recognize the importance of cooperative behavior to the success of any human endeavor and, consequently, to the success or failure of an organization. It was found that trust leads two other basic mechanisms by which such cooperation can be achieved in human behavior, the other two being power and the market. These mechanisms come into play through three types of trust: Type A - The relationship between two parties is based on a system of sanctions or incentives, which could be economic (fines, rewards, etc.) or social (black listing or alienation), put up to ensure that one does not abuse the trust of the other. Type B - Confidence is based on personal relations or trust. Thus, John would not abuse Joe's trust because to do so would damage their friendship and John believes that Joe values such friendship. Type C - The relationship is hinged on abstract systems (money tokens, for example) and social institutions (professional and trade associations) and hence avails of market forces. Lewis & Weigert define trust as "a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that extends to both the personal and impersonal, and to situational and across-situational contexts." This means that trusting or depending on another is based on a given situation, such that the decision to trust is formed tentatively and conditionally until the other person or institution proves to be unworthy of the trust. The other way around happened to the companies that opted to stay in Hong Kong despite earlier misgivings about the fair-mindedness of Chinese decision-makers. In time, China proved worthy of said companies' trust . In the concept of trust set by Harrison, et al. trust can be a behavior, an expectancy, an attitude, a confidence, a belief or set of beliefs, and a situational, dispositional, structural or interpersonal variable. To trust

Why Teens Cant Sleep Essay Example for Free

Why Teens Cant Sleep Essay Warren Zevon, American songwriter and musician, once said, â€Å"I’ll sleep when I’m dead.† Ironically, sleep is one of the basic functions of life we need to survive. Teenagers take a good night’s sleep for granite, often skipping it for a variety of reasons. However, the body will never be at its peak performance without a good night’s rest. Due to other after school activities, responsibilities, or habits teenagers find themselves in circumstances where they are up late at night missing out on hours sleep. Some of these circumstances that cause sleep deprivation are out of a teen’s control, while others are not. When sports coaches schedule practices late in the evening this often means teens are not going to get a good night’s sleep. This situation is clearly out of a teen’s control as they must respect their coach’s decision. In the beginning of November, the Middletown Football team held a meeting to talk about our practice in preparation for the last game of the season. Because the last football game stretches two weeks into the winter sport season those playing a winter sport and football, such as myself, had to attend both of their practices. Coach Donahue, the football coach, arranged for me to attend wrestling at 2:30pm to 5:30pm then go to football practice 6pm to 8pm. I would not get home until 8:30pm. After eating dinner and finishing homework I was in bed by 11pm. It was then my responsibility to wake up at 5:30am to prepare for school and do it all over again. Having practice scheduled late in the evening deprived me of hours of sleep and it showed as I woul d find myself a sleep during my classes. In addition to late sports practices, a teenager’s part-time job also can lead to sleep deprivation. Some teenagers rely on their job to help support their family or save to support themselves later in college. My best friend, Ylexis, has a part-time job at the Middletown Galleria AMC. She took this job because she needs the money for college. On a regular basis her shift adviser will schedule her to work after school at 4pm to 8pm. She complains to me all the time in the most vitreous tone that she does not get enough sleep because when she gets home she is responsible for preparing dinner for her younger siblings. After completing her homework she is normally in bed at 10pm or later. Because this job deprives her of time she needs to sleep, Ylexis has talked about quitting then taking a year off after high school to work for college.  Perhaps the most common reason for sleep deprivation in teens is also the one in their control: procrastination. Teens tend to put off major assignments that are not due the next day. My friend Jose is a great example. Jose is the biggest Call of Duty fan I have ever known, and it hurt him tremendously in the grade book. He told me when Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 was released, he played online until 1am. As Jose was going to sleep for the night he remembered a two page essay due the next day in Psychology class. Jose scrambled to put what he could together, constructing his essay until five in the morning. Upon turning in the essay the teacher told Jose he looked as though he were going to fall out from exhaustion. Jose received a D- on his essay, and he regrets ever having purchased Call of Duty. There are a variety of circumstances, some in a teen’s control and others that are not, that could cause sleep deprivation. Whether it be a sport, a job, or a bad habit it is vital a teenager get an ample amount of sleep. Sleep is needed to keep the body working efficiently. I do not envy anyone who is caught in all these situations at one time.

Appleby Book Review Essay -- Essays Papers

Appleby Book Review Telling The Truth About History I am writing a book review of Telling The Truth About History by Joyce Appleby, Lynn Hunt and Margaret Jacob. In this book, the authors’ talk about the increased skepticism and the position that relativism has lessen our ability to actually know and to write about the past. The book discusses the writing of history, and how people are struggling with the issues of what is â€Å"truth.† It also discusses the postmodernist movement and how future historians can avoid the mistakes by historians from the past. Telling The Truth About History gives great insight and knowledge to those who are non-historians because it looks at the dispute and inadequacy of past historical approaches to the study of history and that science is dead. I hold that history was not written in Labs and therefore cannot be compared to science. In my review I will critique the three-absolutist ideas made by Newton and Darwin. First, Appleby, Lynn, and Jacob discussed the ideas concerning history. The first idea described how Newton and Darwin became chief examples of the Heroic model of science. Then, in a later chapter, the authors’ show how Newton and Darwin fell from grace and the effect this had on history as a discipline. Nevertheless, early historians felt that the way to find the truth was though science. Early historians felt that through science they could become neutral and reconstruct the past exactly as it happened (241). I analyze tha...

Live Like You’Re Dying Essay

Clean, Cull, and Connect. In his short essay â€Å"Live like you’re dying,† Chuck Palahniuk refers them as the â€Å"Three C’s. † After confirming that suicide is the only escape route, they are the three final chores you must finish on your last â€Å"lively† week. Clean everything. Your bathroom, car, refrigerator, everything. Cull down your resources, donate and destroy needless possessions, and get a good haircut. Connect to everyone you’ve ever known and say something nice, no matter how bad you hate them. Don’t feel humiliated, you’ve got nothing to lose except a few days of your life. Also, know that no one will remember you, know that the world will not change after you die. Know that you will not be missed. And after all of this, Palahniuk says you probably won’t bother to kill yourself, since by then you’ll be surrounded by friends who recognize you as a decent and valuable friend. But there is more to the essay than explaining what the three C’s are. Both the title and content clearly spotlights death as a major concept of the essay, as most of Palahniuk’s writings are. Actually, Palahniuk touches on death so often that it seems he cannot go through a single essay without discussing about it. Also, from start to beginning, his sentences are written in such a clean-cut way that the reader almost feels suicidal. â€Å"Do everything. † â€Å"Destroy it. † â€Å"Treat yourself. † â€Å"Your oven will be clean, your car vacuumed. † Even in the merriest mind, one cannot help but be persuaded that the world will crumble when the essay ends. Why does Palahniuk do so? It seems odd – and arduous – for any writer to be so â€Å"deathly† when he writes. Palahniuk was beleaguered by death all his life. In his mind, his happy family had already died when his parents divorced, leaving him and his three siblings to live with their grandparents. Later on, Palahniuk volunteered at a hospice as an escort, where he had to witness the death of a patient he had grown attached to (which lead him to stop volunteer working). And around 1999, Palahniuk’s father – Fred Palahniuk – was shot and dragged into a house which was put on fire. Palahniuk later on helped the decision of the killer’s death sentence, the ex-boyfriend of Fred Palahniuk’s girlfriend. Although death is a frequently visited topic for Palahniuk, he probably doesn’t always write in such a â€Å"deathly† manner on purpose. But it is also not surprising that Palahniuk ends up writing about death every time. Palahniuk’s word choice during the essay is also different from the ordinary writer. Not only that most of them are short, but all of them are so-called â€Å"easy† words (perhaps â€Å"procrastinate† at the last paragraph is an exception). Of course, it comes from Palahniuk’s minimalistic writing philosophy, but anyone with internet connection to Wikipedia can figure that out. The question is, where does his writing philosophy come from? Palahniuk claims himself to be a romantic who expresses ideas that others do not believe in. It is only natural that he holds different ideas from the ordinary man, regarding the unordinary world he grew up in. Therefore, readers of Palahniuk need to think twice about what he wrote to understand it. But complex words tend to have an accurate meaning to it, which doesn’t leave any space to think again about what he was actually trying to say. This leaves Palahniuk no choice but to use more flexible, simpler and original words. Although it doesn’t show in the essay â€Å"Live like you’re dying,† an exception is when it comes to mechanics. For example, in his novel â€Å"Fight Club,† most of the processes in making plastic bombs or soap is described in an accurate manner. This is probably because Palahniuk used to work for Freightliner as a mechanic, but his tendency to describe mechanical processes accurately has less to do with his flow of words than we have interest to. As it has been clearly shown, â€Å"Live like you’re dying† has a deep relation to Palahniuk’s background, almost as if the essay is a shadow of Palahniuk. Everything that Palahniuk has been through, and is going through, is spilled out and spread, conscious or unconscious, on the computer screen when he writes. He can’t help it. And it would be nonsense to say that this only counts for Chuck Palahniuk – every essay is a shadow of the author in some way or the other, a footprint of what he has been through. There’s a sort of syllogism going on here: what you’ve one is what you are, what you are is what you write, so what you’ve done is what you write. If you disagreed, you’d be challenging Socrates.

Native American Medicine Essay

The medical cures and healing traditions used by the Native Americans are rather interesting and different compared to modern day Anglo Saxon cures. Native Americans, using their basis of ideas and beliefs, have developed a general idea of naturalistic cures and healing processes. Although the cures and healing processes are much different than Anglo Saxon ideas of curing and healing, the Native American processes tend to work well and even better than many Anglo Saxon cures. Native American medical and healing beliefs and processes are generally based on a more natural curing or purification process than the processes of modern day Anglo Saxons. Many Native American healing processes have been practiced for around 40,000 years. Different Native American healing traditions have appeared to share roots with different cultures, such as ancient Chinese traditions. Although many of the Native American healing traditions appear to share roots with ancient Chinese traditions, the greatest influence on Native American healing is the environment in which they have lived. The different plants and animals around them influenced their healing practices to be all natural. Another influence on their healing practices was other tribes. The migration of tribes around them allowed the tribes to share their knowledge of natural cures. Trade was also very helpful in Native American healing practices because many of the natural remedies required herbs from surrounding environments or long distances, and being able to trade with traveling tribes saved much travel time and risk. Although Native American healing practices have proven to be successful, a lot of their traditions have been lost. Many of the practices were driven underground and lost because they became banned or illegal in many parts of the United States. After 1978, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed, and the Native Americans were once again allowed to practice their healing traditions. The long gap without practicing certain healing processes resulted in the loss of many of their practices, however. Even today, there are still difficulties with Native Americans being allowed to perform different ceremonies and rituals because the land serves other purposes. (www.cancer.org). Native Americans have successfully lived for many years by using their own idea of natural cures and purification. Native American healing is a broad term that includes different healing beliefs and practices of hundreds of indigenous tribes or North America. It combines religion, spirituality, herbal medicine uses, and purification rituals that are used to treat the indigenous people either medically, emotionally, or behaviorally. According to Lakota Sioux, the basis of natural beliefs and connections comes from the story of the white buffalo. The story begins with a woman appearing during the time of famine. She was wearing a white buffalo skin and carrying a sacred pipe. After appearing to the tribe, she explained to them that the wooden stem was for the trees and everything growing on earth. Her red bowl was to symbolize the flesh and blood of all people and the smoke was the breath of their prayers going to Wakan Tanka, the creator. The woman then presented the pipe ceremony to the tribe, which included offerings made to the four directions while drums were played and sacred songs were sung. The people then began to understand the connection between sky and earth and the unity of all life. Before leaving, the woman said she would return when the time was right and turned into a buffalo, changing colors several times. Finally, she became a white buffalo calf and disappeared. The people followed her teachings and were no longer hungry. Years later, a white buffalo calf, very rare, appeared and changed colors throughout its life. The calf is believed to be the woman. (www.native-americans-online.com). Through this story, many indigenous tribes have believed nature to be the cures and purifications needed for the soul to become whole. There are many types of Native American healing practices, and they are promoted to help with a variety of ills. Some of the most common aspects of Native American healing include the use of herbal remedies, purifying rituals, shamanism, and symbolic healing rituals to treat illnesses of both the body and spirit. Herbal remedies are used to treat many physical conditions. Practitioners use purifying rituals to cleanse the body and prepare the person for healing. Shamanism is based on the idea that spirits cause illness, and a Native American healer called a shaman focuses on using spiritual healing powers to treat people. Symbolic healing rituals, which can involve family and friends of the sick person, are used to invoke the spirits to help heal the sick person. (www.cancer.org). The Native American belief in spirituality caused the Native Americans to believe that diseases are caused by an object piercing the soul through sorcery. A disease can also be believed to be the complete absence of a free soul. Their naturalistic beliefs allowed them to believe that even diseases are considered natural occurrences, and because they occur naturally, they can be cured naturally as well. By using natural remedies, â€Å"medicine men† attempted to cure diseases that have invaded tribal villages. Natural remedies used by the medicine men included different concoctions of plants, fungi, or animals that could be eaten or rubbed on a certain area of the body to cure the illness. Before Europeans invaded Native American land, Native Americans had not had an extreme amount of experience in the treatment of disease. However, after the Europeans invaded their land, they (the Europeans) brought many diseases with them. Some of the deadly diseases included smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, typhoid, influenza, and pertussis or whooping cough. At the first sign of the diseases, the indigenous people continued trying their natural remedies, but after many failed attempts at curing the diseases, the people would often avoid the sick and leave them to die because they believed that evil spirits had taken over their soul. With the Europeans bringing many diseases to the indigenous land, the indigenous people believed the Europeans to be evil spirited and deadly. The many diseases brought by the Europeans caused a major Native American depopulation. In order to try to cure these diseases or other illnesses, Native Americans relied on the use of what they referred to as t he â€Å"medicine man† or â€Å"healer†. The medicine man was very well educated on the surrounding nature and knew what natural remedy would cure the illness. Often times, the medicine man would have to travel to other lands in order to find a certain plant or a fungus that was needed in the remedy. Medicine men were very effective at curing illnesses because of the knowledge they had of nature. Not only did the Native Americans use natural remedies to cure illness, but they also used natural purification processes in order to purify or cleanse their soul in an emotional healing process. The purifying ritual is a ceremony known as a sweat lodge, where the indigenous people would sit in extreme temperatures and sweat out the evil in them which allowed them to be cleansed. To begin the sweat lodge process, one must offer a pouch of tobacco to the medicine man. The tobacco is used to represent the spirit of the person presenting it. By offering the tobacco to the medicine man, one is asking him to work on their behalf in the spiritual world. When presenting the tobacco, one would also bring forth their specific desire such as an alcohol or drug problem. The sweat lodge process begins with the passing of what are known as tobacco ties. Many tobacco ties are hung around inside the sweat lodge and each tobacco tie represents a prayer. The four sacred herbs, sage, sweet grass, cedar, and tobacco, are used in order to help purify the room and allow the spirits to work. Then rocks, primarily lava stones from volcanoes, are heated using a fire until they are white hot. Once the rocks are white hot, they are brought into the lodge in order to begin the sweating process. To keep the rocks hot, water is poured onto them making an immense amount of steam and heating the lodge. Now that the purification process has finally begun, everyone sits in a circle and goes around, one person at a time, offering prayers. After all prayers have been given, the medicine man blends them all together in a mystical process altering the state of mind to something beyond the physical form. This is where the real healing takes place. As the purification process comes to a conclusion, a new ceremony known as wopela begins. Wopela is simply giving thanks. All participants bring in gifts for the medicine man in order to thank him for leading them through the purification process. The medicine man begins a prayerful state and takes the prayer ties and sets them up in the north end of the center. This allows the prayers to be carried to the Great Spirit in a good way. The medicine man then blows out the candles the lodge becomes pitch dark. Another emotional healing strategy is the use of the medicine wheel. The medicine wheel was an important transformation in the process of Native American tribes realizing that they are much different from each other. Basically, the medicine wheel was a sheet decorated in special symbols, colors, or stones that allowed others know about the inhabitants of the tribe. One was placed in front of every tepee or hut to notify others of that individual’s strengths and weaknesses. By doing so, each individual had their own guidelines to follow for personal growth by realizing what one needed to learn and what one needed to teach. After many generations, the people began to lose the concept of blame and anger upon others. One tribe member from Arizona states â€Å"If I said to you, ‘Does anyone ever make you angry?’ you would say yes. But in reality, this is totally impossible. You choose to be angry by the way you process the event. This is something you were taught to d o as a child. If you could imagine not one person in all of New York City having the concept of anger, that’s what it was like during that time period of no wars before the white man came.†(www.native-americans-online.com). By placing a simple wheel outside their homes, the Native Americans began to learn to cope with their anger and not place blame upon others. This shows a strong cultural emotional healing process because it rid the tribes of anger and blame on others. Indigenous people also believed in psychiatric healing beliefs by altering their state of mind. They were able to alter their state of mind through events such as drumming and chanting rituals, Salish spirit dancing, and visual stimuli. All processes were used in order to calm down an individual. The drumming or chanting of rituals acted as a concentration device to its listeners. A constant beat or pattern would reduce the tendency of the mind to wander. It would also enter the brain wave patterns and sometimes the subjects’ brainwaves would change to match the frequency of the drumming or beating. As for the altered states produced in the Salish Spirit Dance, the sensory stimulation would release neuro-endocrine opiod agents that would produce a peak experience during that dance performance. It is quite obvious that the healing processes of the indigenous people vary greatly from the healing processes of modern day Anglo Saxons. For example, in seeking a cure, Anglo Saxons search for a man made discovery to lead to a cure where as the indigenous people rely on nature for their cures. Although the Anglo Saxon solutions are very effective, the natural remedies also work and are less harmful. All Anglo Saxon cures provide quick solutions but at the risk of side effects which are not present in natural remedies. One belief of the indigenous people was that the illness was caused by nature, so nature can cure the illness. Another difference in Anglo Saxon healing processes is emotional or psychiatric healing. Anglo Saxon traditions in emotional healing include the use of a therapist or other person to talk to in order to solve the problem. The indigenous people use a similar cure, except they seek a higher cure such as the sweat lodge in order to be in contact with the spirit world. Anglo Saxons also place blame and problems on others in an attempt to relieve themselves of the pressure or danger of events. The indigenous people however, do not like to place blame on others, but on themselves. The indigenous people begin looking for a cure inside oneself in order to fix the problem. Although many rituals and healing processes of the indigenous people are much different than the processes of the modern day Anglo Saxons, the processes of the indigenous people have proven to work effectively in curing the illness. Their belief in having a pure soul contributes to the rituals they perform in order to heal. Both Anglo Saxon and Native American healing processes have been proven effective, with the difference being the focus of the solution. Native American medical and healing beliefs and processes are generally based on a more natural curing or purification process than the processes of modern day Anglo Saxons. Sources Used http://muwww-new.marshall.edu/jrcp/VE13%20N1/jrcp%2013%201%20thomason.pdf http://www.native-americans-online.com/index.html http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/mindbodyandspirit/native-american-healing

Current LSAT Score Percentiles

Current LSAT Score Percentiles Have even more LSAT score questions? Here are the LSAT Score FAQs - with answers! Â   If youve gotten your LSAT score report back, you may have noticed that under the LSAT Score Data section, theres a percentile ranking based on your score. Many people have no idea what this little number really means! If youre one of them, heres your LSAT score percentile explanation, along with a chart delineating each of the score percentiles based on testers from June 2010 – February 2013. Why Should I Care About My LSAT Score Percentile? Yes, how well youve fared on the LSAT compared to others whove taken the test during your administration isnt the only thing you should be concerned about. In fact, your LSAT score is just one of many things that will be evaluated to make admissions decisions about you. Things like the following attributes listed by LSAC are also considered: Undergraduate GPAUndergraduate course of studyGraduate work, if anyCollege attendedImprovement in grades and grade distributionCollege curricular and extracurricular activitiesEthnic/racial background LSAT Scores By Gender and Ethnicity Individual character and personalityLetters of recommendation/evaluationsWriting skillsPersonal statement or essayWork experience or other postundergraduate experiencesCommunity activitiesMotivation to study and reasons for deciding to study lawState of residencyObstacles that have been overcomePast accomplishments and leadershipAnything else that stands out in an application However, your LSAT score is a means with which to compare you to other students on a very similar scale. Everything else about you is unique! Your LSAT score, within a certain degree of statistical reliability, can be counted on to provide an unbiased look at how you perform on logical, analytical, and reading comprehension questions. Whats a good LSAT score for some of the top schools in the country? LSAT Score Percentiles Explanation When you receive your LSAT score report (they usually come about three weeks after youve tested via email if you have an LSAC.org account and four weeks via snail mail if you dont), then youll see a section called your LSAT Score Data section. In this section, youll see information for every time youve sat for the LSAT in the past five years. Your LSAT scores, your score percentile ranks, the dates youve taken the LSAT, and your LSAT score bands, which are simply the ranges in which you scored, will be reported for every one of your test dates. If youve taken the LSAT more than once, youll see an average LSAT score reported based on every one of your performances, too. Lets say that the percentile rank listed for the test you took in June was an 83%. Your score was a 161. That percentage means that you scored higher than 83% of the test-takers who sat for the June test. Another way of looking at it is that youre in the top 17% of testers for that administration. LSAT Score Percentile Chart for June 2010 – February 2013 Below, youll find the average score percentiles for every tester who took the LSAT between the dates listed above. Its helpful to compare your current LSAT score report to this list to see how you fit into a larger pool of testers. The scaled score is listed to the left and the percentile score is listed to the right. 180: 99.9%179: 99.9%178: 99.9%177: 99.8%176: 99.7%175: 99.5%174: 99.3%173: 99.0%172: 98.6%171: 98.2%170: 97.4%169: 96.6%168: 95.8%167: 94.5%166: 93.2%165: 91.5%164: 89.9%163: 87.7%162: 85.3%161: 83.0%160: 80.3%159: 77.2%158: 73.7%157: 70.8%156: 66.9%155: 63.4%154: 60.2%153: 56.0%152: 51.6%151: 47.8%150: 44.4%149: 40.3%148: 36.8%147: 33.5%146: 30.0%145: 26.7%144: 23.7%143: 20.5%142: 18.1%141: 15.8%140: 13.4%139: 11.6%138: 9.7%137: 8.5%136: 6.9%135: 5.9%134: 4.8%133: 3.9%132: 3.2%131: 2.6%130: 2.1%129: 1.7%128: 1.3%127: 1.1%126: 0.8%125: 0.7%124: 0.5%123: 0.4%122: 0.3%121: 0.3%120: 0.0%

50 Foreign Terms That Arent Foreign

50 Foreign Terms That Arent Foreign 50 Foreign Terms That Aren’t Foreign 50 Foreign Terms That Aren’t Foreign By Mark Nichol English is a very welcoming language, adopting terms indiscriminately from other tongues. Many publishers observe a distinction between naturalized words and those still considered foreign, honoring the assimilation of the former by refraining from using any visual emphasis and italicizing those in the latter category. The careful writer will honor this distinction, but how is one to know to which class a particular word or phrase belongs? Adopted words will appear in the dictionary, while words or phrases that have not received a green card remain relegated to a print dictionary’s appendix, if any. Or, check out this virtual cheat sheet, which lists words and phrases (with brief definitions) that do not merit italicization. 1. la carte: priced separately 2. la mode: fashionable; topped with ice cream 3. a priori: presumptive, presupposed 4. ad hoc: formed for a special purpose 5. ad infinitum: without end or limit 6. ad nauseam: to an excessive or sickening degree 7. apropos: opportune or relevant 8. attachà ©: a diplomatic technical expert; a briefcase 9. avant-garde: innovative 10. belles lettres: artistic literature 11. bon voyage: have a good trip 12. bona fide: genuine, sincere 13. carte blanche: full permission 14. caveat emptor: let the buyer beware 15. chargà © d’affaires: a deputy ambassador or minister 16. coup d’à ©tat: a violent government overthrow 17. cul-de-sac: a dead end 18. de facto: in practice 19. doppelgnger: an alter ego, double, or ghost; someone with the same name as someone else 20. en masse: as a whole, in one body 21. en route: along or on the way 22. ex officio: because of or by virtue of an office 23. fait accompli: something already done and irreversible 24. faux pas: an error 25. fete: a celebration; celebrate 26. habeas corpus: an order to bring a jailed person before a judge to determine whether the person should be jailed; the right of a person against illegal imprisonment 27. hors d’oeuvre: appetizers 28. ipso facto: by the fact itself 29. machismo: an exaggerated masculinity or show of strength 30. maà ®tre d’: a headwaiter or steward 31. mà ©nage: a household; housekeeping 32. modus operandi: a way of doing things 33. nom de plume: a pen name 34. non sequitur: a statement that does not logically follow what was previously said 35. papier-mà ¢chà ©: paper mixed with glue and water to harden for molding for artistic projects 36. per capita: per person 37. per diem: per day, paid by the day; a daily allowance or fee 38. per se: by itself 39. persona non grata: an unacceptable person 40. prà ©cis: a concise summary 41. prima donna: a conceited person 42. prima facie: apparent, self-evident, or at first view 43. pro bono: donated 44. realpolitik: practical rather than theoretical politics 45. soiree: an evening party or reception 46. status quo: the current state 47. tà ªtetà ªte: a private conversation; a piece of furniture designed to facilitate one 48. tour de force: an impressive display or feat 49. vice versa: with the order changed 50. visvis: in relation to Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtProbable vs. PossibleConversational Email

International Law - Design an improved system of International law Essay

International Law - Design an improved system of International law - Essay Example The international law has a defined mandate, with its key priorities including the promotion of peace, justice, ecological stability and economic wellbeing. Although there are concerted efforts exhibited by different nations towards the promotion of these values, it is evident that some issues still require critical addressing. it is worth mentioning that some states have acted in ways that reflect a feeling of being constrained by the international law during times when they needed to develop their own intervention strategies when under threat. The international law also proves to be a disadvantage to some countries because they are not members of the intergovernmental organizations that formulate policies that define international law. Evidently, a design for an improved system of the international is an urgent requirement. This paper will focus on describing how the value of peace can be improved. Definition of Peace Peace is one of the critical representative values defined as a leading hallmark of the international law. However, for a long time, the usage of the term peace has denoted different aspects. Many scholars have used the term peace repeatedly, but have not taken much time to address its definition as they have done with words that for a long time have been used to denote the opposite condition such as violence and war. The term denotes a range of concepts depending on the context of its usage. Its usage in an integrated cultural-religious system, cross-cultural or secular context exhibits a level of variance in the concept denoted. However, in each of these different contexts, the usage of the term serves to place emphasis on one of the central principles that govern what many people define as peace (Bowett 67). The term peace has a Greek origin, and is the English translation for the Greek word Irene, which denoted the ‘absence of war’. In the western context, the term peace denotes the absence of any form of violence, but with a co mmon reference to the lack of war. Peace denotes the condition that reigns at the conclusion of war, and that is defined by the emergence of a new level of interactions. This condition usually results in a state of order, law, or power as used in different cultural contexts. Other people use the term to describe the condition that reigns when the society is free from any form of conflict, discord, or revolution (Bowett 89). Philosophers such as Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein insinuated that peace was on a higher level than the ‘absence of discord, war, and conflict as many people have explained. According to these philosophers, peace denotes a condition defined by both law and order. In the international sense, prevailing of peace only occurs if states are not indulging in a struggle that involves military interactions. States exhibit peace amongst themselves when they indulge in diplomatic ventures, varied interactions, and depict power balance systems. The condition de fined by limited or no interaction also passes for peace. Other informed authors have also placed emphasis on the passive nature of peace. If countries exhibit a level of concord in the way they interact, it serves as evidence that they are peaceful. In cases where countries have defined their interactions by

Write an academic report that is clear,concise & cohesive on the topic Essay

Write an academic report that is clear,concise & cohesive on the topic of THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE - Essay Example In most instances, language is defined as verbal behavior, including body movements and gestures (Campbell & Green, 2006). Language is an integral constituent of the human activity playing a central part in the experiences and events of daily life of humans. This essay explains the meaning of language, importance of language in communication, the importance of language in civilization and the importance of language to culture. Oral language is a skill acquired naturally by small children. However, early childhood development cannot be overstressed, but it is a platform, which enables children to read and write. Assigning a meaning to sentences and words involves interpretation, which is mainly influenced by an individual’s attitudes, topic knowledge and experiences. Therefore, during communication individuals arrive at different meanings during a conversation. The principal means of communication in any society is spoken language although written communication also plays a vital role (Fellowes & Oakley, 2010).Language can be expressed orally through a generation of speech, which facilitates speech through an employment of signs systematically. It is a complex physical process, which involves the use of the vocal tract in controlling and shaping moving air in various ways in order to produce sounds. A speech comprises of fluency, voice and articulation. Language is extremely an important way used by human beings to interact. Language is used to express the needs of individuals and ask others questions. Language is modified in every situation, for instance, the tone used to address children at home is different from the tone used in business meetings. In order to communicate effectively, individuals send a message comprising actions, words and gestures. Therefore, communication is two-way since the recipient is as important as the sender is (Gee & Hayes, 2011). Through language,

Repoliticalization of Accounting Standard Setting Assignment

Repoliticalization of Accounting Standard Setting - Assignment Example Some researchers have claimed that the drive behind financial systems is accounting policy-makers and the forces in the market. The affair has been much on the adoption or rejection of fair value principle. EU rejected IAS 39’s proposal of fair value principle. In addition, it put conditions on the extent to which the asset factor can be realized. It led to the amendment of the IAS 39 and IRFS 7. The EU and G20 have on more than one occasion discussed financial institutions and regulations on monetary policies. They have given guidance on securities valuation (BENGTSSON, Elias, 2011). Moreover, they proposed being a supervisory body or that the IASB should be constantly supervised in its activities. Opinion Political influence on financial in my view is not a bad agenda but their negative influence. The institution is no longer at ease to perform its functions with the profession required. On the other hand, the EU declined the adoption of IFRS 9 after the financial crisis, leaving the world amazed about the political forces behind financial institutions. IAS 39 was established under political pressure and went further to affect its operation when mistrust arose between the EU and US financial institutions. The political drive wheel should be to facilitate the growth of financial institutions and not curtail their operations.

History of the Japanese Samurai

History of the Japanese Samurai The Samurai: Warrior and Ruler of Ancient Japan Few countries have a warrior tradition as long and exciting as Japan. It is a tradition found in the Samurai, the loyal and self-sacrificing knight of ancient Japan. The Samurai is a valiant warrior who can both appreciate the beauty of nature in that of a rose blossom but will also kill or die for his master in an instant. This well-rounded warrior was the ruling class of Japan for almost seven hundred years. He fought for control of his country and to keep Japan free from outside influences. (Turnbull 1) This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was consolidated in the Tokugawa period. Samurai were privileged to wear two swords, and at one time had the right to cut down any commoner who offended them. They cultivated the martial virtues, indifference to pain or death, and unfailing loyalty to their overlords. Samurai were the dominant group in Japan. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the samurai were removed from direct control of the villages, moved into the domain castle towns, and given government stipends. They were encouraged to take up bureaucratic posts. The Hagakure, has been dubbed the book of the samurai. It was written after a century of peace around 1716. It came to be the guide of samurai ethics until the end of the feudal period. Its short passages reflect and outline the qualities that make a samurai. Yamamoto Tsunetomo expresses in the hagakure the framework and mindset of being a samurai. â€Å"Although it stands to reason that a samurai should be mindful of the Way of the samurai, it would seem that we are all negligent. Consequently, if someone were to ask, ‘what is the true meaning of the Way of the Samurai?’ the person who should be able to answer promptly is rare. This is because it has not been established in one’s mind beforehand. From this, one’s unmindfulness of the Way can be known. Negligence is an extreme thing.† (Wilson, 17) â€Å"The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one’s aim is to die a dog’s death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one’s aim. We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one’s aim is a dog’s death and fanaticism. There is no shame to this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting one’s heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling. (Wilson, 17) The samurai had extreme religious ideals. One samurai in particular, Tsunetomo, he began to despair of ever gaining a position as a retainer, and her began to visit a man who was to have no small influence on his life. This was the Zen Buddhist priest Tannen (? – 1680), a man of unbending integrity and will, who had resigned his post as head priest at the major Nabeshima temple as a protest against the death sentence of another priest, and when recalled, refused to return. Zen Buddhism and the samurai had been closely related since the thirteenth century in Japan, when the Hojo regents had discovered that its vitality and rejection of life as an object of special craving had much to offer the warrior. Tannen had his own ideas concerning the relationship of Zen and the warriors. â€Å"He declares that religious matters are for old men, and if young samurai learn about Buddhism it will only bring them disaster, for they will begin to look at the world from two sets of values ra ther than one.† (Wilson, 13) The warriors of early Japan bore only a passing resemblance to the later samurai. Weaponry and armor were of a distinctly Chinese flavor, and the earliest warriors carried shields, a device evidently out of vogue even before the Heian period. Some of our knowledge of the weapons and protection the early Japanese warrior carried comes from artifacts excavated from the tombs constructed in the 4th and 5th centuries to house departed royalty. Another, just as valuable resource are the haniwa, which were clay statues evidently used as grave markers. A good number of these haniwa depict warriors, and these provide us some insight into the nature of ‘home-grown’ Japanese armor of the time. The horse was imported to Japan sometime in the 4th or 5th century, and quickly became a valuable commodity. Also brought over from the continent were Keiko, or suits of lamellar scaled armor. This type, which is traditionally associated with horsemen, provided the foundation from which the classic patterns of samurai armor construction would build. Just as important is the samurai’s weaponry is the code of ethics by which they lived by which is known as the code of Bushido. This term refers to the moral code principals that developed among the samurai class of Japan, on a basis of national tradition influenced by Zen and Confucianism. The first use of the term apparently occurred during the civil war period of the 16th century; its precise content varied historically as samurai standards evolved. Its one unchanging ideal was martial spirit, including athletic and military skills as well as fearless facing of the enemy in battle. Frugal living, kindness and honesty were also highly regarded. Like Confucianism, Bushido required filial piety; but, originating in the feudal system, it also held that supreme honor was to serve one’s lord unto death. If these obligations conflicted, the samurai was bound by loyalty to his lord despite the suffering he might cause to his parents. The final rationalization of Bushido thought occurred during the Tokugawa period, when Yamaga Soko equated the samurai with the Confucian â€Å"superior man† and taught that his essential function was to exemplify virtue to the lower classes. Without disregarding the basic Confucian virtue, benevolence, Soko emphasized the second virtue, righteousness, which he interpreted as â€Å"obligation† or â€Å"duty†. This strict code of honor, affecting matters of life and death, demanded conscious choice and so fostered individual initiative while yet reasserting the obligations of loyalty and filial piety. Obedience to authority was stressed, but duty came first even if it entailed violation of statue law. In such an instance, the true samurai would prove his sincerity and expiate his crime against the government by subsequently taking his own life. By mid-19th century, Bushido standards had become the general ideal, and the legal abolition of the samurai class in 1871 made Bushido even more the property of the entire nation. In the public education system, with the emperor replacing the feudal lord as the object of loyalty and sacrifice, Bushido became the foundation of ethical training. As such, it contributed both to the arise of Japanese nationalism and to the strengthening of wartime civilian morale up to 1945. The term â€Å"Samurai† means those who serve. These mystical knights served many functions in Japanese society. During time of war, they were the masters of the battlefield. In peace they were the administrators and the aristocrats. As statesmen, soldiers, and businessmen, former samurai took the lead in building modern Japan. The Japanese warrior, known as the samurai, has played a significant role in Japans history and culture throughout the centuries. Their ancestors can be traced back to as far as can be remembered. Some stories have become mysterious legends handed down over the centuries. In this report you will learn who the samurai were, their origins as we know them, how they lived and fought and their evolution to today. It will be clear why the samurai stand out as one of the most famous group of warriors of all times. Looking back in time, the first Japanese battles recorded are in the first few centuries AD. At this time Japanese warriors went across the sea to Korea to help one kingdom battling two rival kingdoms. Four hundred men set out and fought on foot carrying their bows, spears and swords. They were quickly beaten by warriors attacking on horseback. They probably had never seen an attack like that before, with horses being ridden. Even though there were horses in Japan they had not been used for riding or fighting, but to help in carrying and pulling goods. In the next century, however, there is evidence that horses were being ridden and used in warfare by warriors who would later be called samurai (History Channel). The term samurai was first used in the 10th century and means â€Å"those who serve†. In the beginning it stood for men who guarded the capital for the Emperor, some where used as tax collectors. Later the word grew to include any military man who served a powerful landlord, almost like a police force for that time. They would go around the countryside on horseback collecting taxes from the peasants, often this was in the form of rice. This money helped the Emperor pay for his lavish life style. The word, samurai, quickly spread and was respected (and maybe feared a little) for the men it represented. The noblemen depended on the strength of the samurai. Since their power and wealth was directly related to how much land they owned, the noblemen kept small armies of samurai to protect their property from thieves and invaders. Eventually many noble families joined together to form clans that became more powerful than the emperor, who was the traditional head of the Japanese government (How Samurai Work 11). In the 12th century the two most powerful clans were the Minomoto and the Taira. The two came to battle in 1160 with the Taira winning. Twenty years later in 1180 those Minomotos who had escaped death (they were children during the first attack) led a new attack that turned into a war that lasted five years and was called the Gempei War. The Minamotos won, and the emperor made Minamoto Yoritomo shogun, the head of the military. Yoritomo however wanted more and took all power away from the emperor and made himself dictator. At this time the samurai gained power, through land given to them by the new shogun. Their rise in status was beginning. The battles that were fought during The Gempei War were very important in the history of the samurai. They set a new and honorable standard for all samurai to live by. These standards would last throughout the existence of the samurai warrior. The Gempei War provided a role model for Japanese samurai’s courageous and noble behavior (Turnbull 14). Almost all the important characteristics attributed the samurai culture came out of the Gempei war; â€Å"Archery, hand-to-hand fighting, undying loyalty to one’s lord and the tremendous tradition of ritual suicide all have key passages and proof texts in the tales of the Gempi War†(Turnbull 15). The samurai had an unwritten code of honor called the bushido. Bushido means â€Å"way of the warrior† (History of the Samurai 3). This provided them with a code to help show them how to live and conduct themselves at home and in battle. One of the most important duties of the samurai was their loyalty to their lord. The samurai would defend their lord until the death. Revenge was also central in the samurai’s life and if someone had killed their master or attacked their master’s honor revenge must be gotten. The same vengeance was given if they themselves or their family were disrespected or defeated. Not just anyone could become a samurai warrior. You had to be the child of a samurai, being born into this class was a privilege. The samurai were not all rich, in fact their wealth was judged on the amount of Koku (which is the amount of rice that the fields produced). Other things like the size of the samurai’s house were based upon the wealth and rank of the samurai. There were also strict traditions to be followed for a young samurai. When a samurai was born, he would be given a small sword charm to wear on his belt. When the boy is five he gets his first haircut and begins to learn martial arts. At age seven he receives his first wide trousers called hakama. When the young samurai is fifteen he goes through a ceremony called gembuku where the boy becomes a man. He then receives his adult name, his adult haircut, and his first real sword and armor. Most boys would be taught combat skills by their father and eventually as he got older he would be taught by a local sensei. Those boys from wealthier families were expected to be educated men and may be sent to an academy where they would study literature and the arts along with martial arts. The training of the samurai for battle was intensive. There was more than just physical training involved. Strong mental concentration and focus were necessary to channel their energies before battle. The samurai warrior would spend endless hours practicing a set of complex battle movements called kata. â€Å"This practice started slowly at first increasing speed, until they became effortless and perfect. The movements were based on strategies of attack, defense, and counterattack† (Gaskin Hawkins 73). However, the only way these young samurais would ever gain experience is to take part in actual battle. So the sons of the samurai would follow their fathers into battle to test their newly learned fighting techniques. The samurai were also known for having a psychic awareness of the world around them in addition to their great skill. This is something practiced from an early age as well. An example of this keen awareness is seen in the story of three brothers told by their father. The father decided to test the ability of his three sons. He placed a vase on top a door so that it would fall when someone entered. The youngest son entered the room and he cut the vase in half with his sword before it hit the ground. The father’s response was, â€Å"This son has a long way to go.† Then he called for his middle son, this son caught the vase right above his head. This time his father’s response was that, â€Å"he is strong and improving but still has much to learn.† Finally, the oldest was called into the room, when he reaches for the door he immediately feels the weight of the vase. He slides the door open a crack and catches the vase and walks in. His father replies, â€Å" This son is doing well.† (Gaskin Hawkins 75). Their goal for perfections and their training and dedication were endless. The samurai is famous for his sword and it is one his most prized possessions. There are two main swords, one called the katana and the other the wakizashi. The wakizashi is worn on his belt at all times and a shorter blade of the two that was used in battle. The katana is the longer curved sword that was the samurai’s main weapon. The sword is given to a samurai at birth and placed next to that samurai when he dies. The samurai would take the sword everywhere he went, even to bed. It was treated with great respect and most would have been passed down from generation to generation. The process for making each sword from iron and steel is long and tedious requiring many steps and much patience. When finished a decorative handle would be added. The sword makers were respected and treated with almost reverence for the job they performed. â€Å"Like an artist the master sword maker would often sign his work (Gaskins Hawkins 10). This sword would be the difference between life an d death for many samurai. The 1500s began as time known as the Period of Warring States. This term was borrowed from the Chinese even though Japan was battling between families and clans, and not states. The leader of the clan called himself an ashigaru. which means great names. Only the strongest clan could survive these battles and the daimyo would do anything to win. The powerful daimyos had large armies made up of foot soldiers called ashigaru. During this time there was also a big change in how the samurai fought. In addition to using the traditional bows they were introduced to guns for the first time. First the guns came from European traders and were made in China, but it didn’t take long for the Japanese to start manufacturing their own weapons. (Turnbull 19). The samurai’s armor was one of the most elaborate and unique creations of their time. Today they are seen as works of art. Their armor was made from lamellar armor which took small metal plates and fastened them together and covered with a lacquer to make them waterproof. The outside of the armor was very colorful and sewn and covered with silk and leather designs. There were two types of armor, one called yori, which was heavier and used for riding on horseback. The other was called do-maru this was lighter and more practical for the foot soldiers. Both allowed for the samurai to have flexibility to move able to use their weapons and move in battle. This armor covered the entire body from samurai’s helmet to his chest protector and panels protecting his hips, arms and legs. One interesting fact is the about the kote. It is an armored sleeve only worn on the left arm so that the right arm would be free for the samurai to shoot his bow. Even when the bow was no longer us ed for battles this type of armor was seen as honoring a sense of tradition (How Samurai Work 5). The samurai’s helmet was also very important. It provided heavy duty protection to the head and neck. They also wore an â€Å"iron face mask, which might represent demons, ghosts, or barbarians† (Gaskin Hawkins 71) to help intimidate the enemy. An older warrior might want to use the face of a younger warrior so no one would know his age. The heavy duty neck covering helped in battles, and also helped prevent beheadings. Another example of samurai pride and courage is the ritual of burning incense in his helmet before battle. This was done so if he was defeated and beheaded he would leave behind a pleasant scent. Another example of their legendary bravery was in 1281 when Genghis Khan (leader of the Mongols out of Asia) attempted to invade Japan. But, because of the brave samurai and a well timed storm called a kamikaze, they were destroyed along with their ships. The word kamikaze means â€Å"winds of the gods†, but after that day it took on another meaning to include, destroying an enemy. Even in 1945 the term kamikaze pilot was used for the Japanese pilots that attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. This victory against the Mongols was another added to the list of samurai’s brave and notable victories (Gaskin Hawkins 28). To the samurai, their pride went hand in hand with their honor and heritage. One example of this is when one samurai would challenge another to battle. It was tradition at this time for each samurai to speak publicly the names of all his ancestors, along with their accomplishments in battle ( some stories became embellished over time). This showed the deep pride and respect they held for his ancestors. (Turnbull 47). By the 14th century a samurai’s lineage had gotten quite long and just reciting your ancestors was difficult. The family pedigree was so important it was written down to be kept safe at all cost. An example of this devotion is when a samurai’s house caught fire and one samurai volunteered to go in and get the family tree that was written on a banner. â€Å"After the fire they found the samurai laying dead on his stomach, when they turned him over they found he had cut his stomach open and put the family tree inside to protect it from the flames† (Tur nbull 53). This is another example of their devotion to their family and to duty. The ancestors of the samurai were very much involved in the present life of the samurai. Every year during the Bon Festival they would be welcomed back through religious ceremonies. These ceremonies showed a deep appreciation felt toward their ancestors. They felt great gratitude for who they were, this included their name and their status. There were even rituals held before battles to bring the ancestors to help (Turnbull 48). The death of the samurai was treated with the same respect and honor as was his life. Seppuku is the word used for suicide by cutting open the stomach (also known as hari kiri). Seppuku was performed with a dagger. To the samurai warrior seppuku was something to be honored and respected. It could also bring back honor to him and his family if he had been beaten in battle or disgraced. This took incredible bravely and was extremely painful. Often a friend of the samurai’s would to end his pain by cutting off his head. (History Channel). This could also be something planned out ahead of time or done quickly during battle. Nitta Yoshisada is one of the most famous stories of a samurai’s death in 1336. Going into battle one day he was worried, the battle was difficult and he had to lead his men through rice fields. Yoshida went charging in, despite a heavy attack of soldiers and arrows. His horse was hit and fell down pinning him underneath. He had no time or way to reach his stomach to perform seppuku so they say he cut off his own head. This is just one of many extreme acts of seppuku over the many years of the samurai. As clans all over Japan dispersed there became a large amount of samurai without a master these samurai were called ronin. These ronin were different from most samurai because they were not loyal to any lord. Many of them became personal body guards for farm owners, and some became senseis, and others took the time to master the technique of the sword. As time has passed the so did the importance of the samurai warrior. There were no more battles to be fought and peace was among the country. This with Japan becoming a more industrialized nation. After years of isolationism and their declining economy Japan was finally forced to open trade with western countries including the United States. This caused a split in Japan between the conventional samurai ideals and those who wanted to bring in the new ways of the west. In 1876 the emperor decided that there would be no wearing swords unless you were part of the imperial armed forces. This was another symbol of the samurai‘s power no longer needed. Over time the samurai could no longer support themselves and returned to farming or working in cites. The role of the samurai warrior was finished. The Japanese samurais have been extremely influential figures throughout Japan’s history. Their influence has been seen is all aspects of Japanese life from the education of young boys in body and mind, to governing of the Emperors, to the study of the martial arts. Their code of honor and loyalty are traditions that all Japanese respect and try to live up to even today. The self sacrifice of ones own life for a common cause was even seen in World War II when Japanese pilots deliberately crashed their planes into United States ships anchored at Pearl Harbor. This was a devastating attack and can show the horror caused by revenge and their belief in sacrifice and honor. They were even called kamikaze pilots after the famous samurai battle of long ago. The influence of the samurai continues to be seen in Japan today in a positive way with the stories and legends of heroic samurai and the bushido as their guide. Works Cited Gaskin, Carol. and Hawkins, Vince. The Ways of the Samurai. New York: Byron Preiss Visual Publications, 2003 â€Å"History of the Samurai.† http://home.online.no/~p-loeand/samurai/hist-eng.htm â€Å"How Samurai Work.† http://science.howstuffworks.com/samurai.htm The History Channel: The Samurai. Videocassette. AE Television Networks, 2003. 100 min. Turnbull, Stephen. Samurai, The World of the Warrior. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003