rhetoric essay free essay sample

If Technology is Making Us Stupid, It’s Not Technology’s Fault In his article â€Å"If Technology Is Making Us Stupid, It’s Not Technology’s Fault,† David Theo Goldberg effectively informs the reader about the effects that computers in the home and school environment could have on the future education of the coming generations. Goldberg achieves this by executing defined organization and adding unique comparisons about the potentially crippling effects technology can have on a society when put into the wrong hands. Goldberg approaches the organization of his article in such a way that he is able to progress his opinion in a slow enough pace to address all major points, including who society blames as the problem and who is actually at fault, and immediately address the potential counterarguments. He begins with the arguments that would be used against the heavy use of computers such as the â€Å"introduction of computers in homes [leading] to children spending less time on homework and more time on recreational games,† causing a deflation in testing scores (Goldberg, 2010). We will write a custom essay sample on rhetoric essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Goldberg quickly counters that argument with multiple counterexamples including the idea that the increased computer use leads to â€Å"improved computing skills,† which will ultimately play a role in increasing the employability of the newer generations (Goldberg, 2010). This is effective in achieving Goldberg’s point because immediately addressing the counter allows the reader to clearly understand your view on one point at a time rather than every counterargument being thrown into one jumbled paragraph without an easy flow in the writing. The reader is able to clearly understand what message Goldberg was trying to convey and what he thinks should be done to monitor, or control the potential problems that could arise from the increase in the usage of computers through his choice in organizational styles which proves much more clarity to the article that could have otherwise been lost. Through his organization, Goldberg manages to also clearly use strong comparisons to older issues regarding similar social or societal fear. He does this through the primary comparison of issues such as television and  automobiles to the issue of the implementation of computers as a primary source in the home and school. Goldberg mentions that â€Å"when television became socially widespread in the 1950s the concern was that it would undermine learning,† which he follows with the conclusion that it indeed did do that very thing but not on such a black and white scale that many researches expected (Goldberg, 2010). The television did provide an outlet for the already unmotivated people to be even more unmotivated but it also provided an educational outlet. Television was the start of many advanced programs such as Sesame Street, and the History Channel. Goldberg quickly compares this to the computer by showing that this too can be used as an educational driving force for younger generations as shown by recent studies. Goldberg’s quick and clear comparison to a related topic proves to the audience that looking at the facts and concerns on a surface level may not express the true potential that the computers can add to the field of education. Goldberg does state that computers, much like other things in life, need to be monitored and used responsibly in order to achieve the most out of it. He explains this through his comparison of the automobile and allowing a child to drive for the first time. With the proper tools and instruction one can expect, or at least hope, that the young teenager will be much more equipped and feel at ease behind the wheel of the car. If that is the case then they will be able to use the car for what it was intended to do which was to â€Å"encourage interactive engagement, creativity, and participatory interaction with others,† (Goldberg, 2010). This Goldberg says is what the computer and internet are intended to do also. Goldberg’s comparison of the expectations of the past and the reality of today was the strongest in showing his point. His comparison that the old philosophy of reading the â€Å"classic† literature and having the vast understanding of the past is just that, a thing of the past (Goldberg, 2010). He shows the reader that our idea of what should be an acceptable amount of old world reading should be advancing with the times and our understanding of what is needed in this world to succeed is not the same as that of sixty years ago. This is effective in bringing the old world fears that the audience might be experiencing up to the twenty-first century reality that times are changing. Goldberg’s comparisons effectively prove his point by showing that yes what these researchers are saying could potentially be true but if used  responsibly and monitored the computers could be a huge stepping stone to success. The important choice of organization and the comparisons to other successful leaps of societal faith really display the beliefs of Goldberg himself. The clear depiction allows the audience to fully understand that there is truth to what the researchers and skeptics are saying about the potential dangers that this poses on the education level of future generations but that doesn’t overshadow the fact that this is an effective tool and one that is very present in the times we live in.

Why the US Government Cant End Illegal Immigration

Why the US Government Cant End Illegal Immigration Illegal immigration into the United States is a highly profitable proposition for both employers and the U.S. government, and it also benefits Mexico, which is the largest source country of undocumented immigrants into the US. The US and Mexican governments actively entice illegal immigrants to enter this country and to work illegally for profit-hungry U.S. employers. Poverty-stricken immigrants , who are often desperate to house and feed their families, respond to the financial enticements...and then are blamed by U.S. citizenry for illegally being in the US. The purpose of this 4-part article is to explain why the US federal government cant afford and doesnt soon plan to to end illegal immigration. Part 1 - United States Borders Are Barely EnforcedTen million illegal immigrants live in the US, according to estimates by academic and government agencies, although Bear-Stearns investment firm analysts claim that the US illegal immigrant population may be as high as 20 million people. About 75% of undocumented immigrants arrive across the US southern border with Mexico, and hail from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and other Central and South American countries. The bulk...about 50% of all illegals....are Mexican-born people. Time magazine stated in 2004 that illegal immigration accelerated under the Bush Administration, with the US gaining 3 million additional illegal immigrant residents in 2004. A third of all illegal immigrants in the US live in California. Other states with large illegal populations are, in descending order, Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida and Arizona. After more than 100 years in existence, President Bush dissolved the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)in March 2003 and absorbed it into the new Homeland Security Department, along with FEMA and dozens of other federal agencies created to help citizens and residents. Until its dissolution, the INS had been part of the Justice Department since 1940, and before that, part of the US Labor Department. After the September 11, 2001 tragedy, the Bush Administration complained that the INS was insufficiently focused on deporting and expelling illegal immigrants, and thus asked that it be transferred to Homeland Security. The US Border Patrol is charged with the responsibility of enforcing illegal immigration across US borders. Until 2003, the Border Patrol was part of the INS, but was also folded into Homeland Security (as a separate agency from INS). The massive US intelligence agencies overhaul passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in January 2005 required Homeland Security to hire 10,000 more Border Patrol agents, 2,000 per year starting immediately. The Border Patrol currently employs 9,500 agents who patrol 8,000 miles of border. But Bush Administration ignored the law mandating the hiring of new agents. Said Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) to CNNs Lou Dobbs, Unfortunately, the White House ignored the law, and only asked us for 200 more agents. Thats unacceptable. Culberson was referring to the federal budget for 2006 in which President Bush provided funds for only 210 new agents, not 2,000 additional agents. Both houses of Congress worked together twice in 2005 to bypass the White House, and hire 1,500 new Border Patrol agents......500 shy of that required by law, but far surpassing the mere 210 planned by President Bush. The US-Mexico border remains significantly under-patrolled. On October 7, 2005, 80 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the President, calling on him to enforce immigration laws, and deferring consideration of the White Houses proposed guest-worker immigration program. History has shown that enforcement provisions are ignored and underfunded... said the Congressional letter. Meanwhile, Congressman Culberson told CNNs Lou Dobbs on October 7, 2005, Weve got a full-scale war going on our southern border. You dont need to go to Iraq to see a war. Weve got widespread lawlessness...We need boots on the ground...ASAP. Part 2 - Widespread Poverty and Hunger in MexicoAccording to the World Bank, 53% of Mexico population of 104 million residents live in poverty, which is defined as living on less than $2 a day. Close to 24% of Mexicos population live in extreme poverty, which means they live on less than $1 a day. The bottom 40% of Mexican households share less than 11% of the countrys wealth. Millions live in extreme poverty,and children are compelled to work on the streets in order to help provide food for their families. Unemployment in Mexico is realistically estimated near 40%, and there are no government unemployment benefits. There are also virtually no welfare benefits to provide the basics for poverty-stricken, often-starving women, children and families. Poverty wasnt always as pervasive as it is today in Mexico. In 1983, the devaluation of the Mexican peso triggered an explosion of US-owned factories, called maquiladoras, along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border. Corporations closed thousands of factories within US borders, and relocated them to Mexico to take advantage of cheaper labor costs, few required benefits and legally-acceptable poorer working conditions. Hundreds of thousands of poor Mexican workers and their families moved to northernmost Mexico to labor in the maquiladoras. Within ten years, though, those same US corporations closed the maquiladoras, and again relocated factories, this time to Asia, which proffered even cheaper labor costs, no benefits and often abject working conditions acceptable to local governments. Those hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers in the maquiladoras, and their families, were left with nothing. No benefits, no severance. Nothing. To complicate economic matters more, Mexicos 1994-95 privatization of its banking and telecommunications industries thrust millions more into poverty with increased consumer prices, rising unemployment and wage and benefit cuts. Mexicos massive privatizations in 1994-95 also created a new privileged class of home-grown millionaires and billionaires. As of 2002, Mexico ranked fourth in the world in billionaires, behind the US, Japan and Germany. To summarize thusfar, millions of Mexican families live in soul-stripping poverty...unemployed, hungry, without healthcare...and the US border with Mexico is significantly under-enforced. Part 3 - US Employers Routinely Hire Illegal Immigrants, With Little PenaltyIn March 2005, Wal-Mart, a company with $285 billion in annual sales. was fined $11 million for having untold hundreds of illegal immigrants nationwide clean its stores. The federal government boasts its the largest of its kind. But for Wal-Mart, it amounts to a rounding error-and no admittance of wrongdoing since it claims it didnt know its contractors hired the illegals wrote the Christian Science Monitor on March 28, 2005. If it werent so easy for illegals and employers to skirt worker ID verification, the settlements requirement that Wal-Mart also improve hiring controls might have a ripple effect in corporate America. but the piddling fine will hardly deter businesses from hiring cheap labor from a pool of illegals thats surged by 23 percent since 2000....But enforcement is pathetically inadequate, especially since 9/11. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provides for sanctions against businesses that hire undocumented workers, which means workers without proper identification. The legislation was enacted once Mexico-US border maquiladoras run by US corporations began closing, and those workers streamed across the border, searching for jobs of any kind. But heres the rub. In 1999, under President Bill Clinton, the US government collected $3.69 million in fines from 890 companies for employing undocumented workers. In 2004, under President George Bush, the federal government collected $188,500 from 64 companies for such illegal employment practices. And in 2004, the Bush Administration levied NO fines for US companies employing undocumented workers. In 21st-century America, its an unspoken agreement between employer, the undocumented employee and the federal government: the employee provides acceptable ID that appears authentic, the employer asks no questions, and the US government looks the other way. Fake ID...Social Security cards, US permanent residency cards (i.e. green cards), US temporary employment authorization cards....are readily available for about $100 to $200 in every major American city,and plenty of smaller ones, too. Wrote reporter Eduardo Porter in an April 5, 2005 New York Times article, Currently available for about $150 on street corners in just about any immigrant neighborhood in California, a typical fake ID package includes a green card and a Social Security card. It provides cover for employers, who, if asked, can plausibly assert that they believe all their workers are legal. Why would employers hire undocumented workers? As one person in Arizona noted, It looks like entering the US through the desert as undocumented immigrants is some kind of employment screening test administered by the US government for the hospitality, construction and recreation industries. Willing to work at the most dangerous jobs, an immigrant a day will also die in the work place, even while for others the work place has become safer over the last decade. And undocumented workers, grateful for any job, will work for lower wages and minimal or no benefits, therefore enabling employers to make higher business profits. Cheaper labor costs and lesser working conditions equal greater profits for business owners. In a January 2005 World Net Daily article, a report by investment firm Bear Stearns was cited that clearly illustrates that millions of US jobs have shifted from the legal workforce as employers have systematically replaced American workers with lower wage illegal aliens. For illegal immigrants, its about finding any work to feed, clothe and shelter their families. For employers, its about profits. But why would the US government look the other way, allowing employers to replace American workers with undocumented workers from other countries? ...experts blame the twin pressures of ethnic advocacy and business interests reports the Christian Science Monitor. Translation....ethnic advocacy means buying favor...and votes....within the illegal immigrant community. If an immigrant doesnt vote, he/she has relatives who do. In the 21st century, Hispanics surpassed African-Americans as the largest ethnic group in the United States. Many believe that the Bush Administrations lack of immigration enforcement in 2004 was directly connected to the Republican Partys goal to court the Hispanic vote, and to entice Hispanics to join Republican ranks. Translation...business interests means profits. When labor costs are lower, business profits are higher. When thousands of businesses have higher profits, then the US business community is stronger (and happier). More votes and more voter perception of success. A major economic drawback, though, to allowing thousands...probably millions...of US businesses to pay under-market wages and benefits to undocumented workers is that it depresses wages for all workers in the US. All Americans workers, then have decreased incomes, lower benefits and higher rates of poverty and hunger. An obvious moral drawback to allowing US businesses to pay under-market, lower than even minimum wage rates, is that its wrong. Minimum wage and standard minimal working conditions are established to humanely provide for the safety and welfare of all workers...not just American-born workers. Its a matter of decency and human rights, rooted in the United States Christian-Judeo heritage. Its wrong and exploitative, and its immoral. Its an updated form of economic slavery. Writes Dr. Groody, Immigrants die cutting North Carolina tobacco and Nebraska beef, chopping down trees in Colorado, welding a balcony in Florida , trimming grass at a Las Vegas golf course, and falling from scaffolding in Georgia.... With an economic gun at their backs, they leave their homes because hunger and poverty pushes them across the border....Every day, immigrants dehydrate in deserts, drown in canals, freeze in mountains and suffocate in tractor trailers. As a result, the death toll has increased 1,000 percent in some places. And theres one more reason why would the US government would look the other way, thus allowing US employers to replace American workers with undocumented workers from other countries. A huge, seemingly insurmountable reason. A $7 billion a year problem: Social Security. Part 4 - Undocumented Workers Give $7 Billion Annually to Social SecurityAccording to a New York Times article on April 5, 2005, ...the estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year....Moreover, the money paid by illegal immigrants and their employers is factored into all the Social Security Administrations projections. However,since illegal immigrant workers are here illegally, and ostensibly presented fake ID to the US employer, they will never collect Social Security benefits. For illegal immigrants, Social Security numbers are simply a tool needed to work on this side of the border. Retirement does not enter the picture, reports the New York Times. The Social Security Administration remains solvent in large part due to deductions taken from the paychecks of illegal immigrant workers, yet Social Security will never pay benefits to those workers. The workers pay in, but they never receive back. Wouldnt the federal government detect fake Social Security numbers? According to that April 6, 2005 New York Times article, Starting in the late 1980s, the social Security Administration received a flood of W-2 earnings reports with incorrect-sometimes simply fictitious-Social Security numbers. It stashed them in what it calls the earnings suspense file in the hope that someday it would figure out whom they belonged to. The file has been mushrooming ever since: $189 billion worth of wages ended up recorded in the suspense file over the 1990s, two and a half times the amount of the 1980s. In the current decade, the file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year, generating $6 billion to $7 billion in Social Security tax revenue and about $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes. ...the mismatched W-2s fit like a glove on illegal immigrants known geographic distribution and the patchwork of jobs they typically hold. An audit found that more than half of the 100 employers filing the most earnings reports with false social Security numbers from 1997 through 2001 came from just three states: California, Texas and Illinois. As shown by this information, the federal bureaucracy clearly knows which companies employ probable illegal immigrant workers, and it even knows which workers are likely illegals. And the government does nothing about it. Not one penalty was levied by the federal government against an employer in 2004 for hiring undocumented workers. SUMMARY The equation to explain the whys of illegal immigration into the US is simple: Add: Widespread abject poverty and starvation in Mexico after US corporations relocated their cheap-labor plants from the US-Mexico border to Asia, and after Mexican banks and telecommunications were privatized, creating dozens of instant billionaires and plunging millions into poverty. Add: An extremely porous, under-enforced US-Mexico border. Add: US employers anxious for more profits, and willing to exploit the poverty and fears of illegal immigrants to do so. Add: The federal government anxious to curry favor with , and garner votes from, business owners and the Hispanic community...thus, willing to under-enforce borders and immigrations laws, and ignore illegal hiring by employers. Add: The Social Security Administration dependent on taking in $7 billion annually of contributions from illegal immigrant workers who will never receive benefits from the system. THE RESULT: Millions of illegal immigrants working for low wages and in poor working conditions, grateful for scraps to fall from the US table of prosperity, per Dr. Groody. Wealthier US businesses, and a much-richer Social Security Administration, neither which reimburse local and state authorities and taxpayers for the costs (education, health care, law enforcement and more) associated with illegal immigrants. And a very angry US citizenry, who vilify immigrants for being here, rather than blaming the business owners who hire and exploit them, the US government which lets them enter the US and profits greatly from them, and the Mexican government which is happy to see them immigrate out of their country. Our nation virtually posts two sign on its southern border: Help Wanted: Inquire Within and Do Not Trespass, says Pastor Robin Hoover of Humane Borders. Without the help of immigrant labor, the US economy would virtually collapse. We want and need cheap immigrant labor, but we do not want the immigrants.

Cost and Benefit Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cost and Benefit Analysis - Essay Example However, Lord Heseltine claimed in public forum on 12th November 2013 that though the money to be invested in the project high, the investors should not take account of it. He further indicated that the project was lucrative as it was ‘really imaginative’ and its nominal investment requirement is worth the benefits. Nonetheless, other ministers claimed that if this project would be indeed funded, then it would substantially increase the incidence of taxation on the general taxpayers in Britain. So, they requested to cut down the investment fund of the project by at least 10 billion. They also recommended that the government of the country should try to increase contributions of the private sector in the project. On the contrary, Heseltine claimed that the money invested through huge in the project would bring greater economic growth in the country, as it would augment the overall wellbeing of the northern and southern regions of the nation. He also claimed that with grea t risks come great opportunities and thus, it is highly economic to invest in the concerned project. It was stated by Lord Heseltine that through monetary investment value for the HS2 project was high, it was highly rational to invest such huge amounts in the project; as it was productive and imaginative and could generate large returns in the long run. Even so, the economists always considered monetary benefit and cost analysis to estimate the worth of making an investment. This is because; in the real world, the business operates are subjected to different fluctuations in market conditions generated by internal and external externalities. The economists regard the three above factors to examine cost-benefit analysis of a government project.

Impact of Energy Cost Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Impact of Energy Cost - Research Paper Example Note that various industries such as manufacturing, transportation, and fishery among others are oil-intensive. In this regard, an increase in the pump price of petroleum products would push up their production cost. This translates to an upward shift in the aggregate supply curve from AS1 to AS2, wherein higher price is seen. This condition proves that in the event of energy cost uptrend, increase in inflation is highly likely. Such is especially applicable to oil dependent nations which are extra sensitive to the volatility in energy cost. When energy costs increase, the prices of final output rise to recoup higher production cost incurred. With this, rising inflation occurs. As mentioned in the article, subsidy on high crude prices is unsustainable as it weighs down government budget. As such, Indonesian and Thai governments lifted such subsidies and allowed firms and consumers to fully absorb price increases instead. The elimination of subsidies is comparable to increasing net taxes because essentially it decreases deductions in taxes. This results in the downward shift in the income function as rising energy cost reduces consumption given a particular marginal propensity to consume (MPC), from AE1 to AE2. Relative to this, AD curve shifts downward from AD1 to AD2.

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employment Law - Assignment Example An employee is deemed to have been wrongfully dismissed if there is no adequate notice by the employer as per their employment contract. Notwithstanding a breach of contract, unfair dismissals occur if they do not fall under one of the six fair reasons allowed by law. Besides, unfair dismissal occurs if the employer has not followed a fair procedure and has acted unreasonably in the dismissal of the employee. Under certain circumstances, employer must comply with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure failing which the Employment Tribunal will find for the employee. The Tribunal has the discretion to increase the award by 25 % if the employer has not complied with the Code. Employees have the right to insist on reasons for dismissal in writing under section 92(1) of the Employment Rights Act 1996. (ERA) since a written statement can serve as evidence in any subsequent Tribunal proceedings. If the employer has not shown lawful reasons for dismissal, not foll owed the set procedure and not given sufficient notice, the employee can claim unfair or wrongful dismissal. Requirement of a notice depends on the terms of employment contract i.e whether the employment is for a fixed period or an indefinite period. If indefinite, the contract must have a provision for the period of notice by the employer or employee. In case of notice period mentioned in the contract, a reasonable notice is a must though the length of notice can vary according to circumstances and industry norms. However, an employer is required to give a statutory minimum period of notice i.e one week’s notice if the employee has worked continuously for one month or more but less than two years. If the period of service is two years or more but less than 12 years, one week’s notice is required for each year of continuous employment. If the employee has worked for 12 years or more, employee is entitled to minimum 12 weeks’ notice. This is regardless of any sho rter period mentioned in a contract, though longer period than statutory period is allowed. A notice already issued cannot be withdrawn without a mutual consent. If there is no notice given by the employer, it will amount to wrongful dismissal entailing payment of damages equivalent to the wages and benefits for the stipulated period of notice. In case of a PILON (payment in lieu of notice) clause in the employment contract, it will not amount to breach of contract if the employer has given money to the employee in lieu of notice. However, if the employee has committed serious or gross misconduct, summary dismissal without notice with immediate effect is justified. The seriousness or gross nature of misconduct will depend upon the circumstances. Theft, fraud, physical violence, serious negligence or serious breaches of health and safety rules are instances of serious misconduct. Examples are usually illustrated in the disciplinary procedure prescribed by the employer. For claiming w rongful or unfair dismissal, an employee must have put in one year of continuous employment with the employer. The qualifying period of employment has been increased to two years from the date of 6 April 2012. This will not apply to those employees whose qualifying period commences before 6 April 2012. A fair dismissal exists in the following circumstances as mentioned in section 98 (1) of the ERA: Lack of skill or qualifications. 2. Misconduct by the employee. 3. Redundancy. 4. Retirement. 5 Breach of an Act in case of continued employment. 6. Any other reason of substantial nature. Even then, it is expected of an employer to follow a fair procedure to dismiss the employee as mentioned in section 94(4) of the ERA. Of these reasons, conduct on the part of the dismissed employees herein is of immediate relevance. In order to decide whether the employer has acted fairly in dealing with his employee’

Movie Analysis Of Braveheart Film Studies Essay

Movie Analysis Of Braveheart Film Studies Essay Some movies have big war scenes with huge musical scores to reflect the big action. One of these film is Braveheart. William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, is the central character and hero of the movie. He is the motivator of men. He is a leader of men. He rallies his Scottish countrymen to his belief that the English had to be fought and Scotland had to be independent. This film has some huge battle scenes of men fighting hand to hand combat. These scenes are so realistic and dramatic for me to observe to give me a feel of this era of history when war was fought man-to-man. William Wallace is a courageous and heroic figure in this film. He is the one who believes in an independent Scotland and desires to remain free from the English influences from the south. He wants the Scottish to retain their own ways, their own beliefs, and their own cultural traditions separate from the English as long as possible. This movie was suspenseful, dramatic, and entertaining for me from start to fi nish because of my respect for the central character and hero, William Wallace, as well as the great musical score to reflect the themes, characters, and plot lines more powerfully. The music for this film is essentially designed to reflect the characters and the plot line. The long warring history of England and Scotland is an important part of the background story to this film. Some of the subtitle text provides insights into this era of time and the background of the relationship between the two peoples and the two kingdoms. The Scottish and English have never really been at peace with each other over the political authority over the territories that comprise Scotland. Even today, there could be debates and disputes found in the pubs in Scotland and England over exactly what the nature of their past relationship is and how it affects their current political relationship. This film provides a living history lesson to that past time period when the Scottish and English warriors fought it out over respect, integrity, and the willingness to lay everything on the line for freedom, independence, and separation from each other. The musical score reflects these theme s as the heroic music is felt when Wallace and the Scots are doing their thing, and the tension and oppression of the English is felt when they are present and especially when they are winning the battles. The Scottish spirit and temperament of this older time period is clearly represented in the films hero, William Wallace. The music attempts to amplify and magnify his heroic qualities. He is played by famous action hero actor, Mel Gibson, who provides this character with relentless, courageous energy and emotion from start to finish. William Wallace is able to lead his Scottish men into battle with exceptional courage and leadership capabilities. Wallace knows how to give his warriors a serious motivational speech before these battles where the Scottish usually are underdog and at much lower odds to win against the usually superior English in regards to military manpower and military weaponry. Wallace is always fighting undermanned and with less weaponry than his English opponents. Yet, at the same instant, Wallace is fighting with his men for higher, spiritual causes and reasons that put their English opponents often at the actual disadvantage. This motivation and spiritual upliftin g energy personified in this central character, William Wallace, is the driving force behind the films plot and battle scenes. The musical flourishes are always important. The music dominates the action. The music is suppose to make us in the audience feel the action. Wallace makes his men and himself believe that they are capable of taking on any opponents force of any size and greatness and defeating that opponent because of their brave hearts. Thus, the music indeed reflects the central theme in this film about English-Scottish history and their long legacy of fighting and warfare that the men with the braver hearts usually won over the men with the better weapons and greater numbers. Because the combat was face-to-face, hand-to-hand, the men with the braver hearts would ultimately achieve victory. The heroic traits of these men are clearly reflected in the intense musical score. William Wallace was aware of thus all important factor of the brave heart when motivating his warriors to fight it out with a more powerful foe. Wallace understands that the brave hearted men in his Scottish forces are going to out fight and out last the English soldiers and warriors as the battles drag on. Wallace knows this is a war that has to be won on the spiritual level first and foremost to be able to achieve victory on the battlefields. This is war that needs to be taken to the next level spiritually and idealistically so Wallace can motiv ate his Scottish men to believe in themselves no matter how bad it gets and now matter how close defeat approaches. This is a war that William Wallace believes that the Scottish have to will themselves to victory through their brave hearts. Thus, the musical score in this film was very important for understanding the central character, William Wallace, and his range of emotions from high to low, from good to bad, and how he was always trying to bring out the best in his men. He is able to be the person who can really be a hero and the musical score was able to reflect these heroic qualities, especially the music during the battle scenes. Film No. 2 Babel The music is exotic in this film because of the fact that the central characters in this film are in four different places and settings simultaneously. One of the central characters is Richard. He is the wealthy white American man who has taken his wife to Morocco to save their marriage. Another central character is Richards nanny, Amelia, who is charge of the two children back in San Diego. A third central character is Chieko in Tokyo, Japan whose father is the one who originally gave the hunting rifle to a hunting guide during a Morocco hunting trip in the past. A fourth set of central characters are the two brothers, Ahmed and Yussuf, who are sons of a goat herder in charge of the goats and shooting jackals with the gun their father Abdulla purchased from Hassan the hunting guide for a good price. These central characters are all in motion at four different places and settings simultaneously. The director does an excellent job in painting the musical score the right way for this p lot line, the character development, and the overall mood of the film. The Morocco setting to start the film offers some traditional music from this region that really does bring an exotic mood to the opening. The two young brothers, Ahmed and Yussuf, are really doing what kids do when given the responsibility of a loaded gun. These young brothers begin daring each other to try shooting things with it besides the intended jackals as their father desired. The two brothers begin shooting at targets to test the gun. Ahmed then turns and shoots at a passing car down on the mountain road. Yussuf, who is a much better shot, takes the gun and shoots at a tour bus coming down the same mountain road in the distance. The boys dont think nothing happened at first, but then the bus slows to a stop. The boys take off running as fast as they can and become worried sick about the accident. They know that someone was probably injured or killed by the gun shot fired by Yussuf who had a good aim too. And they hide the information from their father Abdulla at first becaus e of the great fear of getting caught. This secret becomes even more significant when Abdulla at dinner reveals that an American tourist had been shot on a tour bus in their area. This is something that strikes great fear in the hearts of these two young brothers. In turn, they want to make sure they dont get caught for it. These decisions are typical of two young brothers who look out for each others back. Yet, when the police investigator comes up the driveway when their father is not around, the boys lie about the location to buy more time for themselves and to permit them the opportunity to tell their father. This tell-all to the father becomes a bad time for the brothers as they fight, turn on each other, and become bitterly mad at each other. The father fears their safety and decides to flee with them and the rifle. The music in the sequence featuring the father and two brothers is very moody and exotic in quality because they are mountain dwellers who live very simple lives. Yet, they are suddenly wrapped up in this awful tragedy. The traumatic sequence in the film featuring Richard is something that is suspenseful, tense, and tragic in tone and implication because of the musical score accompanying his presence in the story line. The continuous fear in him that his wife will die from the gun shot wound to her neck without any proper medical aid on this village mountain top in Morocco. Richards character goes through so many different kinds of emotions during his ordeal waiting for the medical helicopter. He has to forge trusting relations with Moroccan villagers, including the village healer, as well as relationships with his fellow bus passengers for a time period to try to get them to see his predicament and his tragedy from his shoes. Richard is a master at getting people to feel like he does and have empathy for his position in this ordeal. The character of Richard teaches us in the film audience the terrifying situation of being face to face with a tragic loss of a loved one. At many points, Richards wife seems ready to die. This constant on the edge of his seat about her death makes him reflect on many things in his life. He becomes a different kind of man than he was before this shooting incident occurred. The music is tense, moody, and changing all the time during this back and forth situation with Richard and his injured wife. The villagers are trying to help them but they dont have the medical technology necessary to save her. The music becomes sorrowful as Richard faces the reality of her impending death coming soon. The central character of Amelia, Richards hired nanny, is another intriguing person for us in the film audience in relation to music and her character development because of her risks and boldness of personality to take Richards children without his permission to her sons wedding in Mexico. She will not miss her sons wedding no matter what she has to do. These white children are very reluctant to go to Mexico. They are socialized to fear Mexicans and Mexico itself. However, in the sequences of the wedding and wedding celebration, these two white children become happier and more relaxed the more fun they start having with the Mexican children their same age. The music in this sequence of the film is very important and it reflects the good time everyone is having. This is probably the most important musical section in the film. Film No. 3 The Color Purple In watching this film, The Color Purple, my awareness and knowledge of the struggle of the African American people in the Deep South earlier this century was increased significantly. This films sets, background scenery, music, and characters were all arranged to bring the most dramatic effect on us in the audience. The excellent performance of the actors and actresses was critical to understanding the plot and action, but the musical score provides the emotions and pain felt by these characters. The protagonist, Celie, is a poor woman with little education who at age fourteen is sexually abused and impregnated by her own father, Alphonso. After she is moved out of her family home, she is forced to marry this widower with several children. This husband is called Mister throughout the play. Celie has to deal with physical abuse from him as well. This play is about Celies development from a naà ¯ve, uneducated woman to a courageous, individual woman who stands up for herself. This musical score in the early part of the film is a tragic one which gives us a feeling about Celies character. She is facing such awful things and her life is affected by it. The music becomes stronger as Celie learns to stand up for herself and become a stronger person because of two strong women, Sofia and Shug Avery. These two women prove to Celie that she as a woman must sometimes stand up for herself. For example, in one scene, Sofia, who is Harpos wife, is fighting back with Harpo. This display of courage and strength by Sofia impresses Celie. In another scene, Shug demonstrates her courage to speak her mind and convey to Celie that a woman can be an independent, fearless creature when wanting to be. In this film, Celie learns from Sofia and Shug how to be an adult woman. Sofia provides the toughness and courage displays against her husband Harpo that impress Celie and make her recognize her need to be more like her. Shug ends up becoming Celies lover who shows her the joys and pleasures of enjoyable sex between two women which is the opposite kind of sex from what she gets from her husband called Mister. Shug is actually Misters mistress who comes to live in the household because of poor health. Even though at first Shug is very mean and aggressive towards Celie, the two women began to have a sexual attraction for one another. Furthermore, Shug remains in the household to help protect Celie from Misters physical abuse. This friendship blossoms into a love relationship which is a central part of the whole play. Celie and Shug are doing the unthinkable for two women living in the same household supposedly both lovers of Mister. These two women are having a lesbian love affair right under the nose of Mister. The musical score during their sexual moments and love moments is very important in the development of Celies character as she learns to really care about someone else, Shug. This is a dramatic part of the play because of the forbidden nature of it. I thought the performances of the two actresses for this key scene in the film when the friendship turns into a love affair was excellent. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going on. Yet, in a sense, this is what a great film is all about and the music fit the scene perfectly. Celie and Shug have crossed a forbidden line in Misters household. He has no conception that these two women would be doing this behind his back. He doesnt have a clue but us in the audience know exactly what is going on. Music plays an important part in this film in developing the realtionships among the characters. One of the more important relationships for Celie that doesnt emerge until the end of the play is with her sister Nettie. Celie has long thought that Nettie may be dead since she never received any letters from her. Celie is introduced to lost letters from Nettie to find out that her sister isnt dead but has traveled to Africa with some missionaries and returned. This discovery empowers Celie to think that her sister was alive the whole time. The musical interludes are very important to show the hopeful mood of Celie. The empowerment from getting to know herself also has something to do with her confronting her abusive husband and telling him off for the years of abuse she endured. At the end of the film, Celie feels her empowerment and independence as a woman. She has the courage to move to Tennessee with Shug Avery and another woman to begin a profitable business sewing tailored pants. Upon her return to Georgia, she has inherited a lot of land from her stepfather and her husband, Mister, has reformed his ways. In the very end, everything comes to right order and Nettie and Celie are reunited. The music plays out in a happy manner and the film brings these two sisters back together in a happy reunion. This is an interesting film experience for me because it makes me understand the hardships and struggle of the poor black women of the earlier part of this century in the Deep South. Celie, the protagonist, was an interesting character who had to endure so much pain and so man problems in her life as an African American woman. Although she finds her own identity and empowers herself through her following the two role models of Sofia and Shug, the pain is evident in most of her situations. The musical score was very important for her character development.

Christianity & the Revolutionary War :: essays research papers

Christianity and the American Revolutionary War Harry Stout points out in the lead article, How Preachers Incited Revolution, "it was Protestant clergy who propelled colonists toward independence and who theologically justified war with Britain" (n.pag). According to Cassandra Niemczyk in her article in this issue of Christian History "(the Protestant Clergy) were known as "the Black Regiment" (n.pag). Furthermore, as the article Holy Passion for Liberty shows, "Americans were quick to discern the hand of God in the tumultuous events of the times" (n.pag). Mark Galli, the editor of this issue says "many devout believers were opposed to the war, and not necessarily on pacifist grounds. Most colonial legislatures exempted pacifists, such as Quakers and Mennonites, from military duty although they were still fined to underwrite the expenses of the war" (n.pag). Stout goes on to say " Pacifist opposition to the war was concentrated in Pennsylvania. Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish refused to fight, and for their refusal were suppressed and humiliated like the royalists" (n.pag). Often the pacifists served in hospitals, tending to both British and American wounded. From these readings one can discern that Eighteenth-century America was a deeply religious culture. Sermons taught not only the way to personal salvation in Christ but also the way to temporal and national prosperity for God’s chosen people. Timothy D. Hall a professor at Central Michigan University in The American Revolution and the Religious Public Sphere gives us this overview: "Religion played other important roles in mobilizing support for Revolution regardless of whether it was evangelical or not. Colonists often encountered Revolutionary themes for the first time when local ministers announced the latest news from the pulpit or when parishioners exchanged information after Sunday meetings. Ministers occupied an important place in the colonial communications network throughout the eighteenth century, especially in towns where few people had access to newspapers and official information was dispensed from the pulpit or lectern. Sunday afternoons provided a convenient time for men who had already gathered for worship to form militia units and drill, and many ministers used their sermons to motivate the minutemen. Israel Litchfield, a young Massachusetts minuteman, recorded that his local minister keyed Biblical texts and sermon themes to the great events of 1 775. In Virginia's Shenandoah Valley the Lutheran minister John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg concluded a Sunday sermon of 1775 by throwing back his ministerial robe to reveal a military uniform, rolling the drum for Patriot recruits, and leading them out for drill.