Street Violence and the Media Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasiv

Violence Imitates the Media    In this essay we explore the increasingly apparent connection between the violence brutalizing teachers and kids in our schools, and the violence which the media regularly serves us through films, TV shows, shock jocks, and other supposedly innocuous outlets. Is it any wonder that reporters and journalists are picking up the John Paul II phrase "culture of death" to refer to America's culture? In the anxious hours following the Columbine High School shootings, America's television screens repeatedly showed a slow-motion film clip in which a black-clad, shotgun-toting boy bursts into a classroom and fills his fellow students full of buckshot. The gunman was teen idol Leonardo DiCaprio, the star of Titanic, and the clip came not from a surveillance camera but from Scott Kalvert's The Basketball Diaries, the 1995 movie said to have been a favorite of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the black-clad, shotgun-toting boys who strolled into their school one bright April morning and murdered a teacher, twelve of their classmates, and themselves, leaving behind 51 homemade bombs for the police to defuse. (Basketball) Though The Basketball Diaries was promptly pulled from video stores by the studio that released it, the long-simmering debate over graphic portrayals of violence in the media had long since boiled over. Not that anything new was said-the only difference was the glib immediacy conferred by the shedding of blood. The argument itself remains as agonizingly familiar as a family quarrel: Did movies and television make us what we are today, or do they merely show us what we have become? In the case of The Basketball Diaries, the thing speaks for itself. To watch that horrific clip is to... ...philosophically trained pope is not given to shallow sound bites, and when he speaks of the culture of death, he has in mind a deep-seated, collective nihilism of which illegal drugs, idiot shock jocks, and mindlessly violent movies are mere symptoms. How to break its stranglehold? We all know the answer, but rarely is the question put so starkly to any of us as it was to 17-year-old Cassie Bernall. Trapped at gunpoint in the library of Columbine High School, she was asked by one of her attackers whether she believed in God. "Yes, I believe in God," she replied, and then he shot her dead. It is hard to imagine a more dramatic scene-and harder still to imagine that anyone in Hollywood, least of all Doug Liman, would dare to put it into a movie. Sources Consulted: The Basketball Diaries  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1995/04/975715.html

Public Schools Vs. Post-Cold War Military Spending :: essays research papers

Public Schools vs. Post-Cold War Military Spending Even though the Cold War era is a distant memory, encased in glass forever like some museum piece, our government is still spending as if the Soviet Union was in its prime. If the arms race is a forgotten memory, then why is the military still spending 86% of what it was spending during the Cold War. It’s not that us Americans do not want a solid military, we just believe that our military is wasting billions of dollars at the expense of our children’s education and well being. 50 years ago our country, and the entire world was in disparate need of a strong U.S. military. We inflated our military budget, and gave the government and private businesses an enormous appetite. Without a major threat to the United States since the collapse of the Soviet Union, our government seems to be in competition with itself. 50 years ago we sent tons and tons of troops overseas to fight in a foreign land, while we pumped private businesses up with the manufacturing of military equipment. The need for such products and the need for an over-healthy military allowance is long gone. While we sunk billions after billions of taxpayer’s money on wars that we were boisterously proud to spend (it gave us all the prestige we could ever ask for), our Allies were investing in their children’s education and well being. The result now is that while we have the most elite military capabilities, our children’s educational level is extremely under developed. European an d Japanese children significantly outperform American children in math and upper-level reading (NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER [NCR], 1999). This should not be too surprising, our children are studying history books that are from a decade ago. This creates difficult obstacles for our children to keep up on current politics and other global events. Also the over crowding of classrooms makes it extremely difficult for your child to get that personalized learning which may determine his or her ability to learn at all. Every child learns at a different rate and possibly in different ways, this makes it virtually impossible for teachers to tap into every child’s full learning potential. If your child needs that extra, personalized attention, but is not "defined" as handicapped their specific learning needs will most likely be overlooked and that may be the beginning of your child’s inability to learn.

Comparing Irony of War in Dulce et Decorum, Regeneration, and Quiet on

Irony of War Exposed in Dulce et Decorum, Regeneration, and Quiet on the Western Front    Many of the young officers who fought in the Great War enlisted in the army with glowing enthusiasm, believing that war was played in fancy uniforms with shiny swords. They considered war as a noble task, an exuberant journey filled with honor and glory. Yet, after a short period on the front, they discovered that they had been disillusioned by the war: fighting earned them nothing but hopelessness, death and terror. They had lost their lives to the lost cause of war, which also killed their innocence and youth. They were no longer boys but callous men. Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est", Pat Barker's novel Regeneration, and Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, all portray the irony between the delusive glory of war and the gruesome reality of it, but whereas Owen and Sassoon treat the theme from a British point of view, Remarque allows us to look at it from the enemy's. The poem "Dulce et Decorum Est", an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen who was an English footsoldier, states that it is not sweet and fitting to die a hero's death for a country. Right off in the first line, Owen describes the troops as being "like old beggars under sacks" (1). This metaphor indicates that the men are battle weary and suggests reluctance. They also have been on their feet for days and appear to be drained of youth as they "marched asleep" (5) and "limped on, blood-shod" (6). Overall, in the first stanza, Oundjian 2 there seems to be a tension between old and young because it shows how the impact of an endless war has reduced these once energetic young men to the point where they could be referred to as "old" (1), "lame" (6) and... ...s, demonstrated through the author's talent, are denouncing the authority figures who were supposed to guide his generation into adulthood but instead turned the youth against each other in the pursuit of superficial ideals. The soldiers were simply the victims of a meaningless war. In conclusion, Remarque's firsthand encounters with trench warfare, Owen's vivid descriptions of the soldiers' experiences and Baker's touching accounts of the lives of historical figures, all state that there were no victors in war, only losers in a hopeless battle for territorial supremacy. Works Cited Barker, Pat. Regeneration. Toronto: Plume, 1993. Owen, Wilfred. "Dulce et Decorum Est." The Faber Book of War Poetry. Ed. Kenneth Baker. London: Faber, 1997. 3-4. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A. W. Wheen. New York: Ballantine, 1982.

Jung, Gardner, and Freud Comparison Essay

In today’s society, education is more liberal, allowing people to think for themselves and providing them with a broader education. This differs from many years ago, when education was more conservative. Education was very basic, consisting of only academic classes and no electives. People with a more conservative education would never go against what they were taught. However, liberally educated people of today can go against what they are taught, research it themselves, and make new conclusions about their studies. A liberal education enables people to deal with the forces that control their life. It frees them from the restraints in everyday life. Having such a broad education allows people to deal with such forces. Four psychologists have written essays and constructed theories that can agree that liberal education is of a greater stature than conservatively educated. The essays are â€Å"The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,† written by Howard Gardner, â€Å"The Personal and Collective Unconscious,† written by Carl Jung, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† written by Plato, and â€Å"From the Interpretation of Dreams,† written by Sigmund Freud. In Howard Gardner’s â€Å"Theory of Multiple Intelligences† he states that there are seven different kinds of intelligence. He alludes that everyone has the potential to be intelligent in an unconventional way. Gardner writes, â€Å"The question of the optimal definition of intelligence looms large in our inquiry. Indeed it is at the level of this definition that the theory of multiple intelligences diverges from the traditional points of view†(370). If one were to have a more conservative education, Gardner’s ideas would have been absurd because nobody would have understood them. People would have only understood intelligence as being smart in school. People with a conservative education would never look deeper into things. On the other hand, a liberal education teaches people to challenge what they have learned, if they do not agree with it. Gardner did just that. Alfred Binet believed that intelligence was measured by IQ tests. Gardner did not agree with this, so he did his own research on it. Because of Gardner’s liberal education, he was able to rise above those who received a more conservative education. Carl Jung’s essay, â€Å"The Personal and the Collective Unconscious† based itself on a liberal education because it talks about psychology, which falls under liberal education. Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. A liberal education allows people to study this; however, a more conservative education would not because studying the mind is not essential in academics. Psychology studies the things that people cannot see, such as conscious and unconscious states. It also allows people to not have to accept what other people say. In the essay written by Jung, he stated, â€Å"If in such cases we pursue our observations systematically and without prejudice, we shall find material which, although similar in form to the previous personal contents, yet seems to contain allusions that go far beyond the personal sphere†(345). Carl Jung did not agree with Freud’s theory, so he did his own research, and found Freud’s research to be inconclusive. Because of his liberal education and study in psychology, Jung was able to control the forces in his life and did not agree with what was thought by Freud. Plato’s, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† shows that the prisoners of his story were unable to see the truth because of their lack of a liberal education. In fact, at first they could not see anything nor could they move their heads. With only the aid of a small fire were they able to see the shadows of pictures on the wall. However, in the end, one prisoner rose above the shadows and saw the truth when he was let out of the cave, but when he went back to the cave, he was terrorized. Plato wrote, â€Å"He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadow’s best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves†(317). The other prisoners were not liberally educated. They believed only what they saw, and they did not see what this one prisoner was saying. Plato showed that the prisoners were kept in darkness, unable to see the truth. When they finally were told the truth, they did not believe it because they had not seen it for themselves. During the story, the prisoners were kept in shadows. Today, society deals with the same problem. In today’s society, people have to deal with being lied to by the government and media, which only tell people what they want them to know, and in a sense, they disfigure the truth. With the authority figures, such as the media and government, keeping people in the shadows just like the prisoners, people do not always know what to believe. Sometimes people want to believe what they are told, even though they know it’s a lie. The difference between the prisoners and people today is that more people today have a liberal education. Those with a liberal education can see what the government and media may not want them to see, looking beyond what is given to them, but going out of reach and gathering other information. In the essay written by Sigmund Freud, â€Å"From the Interpretation of Dreams,† Freud analyzed people’s behaviors through their dreams. He had noticed that dreams played an important role in his analysis of neurotic and â€Å"hysterical† patients. Freud believed that sleeping dreams were nearly always, like daydreams, wish fulfillment. Wish fulfillment is such that it may be enrolled in the continuity of the intelligible psychic activities of the waking state; it is built up by a highly complicated intellectual activity. Freud went beyond the boundaries of education. Freud explains his reasoning about dreams, â€Å"[Dreams] are not meaningless, they are not absurd; they do not imply that one portion of our store of ideas is asleep while another portion is beginning to wake† (330). He took a different approach about the way he analyzed people. His liberally educated mind allowed him to get past the typical mental analysis and utilize dream interpretations to fabricate theories. Today’s education is more liberal than it has been in the past. A liberal education teaches people to think for themselves and it provides people with a broader education. The classes that are part of a liberal education are not just the general education classes, they are also electives. A liberal education teaches people to challenge what they do not believe, but a person with a more conservative education would never challenge what they were told. In challenging what they do not believe, they can further research it. In doing this it frees people from the restraints in their everyday life, and allows them to control the forces in their life.

Imagining the Hansen Family and Birmingham Bomb Kills Four

Alyssa Prior 2/7/13 English 3rd period Mr. Haydon ?â€Å"There are things that we don’t want to happen but have to accept, things we don’t want to know but have to learn, and people we can’t live without but have to let go† (Unknown Author). As a nation, the people will be faced with adversity but with every step we accept, learn, cherish and let go. Anna Quiden, writer for Newsweek magazine, describes the aftermath of the attacks of 9/11. She writes this for the friends and family of te victims and all the concerned Americans across the country. Her article is filled with hope, so that the people can stand together and unite as one.Another hardship that has shaped America was written in the New York Times in 1963, by Claude Sittton called â€Å"Birmingham Bomb kills 4. † This article was written about the riots and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama during the civil rights movement in thedeep south. He writes to inform the people of the events happening and to describe that there was no such thing as â€Å"separate but equal† in the radically divided town of Birmingham. In the articles â€Å"Imagining the Hansen Family† and â€Å"Birmingham Bomb Kills 4,† both authors use tragic imagery to passionately portray the devastation, destruction and death caused by hate. The article by Anna Quiden, â€Å"Imagining the Hansen Family,† she uses dramatic imagery to portray the feeling ofdevastation and destruction of the horrific event that changed America. In this article by Quiden, she relies back to the hard past. â€Å"They left behind not so much monumental mass of rubble, but tricycles, sweater drawers, love letters, flower beds, books, video cameras, unpaid bills, untidy kitchens, mothers, fathers,uncles, brothers, sons, daughters, friends from Maine to California. 9/11 didn’t just affect the people who died, it affected a whole nation, whether you knew people that wereinvolved or not. So much was left behind, houses, families, a life. The author uses this form of polysyndeton to show that they didn’t take down buildings when they crashed those two planes, but they took people’s lives. â€Å"But what they were doing was blowing families to bits. † It really sets a somber tone, seeing all was lost in this one day, in these few hours. It makes it feel more real, having all the factors of, the daily routine of life.This uses logos, pathos, and ethos in just this one quote. The emotion pours out of the article, the logic in all that was lost, and the reputation of Americans. Hardships happen every day, all throughout American history, there will be some in the future, some in the present, and some in the past that have shaped us a nation. ?We often look back to our past to see where we have come. In the â€Å"Birmingham Bomb Kills 4† by Claude Sitton, he uses vivid imagery to describe the scenes of the tragic bombing on the dangerous s treets of Birmingham.In the article, Sitton reports, â€Å"The blast blew gaping holes through the walls†¦ Floors of offices in the rear of the sanctuary appeared near collapse†¦ splintered window frames, glass and timbers. † Four little girls were subject t the bomb in the church. Sitton explains that three of children’s parents are teachers. He shows the true tragedy of death of innocent children in the church, a holy place of God. The article sets a sympathetic and knowledgeable tone. It has all the facts from the incident, how they found the girls â€Å"huddled under debris. † This quote paints a picture for the reader, bringing the scene to the eyes.The imagery is clear and realistic. Sitton probably entered these type of details through imagery to appeal to your emotional senses of pathos. This tragic imagery puts a feeling of sadness into the article, not only touching the reader’s heart but putting the author’s emotion into the ar ticle too. America has experienced tragedies every day, but these events are what make this nation, The UNITED States of America. In conclusion, both Quindlen and Sitton show both sides of tragic events. The imagery used in the articles sets a realistic tone, emphasizing the great emotion that came with both of these tragedies.Innocent lives were taken, four little girls and other countless blacks in the civil rights era and innocent lives in the collapse of the twin towers of 2011. Both changing a nation, shaping it and bringing the people together. Unbelievable events of sorrow still impact America to this day, as the nation honor the lives to the people that sacrificed for all we have, for America. In the articles, both authors use vivid imagery of American disasters and the loss of innocent lives to emphasize its effect on the people that rise as nation through the debris of hate. ?

Public Library Essay

Library is something which has a lot of importance in everyone’s life. And specially in the life of school going children’s. It is responsible for teaching those children the moral values which are required a lot in further run of their life. Library is something whose importance cannot be neglected at any point of life. I consider myself to be very lucky as I was being provided with one of the best library by my school. My school had a big and efficient library. Almost all sorts of books required by student’s could be found in that library. And also there were many different types of magazines and newspapers in our library. We had a different room known as Reading Room adjacent to our library. It was the place where we used to take our books for reading them or making notes. No one was allowed to read books in library instead of teachers. Students till class 10th had two library period in a week. They had permission to issue books during those two periods only. Also they had to return the issued book within 15 days. No student till class 10th was allowed to keep books for more than 15 days. Keeping books with themselves for more than 15 days would require the student to pay a fine of Rs5 a day for each extra day. But this was not the case with senior students or students of class 11th-12th they were allowed to issue books whenever they wanted. There was no specific Library period for senior students. Also they had the permission to keep books with themselves till they want. They had to return books only during the time of examination. There were different sections in our library which were divided according to classes. The section for senior students mostly consisted of reference books. But they too had an option of issuing novels and other story books. Although due to study pressure there was hardly any student who issued novels or story books. Everyone issued references.

Oedipus Rex Essay

â€Å"Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random, best we can.† (lines 1068-1072) The themes of fate and light and darkness are prominent in Oedipus Rex, a play written in ancient Greece by the famous poet Sophocles. Oedipus was a powerful Greek king and was notable for his compassion, sense of justice and his swiftness of thought and action. Unfortunately for him, his life fell ill when the prophecy of his birth came true. Throughout the play, the audience experiences a series of emotions. They experience pity, fear, and anger. At the end of the play, the audience may or may not experience a katharsis, a cleansing or purgation of emotions. The dispute between whether Oedipus should be viewed as a victim or merely a part of the gods manifesting their power and thereby teaching man a lesson is a common argument still in literature today. As many members of an audience believe, Oedipus can appear as having been victimized by the prophecy stricken upon him at birth. Oedipus, being born into such a horrible predicament, had no choice but to live his life as he did always afraid of the horrible outcome of his fate. His parents Laius and Jocasta chose to selfishly bind there son’s feet together and abandon him as a way of making sure they would never see him again and never be vulnerable to the day that Oedipus’ prophecy would come true. Therefore, the emotion of pity arises in the audience and Oedipus is viewed as a victim of a very tragic fate. However, it is important to consider whether he inflicted more agony into his life by trying to fight against his fate. Were the gods punishing Oedipus and ultimately all of mankind because of his retaliation? If so, not only was Oedipus punished, but also his parents were for interfering with the gods’ plans. Oedipus suffered the consequence of losing his sight and his mother committed suicide because of her shame and embarrassment. Today, some view the idea of fate as something planned by a greater being and for human beings, out of our control. For Oedipus and his parents, they thought that they could change their fate but as an outcome and consequence for disrespecting the gods, there was no way to escape it. As Oedipus eagerly attempted to uncover the truth about his fate, acting decisively and deliberately refusing to shield himself from the truth. Although we see Oedipus as a playing-piece of fate, the irony becomes so magnified that it seems as if Oedipus was willingly bringing catastrophe upon himself. In one of Oedipus’ speeches, he declares that when he discovers the truth he will excommunicate the murderer from Thebes and punish him severely. Ironically, Oedipus is the murderer himself that he spoke so viciously about and he leaves Thebes and blinds himself after he finds that Jocasta has hanged herself. Despite the many character flaws that Oedipus withholds, such as quickness to anger, stubbornness, ignorance and arrogance, rather than viewing his fate as a natural result of the virtues and vices of his character, Oedipus teaches mankind a lesson in humility. Like many tragedies, Oedipus Rex teaches a lesson of morality to the audience. It teaches the audience that it is better to be humble and that even if you are a good leader, it does not necessarily mean that you are a good person. Oedipus Rex also teaches that no matter your past or what you do to change your fate, it will always catch up to you somehow. â€Å"People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus. He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him. Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day, count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.† (lines 1678-1684) These words, spoken by the chorus, form the ending of Oedipus Rex. The chorus announces that even though Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he was never happy with his life and his fate and he caused his own fall. Rather than a victim to his fate, he was the antagonist to his fate.