Overseas Volunteer Essay Example for Free

Overseas Volunteer Essay The summer of 1996 was a time of great change for me as an individual. This was the summer that I was fortunate enough to get to spend six weeks as part of a traveling abroad program. These six weeks changed the way I viewed different places, people and cultures. I was lucky enough to experience many different things in many different places. I met many people from interesting cultural backgrounds and learned a lot from them. These six weeks prepared me for many new experiences in life. While traveling, I stayed with different families who were kind enough to take me in. Living with people who had different cultures and sometimes even different languages was a challenge for me since I had never even been out of the United States before this trip. I got to learn how to adapt to new situations by finding inventive ways to communicate with other humans. This was invaluable to me because it forced me to really pay attention to other people and learn about their cultural values through observation. This is a skill that has stayed with me. I have learned to slow down and really listen and observe in order to learn new things and gain new perspective. I was also able to visit many historic sites, landmarks and museums during my travels that I had only read about in books. I was able to apply a picture in a book to the real setting and this was an incredible experience. In these visits I was also able to learn a great deal about the culture in which I had immersed myself. This allowed me a deeper understanding of the people around me. These visits also told me about the rich histories of different groups of people and how they shaped the culture as it is today. In addition, I was able to try new and different foods which only added to my cultural experiences. At the same time, as I was experiencing new cultures I was also able to reflect on my own culture and the importance that it holds in my life. My travels have helped shaped the person I am today. I was forced to learn patience as I was immersed in cultures with different values and languages. I learned how to be creative in finding ways to communicate respectfully. I built my self confidence as I began to realize how capable I was of learning about different cultures in ways other than reading books. I got the opportunity to meet interesting people who helped me understand different ways of life and apply those to my own life. I learned how to be flexible in adapting to new ways of doing things, new ways of communicating and even new ways of eating. I experienced a great deal of personal growth in these travels that will prove invaluable to me in my future accomplishments. Changing lives is a great experience. This sentence sums up why I would like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. I have a deep desire to change the world by changing the lives of people less fortunate than me. I have been fortunate enough to have access to a high quality education. I have always enjoyed learning and experiencing new things and I would like to pass that on to other people. My college education was only a starting point in my life long learning endeavors. I have a passion for knowledge that has allowed me to reach a point in my life where I wish to give 27 months serving as a volunteer and enriching the lives of people around the world. Habitat for Humanity has given me valuable life skills but more importantly gave me the opportunity to help people less fortunate than me. I have been able to build homes for people and at the same time learn about their individual lives. I have taken my passion for helping others and in the process began to realize how one person can make a great difference. I can be that one person that takes the initiative to make small changes that will eventually lead to big changes. I desire to take this realization and travel the world helping others through small changes. Four years in the workforce has also given me valuable experiences that will enable me to be an effective volunteer. Through working, I have gained leadership skills that will serve me well when working with a team of other volunteers. These leadership skills will help me work cooperatively to make positive changes in the world. I have also gained a clear understanding of globalization outside of the United States and I wish to build on that knowledge through my volunteer work and opportunities I wouldn’t be able to have if I continued working in the corporate world. Working as a volunteer will provide me with international experience and new insights about the world around me. I can learn new values and perspectives that will make me a more well rounded and empathetic person. I will gain new understandings of different people and cultures and be able to apply some of that to how I live my own life. At the same time, I will have a great responsibility to show others my values and teach them new and exciting things about my own culture. Twenty-seven months is a short time in my life but those months will mean big changes in my life that will last long after my time serving as a volunteer is over. My life would be greatly enriched by helping others through small changes. I look forward to the chance to start making small changes right away and watching those small changes turn into big changes that have positive impacts on people around the world.

Terrorism And The Society

Terrorism And The Society HYPOTHESIS: Terrorism is a forceful and unlawful method to achieve the desired goal. Its sole motive is to overthrow the existing law and order machinery. It is a deliberate use of violence against civilians and armed personnel and the state. INTRODUCTION Before we get into Terrorism and its effects on Society, we must clearly understand what terrorism means. Terrorism isnt a new term, and though it has been used since the beginning of recorded history, it is still relatively hard to define. It has been described both, as a tactic and a strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. It is quite obvious that a lot depends on from whose point of view the term is being explained. Terrorism is often an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. Being asymmetric form of conflict, it is able to confer coercive power with many advantages of military force at a much lower cost. The small size and secretive nature of terrorist organizations are the reasons why they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend against or to deter. Terrorism has, in some cases, been a method to carry on a conflict without the opponent realizing the nature of the threat, mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Due to these attributes, terrorism has become increasingly common among those pursuing extreme goals throughout the world. But despite its popularity, terrorism can be a vague and hazy concept. Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim. The terrorists have a strategy. That is, to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local people, the government, and the world to their cause. The planning of their attacks is such as to obtain the greatest publicity and to choose targets that symbolize what they oppose. It is not the terrorist act itself that gives effectiveness to the act, but rather the public or governments reaction to the act. For example, in the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Black September Organization killed 11 Israelis. Even though the Israelis were the immediate victims, the true target was the estimated one billion people watching the event on television. There are three basic perspectives of terrorism, namely, the victims, the general publics, and the terrorists. The phrase one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter is a view that terrorists themselves would accept. They do not see themselves as evil. They believe themselves to be licensed soldiers, fighting for what they believe in, by whatever means possible. A victim of a terrorist act sees the terrorist as an offender, a felon, a criminal with no regard for human life. The general publics view is the most unstable. India has been affected more by terrorism than other countries. India has faced more significant terrorist attacks than most countries in recent times, and the attacks on the Mumbai commuter rail system makes the fact clear that the threat of terrorism still persists. India, like other countries, has responded by enacting special antiterrorism laws. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the attacks soon thereafter on the Jammu Kashmir Assembly and the Indian Parliament buildings, India enacted the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2002 (POTA). POTA incorporated many of the provisions found the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act of 1985, an earlier law that remained in effect until 1995. While POTA was potentially repealed in 2004, cases pending at the time of repeal have proceeded. The government has preserved some of POTAs key provisions by reenacting them as amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967. Some of the commonly agreed characteristics of a terrorist movement are: 1) Violence 2) Psychological impact and fear 3) Perpetrated for a political goal 4) Deliberate targeting of non-combatants 5) Unlawfulness or legitimacy REVIEW OF LITERATURE Colonial Continuities: Human Rights, Terrorism and Security Laws in India is an article written by Anil Kalhan. It examines Indias anti-terrorism and other security laws. POTA and other Indian antiterrorism laws have raised a host of human rights issues, some of which are similar to those raised by antiterrorism laws in other countries, including the United States. Such concerns include, overly broad and ambiguous definitions of terrorism that fail to satisfy the principle of legality. Global Terrorism and Major Indian Legislations as the name suggests is an article on terrorism that explains the meaning of global terrorism and how the Indian Government is trying to fight against terrorism by making laws etc. It examines how effectively provisions in the Indian Penal Code, 1860 can deal with offences related to global terrorism. From Socio-economic imbalance to Terrorism-The Case of North East India is an article written by Siddhartha Mitra. It sheds light on the causation that has led to the association between high incidence of terrorist activity and the low level of affluence in the North East region. An imbalance is also created by the high level of literacy which facilitates the creation of discontented politically motivated terrorist groups as a reaction to the mentioned outcomes. OBJECTIVE The series of bomb-blasts in India, (Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and now Pune) and the less publicized killings in Kashmir, Orissa, Assam, Gujarat, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, seems to be part of a pre-planned and calculated program of terror-generation by various fundamentalist groups. These disruptive forces must be resisted and while standing united as Indians, we should think of strategies and tactics for promoting peace and eliminating terrorism from India.. With this intention, I am attempting to elicit, compile and analyse peoples views and ideas on how best to deal with this imminent threat. My objective is to create a useful document that will reflect the perceptions of citizens on the causes of terrorism and the concrete steps required to be taken to promote peace. SURVEY The people answering the questions preferred to remain anonymous, I have interviewed eight people, asking them FIVE basic questions, being: 1. How can we fight against Terrorism? 2. Is the government in denial about Terrorism in India? 3. Do we all agree that Terrorism is he outcome of Religious Teachings? 4. How can we stop Terrorism? 5. Does our country need strong laws to fight terrorism? 1.HOW CAN WE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM? 1.The government should start a separate department like the CBI and the Defense and President of India should control this department. This department should have all the powers to arrest anybody who is a suspect. Media should be kept away from this department so that media leaks no information. And common man should not fear these attacks, it is easy to say but following is not easy. 2. A fight against terrorism can be combated only by developing a collective conscience of religious tolerance and a focus on human rights conscience 3.Make every body educated from childhood that terrorism will never lead to any solution. 4. 1) By countering and prevention of attacks or possible attacks by force when and where possible to the maximum extent. As terrorists by nature are afraid and they are trying to use their fear for work for them. Enlighten their fear to an extend that they would think twice before they take up weapons 2)By opening ways of peace at the same time and trying to find a solution for the future if possible, but then again this is a game not of today but the future. This requires planning. A well planned and well executed operation of peace or war seldom fail. 4) Provide social security and livelihood means to the youth of the country so that they do not take up anti-nationalism as a means fro daily bread. 5) Educate people, for a well-educated person is less likely to be fooled by the utopian ideas of terrorist campaigners. 5. First foremost we have to possess a full fledged anti terrorist mind within ourselves. Where ever whenever we find any small activity of terrorism we have to raise our voice against it together, not alone create a fear in the evil minds devil terrorists instead of being scared of their killing attitude activities. This can only be possible if we stand united with full support of police govt. administration. To stop any such unsocial activities the whole country has to protest together put an end to TERRORISM. 6. By eradicating the differences of castes, creeds, community, reservations, unemployment etc. from the society and by educating the youth about the self esteem, self-reliance, self-motivation, self-sufficiency, etc. 7. Educating one all, then spreading awareness with providing financial security to every one, we can definitely remove terrorism. 8. Terrorism is a problem and any problem can be finished if we identify its root and act on it. So far no one is able to achieve this because all of us are acting on Terrorism with a motive to kill the terrorist but this may be impossible. In fact we should find the cause for why are people joining the terror outfits and should solve their resentments. Terrorism should in fact be solved with talks and not weapons. They attack us and then we do and then do it again and the cycle goes on. So blood with blood is not the solution. 2.IS THE GOVERNMENT IN DENIAL ABOUT TERRORISM IN INDIA? 1. The Government is always in denial mood about terrorism. The politicians are utilizing terrorism for their political benefit. So for them it can be defined as agitation to facilitate their purpose of winning seats and form Govt. Long live Terrorism but deny that those are within the purview of terrorism so long they help to retain political power this is the mood of the Government. It is clear from their activities. 2. Yes, as it could be seen by the fact that even after repeated terrorist attacks in Hyderabad, the Central Government has not finalized or even initialized a pan India Law dealing with such stupid acts. Also there is a desperate need for a more efficient Intelligence Agency. 3. This government is not at all serious about the terrorism. They dont want to implement any good laws against the terrorist and also removed POTA. This indicates the bad game played by this government behind the scenes. 4. No. Rather Government has set up anti-terrorist squads across the country in strategic fields. In Police, Military everywhere theyve these squads working. Further, what about Laws? Our Indian parliament passed many laws to deal with the situations. India is one of those countries, which are facing terrorism. 5. The Government is not in denial about terrorism. It has shown great activeness in the Kashmir issue. But the real thing is that the government is ignoring the maintenance of a spy system. 6. No. It is rather in a state of blissful ignorance. They know very well that the threat of terrorism is real and has been here for a long time. What the government doesnt know now is that the general public is getting wise to this. They still peddle clichà ©d responses to such attacks in the belief that we, the new age Indian Citizens, are not aware of the reality. Vote bank politics is the prime culprit if you ask me. Everything in this country is being given the colour and shape of communalism and minority bashing. If loss of so many lives in recent times is not enough for the mandarins and politicos to kick into action, I only wonder what will be. The mere thought of it gives me a shudder. 7. Yes, I thoroughly believe that Indian politics is not taking ample measures to correct the state of terrorism in the country. We always think that North East is the worst affected area but the bigger picture that we are neglecting is the expansion of the red corridor. Yes, its the Naxalism that is now affecting India from within India. Other than the terrorism from outside, see the condition of the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Our government is more busy on fighting over petty issues with Pakistan while they are not monitoring the internal insecurity and disrupt that is coming up strongly. 8. Government is doing their duty but still have to take some strong steps. 3.DO WE ALL AGREE THAT TERRORISM IS THE OUTCOME OF RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS? 1. Terrorism is nothing but ignorance of religion. 2. No religion teaches terrorism, but people practice terrorism in the name of religion 3. I strongly disagree that terrorism is the outcome of religious teaching, as every religion teaches peace and a way of making this world a better place to live. Terrorism is due to some corrupt people who use religion as their mask. 4. No, I do not agree fully. Religious fanaticism could be one of the factors of terrorism but there are other factors as well. Now almost all backward tribes are coming up with their legitimate demands that their lands be returned to them and getting no positive response, the youth took to Arms. The creation of ULFA was also on the similar note. This is not an unknown fact that the entire North East Region has been being treated with the step motherly attitude and negligence from the Center. There is a limit of everything. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Secondly Governments failure to tackle the unemployment problem also added to the woes. Like this there are numerous causes that Terrorism finally got a shape and the blame goes to the ruling Govt. 5. It is not religion. It is power. Religion is just a reason behind the terrorism, No religion in this world preaches terrorism. Terrorists are just preaching their religion known to be terrorism. 6. No. Though it seems so, it is not so. No religion teaches hatred for other human beings. No religion teaches terrorism. All the religions teach love and brotherhood. 7. Actually terrorism should not be compared with any religion because terrorism has no religions. Terrorists do not believe in any religion but they just take the name of religion and do all terrorists activities everywhere. Hindu 8. This is one of many independent factors. But, look at LTTE, Naxalists, and Maoists all politically motivated hence aiming at only police and administration. This is no justification. They still stand cruel. 4.HOW CAN WE STOP TERRRORISM? 1.Spread love. What is the reason of terror? I think it needs great research and work. There is a big need to understand basic grounds and cause for it. And yes, our legal and political system is very important for it. Timely action and justice is very important. 2. Everyone should be a paragon of virtue, an ambassador of goodwill and a mentor of humanity. Try to follow the adage Charity begins at home. If you can cleanse your personal atmosphere, proceed to a larger section, the society and the community. Then move on to the Nation. If everyone makes a simple enough attempt, the society can be free of terrorism. 3. Government has to give police and defense forces more power. Separate department should be there which monitors only terrorists and their activities. This action force will only attend the cases, which are related to terrorism and stop the terror in the country. This body will be only controlled by the President of India and Chief Justice of Supreme court, no other MPs or ruling party has any say to this department. In this way one can bring down the terrorism to some extent. 4. There should not be any leniency towards these terrorist out laws and our security forces are to be given a free hand to engage them, and destroy them, for the crores of peaceful citizens of India to live safely without any fear. There should not be any political interference in this matter. 5. By not indulging politics religion in the fundamental book of law. 6. Empower and educate people. Create more potent terror laws. Involve the media 7. Terrorism can be stopped by public awareness as well applying POTA. 8. Monitoring these groups closely for signs of illegal activity. 5.DOES OUR COUNTRY NEED STRONG LAWS TO FIGHT TERRORISM? 1.Our Law is already powerful. Anyhow, we have to seal the holes in it. The terrorism problem is not only in India, its happened all over the World. Its against mankind. So we need strictly different approaches to eradicate this evil 2. Yes it does. 3. Stronger anti-terror measures are needed to combat homegrown militants. 4. We do not need a MISA, TADA or POTA. They are inhuman in nature. The present laws if used properly can deal with terrorism. 5. The existing laws are good enough. The problem is with the entire system. There has to be unbiased people working in our police, intelligence and defence department without a political agenda and without their own religious beliefs coming in the way of dealing with terror. Then and only then will we be able to wipe terrorism out, else we will push innocent victims towards terrorism. 6. We have very strong laws, but all the citizens and specially politicians must be faithful to the Nation to help solve the problem. 7. No. We do not require any more laws. Law cannot control terrorism. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Instead it can be developed by better discipline. If you and me start to follow discipline, the question of TERROR will not appear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨in the minds of the people 8.Yes, we do need strong laws to fight terrorism. ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND REMEDIAL MEASURES. From the above Survey we find, Terrorism is a great threat to our society in general. Different people have different opinions as to the ways in which terrorism can be countered. Everyone agrees that the law is essential to help control terrorism. Some believe that the existing laws are good enough as long as the Government does its duty and implements them properly, while others are of the opinion that stronger laws are required to fight terrorism. In the present day and age, people are aware that religion isnt the CAUSE of terrorism. It is merely an excuse used by the terrorists. Many blame the corrupt practices of the government and other powerful persons for the rise in terrorist activities. The negligence and suffering experienced by the terrorists in their childhood, or even later in in life have, in the opinions of some people, lead them to commit such evils. Terrorism poses a great threat to the law and order machinery of the state and leads to disintegration of society. The incidence of torture, extortion, murder, arson, kidnapping and mutilation, create an atmosphere of panic, fear and suspicion. Terrorists kill innocent, unarmed civilians. Life becomes uncertain. Violence and organized crime cause social disharmony. There is an end to economic development and heavy expenditure has to be made by the government to meet the challenges of terrorism. Facets of society, from freedom of religious expression to physical and political control over a region, are sought to be changed by terrorists. However, differences between societies results in different definitions of terrorism and great differences in characterizations of groups or individuals as terrorists. The pain, terror and sadness, the whole impact of terrorism has been difficult for people living around it and has invoked governments to raise their efforts to control terrorism. After the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008, Indian Spiritual Guru, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, This terrorist attack has left Indians in the grip of fear and anxiety. In this situation, religious and political leaders need to show the country that we stand together against terrorism. In order to remedy terrorism, we must inculcate a broader perspective of life, more than race, religion or nationality. We must educate people in human values of friendliness, compassion, cooperation and upliftment. We must help cultivate confidence in achieving noble aims by peaceful and non-violent means and we must create spiritual upliftment that will help weed out destructive tendencies. Along with this, the government needs to be proactive, there is a need for collective public safety and security measures, stringent action has to be taken by the enforcement agencies, there is need for an apex body to collect, coordinate and analyze data and there is also need for a timely, actionable intelligence which can be provided by HUMINT. All this will not be possible without winning the public support to combat terrorism effectively. Terrorism is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. Terrorism is thus a forceful and unlawful method to achieve the desired goal. Its sole objective is to overthrow the existing law and order machinery. It is a deliberate use of violence against the civilians and armed personnel and the state. JUDICIAL RESPONSE TO TERRORISM IN INDA The Indian judiciary has been sensitive to the debate regarding the definition of Terrorist Activity. A pragmatic approach has been taken by the court to ascertain the elements of terrorism from the act allegedly committed by the accused, rather than going deep into a debate on what the exact definition of terrorism is. Even while public opinion was strongly against specialized statutes for tackling terrorism and the strong provisions of these statutes, the courts continuously upheld its constitutional validity, suggesting only some checks and balances. On the whole it can be summed up that Indian judiciary was an active partner in the countrys war against terrorism and has at all occasions risen above political and academic concerns to address the real issue of terrorism. CONCLUSION Since Independence in 1947, India has been the victim of various insurgencies and terrorism. The magnitude of attacks and their impacts have only increased over the years. Under these circumstances there is a need to include certain provisions to deal strongly and effectively with this issue in the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the other major legislations like the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Incorporation of a separate chapter in the Indian Penal Code that defines terrorism and other related offences could be a great step forward. Stringent and deterrent punishment could also be prescribed for such offences. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) Act, 2008 and the Prevention of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act 2008 are two effective legislations in this regard. One way of preventing these terrorist acts can be by reorganizing the entire Indian intelligence set up along the lines that the United States has done in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks. Thus, I conclude my paper on Terrorism and Society with what the Honourable Supreme Court of India, in Mohd. Khalid v. State of West Bengal observed. That is: Terrorism is one of the manifestations of increased lawlessness and cult of violence. Violence and crime constitute a threat to an established order and are a revolt against a civilized society. Terrorism has not been defined under TADA nor is it possible to give a precise definition of terrorism or lay down what constitutes terrorism. It may be possible to describe it as use of violence when its most important result is not merely the physical and mental damage of the victim but the prolonged psychological effect it produces or has the potential of producing on the society as a whole. There may be death, injury, or destruction of property or even deprivation of individual liberty in the process but the extent and reach of the intended terrorist activity travels beyond the effect of an ordinary crime capable of being punished under the ordinary penal law of the land and its main objective is to overawe the Government or disturb the harmony of the society or terrorize people and the society and not only those directly assaulted, with a view to disturb the even tempo, peace and tranquility of the society and create a sense of fear and insecurity.

The Entertainment Industrys Standards of Beauty and Impact on Youth Es

The Entertainment Industry's Standards of Beauty and Impact on Youth â€Å"Man, I am hungry. But if I eat, I will never be able to look like that celebrity.† These words could come out of a typical teenager’s mouth. If a teenager sees someone on TV, in a movie, or in a magazine that he or she wishes to look like, he or she may try anything necessary to accomplish it. The standards of beauty set by the entertainment industry today are having a negative effect on today’s youth. Have you ever heard of Calista Flockhart, Lara Flynn Boyle, Jennifer Aniston, or Antonio Sabato Jr.? They are all celebrities that the typical teenager idolizes, but these idolizations are not necessarily a good thing. Unfortunately, they are all setting standards of beauty that are not only unrealistic but could prove to be dangerous when trying to be attained. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of eating disorders, steroid use, and plastic surgery among teenagers. The main reason for this trend is that â€Å"the beauty ideal has shifted towards an increasing emphasis on thinness† (Brown). In the article â€Å"Body Obsessed†, Rebecca Barry says that the world is sending out many mixed messages about being a girl (Barry 112). Today, women in the entertainment industry are put into many different roles, but all of the roles have one thing in common. They all tend to be very beautiful and very thin. In fact, while the average body weight of women has increased, the majority of women on TV and in magazines have remained thin (Brown). This makes many people believe that actresses will try anything to lose weight. The most common ways are by either exercising or by trying one of many different kind... ... in any way, shape, or form define who they are as a person. Our main message to our youth should be: â€Å"Self-esteem and confidence must start from within not from our outward appearance† (Brown). Works Cited Barry, Rebecca. â€Å"Body Obsessed.† Seventeen. July 1995: 112. Infotrac. Online. 24 Oct. 1999 Brown, Crystal C. â€Å"Modern Beauty Standards Unrealistic.† The Capitol Times. Vol. 2 No. 21. Online. 03 Nov. 1999. Available: http://www.capitoltimes.com. McClelland, Susan. â€Å"The Lure of the Body Image: In Their Quest for the Beefcake Look, Some Men Try Extreme Measures.† Maclean’s. 22 Feb. 1999: 38. Infotrac. Online. 18 Oct. 1999. Stevens, Liz. â€Å"Today’s Teen Magazines May be Sending Mixed Messages to Girls.† Knight- Ridder/Tribune News Service. 14 July 1999. Infotrac. Online. 2 Nov. 1999.

Revelations in the Dark :: Death War Writing Literature Papers

Revelations in the Dark Growing up in the late 20th century has separated me from feelings of fear and woe, which are closely tied together with war. In my lifetime, the United States has come closest to an extended conflict of the same caliber as World War II on only two occasions. These occasions would, of course, be the Persian Gulf War and the September 11th attacks. Knowing this, it is obvious that I won't be able to fully express how one feels during times of extended conflict. Times where death seems imminent and victory far away are all but unknown to me. It is safe to say that I grew up in a relatively peaceful time, though what I do know of war is far too dark. War is a frenzy of pain that no one should ever have to face. Through history lessons, historically accurate movies/documentaries, and what I've witnessed from the conflicts in my time have taught me a great deal about what war really is. However, only from those directly involved in an extended conflict will ever truly be able to get a gra sp on what war is. Chester Hornback entered into the U.S. military in March of 1945. He was drafted despite being turned down by the Air Force in 1935 for being too short and lightweight. At the time he weighed in at only 128 pounds. And so near the end of World War II Hornback entered into the army and left his wife at home. After basic training he was placed into a tank destroyer unit. At the time it was normal practice for everyone inside a tank to open their mouths while the tank fired so that the pressure on their ears would be relieved. However, during a training exercise Hornback forgot to open his mouth. His ears bled and his hearing was damaged forever. Unfortunately for him, not so much that he would be given a discharge from service. In September of 1945 Hornback arrived in Okinawa, an island off the coast of Japan. He would describe it as a dreadful place. It would rain almost everyday, but it would never get cold. Okinawa is hot much like California only with far more humidity. Native to this weather was a tropical landscape, which covered the small island. Of course, Okinawa wasn't a deserted isle by any means. It was actually a very functioning home to many, but most of their homes were reduced to rubble during the massive fighting between U. Revelations in the Dark :: Death War Writing Literature Papers Revelations in the Dark Growing up in the late 20th century has separated me from feelings of fear and woe, which are closely tied together with war. In my lifetime, the United States has come closest to an extended conflict of the same caliber as World War II on only two occasions. These occasions would, of course, be the Persian Gulf War and the September 11th attacks. Knowing this, it is obvious that I won't be able to fully express how one feels during times of extended conflict. Times where death seems imminent and victory far away are all but unknown to me. It is safe to say that I grew up in a relatively peaceful time, though what I do know of war is far too dark. War is a frenzy of pain that no one should ever have to face. Through history lessons, historically accurate movies/documentaries, and what I've witnessed from the conflicts in my time have taught me a great deal about what war really is. However, only from those directly involved in an extended conflict will ever truly be able to get a gra sp on what war is. Chester Hornback entered into the U.S. military in March of 1945. He was drafted despite being turned down by the Air Force in 1935 for being too short and lightweight. At the time he weighed in at only 128 pounds. And so near the end of World War II Hornback entered into the army and left his wife at home. After basic training he was placed into a tank destroyer unit. At the time it was normal practice for everyone inside a tank to open their mouths while the tank fired so that the pressure on their ears would be relieved. However, during a training exercise Hornback forgot to open his mouth. His ears bled and his hearing was damaged forever. Unfortunately for him, not so much that he would be given a discharge from service. In September of 1945 Hornback arrived in Okinawa, an island off the coast of Japan. He would describe it as a dreadful place. It would rain almost everyday, but it would never get cold. Okinawa is hot much like California only with far more humidity. Native to this weather was a tropical landscape, which covered the small island. Of course, Okinawa wasn't a deserted isle by any means. It was actually a very functioning home to many, but most of their homes were reduced to rubble during the massive fighting between U.

Shiloh : Changing Lives In Different Directions Essay -- essays resear

In the story â€Å"Shiloh†, by Bobbie Ann Mason, characters Leroy and Norma Jean go through changes in their life as each begin to discover what their real identity is, and what it is they actually want out of their marriage. For some people this may take years, and for others they may never realize it, while merely trying to grasp on to the past, or the way they think things should have turned out. In this short story, Mason uses a couple in their thirties to portray people who are experiencing these types of changes, and depict how they deal with the situation. In the end, the couple is faced with dealing with the inevitable fact that they indeed cannot save their marriage; it was a battle they could not win. However, before the story climaxes, the reader is given a chance to witness some of the characters’ changes in identity and values. Norma Jean and Leroy struggle through their relationship because of miscommunication, trying to live through their past, and reali zing that they have changed and grown apart. Mason does an effective job of giving the reader a view of what is taking place in both characters’ lives. She makes the characters seem average, easily allowing the reader to identify with the changes the characters are going through with their relationship. In the beginning, an understanding of the background information is presented to the reader through the exposition, explaining Norma Jean and Leroy’s relationship. Since the accident that has now left Leroy at home, he has become indolent, and seems to be milking his injury for all that it is worth. Norma Jean, however, is a cosmetic consultant, who in her spare time, is taking some college courses and becoming more interested in exercising and expanding her life. The story picks up when Leroy is back home, and is finally beginning to look at Norma Jean in a new light after feeling guilty for not being with her for all of these years. Sadly, this realization is after many years of his periodical absence. Since then Norma Jean has been forced to become used to a life without him. When Leroy says, â€Å"Norma Jean is miles away,† (74) as they sit at the kitchen table, he realizes that even though the couple is finally able to reunite and spend time together, they feel as though they are distant and do not know each other. On a more personal level the characters do have their personality diffe... ...yle that is placed before her. She was rushed into a marriage just as fast as she decided she wanted out of it. With the pressure of expecting a child, and then coping with the absence of her husband for fifteen years, Norma Jean tried to make things work, working around Leroy. Finally, after awhile it seemed as though she was pushed to the limit, and she decided to do something for herself. Norma Jean probably did not have it in mind to grow apart from Leroy, but she had to find herself before she could completely love someone else. After she realized what she wanted, she understood that she could not find that in Leroy. Unfortunately for Leroy, he had found what he had been missing for all of those years, but it was too late for him to grasp it; the change had already taken place. Leroy pleads with Norma Jean to try to work things out and to start over again, but for Norma Jean, she had already begun to start over when he had left her alone for fifteen years. Looking back on th e relationship, blame could never wholly be placed on one character. Over the years Norma Jean and Leroy had begun to go their separate ways by doing what was important to them; together they grew apart.

African Americans in Civil War

When the Civil War began in 1861 it began for many political reasons all of the reasons were affected by slavery, but the war was not entirely about slavery. It is a belief that President Lincoln and the north started the war because they were fighting for slavery, but this common belief in not completely true. They fought to protect the Union. Because of the willingness of the African Americans to fight in the war they changed the idea of slavery and new reasons for the fighting of one of the bloodiest wars in the history of the world. African Americans changed the Civil War, consequently changing the world as we know it. At the beginning of the war the question was asked â€Å"†¦what shall be done with them [slaves]? † (Document A). Because the North/Union had only heard of blacks and slaves, they did not know what they should do with them in the war. This also shows that runway slaves were fleeing to the Union, but the Union did not have a policy for them. Because of the lack of a policy the U. S. Congress passed the Confiscation Act of 1861. The Act stripped the slaves owners of any claim to the slaves, but it did not explain whether the slaves were free or not. As a result, these slaves became property of the U. S. government. In a domino affect of the Confiscation Act, General David Hunter, of the Union Army, freed all slaves within his command, which consisted of Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Only about a week later did Lincoln rebuttal the order and slaves became property of the government again. During this same time there was a mass meeting of African Americans to discuss President Lincoln’s call for colonization of Blacks in Central America. (Document B). Also mentioned in this article is that there are millions of freed blacks, but most of them have moved to the Union side, which brings about the question â€Å"†¦what shall be done with them? † Although the war did not start as a war about slavery rather than to keep the Union, but that changed due to the Emancipation Proclamation which was passed by President Abraham Lincoln. This only freed slaves where the rebellion had already begun, but it also showed the moral side of the war. The blacks that were already freed were willing to fight in the war, and risk their lives for the Union. This dedication to the Union is shown in the picture of Lady Liberty and a wounded black solider (Document G). The freed slaves fought in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment for the Union, which was an infantry group that was for all black men. They fought hard which caused Abraham Lincoln to continue with his plans to free all slaves. (Document C). At the beginning of the war the slavery was an issue, but it wasn’t the reason the men were fighting for. However, due to the courage of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment and other brave soldiers it became a moral war rather than political. African Americans involvement in the Civil War helped shift it to a war for freedom of millions of slaves. Without the brave acts of many men and war hero’s this may not have been a strongly pushed issue by the leaders. The war went through an evolution due to the freed blacks. The country was changed forever because of the strong beliefs of many people in that era.

Night: the Holocaust and Figurative Language

â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel is an autobiography in which Elie’s life during the Holocaust is explained. Elie Wiesel uses imagery, figurative language, and pathos as tools to express the horrors he experienced while living through a nightmare, the Holocaust. Elie describes his experiences with imagery. â€Å"Open rooms everywhere. Gaping doors and windows looked out into the woid. It all belonged to everyone since it no longer belonged to anyone. † â€Å"Some were crying. They used whatever strength they had left to cry. Why had they let themselves be brought here?Why didn’t they die in their beds? Their words were interspersed with sobs. † (35). Elie explains how people reacted to finding their friends alive. You can picture how desperately they cried with an understanding as to why they were crying. â€Å"The two men were no longer alive. Their tongues were hanging out, swollen and bluish. But the third rope was still moving: the child, too light, was still breathing. And so he remained for more than half an hour, lingering between life and death†¦He was still alive when I passed him.His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet extinguished† (64-65). As a way to show control, keep fear and prevent rebellion, â€Å"prisoners† were hung. Elie describes the gruesome hanging of a young boy as he died a slow, painful death. The imagery throughout the book describes, with detail, things that couldn’t be imagined alone. Elie writes his autobiography with figurative language. â€Å"My soul had been invaded-and devoured-by a black flame† (37). Elie no longer felt like he was living. He uses a metaphor to compare the feeling of his defeat to his soul being eaten. All I could hear was the violin, and it was as if Juliek’s soul had become his bow. He was playing his life. His whole being was gliding over the strings. His unfulfilled hopes. His charred past, his extinguished future. † (95). Elie meets Juliek, a man he knew before who played the violin in the Buna band, at the concentration camp in Buchenwald, and as Juliek plays his violin, Elie sees it as Julie expressing how he felt. Elie writes how Juliek and his violin symbolized everyone’s thoughts and feelings.Using different types of figurative language, Elie conveys the feelings of defeat and anguish they felt. The element of pathos is also used by Elie as means to describe his experience as he appeals to our emotions. â€Å"Not far from us, flames, huge flames, were rising from a ditch. Something was being burned there. A truck drew close and unloaded its hold: small children. Babies! Yes, I did see this with my own eyes †¦ children thrown into the flames. † (32). Elie describes how the ones that couldn’t work were treated.Because children were seen as a hindrance to the work, they were burned to their death. Even babies who haven’t had the chance to live life were mercilessly murd ered. â€Å"The idea of dying, of ceasing to be, began to fascinate me. To no longer exist. To no longer feel the excruciating pain of my foot. To no longer feel anything, neither fatigue nor cold, nothing. † (86). Elie was in so much pain living, her felt that dying would feel better then living. He was suffering so much to the point where he would even accept death if it came.Elie writes with pathos, as he appeals to the readers’ emotions. Elie Wiesel’s autobiography, â€Å"Night†, uses many components in writing a story that would indulge readers as they read how he lived and felt during the Holocaust. He uses things such as imagery, figurative language, and pathos as means to do so. The pain, the horrors, the fear, the defeat felt during that nightmare, the Holocaust; things that we wouldn’t ever be able to truly understand unless we experienced it, he tries his best to speak of his experience as a survivor.