Martin Luther Kings Shattered Dream Essay -- Dr. Martin Luther King J

Martin Luther King's Shattered Dream "I have a dream" is a phrase heard by more than 200,000 Americans on August 28, 1963, and since then, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" has resonated through millions of heads and thoughts in the world. Eyes search for the reality of his dream, ears search for the freedom bells ringing, hands search for a brother's hand, and mouths search for the songs of freedom. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of a utopia where the colors of black and white would become so intertwined that shades of gray would appeared. Martin Luther King, Jr. charged the American people to go out and create a perfect place, and many people have tried, but as long as antiquated moral values remain, America will never fully wake up from the nightmare of racism and enter into the dream of equality. Of course, not all race relations today are a nightmare; Americans have risen above some of their petty prejudices and biases. During the sixties, black people were forced to ride in the back of busses, black people were forced to stay apart from white people, black people were forced to step out of the way of white people, and black people were commonly disrespected and thought of as inferior. Because of segregation, there were different schools, different water fountains, different restaurants, and different housing areas. A black man was not encouraged to elevate in society but instead had the words "you are inferior" constantly beaten into him by the white man. Because of these practices, Civil Rights movements began to take place and people like Martin Luther King, Jr. began speaking out against the injustices toward black people. The Civil Rights movement accomplished several things: in today's society segre... ...intentionally been taught; however much I try to scrub the dark soot out of my brain, the spot remains. These spots remain on all of society as long as these thoughts and feelings remain in people's minds. King dreamed that "one day [his] four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." But, as long as white people continue their ingrown practices, this will never happen: there are bad opinions of a black and white couple, there has never been a black president, there are very few black students and teachers at McCallie, and there is not a single black family in my neighborhood. Yes, there is equality, but only between black and white Barbie dolls. King tells us to "let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee," but we fail to reach such a high expectation.

Essays on Death and Suicide - Grieving the Loss of My Mother :: Personal Narrative Writing

Grieving the Loss of My Mother I stopped in the middle of the street and drew in a deep breath. "Where am I going?" I asked myself. I glanced at my watch, still walking, and noticed with a shudder that it was already past midnight. "Time flies when you're having fun," I muttered, my voice filled with a surprising sarcasm. I turned the corner of 54th street, and glanced down the block. No one. Part of me wished that someone would have been there, someone who would question me and demand that I go straight home. But I knew that if I went back, I'd be right where I started. And I'd promised myself progress this night. Maybe I wouldn't be able to get away, the odds of that happening were clearly against me, and I was aware of it, but every moment I could be free from the problems was one more I could cling to. Suddenly, a car pulled up next to me, the headlights blinding me momentarily. I glanced inside to see Micha sitting at the wheel. "Get in," she said. I crossed to the passenger side and got in, without objecting, due to the fact that I knew it was too late to be defiant. And I was too tired. I braced myself for what was to come next, but my older sister said nothing. She put her car into gear, and pulled away without a word. We drove in silence, the only noise being her deep breathing and my short, shallow sighs. I realized just how far I had walked, as we drove to my house- at least 5 miles. When we reached our house, I looked at it, as if I was seeing it for the first time in my life- the old fashioned porches, the balcony, the huge, beautiful windows. I stayed in the car, as did Micha, neither of us making an attempt to move as she commented on the grass needing cut, and the mess the neighbors had made in the front yard. I heard her, but I wasn't listening- I was merely staring ahead of me, debating if I should get out and run inside or try to justify my actions. "Micha..." I began, but she cut me off short. "Go get some sleep," she said dryly, "We'll talk in the morning." I got out of the car, leaving her in the car as I briskly ran up the walkway.

Thomas Jefferson Essays -- essays research papers

Thomas Jefferson is remembered in history not only for the offices he held, but also for his belief in the natural rights of man as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and his faith in the people’s ability to govern themselves. Through his political career, Thomas Jefferson advocated democratic principles and adhered to his liberal ideology. However, as a president he found it difficult to maintain these policies in the noisy arena of politics. Consequently, circumstances forced him to reverse himself in some degree on these concepts. When he was voted into the presidency, Jefferson devoted a major section of his inaugural address to the "’the essential principles of our government, and consequently those which ought to shape it’s administration’" (Cunningham). Here he reiterated his basic political principles and the leading policies that he had professed as a candidate, which he now restated as the guiding pillars of his administration. He began by affirming "’equal and exact justice to all his men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.’" Next, Jefferson proclaimed, "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." He then went on to affirm his commitment to the rights of the states and the preservation of the central government. Continuing to intermingle general principles and specific policies, that new president declared that he favored reliance for defense on a "militia rather than an army, a small navy" (Cunningham) and prosperity through "economy, the payment of debts, and the encouragement of agriculture and commerce as its handmaid." He also emphasized basic rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and impartially selected juries. "These principles," Jefferson concluded, "form the brightest constellation, which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation†¦ They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which we try the services of those we trust." Unfortunately for Jefferson, marinating this creed would not be easy during this period of history. Jefferson maintained his governing principles throughout the most part of his presidency.... ...elpless American ship was thereupon forced to surrender four of its men. One was a British deserter, but three were Americans. Many Americans wanted to go to war against Britain over this incident. However, Jefferson was determined to avoid war, feeling he could bring Britain to terms by applying economic pressure. In December 1807, the Congress passed the Embargo Act. American ships were forbidden to sail from American ports to any European port. Jefferson believed that England and France could not survive without American trade. However, he had greatly underestimated the effect of the embargo on the United States itself. All parts of the country were affected, especially the industrial and commercial North. In order to avoid war, Jefferson was forced to act against two of his principles by risking American commerce and terminating friendly relationships with other nations. Despite the unavoidable circumstances that caused his actions, Jefferson still proved to be one of the most valued presidents. His ideas, firmly established in the Declaration of Independence, are the foundation of modern society. Current politicians and citizens value many of his principles as well.

Pros and Cons of Fast Food

The Good and Bad of Fast Food The Good and Bad That Fast Food Brings To Our Society Shawn Guzman E. C. P. I. English 110 The Good and Bad That Fast Food Brings To Our Society In this day and age everyone has had some form of fast food. There are many options to choose from all around the world. If one was to travel down any main city block, he or she may be overwhelmed with the many options to choose from. The most popular options may be McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Subway just to name a few. The choices are almost endless. The availability to eat fast food is everywhere.It is very hard not to notice when there are advertisements on television, magazines, and all over the internet. The advertisements offer great deals, large quantities, great gifts and more. It can become very hard to avoid the temptation. That is what these franchise’s marketing groups are targeting. There are many questions asked about how unhealthy fast food is. There are constant debates that fas t food is bad for you. I believe if you eat too much of anything it may be unhealthy. Fast food has been around for a long time and seems like it will be around in the future as well.There are good and bad things about fast food that many people are aware of. That’s why there are always debates about the pros and cons of fast food. The way that fast food is portrayed to be unhealthy is understandable and there are many reasons to support that, but there are also many reasons why people think fast food is great and is not getting any less popular. A very good thing about fast food is the availability. There are many locations to eat fast food. At any spare moment driving down the street people can pull over to one of many chains of fast food restaurants to eat.There are different varieties to choose from such as Chinese food, pizza, Mexican, and maybe the most popular hamburgers and fries. Every year there are more and more locations popping up that offer different varieties t o choose from. Franchises like Wendy’s and McDonalds seems like there are locations everywhere. McDonalds operated their first location back in 1955 and now McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 32,000 local restaurants serving more than  60 million people in 117 countries each day (Our history, n. d. ). Fast food is very convenient for a lot of people that are on the go.Many households may not have the time to cook a well home cooked meal. A single parent that that gets up in the morning and has to get ready for work, while taking care of a child, may not have the time to cook breakfast. This is a time when the parent may elect to get a breakfast on the way to work. After a long day of working a fulltime job, that person may not have the time or energy to cook a meal at home. That is when fast food may be very convenient. Many households may not have the time to sit down as a family, and eat breakfast, lunch or dinner.This is a perfect time w hen fast food may come in handy. Many fast food locations have very affordable prices. If you can go to a specific location and eat a full course meal for under five dollars, that may be very affordable. With the state of economy being the way it is today in the U. S many people might not be able to afford the cost of grocery shopping. People may prefer to purchase an inexpensive meal to feed each other. Imagine a single parent has a child that is hungry and the parent only has five dollars. There are locations now such as McDonalds that have what they call, â€Å"The Dollar Menu. Based on McDonald’s website, people can order variety of breakfast sandwiches, hamburgers for lunch, and even soft drinks, for just $1 dollar a piece (Dollar menu, n. d. ). The average person can purchase 5 different items with 5 dollars. That can feed a couple of people in a household. Some may say this can turn out to be very costly if done on a regular basis, although there can be many reasons w hy this can be perceived as an affordable and viable option. There may be many that believe fast food is completely unhealthy, when that is not necessarily true.If fast food is eaten at moderate rates it is not necessarily an unhealthy issue. Currently based on the U. S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) they state: FDA regulations require nutrition information to appear on most foods, and any claims on food products must be truthful and not misleading. In addition, low sodium, reduced fat, and high fiber must meet strict government definitions. FDA has defined other terms used to describe the content of a nutrient, such as low, reduced, high, free, lean, extra lean, good source, less, light, and more.So a consumer who wants to reduce sodium intake can be assured that the manufacturer of a product claiming to be â€Å"low sodium† or â€Å"reduced in sodium† has met these definitions. (Food label, 2008) The label for the food has nutritional facts on it. The labels are suppose to state how much calories an item has in it, or how much salt and sugar the item contains. These facts are helpful to determine if the item is healthy or not. Even though most of these fast foods can contain a high volume of cholesterol or fats, if taken in moderation it may not be unhealthy.It may seem that fast food is the most unhealthy food in the world, and rightfully so. There are so many negatives about fast food, that some people may think why even eat it at all. The effects of eating too much fast food can be very costly. Even though it may seem like fast food is so delicious and there are so many different options, is it really worth it in the end? One of the unhealthy ingredients in most fast food is Trans fat. Trans fat is â€Å"fat produced from the industrial process of hydrogenation, in which molecular hydrogen (H2) is added to vegetable oil, thereby converting liquid fat to semisolid fat. (Trans, 2011) Some of the specific fast foods that contain Trans fat are items such as pizza dough, French fries, and fried chicken just to name a few (Trans, 2011). There are so many different types of fast food that uses some form of Trans fat. There are many health risks that can start from eating too much fast food that contains Trans fat. There have been many studies to determine if Trans fats or saturated fats cause heart disease. At one point in the late 1980’s some test confirmed that saturated fats lead to heart disease, this caused many to believe there was no harm in eating fast food that contain Trans fat.The consumption of Trans fat rose drastically during that time. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that test confirmed that Trans fat was actually a higher risk to cause heart disease than saturated fats (Trans, 2011). Either way it seems that both types of fat can cause some form of heart disease if too much is consumed. The best thing is to have a healthy diet. Fast food can be the start of an unhealthy diet. There are ple nty of unhealthy ingredients in most fast food meals. Many people may say that there is a gain of weight when eating fast food. People who eat a lot of fast food probably have a better chance of being overweight.If someone eats more than a couple of fast food meals a week most likely they are not in proper shape. Eating too much of any fast food is not healthy for any one. When eating foods that are unhealthy they mostly contain fats, salts, or some type of sweetening. These types of ingredients may be addictive. People who’ve been eating fast food for a while may believe that it is too hard to just stop eating. Some people may say just stop eating fast food, but is it really that easy? Certain ingredients may be addictive or have some type of mental power.A former director of the FDA Dr Kessler states: When it comes to stimulating our brains, Dr. Kessler noted, individual ingredients aren’t particularly potent. But by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways , food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full. (Parker-Pope, 2009) In this article Dr Kessler continues to make valid points on how it seems that fast food restaurants use this to they’re advantage.Some of these restaurants have scientist that try to figure out the perfect combinations of sweets and fats that seem overwhelming to the human taste buds (Parker-Pope, 2009). With the food scientist making food irresistible, it makes it that much harder to put down the hamburger or French fries that taste so good. So just think that if these scientists, that work for these fast food restaurants, make it that much harder to stop eating fast food, people are going to continue eating fast food. That is when people start to gain weight.When people keep eating even though they are no longer hungry, that can lead to being overweight an d obesity. Those are big problems in our society and why fast food is a contributor to that problem. The negative perception about fast food being unhealthy is true because of the tactics that are sometimes taken. Some of the tactics used by fast food restaurants are their marketing campaigns. For example the McDonalds Happy Meal that is marketed toward children. These Happy Meals can be purchased at a reasonable price and also come with a toy. It is very hard to tell hildren no when they see that a toy comes with the fast food they are about to eat. Most of the time a child doesn’t even care about the meal itself. Imagine trying to feed your child a healthy meal, but they frequently see their most popular cartoon character or super hero toy being given away free with an unhealthy McDonalds Happy Meal. This is what many parents have to deal with. Finally someone is trying to change this from being a problem. Currently San Francisco city officials are trying to ban Happy Meals from being sold with toys if they don’t meet certain nutritional standards.The San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar, who started the proposal, said: I do believe that toys and other incentives attached to foods that are high in sugar, fat, and calories are a major reason for the alarming rise for childhood obesity in this country, Mar said. This is a very modest ordinance that is an incentive for the industry to take responsibility for healthier choices for children and parents. (Martinez, 2010) Hopefully if one city or state stands up for our children others may follow.This can be the start of what our nation needs to start getting back to eating healthier. Fast food companies need to be controlled somewhat on how they are marketing their unhealthy food to little children. There are a lot of arguments about if fast food is healthy or unhealthy. Some people believe fast food is very affordable and convenient, with plenty of options to choose from around every corner. The way ou r nation is always on the go, it is hard to argue with a person wanting to just grab a bite while on their way to work, or when taking their children to school.Sometimes it feels like there is not enough time in the day to cook, and fast food is a perfect option at the end of the day. As for fast food being unhealthy, is not a real debate. There are current test that clearly show that as being the case, but quantity and regularity seems to be more of a problem. If a person eats too much fast food on a regular basis than that can prove to be deadly. We are in the land of the free, where we believe in freedom of choice. If someone wants to eat fast food that is a choice they can make for themselves, whether it is healthy or not.References Dollar Menu. (n. d). McDonalds. com. Retrieved Jan. 1, 2011, from: http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/food/meal_bundles/dollar_menu. html Food Label Helps Consumers Make Healthier Choices. (2008). Retrieved Dec. 27, 2010, from the world wide web: http: //www. fda. gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm094536. htm#moreinfo Martinez, Michael. (2010, Nov. 8). Ban on low-nutrition Kid-toy meals draws nearer in San Francisco. CNN. com. Retrieved Jan. 3, 2010, from http://www. cnn. com/2010/US/11/04/california. fast. ood/index. html? iref=allsearch Our History. (n. d). McDonalds. com. Retrieved Jan. 2, 2011, from http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/our_story. html Parker-Pope, T. (2009, June 22). How the Food Makers Captured Our Brains. The New York Times on the Web. Retrieved Jan. 4, 2011, from the world wide web: http://www. nytimes. com/2009/06/23/health/23well. html? _r=1=health Trans fat. (2011). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved Jan. 1, 2011 from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/1085248/trans-fat

A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell

This short story entitled â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† by Susan Glaspell is about a farmer’s murder in Dickinson County.   This farmer named John Wright was murdered during his sleep.   The suspect of the said crime was his wife, Minnie Wright, for the crime happened in their residence, in John’s own bed.   Mr. Wright was strangled by a rope during his sleep which caused his death.   The story revolved around the investigation conducted after the crime.   Five people went to the Wright’s residence – Mr. Henderson, who was the county attorney; Mr. Peters who was the sheriff together with his wife; and, Mr. Hale, who was a neighbor of the Wrights.   Mrs. Martha Hale was also there since Mrs. Peters wanted to have female company with her as they went to the scene of the crime. When they got to the Wrights’ house, the sheriff and the county attorney asked Mr. Hale to tell about what happened when he went to the house to see John Wright.   Mr. Hale said that Mrs. Wright was just in seated on a chair and as he asked to see John, Minnie said he cannot for John is dead.   He asked where he was and Minnie simply pointed upstairs.   Further, he asked how he died and she said that a rope wrung his neck.   So Mr. Hale went upstairs together with his eldest son, Harry. Mr. Hale thought of removing the rope thinking that John might still be alive, but his son stopped him, saying that it was evidence that should be preserved.   Harry ascertained that Mr. Wright was indeed dead. During the investigation, they failed to scrutinize for clues in the kitchen and focused on the crime scene itself.   As the three men investigated upstairs, the two women were left in the kitchen, where they did investigations by themselves.   Ironically, the two women discovered things which served as pieces of the puzzle.   Mrs. Hale knew that there were unfinished tasks in the kitchen, which the men did not notice. She knew this, as she herself had unfinished works in the kitchen as his husband demanded that she join him to the Wrights’ house. Another clue was a bird cage with hinges that were broken, in what they thought, a rough manner. Then, there was a quilt, with stitching that they scrutinized and noticed that was almost perfect and neatly done.   At the edge of the quilt, however, the stitches became uneven, as if Minnie was unstable as she did it.   As the women continued to look at Minnie’s sewing materials for the quilt, Mrs. Hale, saw a beautiful box.   When she opened it, she saw something wrapped in silk.   To her surprise it was the dead canary bird.   Its neck was wrung.  Ã‚   It was killed in almost the same way as Mr. Wright was murdered. These pieces of evidence were kept among themselves.   Though the men found out about the broken cage, the women said that perhaps a cat killed the bird, and the men took the idea. Aside from this, Mrs. Hale has repaired that imperfect stitching from the quilt which Mrs. Wright was making.   The women, who seem to relate to the sentiments and position of Minnie, silently agreed to keep the motive for the killing of John Wright.   As Enotes puts it: â€Å"In silent collusion, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters cover up the clues that reveal Minnie's motive, quietly acquitting Minnie from wrongdoing without their husbands' knowledge† (par. 2) This story, as indicated in the Introduction of as study guide in Enotes, was â€Å"based on an actual court case [that Susan Glaspell] covered as a reporter for the Des Moines Daily† (par. 1).   The crime happened in Indianola, Iowa on December 2, 1900 where a farmer named John Hossack was murdered in bed.   His head was hit hard by an axe and the suspect was none other than his wife, Margaret.   She was released as there was insufficient evidence for her to be convicted. Apparently, during the period when Susan Glaspell wrote this short story, women were good as voiceless.   No woman was a member of jury.   Glaspell, through her writing, has depicted how the women can be ironically stronger and smarter than the men.   It was the women who have found the evidence and in their own way became the jurors for this crime.   In addition, women were regarded by men as inferior.   As stated, women were left in the kitchen and it was the men who did the investigation.   Also, there were a number of instances in the story where the men laughed at the women’s ways and conversations.   The women were timid and they do not speak when they were with the men. Moreover, one can deduce the fact that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can empathize with Mrs. Wright.   They knew that there has been maltreatment from Mr. Wright and that he â€Å"killed† the source of little joys for her wife.   It was mentioned that before they married, Minnie sang on choirs and stopped singing after marrying Mr. Wright.   Moreover, Mrs. Hale supposed that canary birds are singing birds and are good companions against loneliness.   From this, Mrs.   Hale concludes (as implied in the story) that Mr. Wright must have killed the canary bird. The story was written in a cohesive manner and can be easily grasped.   On initial glance it appears to be a simple detective story.     However, as any other literature, one ought to understand it within its historical context.   Reading and understanding the conversations between the women seem to represent the powerlessness and overall disadvantaged status of women in society.   During the 1900s, women did not enjoy the same freedom as women do nowadays. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† effectively showed how unjust the women were treated in a male-dominated society. Enotes say that critics see the story as â€Å"more of a commentary about female oppression, justice, the confining nature of rigid stereotypes, and the differences in perspective between men and women† (par. 3).   Ã‚  Basing from this fact, one can appreciate how powerful such piece of writing was, up to this date.   Furthermore, Enotes adds that â€Å"critics have hailed ‘A Jury of Her Peers’ as a feminist classic, noting the story's significance-laden details and its insight into motivations of men and women† (par. 4).   This work of Glaspell is a good material for the study of feminism. Works Cited â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers, Susan Glaspell: Introduction.† Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jenny Cromie Editor. Vol. 41. Gale Group, Inc., 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 4 May 2008 ;http://www.enotes.com/short-story-criticism/ jury-her-peers-susan-glaspell; . â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers: Introduction.† Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 4 May 2008. Glaspell, Susan. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers.† Learner.com. 2008. 4 May 2008 ;www.learner.org/interactives/literature/story/fulltext.html;. ; ; ; ; ; ; A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell This short story entitled â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† by Susan Glaspell is about a farmer’s murder in Dickinson County.   This farmer named John Wright was murdered during his sleep.   The suspect of the said crime was his wife, Minnie Wright, for the crime happened in their residence, in John’s own bed.   Mr. Wright was strangled by a rope during his sleep which caused his death.   The story revolved around the investigation conducted after the crime.   Five people went to the Wright’s residence – Mr. Henderson, who was the county attorney; Mr. Peters who was the sheriff together with his wife; and, Mr. Hale, who was a neighbor of the Wrights.   Mrs. Martha Hale was also there since Mrs. Peters wanted to have female company with her as they went to the scene of the crime. When they got to the Wrights’ house, the sheriff and the county attorney asked Mr. Hale to tell about what happened when he went to the house to see John Wright.   Mr. Hale said that Mrs. Wright was just in seated on a chair and as he asked to see John, Minnie said he cannot for John is dead.   He asked where he was and Minnie simply pointed upstairs.   Further, he asked how he died and she said that a rope wrung his neck.   So Mr. Hale went upstairs together with his eldest son, Harry. Mr. Hale thought of removing the rope thinking that John might still be alive, but his son stopped him, saying that it was evidence that should be preserved.   Harry ascertained that Mr. Wright was indeed dead. During the investigation, they failed to scrutinize for clues in the kitchen and focused on the crime scene itself.   As the three men investigated upstairs, the two women were left in the kitchen, where they did investigations by themselves.   Ironically, the two women discovered things which served as pieces of the puzzle.   Mrs. Hale knew that there were unfinished tasks in the kitchen, which the men did not notice. She knew this, as she herself had unfinished works in the kitchen as his husband demanded that she join him to the Wrights’ house. Another clue was a bird cage with hinges that were broken, in what they thought, a rough manner. Then, there was a quilt, with stitching that they scrutinized and noticed that was almost perfect and neatly done.   At the edge of the quilt, however, the stitches became uneven, as if Minnie was unstable as she did it.   As the women continued to look at Minnie’s sewing materials for the quilt, Mrs. Hale, saw a beautiful box.   When she opened it, she saw something wrapped in silk.   To her surprise it was the dead canary bird.   Its neck was wrung.  Ã‚   It was killed in almost the same way as Mr. Wright was murdered. These pieces of evidence were kept among themselves.   Though the men found out about the broken cage, the women said that perhaps a cat killed the bird, and the men took the idea. Aside from this, Mrs. Hale has repaired that imperfect stitching from the quilt which Mrs. Wright was making.   The women, who seem to relate to the sentiments and position of Minnie, silently agreed to keep the motive for the killing of John Wright.   As Enotes puts it: â€Å"In silent collusion, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters cover up the clues that reveal Minnie's motive, quietly acquitting Minnie from wrongdoing without their husbands' knowledge† (par. 2) This story, as indicated in the Introduction of as study guide in Enotes, was â€Å"based on an actual court case [that Susan Glaspell] covered as a reporter for the Des Moines Daily† (par. 1).   The crime happened in Indianola, Iowa on December 2, 1900 where a farmer named John Hossack was murdered in bed.   His head was hit hard by an axe and the suspect was none other than his wife, Margaret.   She was released as there was insufficient evidence for her to be convicted. Apparently, during the period when Susan Glaspell wrote this short story, women were good as voiceless.   No woman was a member of jury.   Glaspell, through her writing, has depicted how the women can be ironically stronger and smarter than the men.   It was the women who have found the evidence and in their own way became the jurors for this crime.   In addition, women were regarded by men as inferior.   As stated, women were left in the kitchen and it was the men who did the investigation.   Also, there were a number of instances in the story where the men laughed at the women’s ways and conversations.   The women were timid and they do not speak when they were with the men. Moreover, one can deduce the fact that Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can empathize with Mrs. Wright.   They knew that there has been maltreatment from Mr. Wright and that he â€Å"killed† the source of little joys for her wife.   It was mentioned that before they married, Minnie sang on choirs and stopped singing after marrying Mr. Wright.   Moreover, Mrs. Hale supposed that canary birds are singing birds and are good companions against loneliness.   From this, Mrs.   Hale concludes (as implied in the story) that Mr. Wright must have killed the canary bird. The story was written in a cohesive manner and can be easily grasped.   On initial glance it appears to be a simple detective story.     However, as any other literature, one ought to understand it within its historical context.   Reading and understanding the conversations between the women seem to represent the powerlessness and overall disadvantaged status of women in society.   During the 1900s, women did not enjoy the same freedom as women do nowadays. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† effectively showed how unjust the women were treated in a male-dominated society. Enotes say that critics see the story as â€Å"more of a commentary about female oppression, justice, the confining nature of rigid stereotypes, and the differences in perspective between men and women† (par. 3).   Ã‚  Basing from this fact, one can appreciate how powerful such piece of writing was, up to this date.   Furthermore, Enotes adds that â€Å"critics have hailed ‘A Jury of Her Peers’ as a feminist classic, noting the story's significance-laden details and its insight into motivations of men and women† (par. 4).   This work of Glaspell is a good material for the study of feminism. Works Cited â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers, Susan Glaspell: Introduction.† Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jenny Cromie Editor. Vol. 41. Gale Group, Inc., 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 4 May 2008 ;http://www.enotes.com/short-story-criticism/ jury-her-peers-susan-glaspell; . â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers: Introduction.† Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 4 May 2008. Glaspell, Susan. â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers.† Learner.com. 2008. 4 May 2008 ;www.learner.org/interactives/literature/story/fulltext.html;. ; ; ; ; ; ;

Narrator in the Cathedral Essay

In the story â€Å"Cathedral,† the author shares his experience with a blind man, a friend of his wife, who comes to visit their home. The author is troubled by the blind man’s visit for unclear reasons, but he attributes it to Robert’s (the blind man) disability. The narrator dislikes the blind and often refers to Robert as â€Å"the blind man† and was bothered by Robert’s visit to their home. The narrators experience with the blind man is an eye opener to him and changes his perspective towards blind people and his relationship with his wife. This essay examines why the narrator kept his eyes closed at the end of the story, and the fate of his relationship with his wife after the experience with Robert. The idea that the narrator dislikes the blind when he is limited to his own sight makes the story ironical. The narrator’s experience with the blind man (Robert) clearly shows his limitations in terms of his relationship with his wife and hi s perspective towards the blind and life. The narrator is insecure with Robert because Robert and his wife were once married (Carver, 1989). This reveals his negativity and crudeness. He talks in a wicked humor, showing how detached he was from his life. He is jealous of the past relationship between Robert and his wife, which he tends to hide despite his apparent honesty (Carver, 1989). The narrator realizes a lot about himself through his experience with Robert. He is always alone according to his wife and he stays up watching television as she goes to bed (Carver, 1989). This shows a poor relationship between the narrator and his wife, as well as the society. The narrator lives in isolation, which shows his adamant close-mindedness, apparently in his feelings and pre-convinced concepts of blindness. Robert appreciated the narrator’s wife more than the narrator did while the narrator is more than remote to her (Carver, 1989). He realizes this in their conversations that night and in his experience when conversing with Robert. The narrator realizes that Robert was better than him, despite his inability to see. When the narrator closes his eyes, he sees the reality that Robert has been trying to show him since they met. He realizes the importance of religion as He leads Roberts in drawing the Cathedral. Robert’s final instruction to the narrator â€Å"put some people in there now† is a wakeup call to the narrator (Shmoop, 2010). Robert shows the narrator the power of faith in something great. The narrator also realizes that relationships are not build by sight alone, but also by touch. The narrator’s wife described Roberts touch with passion, and when Robert squeezes the narrator’s hand upon meeting him. The narrator realizes that one can learn about a person through touch. The blind are not blinded by the physical world and they can see some greater truth (Shmoop, 2010). The narrator’s experience with Robert makes him understand how he has been living blindly despite having sight. In the Cathedral, the narrator experiences a revelation that is both religious, and a social awakening. He gains literal, as well as figurative insights. The narrator learns to live a better life with his wife and other people. He appreciates Robert’s company and the eye opening experience. The narrator and his wife will live a better life after the experience with Robert. This is because the narrator’s view of his wife has changed, and his jealousy of her relationship with Robert would diminish as he now understands it better. The narrator has also accepted Christianity, meaning as a Christian, he will be open to his wife and the society; thus, building a better relationship. He prefers closing his eyes to opening them since he sees the reality of his li fe better with his eyes closed than when opened. References Carver, R. (1989). Cathedral. Vintage Books. Shmoop. (2010). Cathedral: Shmoop Literature Guide. Shmoop University Inc.

Defining Inclusion and Supporting Laws Essay

This term refers to bringing the support services to children with disabilities within their normal classroom setting. The article â€Å"Special Education Inclusion† mentions that inclusion commits to putting the child with disabilities in the regular classroom environment, so that they can benefit from being around their peers (Stout 2001). Inclusion is stated by Robert Fieldman as integration of all students, even those with the most severe disabilities, into regular classrooms and all other aspects of school and community life (2004). The success of these practices rides heavily upon the teachers and school being flexible with their instruction methods and only pulling the child out of class when necessary services cannot be given in the regular classroom. Here the students can be challenged, feel accepted and learn from the higher expectations placed on them. To answer the question of why it is healthy for the growth of an average child, there are multiple reasons learning interactions are beneficial. Stout then listed the findings in the study Success For All that were positive changes for the regular education students: Less fear and more awareness of human differences, growth in social cognition, improvement in belief in oneself, ability to support peers with disabilities, and caring friendships (2001). Emile Durkheim argues that â€Å"attachment and belonging are essential to human development and integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms is desirable (Noll 2004)†. State laws that teachers need to know about is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. IDEA requires that assessments be made for young children experiencing developmental delays. This also included the expansion of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings for more experts to be involved, hence the intervention made must be backed by research. This Act states says in summary that all children with disabilities in both private and public schools be put in separate facilities only if the severity of their disability will keep them from receiving a suitable education in the regular classroom. The Public Law  94-142 is explained by Lewis and Doorlag as the start to guaranteeing appropriate services to the maximum extent. For instance, each student with disabilities must have an IEP with the parent’s consent and will receive the least restrictive environment possible (Lewis and D oorlag, 2005). The children are often not going to be able to explain exactly what they are struggling with, so I will be informing these teachers about what to watch for. At this point they will be getting a handout from Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies that covers visual, auditory, and intellectual disability symptoms and strategies. This attached handout explains warning signs, such as sensitivity to light and squinting when there are visual difficulties, therefore seat them away from the glare or window and read aloud what is written (even largely) on the board. If the student has not come near the level of development of their age mates, then seek possible assessment for intellectual difficulty. The classroom could be adapted by getting a volunteer to help with giving extra time and instructions. If a child is struggling with hearing, he may have trouble following directions or be uninvolved; hence, seat the student where they can be near teacher and peers to see how they are responding and use visual aids in lessons (INEE 2005). In Rick Lavoie’s article, Early Warning Signs of Disabilities, he gave the  following list of areas that are commonly affected: l) Spoken language: delays, disorders, and deviations in listening and speaking 2) Written language: difficulties with reading, writing and spelling 3) Arithmetic: difficulty in performing arithmetic operations or in basic concepts 4) Reasoning: slower processing and organizing thoughts 5) Memory: challenges in remembering information and instructions Strategies Going into this situation is inevitable, yet how teachers deal with it can make everyone succeed†¦. As I address the preschool teachers about inclusion, I intend for them to leave being motivated and prepared for inclusive situations. Hence, I am going to give them strategies and preparation, in handouts, for dealing with children who have disabilities; many of these suggestions could be brought up in a child’s IEP meeting. Peer tutoring can happen easily and be incredibly effective way to promote social acceptance of special education students. General education students will gain experience by working with them, while the special needs student gets a fresh status, increased acceptance, occasion for socializing, all while practicing academics (Lewis and Doorlag, 2005). Sitting up front, next to a role model student can be very helpful as they can undertake assignments with a little nudge of help. Along the same lines, if the IEP allows it, volunteer tutors and professional aids are also beneficial to the need for one-on-one assistance in class. Presentation of lessons has to be done to suit various learning styles. Illustrate things for visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners by using things like overheads, Power point, group skits, video clips, demonstrations, artwork, poems and anything else where you can creatively engage the students. Along these same lines, it would be best to find out the learning styles of all of the students. Hence, when you place them in groups or seek to help the students with disabilities, it will be in a style that reaches their individual needs. Learning disabilities are a widespread part of inclusion, because three to five percent of all children might have ADHD alone (Slavin 2003). Slavin’s section about Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities outlines particular ways to be effective. Prevention is encouraged by the â€Å"High-quality early childhood programs and primary grades teaching  significantly reduce the number of children identified with learning disabilities† (Slavin 2003, p. 420). He goes on to explain that positive feedback regarding improvement in learning helps them do better. It helps to split up large assignments into intermediate goals, so that they can receive feedback as they go along and accomplish it correctly. Board games can be used to promote social growth of the learning disabled student with their peers; these fun activities can be effective builders of academic skills. (Lavoie, n.d.). Misbehaviors often root from frustrations, hence learning-disabled students often â€Å"respond well to a rapid pace of instruction with much variety and many opportunities to participate† (Slavin, 2003, pg. 421). As mentioned above, many disabilities result in behavior issues that need to be addressed in positive reinforcement. Begin by defining suitable behavior, give genuine approval, and be consistent with reinforcements. Physical and sensory impairments need strategies that regular teachers can use in mainstreaming classrooms. For visual impairments, help the student form a set-up of the classroom by exploration, enlarge text, and bring them a larger desk for the Braille writer (Lewis and Doorlag 2006). While for hearing impairments, the child should be where they can see the teacher and the students, away from background noise, and the teacher should be checking for understanding of the material. References 1. Disability Rights Commission (2005) DRC Design and Technology by Reading Room. http://www.drc-gb.org/citizenship/talkvideos/index.asp. 2. Feldman, Robert S. (2004). Childhood Development (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education. 3. Hagberg, Laurie. (1998). http://adhd.kids.tripod.com/adhd.html. â€Å"Outside the Box: Lessons I’ve Learned†. 4. Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). (2002 – 2005). â€Å"Inclusive Education of Children at Risk†. http://www.ineesite.org/inclusion/disabled.asp. 5. Lavoie, Rick.† The Teacher’s Role in Developing Social Skills†. http://www.ricklavoie.com/articles.html. 6. Lewis and Doorlag. (2006). Teaching Special Students in General Education Classrooms. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey. 7. Noll, James (2004). Taking Sides (12th Edition). Guilford, Conn. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. 8. Special Education. (2004). http://www.pacificnet.net/~mandel/SpecialEducation.html