Platypuses

Platypuses Phylum Chordata classifies some of the most unique animals of our time. These animals all are common in a certain way. All chordates have vertebrae, a notochord that runs beneath the dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits or openings in the throat. Additionally, all chordates have a post-anal tail that is almost always lost, a closed circulatory system and lastly, a beating heart. These derived features indicate their common ancestry.Although this phylum contains animals with many structural similarities, evolution and adaptations to selected environments forced animals to change to be able to survive and reproduce. A member of Phylum Chordata, the platypus is just one of these thousands of animals that have to compete to make a name for itself in its environment. It’s amazing how these chordates evolved from simple little organisms like tunicates to complex terrestrial amniotes like mammals. The platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is an animal of Phylum Chordata. This bizarre animal is about the size of a house cat and is covered by thick waterproof hair. Platypuses have a beak like a duck, webbed forearms swimming, clawed hind feet for aid in burrowing, and a broad, flat beaver tail. Also, platypuses have a common opening for the reproductive, excretory, and digestive systems. Male platypuses have sharp venomous stingers on the heels of their hind feet to intoxicate any foe that threatens it. Males are also larger than females in size being 20 inches long and females only being about 17 inches.Their average weight is roughly three to five pounds. Platypuses’ jaws are built differently than other mammals. They have extra bones in their jaw and different muscles. It is a very unique animal and was hard to classify by scientists because it is a monotreme. Being a monotreme, platypuses are one of a few species of mammals that can lay eggs. Also, monotremes are known to have a sese of electroreception. This means that they can locate thei r prey by detecting electric fields formed by muscle contractions. This ties in with the platypus’ feeding modes.It feeds by neither sight nor smell, closing its eyes, ears, and nose each time it dives. Rather, when it digs in the bottom of streams with its bill, its electroreceptors detect tiny electrical currents generated by muscular contractions of its prey, enabling it to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, which continuously stimulate its mechanoreceptors. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption.Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to â€Å"chew† their meal. The platypus has an advantage being semi-aquatic. They inhabit small streams and rivers around cold highlands of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to tropical rainforests of Queensland. In these places, t he population of platypuses is plentiful but not really anywhere else on the globe it seems. Also, platypuses can survive living in burrows as well. They’re generally regarded as nocturnal and crepuscular. This means that they are primarily active during the twilight more than during the daytime.Platypuses are known to be capable of making noises, but these have rarely been heard. Their call is a throaty, clucking sound, and they can also communicate by growling at each other. It is used when they are in danger. Other times it is used a behavioural method to attract mates to produce healthy and strong offspring. Platypuses like to live alone, but they can sometimes share small areas of water together. As you can see, platypuses have strange habitats and communication methods for a mammal.Platypuses are one of few mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. The females seal themselves inside one of the burrow's chambers to lay their eggs from winter to spring. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, and after, the tiny babies (called puggles) drinks their mother’s milk, which comes from tiny openings in the mother’s belly. The puggles are completely helpless when they are born and are about the size of lima beans.Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own. Duck-billed Platypuses have a life span of 10 – 12 years. The platypus is unknown to its contribution to its environment. In the past, the number of platypuses decreased due to pollution effects, being hunted for its thick fur as well as being the prey of foxes, snakes, and eels. These days, the platypus population increased because of being put in captivity by the Australian government. They play a crucial role in the food web of streams by foraging on small aquatic invertebrates.Now, they are not under any immedia te threats in their environments. In conclusion, animals are living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli. The platypus possesses all these qualities being a sustainable chordate that plays a part in an environment. Its uniqueness of being a hodgepodge of various different animals interested my mind in finding information about its behaviors. The platypus is a one-of-a-kind animal†¦chordate†¦ mammal†¦monotreme†¦thing!

Humanities Study Guide

Study guide Ch 16 Enlightenment Enlightenment 1700-1789- intellectual and cultural movement. Rococo- pastile, light and everyday scene of wealthy atistocles, and sexual or exrotic. Neoclasicism- Deism- worship a supreme being a god who created the universe and set the laws of nature in motion but who never again interfered in natural or human affairs. Pietism- Philosophes- leaders of enlightenment. Encyclopedie- First great awakening- Phillip Spener- Jonathan Edwards- Mozart- Departure from Cythera- 1717 oil on canvasOath of the Horatii- 1785 Ch17 Revolutions Capitalism/laissez-faire- rule by the people and government keeps out of economy. romanticism- sublime- Industrial revolution- switch to mass production. american revolution- seeking independence from great britian and taxation without repreatation. french revolution- enligtment > freedom and equality for all. declaration of independence-1776 war aganist great britian. Estates-general- adam smith- national constituent assembly- louis XVI- king of france and reign of terror aximilien robespierre- reign of terror- declaration of the rights of man and citizen- goethe-1749-1832 the sorrows of young werther 1774 death of marat-1793 the third of may-1808, 1814-1815 the raft of the medusa-1818 oil on canvas ch 18 triumph of the bourgeoisie Liberalism- democracy and individual liberity. Nationalism- pride in one's nation. Equality and brotherhood real politik- realistic/praticial governing style ; strong armies 1850-1871. socialism-destruction of class system, proletariat. Evangelicalism-protestant and methodists ranscendentalism- thoreau walden 1859 and rom movement in U. S. Realism- concead in real life, everyday problems. slave narrative-1845 life of fredick douglas and 1850 narrative of sojourner truth. pope pius 9-1848 syllabus of errors and doctrine of papal infallibility. karl marx ; friedrich engels- communist manifesto 1848. charles darwin- origings of species 1859. charlotte bronte- jane eyre 1847 emily bronte- wuthering heights 1847 leo tolstoy- sojourner truth- the slave ship- 1840 J. M. W. Turner

On the Relationship between Literature, History, and Human Beings Essay

To assume that an object belongs to a particular set entails that an object possesses similar characteristics to all the other objects in the set. In most cases, two or more sets have a tendency to intertwine with one another since some objects in another set have similar characteristics to the objects in a different set. This intermingling of different objects with different characteristics is apparent in the field of literature. Literature here ought to be understood as a written art form that allows the creation of new worlds. Such a conception of literature is based on the assumption that literary texts are fluid and malleable in nature due to the vast meanings that may be attributed to their content. This view of literature is based on the Reader-Response Theory which assumes that literary texts may only exist within the reader’s consciousness (Murfin and Ray 426). Murfin and Ray claim, â€Å"With†¦ the literary work as a catalyst of mental events comes a redefinition of the reader†¦ (as) the passive recipient of those ideas that an author has planted in a text (427). The field of literature is thereby characterized by the intermingling of different objects with different characteristics since although some works adhere to a specific form, the meanings attributed to these works change in line with the reader’s conception of a their content. In line with this, the following discussion posits that all forms of literature, regardless of their form and content, are united with one another due to their dependence on the human mind. This is another way of stating that literature is connected to human existence due to its dependence on human production as well as on its dependence on human interpretation. Such an assumption is based on several propositions. First, literature, as an art form, reflects the social and political conditions during a particular period in history, whether on the period of its production or on the period of its reproduction. Second, the function of human consciousness in determining the meaning of a work is evident in both the author and the reader’s association of a meaning to the form and content of a text. Finally, the function of human consciousness in unifying not only human experience but also all forms and types of literary works is apparent as the production and reproduction of a work manifests the creation of new meanings and hence new ways of understanding a text. These assumption merely show that the production, reproduction, and reception of a literary work throughout history involves a dialectic process wherein a literary text serves as the main referent for the opposing meanings given to a specific event and? or concept located in a literary work. Eagleton specifies the interconnection between literature and history as she posits that the definition of the concept literature continually evolves along with the social and political conditions in a particular period in history. She claims, â€Å"[W]e can drop once and for all the illusion that the category â€Å"literature† is objective in the sense of being eternally given and immutable†¦Literature reflects†¦ the ways in which what we say and believe connects with the power-structure and power relations of the society we live in† (Eagleton 10-14). Eagleton emphasizes the dependence of the association of the values and meanings used in the analysis of literary works to a predominant belief in a particular period in history. A concrete example of this can be seen in the case of Gilman’s â€Å"A Yellow Wallpaper. † Gilman’s text was only considered as an important literary work in the later part of the 20th century which may be associated with the sociopolitical conditions that allowed the equality of both men and women and hence the recognition of woman writers and their works during that time. Another example of this is apparent in the distinction between Formalism and Modernism in literature. Formalists believe that all literary works can be analyzed in terms of their form (Eagleton 3). They argued that form precedes content as they conceived of the former as a mere expression of the later, that being â€Å"content was merely the ‘motivation’ of form† (Eagleton 3). As opposed to this, the Modernists argued that the content was more important than the form (â€Å"Brief Guide to Modernism†). The Imagists, a sub-group of Modernists, for example, wrote in free verse as opposed to the restrictive forms of sonnets or villanelles (â€Å"Brief Guide to Imagism†). This distinction between Formalism and Modernism shows the evolution of the concept literature. Given that no fixed meaning may be attributed to the term literature; one may claim that a fixed meaning was presented in relation to the term in the initial part of the discussion. It is important to note however that the meaning given to the term above merely emphasizes the fluidity of literature. Such is the case since a description of literary works as texts that enable the creation of new worlds merely provides a loose definition of the term as opposed to the rigid definition provided by the Formalists. In other words, the way literature is conceived in this discussion merely emphasizes the reader’s relationship to a work, which is the reader’s ability to identify new world or new meanings in the combination of a text’s form and content. Although the looseness of the definition specified above may seem to consider all forms of written works as literary texts, it is important to note that the definition is still grounded on what is considered to be an art form. Regardless of this definition, the point which is being emphasized here is the dependence of the term literature on the sociopolitical conditions of a period. As can be seen in the case of Gilman’s text as well as in the case of the Formalists and Modernists, the way one understands literature is dependent on the predominant beliefs during the period of a literary text’s production or a literary movement’s existence. With the relationship between literature and history mentioned above, it becomes evident why human consciousness occupies a primary role in determining the meaning of a literary work. Human consciousness provides the link between literature and history as the human mind interprets specific beliefs and associates them with the content of literary works. In the case of literary critics, the human mind interprets the predominant beliefs regarding the structure of objects in society and creates a connection between this order and the form and content of literary works. In other words, the human mind ascribes meanings to literary texts. In the same manner that human beings create a bridge between history and literature, literature also creates a bridge between human beings. This relationship between history, literature, and human beings can be seen in Albee’s â€Å"The American Dream† and DeLillo’s White Noise. In the case of Albee’s play, his discussion of the American dream not only shows the association of a specific male stereotype to the dream but its association to superficial ideals. The stereotype is apparent as the Young Man, which represents the American dream, is describes as a â€Å"clean-cut, Midwest farm boy type, almost insultingly good looking in a typically American way† (Albee 112). He was further described to possess a â€Å"good profile, straight nose, honest eyes, (and a) wonderful smile† (Albee 112). This description of the Young Man shows the dependence of his existence on a specific setup in society wherein â€Å"lights fill up†¦as he steps into†¦(a) room† (Albee 112). The Young Man’s existence, as a representation of the American dream, is dependent on a society wherein external appearance is lauded in comparison to a person’s character. Note for example that the Young Man is also described to be incapable of loving anyone else (Albee 115). He is thereby an individual who is devoid of establishing a loving connection with other human beings. By representing the Young Man’s existence to be dependent on a superficial society, Albee paves the way for different ways of reading the text. One, for example, may focus on the Young Man’s representation of the Hollywood ideal in America and its connection to the American dream. In addition, one may also focus on the Young Man’s superficial existence. Albee’s text, in this sense, is fluid since no specific interpretation of the work may be given. Its interpretation is dependent on the reader and? or audience of his play. In a similar manner, DeLillo’s White Noise is also a text open to interpretation. The text also discusses an aspect of life which is also common to all men, that being death. It is a truism that all human beings are bound to die. DeLillo’s novel associates death with the rapid developments caused by the electronic age. Consider, for example, his description of white noise in the following passage, â€Å"[T]raffic washes past, a remote and steady murmur around our sleep, as of dead souls babbling at the edge of a dream† (DeLillo 4). The novel’s title, White Noise, may be understood as a representation of death. Death, like white noise, is a sound that permeates human existence. They are both representations of the nothingness that lies outside of life and activity. Notice that it was only in the graveyard, as Jack was faced with the figures of the dead, that there was no mentioned of the white noise in Jack’s surroundings (DeLillo 71). White noise, in this sense, serves as a reminder of death. It is the sound that one hears before one encounters the death of one’s own body. In conjunction to the continuous technological developments in our world, white noise is a sound of reckoning for the possible end of the world itself. In both Albee’s play and DeLillo’s novel, one notes that both texts discuss certain universal themes. Albee’s play revolves around the theme of a country’s dream. DeLillo’s novel, on the other hand, revolves around the theme of death. Both of these are universal themes as they represent certain aspects of human experience that resounds throughout time. The relationship between literature, history, and human beings is thereby apparent in both texts as they themselves present an author’s view regarding a universal theme, one which will be experienced by all human beings throughout the existence of our race. Due to its universal character, these themes, and hence both texts which are grounded on these themes, will be interpreted in different ways by all those who will read them. Human consciousness thereby determines the meaning of a work as an author and a reader associates meanings to a work’s form and content. The universal themes of all literary works provide all human beings, regardless of the spatiotemporal conditions during their existence, with a common ground for understanding literary texts. It is partially due to these universal themes that the members of the current generation are able to find a connection with the works of authors who belong to a different generation. These themes however have been reinterpreted in line with the current generation’s experiences and conception of reality. This can be seen in Frosts’ â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Rainy Evening† and Jacoby’s â€Å"The Diner. † In Frosts’ poem, one is presented with the theme of death as the poem’s persona ponders on the mysteries associated with it. He states, â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.? But I have promises to keep, ? And miles to go before I sleep† (Poe). The persona, in this sense, attempts to ward off thoughts of death since he recognizes that life has a lot more experiences in store for him. Although Poe wrote this poem in the 1920’s, its theme continues to be found in contemporary works as can be seen in Jacoby’s â€Å"The Diner. † In the text, Jacoby speaks of another form of death, one that has been brought about by the artificial reality enabled by technological innovations. He claims, â€Å"Bright bright city lights†¦? I’ll take your pale and shadowed glow,? Whatever half-light path you show†¦? I feel so close to those in here, ? I share their loneliness and fear†¦? From the probing, searching nighttime† (Jacoby). In â€Å"The Diner,† the persona speaks of the death of human interaction caused by the alienating conditions in the modern world. In this world, although men are given the innovations that should have provided them with the chance to have longer periods of meaningful interaction with one another, the artificiality of their surroundings has led them to create artificial relationships with each other. The similarity of the theme of both Frost’s and Jacoby’s texts manifest how literature may serve as a tool for portraying similar themes whose meanings vary due to the new events and? or concepts which have been associated with it. Within this context, it is evident that all forms of literature are much more alike than disparate. Human consciousness has allowed the connection of all literary works as it has enabled the form of all literary texts to correspond with one another due to its relationship to the reader who continually participates in the active reinterpretation of literary works. As McEwan claims, â€Å"Literature flourishes along the channels of this unspoken agreement between writers and readers, offering a mental map whose north and south are the specific, and the general† (41). In this mental map, human minds throughout history interact in a dialectic dialogue with one another as they conceive, interpret, and reinterpret universal themes in literature. This dialogue allows the conception of literature as an art form that continually allows the creation of new worlds and new ways of perceiving reality. Works Cited â€Å"A Brief Guide to Imagism. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. â€Å"A Brief Guide to Modernism. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. Albee, Edward. The American Dream: and, The Zoo Story: Two Plays. New York: Plume, 1997. Print. DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Books, 1985. Print. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. Print. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. Gilman, Charlotte. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Other Stories. London: Courier Dover, 1997. Print. Jacoby, Peter. â€Å"The Diner. † Prof. Peter R. Jacoby’s Spring 2010 Web Site. San Diego Mesa College. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. McEwan, Ian. â€Å"Literature, Science and Human Nature. † Human Nature: Fact and Fiction. Eds. Robin Headlam and Johnjoe McFadden. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. 40-62. Print. Murfin, Ross and Supryia Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. London: Bedford? St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.

Pros and Cons of Capitalism and Socialism Research Paper

Pros and Cons of Capitalism and Socialism - Research Paper Example Capitalism is the idea whereby the possession of capital i.e. the means of production are usually owned and determined by private individuals with little or almost no interception from the government. The entire world can be considered to be operating under the capitalist system. According to the Capitalist system a small proportion of the entire world’s population controls the resources of the world. This leads them to dictate their terms and accumulate and increase their respective wealth and fortune. Many commentators consider this to be a major flaw of Capitalism. Commentators are of the view that the working classes within the economy are negatively exploited as a result of this undue power. Exercising such undue power usually results in Monopolies within the economy and these monopolies lead to an increased benefit being gained by charging higher prices for different goods and services. Except this, there are other negative aspects of Capitalism which include discriminat ive distribution of wealth amongst the economy whereby some people are favored over others. Proponents supporting the Capitalism system consider the economic system to increase economic growth of a society (Hyman, 2010). Socialism on the other hand is a system that has increased government interception with respect to the use of capital/ resources and the income is distributed amongst the people as desired by the government. Advocates favoring socialism consider the system to be a proper distributor of wealth and income amongst the public/economy. People favoring Socialism are of the view that the system has always led to an equal allocation of responsibilities. The negative aspect of Socialism is the fact that the government intervention may lead to many different factors such as decreased growth, reduced flexibility and unclear price signals. These unclear price signals may not be good enough to perform economic calculations and predict the uncertain market trends. Socialism has a lways been pointed out for its budget-constrained attribute. This lack in budgets leads to reduced innovation and growth because of reduced incentive for the people (Hyman, 2010). Economies around the World have always been found to operate under the Socialist economic system. Those economies with a view that they are following the Capitalist economy are merely facing a delusion as there is not a single country in the current era that operates without government’s intervention. Karl Marx’s idea of socialism was to hand the power to the working class and by means of such power; the working class would be able to derive their respective pay scale. According to Karl Marx, the consciousness of the working class would only be altered by a change in their working conditions such as pay scales and for a successful implementation of a proper socialism system; the capitalist system should be over-thrown i.e. possession of resources should not be confined to a limited minority ( Hyman, 2010). Proponents around the world are of the view that the socialism view has not been properly implemented to gain proper advantages from it. On the contrary, the existing system has led to a chaos within the global economy resulting in different financial and economic issues around the globe. A documentary released by some Greek theorists suggests that the economic system wrongfully portrayed as a socialist system has led to the Greek Financial Crisis. The documentary is known as ‘

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Research - Essay Example The study also evaluated the effects of oral healthcare on intracranial pressure. Data was collected from 45 intubated patients who were admitted in ICU for 1 year. The data was collected using oral assessment guide and oral cultures during intubation and then 2 days after extubation. Occurrence of intracranial pressures linked to oral care and ventilator-associated pneumonia were then recorded. According to the findings, oral health of critically ill neuroscience patients deteriorates during intubation and then improves to baseline levels in two days after extubation. This is because intubation leads to an increase in yeast and oral gram-negative bacteria. Among the patients checked in, around 24% of them had cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (Prendergast et al., 2009). Among those examined, overall intracranial pressure decreased significantly after oral healthcare. Oral health among NICU patients deteriorates in the course of intubation and improves after extubation. The level of oral health deterioration depends on time taken during intubation. The longer the intubation time, the more the oral health deteriorates. In addition to this, when patients are subjected to intubation, their health seems to deteriorates regardless of the nature of their sickness (Prendergast et al., 2009). Intubation contributes to aggravation of oral health among neuroscience patients in intensive care units. However, implementation of oral healthcare does not seem to influence intracranial pressure negatively. Oral care needs to be explored in order to promote systemic and oral health of neuroscience patients in intensive care units and determine its impact on ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nurses should examine the oral cavity of patients every eight hours followed up by suctioning to remove secretions. The nurse should then brush the patient teeth using an antiseptic like chlorhexidine. The mouth should then be rinsed using sterile water. It is important to

Manage Innovation and Continuous Improvement Essay

Manage Innovation and Continuous Improvement - Essay Example It is often believed that the management is responsible for implementing and sustaining changes but it also requires help and support from other stakeholders to make it a mutual process offering mutual benefits and success. There is no denying that the strategic approach of the organization often defines its innovation and development approach. Changes are inevitable that are often criticized by individuals having problems in accepting changes. It needs to be understood that innovation and continuous development is based on changes that require support and acceptance of every stakeholder. The assignment assesses and analyzes the scope for opportunities and threats along with evaluating risks and other parameters associated with the innovation and development strategic of the organization. The underpinning would further help in understanding the key intricacies of innovation and development management. Continuous Improvement and Innovative Processes Jims Cleaning is a household name i n Australia with more than 200 families embracing its franchise model. The organization boasts on its innovative cleaning ideas helping others to understand the value of cleanliness along with saving the environment by using environment friendly products and services. There is no denying that the organization’s journey started with a clear vision and mission that picked pace because of stupendous understanding of the environment and society embedded with invaluable support and cooperation of hundreds. Some of the innovative ideas leading to continuous development include: The organization is passionate and honest about the job that most individuals hate The organization uses its own products that offer freedom of mind along with eliminating a hassle to arrange the right gear Most products are made from natural and biodegradable agents that that shows care and affection for the society and families The organization is quite wise in terms of accepting new trends and challenges. The green movement has been widely accepted and Jims Cleaning is one of the leading cleaning organizations taking initiatives in saving water and respecting the environment in every possible manner Most professionals hired by the organization are well trained that makes the whole process easy and simple for the customer and also for the management The organization has stretched its presence through a number of franchise that can be considered as a wide move based on gaining attention all across the world along with doing the good work Continuous development in every functional department Reviewing Current Processes Currently, Jims Cleaning offers wide arrays of cleaning services that include blind cleaning, car’s cleaning, pressure cleaning, general cleaning, carpet cleaning and window cleaning. The business model is based on Franchise system that often helps in extending reach and influence in different parts of the country. The current business process can be considered as of great value operated in a modern and ethical manner. The acceptance of green movement further consolidates organizations image as one of the leading cleaning services organizations in the country. Options for Continuous Improvement There is very little doubt over the

The rights and responsibilities that the Constitution gives American Research Paper

The rights and responsibilities that the Constitution gives American citizens - Research Paper Example It meant that a citizen, as a matter of right, cannot be arrested, detained nor its property be seized without justifiable cause and procedures. Each American has the right to the â€Å"due process of law that protects all these rights. The principle of due process clause is found in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments and states that no person shall be deprived of â€Å"life, liberty, or property, without due process of law† (Rights and Responsibilities of American Citizens). The principle of due process ensures that the laws must be fair and reasonable, must be in accordance with the Constitution, and must apply to everyone equally. b. Right to equality The right to equality is one of the crowning glories of American society where everybody has the same rights and privileges from where the lowest menial worker in the country has the same right and privilege of that of the highest officer or richest man in the land. The right to equality is guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amend ment. It meant that every citizen is entitled to the same equal protection of laws in the United States regardless of race, creed or political orientation. This right protects every American from discrimination and arbitrary treatment that ranges from work opportunities to availing of social services. c. Right to liberty This guaranteed right of each American made United States the proverbial â€Å"land of the free†. ... r the constitution Vote in federal elections Serve on a jury Bring family members to the United States Obtain citizenship for children born abroad Travel with a U.S. passport Run for federal office Become eligible for federal grants and scholarship These rights however come with a duty to ensure that such rights are enjoyed by every citizen and to ensure the perpetuity of the political condition that make the enjoyment of such rights possible. Duties are mandatory and are subjected to penalty under the law while responsibilities are done voluntarily and are a positive response from a citizen to contribute to the government and community that his or her enjoyment of rights may continue. Duties every American citizens Obey the law Pay taxes Defend the country Serve in court Attend school Responsibilities of every American citizen Know your right as a citizen that they may be preserved Respect the rights of others Serve the community II. Questions: a. To what extent does the Constitutio n protect the right of privacy?   The â€Å"right to privacy† is not literally stated in the Constitution of the United States. In fact, the word â€Å"privacy† cannot even be found. And so are other important rights like the right to marriage and family. It is because the constitution only spells out what the government can do what the people can do. The constitution limits or delineates the powers that the government is authorized to exercise. Examples of these are the prohibition of the authorities to keep a person in jail indefinitely without the benefit of a fair trial, nor can it search or seize properties without due process of law nor the government can enact laws that will abridge the rights of the freedom of speech, assembly, religion etch. This explains the absence of the literal

Financial Futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Futures - Essay Example And, the carry cost is the amount of interest expense paid by the investor to hold on to the commodity purchased in the futures market until the maturity of the futures contract. Many bold and daring investors would enter into an arbitrage transaction where they would invest in shares of stocks in a corporation with the hope that the company will merge or consolidate with another company in the same line of business (Bjrk 2004, 1). The following paragraphs will explain in detail how commodity futures work. Most investors would enter into a cash and carry arbitrage contract. Their main reason would be to invest in two securities that are differently priced in the market with respect to each other. Eventually, the prices of both commodities will correct itself by either increasing or decreasing per commodity. For, a correction of prices would cause a profit on one commodity and a loss on the other commodity. Equitably, both commodities will zero out thereby future losses can be avoided or diminished to a great extend. The commodities include gold, silver, coffee, sugar, oil, U.S. dollar currency, European dollar currency, Japanese Yen, French Franc, and other currencies. Also, "For as long as national currencies are in operation, and are used in day-to-day foreign trade, the demand and supply for those currencies will be affected by the size of exports and imports in those currencies" (Scobie, Buckley, and Fox 1998, 8) Further, the arbitrage investor would profit from his investments if he invests in a security and in the futures contracts. The investor would then profit if the amount he put in the commodity plus the added cost of carrying is less than the futures prices. One definite advantage of the commodities futures market is that the investors can sell a commodity like the European dollar today and then buy the same commodity, European dollar, three days from today. This is not possible in the real world outside the commodities market. A person cannot sell a product that he or she does not own. For this would entail personnel turning over to the buyer the car, house, shirt, or computer game the moment when he or she pays for the items bought (Blake 2000, 231). In terms of oil, "The oil industry, more than other energy sectors, is global in its character and operations. The geographical concentration of reserves and the vital role of oil in modern society has made it the principal commodity in international trade (Haugland, Bergesen, and Roland 1998, 54) " Also, the current pricing of Eurodollar futures and US dollar Foreign Rate Agreements (FRA) high frequency data shows that arbitrage opportunities are linked to the presence of stale FRA quotes and the oscillatory behavior of FRA quotes. And, Inter -market information flows are found to be of much shorter duration than previously reported with the futures market playing the dominant role in the information transmission process in the shorter -dated maturities. Many companies invest in short term interest rate futures and forward rate agreements for

The Impact of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the Sustainability Essay

The Impact of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the Sustainability of Competitiveness of the Petrochemical Industry in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example o establish the rules to harmonize the rule associate with the chemical industry in Saudi Arabia (Al-Alamy, 2003; Zuhd, 2005l; Al Zuhd, 2005; Al-Sadoun, 2008). According to the GATT says Yu, this â€Å"Harmonize System would ensure greater ability for countries to monitor and protect the values of tariff concession† (Yu, 2008, p. 8). It ensures that there is only One General Rules to be applied to all Members but these rules also cover the specific commitments made by all members. For example, in the part one of the agreement concession called the Most Favored Nation Tariffs, there is a clause known as â€Å"bonded tariff† or the maximum tariff the members should levy. If the tariff levied is higher than the maximum tariff stated, the country has to compensate other parties for the excess amount, but it is based on line-by-line according to national nomenclatures of the time when concession took place. How the tariff is calculated? It is based on the description of the product base rate duty before any tariff, rate of bonded tariff, implementation period, initial negotiation, and other duties and charges (Robinson, 2004; Al-S adoun, 2008). In his paper to the World Bank, Saudi Arabia and WTO in the light of Mena Experience, (http://worldbank.org/idf/ndf3/papers/global/Al-Sahlawi.pdf.) Professor Al-Sahlawi, indicates that compare to the growth of manufacturing industry in the global market, the growth of petrochemical industry in the Middle East and Arab Regions is considered slow. He suggests that it is important to follow Egypt and Morocco to improve petrochemical industry and make it to be more competitive than the manufacturing industry in the global market or to create petrochemical products as export merchandise. In terms of joint ventures in the petrochemical industry, Al-Salawi (ibid) claims that furthering the process of privatization eases the process of foreign direct investment such as in Egypt where the rate of foreign direct investment has increased

FINAL QUESTIONS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FINAL QUESTIONS - Assignment Example Then the users of the systeme are determined and the manner in which they are going to use it in order to know what to put in place. Moreover, input system data and output data system is also established. The requirement validity is also assessed at this stage. At this stage the guidelines are followed from the requirement specification manuscript. The system requirements are divided in software and hardware as stipulated by the requirement specification manuscript. Furthermore, the overall system building is defined thus marking a design specifications manuscript. The code is developed at this stage and is very crucial as it is the main focus of the system developer. The system design manuscript dictates the division of modules which leads to the start of coding. The process takes a lot of time. The code is the main thing tested after implementation. The code is tested against the requirements mentioned in the requirements analysis. The requirements must be fully functioning and solve the requirements needs as system and integration testing are conducted. The CEO’s role at the IT steering committee is to take responsibility of every operation that takes place in the company. The CEO makes and implements decisions and initiatives on behalf of the board of directors and the company. The CEO also ensures a smooth operation of daily operations in the company. In many instances the CEO is also the president of the company and a member and director of the board of directors. The CFO is under the CEO. The CFO’s role at the IT steering committee is to appraise financial data incurred by the IT department and even the company itself. He/she is also responsible for the reporting of IT department’s financial performance in that he/she supervises expenditures, costs and organizes the budget to be used by the IT department. The CFO also provides IT department’s financial wellbeing and veracity to bodies like the Securities and

Food industry Essay Example for Free

Food industry Essay Food is the most important element of human survival. Food contains essential nutrients the human body requires to intake. From vitamins to calories, just a few of the nutrients that make a body function. Without food there is no survival; however, the way food is processed in America today, Americans might as well be dead. Furthermore, unhealthy products flood America’s food supply. A vast majority of these products are highly processed foods. Highly processes foods are extremely dangerous to one’s health (Squires). Process foods cause severe harm to the human body and furthermore lead to illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. (Squires). The way Food is manufactured in America today causes numerous of illness and sometimes death. Therefore, the United States Food and Drug Administration must rigorously regulate the food industry to efficiently maintain the safety of food. There are three vital motives why the Food and Drug Administration must regulate the process of food. First, without stricter regulation, the quality of the livestock industry will steeply decline.Second, if not regulated, the high usage of high fructose corn syrup will continue to increase. Lastly, if the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the process of food, the creation of genetically modified food will continue to occur. In all, the Food and Drug Administration must strictly regulate the livestock industry to preserve health of America. The United States Food and Drug Administration must rig orously regulate animal factories to effectively maintain the safety of meat. The Food and Drug Administration cannot allow animal factories to deliberately contaminant the food supply. By allowing existing methods to continue, it puts all consumers at great risk. Currently, animal factories utilize disgusting methods to minimize cost and maximize profit (They Eat What). These horrific methods consist of purposely distorting the nature of animal feed (They Eat What). The Union of Concerned Scientists published an article â€Å"They Eat What? † where they expose the animal factories of their horrific acts. The Union of Concerned Scientists state, â€Å"Many of the ingredients used in feed these days are not the kind of food the animals are designed by nature to eat†(They Eat What). This establishes that factories do what ever they desire; disregarding the fatal effects it can impose on animals let alone on human heath. Animals by nature are not supposed to consume the remains of the same species; however, factories continue to do so, as it maximizes profit by utilizing all parts on an animal (They Eat What). Diseased animals, same species meat, skin, blood, manure, and unhealthy portions of grain are all items consisting in animal feed (They Eat What). Furthering the argument, the Union of Concerned Scientists added. â€Å"Animal feed legally can contain rendered road kill, dead horses, and euthanized cats and dogs† (They Eat What). This low standard production of animal feed is simply repulsive. If the Food and Drug Administration do not enforce stricter regulations on the animal factories, only fatal side effects will follow. Serious human health concerns will steeply arise if this unacceptable method to nurture livestock continues. The outburst of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy also known as mad cow disease is a great example. Mad cow disease is a transmissible form of brain damage that occurs when rendered cattle are fed back to cattle. (They Eat What). This disease is extremely dangerous as it can be spread to humans. Humans can obtain a form of mad cow disease by consuming meat products that carry the disease (They Eat What). The Food and Drug Administration have taken steps in banning any methods that lead to mad cow disease. However, their lack of effectiveness has created of loophole in the system and animal factories are taking full advantage. The Union of Concerned Scientists presented evidence exposing the loophole in the Food and Drug Administration regulations. The Union of Concerned Scientists assert, â€Å"Under current law, pigs, chickens, and turkeys that have been fed rendered cattle can be rendered and fed back to cattle—a loophole that may allow mad cow agents to infect healthy cattle† (They Eat What). This is unacceptable. The Food and Drug Administration inherent purpose is to regulate any methods that cause harm to human beings, yet the fail to do so. It is unjust for the Food and Drug Administration to purposely allow the livestock industry to taint the production of meat. Therefore, if the Food and Drug Administration do not enforce stricter regulations the safety of livestock will only decline at extreme rates. However, there are other motives why the Food and Drug Administration must regulate the process of food. The United States Food and Drug Administration must rigorously regulate the amount of high fructose corn syrup used in food products, as it unsafe to consume. High fructose corn syrup is a cheaper form of sweetener derived from corn (Stossel). High fructose corn syrup is the ubiquitous sweetener in American products, as it is extremely inexpensive to produce (Stossel). Furthermore, the excessive usage of high fructose corn syrup has become the greatest contributor to the epidemic of cardiovascular disease (Flavin). Cardiovascular disease is the primary reason for premature death in America (Flavin). Cardiovascular diseases consist of obesity, diabetes, heart and kidney disease (Flavin). In modern America, the consumption of high fructose corn syrup has drastically increased. Sally Squires, a writer for the Washington Post wrote an article â€Å"Stealth Calories† where she exposed the high usage of high fructose corn syrup. Squires reveals, â€Å"Since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup in 1966, U. S. consumption has reached about 60 pounds per person per year. †(Squires). This is ridiculous. Consuming such immense masses of high fructose corn syrup severely contributes to fatal diseases. No matter what processed food item an individual decides to eat, the common ingredient is high fructose corn syrup (Squires). High fructose corn syrup has flooded the food industry and continues to grow. The United States Food and Drug Administration must step in and regulate the amount of high fructose corn syrup a company applies to its products. If regulations are not enforced, the doses of high fructose corn syrup will continue to increase. Barry M. Popkin, a nutrition professor for The University of North Carolina, has published an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that widely display the dangers of sugar-sweetened drinks. Popkin states, â€Å"The increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity(Qtd. in Hyman). Thus, it can be established that consuming large amounts of high fructose corn syrup does indeed lead to obesity. High fructose corn syrup is absorbed quicker than regular sugar. As a result, high fructose corn syrup prevents the body from signalizing that it is full and thus leads to (Hyman). Therefore, by exceeding the standard caloric intake, symptoms of obesity quickly arise. Hence, it is evident that The United States Food and Drug Administration must strictly control the amount of high fructose corn syrup a company applies to its products. However, there are other important reasons why the Food and Drug Administration must regulate the food industry. The United States Food and Drug Administration must rigorously regulate genetically modified foods because they are unsafe. Genetically modified foods are engineered foods that have been deeply depraved as a result of genetic alteration (Heit). Furthermore, genetic alterations consist of extracting genes from other plants or animals and inserting them in the chosen product to produce desired traits (Heit). However, this method has severely tainted the healthiness of food. A vast number of studies have linked genetically modified foods in an extensive variety of health problems, ranging from organ damage to immune dysfunction (Gutierrez). Not only are genetically modified foods harmful to animals, they can also be harmful to humans. David Gutierrez a staff writer for the Natural News wrote an article â€Å"Doctors Warn About Dangers of Genetically Modified Food† where he exposed the fatal flaws of genetically modified foods. Gutierrez states, â€Å"Animals consuming crops that have been genetically modified to produce the pesticide Bt (approved for human consumption in the United States) have died by the thousands, while animals grazing on a non-GM version of the same crops remained unharmed†(Gutierrez). This evidence is overwhelming. If genetically modified foods are fatal to animals, one can affirm that this harm will carry over to human beings. Animals are dying at exponential rates as a result of consuming genetically modified foods; yet the United States continues to allow these methods of production to occur. By allowing the production of genetically modified foods, the fatality rates of animals and humans will continue to escalate. Hence, it can be established that consuming these genetically modified products drastically increases the probability of developing a fatal disease. Therefore, the United States cannot allow these food production methods to continue. In addition, scientific experiments have shown numerous rats suffer as a result of consuming genetically modified foods (Gutierrez). Through extensive observations, it has been revealed that female rats that have been fed genetically modified foods experience a drastically higher infant death rate (Gutierrez). Likewise, male rats suffer as there testicles change from a pink to a blue color (Gutierrez). As long as the food supply is produced by means of genetic modification, food will continue to mutate genes in a destructive ways. Therefore, it is evident that genetically modified foods will severely harm humans. Similarly, additional analyses have indicated that genetically modified foods contain significantly higher concentrations of allergens and toxins (Gutierrez). As a result of genetic mixing, the allergens and toxins of one item are transferred to the other (Smith). Hence, by consuming genetically modified foods, unknown allergic reactions can occur (Smith). In recent research, scientists have found high dosage of peanut protein in soybeans (Smith). Consequently, an individual who is allergic to peanuts can have an allergic reaction by consuming soybeans (Smith). This is absurd. Consumers are blindly digesting products that may be deadly to their health. It is unjust for consumers to endure an allergic reaction as a result of genetic mutation. Therefore, the United States Food and Drug Administration must regulate genetically modified products to preserve the health of consumers. In all, the safety of all food in America is in a crucial situation. The United States Food and Drug Administration must rigorously regulate factories, scientists and other food manufactories to preserve the health of American consumers. If not regulated, the safety of livestock and crops will only steeply decline and thus affecting the health of human beings. The diseases of mad cow disease, fatal allergies caused by genetically modified crops, and high usage of high fructose corn syrup are the greatest concerns for the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore it is evident that the United States Food and Drug Administration must rigorously regulate the food industry to efficiently maintain the safety of food. Works Cited Dana Flavin. â€Å"Metabolic Danger of High-Fructose Corn Syrup. † Life Extension Magazine. Life Extension. Dec 2008. Web. 1 June 2013. David Gutierrez. â€Å"Doctors Warn About Dangers Of Genetically Modified Food. † Natural News. Truth Publishing International. 25 Feb 2010. Web. 28 May 2013. Jeffery Heit. â€Å"Genetically Engineered Foods. † Medline Plus. [N. p. ]: 7 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2013. Jeremy Smith. â€Å"Genetically Engineered Foods May Cause Rising Food Allergies. † Institute for Responsible Technology. [N. p. ]: May 2007. 30 May 2013. Mark Hyman. â€Å"The Not-So-Sweet Trust About High Fructose Corn Syrup. † Huffington Healthy Living. The Huffington post. 16 May 2011. Web. 29 June 2013. Richard Stossel. â€Å"The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup. † Natural News. Truth Publishing International. 11 Oct 2008. Web. 28 May 2013. Sally Squires. â€Å"Stealth Calories. † The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. 6 Feb 2007. Web. 1 June 2013. â€Å"They Eat What. † Union of Concered Scientists. SIRS Issues Researcher. 8 Aug 2006. Web. 27 May 2013. â€Å"65 Health Risks of GM Foods. † Institute for Responsible Technology. [N. p. ]: N. d. Web. 1 June 2013.

The Native American Essay Example for Free

The Native American Essay Native Americans are an indigenous people throughout the world, simply misunderstood and ill-treated for centuries (Scheafer, 2012). History tells us, Native Americans were subject to land theft, controlled by others, and resistance to governance. This discrimination goes back to Christopher Columbus. He and his followers showed true hatred toward the Indian Nation. Europeans moved to extermination or genocide trying to distinguish this culture of people. The United States joined in that mission as time moved forward. Indian land would be taken, the people would be made to conform to the law of the white man causing them to build a defense mechanism of avenging their losses. During the nineteenth century the white man government made policy to give fairness to the tribes. This may have worked if it did not interfere with the needs of the non-Indian people. The American government of the white man used the politics and social differences to interfere in the business of the Native American to govern the Indian culture and beliefs. It has taken centuries for the Native American to trust the policy makers because of broken treaties of the past. Native Americans today, live on Indian reservations in 33 states across the country. Just as in the beginning the American Indian is forced to live their lives in a way determined and controlled by the federal government. The Indian Removal Act developed by Andrew Jackson, was intended to remove Indians from their land to make way for cotton crops and other ways of prosperity. The Termination Act of 1953, like many policies the government had control of, was written to benefit the Native American people. Through this act, many social services were available to the American Indian. These services were a direct obligation to be fulfilled by the treaties, not just a special favor. The Termination Act was developed to gradually do away with these services, when the act passed, all services were cut off immediately. The Indian people worked collectively by creating a tribal or reservation government action to politically protest unfair legislation. The Native Americans fought this legislation by forming civil rights groups to take the issues to the Supreme Court in order to be treated fairly and just. The first national organization was organized in 1944 called the NCAI, National Congress of American Indians (Schaefer, 2012). This National organization is one of the most respected civil rights groups in our nation today. NAGPR Act of 1990, Native American Graves and Protection Act was developed to provide protection to the Native American gravesites and cultural issues. The American Indian worked to lobby the government to find a way to protect their sacred ceremonial ground, ancestral gravesites and artifacts. The government enacted this law in 1990. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 was written to give the American Indian the right to believe, express, and exercise the traditions of their tribal spirituality. Peyote is part of the religious rituals used by the Indian Nation. From the 1920s through the 1980s Peyote was a prohibited hallucinogenic outlawed by the government. People were prosecuted for the use of peyote. In 1994 Native Americans won the right to possess, transport and use peyote for religious reasons by amending the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. It is hard to believe that despite the work of the past and present generations of the Naive Americans, they still struggle with economic development, employment levels, quality healthcare, and equal education. The needs of others seem to stand in the way of what is right and fair. References University of Phoenix. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups, Thirteenth Edition. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, ETH125 website. (n. d. ). Retrieved from https://cr. nps. gov/local-law/fhpl.

Discussing Teens Drug Abuse Problems Social Work Essay

Discussing Teens Drug Abuse Problems Social Work Essay There are various drugs which are abused by teenagers and adults. Most of these are addictive and have adverse health effects to users. The common drugs of choice are alcohol, cigarettes, speed, prescription drugs, heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Alcohol is the most abused drug, and it inhibits judgment among users (Stimson 34-48). Long term use leads to liver and kidney failure. Tobacco, or cigarettes are one of the most addictive drugs and their long term use leads to development of cancer, impotency, lung collapse and others. Cocaine and heroine are drugs which are injected, smoked or taken orally. They are very addictive and they distort reality among users. Long term use may lead to heart problems, mental disorders and high blood pressure. Sharing of needles may transmit STDs while drug overdose may be fatal. Marijuana is another common drug abused and it distorts reality among users. Long term use may lead to mental damage, and some researchers have linked it to development of s chizophrenia. Prescription drugs are also commonly abused by the old and young alike. Although done innocently, these drugs may cause sudden death due to overdose or fatal combination of drugs, as has been witnessed among many celebrities who have died early due to use of prescription drugs (Isralowitz 122-123). Causes of drug abuse There are various causes of drug abuse. Drug abuse can be blamed on parents, friends, individuals and society at large. These causes will be briefly discussed to show how everyone is responsible for the problem of drug abuse. Lack of parental supervision Parents have an important role in their childs upbringing. They serve an important purpose of instilling values in their children through socialization at early age. Parents should ensure that their children are morally upright and that they do not engage in social vices. However, in the modern world, parents have put professional lives ahead of their families and delegated the role of raising children to nannies and teachers. As a result, the children do not acquire much needed guidance on lifes issues, and many end up taking drugs through peer influence. Lack of supervision from parents, who pursue their careers at the expense of their families, can therefore be blamed for the high number of drug abuse cases among teenagers. Parents should supervise their children at all times to avoid negative influence from peers. Poor communication between parents and teens Lack of communication between children and parents, especially during teenage years is also another causality of drug use. Many teenagers are unable to effectively communicate with their parents since neither group understands the others needs. Parents appear too harsh to teenagers while teenagers appear to demanding to parents. When parents and teenagers are unable to effectively communicate about issues teenagers face, teenagers are left to seek advice from peers, who may influence them to take drugs. Parents should understand childrens needs and vice verse, if drug abuse is to be eliminated. Mental Physical abuse Domestic violence and abuse has been one of the most common triggers of drug abuse. When people are emotionally or physically abused, and they do not seek help, they may engage in drugs to forget their problems. Since most abuse cases are perpetrated by close family members, this makes it harder for victims to overcome, and many opt to try out drugs, which they perceive will distort reality and make them forget their concerns (United States Department of Justice Website 2000). Drugs of choice in such circumstances include alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. However, victims are unaware that use of drugs increases their problems since it leads to addiction, which needs to be treated. Publicizing abuse, passing tough laws and offering free help to victims will help reduce abuse cases and thereby reduce drug use cases. Media influence Media influence is a major causality of drug abuse, especially regarding drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. The media makes it appear cool to use such drugs through flashy advertisements in the media. However, less emphasis is placed on adverse effects of such drugs; hence teenagers are influenced to use them without enough information on repercussions faced due to drug use. This leads to addiction, and by the time victims realize, they cannot do without drugs. This influence from media can be stemmed through use of warning labels and bans on certain forms of drug advertising which targets the youth. Warning signs There are various symptoms and warning signs which are associated with drug use. These symptoms vary according to drugs used, genetic make up of users, quantity used, personality and other aspects. It is important to note that presence of a particular symptom does not automatically means that the individual abuses drugs, rather that it shows that further investigation should be done to ascertain drug use by the individual. Some of these signs are discussed below; Dropping Grades Sudden drop of grades without clear reasons may indicate drug use. This may be linked to missing of classes when taking drugs, or harmful effects of drugs which affect the brain and cause poor academic performance. This behavior is usually accompanied by disrespect for school authorities and fellow students. Missing Curfew Missing curfews without adequate explanation of ones whereabouts may also indicate drug use. When teenagers are unable to explain their movements, this shows that they are secretive, and drug use may explain this situation. However, teenagers movements should be established before accusing them of drug use. Disrespectful to parents Drug users are usually disrespectful to other people. This is due to the label which society gives them of drug addicts, which makes them harbor hatred towards society. Teenagers who use drugs are unable to explain their odd behavior to parents and much resort to disrespect as a means of covering up drug use (Giannini 69-73). Others are influenced by drugs to make irrational choices leading to disrespect of family, friends and the community. Stealing lying Stealing is a common trait amongst drug users and it emanates from the need to purchase drugs. Drugs are expensive to purchase and drug users may be forced to steal from family and friends to maintain the vice. When questioned about it, they are likely to lie about it. This makes it a symptom of drug abuse, and parents should be careful to note such behavior from their children. Who to blame Various discussions have centered on who is to blame for the problem of drug abuse. However, there is consensus that everyone is to blame for the problem. Parents have neglected their children and left nannies and teachers to raise them, as they pursue professional goals. Teachers have also neglected students since they focus on academic curriculum at the expense of social development. The society has tolerated drug abuse and perceived it as normal behavior without taking action against drug users (Roleff 39-44). This has left adolescents to seek advice from peers, who may influence them to abuse drugs. Teachers and parents ought to give attention to teenagers and advice them on harmful effects of drug use. The society should also condemn and punish drug users, since this will deter them from practicing the same. Risks involved There are many risks which are involved in drug use. These risks affect the health of the user, their relationships with family, society and friends, and their ability to achieve full potential in later life. In addition to this, some risks may be potentially fatal to users. Risks associated with drug abuse include addiction, health problems, transmission of STDs, accidents, mental disorders and problems with law enforcers. These risks will be discussed below in more detail; Addiction Most drugs are addictive to users. The degree of addiction varies according to several factors including specific drug used, genetic make up of user, quantities used and other factors. However, since most drugs are addictive, users become dependent on the drugs for performance of everyday activities. Drug addiction is the most harmful effect of drugs since it ensures that users are unable to quit drugs, and instead use more quantities of drugs to achieve the state of intoxication over time. Some of the most addictive drugs include cocaine, heroine and tobacco. However, other drugs such as alcohol, prescription drugs and marijuana are also addictive and may make users dependent on them. This makes it expensive to sustain abuse, and users may use illegal means of getting money to satisfy the addiction. Drug manufacturers use the aspect of addiction to ensure they have a steady supply of cash from addicts. STDS Many drugs affect the ability to make reasonable judgments by users. Some drugs, especially alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other hard drugs interfere with decision making abilities of users and may allow them to engage in irresponsible sexual behavior. This behavior may lead to transmission of STDs among people who engage in this behavior after drug abuse. In addiction, users who share needles when injecting themselves may acquire STDs as a result. Some STDs such as HIV are incurable and developing them leads to fatalities after a period of time. Others which are curable are expensive to treat, which leads to financial burdens on families of such drug users. Health problems Several health problems are linked to drug use. In fact, all drugs have a side effect or health problem associated with it. Drugs such as alcohol lead to kidney and liver failure while others such as tobacco may lead to development of cancer or lung damage (Learn about alcoholism website 2009). Hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin may lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. As earlier stated, sharing of needles may transmit STDs. It is clear that all drugs have adverse health repercussions. This leads to high medical costs to victims, and these problems may also lead to fatalities. This is an economic cost to families and governments around the world. Drug overdose may lead to instant death to users. Mental disorders There are various drugs which may lead to the development of mental disorders amongst users. These drugs adversely affect the brain leading to distortion of reality, leading to mental disorders. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin and others have been known to cause psychosis and illusions, which may develop into mental disorders. People with such disorders may perform unreasonable acts as they perceive themselves as normal and the rest as abnormal. These disorders are expensive to treat, and may at times be incurable to victims. Accidents Many accidents are caused by drivers or pedestrians who have taken drugs. Alcohol is the most common drug linked to accidents, although others also lead to accidents in our roads. In the US, over 37,000 people died as a result of accidents caused by drink-driving, while this figure exceeded 41,000 in the previous year. These figures show the severity of the matter. This is a matter of great concern especially when sober drivers are exposed to accidents caused by drunk drivers, which end up taking their lives. There are also other accidents at the workplace which are caused by working while intoxicated, especially in industrial plants where there is dangerous machinery. Accidents cause serious injuries or fatalities to victims. Trouble with the law Many drug users are arrested at some point in their lives due to drug use. Drug use causes addiction, which forces users to seek more. Since most drugs are illegal, law enforcers arrest drug users through elaborate schemes and plans put in place to deter drug use. Arrests over drug use have adverse repercussions including heavy fines and prison sentences. It also leaves a record which may affect future employment opportunities. Families suffer when breadwinners are arrested, and one loses employment when arrest over drugs is publicized. This creates a large population of social deviants who are a liability to society. Solutions In order to solve the problem of drug abuse, each society stakeholder should join efforts to fight the vice. The problem of drug abuse needs to be publicized and help given to drug users. In addition, stiffer punishment should be given to traffickers. These and more interventions will be discussed below; Family Counseling Counseling is the first step in solving the drug abuse problem. Users need to accept that they face a problem and counseling will enable them see the effects of drugs to themselves and their families. Family counseling also teaches families to be supportive of drug users in attempts to stop drugs (Evans Sullivan 75-76). This is important as drug users have families as primary socialization units. Family counseling should also address problems such as domestic violence which are causalities of drug abuse. Community and youth programs Community and youth programs educate youth on harmful effects of drugs. These programs also offer youth alternative activities to do with leisure time such as sports activities. When youth are aware of harmful effects of drugs, they are likely to avoid using them, thereby reducing the problem of drug abuse. Harsher punishment In order to deter trafficking and sale of drugs, laws which heavily punish drug use and trafficking ought to be passed. These should involve heavy fines and long prison sentences. When such laws are passed, they will deter drug traffickers, and when drugs are unavailable, the problem of drug abuse will reduce, if not completely eradicated. Harsh laws are very effective in deterring commission of crime. Communication In order to solve the drug problem, better communication between teenagers, teachers and parents should be developed. This will enable teenagers to share their concerns with parents and guardians, who will advice them on choices to make as opposed to peers, who may give wrong guidance and direction. Communication will also provide opportunities to teenagers to be aware of adverse effects of drug use. Summary The problem of drug use has been discussed in detail. Common drugs abused have also been discussed. Drugs have been seen to be harmful not only to users but also to their friends and families. Their harmful effects include health complications, fatalities, loss of employment, and economic burdens amongst other effects. Every member of the society is responsible for the problem of drug abuse and appropriate interventions should be implemented to discourage the vice. These include communication with teenagers, stricter laws against drug trafficking, family counseling and community programs which publicize the problem of drug use. This will ensure that teenagers are safe and free from drug abuse.

Setting And Story :: essays research papers

Setting and Story   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The setting in the story, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, is very important to the story as a whole. In many situations it is needed to relay important ideas. There are three main things in the plot that give the story this special touch. One example is the color of the rooms of the abbey. The next thing is the seclusion of the abbey, This gives the characters a false sense of security and a sort of dramatic irony to the reader. The third thing in the setting was the era that story took place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The colors of the rooms play an important role in the story. Each room seems to take on a kind of theme some more obvious than others. The Black room represented the â€Å"Red Death† even though this is not stated the reader can assume this because the people avoid that room during the story. No one enters it until the â€Å"Red Death† kills the prince in it. The rooms add a lot to the story. They help convey the idea that their are two forces at work. The good and the bad, the bad being the red death, and the good being the party, full of life and excitement. They also help the reader see that the people would rather forget about the plague outside, and that helps the reader realize why the people where so opposed to the â€Å"Red Death† when he made his appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The seclusion of the abbey also adds to the story. The seclusion of the abbey gives the characters a sort of false sense of security. The characters believed that they would be safe from the plague by boarding up the gates and sealing themselves inside. When they where actually locking themselves into there own deaths, and by locking and welding the gates the author brings the attention of dramatic irony to the reader.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third thing in the plot that had a significant effect on the story was the time the story took place. The effect of this ordeal accruing during medieval times is the reader associates all the suspicions and mythological ideas of that time with the story, allowing the reader to more actually experience the emotions of the people of that time.

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijns Self-Portraits Essay -- Painter Painting

The old man sits. His hands are folded nicely in his lap and his facial features stay composed. He wears an overcoat that seems to be a soft velvet, shaded in a reddish-violet hue. Curls peep through the cap on his head, which is pushed slightly back and to the side. His eyes gaze unto those of the observer, telling of his life; the lack of fulfillment, the need for restoration. The color of his face and the cap’s white brim are lit up against a background that nearly engulfs the outline of his body, giving an impression of incompleteness. Although the man’s garment can be seen, it is somewhat hidden amongst the dark colors surrounding. The lines and colors that are so considerably apparent in the creation of the stark whiskers, the distinguished nose and brow, and even the rounded cheeks, disappear in the detail of the body. Although this painting will marvel some, pulling them in as they observe; others will just pass by, thinking, he’s just a man on the wall. Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn painted many self-portraits throughout his career, and about forty have survived. In studying these paintings, one will find that a certain growth and development of his style happened throughout his life. For example, in his earlier self-portraits, he used a technique that is called chiaroscuro, which is the use of deep variations of light and shade. In these early paintings, it is hard to tell what Rembrandt looked like because of the shadows covering his face. The later portraits, however, have a softer, more emotional tone. These paintings are the most moving portraits that Rembrandt did. The one described above was done the same year that he died, 1669. The emotions that come with the painting are incredible and as... ...elf-expression. In looking at these different pieces, one can see that the life of this man and where he was, acts as an important reference to his paintings. So the next time you think, oh, he’s just a man on the wall, take time to look, what do you see? Works Cited Bockermuhl, Micheal. Rembrandt. Germany: Taschen, 2000. Koehler, Wilhelm. Rembrandt. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1953. Krent, Emily, and Danie Mary. Paintings by Rembrant.Web Gallery of Art. Web. 12 May 2015. http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/r/rembran/painting/index.html Pescio, Claudio. Masters of Art: Rembrandt and 17th Century Holland. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1995. Pioch, Nicolas. Rembrandt. Web Museum, Paris. Web. 12 May 2015. http://www.ibiblio.org/wn/paint/auth/rembrandt Mjdehaan. "Virtual Exhibition" Novemeber 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. https://mjdehaan1.wordpress.com/

Culture and Identity Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

Culture and Identity Culture and identity could have many different definitions. Culture to me is what made you the person that you are today. The background and history of a person that is the reason of who they are and what they stand for. Identity to me is the certain characteristics that belong to a person that makes them different from everyone else on this planet. The world with no culture or a lack of identity would be a rather boring place. Identity and culture are what makes this world an interesting place, there is a distinct relationship between identity and culture and one without the other they could not exists. In the essay "Real Indians Eat Jell-O" by Laurie Carlson, it seems that she has trouble finding her own identity and culture. Carlson a native american living in a trailer park in Montana wants to know more of her culture to try to give herself an identity. Carlson states "Indian kids are supposed to live in wide open spaces, in deserts or forests. They have horses and coyotes and wise grandparents" (Carlson par. 2). Instead of making her own identity and learning about her culture now, she wants have the identity of someone else, she wants the identity of Indians from hundreds and hundreds of years ago. She looks to her grandmother for culture and does not like what her grandmother has to say, Carlson wants to hear stories of beadwork and tales of coyotes while her grandmother while her grandmother taps her "primrose passion" colored nails to the song on the radio and tells her "Honey, be yourself"(Carlson par. 7). Personally that is the best answer anyone could give a child who is looking to make an identity for themselves, because an identity is who you are and who you are is everything. Also Carls... ...more successful than my parents just like they were more successful then my grandparents and like my grandparents were more successful then my great-grandparents. My community culture growing up has given me the hardworking, go getting attitude that I need in life to grow up to be a successful person in this world. Culture and identity have a very close knit relationship between them. A persons culture helps them to determine their identity in life. Without knowing your own culture, weather it be a poor indian growing up in a trailer park or a rich white boy growing up in a huge house, your identity would be very hard to determine. A persons culture is the main part of a persons identity, and without knowing your culture it would be hard to figure out ones identity. Works Cited Carlson, Laurie. "Real Indians Eat Jell-O". Northern Lights. (Spring 1993).

Int Marketing

Synopsis Throughout the article we know that Pegasus Airlines is one of the best airlines in Turkey. The secret behind the success of the airlines was continuity of developing to meet passenger expectations and priorities. For example, Pegasus has put in place a yield management strategy for ticket pricing, using the strategy of Southwest Airlines of North America as an example. Pegasus has also developed a credit/loyalty card which offers customers a range of benefits including insurance rate reductions and also developed a specific customer satisfaction guarantee policy to the customers.Pegasus also offers customer service experience at the airport such as providing exclusive allotments for the first 72 hours of parking with a valet parking option. As a result, Pegasus innovative customer service won the company an award for â€Å"Best Airline Business Price† in 2006. The marketing strategy applied by Pegasus Airlines has succeeded Pegasus as one of the most searched airline in Turkey on Google. Pegasus’ employees also work as a team to provide a democratic environment in which everyone shares their ideas freely.Continuous training also ensured regular career progression and high levels of motivation through a solid performance system and regular personal feedback. Pegasus’ strong word of mouth has also been important in the airline’s success and is reflected in the words of customers on a special Web site titled â€Å"Pegasus Listens to You. † This encourage customers to generate ideas for service improvement, to debate generic questions and topics relating to the airline’s management and services, and also to encourage customers to report problems they have encountered.As a conclusion, efficient management techniques and great marketing skills has ensured Pegasus as one of the successful airlines in Turkey. 1. Give examples of needs, wants and demands that Pegasus customers demonstrate, differentiating these three c oncepts. What are the implications of each for Pegasus’ practices? Needs: In conjunction with the needs of people to take airplane, Turkish Airlines had been established in order to let passengers travel from one place to another. Wants: Wants are the form human needs take as they are shaped by culture and individual personality.Customers will prefer to choose Pegasus instead of Onur Air, Fly Air, Sun Express, and Atlasjet because Pegasus delivering low prices with a high-quality service experience to them. Demands: Demands is mean by humans wants that are backed by buying power. Given their wants and resources, people demand products with benefits that add up to the most value and satisfaction. For example, Pegasus provided customer service at the airport such as exclusive allotments for the first 72 hours of parking with a valet parking option.The implications of each for Pegasus’ practices are provide convenient for the customers because they are able to do online b ooking through the internet. The passengers are also able to find hotel easily through customer service and they can get some discount as well. Other than that, these practices can also bring profits and income to the company. These practices are able to attract more customers to select Pegasus Airlines. 2. Describe in detail all the facets of Pegasus’ product. What is being exchanged in a Pegasus transaction? )An in-plane-bulletin is avalaible for customer, with a mix of offers amd features on certains destination. Althouoght the bulletin is free for customers, but this generates incomes via advertisement. ii)Pegasus has a Facebook page complete with a game entitling customer to win free tckets. Pegasus too have a Twitter page that offers special compettion. A special campaign associated with Vodafone, called the ‘Mobile Phone Fly’ whereby customer collect sms-es to gain discounts, emulating the traditional strategy of other airlines, ie, ‘Shops and milesà ¢â‚¬â„¢.This is to create a sustainable relationship with it’s customer while leveraging the possibilities of social networks and other digital technologies. iii) A special web site tittled â€Å"Pegasus Listens To You†, where it encourage customers to generate ideas for services, improvement, debate generic questions and topics, relating to the airline’s management and services, also to encourage customers to report problems they have encoutered. This helps Pegasus to consistantly obtain feedback and maintain profitable relationship. 3. Which of the five marketing management concepts best applies to Pegasus?Among the five marketing management concepts, we came out with a conclusion that the Marketing Concept best applies to Pegasus. The Marketing Concept is defined as the philosophy that holds the achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target marketing and delivering the desired satisfactions better than competitors do. Based o n the article, Pegasus Airlines had satisfied the needs of customers by providing airplanes that bring passengers from place to another. Pegasus had also satisfied the wants of target marketing by offer affordable flight tickets, so that everyone will be able to take a flight.Under the marketing concept, the Pegasus Airlines integrates all the marketing activities that affect customers. In turn, it yields profits by creating lasting relationships with the right customers based on customer value and satisfaction. For example, the Pegasus had carried out ticket pricing strategy and the system was complemented by an electronic ticket policy whereby passengers receive their information via SMS and e-mail. This had provided convenient to the passengers because it had save a lot of their time and they can book air ticket at home by using the Internet.Besides that, Pegasus had also developed a specific customer satisfaction guarantee policy that provides customers. For example, in the case of a delay greater than 3 hours, a refund of the ticket will be given out, and if delay greater than 5 hours, a refund and a free ticket will be given out. Pegasus also offers a customer service experience at the airport by providing exclusive allotments for the first 72 hours of parking with a valet parking option, VIP and Business Class lounges, car rental and many hotel partners where customers can get some discount. . What value does Pegasus create for its customers? Pegasus create customer perceived value by keeping up with its customers even when they are not flying. Pegasus had created a Facebook page complete with a game entitling customers to win free tickets. The company also has a Twitter account which offers customers special competitions. Other than that, Pegasus had also carried out a special campaign in association with Vodafone called â€Å"mobile phone fly†, whereby consumers accumulated for each SMS an award of 5 percent toward a Pegasus ticket discount.Bes ides that, Pegasus had also created a website called â€Å"Pegasus Listens to You. † This is to encourage customers to generate ideas for service improvement, to debate generic questions and topics relating to the airline’s management and services, and to encourage customers to report problems they have encountered. In short, Pegasus hopes to create a sustainable relationship with its customers while leveraging the possibilities of social networks and other digital technologies. In general, the customers are getting more benefits than the costs that they have to pay to get the service given by pegasus.

Rani lakshmibai Essay

L.K. Advanis suggestion to jointly celebrate the uprising of 1857 by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is utterly ill-advised. It betrays, apart from our misplaced understanding of history, an obsequious mentality towards Muslims. In independent India, we preserved the myth sedulously cultivated by Gandhi, that everything that was anti-British was patriotic. Adolf Hitler, by that logic, should be our greatest hero because he dealt the biggest blow to the British Empire. We adore a demonic Tipu Sultan, who claimed to have converted hundred thousand Hindus to Islam in a day, simply because he fought against the British. Advani should admit that, by extension of the same logic, RSS is an unpatriotic organization because it took no part in freedom movement. In reality, the RSS founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who had brush with revolution and experience of Non-Cooperation Movement, was a sagacious man. He understood that the need of the hour was to strengthen and reorganize the Hindu society under British rule. Under Mughals, such organizations could not have been raised except under the shade of the sword like Khalsa by Guru Govind Singh. 1857, although it was more than army mutiny, was not the First War of Independence. This term was coined by a young Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who celebrated its 50th anniversary in London. 1857, in reality, was the last war of Islamic resistance. It was an attempt to overthrow the British East India Company and reestablish the Muslim rule. It is for this reason that Bengal, whose Hindus have been benefited by liberal British education, shunned the uprising completely. Sikhs, persecuted by Mughals throughout their history, had little sympathy towards Bahadur Shah Zafar. Some Hindus have created a myth that 1857 was a golden period of Hindu-Muslim amity. R.C. Mazumdar writes-There was communal tension even in Delhi, the centre of the great movement. But it was not confined to that city. We learn from an official report on the night of the Mutiny (June, 4) at Varanasi that news was received by some Mussalmans had determined to raise the Green Flag in the temple of Bisshessur. The communal hatred led ugly communal riots in many parts of U.P. Green Flag was hoisted and bloody wars were  fought between Hindus and Muslims in Bareilly, Bijnor, Mordabad and others places where Muslims the Muslims shouted for the revival of the Muslim kingdom. The communal discord was supplemented by racial animosity of long standing produced by historical causes. The Muslims in Hyderabad were excited by events of North India and developed strong anti-British feeling, but they were more hostile to the Marathas and would have gladly fought under the British under Holkar and Sindhia (British Paramountcy and Indian Renaissance-I p.618-History and Culture of the Indian People Vol. IX) Gandhi tried to rope in Muslims in Non Co-operation movement for Swaraj on quid pro quid basis with Khilafat movement. To ordinary Muslims, Swaraj became co-terminus with reestablishment of Muslim rule in India. Its most eminent example is the Mopla riots (1920) in Malabar. Not a single British life was lost in anti-British uprising by Moplas. But it led to death, rape, mutilation of thousands of Hindus in addition to plunder and desecration of temples. We saw, in recent past, how anti-Bush and anti-cartoon rallies by Muslims had turned into attacks upon Hindus. Today to remind Muslims of their glorious role in anti-British struggle is to encourage more suicide bombers to emerge against the Londoners. 0 MultiQuote Reply #82 ramana Advanced Member Group: Senior Members Posts: 3,265 Joined: 03-October 03 Posted 20 June 2006 – 10:17 PM More from Deccan Chronicle, 20 June 2006 Sunday Section. QUOTE Deciding on a title for 1857 Itihaas: By Akhilesh Mithal The year 2007 will mark the 150th anniversary of the greatest up-surge in nearly two centuries (1757-1947) of British rule in India. The memories of the episode are distorted because the British won and victors usually angle history to serve their own narrow, partisan ends. The Indians who collaborated and helped the British quell the uprising became the major beneficiaries and joined the rulers in erasing and distorting all positive memories of the revolt. Many of these toady families continue to be rich and close to power centers in the Congress and the BJP. Their views colour Indian perceptions along the lines that Britishers had laid down. It has come to such a pass that even the images of the most important leaders such as Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi and Nana Dhondho Pant Peshwa have got lost. The portraits that exist are mushkook or suspect and no schoolchild is familiar with the real appearance of these heroes and heroines. Although the rebel soldiers (nearly 1,00,000) were joined by the Emperor of India, the Peshwa of the Maratthas, the Begum of Awadh; numerous Nawabs, Rajas and Ranis besides peasants, traders and shopkeepers, the title mutiny continues to prevail. The emperors gardens, palaces, mosques and seminaries received special attention from the sappers and miners. The entire villages were burnt down and the ruined mud walls razed to the ground. The heart of Delhi and the center of Lucknow were gouged out. Shahjahanabad Delhi was depopulated and its status reduced to a lowly district headquarters in the Province of the Punjab. Lucknow lost its place as capital of Awadh. Allahabad was the new capital from which Lord Canning announced that Queen Victoria had assumed direct rule. Many leftist historians talk of the uprising as an attempt to re-establish feudalism while ignoring the fact that the British Raj was a military dictatorship displaying the worst aspects of racist Nazism and Fascism while operating under a thin civilian veneer. The British prevarication on the subject of sharing power with Indians is a matter of record. The 20th Century British attempt to pass off bogus and impotent legislatures in India as an experiment in democracy, was exposed by Bhagat Singh and his group when they threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly and followed it up with a shower of pamphlets spelling out the deception being practised. Independence saw an India with 10 per cent literacy, an average expectancy of age at 29, and a franchise covering less than 13 per cent of the population. The country was ruled by the British civil military junta from Shimla or Delhi with collaborators from amongst the Indians helping them justify every outrage and cover up the failures. The British-officered Indian army was posted at strategic bases and could be summoned out at short notice. The army shooting to kill unarmed civilians protesting slavery in Jallianwala Bagh in 1942 are amongst the darkest chapters of British rule. The British claim to have trained Indians in the practice of democracy. In point of fact, their rule in India spawned not Indian democracy but military dictatorship in Pakistan and Bangladesh. It should be remembered that the second most powerful person in India during British Rule was the Commander-in-Chief in India. His lakh rupee salary made him the highest paid man in uniform in the whole Empire including the sceptred Island. (For those born after the dissolution of the Empire sceptred were the title the British gave to their home.) The use of the epithet Great for Britain and sceptred for the island helped the British forget all the want, misery deprivation and suffering  they had caused in India during their rule. The revisit to 1857 should include inputs from what is now Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Nepal under the Ranas came to the help of the British, took its share of loot, established a foothold of Gurkhas in the army, which lasts and they should have interesting material in their records. Both Nana Saheb and Begum Hazrat Mahal died in Nepal and it would be interesting to know the fate of their treasure. Perhaps the Pakistanis should be asked to concentrate on the Bengal infantry regiment revolts in the Punjab and in the NWFP to bring these facts out of obscurity. There also is the story of the rebel leader Ahmad Shah of Nilibar. He exists in folklore and should come out into history texts. We shall talk about NWFP and 1857 in another column. 0 MultiQuote Reply #83 acharya Advanced Member Group: Moderators Posts: 6,411 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 24 June 2006 – 11:44 PM Rising, Falling As we enter the 150th anniversary of 1857, William Dalrymple casts a new look at one of Indian history’s most enigmatic episodes, and its aftermath WILLIAM DALRYMPLE | e-mail | one page format | feedback: send – read | In June 1858, the Times correspondent William Howard Russella man now famous as the father of war journalismarrived in the ruins of Delhi, recently  recaptured by the British from the rebels after one of the bloodiest sieges in Indian history. Skeletons still littered the streets, and the domes and minars of the city were riddled with shell holes; but the walls of the Red Fort, the great palace of the Mughals, still looked magnificent: â€Å"I have seldom seen a nobler mural aspect,† wrote Russell in his diary, â€Å"and the great space of bright red walls put me in mind of (the) finest part of Windsor Castle.† Russell’s ultimate destination was, however, rather less imposing. Along a dark, dingy back passage of the fort, Russell was led to the cell of a frail 83-year-old man who was accused by the British of being one of the masterminds of the Great Rising, or Mutiny, of 1857, the most serious armed act of resistance to Western imperialism ever to be mounted anywhere in the world. â€Å"He was a dim, wandering-eyed, dreamy old man with a feeble hanging nether lip and toothless gums,† wrote a surprised Russell. â€Å"Not a word came from his lips; in silence he sat day and night with his eyes cast on the ground, and as though utterly oblivious of the conditions in which he was placed†¦. His eyes had the dull, filmy look of very old age†¦. Some heard him quoting verses of his own composition, writing poetry on a wall with a burned stick.† â€Å"He was a dim, wandering-eyed, dreamy old man with a feeble hanging nether lip and toothless gums,† the Times correspondent William Russell wrote of Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1858. The last emperor of the Mughals, a direct but all-too-remote descendant of Genghis Khan. The prisoner was Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, direct descendant of Genghis Khan and Tamburlane, of Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jehan. As Russell himself observed, â€Å"He was called ungrateful for rising against his benefactors. He was no doubt a weak and cruel old man; but to talk of ingratitude on the part of one who saw that all the dominions of his ancestors had been gradually taken from him until he was left with an empty title, and more empty exchequer, and a palace full of penniless princesses, is perfectly preposterous.† Zafar was born in 1775, when the British were still a relatively insignificant coastal power clinging to three enclaves on the Indian shore. In his lifetime he saw his own dynasty reduced to humiliating insignificance, while the British transformed themselves from servile traders into an aggressively expansionist military force. British residents ride behind emperor Akbar II and his sons in 1815 Zafar came late to the throne, succeeding his father only in his mid-60s, when it was already impossible to reverse the political decline of the Mughals. But despite this he succeeded in creating around him in Delhi a court of great brilliance. Personally, he was one of the most talented, tolerant and likeable of his dynasty: a skilled calligrapher, a profound writer on Sufism, a discriminating patron of miniature painters and an inspired creator of gardens. Most importantly, he was a very serious mystical poet, who wrote not only in Urdu and Persian but Braj Bhasha and Punjabi, and partly through his patronage there took place arguably the greatest literary renaissance in modern Indian history.Himself a ghazal writer of great charm and accomplishment, Zafar’s court provided a showcase for the talents of India’s greatest love poet, Ghalib, and his rival Zauqthe Mughal poet laureate, and the Salieri to Ghalib’s Mozart. 0 MultiQuote Reply #84 acharya Advanced Member Group: Moderators Posts: 6,411 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 24 June 2006 – 11:45 PM 0 MultiQuote Reply #85 acharya Advanced Member Group: Moderators Posts: 6,411 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 24 June 2006 – 11:45 PM 0 MultiQuote Reply #86 acharya Advanced Member Group: Moderators Posts: 6,411 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 24 June 2006 – 11:48 PM This fast emerging middle-class India is a country with its eyes firmly fixed on the coming century. Everywhere there is a profound hope that the country’s rapidly rising international status will somehow compensate for a past often perceived as a long succession of invasions and defeats at the hands of foreign powers.Whatever the reason, the result is a tragic neglect of Delhi’s magnificent past. Sometimes it seems as if no other great city of the world is less loved, or less cared foras the tone of the recent Outlook cover story highlighted. Occasionally there is an outcry as the tomb of the poet Zauq is discovered to have disappeared under a municipal urinal or the haveli courtyard house of his rival Ghalib is revealed to have been turned into a coal store; but by and large the losses go unrecorded. I find it heartbreaking: often when I revisit one of my favourite monuments it has either been overrun by some slum, unsympathetically restored by the asi or, more usually, simply demolished. Ninety-nine per cent of the delicate havelis or Mughal courtyard houses of Old Delhi have been  destroyed, and like the city walls, disappeared into memory. According to historian Pavan Verma, the majority of the buildings he recorded in his book Mansions at Dusk only 10 years ago no longer exist. Perhaps there is also a cultural factor here in the neglect of the past: as one conservationist told me recently: â€Å"You must understand,† he said, â€Å"that we Hindus burn our dead.† Either way, the loss of Delhi’s past is irreplaceable; and future generations will inevitably look back at the conservation failures of the early 21st century with a deep sadness.’ Rising, Falling Rising, Falling As we enter the 150th anniversary of 1857, William Dalrymple casts a new look at one of Indian history’s most enigmatic episodes, and its aftermath WILLIAM DALRYMPLE In June 1858, the Times correspondent William Howard Russella man now famous as the father of war journalismarrived in the ruins of Delhi, recently recaptured by the British from the rebels after one of the bloodiest sieges in Indian history. Skeletons still littered the streets, and the domes and minars of the city were riddled with shell holes; but the walls of the Red Fort, the great palace of the Mughals, still looked magnificent: â€Å"I have seldom seen a nobler mural aspect,† wrote Russell in his diary, â€Å"and the great space of bright red walls put me in mind of (the) finest part of Windsor Castle.† Russell’s ultimate destination was, however, rather less imposing. 0 MultiQuote Reply #87 Mudy Advanced Member Group: Administrators Posts: 19,601 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 27 June 2006 – 09:33 PM QUOTE Title A HISTORY OF THE SEPOY WAR IN INDIA 1857-1858. (VOL II) Author1 JOHN WILLIAM KAYE Author2 ` Subject HISTORY Language English Barcode 2020050020626 Year 1927 Online book are available on this site. http://dli.iiit.ac.in/ They have excellent collection of books. 0 MultiQuote Reply #88 acharya Advanced Member Group: Moderators Posts: 6,411 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 15 July 2006 – 08:15 AM Chauhan sees a major flaw in textbook Staff Correspondent Referring 1857 War of Independence as mutiny a big mistake, Chief Minister tells Manmohan Singh BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has brought to the notice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the social science textbook  for Class X prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) refers to the 1857 War of Independence as mutiny and said that this flaw should be rectified immediately. According to information received here, Mr. Chauhan raised the issue at a meeting called by the Prime Minister at his residence in New Delhi on Thursday to chalk out the plan for the 150th anniversary celebrations of the 1857 War of Independence. The meeting was attended by members of the Union Cabinet, senior members of political parties, Chief Ministers, Governors, historians and intellectuals. Drawing attention to the â€Å"fact† that it was Veer Sawarkar who had called it the First War of Independence, the Chief Minister regretted that the CBSE syllabus continues to describe the 1857 War of Independence as mutiny. The Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to have this flaw corrected and requested that a stipend be sanctioned for the descendants of those who had fought the 1857 War. He asserted that textbooks should be used effectively to impart knowledge about the struggle for Independence. This he emphasised by recounting the sacrifice of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, Rani Avantibai of Ramgarh, Raja Bhaktbali of Shahgarh, Raja Shankar Shah of Jabalpur and Raghunath Shah in the 1857 War of Independence. He said his government had declared awards in memory of Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah — two heroes of the 1857 War of Independence from Madhya Pradesh. A proposal to increase the pension of freedom fighters is under consideration in the State. Mr. Chauhan said many functions were being organised in the State to celebrate the centenary of Chandra Shekhar Azad. He also informed that every month, on the first working day, Vande Mataram is sung by the Chief Minister, Ministers and all State Government employees. The word â€Å"mataram† gets repeated four times in the Bangladesh national anthem but nobody in that country objects to it whereas the pseudo-secular elements in this country try to create unnecessary confusion about Vande-Mataram, he said. 0 MultiQuote Reply #89 Group: Guests Posted 15 July 2006 – 09:20 AM If I am right – – Mangal Pandey triggers the war in March, 1857 in Barrakpur Cantt near Kolkata. – Uprising began in Meerut on May 10, 1857. I would like to know about two things: – What went on between March and May of 1857. – What triggered the events at Meerut. I also would ike to know some more facts about Oudh (Awadh) Annexation. Awadh was not a total region controlled by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from Lucknow. In the interiors of Oudh there were independent Hindu princes and independants as well. While Wajid Ali Shah was based in Lucknow (and Faizabad), there were Hidu princes in interiors like Gonda, Balrampur, Tulsipur, Naugarh, Manikapur and various other smaler areas on the borders of Nepal and today’s Uttar Pradesh. Having once lived in that region of UP I had heard some folklores which talked about some of these princes and even one queen having led their people into fighting bravely with British forces. Some other stories are about very active support from Nepal’s kingdm. I also heard stories of bravery of Begum Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow having led the resistance. Though I have not learnt what does â€Å"official† history say†¦anyone knows? Also king of Banaras and people of some towns in Bihar gave stiff resistance to British, which is not well registered? Regards 0 MultiQuote Reply #90 Mudy Advanced Member Group: Administrators Posts: 19,601 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 15 July 2006 – 10:33 AM QUOTE – What went on between March and May of 1857. – What triggered the events at Meerut. here is link- Link Read first page. 0 MultiQuote Reply #91 Group: Guests Posted 06 August 2006 – 01:38 AM QUOTE(pulikeshi @ Jul 11 2004, 10:45 AM) Interesting thread†¦ but should’nt we change the name or the thread to say something like: â€Å"Indian war for independence – 1857†. I think it is to fall victim of British propaganda to call 1857 as ‘Indian war of Independence’. If the warring parties would have won against the British, individual rulers would have got their own lands, there was no ‘independence of india’ at stake in 1857. this tag was given to nail in the fact that indians historically lack unity. when ever we talk of unity in present day India, inveriably 1857 war is brought up as an example of Indians historic lack of unity. that is most ridiculous. war of 1857 had nothing to do with Indian unity. simply because there was no notion of India. It was war of ‘moghal allies’ against ‘britis allies’. the major strength of british army was due to Sikhs and Gorkhas. which were at that time british allies, but in history they are seen as british subordinates. Sikhs had much greater scorn for moghals then for british, to support them in the 1857 war. British allies had no way to know at that time, that british would enslave whole of india and their own allies for 200 years. for them the atrocities of the Muslims were known. the British seemed to be a better choice. 0 MultiQuote Reply #92 ramana Advanced Member Group: Senior Members Posts: 3,265 Joined: 03-October 03 Posted 08 August 2006 – 08:56 PM x-posted Book review In Pioneer, 8 August 2006 QUOTE Rising for a lesser cause If one believes the account of Field Marshal Lord Roberts, the revolt of 1857 was nothing more than the last and desperate attempt by Muslims to reimpose their superiority over Indian politics, write Prafull Goradia and KR Phanda An Eye Witness Account of The Indian Mutiny, Field Marshall Lord Roberts of Kandahar; Mittal Publications, $60 This book, An Eye Witness Account of the Indian Mutiny, by Field Marshal Lord Frederick Roberts of Kandahar needs to be read for more than one reason. First, it proves that the 1857 uprising was a sepoy mutiny. Second, it was the last attempt by Muslims to recover their own rule from the British. The epicentre of the mutiny was the erstwhile kingdom of Oudh. The role of the Hindu princes was only peripheral. Third, the decision of the Government of India to celebrate now the Mutiny as the First War of Independence would amount to heaping insult on the sacrifices made by the Rajputs, the Marathas, the Jats and the Sikhs to throw out the Muslim invaders from India. Between Lord Roberts and his father Major General Sir Abraham Roberts, they had spent almost 90 years in India. Frederick was in India from 1852 to 1893. He participated in quelling the mutiny at several places including Delhi. In his own words: â€Å"The first threatening of coming trouble were heard in the early part of 1857. During the months of February, March and April rumours reached us at Peshwar of mysterious chapattis (unleavened cakes) being sent about the country with the object, it was alleged, of preparing the natives for some forthcoming event. We heard that the 19th Native Infantry at Berhampore, a military station about 100 miles from Calcutta, had broken open the bells-of-arms†¦ that a sepoy named Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore had wounded the Adjutant and Sergant Major of his regiment; and that Sepoys at the Schools of Musketry had objected to use the cartridges served out with new rifles† (p-34). As the news spread, the native regiments based in Peshwar, Naushera, Umbala, Mian Mir (Lahore), Multan, Ferozpore and other places were disarmed. The happenings at Meerut triggered the revolt elsewhere; and, it is from there that the sepoys marched to Delhi and declared Bahadur Shah as badshah. Soon, thereafter, some 85 soldiers refused to receive the rifle cartridges on the suspicion that these were greased with lard and cow fat. On enquiry, they  were found guilty and punished severely. In retaliation, the British officers, their wives and children and every European on the outskirts of the Meerut Cantonment were massacred. Meanwhile, Delhi fell into Muslim hands. It took three months before General Wilson established his headquarters at the Red Fort. â€Å"Every eye,† Lord Canning wrote, â€Å"is upon Oudh as it was on Delhi.† The Gurkhas and the Sikhs helped in the recapture of the Imambara in Lucknow. The city was recaptured on March 14, 1858. But for the sagacity of diplomacy and the cleverness of strategy, the British would not have been able to recapture north-west India. They received cooperation from the Amir of Afghanistan, the Sikhs and the Gurkhas of Nepal. Commissioner of Lahore Division Sir John Lawrence had strongly advocated the policy of trusting the Maharaja of Patiala and the Rajas of Jind and Nabha. Douglas Forsyth, the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, met the Maharaja and addressed him thus: â€Å"Maharaja Sahib answer me one question: Are you for us or against us?† The Maharaja’s reply was: â€Å"As long as I live, I am yours.† To the question what brought about the cataclysm, Roberts says: â€Å"The causes which brought about the mutiny were so various and some of them of such long standing, that it is difficult to point them out as concisely as I could wish. Mahommedans looked back to the days of their empire in India but failed to remember how completely. Their maulvis taught them it was only lawful for true Mussalmans to submit to the rule of an infidel if there was no possibility of successful revolt, and they watched for the chance of again being able to make Islam supreme. The late Sir George Campbell says that the mutiny was a sepoy revolt, not a Hindu rebellion† (p-231-24). The annexation of Oudh by the British was considered unjust by Muslims. Their other grievance was the treatment meted out to Bahadur Shah, the last Mughal emperor. In this context, it needs to be pointed out that when Lord Lake captured Delhi in 1803, it was made clear to him that his place of residence would be shifted out of the Red Fort; and his successors would not be called badshah. Thus, the Muslims were aggrieved on several counts and the Meerut  mutineers marched to Delhi and proclaimed him as the badshah of India. Indian historical episodes have seldom been looked upon from the Hindu, as distinct from the Muslim, view point. Most of the time studies have been as if the communities were incidental and they were actually one people with a common heritage. If anything, it is the British who did not hesitate to make distinction. For example, Roberts quotes Sir John Campbell summing up that the mutiny was not a Hindu rebellion. On the other hand, the author himself has highlighted that other than the sepoys, the two great political causes were Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah and the Nawab of Oudh, both Muslim and both perceived to have been deprived of their hereditary thrones. Although it was not the soldier’s business to analyse politics, a professional historian should not miss the point that the primary losers at the hands of the British were Muslims and not Hindus. Most of north India, except Rajasthan, was ruled by a badshah or a nawab who, in turn, had gifted large tracts of lands to his allies and satellites who were also mostly Muslim. The Hindu, on the other hand, had benefited from the advent of the East India Company, which demonstrated since the Battle of Plassey, 1757, that it had the military capability to defeat nawabs. True, the sepoys must have had their grievances such as the new Enfield cartridges, but the substantive economic interests that were lost had belonged to Muslims. Due to the permanent land settlement of Lord Cornwallis, most of the zamindaris that were auctioned were taken up by Hindus, although earlier most of the land had been the jagirs of Muslims. The book is, in any case, a ready diary on he basis of which those decades of Indian history can be interpreted by students of history. It is in this context that W.W. Hunter’s book on the â€Å"Indian Mussalman† and Edmund Blunt’s book and the Pakistan project have to be understood. 0 MultiQuote Reply #93 Group: Guests Posted 09 August 2006 – 03:32 AM QUOTE(ramana @ Aug 8 2006, 08:48 PM) Indian historical episodes have seldom been looked upon from the Hindu, as distinct from the Muslim, view point. Most of the time studies have been as if the communities were incidental and they were actually one people with a common heritage. If anything, it is the British who did not hesitate to make distinction. For example, Roberts quotes Sir John Campbell summing up that the mutiny was not a Hindu rebellion. On the other hand, the author himself has highlighted that other than the sepoys, the two great political causes were Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah and the Nawab of Oudh, both Muslim and both perceived to have been deprived of their hereditary thrones. Bravo my friend. for years we hindus have suffered in guilt and incapabiity of mughals. it is very nessasary that indian history be seen separatly through hindu point of view. Hindus’ weekness is not the lack of unity but readiness to befriend unworthy foes. This is virtue while dealing among hindus, it is a weekness when dealing with other cultures. 0 MultiQuote Reply #94 ramana Advanced Member Group: Senior Members Posts: 3,265 Joined: 03-October 03 Posted 10 August 2006 – 02:30 AM BTW, The above is a quote from a book review and not my ideas. While at it if one studies the colonial period by confining to geographical India only then it doesnt make sense. The key to understand it is that it is a chronicle of British Imperialism and the rest(French, Dutch, Danes(Tranquebar) etc) followed to keep pace in Europe or else they would become beggars. Ever wonder where the Russian colonies were? Central Asia!!! What about the Swedes? None they were Johnny come latelies and the French already took them over by then. 0 MultiQuote Reply #95 ramana Advanced Member Group: Senior Members Posts: 3,265 Joined: 03-October 03 Posted 14 August 2006 – 12:47 AM Deccan Chronicle, 13 August 2006 QUOTE 1857 Ghadar & Madan Lal Itihaas: By Akhilesh Mithal How significant 1857 was for the Indians and the British in pre-independence India can be judged from the following facts. May 10, the anniversary of the Uprising, saw all adult British males carrying personal arms and forts were kept ready as the rallying point for British women and children in case of necessity. Half a century ago, in this very week, we bravely defended our empire.The Daily Telegraph of May 7, 1907 stated. The Indian perception was just as clear. At the beginning of May 1909, a circular invited Indian students to a meeting in the India House to observe the 51st anniversary of the Ghadar on May 10, which, propitiously, was also a Sunday as had been May 10 in 1857. The circular, titled Bande Mataram stated: To commemorate the Indian National Rising of 1857, a meeting of Indians in England will be held at India House on sunday 10th may 1908, at 4 pm precisely. You and your friends are cordially invited to attend. The purpose of the meeting, printed at the back of the notice, was stated as being one of holding up to admiration, martyrs and the principal leaders of the rebellion including Nana Saheb. According to the folklore of the Indian Freedom Struggle, the founder of the India House in London, Shyamaji Krishna Verma had met Nana Saheb in his hideout in the Nepat Terai, thus forging a link between 1857 and the nascent freedom movement of India. Thus readers can see for themselves that for freedom fighters of the 19th century and also for the British the 1857 uprising was something of abiding significance. For Indians, it gave something to look back upon for inspiration while for the British, it was something to fill the mind with alarm fear and trepidation.The story of an Indian living in England in 1909 will illustrate the tension between Indians and the British. Madan Lal Dhingra was the son of a prominent medical practitioner of Punjab. His elder brother had been called to the Bar and was practising law in Lahore. Madan Lal was drawn to the freedom struggle by exposure to firebrands like Har Dayal. He appeared in class at the University College wearing a badge inscribed with names of the martyrs and leaders of 1857 supplied by the organisers of the May 10, 1909 meeting. In the class, he was ordered to remove the badge, to which he refused. This led to him being ragged by the British students and Madan Lal was so incensed by the leader of the raggers that he offered to cut his throat. When news of this incident reached home, his father requested Curzon Wylie, an official appointed for counselling Indian students and keeping an eye on them, to help recover Madan Lal to the cause of loyalty to the Empire. Curzon Wylie had retired from the Indian Army to become political A.D.C. to the Secretary of State for India in 1901. Madan Lal was infuriated and wrote home to say that he deplored an attitude which asked Anglo-Indians like Curzon Wylie to interfere in what were essentially Indias private affairs. Madan Lal bought a Colt revolver and also a Belgian weapon and started  practising shooting at a private range. The National Indian Association had its annual general meeting on July 1, 1909. After dining at the Savoy, Curzon Wylie proceeded to the Associations At Home in Jahangir Hall of the Imperial institute. When the programme concluded, Wylie was seen descending from the staircase. Madan Lal engaged him in conversation and, then, suddenly, pulled out the revolver and fired five shots into his face at point blank range. As Wylie fell down, a Parsi, Cowas Lalkaka tried to shield the victim. The sixth bullet killed him. When overpowered by the crowd Madan Lal tried to shoot himself but there were no more bullets left. In his statement, Madan Lal said, I am a patriot working for the emancipation of the motherland from the foreign yoke. I object to the term murderer to me because I am fully justified in what I have done. The English would have done the same thing had the Germans been in occupation of England. Madan Lal was tried and sentenced to death. He was hanged on August 17, 1909. Thus the link between the Ghadar of 1857 and the freedom movement of the 19th century was clear in the mind of many who took part and risked their all for the freedom of their beloved motherland. This shows link between 1857 and the revolutionary part of the Indian freedom struggle. I think through Tilak and Gandhi the link to the tradtional freedom movement has to be documented so that it clears any persistent cobwebs in the minds. 0 MultiQuote Reply #96 Group: Guests Posted 14 August 2006 – 01:33 AM QUOTE(ramana @ Aug 14 2006, 12:39 AM) I think through Tilak and Gandhi the link to the tradtional freedom movement has to be documented so that it clears any persistent cobwebs in the minds. There cannot be any doubt that the failed 1857 revolt had nothing to do with indian independence. it was only later on when the british crimes became worst than the memories of the mughal crimes that 1857 revolt was seen as inspiring event for indian freedom fighters. 0 MultiQuote Reply #97 Bharatvarsh Advanced Member Group: Senior Members Posts: 2,397 Joined: 13-April 05 Posted 14 August 2006 – 11:36 PM QUOTE the indian war of independence 1857 vinayak damodar savarkor http://dli.iiit.ac.i†¦e=2020050057563 I have to agree with jayashastri, the 1857 rebellion was by no means a war for independence, obviously when Savarkar wrote this he was in his younger days of militant nationalism and wanted these events to serve as an inspiration for future freedom fighters (and they did so) but back then he wasn’t so aware of Islam either and thought that Hindus and Muslims could forge a common bond (which was rejected by him later on if we take his later day speeches and writings as evidence), the 1857 rebellion had a lot of vested interests (jihadis) that had no other motive than to establish Mughal empire again and there were even Hindu-Muslim riots in places where the rebellion succeeded so it can’t really be described as a movement for independence but it served as a catalyst for the beginnings of Indian nationalism and doubtless there were many noble souls who were genuine freedom fighters (they may not have had the conception of a Pan Indian nationhood yet) but they may have fou ght for local independence from the British. Sita Ram Goel also does not consider it as a movement for independence, here are his comments regarding 1857: QUOTE This jihd which was joined by Hindu rebellions on the fringes was named as The Indian War of Independence, 1857 (London, 1909) by V.D. Savarkar. He had yet to learn the history of Islam in India. It is significant that secularists and Muslim who hate Savarkar, hail the book as well as its name. http://www.voiceofdh†¦/tfst/appi1.htm 0 MultiQuote Reply #98 Hauma Hamiddha Advanced Member Group: Moderators Posts: 816 Joined: 13-August 03 Posted 15 August 2006 – 05:35 AM QUOTE There cannot be any doubt that the failed 1857 revolt had nothing to do with indian independence. I believe this is simply too extreme a characterization. It was definitely a widespread movement expressedly aimed at driving out the White man from India. However, in India then as now the heathen interests where not strongly aligned, and then there were the Musalmans. -The Hindus across a wide swath of society from backward classes to the brahmins fought in this war. -Many saw the danger possed by Christianity in damaging the Hindu ethos, however many of the Hindu elite were in the fight due to their personal situation. Many like Nana, Rani Lakshmibai etc led the revolt because of personal interests. Nevertheless others like Tatya Tope, Kunwar Singh were fired by Hindu nationalism. Nevertheless, I agree that the Hindus foolishly thought they could make a common cause with the Islamic elite that had independently called Jihad because Christianity and the British overbearance were intruding into their religious as well as personal sphere. Thus Nana sent a letter calling for the Moslem Jihad to make common cause with the Hindu struggle. It is not some miracle that he succeeded, but merely that the two happened to align due to a common enemy. This did not happen earlier in the Karnatic where Tipu Sultan and Hyder with very ambiguous attitudes towards the Hindus were not aligned in their interest with the Hindu elite. Tipu saw the Maharattas as much or more an Enemy than Christian White men. All said, we must keep in mind the following: 1) Prior to 1857 and immediately after it there were a string of anti-British rebellions throughout the country. The Balwant Phadke rebellion, the Vellore rebellion, the tribal revolt, the Velu Thampi rebellion are all examples. 1857 was merely one of the largest of those. In these rebellions there was disconnect in the firing between the North and South of India. South fired before North and each was quiet when the other was firing. South was no very well-knit in terms of Hindu military leadership so it lacked the coordination seen in the North mainly directed by Maharatta leaders was lacking. In light of this the BJP idea of celebrating 1857 in common with the TSPians and BDs is ridiculous. 0 MultiQuote Reply #99 mitradena Advanced Member Group: Senior Members Posts: 258 Joined: 22-November 03 Posted 15 August 2006 – 10:19 AM Hauma, What is your opinion about Mangal Pandey’s role in this? Was he fired by Hindu nationalism or just an emotional guy reacting to an insult (Beef laced cartridges)? 0 MultiQuote Reply #100 Group: Guests Posted 15 August 2006 – 06:04 PM QUOTE(Hauma Hamiddha @ Aug 15 2006, 05:27 AM) QUOTE There cannot be any doubt that the failed 1857 revolt had nothing to do with indian independence. I believe this is simply too extreme a characterization. No. I think it is very simple and obvious point. Those who were fighting the revolt were not fighting for Indian independence. The 1857 revolt and the ‘(gandhian) fight for Indian independence’ were fought for 2 totally different objectives. and thus could not be considered as one being the precursor to another. yes inspirations were drawn from individual valor of the 1857 revolt, simply because the enemy was the same, not because the cause was the same. The danger of believing so will lead us to false conclusions that Indians were not united in 1857 but became united later. The unity, of mainly Hindu kings, should not come into question because there was no call for their unity. No one single obvious cause under which they needed to unite, other than Hinduism. and Hindus unlike other religions are taught to act according to their own Dharma/role/job. where the dharma of Hindus who were Brits allies was to stay loyal to their words the Dharma of those fighting against Brits was to fight for injustice done to their people. It is only in Islam and then later in Christianity (during crusades, only 1000 year after conception of christianity) that there exist a clause  to fight in the name of religion. This in fact is main cause why there is so much, unending Islamic terrorism. According to Muslim scriptures it is paramount that every Muslim take on himself for fight for the injustice don’t to other Muslims. it does not matter if the other Muslims was right or wrong, as long as he is threatened by a non Muslim he must be supported. 0