Rhetorical Analysis Of Michelle Obamas Speech - 900 Words

A Rhetorical Analysis of Michelle Obama’s 2016 DNC Speech At the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Michelle Obama the first lady at the time, was endorsing the democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. Using her personal connection with the president and Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama creates a more personal speech. With her credibility as first lady, use of her family and her platform she lead as first lady, she persuades the audience to spread Hillary Clinton’s campaign message. Michelle Obama uses the rhetorical devices including, anaphora, several allusions, and imagery to strengthen her 3 appeals and persuade her audience. In her Speech, Michelle Obama uses anaphora; the regular repetition of the same word or†¦show more content†¦And there but for the grace of God go I.† In this quote she referenced God and she also lead up to it with a strong christian saying and motivator often used when crisis hits such as a hurricane or other nat ural disaster. The second allusion was a historical allusion, and although it was a weaker reference it was an impactful phrase. She states, â€Å"I want †¦ a president who truly believes in the vision that our Founders put forth all those years ago that we are all created equal, each a beloved part of the great American story.† Another common statement used by politicians, in reference to the constitution, and the founding fathers. It is a powerful phrase because, first it is a litote at Donald Trump and it is also evoked a lot of American pride. The final allusion that Mrs. Obama used in her speech was a military allusion, in reference to the heroes that step up and are taught by this great country’s military. The speech states, â€Å"Heroes of every color and creed who wear the uniform and risk their lives to keep passing down those blessings of liberty, police officers and the protesters in Dallas who all desperately want to keep our children safe.† Sh e references this because it was a relevant topic in the news and another topic that more people could connect with, as many of this country’s citizens have family that are in or have served in our military.Show MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Obama s Victory Speech1245 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis of Obama’s Victory Speech This speech was given by Barack Obama who won 2012 election as the president. I’m going to analysis his voice, audience, speaker’s message and occasion for the speech. Different angle, different view can show all the Obama’s rhetorical words in his victory speech. In 2012, this is Barack Obama’s second inaugural. He had greatest way to put all the rhetorical words in his speech. It was one of the best of his speech so far. Rhetoric was made in fifthRead MoreFive MaAm, By Michelle Obama1002 Words   |  5 Pageswell-dressed woman quietly sitting next to him. The occupant grimly nods her careworn features, the embodiment of disinterest; Her mind, a grey mist that obscure her innermost thoughts like a sweeping, sullen, shroud. Michelle Obama, the senator’s wife would soon be known as Michelle Obama, the orator. The thought of delivering a requiem for her husband’s political career elicits such cynical mirth that would shame Voltaire’s quips. Fortitude, that ironclad citadel is steadily eroded by the wavesRead MoreA Linguistic Analysis of Obama’s Inaugural Address9492 Words   |  38 PagesRhythm and Rhetoric: A Linguistic Analysis of Obama’s Inaugural Address Liilia Batluk Supervisor: Stuart Foster School of Humanities Halmstad University Bachelor’s thesis in English Acknowledgment My appreciations to my supervisor Stuart Foster for very helpful advice during the research. Abstract In this essay I shall analyze Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, January, 2009 from the perspective of various linguistic techniques. More specifically, I shall propose and focus on the idea that the

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Answer: Introduction: In a disaster management plan, developing a response plan is the second phase of the whole plan, it is sometimes referred to as emergency response (Abbott, 2012). A response plan includes conducting actions like warnings/ evacuation plans, search and rescue operations, assessing the damage caused and providing immediate help for as long as needed (Crane et al., 2014). A response plan is simply used to maintain order, save lives and offer assistance and support to the affected parties. It is mostly involved in scenarios where human lives are said to be in danger or situations that can cause great loss of human life, e.g., earthquakes or tremors, floods, volcanic eruptions disasters, tornadoes, tsunamis, airplane crashes to name a few (Hayes et al., 2009 and Sharma, 2015). In other words, a response plan acts as a tool for enabling the provision of basic human needs up until a permanent solution can be found or rather identified (Greer, 2012). In this assignment, I am going to discuss the response plan that I will use in a scenario where there is an earthquake occurrence, and there is a lot of lives already in danger while other lives have already been lost. An earthquake is a natural but sudden and rapid shaking of the ground which is caused by breaking and dismantling of the rocks beneath the earths surface. Being a natural disaster, it can cause a lot of damage to properties, e.g., buildings, bridges, infrastructures like roads and human life. Besides these, earthquakes can cause other problems like disruption of the electric and telephone services, cause floods, landslides, fires to name a few. In this case study, the earthquake has occurred in Rio City which is one of the largest city in Brazil. Additionally, the city-country has planned to host its Olympics games in that same city which means that there is a lot of people living in the city at that very moment. From the case study information, there are large numbers of tourists and athletes in the city already. The earthquake has already occurred, and many lives have already been lost, and others are in grave danger. Generally, in an emergency response team, certain members or stakeholders are supposed to be involved in making the process a successful one. These parties should always be rich and high with expertise, experience, knowledge, and skills to deal with any scenario that seems to target and destroy human lives (Paganini et al., 2016). The stakeholders in any disaster should always be ready to save human life. In other words, these stakeholders are responsible for ensuring that property and human life is safeguarded and if in danger, responds effectively and efficiently to reduce the suffering and pain experienced especially by the people involved (Lennquist, 2012). In the case study, the stakeholders that will be involved in the situation include the following parties: CATEGORY DESCRIPTION LOCATION OF OPERATION ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY Emergency managers, e.g. transportation service companies Local, state and transportation staffs On-scene, emergency operations stations, specific shelters, hospitals Gathering key players together and offering them support Gathering information together to come up with the best problem solution possible Work as a team to provide as much support and resources for the first responders to work on Political crew State governors, municipal leaders and other political leaders City hall, county hall Making decisions on the best way to solve the situation Making the decisions on what legal action should be taken at what time and by whom. For instance, in case of the need for an evacuation the political team is to make the decision on how to conduct it legally. First responders Police, fire departments, rescue teams e.g. ambulances, evacuation operation teams On scene (, nearby hospitals, police stations. Provide first response Coordinate and organize any party (stakeholder) that is involved in the scenario including the volunteer groups, the tourists and the athletes as well as other people involved or who could be affected. Manage all the parties involved by providing any valuable information that may be needed to make the process successful. Provide security and safety to the people affected and involved. Provide professional help especially in identifying possible problems or challenges to human lives and property that may be caused by the earthquake Volunteer organizations Brazilian Red Cross Team, local charity groups and organizations, salvation army, brazil citizens Specific Shelters, on scene, hospitals Ensure that there is enough and adequate relieve services in the scene, e.g. food, water, beds for rest, shelters, medications among other things Professional and expertise Engineers, medical doctors, registered nurses On-scene, hospitals, specific volunteer shelters Provide professional support and advice on the effects and causes of the earthquake Give advice on the possible suitable solutions required to eradicate the whole problem or reduce the chances of another from occurring Provide medications to the affected people by saving lives and making them feel safe Give comfort and support to those affected most and almost on the verge of death All of the above named stakeholders must be certainly be knowledgeable and skilled in their specific area of work. The response team leader should ensure that every individual involved has expertise on their specific field for better performance and success chances. Therefore, the team leader should basically focus on including parties that are capable of saving human life and ensuring less property loss. Logistics of the Scenario Logistics in a disaster occurrence like an earthquake occurrence must focus on the main purpose and aim for the response team, i.e. to save and safeguard human life and property. Therefore, the steps and procedures to be taken should include any activity and action that is capable of saving a life and making sure that no property that is damaged. As for the case study, the logistics will include the following procedures and activities: The team will be the responsible for allocating and coordinating all the operations conducted in the scene The stakeholders involved in the scene should register and run by the response team leader The team should ensure that all the people possibly involved in the scene are accounted for, either being dead or alive The team members will ensure that every affected person is provided a comfortable and safe environment. E.g. either emotionally, physically or psychologically. In other words, this involves the action to rescue, relief, rehabilitate, rebuild and comfort people affected. Team will ensure that all the property located in the area of earthquake occurrence are accounted for. Evacuation procedures will be implemented for every citizen affected especially those whose homes have already been destroyed by the earthquakes. It is not always easy to point out or indicate a specific location where a natural disaster is likely to occur. Therefore, it is important for every government and response team to ensure that it is always ready to act and provide the best care possible to the people that may be involved. In the case of the case study, the earthquake occurred in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which happens to be in the countrys capital city. Therefore, besides the fact that the city normally has a large number of people or citizens and residential homes, the city was to host Olympic Games during the earthquake occurrence. This means that the numbers of the people residing in the city at that exact time was extremely higher even than its normal population. Therefore, this increases the number of lives in danger including those of tourists and vising athletes. Generally, every natural disaster occurrence causes human life loss, property loss and other problems accompany it even after the situation is over (Bi swas et al, 2016). Therefore, in the case of Rios earthquake, the response team must ensure that there are more stakeholders involved and that the responsibilities are effectively performed for the whole process and plan to be successful. In every situation and every group work, there are possible challenges to be experienced especially when it comes to solving and helping natural disaster victims (Pourhosseini et al, 2015). The following challenges are expected by my response team during its time with Rio earthquake disaster: Some victims will not want to be helped. Some victims will find it better for them to visit their own doctors and specialists instead of being checked and treated by the doctors already in the scene. This is mostly for the victims who are not deeply hurt or affected (Srivastava, 2010). Lack of cooperation among the stakeholders. This is especially when some groups or organizations think that they have the right and most effective process and procedure to perform a certain responsibility than another (Djalali et al, 2011). Also, this may arise from the fact that some stakeholders look down upon others and would rather take o leadership roles whenever they want. Challenges in sharing and distributing basic human needs like water, food and clothes especially to the affected (Raissi, 2007). This can also happen in the case of medication and sanitation delivery and access (MasoudiAlavi, 2014). Death occurrence Challenges in continuing with the Olympic Games because of the chaos and disruptions that may be caused by the earthquake Likely Outcomes In every scenario or situation, there are certain specific outcomes expected to be realized after the operation is complete, especially in a natural disaster occurrence (Amon et al, 2015). In a natural disaster occurrence scenario, the response team is expected to put all the effort and energy they can to achieve the expected results or rather the best results possible. In the case study discussed above, some of the expected outcomes include the following: Human life is saved Cause of the earthquake is identified Solution for long term problems and challenges are identified (Nolte et al, 2012). For instance disease outbreak from such disaster or other damages that come in handy like frequent landslides, floods etc. Property loss e.g. buildings, roads and bridges Loss of homes which leads to internally displaced people. Possible cancellation of the Olympic Games process Conclusions A natural disaster like an earthquake can occur at any time anywhere. However, every country should ensure that there are response teams ready to take the role and responsibility of eradicating the disaster and caring for the victims of that disaster, i.e. including saving human lives and property. In case of an earthquake aftermath, the response team can be involved in various response and recovery operations e.g. implementing evacuation procedures. In the case study, my response teams plan will be based entirely on the sole responsibility to save live which will include evacuation procedures for the people living in the exact area of earthquake occurrence. This plan will certainly be able to complete the whole process and ensure that it is successful. I would recommend the Brazilian government to be extremely cautious especially when it comes to identifying possible disaster occurrences (like earthquake occurrence parameters) (Yunga, 2010) to avoid the above mentioned challenges and problems like loss of lives and property. I would also recommend every response team associated with natural disaster responses and recovery to be ready to cooperate and work as a team to reduce the amount and number of problems caused by the disaster itself. References Abbott, A. A. (2012). Emergency Response Plan.ACSM's Health Fitness Journal,16(5), 33-36. Amon, F., Svensson, S., Lindstrm, J., Ronchi, E., Lindstrm, P., Nieto Uriz, F., ... Reilly, P. (2015). Effects of human activities on the progression and development of large scale crises. Biswas, A., Rahman Mashreky, S., Dalal, K., Deave, T. (2016). Response to an earthquake in Bangladesh: Experiences and Lesson Learnt.Open Journal of Earthquake Research,5, 1-6. Crane, M. A., Levy-Carrick, N. C., Crowley, L., Barnhart, S., Dudas, M., Onuoha, U., ...Ozbay, F. (2014). The response to September 11: a disaster case study.Annals of global health,80(4), 320-331. Djalali, A., Khankeh, H., hln, G., Castrn, M., Kurland, L. (2011). Facilitators and obstacles in pre-hospital medical response to earthquakes: a qualitative study.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine,19(1), 30. Greer, A. (2012). Earthquake Preparedness and Response: Comparison of the United States and Japan.Leadership and Management in Engineering,12(3), 111-125. Hayes, J., Mason, J., Brown, F., Mather, R. (2009). Floods in 2007 and older adult services: lessons learnt.The Psychiatrist,33(9), 332-336. Lennquist, S. (2012). The hospital response. InMedical Response to Major Incidents and Disasters(pp. 77-98). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. MasoudiAlavi, N. (2014). Disaster: Are We Prepared?.Nurs Midwifery Stud,3(2), e19993. Nolte, I. M., Martin, E. C., Boenigk, S. (2012). Cross-sectoral coordination of disaster relief.Public management review,14(6), 707-730. Paganini, M., Borrelli, F., Cattani, J., Ragazzoni, L., Djalali, A., Carenzo, L., ...Ingrassia, P. L. (2016). Assessment of disaster preparedness among emergency departments in Italian hospitals: a cautious warning for disaster risk reduction and management capacity.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine,24(1), 101. Pourhosseini, S. S., Ardalan, A., Mehrolhassani, M. H. (2015). Key aspects of providing healthcare services in disaster response stage.Iranian journal of public health,44(1), 111. Raissi, G. R. (2007). Earthquakes and rehabilitation needs: experiences from Bam, Iran.The journal of spinal cord medicine,30(4), 369-372. Sharma, D. C. (2015). Nepal earthquake exposes gaps in disaster preparedness.The Lancet,385(9980), 1819-1820. Srivastava, K. (2010). Disaster: Challenges and perspectives.Industrial psychiatry journal,19(1), 1. Yunga, S. L. (2010). Earthquake parameters including strong earthquakes.Natural Disasters-Volume I, 88.

Perception Check free essay sample

I will inform the audience in 3 ways, why perception checking is a good tool to help people understand others. Perception checking is just like looking at different picures that are shown to us where sometimes there would be a face but in actuality there was two or more faces hidden contained in that drawing as we examined the documents. Perception is important to help people understand other accurately instead of jumping to conclusion thinking the wrong thoughts. From my experience I learned its important to do perception check on people who usually are some way yet that day they are different. Sometimes, assumptions are correct, other times, they are dead-wrong and a potential trigger for conflict. Just like it happened to me with my boss. He is a pretty funny guy and very chill. One day I had a discussion with my boss and I told one of my co-wokers â€Å"im leaving† what I meant by that is that I was leaving home. We will write a custom essay sample on Perception Check or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Next day I see my boss not talking to me usually his very talkative and funny, and I felt like something was wrong. Alvaro, usually your always smilling and talking but today seems like your mad† I said â€Å"makes me think that your still mad for what happened yesterday but it could be something that happened today right or wrong? †. â€Å"yes diego I heard that you were going stop working here†, alvaro said. Then I explained the miss understanding that happened. So it is vitally important that we are always observing and doing some major perception checking when ever we feel like someone is getting the wrong impression or maybe i feel like someone is thinking differently of me in some type of way. Another experience with perception check that I had was with my friend that barely texts with periods. One day she was texting me with periods and I felt like I had to do a perception check to see what was wrong with her. â€Å"i see you texting me with period something that you never do† I said â€Å"makes me think something happen at home or that yuou dont want to talk to me, im I right? †. â€Å"Yes diego something is wrong but its personal, ill text you tomorrow. Even though she didnt told me what was wrong with her at least that let me know that it wasnt something against me. For my last perception checking statement I notice my energetic teammate from soccer just sitting alone with his headphones on and just looking down. I had to do a perception check. â€Å"ivan, I usually see you sitting with all the teammates and not alone listening to music. † I said, â€Å"makes me think something is wrong between you and maria, im I right? †. â€Å"no diego I just lost my car keys and I cant find it and stressing†. I was actually way off but at least he opened himself to me telling me what was wrong. Without perception checking we would automatically think that people dislike us for certain reasons, maybe just because they are using their body language to speak, or if someone was just starring at you for no reason. Without perception checking it would leave us always guessing and if I wouldnt do the perception check I could have been thinking the wrong idea of my friend ivan. Perception check is a good to help understand and know what is wrong with someone.

Definition and Examples of Language Varieties

Definition and Examples of Language Varieties In  sociolinguistics, language variety- also called  lect- is a general term for any distinctive form of a language or linguistic expression. Linguists commonly use language variety (or simply variety) as a cover term for any of the overlapping subcategories of a language, including dialect,  register,  jargon, and  idiolect. Background To understand the meaning of language varieties, its important to consider how lects differ from  standard English. Even what constitutes standard English is a topic of hot debate among linguists. Standard English  is a  controversial term  for a form of the English language that is written and spoken by educated users.  For some linguists, standard English is a synonym for  good  or  correct  English  usage. Others use the term to refer to a specific geographical  dialect  of English or a dialect favored by the most powerful and prestigious social group. Varieties of language develop for a number of reasons: differences can come about for geographical reasons; people who live in different geographic areas often develop distinct dialects- variations of standard English. Those who belong to a specific group, often academic or professional, tend to adopt jargon that is known to and understood by only members of that select group. Even individuals develop idiolects, their own specific ways of speaking. Dialect The word  dialect- which contains lect within the term- derives from the Greek words  dia- meaning   across, between and  legein  speak.  A  dialect  is a regional or social  variety  of a  language  distinguished by pronunciation,  grammar, and/or  vocabulary. The term  dialect  is often used to characterize a way of speaking that differs from the  standard  variety of the language. Sarah Thomason of the  Linguistic Society of America  notes: All dialects start with the same system, and their partly independent histories leave different parts of the parent system intact. This gives rise to some of the most persistent myths about language, such as the claim that the people of Appalachia speak pure Elizabethan English. Certain dialects have gained negative connotations in the U.S. as well as in other countries. Indeed, the term  dialect  prejudice  refers to discrimination based on a persons  dialect  or way of  speaking.  Dialect prejudice is a type of  linguicism- discrimination based on dialect. In their article Applied Social Dialectology, published in Sociolinguistics: An International Handbook of the Science of  Language and Society, Carolyn Temple and Donna Christian observe: ...dialect prejudice is  endemic in public life, widely tolerated, and institutionalized in social enterprises that affect almost everyone, such as education and the media. There is limited knowledge about and little regard for    linguistic  study showing that all varieties of a language display systematicity and that the   elevated  social position of standard varieties has no scientific linguistic basis. Due to this kind of dialectic prejudice, Suzanne Romaine, in Language in Society, notes: Many linguists now prefer the term  variety  or  lect  to avoid the sometimes  pejorative  connotations that the term dialect has. Register Register is defined as the  way a speaker uses language differently in different circumstances. Think about the words you choose, your tone of voice, even your body language. You probably behave very differently chatting with a friend than you would at a formal dinner party or during a job interview. These variations in formality,  also called stylistic variation, are known as registers in linguistics. They are determined by such factors as social occasion,  context,  purpose, and  audience. Registers are marked by a variety of specialized vocabulary and turns of phrases, colloquialisms, the use of  jargon, and a difference in intonation and pace. Registers are used in all forms of communication, including written, spoken, and signed. Depending on grammar, syntax, and tone, the register may be extremely rigid or very intimate. You dont even need to use an actual word to communicate effectively. A huff of exasperation during a debate or a grin while signing hello speaks volumes. Jargon Jargon  refers to the specialized  language  of a professional or occupational group. Such language is often meaningless to outsiders. American poet  David Lehman  has described jargon as the verbal sleight of hand that makes the old hat seem newly fashionable; it gives an air of novelty and specious profundity to ideas that, if stated directly, would seem superficial, stale, frivolous, or false. George Packer describes jargon in a similar vein in a 2016 article in the New Yorker magazine: â€Å"Professional jargon- on Wall Street, in humanities departments, in government offices- can be a fence raised to keep out the uninitiated and permit those within it to persist in the belief that what they do is too hard, too complex, to be questioned. Jargon acts not only to   euphemize  but to license, setting insiders against outsiders and giving the flimsiest notions a scientific aura.†Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Pam Fitzpatrick, a senior research director at Gartner, a Stamford, Connecticut-based research and advisory firm specializing in high tech, writing on  LinkedIn,  puts it more bluntly: Jargon is waste. Wasted breath, wasted energy. It absorbs time and space but does nothing to further our goal of persuading people to help us solve complex problems. In other words, jargon is a faux method of creating a sort of dialect that only those on this inside group can understand. Jargon has social implications similar to dialect  prejudice but in reverse: It is a way of making those who understand this particular variety of language more erudite and learned; those who are members of the group that understands the particular jargon are considered smart, while those on the outside are simply not bright enough to comprehend this kind of language. Types of Lects In addition to the distinctions discussed previously, different types of lects also echo the types of language varieties: Regional dialect: A variety spoken in a particular region.Sociolect: Also known as a  social dialect, a  variety of language  (or register) used by a socioeconomic class, a profession, an age group, or any  other social group.Ethnolect: A lect spoken by a specific ethnic group. For example, Ebonics, the vernacular  spoken by  some African-Americans, is a type of ethnolect, notes  e2f,  a language-translation firm.Idiolect:  According to e2f, the language  or languages spoken by each individual. For example, if you are multilingual and can speak in different registers and styles, your idiolect comprises several languages, each with multiple registers and styles. In the end, language varieties come down to judgments, often illogical, that are, according to Edward Finegan in Language: Its Structure and Use: ...imported from outside the realm of language and represent attitudes to particular varieties or to forms of expression within particular varieties. The language varieties, or lects, that people speak often serve as the basis for judgment, and even exclusion, from certain social groups, professions, and business organizations. As you study language varieties, keep in mind that they are often based on judgments one group is making in regard to another.

Identity Formation and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Identity Formation and Globalization - Essay Example The term "globalisation", in essence, refers to the change of spatial and temporal limitations, which is the reduction of distance because of the remarkable reduction in the time required to bridge spatial differences which has, in turn, caused the slow integration of economic, social and political space across state borders. Even though, globalisation is often solely related to the financial field, which is with processes of distribution, production and consumption along with financial services and growing global trade, financial globalisation is intractably interwoven with changes in the cultural, social and political fields. In addition, globalisation is an extremely multifaceted and complex occurrence. There is, on the one hand, the tendency towards synchronisation, homogeneity, unity, integration and universalism. Also, there is the tendency for localisation, differentiation, heterogeneity, particularism and variety. These procedures are intricately intertwined. They represent, in reality, two sides of the same coin. Hence, the phrase "globalisations" is at times used to show that globalisation is not an ever-present or standardised process, but involves a variety of manifests, terrains differently in diverse contexts. The term – "globalisation" – is used to show that globalisation has different effects for individuals in diverse contexts (Cunningham, 2001). In this rapid globalising planet with all its challenges, struggles for identity have come out as one of the most outstanding traits of the cultural, social and political field.... According to the cultural scientist, this outburst has since 1996 prompted an avalanche. A few other features of modern life have succeeded in drawing the same amount of awareness. "Identity studies" has not only turned into a thriving industry, but the concept of identity has also turned into the prism through which a majority other features of modern life are premeditated. Even traditional issues of social analysis are reformulated and refurbished to fit into the identity dialogue (Cunningham, 2001). Hence, discussions on "equality" and "justice" are discussed in terms of acknowledgment of the right to a separate identity. Culture also is studied in terms of categorical, individual and/or group differences and thoughts such as "hybridity" and "creolisation". In addition, political dialogues often centre on group or individual rights. Talks about identity are, nevertheless, not limited to the ivory towers of academic circles. Also, struggles of identity have become an essential elem ent of intra-individual procedures, as well as of the political, and social scene. As such, struggles and discourses of identity have significant and extensive implications for policymaking on every level. Also, in an endeavor to develop national, local and global people-centered rules, with regard to information and communication technologies, as well as the media, cognizance will have to be taken of these struggles and discourses. Given the importance and prominence of these struggles and discourses and their far-reaching effects, this paper will look at a number of definitions of identity. In addition, it will give attention to the complicated relationship between processes related to globalisation on a variety of levels and struggles for identity. In echoing on identity discourses on

Get a grip, Minnesota, about our skeeters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Get a grip, Minnesota, about our skeeters - Essay Example She points out that, while West Nile and other mosquito-spread diseases are serious, the number of cases are nowhere near enough to warrant spending as much as is being spent by Minnesota. After all, flu cases kill far more a year yet we don't do much public-policy-wise except vaccinate. People die from bee stings or car chases far more often, but Minnesota hasn't spent time on bee control or better traffic safety. She doesn't make this argument, but there is also an obvious ecological concern. Pesticides don't just pollute water and threaten to poison people: They also kill all sorts of other animals. And killing a part of the ecosystem always has ramifications. Mosquitos pollinate grasses and act as predators and as prey: Killing them or, worse, poisoning them, can cause cascading effects that harms birds, frogs, etc. The fact that it's a local article means that it's important to bear in mind that Helgen is arguing specifically about Minnesota. Maybe Latin Americans should spend m oney on controlling mosquitoes; Helgen's arguments don't apply there. But her position does clearly apply to the situation of the Minnesota tax payer.

World Religions Report HUM-130 Essay Example for Free

World Religions Report HUM-130 Essay The religion that I have chosen to discuss is the Jewish religion, or Judaism. In seeking information about Judaism, I conducted an interview at the Beth Israel Congregation near downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina. The synagogue is located at 2204 Morganton Rd., only a few miles from downtown Fayetteville and only a few miles from a major shopping mall in the area. Upon arriving at the synagogue in the afternoon heat of nearly 90 degrees, I was surprised to see the plush gardens to one side of the building. There is a beautiful walking path through a well-manicured lawn. The concrete path leads to a rectangular gazebo overgrown with vine. The small to medium trees and bushes on the property are perfectly maintained and are arrayed in vibrant colors. As I made my way to the front entrance, I noted the light colored brickwork and matching stonework on the front of the building. The building itself gives the appearance of a two story structure with its abstract sculpture, but upon further investigation, the highest part of the building is simple a raised inner ceiling. When I entered the building, I was greeted by Rabbi Yosef Levanon and conducted to his office for my interview after a brief look around the synagogue, which did not include . The Rabbi seems to be a pleasant man who showed a great deal of patients in setting up and carrying out the interview. Through conducting the interview, I found that the Fayetteville, NC Beth Israel congregation had originally been given a charter as an Orthodox Jewish Faith. The Beth Israel Congregation was established in May of 1917. The first brick of foundation was not laid until 1922. This original Beth Israel Synagogue was at a location on Cool Spring Street in Fayetteville, NC. The building that is now the Beth Israel Congregation worship center was constructed on Morganton Rd. in 1950, and dedicated in December of that year. Growth through the years prompted expansion with the addition of classrooms and a sanctuary. In October of 1972, the congregation changed its by-laws and became a Conservative Congregation. In approximately 1995 or 1996, they began to include women in the aliyahs. This is the Law of Return in which any Jew may claim the legal right to assisted migration and settlement in Israel. This includes automatic citizenship (Wikipedia, 2008). In 1998, the congregation began including women in the minyan (a quorum of 10 men required for certain prayers) (Y.  Levanon, personal communication, August 6, 2008). My interview with Rabbi Levanon covered a number of other issues. When asked what the important holidays and traditions of Judaism are, the rabbi responded that the Sukkot, Purim, Passover, Sabbath, Shavot, Rosh Hashanah, and the Day of Atonement were all important to the Jewish faith. I then asked which he felt were the most important of these. He responded that the Passover and Day of Atonement were probably the most important. The rabbi maintains the position that Judaism has shaped his life in that it guides the way that he behaves, his thoughts, and how he relates to other people in everyday life. The biggest challenge that he or other Jews face is maintaining their own identity. The rabbi states, Like any other minority in a bigger culture, it is not easy for the minority to maintain their identity apart from the bigger culture. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that even though they struggle to maintain their distinct identities in a nation surrounded by other religions and influences, neither the rabbi nor and his family have experienced discrimination because of their religious preferences or practices. Rabbi Levanon seemed a little confused as to the specific identity of the Jewish people. When asked if he considers Judaism to be a religion, a race, a nationality, or a Jewish state, the rabbi stated that Judaism is a religion and a nationality. I again asked him if he considered Judaism to be a race, to which he replied, No. I then asked what race he would consider himself to be. He stated that he considers himself a Jewish Caucasian, meaning that he views Jewish is a race as well. In determining that the rabbi considers Judaism to be a race, I asked what his thoughts are on religious pluralism and if it has influenced members of the Jewish community. Considering that Jews are exposed to people of many different religious backgrounds all throughout the world, rabbi Levanon believe that such exposure may lead to some Jewish people being assimilated into the societies and religions to which they are exposed. Assimilation is something that the rabbi endeavors to avoid in order to main tain his own identity as a Jew. In order for the Jewish people to maintain their identity in the modern world, they must remain steadfast in their faith and practices. Another challenge to this is the interfaith movement. The rabbi supports the interfaith movement because it is a †¦good idea to have a dialog among people of different races to remove prejudice, to remove indifference, to remove misunderstandings. He does not believe that the interfaith movement requires that people of different faiths find a common religious ground, however. The rabbi states that, If you are a good person, you should be tolerant of other opinions (and) religious faiths. The interfaith movement provides for people of different faiths to come together in discussion to promote understanding, not commonality. Rabbi Levanon believes that there are many paths to the Divine, not a single path found by following any particular religion. The effect that the interfaith movement has on Jewish teachings deny the icons of other religious faiths, such as Jesus Christ or Muhammad, is to encourage members to be respectful of all religious beliefs and maintain open-mindedness about the opinions of others. They also teach that the Jewish people should respect the opinions carried by other faiths. As a testament to this open-mindedness, the Beth Israel Synagogue encourages interfaith marriage and has many such unions within its congregation. The congregation and leadership of the Beth Israel Synagogue in Fayetteville, NC feel a very close connection to Israel. In addition, they fully support the nation of Israel and believe strongly that the political climate in the United States can directly affect the national security of Israel. This is because Israel needs the international political support of the United States in order to maintain a positive image and protect itself from unprovoked attacks by its enemies. This is a true analysis considering that Israel is surrounded by 22 Arab or Islamic nations (Brumfield, n.d.), many of them hostile towards Israel. The tiny country of only 8,000 square miles is in a very precarious position. Clearly, Israel could not survive without strong Western allies. Since some of the most radical Islamic organizations and countries surround the nation of Israel, it seems fitting that Islam be the subject of comparison to Judaism. Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, is an Abrahamic  religion (Brumfield, n.d.). This means that all three religions can trace their roots to Abraham. Islam teaches that Allah (the God of Islam) revealed His word to certain prophets. These prophets were Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, with Muhammad being the last prophet of Allah. Muslims also believe that the Quran is flawless, indisputable, and the final revelation of Allah. Brumfield also states that Muslim teaching includes the belief that parts of the Gospels, the Torah, and the Jewish prophetic books have been forgotten, misinterpreted, or distorted by their followers. Therefore, the original message has been corrupted over time, making the Quran a correction of Jewish and Christian Scriptures.Islam and Judaism are similar in many of their basic tenants. Bo th religions teach that there is only one God. In addition, both teach that God is strictly monotheistic being only one divinity and not plural. Both religions have similar teachings that God is all-powerful and non-corporeal, non-physical, and eternal. The Muslim faith states eternal as He never begot, nor was begotten. (Brumfield, n.d.). In addition, Islam and Judaism share the teachings that none is worthy of the offering of prayer except God. Both Judaism and Islam believe that there can be no intermediary to communication with God. Both religions teach that the word of the prophets are true, though they disagree on whom Gods final prophet was. Judaism holds the belief that Moses was the last prophet and the five books of Moses, known as the Torah, is the primary book guiding their faith, along with the written Talmud. Islam teaches that after Moses, Jesus Christ was a prophet, followed by the final prophet, Muhammad. Islam also teaches that the Quran is the final word of God, which they use to guide their faith. The Muslim and Jewish faiths have more differences in teachings than which book to follow, or what prophet(s) to believe in. Muslims also pray five times per day, as compared to the Jewish tradition of praying three times per day. The Muslim faith teaches that they are the chosen people of God. The Jewish faith teaches that they are the chosen people of God and there will come a Jewish Messiah (moshiach) to Earth, possibly to initiate a messianic era. The Jewish faith also teaches that each persons soul is pure at birth, but humanity is born with the propensity to do both good and evil. In contrast, Islam seeks to forbid what is evil (Nahi-anil-Munkar). Both  religions believe in a resurrection and pursuing the approval of God. While Judaism allows conversion to other religions, Islamic law forbids this and is punishable by death in many Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, Pakistan, and Mauritania. Another major point of contrast between Judaism and Islam is the multiple times the Jewish people have been subjugated multiple times by other nations. After the reign of King Solomon ended in 927 BC (Schoenberg, 2008), Israel split into two separate kingdoms, the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south. At separate times after this split, outside forces conquered both kingdoms. The Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians in the eighth century BC, and the Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylonia in the sixth century BC. 70 years after this occurred, some Jews returned to Jerusalem following the downfall of Babylonia. The Romans later conquered them. During this time, the Roman Empire defeated two revolt attempts by the Jewish people. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD (Trueman, 2008), the Jews were again able to retake Jerusalem. In all, ownership of Jerusalem changed 17 times throughout the citys history. The nation of Israel itself was not established until three years after the end of World War 2. Before and during World War 2, the Jewish people were being imprisoned, tortured, then slaughtered by the millions by the Nazis of Germany as they sought to cleanse their territories of the so called non-Aryans who they believed to be lesser human beings than true Germans (Aryans) (Bankier, 2008). Repeated subjugation and near extermination. By the end of World War 2, German forces had killed an estimated 5.6 million to 5.9 million Jews, 1.2 million of which were children. The followers of Islam have not suffered anything remotely similar to this near genocide or the multiple conquerors that the Jewish people have endured. Another difference between Islam and Judaism is the radical factions within Islam that sponsor and conduct terrorist actions, bombing and rocket attacks on Israeli soil, and the goal of destroying Judaism altogether. Islamic nations such as Iran and Syria have dedicated resources towards the destruction of Israel. Despite the thousands of years of subjugation of the  Jewish people throughout history, and the near extermination of the Jewish race, Judaism has grown into one of the three largest religions in the world. The nation of Israel has become one of the strongest countries in the Middle East. Judaism is one of the most peaceful of the major world religions, only using military force to defend itself. In addition, much of the Jewish leadership has embraced the practice of working to foster understanding and respect between their religion and other religions throughout the world. Though Islam and Judaism share several common beliefs and a common root founder in Abraham, the religions are very different in terms of suffering by its people and levels of aggression by radical factions and governments alike. References Aliyah, (2008). Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 6, 2008, from Wikipediawebsite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AliyahBankier, D. (2008). Holocaust. In MSN Encarta [Web]. Retrieved August 6, 2008, fromhttp://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559508/holocaust.htmlBrumfield, B. (n.d.). Islam. Retrieved August 6, 2008 from Israels Messiah website:http://israelsmessiah.com/religions/islam/beliefs.htmBrumfield, B. (n.d.). Palestinians: Israel, politically and geographically. Retrieved August 6,2008 from Israels Messiah website:http://www.israelsmessiah.com/palestinian_refugees/israel_vs_arabs.htmSchoenberg, S. (2008). Jewish virtual library: Solomon. Retrieved August 7, 2008 from theJewish virtual library website:http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.htmlTrueman, C. (2008). History Learning Site, A History of Ancient Rome: The fall of AncientRome. Retrieved from the History learning site website:http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/fall_of_ancient_rom e.htm