Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Impact of the Two World of Black America Essay

The Impact of the Two World of Black America - Essay Example The First World War did not reduce but, on the contrary, increased racial opposition between white and African-American citizens. Racial tensions were accompanied by serious economic and social controversies. At the beginning of the Second World War, military institutions and forces in America continued to reflect racial tendencies in society, refusing to willingly accept Black soldiers. Despite those controversies, WWII became the turning point in the development of new racial relations in America. Changes in military structures, the rise in racial awareness, and wartime intercultural education shaped the ground for restructuring the entire system of racial relations in contemporary American state. WWI and racism in America World War I was the time when the lives of African-Americans became virtually unbearable. That was also when racism and racial antagonism became serious barriers to effective military action in America. â€Å"World War I brought the American South to the brink o f momentous change, with the sense of energy and opportunity that accompanied mobilization on the home front† (Hudson 2009, p.3). ... Failure to engage Black citizens in military service distorted the picture of citizenship in America and reduced its chances to ensure loyal service (Lentz-Smith 2009). White supremacy before and during WWI were both tragic and inevitable. Blacks had little opportunity to change their situation to the better. It would be fair to say that WWI did not change the place and position of Blacks in America; moreover, it deepened the conflicts between Blacks and Whites, leading to the subsequent reaffirmation of white supremacy at all levels of the country’s social hierarchy. Davis (2008) tells the story of an African American soldier getting back home after the end of WWI. An exception rather than the rule, Blacks’ involvement in military actions was a continued source of controversy. More serious were the consequences of Blacks’ participation in the military: upon his return to Blakely, Georgia, the young soldier was met by a group of white men and forced to put off hi s uniform (Davis 2008). He was also threatened not to wear the uniform in public (Davis 2008). However, the young man ignored the threat and, for this reason, was lynched by a mob (Davis 2008). Lynching had to send an explicit message to all African American soldiers throughout the state: that they sacrificed their lives and health to protect the liberty of their people would not lead to racial equality (Sollors 1996). The lynched soldier became the hero of African American literature during the 1930s, but even the popularization of the soldier’s image could not change the situation. WWI further intensified the conflicts between African-Americans and the white majority. Lynching was just one example of open racial discrimination in America

Monday, October 28, 2019

Can leaders be flexible Essay Example for Free

Can leaders be flexible Essay Yes, I do believe that leaders can be flexible in the way they interact with others, or change their behaviors or personalities so to suit the situation. Also, they might need to focus on followers needs/behaviors or their level of readiness by changing or shifting behavioral their leadership style. One theory might describe and support this concept is the situational leadership theory which requires leaders to center their leadership style or behaviors according to their followers level. This theory was initially created by Hersey and Blanchard (1969) and has approaches that concern for people productions as well as shows that there is no one best style of behavior for a leader (Norris, 1992). Most importantly, the situational theory require leader to adjust his behavior and leadership style to features of followers and situation. Therefore, it might be important to look at the four styles described by Hersey and Blanchard to identify the situations that any leader might have to change his style or behavior. There are situations where leader might have to be flexible with his followers by giving them less responsibly and delegation of tasks due to their lack of knowledge/experience, or if they are newly hired etc. the leader in this case might need to utilize the telling style whereby there is more of directing and controlling of leader to his followers. In this behavioral style, leaders role involves telling his follower on what and how to perform their tasks step by step. In my working experience, for example, I tend to use this style when training people whom are newly hired or inexperienced and require a lot of assistance or hints when in doubt. I might sometimes need to spill out the responsibilities or duties for perform to make sure that they are still on focus. Knowing that differences between tasks and relationships behaviors as described in Hughes et al (1996), I agree that the telling style does have high task and low relationship with followers because followers in this stage are unable to perform any delegated tasks and that means should be giving detailed instructions. Another situational and behavioral style is the selling style whereby the leader is acting both as a director and supporter toward his followers. This style might be more effective if followers are delegated toward some responsibility and have an adequate knowledge of performing their tasks. The leader in this case is only giving directions and guideline when any deviation is observed. In term of skills and ability, the leader is also to promote his followers skills throughout. Because of that, it ca be said that in this behavioral style, the leader is coaching i.e. there is higher tasks delegation and higher relationship with followers. In the participating style, the leader exercises low tasks delegations but high relationship with followers. This is because in this style the main role of leader is to facilitate the delegated tasks to his followers by showing his knowledge or skills on how best can this be done. Bearing in mind the level of communication is high in this style which enables follower to share in the decision making process as applicable. This behavioral style might best be used is when followers are starting or completing a job (Hughes et al, 2006). The last situational style is the delegating style whereby there is little two side communication between the leader and his followers (low-task- low relationship). This style might be implemented when leader is aware of his followers knowledge, ability, confidence, experience and most importantly taking higher responsibilities. To this extend, followers are able to direct them selves with no control from their leader. Although, leaders in this style are like an observers whereby they have less influence on their followers and less control. However, leader might also need to consider followers development level/their readiness level and competence. Followers competence might include their knowledge, skills and ability to assess the work outcome. Therefore, leader might have to respond or change his behavior in such way that fits the situation. He can classify his people to stages such as:Â · People are able and willing to take tasks (competent). Â · People are unable and unwilling to take tasks (incompetents)Â · People are unable but willing to take tasks (unskilled). Â · People are able but unwilling tasks (unmotivated). So to summarize, it can be seen that the situational leadership theory presented by Hersey and Blanchard focuses on the followers behaviors and define what style is best to suit any situation. Also, it highlights the level of responsibilities delegated as well as the degree of relationship between leaders and followers. Put into practice, situation leadership theory is basically effective with any situation. Moreover, it seems that the situational theory answer the question that leader might need to change their behavior and be flexible with followers as that depends on situation and circumstances. In other words, leaders might need to adjust them selves all the time depending on the working environment and follower level of readiness (Norris, 1992). And as the Hersey and Blanchard theory, they should always change their personality or be able to identify clues in their environment and adapt their leader behavior to meet the needs of their followers in any particular situation (). Vecchio and Norris agrees that ,even with good diagnostic skills, leader might need to be flexible in changing their behavior and adapt their leadership styles that meet that demand of both the followers and environment. Reference: Norris, R., Vecchio, R 1992 Situational leadership theory. Group Organization Management. Hughes, R.L., Ginnet, R.C., Curphy, G.J. (2006). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. 5th ed. New York. McGraw-Hill

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Modern Marvels :: Technology

As vainglorious as it may seem, there are actually a few people out there who think they are the picture of perfection. I definitely excluded myself from that group when I was born, on October 29, 1991, with 3284932273 flaws. Although the list of my short-comings is extremely extensive there is one that is leading to my inevitable downfall, my dependency of technology is extremely high! If my memory serves me correct, when I was younger I had an excellent memory. I was able to recall almost any information within the blink of an eye. Whether it was a telephone number or an address I knew it. It took one piece of technology to change this virtue, that device was a cell phone. When I was 12 years old, I obtained my first cell phone for my birthday. Prior to that day there wasn?t a thing in the world I thought I needed more. I stored phone numbers and other important information that at one point in time I remembered unmistakably. Now it?s as if I suffer from a mild case of amnesia. If I can barely keep in mind school deadlines, how can I retain a phone number from the lost portion of my brain? When I have my ?senior moments? and I can?t remember a thing, I am in total distress. I suffer mentally and physically, my headaches are unbearable at times. My computer has made just as much of a contribution to my demise as my cell phone, over the years it as accomplished myriad milestones. The internet is better than it has ever been, information can be quickly retrieved, and entertainment is around nearly every corner. Although the computer conveniences millions of people it hurts them just as much. I don?t know a person in the world (familiar with technology) who doesn?t like technological advancements, but it encourages laziness. There are a lot of people in the world who sit around and use the computer for every aspect of life. They basically live their life through a computer screen, they schedule, pay bills, organize financial information, shop, and a slew of other activities. Not looking on the brighter side of things, this lifestyle can lead to ghastly consequences such as obesity and many other health problems. Many people take for granted the technology that we abuse and habitually overuse in our daily lives.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Bram Stoker`s Dracula

Bram Stoker’s celebrated novel Dracula (1897) advocates love and faith as the greatest of life’s virtues; however, the quest for these values and virtues is made through a labyrinth of sexual and misogynistic experiences and events which serve to enhance the moral ambiguities of Stoker’s Gothic masterpiece. In the book, when values of faith and chastity are abandoned, the searing social critique of the relaxation of sexual mores shows us a clear picture of punishment.Stoker portrayed sexual wantonness as a form of self-destruction: the catalyst of this moral underpinning is when Lucy remarks, â€Å"Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not say it† (57). A desire to see the destruction of Lucy is obviously seen as Dracula in a beastly form attacks the â€Å"mother form† of Lucy. This clearly reflects Stoker’s anti-maternal attitude when early in the n ovel, Dracula feeds a baby to his three brides at the castle (43).In the novel, the mother was torn apart by a pack of wolves under Dracula’s command (48) as a callous woman portrayed by Lucy is read as â€Å"she had clutched strenuously to her breast, growling over it as a dog growls over a bone† (Stoker 157-158). Plainly he intends to see Lucy in an animalistic level as an â€Å"old-blooded† and â€Å"callous† and she, like the other vampires, has virtually no love in her. The women in the novel actually served like whores starving for true affection (Stoker, 43).In this way, Stoker extols essentially masculine and Patriarchal biases. John Allen Stevenson’s assertion that â€Å"interracial sexual competition,† comprises a central theme in the novel’s sexual expressions, suggests that Dracula's predatory instincts are Bram Stoker`s Dracula Page -2- motivated by â€Å"an omnivorous appetite for difference, for novelty† (Stevens on, 139).Dracula himself represents a monstrosity, an â€Å"other† who threatens the normalcy of established, socially acceptable sexuality: this extension of chauvinism is deeply intensified by the sexual connotations: Lucy and Mina experience sexuality that is â€Å"released in the wrong way, by a foreigner . . . who has achieved what the men fear they may be unable to accomplish† (Stevenson, 146). The threatening aspects of Dracula’s sexuality are myriad.In the â€Å"baptism of blood† scene, where Dracula forces Mina to drink from him, â€Å"What is going on? Fellatio? Lactation? It seems the vampire is sexually capable of everything† (Stevenson, 146). The â€Å"other† distorts common perceptions of the nature of sexuality, foremost among these perceptions is the assignation of gender roles; Dracula, however, frustrates established concepts of gender, stimulating fear— fear of â€Å"vampire sexuality, a phenomenon in which ‘ our' gender roles interpenetrate in a complicated way† (Stevenson, 146).Men are subjected to â€Å"feminization† when they are pierced by the vampire’s fangs, wanton women devour babies rather than nurturing them substituting a masculine aggression for feminine tenderness. Thus liberated, women become too sexual aggressors, taking on traditionally masculine roles. â€Å"The famous scene in which the book's hero, Jonathan Harker, is seduced by three vampirettes – only to have the count interrupt the ersatz orgy with the cry, â€Å"This man belongs to me! † – dramatizes Victorian men's fear of sexually aggressive women as well as their abysmal urge for manly love.† (Roberts) Thus, Dracula’s sexual crime are not specific to a single act of depravity, but a range of depravities wherein wanton female sexuality is viewed as both the instigating principle and the Bram Stoker`s Dracula Page -3- end-result of the ensuing predation. †Å"His crime is not the hoarding of incest but a sexual threat, a sin we can term excessive exogamy† (Stevenson, 139).Contemporary interpretations of Stoker’s sexual themes as represented in Dracula have ranged from strictly Freudian views to complex explications involving symbolism, myth and even politics and economics. One homogenizing factor for most of these interpretations is an acceptance that the novels deals with repressed aspects of sexuality and sexual desire and that these repressions emerge primarily from patriarchal and masculine forms of oppression. The association of the products of imagination a sense of the rational hero that is often romanticized in literary piece however portrayed in horror as the sublime good.The element of suspense being a temptation for all viewers gives out the tendency to fascinate the development of the plot that affirms the patriarchal social order. Clover has also associated horror as a struggle for recognition of all that soci ety represses. Further she has equated that repression of female sexuality and other forms of bisexuality and homosexuality has ceased to continue in the tradition of new films that altered the role and characterized the feminine heroine and authority that contemporary horror upholds as a an acceptable critique of male authority.Neale (1980) and Creed (1990) on the basis of their own contradictory evidenced has arrived at a conclusion that the horror film genre depicts a certain patriarchal fear of the female sexuality where men are often the villainous monsters and women are the primary object of its actions. Neale maintained that women’s sexuality renders them desirable—but also threatening—to men, which constitutes the real problem that the horror film exists to explore.â€Å"Stoker's realization that his mother was indeed a sexual being who belonged to his father finds an outlet in his fiction when he intermingles Oedipal conflicts with sibling rivalry, pat ricide and Bram Stoker`s Dracula Page -4 infanticide,† she writes. She also suggests that Stoker's fascination with blood may flow from his mother's tales of a cholera epidemic (survivors fended off starvation by drinking blood from the family cow) or even a traumatic glimpse of afterbirth (he was one of seven children).† (Roberts) Thus, the most terrifying aspect of the novel is not the vampire’s lust for blood— but lust itself— as unleashed in wild-women who no longer adhere to the chauvinistic restraints placed on their sexuality: â€Å"While Stoker's novel, Dracula, (2) portrays Mina Harker as a strong-minded but conventional Victorian woman, and as Dracula's victim, Francis Ford Coppola's film, Brain Stoker's Dracula, (3) reads between the lines of the novel and creates a Mina Harker who escapes the restraints of Victorian society through her relationship with the vampire.† (Harbin)- Furthering the threat to conventional mores is the fact that Dracula’s victims are willing participants in their own deviant behaviour. â€Å"Dracula tells Jonathan Harker to â€Å"enter freely and of your own will† (Stoker 22) and â€Å"In folklore, vampires often require complicity from their prey.Just as Jonathan cannot be coerced, but must ‘enter freely,' no vampire can come into a home uninvited† (Harbin) Thus, Stoker leaves no doubt that the will to challenge the conventional mores of society is not impressed wholly from the â€Å"outsider† but is inherent in the hearts of many – who are given provocation and opportunity by the vampire — but the initial will toward deviance remains their own. Creed in her study postulates that where the monster is a maternal figure who threatens to devour males, this horror narrates the patriarchal fear of the mother.Jancovich (1994) explains that the monster serves to punish the erring females where the women who agree with the male superiority sur vive. Further as a psychological lambaste against the Oedipus complex in the male child, the female monster is depicted to separate and repress the desires of the male child from Bram Stoker`s Dracula Page -5- his mother and thereby associate the positions of mastery and dominance associated with masculinity.Despite Neale’s and Creed’s differences, Jancovich and other critics supported claims that neither is an expression of dominant or subordinate groups but rather a site of struggle between the two genders. Thus, in the interest of culture, groups challenge other groups and attempts to incorporate them to answer certain interests and aspirations within terms that do not challenge their own.Where there is existing contradiction between one another in an unfixed structure, these concerns are forever addressed and develops within a certain period often presented in the dialogues and struggle contained in films to give out signs of their dynamism that is often addressed to a specific vulnerable audience. Horror novels (and films) are often used to suggest the different positions of the differing sentiments of these groups to generate responses from its audience based on the assumption that certain representations have certain effects.Horror novels like Dracula which have evolved through certain periods will concentrate as the basis of this analysis that discusses the certain views of certain gender groups in particular. Individualism and specifically individualism which threatens conventional perspectives about sexuality and gender roles and the distribution of power between the genders is portrayed in Dracula as the most ominous threat to established order; to depart from the accepted ways may bring the (momentary) illusion of freedom and strength; however, in the long run, deviation from the prescribed order leads to chaos and ruin.Because Dracula seeks to transform rather than merely influence others, his will toward â€Å"homogenous† ind ividualism results in an eerie â€Å"neither-or† result for his victims who, once bitten (initiated), become ostracised from society only to occupy another hierarchical and Bram Stoker`s Dracula Page -6-limiting society, one where the cohesive and nurturing aspects of traditional conformity are replaced by insatiable desires for blood and power, where one’s instincts are turned away from liberation toward the initiation of others into the restrictive world of the undead. The punishment for turning away from the established order of society is to see one’s very soul taken, one’s autonomy subverted, and one’s sexuality perverted beyond measure.Stoker’s conventional interpretation of morality reaches for a panacea to Dracula’s malefic influences which is as as socially conventional as his descriptions of degeneracy and depravity, for it is the social collective which is capable of defying and ultimately defeating Dracula, not an individu al, but a group of individuals working together: Against Dracula's individualism, Van Helsing is able to muster enough information and people to destroy the count.Van Helsing points to the greatest weapon that they have in their fight against Dracula when he states, â€Å"We have on our side power of combination–a power denied to the vampire kind . . . † (244). Every weapon that Van Helsing and his group use against Dracula is tied to the idea and power of combination. Shared information, knowledge, strength, and financial resources enable them to overcome Dracula. (Gutjahr 38)Following through on the integrated themes of patriarchal power and order, Stoker concludes his novel by returning to the conventional disposition of society: when sexuality (and particularly feminine sexuality) is allowed to manifest without restraint, the result is a breakdown in the social order which results in a breakdown of the individual who depends on the ordered structures of society to defend them against the ever-present malefic influence of deviation or surrender to one’s animalistic nature.The misogynystic thrust of Stoker’s theme is clear: that women comprise not only the greatest threat to the sanctity of established social mores, but that they are also the reason such social mores have been concocted. They are also the most easily led astray from these mores and Bram Stoker`s Dracula Page -7- the result of their deviation is the most profound.Stoker, preoccupied with establishing a credible villainy for his antagonist relied upon the most plebien and well-established social stereotypes of his time regarding women and women’s sexuality. Conclusion In analysis, the female characters in Stoker’s Dracula reflect a role of minor non-importance and dependence to the male gender that later on evolves into an apparent attempt to endorse the evil results of female power. Tohill and Thomas (1994) adds that the literary background of the hor ror film genre originated with an attempt to deal with the dark subconscious confronting fiend, aware of the dangers that implicates the society.Yet, the development of horror films contributes to the exploration of victimization and in particular men’s perception of the woman in the society. In the70’s and 80’s, Jancovich has stated that women were punished for being liberated or sexual because the era of free love and the feminist movement were so fresh in the minds of the people. It was now far enough away from these times that society could all accept and move on rather than judge women. The period was fraught more women being admitted into all male colleges for the first time and in many colleges, females made up the majority of the stud culture.Significantly, the history of feminism has sought to study a new understanding and the relations of sexes. Contemporary novels and films have started portraying the acceptability of feminine power and acceptability that horror films likely aims to disintegrate. As Wood and Lippe would have it, there is no attempt to foil masculinity at all and that some films are used in an effort to masquerade pornography in horrific acts of rape that prevail the ideology of misogyny or theBram Stoker`s Dracula Page -8- hatred of the female specie. In older horror films, the feminine depiction is that of incompetent however contemporary films have discussed a more emotional motivation grounded on power relations between masculine and feminine. A character role that changes over time has repressed sexual energies and is apparently linked to the sexual revolution period where the horrific representations of society’s fears have been confirmed.Seemingly it is safe to conclude that the critic’s summations of the period is often characterized by the character roles portrayed in horror novels and films and the director’s own perceptions of roles in the interest of its viewers. Stoker’s D racula preserves none of the modern conceptions of individuality within gender groups but regards them as depravities from which each member of society seeks protection within societies laws, customs, and power-structures.Though Stoker’s blatant prejudices against women, against free-sexual expression, and against individualism are powerful thematic aspects of Dracula, the novel as a whole exceeds these limiting factors by reliance on perennially powerful archetypes, as well as being left wide-open for manifold interpretations, including such interpretations which would attempt to refute the aforementioned issues of chauvinism and misogyny.Because of the novels’ inherent brilliance and innovation, it is likely that â€Å"Stoker always will be of interest to the world. Unless, alas, we psychoanalyze the poor devil to death. Free to be titillated by the eroticism of Dracula we moderns have turned the vampire into the vamp. Exposing illicit pleasures to the light of day drives a stake through the heart of desire. † (Roberts) That acknowledged, it is also likely that Stoker;’s Dracula will continue to be critically evaluated in light of its dominant themes of chauvinism and misogygny.Works Cited Stevenson John Allen. A Vampire in the Mirror: The Sexuality of Dracula, Vol. 103, No. 2 (Mar. , 1988), pp. 139-149 Gutjahr, Paul. â€Å"Stoker's Dracula. † Explicator 52. 1 (1993): 36-38. Harbin, Leigh Joyce. â€Å"A Dangerous Woman and a Man's Brain: Mina Harker, Clarice Starling and the Empowerment of the Gothic Heroine in Novel and Film. † West Virginia University Philological Papers (2002): 30+. Roberts, Rex.â€Å"Sex and Death in Transylvania. † Insight on the News 3 June 1996: 32+. Jancovich, Mark . American Horror from 1951 to the Present. United Kingdom :Keele University,1994. Clover, Carol J. Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film . NJ: Princeton University, 1992. Stephen Neale. Genre. British Film Institute, 1980. 7-17. Creed, Barbara. The Monstrous Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis. New York and London: Routledge, 1990.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Justin Bieber

Never say Never was one of the most inspirational movies I've ever  seen, and i don't think I'll ever see one that beats it. Every day i hear hateful comments on Justin, things like † He's gay† † He sounds like a girl† † he's so fake† And all this stuff, haters can go ahead and hate, but if you actually took a second too stop the hating, and listen too the words that come out of Justin's mouth, listen too his songs, watch his movie, I promise you'd see him from a whole new perspective. I always thought Justin Bieber was just some hot Canadian that had a good voice, but he's so much more. He's given up so much for his fans, it's unbelievable. He'd rather sing his heart out at a concert then lay down when he's sick, he puts the people he loves first, and that's all that should matter. You cant judge someone by looks, by voice, by one word you hear. To judge someone, you need too get too know them, understand what they've been through, understand all they've given up for others, understand how amazing and loving they truly are. Sometimes I get so upset when people try too talk down on him, and insult him, but they're only ruining themselves, sure maybe a few people think its funny, but that's your opinion, and I bet if you really listened too yourself, you'd be ashamed at how much you put down a kid who's given up tons just for his fans, a kid who lives for the people he loves, a kid who doesn't care what the haters say. He's worked for this his whole life, This is his career, this is his dream, this is his everything. Money doesn't matter, fame doesn't matter, and he doesn't let it get too his head. I've never had an inspiration before.. and You know how Justin inspires Michael Jackson, Usher, and all the others? Well I'm proud too say he inspires me. I have 3 dreams in my lifetime that I know if I hope and pray enough, they can come true. My most important dream is for my dad too quit drinking and fight his cancer and live the rest of his life without having too worry. My second most important dream is for my mom too stop smoking, her mom died in her early 50's from emphazima, and my mom is the most important person in my life, and too see her die when I'm only 13, kills me inside. And my last dream†¦ that I promise too never give up on is too meet Justin, too actually talk too him, keep in touch with him, learn more about how good of a person he is.. And I will never give up on any of my dreams until I reach them, or until there's no chance anymore. I pray for those 3 dreams every night before I go too sleep, and whats ment too be, will be. What happens, happens and sometimes no one can change that. He started out as a normal kid living in Canada, doing all the things normal kids do. He had normal friends, a normal family, a normal life. He gave all that up for this life, for these fans, to do what he loves, too make people happy. People think he just puts on an act for attention†¦ for more fame, but what do you get from that? Nothing, if you be truthful too yourself and give it all you got, you can do anything and that's exactly what Never Say Never is about. A normal kid who knew he could do anything he put his heart too, he's one in a million, he has a gift, and no one, no one  can take that away from him. He has the most amazing fans in the world, I've honestly never seen people so dedicated too a person, so loving towards a person, so caring about a person they've never even gotten the chance too talk too. We'll always be there for him, through whatever, what he does with his life is up too him, and us belieber's will be there with him every step of the way. Once a belieber, always a believer.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Civil Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer Quotes

Civil Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer Quotes Fannie Lou Hamer, called the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, led the way with organizing ability, music, and stories, helping to win the right to vote for African Americans in the South. See: Fannie Lou Hamer Biography Selected Fannie Lou Hamer Quotations Im sick and tired of being sick and tired. To support whatever is right, and to bring in justice where weve had so much injustice. Nobodys free until everybodys free. We serve God by serving our fellow man; kids are suffering from malnutrition. People are going to the fields hungry. If you are a Christian, we are tired of being mistreated. Whether you have a Ph.D., or no D, were in this bag together. And whether youre from Morehouse or Nohouse, were still in this bag together. Not to fight to try to liberate ourselves from the men this is another trick to get us fighting among ourselves but to work together with the black man, then we will have a better chance to just act as human beings, and to be treated as human beings in our sick society. There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people. One night I went to the church. They had a mass meeting. And I went to the church, and they talked about how it was our right, that we could register and vote. They were talking about we could vote out people that we didnt want in office, we thought that wasnt right, that we could vote them out. That sounded interesting enough to me that I wanted to try it. I had never heard, until 1962, that black people could register and vote. When they asked for those to raise their hands whod go down to the courthouse the next day, I raised mine. Had it high up as I could get it. I guess if Id had any sense Idve been a little scared, but what was the point of being scared? The only thing they could do to me was kill me and it seemed like theyd been trying to do that a little bit at a time ever since I could remember. The landowner said I would have to go back to withdraw or I would have to leave and so I told him I didnt go down there to register for him, I was down there to register for myself. I am determined to get every Negro in the state of Mississippi registered. They just kept beating me and telling me, You nigger bitch, were gonna make you wish you were dead. ... Every day of my life I pay with the misery of that beating. on northern racism, speaking in New York: The manll shoot you in the face in Mississippi, and you turn around hell shoot you in the back here. in nationally-televised testimony to the Credentials Committee of the Democratic National Convention, 1964: If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America. Is this America? The land of the free and the home of the brave? Where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hook, because our lives be threatened daily. When the Democratic National Committee offered a compromise in 1964 to seat 2 delegates of the 60 sent by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party: We didnt come for no two seats when all of us is tired. to Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, who brought a compromise offer to the MFDP delegates: Do you mean to tell me that your position is more important than four hundred thousand black peoples lives? ... Now if you lose this job of Vice-President because you do what is right, because you help the MFDP, everything will be all right. God will take care of you. But if you take it this way, why, you will never be able to do any good for civil rights, for poor people, for peace, or any of those things you talk about. Senator Humphrey, Im going to pray to Jesus for you. Question to her mother when she was a child: Why werent we white? We are sick and tired of our people having to go to Vietnam and other places to fight for something we dont have here. Quotes About Fannie Lou Hamer: Hamer biographer Kay Mills: If Fannie Lou Hamer had had the same opportunities that Martin Luther King had, then we would have had a female Martin Luther King. June Johnson: Im amazed at how she put fear in the hearts of powerful people like Lyndon B. Johnson. Constance Slaughter-Harvey: Fannie Lou Hamer made me realize that we’re nothing unless we can hold this system accountable and the way we hold this system accountable is to vote and to take an active note to determine who our leaders are. More About Fannie Lou Hamer Fannie Lou Hamer BiographyWomen and the Civil Rights Movement About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.

Monday, October 21, 2019

5 Ways to Reach the Level of Ronald Reagan Speech Writers

5 Ways to Reach the Level of Ronald Reagan Speech Writers 5 Ways to Reach the Level of Ronald Reagan Speech Writers A speech is a kind of presentation that is essential to prepare correctly. Your speech has to captivate the audience and move them in a way that other presentations do not. Ronald Reagan’s performances were always superb, and following his masterful example can give us inspiration to write better. Of course, if we want to reach the highest level of speech writing, we have to practice a lot and sharpen our skills. Here are 5 tips on how to create a perfect speech in the same vein as the famous Ronald Reagan speech writers do this. 1. Profound Research Really do your research – not surface skimming of a few short pieces, but profound research. If you always mull over what you want to talk about for a while before you have to do it, your ideas will not be such a thing that you read off a paper and forget instantly. Instead, they will be a part of you, and your preparation will show in your confidence. A speech is a kind of presentation that you can’t just do off the cuff if you don’t know what you really feel about the particular topic. It should take you some research. 2. Target Audience Try to understand the audience. It is quite important to know whom you will be speaking to. If you’re addressing students, they won’t be interested in knowing how to withdraw an annuity, and if your audience is nothing but pensioners, they won’t be interested in risky investments that take about 30 years to be worthwhile. If there are special interest groups, think about their particular concerns and find a way to involve them in the body of your speech. Don’t think they won’t notice if you leave them out. Seeing things from your audience’s point of view is essential to connect with them while speaking. 3. Personal Experience Tell authentic stories from your own life or the lives of other people whom you know. Nothing gets an audience interested in, like a story where they want to keep listening so they can find out what will happen at the end. It doesn’t have to be a sensational story, and you definitely shouldn’t exaggerate what really happened. Even a short anecdote can help your main points sink in and make them more relatable to your audience – in other words, they bring the speech down from an abstract level to real life. 4. Created List Make a list of points to cover before you begin. In order not to miss anything, you have to make some notes. The order is essential here. You can still look up into the faces of the audience and speak extemporaneously on the same level, but you have to make sure that you are not missing an essential building block. 5. Expressed Emotions Use the emotion of beautiful, poetic language. In no speech of Reagan’s was this more true than in the difficult address he gave following the Challenger’s explosion and the deaths of six crewman and a schoolteacher. Peggy Noonan, a little-known speech writer, has created the perfect words for the occasion by remembering a poem from her childhood and including phrases from it in the speech. Who can forget Reagan saying, â€Å"We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.† It is never too late, or too early to practice your writing as well as to sharpen your writing skills. Follow these tips to make your speeches catchy and memorable for the audience.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The 6 Cases of Latin Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives

The 6 Cases of Latin Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives There are six  cases of Latin nouns that are commonly used. Another two- locative and instrumental- are vestigial and are not often used.   Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and participles are declined in two numbers  (singular  and  plural) and in six principal cases. The Cases and Their Grammatical Position in Sentences Nominative (nominativus):  Subject of the sentence.Genitive (genitivus):  Generally translated by the English possessive, or by the objective with the preposition  of.Dative (dativus): Indirect object.  Usually translated by the objective with the preposition  to  or  for.Accusative (accusativus): Direct object of the verb and object with many prepositions.  Ablative (ablativus): Used to show means, manner, place, and other circumstances. Usually translated by the objective with the prepositions from,  by,  with,  in, at.Vocative (vocativus): Used for direct address. Vestigial Cases: Locative  (locativus):  Denotes the place where. This vestigial case is often left out of Latin noun  declensions. Traces of it appear in names of towns and a few other words: RÃ… mae (at Rome)  /  rÃ… «rÄ « (in the country). Still another vestigial  case, the instrumental, appears in a few adverbs.​ All the cases, except the nominative and vocative, are used as object cases; they are sometimes called oblique cases (cÄ sÃ… «s oblÄ «quÄ «). Five Declensions of Nouns and Their Endings Nouns are declined according to gender, number, and case (a declension is essentially a fixed pattern of endings). There are only  five  regular declensions of nouns in Latin; there is a sixth for some pronouns and adjectives that end in -ius in the genitive case form.  Each noun is declined according to number, gender, and case. This means that there are six sets of case endings for five declensions of nouns- one set for each declension. And students have to memorize them all. Below are brief descriptions of the five noun declensions, with links to the full declension for each, including the case endings for each declension. 1.  First declension nouns: End in -a in the nominative singular and are feminine. 2. Second declension nouns: Most are masculine and end in -us, -er or -ir.Some are neuter and end in -um. Esse: The all-important  irregular verb esse (to be) belongs to this group.  Words associated with it are in the  nominative  case. It does not take an object and should never be in the accusative case. The following is a sample paradigm* of the second declension masculine noun somnus, -i (to sleep). The case name is followed by the singular, then the plural. *Note that the term paradigm is frequently used in discussions of Latin grammar; a paradigm is an example of a conjugation  or  declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms. Nominative somnus somniGenitive somni somnorumDative somno somnisAccusative somnum somnosAblative somno somnisLocative somni somnisVocative somne somni 3.  Third declension nouns:  End in -is  in the genitive singular.  Thats how you identify them. 4.​ Fourth declension nouns: Ending  in  -us are masculine, apart from manus and domus, which are feminine. Fourth declension nouns ending  in -u are neuter. 5. Fifth declension nouns: End in -es and are feminine.The exception is  dies, which is usually masculine when singular and always masculine when plural.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Summery - Essay Example However, people who fall in the minority group category still face discrimination even in a democratic society. In most cases, discrimination happens on grounds of sex, race, and religion. The American society gives the best-learnt lesson of discrimination based on race. Although the blacks and whites now have the same freedoms and rights, discrimination according to race is still an issue of urgency. This is because many people still suffer from the effect of racial discrimination. Discrimination comes in forms including indirect discrimination, direct, victimization and harassment. The article â€Å"Two Muslim religious leaders sue airlines for discrimination† written by Jim Barnett, shows a classical example of discrimination according to race at present. In this case, the two imams sued the Delta Airlines for the discrimination meted on them. The Muslim leaders underwent checking three times before the plane took off (Barnett 2011). Even after boarding, and the plane had left the gate where they had undergone a second checking by the security, the pilot felt uncomfortable with the imams and took the plane back to the gate for the imams to undergo checking. The essay sums it all by emphasizing the need to phase out discrimination in all its forms. All people are equal as per the Declaration of Independence. Legislation, education, and promotion of inter group contacts can help in reducing discrimination and

Friday, October 18, 2019

Losing weight Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Losing weight - Research Paper Example In order to change these complex behaviors, two of the psychologists named Prochaska and DiClemente have worked upon the Stages of Change Model. Through this five-step change model, we discover the changing of the habit in the context of losing weight. Five Stage Change Model The change model given by the psychologists consists of the five steps. They include: Pre-contemplation With regards to changing the habit of losing weight, precontemplation is the first stage which counts towards the initiation of the attempts of eliminating the habit of losing weight effectively. During this stage, the individual continues to receive responses and ideas from other people in their surroundings regarding the things that they are required to change in them. However, they start to give a negative reaction and a bad response towards all these indications by the people. This is because they are currently satisfied with their bad habit of losing weight and staying malnutrition since long. But, if in this stage they listen to others’ responses, this might prove to be useful and beneficial for them (Moser, online). Contemplation During the second stage of changing the habit of losing weight, the individuals are involved in a process of active thinking regarding giving up the idea of losing weight. In this phase, they need to alter their own and others’ ideas into the firmly held beliefs.

Positioning and differentiation strategies Essay

Positioning and differentiation strategies - Essay Example Positioning strategy is influenced by the attributes, the types of the consumers who are involved in this process, application and the object attributes. Differentiation strategy is concerned with developing the unique products and services for different types of customers. Differentiation strategy is considered as one among the three generic marketing strategies. Mayo Clinic has been established for offering the best available services to its patient through the integrated clinical practice and the education and research. For developing the reputation of the clinic it has focused on the positioning strategy. Mayo Clinic in order to attract more of its customers or patient has concentrated on the needs and the requirements of the patients and it has also developed the level of commitment of its staff. In terms of the cost, Mayo clinic have engaged lot of engineers in there clinic who are constantly engaged in improving the efficiency of the science and technology. The clinic has a training centre that guides or assists the staff in the use or the application of the technology for removing or decreasing the waste and therefore it has taken various initiative that will result in the better or suitable outcome that will be safe for the patients and therefore it has focused on providing the better services at a affordable and reasonable cost that will increase the value of the clinic. Mayo clinic has positioned itself as a diagnostic centre. The positioning is considered as an important strategy for developing and increasing the customer base and also the brand equity. The positioning strategies of Mayo clinic is mainly focusing on driving the growth , achieving the goals and the objectives defining the brand, improving the services and understanding the patient and offering the best available services to its patients. Since there are different positioning strategies adopted by

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the Dissertation

The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the ways it can be overcome - Dissertation Example The only viable explanation for the disparaging gender treatments is gender fatigue. It is concluded that both victims and managers need to ignore gender fatigue and deal with incidents of gender inequality responsibly to void the dangers of gender equality losing ground. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Research Questions 5 Statement of the Problem 5 Significance of the Study 6 Aims and Objectives of the Study 7 Research Methodology 8 A Review of Literature 8 Gender Inequality in the Work Place 8 Why Gender Inequality Exists in Some Organizations 10 Gender Fatigue as the Driving Force Behind Gender Inequality in the Workplace 12 Results and Analysis 15 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 20 Introduction Gender fatigue is a phrase used to describe stagnation and complacent attitudes toward reforms and calls for gender equality (Dehhehy, 2012). Initial evidence of gender fatigue was present during the 1980s when feminists were portrayed in public discourse as cartoon characters and as bitter women devoid of humour who projected a belief that all men were â€Å"pigs† and all â€Å"women are saints’ and that â€Å"women who stay at home are wasting their lives† (Sadker & Zittleman, 2009, p. 52). Kelan (2009) gives expression to gender fatigue in the workplace describing it as a situation in which organizations are self-described as â€Å"gender neutral†, yet there is evidence of gender discrimination and the prevailing attitude is one in which there is a general feeling that gender discrimination is thing of the past and â€Å"can happen,† but it is up to women to find solutions (p. 197). Kelan (2008) also argues that members of an organization will often describe their respective organizations as â€Å"gender neutral† although it is obvious to all that there is gender discrimination (p. 1). Workers will acknowledge that gender discrimination occurs in the workplace but will brush it off as unimportant to the work that they do. According to Kelan (2008), this is evidence that these workers are â€Å"experiencing gender fatigue† and that they are â€Å"weary of thinking about gender inequality† (p. 1). Kelan (2010) points out that the practice of doing gender at work takes dual approaches in which gender equality is established and juxtaposed against a situation in which gender differences are once again pronounced. For example, a task is usually performed in which gender equality is highlighted and this will be followed by the allocation of â€Å"remedial work, through which gender hierarch is re-established† (Kelan, 2010, p. 176). This research study investigates the problems created by gender fatigue in the work place. In particular, this research study is concerned with the prevailing attitude in organizations that take the position that they are gender neutral, yet gender inequality remains a part of the organizational culture. In these circumstances, described as gender f atigue, this research paper seeks to identify how the problems associated with achieving gender equality as a result of gender fatigue within organizations can be overcome. Research Questions In order to investigate the problem of gender fatigue in organizations and how gender fatigue can be overcome to

Social Process Theories Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Process Theories - Research Paper Example The expansion of the theory of social control through the concept of Social Bond Theory that combines various kinds of bonds such as attachments to friends, family and siblings, commitments to one’s career, success and goals, involvements in sports teams, community services and religious groups and beliefs in honesty, justice and morality, together and justifies why an individual may observe law and order in spite of a variety of illegal activities offered by today’s society. IV. Labeling Theory: An Explanation of the concept of Labeling Theory, its prevalent practice and the corresponding negative consequences of this practice. V. Dramaturgy: An Analysis of the method of Dramaturgical Interviewing, its fundamentals and specifications. Also, a brief description of areas of its application and the criticisms leveled against it. VI. Conclusion: A concluding synopsis of the whole paper. Abstract The objective of this study is to understand the meaning of the term ‘so cial process theories’ and analyze some of the most important types of social process theories like the Social Learning Theory, the Social Control Theory, the Labeling Theory and the concept of Dramaturgy Interviewing. ... All in all, an endeavor had been made in this research paper, to paint an accurate picture of the prevailing social process theories, in the light of their analyzed meanings and their social relevance. Introduction â€Å"Social Process Theories, in Criminology, examine how social processes in the lives of humans influence their criminal behavior.† (Grana, 2010, p.70) These theories stresses that relationships play a vital role in deciding how an individual interacts with the world around him. It is sometimes due to these relations that people commit crimes. The learning of crimes is no different than any other kind of learning and it usually takes place in intimate and closed groups wherein the trade and tools of crime are learned. There are a number of social process theories, some of which we will discuss in detail in the following paragraphs. Social Learning Theory The concept of Social Learning is based on the view that a considerable amount of learning occurs through the observance and imitation of other people’s actions and the resulting consequences of those actions. There is no awareness about whether learning a certain act or trade is positive or negative, it is a non-judgmental process of learning from another being. Research suggests that this imitation of behavior is achieved without much Trial-and-Error processes. A person may imitate another flawlessly in the first chance itself . The person who is being observed or imitated is called a ‘model’ and the process of imitation is called ‘modeling’. Parents, elder siblings, peers, celebrities, all of them and more can serve as models to any given individual. Two individuals showcasing the same kind of behavior implies a common history of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the Dissertation

The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the ways it can be overcome - Dissertation Example The only viable explanation for the disparaging gender treatments is gender fatigue. It is concluded that both victims and managers need to ignore gender fatigue and deal with incidents of gender inequality responsibly to void the dangers of gender equality losing ground. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Research Questions 5 Statement of the Problem 5 Significance of the Study 6 Aims and Objectives of the Study 7 Research Methodology 8 A Review of Literature 8 Gender Inequality in the Work Place 8 Why Gender Inequality Exists in Some Organizations 10 Gender Fatigue as the Driving Force Behind Gender Inequality in the Workplace 12 Results and Analysis 15 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 20 Introduction Gender fatigue is a phrase used to describe stagnation and complacent attitudes toward reforms and calls for gender equality (Dehhehy, 2012). Initial evidence of gender fatigue was present during the 1980s when feminists were portrayed in public discourse as cartoon characters and as bitter women devoid of humour who projected a belief that all men were â€Å"pigs† and all â€Å"women are saints’ and that â€Å"women who stay at home are wasting their lives† (Sadker & Zittleman, 2009, p. 52). Kelan (2009) gives expression to gender fatigue in the workplace describing it as a situation in which organizations are self-described as â€Å"gender neutral†, yet there is evidence of gender discrimination and the prevailing attitude is one in which there is a general feeling that gender discrimination is thing of the past and â€Å"can happen,† but it is up to women to find solutions (p. 197). Kelan (2008) also argues that members of an organization will often describe their respective organizations as â€Å"gender neutral† although it is obvious to all that there is gender discrimination (p. 1). Workers will acknowledge that gender discrimination occurs in the workplace but will brush it off as unimportant to the work that they do. According to Kelan (2008), this is evidence that these workers are â€Å"experiencing gender fatigue† and that they are â€Å"weary of thinking about gender inequality† (p. 1). Kelan (2010) points out that the practice of doing gender at work takes dual approaches in which gender equality is established and juxtaposed against a situation in which gender differences are once again pronounced. For example, a task is usually performed in which gender equality is highlighted and this will be followed by the allocation of â€Å"remedial work, through which gender hierarch is re-established† (Kelan, 2010, p. 176). This research study investigates the problems created by gender fatigue in the work place. In particular, this research study is concerned with the prevailing attitude in organizations that take the position that they are gender neutral, yet gender inequality remains a part of the organizational culture. In these circumstances, described as gender f atigue, this research paper seeks to identify how the problems associated with achieving gender equality as a result of gender fatigue within organizations can be overcome. Research Questions In order to investigate the problem of gender fatigue in organizations and how gender fatigue can be overcome to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Role of the HR Department Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Role of the HR Department - Essay Example According to the report  the human resource department works as the strategic division for modern organizations, and in most cases, the management relies on the human resource department to improve overall performance of the unit. Nishii and Wright (2008) stated that in modern organizations, human resource departments perform activities such as providing training to employees, measuring their performance, measuring compliance of key performance indicators (KPI), mentoring of employees etc. In short, it can be said that human resource professionals in the organization have close relationship with employees in contrast to line managers in most of the cases.This paper outlines that  that there exist a direct link between work-life balance of employees and their emotional intelligence because an employee is a human being with multitude of family responsibilities; hence, it is not possible for employees to forget their family life completely while working in an organization. Research scholars such as Lowry and Moskos defined work-life balance as the ability of employees to successfully manage work and household responsibilities. Fonner and Roloff (2010) gave examples of the organizations where human resource departments ensure proper work-life balance of workers.   Gregory and Connolly defined â€Å"Work† as the paid employment while â€Å"life† as combination of leisure activities and family time.... There is a direct link between Employees’ wellbeing and work life balance of employees. According to these scholars, a proper work-life balance of employees can help them to remain healthy which is a modified version of personal well-being of employees. In such context, Nishii and Wright (2008, p. 226) argued that â€Å"In essence, we have hitherto failed to explicitly recognize the many ways in which individuals and groups may experience and respond differently to HR systems within organizations,† and such statement is showing that HR departments face challenge, understanding their exact role in ensuring employee well-being within organizations. The role of human resource department in ensuring employee wellbeing in terms of physical healthiness can be depicted in the following manner. Figure 1: Theoretical Model for HRM & Employee Well Being (Source: Van De Voorde, Paauwe and Van Veldhoven, 2011) According to the model above, the human resource department works as the strategic division for modern organizations, and in most cases, the management relies on the human resource department to improve overall performance of the unit. Nishii and Wright (2008) stated that in modern organizations, human resource departments perform activities such as providing training to employees, measuring their performance, measuring compliance of key performance indicators (KPI), mentoring of employees etc. In short, it can be said that human resource professionals in the organization have close relationship with employees in contrast to line managers in most of the cases. Hence, it can be conjecturally viewed that there exist a triangular relationship between perception of employee regarding HRM climate, employee wellbeing and overall unit performance. Careful consideration

Monday, October 14, 2019

Issues Analysis- Indigenous People Essay Example for Free

Issues Analysis- Indigenous People Essay As the British arrived on the land of the aboriginal people they hoped to absorb the aboriginal people into their culture to work in the new colony. The aboriginal people tried to avoid the settlers but as the land became more occupied contact became unavoidable. Governor Phillip wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflict so he treated the aboriginal people with kindness and ordered his soldiers not to shoot any of them. He captured many aboriginals and one of them was Bennelong. He wanted them to learn English and act as translators between the Indigenous groups and the British. There were clashes over the land and culture of Aboriginals and the British. Phillip ignorantly ordered his soldiers to fire at the Aboriginal people as he has already tried to civilise them and assimilate them into the British culture and society was not working as he had hoped. The Aboriginal peoples saw that the British settlers were putting up fences clearing the land, restricting access and introducing different animals; so they started to think that the British were invading, this lead to retaliation from the Aboriginals. By 1797, attitudes and policy toward the Indigenous peoples had changed. No longer did the government decide to assimilate the Indigenous peoples, but rather have a new policy and that was to ‘keep them out’. In 1800 Governor King had reported to the British government the number of Aboriginal people killed in fighting was far greater than the number of British people killed. The common response from the government to the Aboriginal resistance was to send expeditions of solders to punish any groups that threatened settlers and farms. These soldiers hunted and killed groups of Indigenous people that were thought to have been stealing stock, food and generally harassing the settlers. Government instructions after 1800 were to fire at all indigenous peoples until they were far away from British settlements. As the British settlement gotten bigger, the Indigenous peoples lost more and more of their land and many of their family members. They became more reliant on the British settlers to provide them food, shelter and water. As their traditional life was slowly eroding, many Aboriginal people started living on the outskirts of towns or started working as servants or slaves for the British settlements. The inability for the Aboriginal people to succeed in this era it caused a change in the European view of the time, that Indigenous peoples were inferior, and were unable to look after themselves or the land. However not all contact was violent with the British settlers and the Aboriginal people. At times there was friendly contact and peace. Some Aboriginal peoples voluntarily became part of the British society. There is also plenty of evidence that groups of Indigenous peoples helped Europeans when they were in trouble and this was quite often, as life for British settlers was extremely hard in the early years of the colony. British colonisation of Australian started in Sydney in 1788. The rapidly occurring consequences within weeks of the first colonists arrival was a wave of European epidemic diseases such as smallpox, chickenpox, influenza and measles. These diseases affected the largest population densities where these diseases could spread easier. The next consequence of British settlement was water resources and the management of land. The settlers viewed Indigenous Australians as Nomads with no civilised concept of land ownership, who could be charged from the land wanted for farming. The aboriginals would easily migrate elsewhere. The impact on the aboriginals was fatal as there was loss of traditional lands, water resources and food sources, as the communities were affected by European diseases. The spiritual and cultural cohesion and well-being was affected because of the communities being forced away from the traditional areas. The settlers brought sexually transmitted diseases, and indigenous Australians had no tolerance and therefore greatly reduced fertility and birth-rates. Settlers were responsible for introducing the alcohol, opium and tobacco, and substance abuse has remained a huge problem for Indigenous communities. The result of disease, loss of land and violence reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% between 1788 and1900. Smallpox alone killed more than 50% of the Aboriginal population. Up to 3000 white people were killed by Indigenous Australians in the frontier violence. Most Indigenous people became a significant source of labour. Most of the work was unpaid, instead they survived on the rations that the workers received such as forms of food, clothing ad other basic necessities. In many areas of Australia Christian missions donated food and clothing for the indigenous people and opened schools and orphanages for Indigenous children. In some places of Australia colonial governments provided some resources. In 1914 around 1200 Aboriginal people answered the call to arms as the war was desperate for new recruits. Many Indigenous people claimed they were Indian or cook islanders to avoid the laws of no indigenous people being in the defence force. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_Indigenous_Australians#The_impact_of_British_settlement There are many health promoting strategies today such as ‘Two Ways Together: NSW Aboriginal Affairs Plan 2003-2012’, ‘COAG Agreement, they set six gaps for closing the disadvantage gap between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people’, CEO performance agreements. Resetting the relationship with Indigenous Australians is important and this partnership must be respectful. It takes both parties to make a difference. Recent research by Reconciliation Australia indicates that Australians have a strong desire to better understand the Indigenous peoples. Acknowledging Indigenous disadvantage is a national responsibility that will require the engagement of the Australian Community. The government has committed to working in partnership with Indigenous Australians, businesses, state and territory governments and community organisations. http://www. skwirk. com. au/p-c_s-56_u-415_t-1040_c-4006/british-aboriginal-relations-1788-1820/qld/sose-history/first-australians-and-the-european-arrivals/settlement-1788-1850.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

EU Competition Law and Economics

EU Competition Law and Economics Discuss the use of terms drawn from economics in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice, which relate to the interpretation of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Examine, in particular the role such terms play in the legal argument. This essay will examine the economic theories, both from a classical point of view and neo-classical to determine the underpinnings of competition law. Through the works of Adam Smith regarding monopolies in the Wealth of Nations[1] and John Stuart Mill through his theories on restraints of trade in On Liberty[2] this will demonstrate some economic objectives in pursuing laws regarding competition law. This will be supplanted with the neo-classical theories that have given more reasons through economic terms for laws regarding competition. This will provide a bedrock for an analysis of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which have been noted as the two principal Articles dealing with competition law in the European Union (EU).[3] The fundamental reason for having competition law in the EU is to allow for a flourishing free market and to ensure that corporate enterprises do not have undue influence or dominance in the market or even thr ough political influence.[4] This analysis of Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU through the cases that have come through the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will be looked at through the prism of the economic theories that have been outlined. By looking at it through that prism, it will allow for a determination in terms of whether the role of the economic terms are brought into the legal arguments. It has been suggested that the lawyers and the economics are co-pilots of the competition law aeroplane[5] and this essay will determine whether that is true by looking at the economic theories and the cases through the EU framework on competition law. Economic Theory and Competition Law Prior to delving into how competition law has adopted economic terms and theories, it is imperative to understand how economics operates vis-Ã  -vis competition law. The classical economic theories, as noted by John Stuart Mill state that it is through competition that the political economy can have a scientific basis through which wages, rent and prices can be regulated. Whilst Mill does not provide a definition on what he meant by competition his theory on what laws surrounding competition could achieve were indicative. Smith took this further in Wealth of Nations when he stated it is the right of every man to enter into competition with any other man insofar as it does not violate the laws of justice and the idea of competition was to ensure that those in business bought dearer and sold for cheaper rather than having a monopoly with the opposite occurring. This theory was noted as a statement of perfect competition. This demonstrates the classical theories that exist but as time as gone on there have been neo-classical theories that give more defined responses. In terms of the neo-classical theories, the USA has seemingly stated that competition law should be interpreted solely through what the theories in economics dictate;[6] however, this is questioned in the EU structures. The competing views in the EU look at the efficiencies as well as other concerns such as the environment and the effect on employment.[7] In terms of taking into account the outcome of having perfect competition, it has been stated that allocative and productive efficiency is achieved which leads to the maximisation of social welfare.[8] In terms of allocative efficiency this is an economic term that means the resources will be allocated to different goods and services but will be divided insofar as it remains privately profitable to do so.[9] The second is that of productive efficiency which means that goods and services in society will be produced at the lowest cost.[10] In this regard, competition is seen as beneficial for the productive efficiency because if monop olies exist then it is likely that they will be high cost producers and they can pass that on to the consumer.[11] A third efficiency has been put forward that explains the need for competition, that being dynamic efficiency which cannot be accurately proved[12] but states that competition allows for products to be developed and created to gain the custom of consumers. This theory, in all but name, had been put forward by Smith when he stated that competition allows for new improvements of art[13] showing that this efficiency has long been spoken of. This has been questioned as monopolies have the money to carry out research[14] and where there are monopolies others will try to intervene to get their custom.[15] On this basis, how the EU and CJEU have dealt with situations where monopolies arise must be examined to determine whether the economic terms have led to the decision that has been made. Article 101 TFEU In terms of Article 101 of the TFEU, this is designed to ensure that restrictive practices are deemed incompatible with the common market. The restrictions that are placed on undertakings, which cover all entities that are involved in business,[16] have been seen to be circumvented for a number of reasons. In the case of Wouters Others v Algemene Raad van de Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten[17]it was held that despite a restriction on the legal profession, it was pursuing a legitimate objective in ensuring proper legal practice and therefore was allowed. It has been noted that this idea of a legitimate objective will stay within the competition law of the EU,[18] however, it is what constitutes a legitimate objective that can have implications for economic terms being used in the CJEU. In terms of a finding a legitimate objective, it has been noted that it is not necessary to look at the economic and non-economic objectives as they often go hand in hand.[19] In cases involving profess ional services such as Wouters and other cases such as Asnef Equifax[20]it was noted that the CJEU took into account the issue of information asymmetry whereby despite the fact that there is a restriction on competition which could increase the cost the consumer, the quality will go up which is especially prevalent in professional services.[21] These decisions tend to go against the productive efficiency in that the cost will go up by allowing increased restriction on trade in professional services, however, the allocative efficiency would be seen to improve as the quality given to the consumer improves. This demonstrates that Article 101 of the TFEU has taken the economic viewpoint into account in ensuring that the Treaty does not act rigidly vis-Ã  -vis competition law. The mechanism of Article 101 has not completely followed the economic arguments and this is seen with cases involving free riders. This was seen in the case of Consten and Grundig v Commission[22]which involved Consten who was to be the exclusive distributor in France of Grundig electrical goods with the effect that free riders, who would wait for Consten to promote the goods before then selling the Grundig electrical goods at a lower price than Consten.[23] The free rider economic system has been allowed in the United States of America in the case of Continental TV v GTE Sylvania[24] on the basis that it was economically sound. However, this was rejected in Consten on the basis that the fundamental objective of the EU plan is to have greater integration within the single market and not just to increase consumer protection and welfare.[25] Indeed, in the more recent case this viewpoint was reaffirmed in the case of GlaxoSmithKline v Commission[26]where the guidance from the EU was co nsidered and it was noted that companies are not allowed to establish private barriers within the single market of the EU.[27] These decisions from the CJEU demonstrate that whilst the economic considerations have to be taken into account, they are secondary to the fundamental aim of the EU project to have ever closer Union[28] and to ensure that there are no private barriers within the single market. To compare this to the co-pilot analogy at the beginning of this essay, these decisions would suggest that the policy makers of the EU are the pilots and the lawyer and economist are mere passengers. It must be noted that Article 101 has a defence mechanism at 101(3) which is primarily based on the economic considerations that have been outlined. This defence is for a defendant to prove but all agreements made are eligible to qualify under Article 101(3) if the requirements are met.[29] The requirements state that technical and economic progress must be improved which links with the dynamic efficiency theory of competition law economics.[30] The other requirements involve not eliminating competition on the market as well as ensuring that consumers receive a fair share of the benefits from the agreement. This ties in with Smiths theory on monopolies and improving the market through competition laws as well as the allocative and productive efficiencies noted in the more neo-classical theories regarding economics and competition law. Indeed, this defence under Article 101(3) has been given a wide interpretation as seen in CECED[31]where the economic efficiencies were central to the judgment in declaring that the environmental benefits had to be looked at in terms of their effect on the consumer.[32] As this defence is couched in terms that are readily identifiable with the economic theories, it demonstrates that the economic terms have a huge role in competition law within the EU. Article 102 TFEU In terms of Article 102 of the TFEU, its whole basis is in economic terms as it is designed to stop dominance and abuse. The use of the term dominance in economics is deemed to be wider than that of a monopoly[33] and is a position of economic strength that prevents effective competition being maintained.[34] This type of dominance goes beyond just a single entity and the CJEU can look at more than one economic enterprise to see whether there is dominance, with what is known as collective dominance.[35] In this regard, the economic term of collective dominance and dominance generally was indicative in the case of Italian Flat Case to show that there was a breach of Article 102.[36] The second economic term alongside dominance in Article 102 is that of abuse, which is where a dominant entity can use its economic strength to obtain more benefits that it would have if it was a smaller entity.[37] The use of economic terms in Article 102 cases can be seen when abuse is discussed. Article 102 makes reference to unfair prices but the CJEU has looked beyond this to see situations where there has been predatory pricing[38] and excessive pricing that look at economic terms in terms of how undertakings with great economic strength may attempt to price their competitors out of the market.[39] This tends to demonstrate that there are some economic terms that are used not only in Article 102 itself but also by the CJEU in its interpretation of the Article. However, this view has not been completely replicated across the spectrum. The use of the economic terms in invoking Article 102 has been seen as haphazard[40] and this can be seen through the cases where there has been some reliance on economic terms such as predatory pricing noted above but there are others where it has been based more on the legal concepts such as where there is commission attached for selling a certain brand.[41] In this regard, when Article 102 is looked at solely it can be seen that it is couched in economic terms such as dominance and others have come in through cases such as predatory pricing but when it is compared to its counterpart, Article 101, the effect of economics on its interpretation has not been as widespread.[42] Accordingly, when it comes to the aeroplane analogy with Article 102 it is very much that the lawyer takes the chief pilots role whereas the economist operates as a co-pilot that attempts to bolster any legal arguments that have been made. Conclusion This essay has examined EU Competition Law to determine whether the role of economics or law is prevailing in its application. The economic theories, both classical and neo-classical, demonstrate that the basis for competition law is allowing a free market to ensure that the consumers are able to receive products at a low price and other individuals are able to compete with the larger firms. In relation to Article 101 it can be seen through the use of legitimate aim and the defence given in Article 101(3) that the economic terms have a great role to play in how the case would be decided by the CJEU. However, as noted with the free rider cases such as Consten it is readily identifiable that the economics will only be taken into account after the fundamental aim of the EU, that being ever closer Union, is dealt with. This shows that the economic terms as well as the legal terms are very much secondary to the fundamental aims of the EU project. When the policy issue is put to one side, it can be seen that the economic terms and the legal terms in deciding a competition law case under Article 101 are co-pilots ensuring that the correct decision is made. In terms of Article 102, the use of economics has not been as prevalent as with Article 101 but this is largely due to the fact that there is a lack of a general theme. Perhaps as the law develops vis-Ã  -vis Article 102, the economic terms will have a greater role to play. Bibliography Legislation Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Cases Akzo Chemie BV v Commission [1991] ECR I-3395 Asnef Equifax Servicios de Informacion sobre Solvencia y Credito SL v Asociacion de Usuarios de Servicios Bancarios [2006] ECR I-11125 British Airways Plc v Commission [2007] ECR I-2331 CECED [2000] OJ L187/47 Consten and Grundig v Commission [1966] ECR 299 Continental TV v GTE Sylvania (1977) 433 US 36 GlaxoSmithKline v Commission [2009] ECR I-9291 Klaus Hofner Fritz Esler v Macrotron GmbH [1991] ECR I-1979 Matra Hachette v Commission [1994] ECR II-595 PPG Vernante Pennitalia Spa v Commission [1992] ECR II-1403 United Brands Company v Commission [1978] ECR 207 Wouters Others v Algemene Raad van de Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten [2002] ECR I-1577 Books Akman P, The Concept of Abuse in EU Competition Law: Law and Economic Approaches (Bloomsbury 2015) Bork RH, The Antitrust paradox (The Free Press, 1978) Chalmers D, Davies G Monti G, European Union Law (2nd edn, CUP 2010) Jacobs K (ed), Effective Standardization Management in Corporate Settings (IGI Global, 2010) Galbraith, American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power (Houghton Mifflin, 1952) Huerta de Soto J, The Theory of Dynamic Efficiency (Routledge 2009) Jones A Sufrin B, EU Competition Law: Text, Cases and Materials (6th edn, OUP 2016) Kaczorowska A, European Union Law (Routledge 2008) Kaczorowska-Ireland A, Competition Law in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (Routledge 2012) Mill JS, On Liberty (Vail-Ballou Press, 2003) Scherer Ross, Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance (3rd edn, Houghton Mifflin, 1990) Schulze R, An Introduction to European Law (2nd edn, CUP 2015) Schumpter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (Taylor Francis, 1976) Smith A, An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Penguin, 1999) Whish R Bailey D, Competition Law (8th edn, OUP 2015) Articles Apostolakis I, E-Commerce and Free Rider Considerations Under Article 101 TFEU (2016) ECLR 114 Ibanez Colomo P, Market Failures, Transaction Costs and Article 101(1) TFEU Case Law (2012) 37(5) ELR 541 Janssen C Kloosterhuis E, The Wouters Case Law, Special for a Different Reason? (2016) ECLR 335 Lianos I, In Memoriam Keck: The Reformation of the EU Law on the Free Movement of Goods (2015) EL Rev 225 Nowag J, Wouters, When the Condemned Live Longer: A Comment on OTOC and CNG (2014) 36 ECLR 39 ODonoghue R, Defining Legitimate Competition: How to Clarify Pricing Abuses under Article 83 EC (2002) 26 Fordham Intl LJ 83 Posner RA, The Social Costs of Monopoly and Regulation (1975) 83 JPE 807 Ratliff J, Major Events and Policy Issues in EC Competition Law, 2001: Part 1 (2002) ICCLR 6 Stigler G, Perfect Competition, Historically Contemplated (1957) 65(1) J Pol Eco 1 Temple Lang J, Some Aspects of Abuse of a Dominant Position in EC Antitrust Law (1979) 3 Fordham Intl LF 1 Tsoulfidis L, Classical vs Neoclassical Conceptions of Competition (2011) MPRA 1 Vickers J, Concepts of Competition (1995) 47 Oxford Economic Papers 1 Miscellaneous Commission, Notice Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2010) OJ C130/1 de la Mano M, For the Customers Sake: The Competitive Effects of Efficiencies in European Merger Control (Enterprise Paper No 11, 2002) [1] A Smith, An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Penguin, 1999). [2] JS Mill, On Liberty (Vail-Ballou Press, 2003). [3] D Chalmers, G Davies G Monti, European Union Law (2nd edn, CUP 2010) p. 962. [4] RA Posner, The Social Costs of Monopoly and Regulation (1975) 83 JPE 807. [5] R Whish D Bailey, Competition Law (8th edn, OUP 2015) p. 2. [6] RH Bork, The Antitrust paradox (The Free Press, 1978). [7] I Lianos, In Memoriam Keck: The Reformation of the EU Law on the Free Movement of Goods (2015) EL Rev 225, 244. [8] Scherer Ross, Industrial Market Structure and Economic Performance (3rd edn, Houghton Mifflin, 1990) Ch. 1. [9] R Whish D Bailey, Competition Law (8th edn, OUP 2015) p. 5. [10] M de la Mano, For the Customers Sake: The Competitive Effects of Efficiencies in European Merger Control (Enterprise Paper No 11, 2002) p. 8. [11] J Vickers, Concepts of Competition (1995) 47 Oxford Economic Papers 1. [12] J Huerta de Soto, The Theory of Dynamic Efficiency (Routledge 2009) p. 1-2. [13] Smith (n 1) p. 706. [14] Galbraith, American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing Power (Houghton Mifflin, 1952). [15] Schumpter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (Taylor Francis, 1976). [16] A Jones B Sufrin, EU Competition Law: Text, Cases and Materials (6th edn, OUP 2016) p. 116. [17] [2002] ECR I-1577. [18] J Nowag, Wouters, When the Condemned Live Longer: A Comment on OTOC and CNG (2014) 36 ECLR 39. [19] P Ibanez Colomo, Market Failures, Transaction Costs and Article 101(1) TFEU Case Law (2012) 37(5) ELR 541, 560. [20] Asnef Equifax Servicios de Informacion sobre Solvencia y Credito SL v Asociacion de Usuarios de Servicios Bancarios [2006] ECR I-11125. [21] C Janssen E Kloosterhuis, The Wouters Case Law, Special for a Different Reason? (2016) ECLR 335, 337. [22] [1966] ECR 299. [23] Chalmers (n 3) p. 979. [24] (1977) 433 US 36. [25] I Apostolakis, E-Commerce and Free Rider Considerations Under Article 101 TFEU (2016) ECLR 114, 116. [26] [2009] ECR I-9291. [27] Commission, Notice Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (2010) OJ C130/1. [28] A Kaczorowska, European Union Law (Routledge 2008) p. 86. [29] Matra Hachette v Commission [1994] ECR II-595. [30] R Schulze, An Introduction to European Law (2nd edn, CUP 2015) p. 318. [31] [2000] OJ L187/47. [32] J Ratliff, Major Events and Policy Issues in EC Competition Law, 2001: Part 1 (2002) ICCLR 6. [33] Klaus Hofner Fritz Esler v Macrotron GmbH [1991] ECR I-1979. [34] United Brands Company v Commission [1978] ECR 207, para. 65. [35] A Kaczorowska-Ireland, Competition Law in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (Routledge 2012) p. 170. [36] PPG Vernante Pennitalia Spa v Commission [1992] ECR II-1403. [37] J Temple Lang, Some Aspects of Abuse of a Dominant Position in EC Antitrust Law (1979) 3 Fordham Intl LF 1, 9. [38] Akzo Chemie BV v Commission [1991] ECR I-3395. [39] P Akman, The Concept of Abuse in EU Competition Law: Law and Economic Approaches (Bloomsbury 2015) p. 188. [40] R ODonoghue, Defining Legitimate Competition: How to Clarify Pricing Abuses under Article 83 EC (2002) 26 Fordham Intl LJ 83. [41] British Airways Plc v Commission [2007] ECR I-2331. [42] Chalmers (n 3) p.1007.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Comparing Death in Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night and Australia,

Rage against Death in Dylan Thomas’ "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", and Judith Wright’s "Australia, 1970" Mortality is a subject often contemplated in both traditional and modern poetry. Traditionally, death has been viewed as a great leveler of people, and as a frightening, yet noble experience that is best approached with a quiet, dignified, Christ-like acceptance. In the work of some modern poets such as Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright, however, the message is a different one altogether. These poets advise the dying to not assume the role of the martyr, teaching by quiet example; rather, the dying are instructed to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas) and "die like the tigersnake" (Wright) in order to send their messages to the living. While these two poets give these startling instructions with different goals in mind, one idea comes across clearly: that the image of the martyr quietly and knowingly accepting death is no longer an image that will satisfy modern poetry as it looks for reason in its examination of impending mortality. In his 1952 poem "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", Dylan Thomas examines the idea that entering quietly into death is not the proper way to leave life; instead, as life draws to a close, he instructs his readers to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas). At first glance, this could appear to be futile advice, for raging against an inevitable, unalterable experience such as death obviously does nothing to impede its course, and could therefore be seen as a pointless exercise. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Thomas’s poem does not attempt to fight or ward off death; rather, it attempts to convince others to live fully and ... ...ugh mercilessly taunted by the turncoat crowds, those dying in these poems are instructed to do so violently and wildly, to kick and scream, yet at the same time accept the fact that death is an unstoppable force. By depicting these violent, unorthodox, traditionally ignoble methods in a positive light and instructing others to partake in them, Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright are disassociating themselves with the ‘beneficial martyr’ outlook on life and death adopted by Christianity and instead aligning themselves with a far more rebellious and modernistic school of thought Works Cited and Consulted Stanford, Derek. Dylan Thomas. New York: The Citadel Press, 1986. 116-118. Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 1996 Thomson, A.K. Critical Essays on Judith Wright, ed. 1968. Wright, Judith. Collected Poems 1994. Comparing Death in Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night and Australia, Rage against Death in Dylan Thomas’ "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", and Judith Wright’s "Australia, 1970" Mortality is a subject often contemplated in both traditional and modern poetry. Traditionally, death has been viewed as a great leveler of people, and as a frightening, yet noble experience that is best approached with a quiet, dignified, Christ-like acceptance. In the work of some modern poets such as Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright, however, the message is a different one altogether. These poets advise the dying to not assume the role of the martyr, teaching by quiet example; rather, the dying are instructed to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas) and "die like the tigersnake" (Wright) in order to send their messages to the living. While these two poets give these startling instructions with different goals in mind, one idea comes across clearly: that the image of the martyr quietly and knowingly accepting death is no longer an image that will satisfy modern poetry as it looks for reason in its examination of impending mortality. In his 1952 poem "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", Dylan Thomas examines the idea that entering quietly into death is not the proper way to leave life; instead, as life draws to a close, he instructs his readers to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas). At first glance, this could appear to be futile advice, for raging against an inevitable, unalterable experience such as death obviously does nothing to impede its course, and could therefore be seen as a pointless exercise. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Thomas’s poem does not attempt to fight or ward off death; rather, it attempts to convince others to live fully and ... ...ugh mercilessly taunted by the turncoat crowds, those dying in these poems are instructed to do so violently and wildly, to kick and scream, yet at the same time accept the fact that death is an unstoppable force. By depicting these violent, unorthodox, traditionally ignoble methods in a positive light and instructing others to partake in them, Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright are disassociating themselves with the ‘beneficial martyr’ outlook on life and death adopted by Christianity and instead aligning themselves with a far more rebellious and modernistic school of thought Works Cited and Consulted Stanford, Derek. Dylan Thomas. New York: The Citadel Press, 1986. 116-118. Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 1996 Thomson, A.K. Critical Essays on Judith Wright, ed. 1968. Wright, Judith. Collected Poems 1994.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 11

The mist rose up around my feet as I walked toward the willow tree. The sun was quickly setting, but I could still make out a shadowy figure nestled between the roots. I glanced again. It was Rosalyn, her party dress shimmering in the weak light. Bile rose in my throat. How could she be here? She was buried, her body six feet underground at the Mystic Falls cemetery. As I walked closer, steeling my courage and grasping the knife in my pocket, I noticed her lifeless eyes reflecting the verdant leaves above. Her dark curls stuck to her clammy forehead. And her neck wasn't torn out at all. Instead, her neck displayed only two neat little holes, the size of shodding nails. As if guided by an unseen hand, I fell to my knees next to her body. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whispered, staring at the cracked earth below. Then I raised my eyes and froze in horror. Because it wasn't Rosalyn's body at all. It was Katherine's. A small smile curved her rosebud lips, as if she were simply dreaming. I fought the urge to scream. I would not let Katherine die! But as I reached toward her wounds, she sat straight up. Her visage morphed, her dark curls faded to blond, and her eyes glowed red. I started backward. â€Å"It's your fault!† The words cut through the still night, the tone hollow and otherworldly. The voice belonged neither to Katherine nor Rosalyn–but to a demon. I screamed, gripping my penknife and slicing it into the night air. The demon lunged forward and clutched my neck. It lowered its sharpened canines to my skin, and everything faded to black†¦. I woke up in a cold sweat, sitting upright. A crow cawed outside; in the distance, I could hear children playing. Sunbeams were dappled along my white bedspread, and a dinner tray was sitting on my desk. It was daylight. I was in my own bed. A dream. I remembered the funeral, the ride from the church, my exhaustion as I climbed the stairs to my bedroom. It had just been a dream, a product of too much emotion and stimulation today. A dream, I reminded myself again, willing my heart to stop pounding. I took a long gulp of water straight from the pitcher on the nightstand. My brain slowly stilled, but my heart continued to race and my hands still felt clammy. Because it wasn't a dream, or at least not like any dream I'd ever had before. It was as if demons were invading my mind, and I was no longer sure what was real or what thoughts to trust. I stood up, trying to shake off the nightmare, and wandered downstairs. I took the back steps so as not to cross paths with Cordelia in the kitchen. She'd been taking good care of me, just as when I had been a child in mourning for my mother, but something about her watchful gaze made me nervous. I knew she'd heard me call out for Katherine, and I fervently hoped she wasn't telling ta les to the servants. I walked into Father's study and glanced at his shelves, finding myself drawn yet again to the Shakespeare section. Saturday seemed like a lifetime ago. Still, the candle in the silver candlestick holder was exactly where Katherine and I had left it, and The Mysteries of Mystic Falls was still on the chair. If I closed my eyes, I could almost smell lemon. I shook that thought away and hastily picked out a volume of Macbeth, a play about jealousy and love and betrayal and death, which suited my mood perfectly. I forced myself to sit on the leather club chair and glance at the words, forced myself to turn the pages. Maybe that's what I needed in order to proceed with the rest of my life. If I just kept forcing myself to take action, maybe I'd finally get over the guilt and sadness and fear I'd been carrying with me since Rosalyn's death. Just then, I heard a knock on the door. â€Å"Father's not here,† I called, hoping whoever it was would go away. â€Å"Sir Stefan?† Alfred's voice called. â€Å"It's a visitor.† â€Å"No, thank you,† I replied. It was probably Sheriff Forbes again. He'd already come by four or five times, speaking to Damon and Father. So far I'd managed to beg off the visits. I couldn't stand the thought of telling him–telling anyone –where I'd been at the time of the attack. â€Å"The visitor is quite insistent,† Alfred called. â€Å"So are you,† I muttered under my breath as I strode to the door and opened it. â€Å"She's in the sitting room,† Alfred said, turning on his heel. â€Å"Wait!† I said. She. Could it be †¦ Katherine? My heart quickened despite itself. â€Å"Sir?† Alfred asked, mid-step. â€Å"I'll be there.† Frantically, I splashed water from the basin in the corner on my face and used my hands to smooth my hair back from my forehead. My eyes still looked hooded, and tiny vessels had broken, reddening the whites, but there was nothing more I could do to make me look, let alone feel, more like myself. I strode purposefully into the parlor. For an instant, my heart fell with disappointment. Instead of Katherine, sitting on the red velvet wingback chair in the corner was her maid, Emily. She had a chair in the corner was her maid, Emily. She had a basket of flowers on her lap and held a daisy to her nose, as if she didn't have a care in the world. â€Å"Hello,† I said formally, already trying to come up with a way to politely excuse myself. â€Å"Mr. Salvatore.† Emily stood up and half- curtseyed. She wore a simple white eyelet dress and bonnet, and her dark skin was smooth and unlined. â€Å"My mistress and I join you in your sorrows. She asked that I give you this,† she said, proffering the basket toward me. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, taking the basket. I absentmindedly put a sprig of lilac to my nose and inhaled. â€Å"I'd use these in your healing, rather than Cordelia's concoctions,† Emily said. â€Å"How did you know about that?† I wondered. â€Å"Servants talk. But I fear that whatever Cordelia's feeding you may be doing you more harm than good.† She plucked a few blossoms from the basket, twining them into a bouquet. â€Å"Daisies, magnolias, and bleeding heart will help you heal.† â€Å"And pansies for thoughts?† I asked, remembering a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet. As soon as I said it, I realized it was a foolish statement. How would an uneducated servant girl possibly know what I was speaking of? But Emily simply smiled. â€Å"No pansies, although my mistress did mention your love of Shakespeare.† She reached into the basket and broke off a sprig of lilac, which she then pushed gently into my buttonhole. I held the basket up and inhaled. It smelled like flowers, but there was something else: the intoxicating aroma that I'd only experienced when I was near Katherine. I inhaled again, feeling the confusion and darkness of the past few days slowly fade. â€Å"I know everything's very strange right now,† Emily said, breaking my reverie. â€Å"But my mistress only wishes the best for you.† She nodded toward the couch, as if inviting me to sit down. Obediently, I sat and stared at her. She was remarkably beautiful and carried herself with a type of grace I'd never seen before. Her movements and manners were so deliberate that watching her was like watching a painting come to life. â€Å"She would like to see you,† Emily said after a moment. The second the words left her lips, I realized that could never be. As I sat there, in the daylight of the parlor, with another person rather than being lost in my own thoughts, everything clicked into focus. I was a widower, and my duty now was to mourn Rosalyn, not to mourn my schoolboy fantasy of love with Katherine. Besides, Katherine was a beautiful orphan with no friends or relations. It would never work–could never work. â€Å"I did see her. At Rosalyn's †¦ at the funeral,† I said stiffly. â€Å"That's hardly a social call,† Emily pointed out. â€Å"She'd like to see you. Somewhere private. When you're ready,† she added quickly. I knew what I had to say, what the only proper thing to say was, but the words were hard to form. â€Å"I will see, but in my current condition, I'm afraid I'm probably not in the best mood to go walking. Please send your mistress my regrets, although she will not want for company. I know my brother will go wherever she wishes,† I said, the words heavy on my tongue. â€Å"Y es. She is quite fond of Damon.† Emily gathered her skirts and stood up. I stood up as well and felt, even though I towered a head taller, that she was somehow more powerful than me. It was an odd yet not altogether unpleasant feeling. â€Å"But you can't argue with true love.† With that she swept out the door and across the grounds, the daisy in her hair scattering its petals into the wind.