Censorship In School Libraries :: essays research papers

Censorship in School Libraries The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional. Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship cases. To be told what is permissible reading material and what is not is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. The First Amendment of the Constitution is the most important and debatable of them all. The First Amendment states; â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, of prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† Freedom of expression is an inalienable human right and the foundation for self-government. Freedom of expression defines the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, association, and the corollary right to receive information. Human rights and intellectual independence; the two are inseparably linked. Freedom of opinion and determining what you want to read is not derived from or dependent on any form of government or political power. This right is inherent in every individual. The power of freedom cannot be yielded, nor can it be denied. True justice comes from the exercise of rights. Students enjoy going to the library and being able to read what they want to read, without any indecision. As soon as a censor claims a book should be censored, the student’s hope of reading that book is diminished. Censorship, ignorance, and limitations on the free flow of information are the tools of dictatorship and oppression. The "tyrant" simply chooses to pull that book from the shelves of knowledge, and the students right of the First Amendment is violated (Appendix A). Books like The Chocolate War, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Of Mice and Men have been placed on the controversial bookshelf of many school libraries.

The History of Art Essay example -- essays research papers

The History of Art   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we think of history we don’t often think of art. We don’t realize how the history of art can help us learn more about the people, the cultures, and the belief systems of those who lived hundreds and thousands of years before us. Art has developed, influenced, and contributed starting from the great Stone Age to the present day. Art gives an insight into the changes and evolution that man and culture have gone through to become what is today. Art is culture, art is the essence of the people who make it and the best way to appreciate art is to look at the history of it and it’s evolvement through time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Great Ages consists of four distinct ages: The Old Stone Age, The New Stone Age, The Bronze Age, and The Iron Age. These four Great Ages is the complete history of art from the beginning to the present day. Each age is named characteristically for the type of material used for that time. Stone was used in the Old and New Stone age, bronze in the Bronze Age, and iron in the Iron Age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Great Ages began with The Old Stone Age starting at 100,000 BCE. The people lived in tribes and clans and often moved from place to place, hunting and gathering to live. They believed all life was sacred and all beings were divine, including animals. The tribal teachings taught that man and nature are one. Hunting and gathering was a sacred ritual because they would often believe they were at one with the animal being hunted. Shamens and shamenesses, spiritual healers and seers between the people and spirits of animals, would often lead hunts and call forth the spirit of the animal to which they would ask the animal to offer their life willingly for a successful hunt. An illustration in Art Through The Ages, 1-4, (Hall of the Bulls found in Lasacux, c 15,000-13,000 b.c. Largest bull approx. 11’6† long) a beautiful cave painting of Bulls. It shows how sacred these animals were to the people. The painter took the time not only to paint such a true to nature image but also purposely put it in a remote location hundreds of feet above the entrance. The location of the painting suggest that it was used as a spiritual image that perhaps shamans would use to communicate with the spirit of the animal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Shamans were necessary to the t... ...ng alongside the edifice and stained glass windows that were mystically illuminated with the sun’s rays. 13-29 (Interior of Ste.-Chapelle), 13-33 (St. Martin, St. Jerome, and St Gregory, c. 1220-1230, from the Porch of the Confessors, Chartres Cathedral France.). The beginning of the Renaissance around 1500 CE is considered the start of the Late Iron Age, which is still on going. The Renaissance was the age of enlightenment the rebirth of learning and culture where men were going beyond their ability, where artists were considered geniuses, and private pleasure became the subject of art. Great artists like Leonardo de Vinci, Raphael, and Titian emerged from the great period of the Renaissance; they were not only geniuses, but also great individual intellects, who defined the greatness of art. Individualism still prevails today and is the very core of modern society. Male-dominated societies still exist, but slowly the demand for equality is changing that. During the Four Great Ages, many things have changed, many things have been lost, but time has not taken a sudden halt, nor the art; people, cultures, and mentalities continue to grow and change, and from growth comes greatness.

Greek Mythology and Hades Essay

The ancient Greek people wrote stories about characters known as gods in order to explain things in the world. For example, the story of Hades and Persephone explains why plants do not grow in the winter. The story of Hades and Persephone is only one story however, and they are only two gods out of the large number of immortal characters that the Greeks created. Hades is the god of the underworld, goes by many different names, was extremely protective of his posessions, and was married to the beautiful God, Persephone. The Underworld (Image from Medea’s Greek Lair; painting by Kythera Ann) Greek gods have many different names, and different spellings. For example, Greek Gods all have different names they can be called. Hades goes by many names, such as Aides, Lord of the darkness, Pluto, and god of the dead (www. theoi. com). Hades is most commonly known as the god of the underworld, and Aides is another Greek spelling of Hades. Lord of the Darkness is from his most prized posession, his helmet from the Titanomachy war. Pluto is his Roman name. Pluto is the easiest to remember, however I have found that most texts refer to him as Hades. Lord of the Dead is not to be confused with god of death or the devil, as the god of death is called Thanatos, a less popular god (www. helium. com). While Thanatos is a God, I think that Hades is a more important figure in the Greek world. Although, Hades protects things such as funerals and burial ceremonies, Hades is a completely different person than Thanatos. Hades’ Helmet of Darkness (Image from Medea’s Greek Lair) In the time of Greek Gods and Goddesses, there was a ten-year war called the Titanomachy. In addition, to win the war, the Cyclops gave the three brothers special weapons (www. helium. com). Hades was given the Helmet of Darkness; therefore, allowing him to become invisible. This invisibility allowed him to sneak on to enemy territory, which is a nifty ability. After winning the war against the Titans, the brothers were rightfully deemed their regions; Hades won the Underworld (www. helium. com). The Underworld is not depicted as hell in the Christian society, but as an island in the west ocean. However, Hades’ land, the Underworld, was thought of as under Greece as time passed. One of the Greek gods’ favorite activities was to get married. For example, Hades had a wife named Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Hades married Persephone after abducting her (www. netplaces. com); sweeping beneath Demeter’s careful eye and stealing her most prized posession. Persephone, in my opinion, is the most beautiful of all the Gods. However, this inconsiderate action is a display of his relentless power. Despite Demeter’s wishes, Persephone stays with Hades during the winter only, and she is returned to her mother for the other eight months of the year (www.netplaces. com). At a time, Persephone was about to leave the Underworld entirely, but she ate pomegranate seeds at a banquet that Hades threw for her, which chained her to the Underworld forever. After eating food from the Underworld, the eater must always be forced to return eventually. With time, Persephone grew to like her husband more and became content with her life. Hades is the powerful God of the Underworld, husband of Persephone and goes by many different names, and is feared by all mortals. Hades is not to be confused with Thatamos, God of Death. He also participated in the Titanomachy, winning the Underworld and his helmet of darkness, Persephone, image by Marta Dahlig which he cherishes even more than his abducted wife, Persephone. Hades is one of the most powerful Gods, right next to Zeus and Poseidon. However, Hades is my favorite God. Works Cited Ann, Kythera. â€Å"Tales of Hades. † Hades. Medea’s Lair of Greek Mythology, n. d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Atsuma, Aaron J. â€Å"HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ; Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO. † HADES : Greek King of the Underworld, God of the Dead ; Mythology ; Pictures : HAIDES, PLUTO. Amazon, n. d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . Conner, Nancy. â€Å"Classical Mythology. † The Abduction of Persephone. The New York Times Company, n. d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. . Harry, Tim. â€Å"Greek Mythology: Hades, the God of the Dead. † Helium. Helium, 01 Apr. 2008. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. .

Legalization of Abortion in the Philippines Essay

There are numerous issues that divide the population. Abortion, a long-standing issue, is one of these. Even in ancient and medieval times, people have engaged in such act. In ancient China and Egypt, different methods have been developed to induce abortion such as the use of herbs. The medieval period saw developments in techniques such as the use of forceps and anaesthesia. As expected, with the development of the methods of abortion also comes strong opposition, primarily from religious bodies. The issue of abortion is a controversial topic in the Philippines, despite being a Catholic country. This is because liberal ideas such as feminism, have reached our shores, I see that, at present, there are some women rights group in the Philippines that are pushing for the legalization of abortion. They point out that abortion is already rampant in the Philippines, although unbeknown to the general public. These abortions are usually done in make-shift clinics by people who often have no professional medical background. This puts the mother in a dangerous and life-threatening situation, with 8 out of 10 of these women develop complications. With these findings, pro-choice groups believe that if abortion would be legalized, abortion will now take place in medical settings, ensuring the safety of the mother. They also emphasize that victims of rape, incest, and sexual trafficking who become pregnant because of the abuse should be given the right for abortion since they did not plan on having a baby in the first place. On the other, it is clear that the Catholic Church, a big institution in the country, and pro-life groups abhor abortion since it is synonymous to murder, a mortal sin. For them, life starts in conception, and aborting the fetus even in its earliest stage, ends a life. Abortion deprives the unborn of the life and experiences it should have undergone if it were delivered alive. They suggest that if the baby is unwanted, why not give it up for adoption. I feel conflicted about this issue since I am both a Catholic and a woman. It is easy to say no to abortion because it is wrong according to my religion. As a woman, I, too, believe that I should be given the right to my own body. Nonetheless, taking these all side, regardless of me being a Catholic and a woman, I am a firm believer of the sanctity of life. Life, in all its forms, must be respected and protected. Everyone must be given an opportunity to experience life. In an emotional sense, every pregnancy is different from each other. Some women have planned it for years while others get pregnant by â€Å"accident†. In sad cases though, pregnancy can occur from rape, incest, and sexual trafficking. Since the perpetrator is the father of the fetus, it is hard for the mother to develop love and affection towards it. For many, they believe that getting an abortion can solve this problem. Maybe I am not to judge their actions since I have not experienced the pain and suffering that these women must have undergone. However, I can say that if there is someone that must be punished because of the abuse, it must be the perpetrators. The unborn child must not be harmed since it did not choose to be made. It never inflicted pain towards its mother. It is just a product of an unfortunate event. If the mother does not want to keep the baby, she should just give it up for adoption where the child is given a chance to live and experience life. I think that abortion should not be legalized in the Philippines. In Article 11, Section 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the state must protect the life of the mother and the unborn. Abortion, therefore, is unconstitutional. If ever, but unlikely, a new constitution will be drafted and will legalize abortion in the country, this will pave the way for new ethical issues to arise. People then will argue that if abortion is legal, then why not legalize this or that. In the years to come, the Philippines will be a country that only values the wants and comforts of its citizenry, and not the sanctity of life. I believe that the government should strengthen their campaign against abortion. It should put sharper teeth to the law in order to eliminate such  practice in the country. It should also provide comprehensive assistance to victims of sexual abuse in order to help them overcome psychological stress to avoid opting for abortion, and guide them on how to raise their children.

Comair's information systems and information technology Essay

Comair's information systems and information technology - Essay Example In this section I will present a brief overview of the Comair. This company is a regional airline carrier based in the US. This is very well reputable Air Line Company that consists of nearly 7000 airline professionals who, collectively, manage and operate more than 1100 daily flights carrying 30000 passengers. Throughout its history, Comair has been an award winning leader in the regional carrier industry (Case Study). Conair is running the AirCrews operations and scheduling throughout a legacy system. This system is just about 2 decades old. There are lots of predicaments linked with this system on the subject of management of the on the whole organizational operations. Comair has an expected implementation of the new SABRE software package in the end of the 2005, but currently Comair was still using the SBS legacy system, now divided into two modules so that pilot schedule changes and flight attendant schedule changes each have monthly limit of 32,000. Comair is also monitoring the volume of transactions more carefully (Case Study).. The main problem is regarding the handling of this system. This system is developed in FORTRAN in 1950s. As a result the basic working of this system is console based. There are also problems regarding the better user interface and working facilities of this system. Next main problem that has emerged is SBS legacy system capacity of the transaction handling. This system is developed to handle pilot schedule changes and flight attendant schedule changes to a monthly limit of 32,000. The business of the Comair is emerging day by day. The need and capacity of the transaction handling of the Comair requires more effective a big capacity system of the handling of future enlargements. This system was fully crashed on 25th due to overall processing of the changes. This problem happened due to the 32,768 changes in a month. This problem has really affected the organizational overall profit and lot of flights has canceled (Case

Who benefits from whistleblowing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Who benefits from whistleblowing - Essay Example One of the biggest beneficiaries of whistle blowing is the public because it is through the activities of whistleblowers that they come to attain knowledge concerning what is going on in their lives. Whistle blowing allows the public to make an assessment of the activities that are taking place in their societies and to take action to prevent any negative effects of the said activities from affecting them. In most instances, whistleblowers, especially in the public sector, provide information to the public, not for their own benefit, but as a means of doing the right thing (Wilkey 2003, p.331). When whistle blowing takes place, it is for the benefit of the public because it makes the public aware of incidents that might be going on secretly and causing them harm. For example, a whistleblower might bring to light information concerning a drug from a pharmaceutical company that while it is officially believed to be effective, is in fact having negative side effects on its users. The in formation gained from the whistleblower leads to investigations whose results, if they are found to be true, end up helping the public a great deal. Not only does such information ensure the safety of patients who might have used the drug, but it also helps those patients who had negative side effects to successfully sue the company involved and receive compensation. Therefore, in this case, a major beneficiary of whistle blowing activities is the public since it is the audience of the information and it is the only one which can put pressure on the government to act in bringing accountability to public institutions. Business organisations can also be beneficiaries of whistle blowing and this is especially based on preserving their reputations. Businesses that encourage a culture of internal whistle blowing make it possible for information to be given to management

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Personal statement - Essay Example Without it the resources of production remain resources and never become production† (p.147). This proves that management is a crucial activity for the welfare of a business. This is probably one of the reasons why I have chosen business management as the subject in university. I also believe that business management is a vast topic and is applicable to every sphere of business. I have always found business management to be an interesting subject for its scope and range. In the early days of my academic career, I never thought of making business management as a profession, but as soon I become aware of the concept I did not give a second thought and decided to pursue a career in this domain. The interest further grew when I started to oversee our family business which was initiated by my father long back. I have personally experienced the role played by business management in driving our firm towards success. The incident happened 3 years back when our family business was not doing well and for consecutive 3 months, we suffered hefty monetary losses. At this point of time my father stepped in as a manager, despite being the owner. I have seen him to appl y all the concepts of management such as planning, controlling, motivating and administering in the business to identify and rectify the root causes. As a result of the application of the management concepts, our business again became organized and started to earn profits. This episode has really fostered me to believe in business management as a profession in the future. The high school learning has helped me to identify the advantages and disadvantages of this subject, yet I always felt that I need to learn more about the subject. This eagerness to learn the subject still drives me and is one of the major factors that encouraged me to apply business and management course in the university. I believe that my work experience as an