Its Not About School Prayer Essays - Prayer, Religion And Children

It's Not About School Prayer The question of school prayer has been moved from one of the storage rooms way beyond the wings to somewhere prominently on stage, if not front stage and center. The most important thing about the discussion of a school prayer amendment is not school prayer as such. People of eminently good sense and religious conviction can disagree about whether there should be prayer in public schools and, if so, what kind of prayer and who should be in charge of it. Those decisions should be made by thousands of communities and local school boards across the country. That is called democracy. An amendment is needed not to mandate or even to encourage school prayer but to restore to the people their right and responsibility to deliberate and decide a question that bears upon the kind of education they want for their children. Parents who are serious about the moral and religious formation of their children should have no illusions that adding a prayer at the beginning of the school day will achieve that goal. Public policy should help such parents send their children to schools that share their educational goals. This means school vouchers, education tax credits, flexible charter schools, or other instruments that can enable parents to exercise real choice in education. That, however, does not obviate the need for a school prayer amendment, which might better be called an educational democracy amendment. Quite apart from the merits or demerits of prayer in public schools, an amendment is needed for three reasons. First, it is a necessary check upon the overreach of the imperial judiciary. The school prayer decisions of the early 1960s were a particularly blatant instance of judicial activism. The Constitution neither mandates nor prohibits prayer in the schools. What the Constitution says about school prayer is absolutely nothing. For almost two centuries nobody thought that school prayer was a constitutional question. It was up to local communities and their school boards. (Some scholars claim that a fairly small percentage of public schools actually had such prayer.) That is the way it should be again. Those who claim that the American people are not capable of deciding the question in a civil and mutually respectful manner reveal an unseemly contempt for the democratic process. Our point, however, is that what the Constitution does not say is unconstitutional is not unconstitution al. The Constitution does not say that prayer in the public schools is unconstitutional, therefore it is not unconstitutional. One may argue that school prayer is unfair, divisive, mischievous, or just plain dumb. But it is not unconstitutional, and apparently it will take an amendment to make that clear. The second reason for an amendment is that it will challenge the judicial advancement of the pernicious ideology of the naked public square, of American public life denuded of religion and religiously grounded values. Whatever else one may think of the school prayer decisions of the 1960s, they sent a powerful message that ours is a secular society, and that a secular society is one in which religion must be expunged from any sphere that is designated as public. Combine that with the notion that public is a synonym for governmental and the conclusion is inescapable that religion must retreat wherever government advances-and government advances almost everywhere. This has been the unhappy pattern of more than thirty years. An amendment can check that pattern and perhaps, in due course, reverse it. The third reason for an amendment, closely connected to the first two, is that the incoherence of church-state jurisprudence over the last three decades is tied up with the school prayer decisions. Many, if not most, of the justices of the Supreme Court in the last decade have at one time or another publicly admitted that the Court has gotten itself into a brier patch of confusion and self-contradiction when it comes to the religion clause of the First Amendment. In our view, the Court's decisions have created a situation in which the no establishment provision of the religion clause has increasingly undercut the free exercise provision, even though the free exercise of religion is manifestly the purpose of the religion clause. Former Chief Justice Warren Burger has observed

Unit 4 Discussion Example

Unit 4 Discussion Example Unit 4 Discussion – Coursework Example Unit 4 Discussion It takes an average of five seconds in order to decide whether to continue using the site or leave. Therefore, websites should not only be appealing to the user, but also have clear purpose, user friendly, and quick to load. Such a website should persuade visitors to visit the page in future. On the other hand a bad website usually has confusing layout, user unfriendly, unclear, use of and unbearable colors. An example of an excellent website is YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website and supports different video technologies. This is a good website because it contains good animation aspects, attractive color coding, good template and it is user friendly. The site also opens fast and provides the user with different options of the subject one is searching for. The layout of the site is excellent and one is able to select the item being searched easily. The website has meaningful graphics and compatible on dissimilar browsers (Hurley, Chen, & Karim, 2014). Heaven .internetarchaeology.org is an example of a bad website. The website is disorganized with poor color scheme. The website is slow to load with poorly laid out content. Visually, it is extremely unappealing and it is poor to navigate. This means that the site is user unfriendly due to poorly optimized images. Additionally, the website has left out crucial information. One cannot tell exactly what it entails thus inconclusive (Heaven.internetarchaeology, 2014). It is evident that an excellent website attracts the intended target audience easily. There are excellent tips for designing excellent websites like, selecting and sticking to a good color scheme. This means that one should not change colors on every single page. One should select three principal colors to utilize. Secondly, the navigation system should be user friendly. Lastly, it is imperative o ensure that the content of the website is easy to understand and with the right font. By following these tips, one will be ensured of designing an excellent website (Martin, 2012).ReferencesHeaven.internetarchaeology. (2014). Love You. http://heaven.internetarchaeology.org/heaven.html#button Hurley, C., Chen, S., & Karim, J. (2014). YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/Martin A. (2012). 1O Tips: Designing a Good Responsive Website. Retrieved from basenew.net/2012/12/11.html

Business overview of British American Tobacco

Business overview of British American Tobacco British American Tobacco (BAT) is the world’s second largest tobacco group by global market share. BAT produces cigarettes demanded by one-eighth of the world’s one billion adult smokers and this particular company is holding robust market position in each of their regions. Besides that, BAT has leadership in more than 50 markets. Based on last year’s performances (2009), BAT’s subsidiaries enabled the worldwide government to gather more than  £26 billion a year in taxes, including excise duty on their products which total up to almost nine times the Group’s profit after tax. BAT, which was founded in 1902, has existed as a significant global presence for over 100 years. By 1912, the company had become one of the world’s top dozen companies by market capitalization. This company works with thousands of tobacco farmers worldwide, producing some 724 billion cigarettes through 50 cigarette factories over 41 countries. The company employs more than 600,000 people worldwide. BAT’s workforce is of multi-cultural and they have devolved structure, with each local company having wide freedom of action and responsibility for their own operations. Within a framework of principles, standards, policies, strategies and delegated authorities, decisions are made as close as possible to the local stakeholders of each business. BAT operates according to responsibility seeing that their products pose risks to health. The business stresses on managed responsibility as it is integral to their strategy and through dialogue with their stakeholders, they are working towards commercial objectives in ways consistent with changing expectations of a modern tobacco business. This international tobacco group is the only group with a significant interest in tobacco leaf growing. Their companies run leaf programmes providing direct agronomy support to farmers, covering all aspects of crop production and environmental best practice. In 2009, the group purchased about 400,000 tonnes of tobacco leaves, grown by more than 250,000 farmers. BAT ensures the employees’ welfare. The company has specially carried out a global employee opinion survey also known as â€Å"Your Voice† to give them a secure and confidential way to voice their opinion about working at British American Tobacco. BAT’s business starts with their consumers and brands. The company focuses more on meeting preferences of adults who have chosen to consume tobacco and differentiating their brands from their competitors rather than encouraging people to start smoking or to smoke more. The business’ portfolio of more than 250 brands is based on distinct ‘must-win’ consumer segments which are: international, premium, lights and adult smokers aged below 30. ‘Dunhill’, ‘Kent’, ‘Lucky Strike’ and ‘Pall Mall’ are the four Global Drive Brands which cover the premium and value for money price segments. They grew by 4 per cent in 2009 (8 billion more cigarettes). The business is also increasing the profile of Vogue in the super premium segment and Viceroy, a leading low price international brand besides developing their Global Drive Brands. The growth of their brands is driven by innovation ranging from filters to flavours and packaging to cigarette formats. The business provides a mix of brand balanced between premium, mid-price and low-price. Besides that, the business applies the four managerial functions in its organization management; planning, organizing, leading and controlling. We have also interviewed a manager of British American Tobacco Singapore for further understanding.

Issues of Transformational Leadership in the Organization Research Paper

Issues of Transformational Leadership in the Organization - Research Paper Example This research report will focus on the alleged benefits of transformational leadership style as a potential tool for ensuring higher motivation, less resistance to change, the improvement of organizational culture, and generally gaining more employee commitment. The literature surrounding transformational leadership style seems to be gaining ground as an effective leadership model based on known employee behavior patterns that could effectively serve multiple business environments. It is hypothesized that transformational leadership style can bring significant value-added benefits to a diverse organization over that of other less-progressive styles. What is Transformational Leadership? To understand the potential implications of adopting a transformational leadership model, it is necessary to engage with its dimensions and understand how it applies to a contemporary, diversified organization. Transformational leadership is a progressive style, much like that of a mentor or coach, tha t inspires others through behavior, policy and attitude. This leadership design engages others to share goals and uses â€Å"inspirational appeals of authenticity to focus on the best in people: harmony, charity and good works† (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999, p.188). In this context, the transformational leader refutes some of the fundamental concepts of management through control or even incentives usage and instead elicits charismatic leadership style that gains ground with creating affiliation and belonging while also raising the emotional intelligence of employees and other staff members. A transformational leader â€Å"opens new thinking for fresh possibilities, re-imagines purpose and vision, ignites growth for employees, gives decision-making power, and manages through commitment strategies† (Adams & Adams, 2009, p.17). This leader takes the responsibility for the role of champion toward change philosophy and also teaches others how to make fundamental shifts in thei r thinking that align the organization toward a unified culture and does this through modeling positive new behaviors (Adams & Adams). In essence, the transformational leader takes on a personal role much like that of a human resources manager with a soft HRM approach that builds confidence, autonomy, and motivation. â€Å"Employers consistently mention collaboration and teamwork as being a critical skill, essential in all working environments† (Tarricone & Luca, 2002, p.55). Many of the pre-existing models of leadership, both justified through research and also through practical experience, do not have the ability to gain motivation in employee groups and build a sense of cultural unity. Transformational leaders have a progressive methodology that influences others with persuasive techniques and also by promoting ethical behavior that is consistent for the sake of modeling by others in the organization. This makes the transformational leader considerably accountable for thei r actions when others in the environment are building concepts of trust and team-based philosophy. Thus, it should be said that the transformatio

Credit control and charity research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Credit control and charity research - Essay Example The supplier`s background is unknown to RTE and so there is huge risk involved in making the payment early. What if payment is not done, supplier waives off from his liability, the goods promised are not provided? The above questions are examples of financial risk that the company features. To reduce financial risk RTE can do a credit check on the customer’s financial history. To verify credit worthiness these are checks on the customers financial position (Gruening, 2000). To see whether a party is capable enough of making the loan payments, these checks are carried prior to accepting loan requests. Credit Bureaus run these credit checks and to verify financial data, various financial institutions are contacted. The company`s credit score is then a measure of the company’s credit worthiness – and therefore a low credit score means high financial risk. To reduce their financial risk RTE can make use of references that are provided to them by customers. The mechanism is simple. A list of references is exchanged at or before the contract .Reference is one who confirms that the details provided by a particular person are legal or not. Verifying the details by all references prior to making the payment can actually minimize Regeneration Through Charity Limited`s exposure to financial risk. By this they will not expose themselves by paying anything that should not be paid. A true picture of the supplier can be obtained as the references are often people and companies with good reputation (Weiss, 2000). Other option on hand to the company to reduce financial risk is negotiating. In the current case the supplier asks for fifty percent initial payment. New terms can be set between RTE and supplier which are beneficial to RTE. There is an option that the supplier might agree to lower the initial amount of payment to be made if the overall contract price is increased by a little margin.

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay Example for Free

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay At first glance some people might consider this paper to be on the racial side, however it was all written by observations made. There are many differences between African Americans and Caucasians, some people dont see the differences because of ignorance . You must read the paper with an open mind and take none of this to heart. African American and Caucasians function differently in public surroundings. When you see a young African American you usually see them in groups of four of more. However, when one of them gets into a disagreement five to ten more show up in their defense. They are a very close knit group of individuals. I have also noticed that when you see a young African American walking around they are usually singing, talking very loud or running around. Also when they are in groups they are very loud and take over the area that they occupy. On the other hand when you see Caucasians they are rarely in groups of three or more. To top it off when someone in one of their groups gets in trouble the rest of the group is nowhere to be found. Most times when you see young Caucasian people in a group they are for the most part within a normal speaking level. These two groups tend to act differently in the public due to their cultural differences. There are a number of differences between the churches of African Americans and Caucasians. At most typical African American churches there are no true sermons. The African American churches tend to do more entertaining rather than teaching. They also do a great deal of singing and dancing involved in there praising of God. They emphasize fellowship in their churches especially after church when they all gather and close the celebration with a meal together. However at a typical Caucasian church there are a few differences. To start it off when you first walk in you get a program detailing what will be happening through the service. They tend to structure the whole service around a sermon or story. The service every week is very predictable as to what will happen. The Caucasian churches are more there to teach the ways of the lord as they have interpreted it. Although not all the African American and Caucasian churches are along this line a majority of the main stream ones are.

Igbo Government and Social Structure :: Essays Papers

Igbo Government and Social Structure Details of traditional Igbo government and social structure varied from place to place throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but its characteristic nature remained the same. The basic unit of Igbo life was the village group, and the most universal institution was the role of the family head. This was usually the oldest man of the oldest surviving generation. His role primarily involved settling family disputes, and because he controlled the channel of communication with the all-important ancestors, he commanded great respect and reverence. In some areas the government of chiefs and elders was composed of a governing age grade, in others the council of elders was made up of the oldest members of particular families. Titles played a major part in this society. There was a hierarchy of ascending titles that were to be taken in order, accompanied by an ascending scale of payments. The system acted as a simple form of social security, in that those who acquired titles paid a particular fee, and then were entitled to share in the payments of those who later acquired titles. A series of intense rituals were to be undertaken before acquiring a title, which was considered a symbol of character as well as of success. A titled man’s life was dominated by numerous religious restrictions, and it was expected that these would be strictly adhered to. A few Igbo states, such as Aboh and Onitsha, which had a tradition of origin from elsewhere, were ruled by kings, which were regarded as sacred and lived in ritual seclusion. However, the decisions taken by these kings were by no means final, they were often challenged and overruled by other titled men with whom they were required to consult. In general, h owever, kingship was an unfamiliar concept to the majority of Igbos. A political institution that was widespread but not universal was that of the age-grade. Each age-grade was responsible for specific areas of community service, and this often promoted rivalry between the groups. This was actually a valuable instrument of social control, in that in order to preserve the good name of their age-group, its members became involved in disciplining and restraining those who tended to cause trouble within the community. Secret societies were also an instrument of social control. Their members would appear at night, masked, in the guise of supernatural beings. Any offenders in the community would be denounced.

Healthcare Fraud Essay

On May 14, 2013 Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sibelius announced â€Å"nationwide takedown† by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations, in eight cities that resulted in charges against 89 individuals, which included doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $223 million in false billings. In Chicago, seven individuals were charged, including two doctors, with a variety of health care fraud schemes. This (sixth) nationwide takedown targeted eight cities: Miami, Houston, Los Angles, Detroit, Tampa, Brooklyn N.Y, and Chicago. On April 16, 2013, the owner, senior executive of Sacred Heart Hospital, along with four physicians in the west side facility were arrested for conspiring to pay and receive illegal kickbacks. The kickbacks included more than $225,000 in cash, along with other forms of payment, in exchange for the referral of patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid to the hospital. On Oct 19, 2012, a west suburban dermatologist, Robert Kolbusz, was indicted in U.S. District Court on four counts of wire fraud and three counts of mail fraud. He was accused of submitting false claims for hundreds of patients, according to FBI officials. The Department of Health aand Human Services reported that in fiscal year 2011, in Illinois alone there were: 326 Medicaid fraud investigations, 48 were indicted on Medicaid fraud charges, 30 were convicted, 18 cases of civil settlements/judgments, and $47.8 million dollars was recovered in Medicare fraud cases. There are abundant news stories in the media today about the federal government enforcements against hospitals, laboratories, medical equipment suppliers, hospices, home health agencies, physicians and other health care service providers. Unfortunately, these cases are just the tip-of-the-iceberg with many health care fraud cases going undetected and or unreported. According to Black’s Law Dictionary fraud is defined as â€Å"some deceitful practice or willful device, resorted to with intent to deprive another of his/ her right, or in some manner to do him an injury. It is distinguished from negligence, and is always intentional†. Healthcare fraud is a white-collar crime that usually involves filing health care claims by healthcare service provider to turn a profit for the healthcare service providers. It involves â€Å"an unlawful act, generally deception for personal gain†, and encompasses a wide range of irregularities and illegal acts that  are characterized by intentional deception. (Pozgar, 2011) According to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) healthcare fraud in our country costs an estimated $80 billion a year- making it one of the biggest â€Å"white-collar-crime†. Health care fraud is committed when a dishonest provider or consumer intentionally submits or causes someone else to submit false or misleading information for use in determining the amount of healthcare benefits payable. (Pozgar, 2011) Health care fraud usually includes insurance fraud, drug fraud and medical fraud. There are several ways by which the health care insurance fraud can be committed by fraudulent health care service providers: 1.) billing for services not rendered, 2.) up-coding of services which is billing the Medicare for services that were more expensive than the ones provided, 3.) up-coding of items which is billing for more expensive items than was provided, 4.) unbundling, wherein a corrupt healthcare service provides bills that stagger over time in order to claim more monies from Medicare, 5.) unnecessary services, 6.) duplicate claims- Medicare is charged twice for the same service and 7.) Kickbacks, which are rewards in cash or kind received by healthcare professionals for recommending or referring specific services for example referring a patient for an MRI even when it’s not required. The findings from the Office of Management and Budget’s fact sheet â€Å"Transforming and Modernizing America’s Health Care†, revealed that the United States spends approximately $8,000 per person on health care. This figure is expected to rise to approximately $4 trillion by 2017. Even the most conservative estimates of the cost of fraud abuse within our health care system range from between $66 billion and $220 billion per year. With the increasing cost of health care in America, the cost of health care fraud abuse could easily rise above $400 billion per year by the year 2017. (Office of Management and Budget’s fact sheet). Therefore, it is safe to say that health care fraud is not only an economic drain on our health care system, but costs our nation the health of its citizens (Semi-Annual Report to Congress, 2009) as it robs the system of the money that would be far better spent on making sick people healthy. Health care fraud not only costs our nation in terms of health care dollars and patient care. It is one of the important factors that has contributed to the increasing cost of the health care services. Due to the immense role played by the healthcare fraud on the economic drain on our health care system and  also on the health of the nation, it is receiving a tremendous attention from both the government and the people. Increasing cost of healthcare is a valid concern for American families and a primary concern for the American government. It affects all individuals, directly or indirectly as the billions of dollars that are lost to the healthcare fraud lead to increased health care costs and increasing the cost of potential coverage, which may further lead to loss of personal income savings leading to ruined credit. Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. (Price & Norris, 2009) The money lost due to fraud increases the costs of providing a full range of legitimate medical services tremendously. Physicians may perform unnecessary procedures to increase reimbursement, which may compromise the safety of the patient. Further, when medical providers bill for services that were never rendered, they end up creating a false medical history for patients which may hinder them from obtaining disability or life insurance policies, at a later date. An inaccurate medical history also influences treatment decisions and allows some third party insurance companies to deny coverage based on a previous medical condition. Health care fraud also tarnishes the reputation of the medical profession and other health care service providers. Additionally, the efforts by the federal and the state government cost taxpayers billions of dollars a year, thus diverting the scarce tax money from other essential services and meeting the needs of elderly and the poor. This diversion of the taxpayer’s money often results in reduced benefit coverage, changes in eligibility for programs such as Medicaid, higher premiums for individuals or their employers, or higher copays. Health care fraud has become a primary issue for people and the government. In the last ten or so years, the government has invested a lot of effort and time on investigating health care fraud with the goal of decreasing its occurrence, and the government continues to initiate new policies, and create investigative bodies to deal specifically with health care fraud. Health care fraud is a critical issue for the government for a variety of reasons. Firstly, given that the government is the principal payer of health care, it is obviously concerned about how that money is spent. Secondly, health care fraud is a waste of taxpayer money. Third, it is the government which is in charge of regulating the health care system. Last but not the least, it is the government that is entrusted with protecting its citizens  from all sorts of criminal and crimes. Health care fraud is a serious problem affecting every patient and consumer. The devastating situation is rooted not only in the excessive financial losses incurred, which often extends into the billions of dollars every year, but also in patient harm. The Department of Justice has declared health care fraud to be its second highest priority, following violent crimes (Kalb, 1999). In the past fifteen years the government has spent millions of dollars fighting health care fraud. In May 2009, the HHS and Department of Justice (DOJ) collaborated to create the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT). With the creation of HEAT, the battle against the healthcare fraud especially against Medicare and Medicaid fraud became a cabinet-level priority. The HEAT’S mission is to 1.) â€Å"Gather resources across the government to help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. 2) Crack down on the people and organizations who abuse the system and cost Americans billions of dollars each year. 3) Reduce health care costs and improve quality of care by preventing fraudsters from preying on people with Medicare and Medicaid. 4) Highlight best practices by providers and organizations dedicated to ending waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare. 5.) Build upon the existing partnerships between HHS and DOJ to reduce fraud and recover taxpayer dollars.† (HEAT Task Force Mission) In addition, to creating a task force, the administration also encourages ordinary citizens to report against health care fraud. There are several ways to report a healthcare fraud – a patient or health care provider who may have witnessed a fraud, may report to FBI, at their local office, or telephone and or online forms. â€Å"Stop Medicare fraud† website also provides various tips to citizen to protect themselves from healthcare fraud. Understandably, to completely stop healthcare fraud is a difficult task, but â€Å"the more we know about it, the easier it is to stop† (Blue Cross Blue Shield) References Black’s free online law dictionary Definition of Fraud. (2nd Edition) Retrieved June 13, 2013 http://thelawdictionary.org/fraud/ Blue Cross Blue Shield. Healthcare Fraud Regence. Retrieved June 17, 2013 from htttp://www.regence.com/docs/legal/provider-fraud-brochure.pdf. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary. National Health Expenditure Projections 2007- 2017 Chicago Tribune, Featured Articles. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-19/news/ct-tl-downers-dermatologist-charged-20121019_1_medicare-fraud-fraud-cases-medicare-medicaid-services Federal Bureau of Investigations. Healthcare Fraud. Retrieved June 14, 2013 from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/white_collar/health-care-fraud Illinois Policy Institute. News & Blogs. Retrieved June 14, 2013 from http://illinoispolicy.org/blog/blog.asp?ArticleSource=5746 Kalb, Paul, E. â€Å"Health Care Fraud and Abuse†. Journal of American Medical Association 282 (1999): 1163-1168. Price. Marilyn & Norris, Donna. Health Care Fraud: Physicians as White collar criminals? Journal of American Academy Psychiatry Law 37:286–9, 2009 Pozgar, George. D (2011). Legal Aspects of Healthcare Administration (11th Edition) Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Lea rning. Semi-Annual Report to Congress October 1 2008-March 31-2009, Office of the Inspector General Stop Medicare Fraud. HEAT Task Force Mission. Retrieved June 17, 2013 from http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/index.html US Department of Health and Human Services. News and Press Release. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2013pres/05/20130514a.html US Department of Justice. News and Press Release. Retrieved June 13, 2013 from http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2013/pr0416_01.html

Borderlands Gloria Anzaldua

Imagine present day Mexico, there are many popular Mexican staples that can come to mind i. e tacos, warm weather, and pesos. However, when you take a closer look at their culture it is clear that the Mexican people are very religious. More specifically they are very connected to the Virgen de Guadelupe. The Virgen is depicted all over Mexico and is one of their most celebrated and loved saints. The Virgen de Guadelupe originates from Coatlicue The Aztecs, a 12th century CE civilization, were very religious and worshiped many gods and goddesses. The ritual sacrifices that took place in the Aztec society influenced their everyday lives. The Aztec’s were highly spiritual, always inspired and taught by the gods and goddesses, for which they were the creators of the earth and life. â€Å"The earliest is Coatlicue, or â€Å"Serpent Skirt. † She had a human skull or serpent for a head, a necklace of human hearts, a skirt of twisted serpents and taloned feet,† (Anzaldua 49). She was a woman, an Earth Goddess, the beholder of all. â€Å"Coatlicue, Lady of the Serpent Skirt, contained and balanced the dualities of male and female, light and dark, life and death,† (Anzaldua 54). Since Coatlicue possesses these dualities she consisted of everything and in turn accepts all. â€Å"She is the central deity connecting us to our Indian ancestory† (Anzaldua 49). Of the many rituals performed by the Aztecs, only sacrifices would please her. The Spaniards embarked into the Aztec civilization during the 15th century CE. They were disgusted by the Aztec 2sacrifices, considering them barbaric. The Spaniards decided to disregard this ancient religion. â€Å"Coatlicue, the serpent goddess, and her more sinister aspects, Tlazolteotl and Cihuacoatl, were â€Å"darkened† and disempowered much in the same manner as he Indian Kali† (Anzaldua 49). Coatilicue became the good mother, split from her dark guises. The Spaniards along with the Church continued to split her. What they were doing was desexing Coatlicue; her dualities were never discussed again. The manifestation of this change is now called la Virgen de Guadalupe. Coatlicue is embodied in all of us . I feel that she is in everything around us as well. This is because she is good and evil; light and dark. What the Spaniards did was hide half of her. Letting only the good shine through and thus being unfaithful to the true Earth Goddess. Then there is the Antigua, somebody who is a greater figure, more of a divine presence. I think this is my connection with Coatlicue, the serpent woman, with la Virgen de Guadalupe, with what people call goddesses† (Anzaldua 241). The divine presence is what Gloria Anzaldua feels within her soul. She has unleashed a deep yearning that she has known her whole life. â€Å"The loss of a sense of dignity and respect in the macho breeds a false machismo which leads him to put down women and even to brutalize them. Coexisting with his sexist behavior is a love for the mother which takes precedence over that of all others. Devoted son, macho pig. To wash down the shame of his acts, of his very being, and to handle the brute in the mirror, he takes to the bottle, the snort, the needle, and the fist,† (Anzaldua 105). The western culture has morphed men into the almighty power. When Coatlicue ruled, women were highly regarded and men didn’t have superior attitudes. Since Coatlicue has been desexed and buried amongst the â€Å"voodoo† worshipers that we all laugh at today, there has been a major shift of power that was not for the greater good. I feel that if the 21st century can accept their inner Coatlicue this wouldn’t be common among men. This is because Coatlicue doesn’t allow this and men would be ashamed to put down a woman. Present day, many men think that its their duty to â€Å"wear the pants† in the family. Our dominant male society has caused women to become suppressed. Women still don’t receive equal pay and are pressured into a caretaker role in the household. The most upsetting aspect is that 50 years ago it was even worse and the progress women have strived for has only recently been accredited. Breaking the glass ceiling† is a common term amongst working women philosophy. However, I feel that there wouldn’t be a glass ceiling to break if Coatlicue was present in our lives. Anzaldua struggles with her many identities; her homosexuality is one which caused major conflict within herself and family. â€Å"We are ashamed that we need your good opinion, that we need your acceptance. We can no longer camouflage our needs, can no longer let defenses and fences sprout around us. We can no longer withdraw† (Anzaldua 110). Feeling this resentment towards your culture and your family is a huge struggle. Like many other homosexuals, Anzaldua wants to be accepted. It would be comforting to know that no matter what you were accepted. Sadly, this is not how our culture is and many of us, like Anzaldua, feel rejected. Coatlicue was the one who gave her strength when she was down and when Anzaldua needed her Coatlicue was there. Coatlicue accepts all; this is because she embodies everything and is not the good mother virgin that we are all accustomed too. Coatlicue is true to life and accepts the good and the bad. I am cultureless because, as a feminist, I challenge the collective cultural/ religious male-derived beliefs of Indo-Hispanics and Anglos; yet I am cultured because I am participating in the creation of yet another culture, a new story to explain the world and our participation in it, a new value system with images and symbols that connect us to each other and to the planet,† ( Anzaldua 102,10 3). Coatlicue is all cultures and this is why Anzaldua gravitates toward her in so many ways. Coatlicue doesn’t shun homosexuals or mixed races. This is because she accepts all life, Coatlicue looks beyond these superficial traits and looks inside of you to see who you really are. This freedom to be whoever allows everyone to express themselves freely. Anzaldua is drawn to this especially because she has a lot of distinct qualities that the western culture looks down on. Coatlicue allows Anzaldua to be herself free of guilt or shame. Anzaldua has a place with Coatlicue and everyone who believes in her spirit. â€Å"The mestizo and the queer exist at this time and point on the evolutionary continuum for a purpose. We are a blending that proves that all blood is ntricately woven together, and that we are spawned out of similar souls,† (Anzaldua 107). This is inspired from the meaning of Coatlicue. Anzaldua has a chance to overcome the obstacles she feels within herself. Globally we need to accept this because as time passes we will all blend into a melting pot†¦ to not accept one of us, is the same as all of us, bec ause we are all one of the same. Coatlicue is the heart of expressing yourself and the Aztecs understood the power of this message. No matter who you are there is a point in your life that you feel alone, left out, or different. During this time of stuggle is when you can reach for Coatlicue. She will accept you and not be disgusted with you like western culture. At times like these I wish I had Coatlicue. I feel as if knowing about Coatlicue I am a stonger person. As a Roman Catholic I have always felt that having the Virgin Mary’s grace and love was unobtainable. It’s not realistic to say you will never sin, never hate, never have any evil. Coatlicue is the true model of who and what we are. This is because we all have good and evil within us and Coatlicue is that. Gloria Anzaldua didn’t intend on inspiring or captivating the public. This naive way of writing, at some points almost talking to herself, is what I liked the most. This style of writing is very true to her and all that she discussed. With this, the outcome of Borderlands had a greater effect than Gloria ever thought. Especially when published within a western culture that doesn’t accept much. This acceptance shows the need people want to change, grow, and overcome these man-made obstacles built hundreds of years ago. Gloria’s book will continue to inspire countless generations and I truly feel that time will allow Coatlicue to rise again.

An Overview of Impressionism in Art History

An Overview of Impressionism in Art History Impressionist art is a style of painting that emerged in the mid-to-late 1800s and emphasizes an artists immediate impression of a moment or scene, usually communicated through the use of light and its reflection, short brushstrokes, and separation of colors. Impressionist painters,such as Claude Monet in his Impression: Sunrise and Edgar Degas in Ballet Class, often used modern life as their subject matter and painted quickly and freely, capturing light and movement in a way that had not been tried before.   Key Takeaways: Impressionism Impressionism is a style of painting that was developed in the late 19th century.  The style, methods, and topics of Impressionism rejected previous historical painting, replacing carefully hidden brushstrokes of historical events with visible thick bright colors of modern scenes.  The first exhibition was in 1874, and it was roundly panned by art critics.Key painters include Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Impressionism: Definition Avenue de LOpà ©ra. Snow Effect. Morning, by Pissarro Camille. Mondadori / Getty Images Although some of the most respected artists of the Western canon were part of the Impressionist movement, the term impressionist was originally intended as a derogatory term, used by art critics who were flatly appalled at this new style of painting. In the mid-1800s, when the Impressionist movement was born, it was commonly accepted that serious artists blended their colors and minimized the appearance of brushstrokes to produce the licked surface preferred by the academic masters. Impressionism, in contrast, featured short, visible strokes- dots, commas, smears, and blobs. The first piece of art to inspire the critical nickname impressionism was Claude Monets 1873 piece Impression: Sunrise, a piece that was presented at the first exhibition in 1874. Conservative painter Joseph Vincent was quoted in a review in increasingly sarcastic ways, calling Monets work not as finished as wallpaper. To call someone an Impressionist in 1874 was an insult, meaning the painter had no skill and lacked the common sense to finish a painting before selling it.   The First Impressionist Exhibition Frà ©dà ©ric Bazille, Bazilles Studio, 1870. Musà ©e dOrsay, Parà ­s (Francia) In 1874, a group of artists who dedicated themselves to this messy style pooled their resources to promote themselves in their own exhibition. The idea was radical. In those days the French art world revolved around the annual Salon, an official exhibition sponsored by the French government through its Acadà ©mie des Beaux-Arts. The group (Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Berthe Morisot, and a raft of others) called themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc. Together they rented exhibition space from the photographer Nadar (a pseudonym of Gaspard-Fà ©lix Tournachon). Nadars studio was in a new building, which was a rather modern edifice; and the entire effect of their efforts caused a sensation. For the average audience, the art looked strange, the exhibition space looked unconventional, and the decision to show their art outside of the Salon or the Academys orbit (and even sell directly off the walls) seemed close to madness. Indeed, these artists pushed the limits of art in the 1870s far beyond the range of acceptable practice. Even in 1879, during the fourth Impressionist Exhibition, the French critic Henry Havard wrote: I confess humbly I do not see nature as they do, never having seen these skies fluffy with pink cotton, these opaque and moirà © waters, this multi-colored foliage. Maybe they do exist. I do not know them.   Impressionism and Modern Life Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, 1874. Mondadori Portfolio Impressionism created a new way of seeing the world. It was a way of observing the city, the suburbs, and the countryside as mirrors of the modernization that each of these artists perceived and wanted to record from their point of view. Modernity, as they knew it, became their subject matter. Mythology, biblical scenes and historical events that had dominated the revered history painting of their era were replaced by subjects of contemporary life, such as cafes and street life in Paris, suburban and rural leisure life outside of Paris, dancers and singers and workmen. The Impressionists attempted to capture the quickly shifting light of natural daylight by painting outdoors (en plein air). They mixed their colors on the canvas rather than their palettes and painted rapidly in wet-on-wet complementary colors made from new synthetic pigments. To achieve the look they wanted, they invented the technique of broken colors, leaving gaps in the top layers to reveal colors below, and abandoning the films and glazes of the older masters for a thick impasto of pure, intense color. In a sense, the spectacle of the street, cabaret or seaside resort became history painting for these stalwart Independents (who also called themselves the Intransigents- the stubborn ones). The Evolution of Post-Impressionism Mary Cassatt, A Cup of Tea, 1879. Corbis/VCG / Getty Images The Impressionists mounted eight shows from 1874 to 1886, although very few of the core artists exhibited in every show. After 1886, the gallery dealers organized solo exhibitions or small group shows, and each artist concentrated on his or her own career. Nevertheless, they remained friends (except for Degas, who stopped talking to Pissarro because he was an anti-Dreyfusard and Pissarro was Jewish). They stayed in touch and protected each other well into old age. Among the original group of 1874, Monet survived the longest. He died in 1926. Some artists who exhibited with the Impressionists in the 1870s and 1880s pushed their art into different directions. They became known as Post-Impressionists: Paul Cà ©zanne, Paul Gauguin, and Georges Seurat, among others. Important Impressionists   Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, on the Butte-Montmartre. Painting by Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), 1876. Corbis   / Getty Images The impressionist artists were friends, who as a group were part of the cafe set in the city of Paris. Many of them lived in the Batignolles neighborhood,located in the 17th arrondissement of the city. Their favorite meeting place was the Cafà © Guerbois, located on Avenue de Clichy in Paris. The most influential impressionists of the period include: Claude MonetEdgar DegasPierre-August RenoirCamille PissarroBerthe MorisotMary CassattAlfred SisleyGustave CaillebotteArmand GuillauminFrà ©dà ©ric Bazille

My Educational Philosophy Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Educational Philosophy Statement - Essay Example In this essay, I would like to narrate my educational philosophy, which enabled me to develop my teaching career and explore myself to become the achiever of my long term cherished goal. Since my childhood I have been longing for becoming a good teacher not only for students but for the community as well. The phrase 'good teacher' can be interpreted in many perspectives depending upon the philosophy one follows. Personally, I believe that teacher has a prominent role to play in the lives of his students as he is one of the closest companions who knows students' pulses more than any other. As Beth Lewis remarks in a journal article that "I believe that a teacher is morally obligated to enter the classroom with only the highest of expectations for each and every one of her students. Thus, the teacher maximizes the positive benefits that naturally come along with any self-fulfilling prophecy; with dedication, perseverance, and hard work, her students will rise to the occasion" (Lewis Be th, n.d.). To become an endless source of inspiration to students, Beth points out that the teacher should be one who views- "I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high expectations to the classroom each day. I believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the community, to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the hope that I can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the children as well (Lewis Beth, n.d.). Attributes of a Teacher Every teacher should have certain qualities which make them different from others. A teacher should always focus on the benefits of society as a whole. He/she must work for the common good rather than his/her individual interest. In fact, a teacher must be a role model for the whole populace in his/her region. Like any other area, success lies in attitude and approach. The successful teachers are everywhere alike. As Melissa Kelly pointed out, successful teachers share some common characteristics (Kelly, n.d.). I also believe that the following attributes are unavoidable for a teacher in his career. Sense of Humor The sense of humor helps to relieve you from tension and make the students happy. A class room with rigorous protocols is no longer produce students' creative skills. They might score good marks in the examination, but their creativity will not be satisfactory. They might be poor in soft skills such as negotiation skill. Furthermore, it allows a teacher to experience the joy of life as a teacher and forget the bitter experiences in his/her life and career. Positive Attitude As I mentioned earlier, a teacher is a role model for students. Students always prefer to catch the qualities of their teacher. One with a positive attitude never fails in life is well known to all. In the teaching profession one may come across many hurdles, but they cane be overcome successfully with positive attitude and enthusiasm. The positive attitude of a teacher is inculcated in his/her students through his/her classes and interactions. High Expectations One of the key factors for success is high expectations. If a teacher has high expectations on his/her students, the students will also try to achieve great things in life. But, that does not mean that a teacher should always be after high unrealistic expectations. Consistency A positive learning environment is characterized by consistency of a teacher and his approach. The consistency in

Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community - Essay Example Attendance is described as good as the school district has partnered with a truancy solution company and as such has launched a campaign to encourage students to attend school regularly. As a result, school attendance has improved by 10%. The latest report reflects that daily attendance is at just over 94%. District Setting Administration For administrative purposes the school district is divided into four categories: elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and special schools. There are 68 elementary schools, 18 middle schools, 15 high schools and 8 special schools. Each school is run by a principal who reports to the Superintendent for the district. The superintendent is assisted by a deputy superintendent for administration, a deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction and a deputy superintendent for business and financial services. The superintendent and the various deputy superintendents coordinate all aspects of the administration of the school with the princ ipals. Student Data Enrolment for the 2010-2011 academic year is 94, 702. The district accepts students from the age of 4 for pre-kindergarten. Once students are registered at an elementary school, registration is no longer necessary. Students come from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. However, 67% of the student body is Hispanic. District Mission The school district’s mission is to provide an exemplary education with above average educators and an intensive extracurricular program. In addition the school district’s mission is to foster an environment that is family oriented. In other words, the school district encourages close community between the staff, teachers, administrators, the study body and the families. The school district readily admits that its wants to be the best place in the state for families. Thus its mission is to foster a connection between the schools and parents, business and members of the community generally. This is because the school dis trict takes the position that while the child’s education is significant for society’s future, the family provides the key to learning. As such, parents are not only obligated to be actively involved in the education of the child, but also have an inalienable right to be involved. The school district prides itself on its advanced technology, innovative facilities and highly qualified staff. These factors have made the school district appealing to both staff and families in terms of recruiting students and educators. The school district has a strategic plan which targets the enhancement of its students’ academic and social achievement. It also endeavors to provide a climate for learning that is safe. This is accomplished by emphasizing the recruitment and retention of exemplary staff, keeping up with modern technology and fostering communications with the external public and fortifying partnerships with the business community. Mission/Philosophy Public Relations The school district’s school/community relations mission is guided by the philosophy that the community is a stakeholder in its schools. As such, two-way lines of communication must be open so that the school district operates transparently and the community is therefore fully informed of all issues impacting the operation and success of the school. An informed community is in a more effective position to participate in the school distr