Near Failure at Nagasaki Essay

Mission was planned for August 11th but was changed to the 9th due to bad weather Primary target was Kokura and Nagasaki was secondary Bomb to be dropped was called Fat Man, a plutonium bomb more complex than the one dropped on Hiroshima 509th commander, Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr. choose Maj. Charles W. Sweeney, commander of the 393rd Bomb Squadron to command the mission Six B-29s was sent to the mission Sweeney and Bock switched airplanes, with Sweeney flying Bockscar and Bock flying The Great Artiste Bockscar had problems with fuel; there was 7,250 gallons of fuel aboard and only 600 gallons in reserve tank The rendezvous point for the mission was Yakushima The airplanes were supposed to meet at 30,000ft instead of 8,000 due to bad weather conditions. The B29, observation airplane, named Big Stink, piloted by opkinsHHopHopkins, was circling at 39,000ft instead 30,000 Sweeney was at the rendezvous point at Kokura for 45 min instead 15 min and made multiple bombing runs Hopkins broke radio silence, to avoid detection, and radioed back to base after not being able to rendezvous with Sweeney The target was changed to Nagasaki due to complications at Kokura Beahan took the first clear sighting and confirmed the drop was possible The bomb was detonated at 1,890ft at 11:02am over Urakami Valley, which was not the original target in Nagasaki About 40,000 people were killed, compared to 80, 000 at Hiroshima Issues 1. Leadership And Discipline 2. Time Management 3. Respect And Cooperation Issue 1 Leadership And Discipline In order to run a successful mission the team must have a strong leader. Discipline and well-defined leadership can make or break a project, mission or business. In such endeavors there is the requirement that all members follow the plan as it was discussed and to not make any changes on their own which would negatively affect the success of the mission. There were various instances in this mission where lack of authority and deviation from the original plan caused delays in the execution of the plan. Furthermore when other team members assumed similar authority as the team commander there were problems executing basic parts of the plan as well as failure to adjust properly. Proposed Solutions Positives Negatives Tibbets should have settled Sweeney’s authority Less discord/questioning among team members May have taken more time to get mission together as there may have been objections Choose someone more qualified with combat and leadership experience to better execute the plan Someone, such as Ashworth, with prior experience would have more authority, be able to build strong team and made less mistakes Tibbets would have needed to take at least one other member on the Hiroshima run As team leader, enforce authority There would have been less discord and confusion as to what the commander wanted to do Some team members may not have liked the assertion of authority Chosen solution Tibbets should have assigned a more qualified commander to the team. The most eligible candidate would have been Ashworth. By having Ashworth, who had combat experience, take control over the mission there would have been less discord and better cooperation among the members of the team. Hopkins would have had more respect for Ashworth based primarily on seniority. The mission would have had fewer problems in execution if there were only one point of reference and decision-making. Backup plan In case Ashworth would not have worked out, Tibbets could have also implemented severe repercussions for any individuals failing to follow the plan and obey orders. Issue 2 Time Management Executing a plan, especially a time critical one, is essential for accomplishing that plan. No matter the mettle of the members, their accolades or accomplishments, failure to abide by the agreed upon plan and time limits can ultimately doom a well-planned mission to failure. Proposed Solutions Positives Negatives Sweeney should have made the decision to inform the crew when he discovered the fuel problem The crew may have thought more highly of Sweeney’s ability to lead. This would have also given them more time aloft There may have been more time spent fueling this delaying the mission even more. Sweeney should have left the original rendezvous point after 15 minutes The mission would have had more time to better plan for the drop on Nagasaki If everyone else decided to delay, Sweeney leaving early may not have made a difference Make sure that ALL team members understood and agreed to follow a specific plan, with minimal room for adjustments Hopkins and Ashworth would not have any room to second-guess Sweeney and would have been held responsible for deviations in the plan. The proper method of communication  would have to be chosen here in order to get the plan to execute smoothly Chosen solution The most important factor that could have improved the outcome of the mission was having Sweeney leave the rendezvous point on time. If Sweeney had left he would have had more time and fuel to accomplish the Nagasaki mission, possibly resulting in a drop on the exact target that was originally planned for Nagasaki. Backup plan In case Sweeney was not able to leave on time, then it should have been made clear that all directions in the mission should be followed as planned if the commander is unable to perform. In this case the mission should be abandoned if the strict time limits were not met. Additionally, they should not have armed the bomb until we were five minutes out from the drop location; thus giving the opportunity to abort and return with an unarmed bomb. Issue 3 Respect And Cooperation Ideally a commander or leader is assigned because of their proven ability to lead. They should not simply be appointed but should earn their qualifications. Tibbets chose Sweeney ahead of other, more worthy, candidates such as Ashworth and Hopkins. However we are sometimes placed in positions that we are not expecting yet we must be prepared to at least recognize the new opportunity. Proposed Solutions PositivesNegatives Sweeney should have discussed the mission with the team in more detail and asked for the cooperation. Sweeney would have had less friction with his team members and would have had better clarity for making decisions Ashworth and Hopkins may not have agreed to work under Sweeney in either case A higher ranked team leader should have been chosen There would be less concern or hierarchy and an overall less problematic mission. Team members may have felt that they were not trusted to execute the mission Sweeney’s team should have consisted of all members below his rank There would have been less questioning of Sweeney’s decisions The members may not have been as experienced as the crew which actually went on the mission Chosen Solution Sweeney should have discussed the mission in more detail with the other members. He had various opportunities from the fueling concern to the early breakfast as well as his encounter with Hopkins before the flight. He should have exerted his command and asked for the overall team’s cooperation in making the mission succeeds. If there was any one there who would not want to cooperate, or couldn’t work as Sweeney’s junior then they should have been replaced. Backup Plan If Sweeney would not have been able to rally his team members around him then a different commander should have been chosen. Sweeney showed many signs of not being confident in his command, or being too inclusive of other opinions. Someone who was more experienced and more capable of orchestrating the plan would have had less problems and a smoother mission.

Risk Management Plan of Little Falls Hospital

As the new risk manager, I have been asked to prepare a Risk Management Plan that will help to develop a culture of safety throughout Little Falls Hospital. The purpose of the Risk Management Plan is to provide guidelines and methods to assure that the broad range of both administrative and clinical activities at the facility are monitored and coordinated in order to reduce losses associated with consumer, employee, or visitor injuries, property loss or damage and other sources of potential facility liability. At this facility, Risk Management is the responsibility of every employee.Due to the size and complexity of this facility and its programs, it is necessary for all employees to participate for effective management of risk. Providing an ongoing, comprehensive, and systematic approval to reducing the risk of exposure is the focus of the risk management plan. The activities included in risk management are identifying, investigating, analyzing, and evaluating risk, followed by sele cting and implementing the most appropriate methods for correcting, reducing, managing, transferring, and/or eliminating them.This plan requires the cooperation from all departments, services, and patient care professionals. Policies, procedures and protocols will be provided to address exposure to events such as professional, business-related, general and motor vehicle liabilities, and workers’ compensation which may be created. The primary responsibility of this risk management program is to identify, investigate, and manage injuries, accidents, and other potentially compensable events.This process will be directed by me, the risk manager, and the others I have assigned to participate in the various components of events that may occur with patients, staff, visitors, and organizational assets. To achieve quality care in a safe environment and to protect the organization’s resources, this risk management plan will influence, persuade and educate leaders within all depa rtments—Administration, Billing Services, Human Resources, Legal Services, Medical Equipment—just to name a few.With this risk management program in place, the organization will use the patient satisfaction surveys to respond to issues the patients may have and measure the satisfaction of the patients. We will also directly participate in resolving any complaints received. Little Falls Hospital’s Risk Management Program will emphasize the following: Improving patient satisfactionImproving the safety of patients through our participation in National Patient Safety Goals, organizational safety strategies, and other patient safety initiatives Assessing systems that can contribute to the care, error and injuries of patients Educate the stakeholders on risk exposures and risk reduction initiatives as they arise Promote the quality care of patients while working to improve quality/performance activities Comply with the state-specific scope of practice, applicable laws , regulations and standards Minimize the frequency and severity of inauspicious eventsImprove the environmental safety for the patients, visitors and staff by participating in care-related environmental activities Achieve requirements advertised by accredited organizations Address contrary events and injuries to diminish any future losses By implementing continuous improvement strategies, this Risk Management Program is being designed to reduce potentially unsafe conditions and system-related errors.In order for this program to be a success requires there to be top-level commitment and support from all parties. This program and plan is authorized by the governing board via a resolution that will be documented in the minutes from the board meeting. As changes and issues come up, the risk management plan will be reviewed, updated, and approved daily, or as needed.

Self Development Assignment

This assignment is designed to help you understand yourself. In this course, you will explore who you are in terms of your personality, skills and values. Further, you will examine how you work and interact with others. In it, you will explore two areas of strength, two areas of weakness, and then you will develop a plan of action focused on one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. It is expected that this assignment will contribute to your sense of self-awareness and thus help you make wise choices about your future. As part of our in-class activities, we will focus on self discovery. This will allow you to reflect and disclose those aspects of yourself that you feel are most likely to contribute to your abilities as a leader. Further, you will be encouraged to give and receive feedback from others. In addition, you will have the opportunity to delve into your areas for growth. For this assignment you will also reflect on two areas of weakness (or areas that you would like to develop). Understanding your strengths and your developmental needs should help you because a heightened sense of self-awareness should guide you to make career choices that capitalize on your strengths. The first step in this assignment is to identify two areas of strength and two for development. If you are already aware of your strengths and the areas in which you would like to grow, then you simply need to determine whether you are using appropriate terminology to describe them. If you are uncertain of your strengths and areas for improvement, then you will begin the assignment with an exercise in self-reflection. Increasing Self-Awareness Step 1 Once you have identified two strengths and two areas for growth, you should compare your list with the list of competencies in For Your Improvement (on reserve in the library). Step 2 1. Consider how you exemplify the strengths / areas for development. Provide concrete examples of how you demonstrate these strengths / weaknesses in your daily life (at work or at school). 2. Describe how each of the strengths/weaknesses impacts your performance at work and/or how it currently affects your performance at school. If you find that you cannot identify how the strength/weakness helps/hinders your performance, then re-consider why it is a strength or why you would want to improve the skill, or go back to step 1 and identify another area for development. Step 3 1. Select one strength and one area for improvement. 2. Drawing on theory, explain why the strength/developmental need might affect your current performance and/or how it might positively or negatively impact your future career. When considering theory, you will want to find research articles (academic ones) in support of your hypothesis that the strength will be of benefit to your career and that the area for development will negatively affect your performance (or alternatively, why improvement in this area will be necessary for your career). Developmental Plan The next part of the assignment is to develop a plan for improvement. Your plan should be realistic and you should provide a convincing argument for why you believe it will be effective. In order to be persuasive, I recommend that you support your plan with evidence (i.e., research the potential methods that can be used to improve a particular skill and include this evidence in your paper). 1. Develop a plan of action for capitalizing on one of your strengths. a. Develop a plan for how you believe you can capitalize on your area of strength. Use specific behavioural example(s) to indicate how your plan will give you an opportunity to use the competency to advance your career. The plan should be realistic and you should apply what you know about goal setting to ensure that the plan is likely to be motivating (e.g., consider whether your plan has SMART goals). b. You will need to indicate what would constitute career success and how your plan will bring you closer to achieving it. Further, you need to use research to convince the reader that your plan will be effective. 2. Develop a plan for how you believe you can improve one of your areas of weakness. 1. Use specific behavioural example(s) to indicate how your plan will be implemented. The plan should be realistic and you should apply what you know about goal setting to ensure that the plan is likely to be motivating (e.g., consider whether your plan has SMART goals). 2. You will need to indicate what would constitute improvement. You should explain the criteria for achieving proficiency on the competency. In addition, you should provide a specific behavioural example of how you would demonstrate improvement in your own life/career. 3. Research the plan. Look for evidence to support the idea that you can improve the identified skill and that your method is likely to be successful. If your idea has not been tested, then you should provide a theoretical explanation for why it will work. Please use academic theory and research to support your plan.

EGT1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EGT1 - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that the total profit increases when marginal profit is positive i.e. when marginal revenue is greater than marginal cost. Similarly, the total profit decreases when marginal profit is negative i.e. marginal revenue is less as compared to marginal cost. Maximum total profit is achieved when marginal profit becomes zero. At this point, marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost. A further increase in output leads to a negative marginal profit or a marginal loss i.e. the total profit starts decreasing. Thus, maximum profit is achieved at a point where marginal profit is equal to marginal revenue. Figure 1 shows the graphs for Total Revenue, Total Cost, Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost and Total Profit. The profit is maximized at output = q*.This paper highlights that if marginal revenue of a firm exceeds the marginal cost, a firm is in a healthy position. Its marginal profit is positive. The firm would hence need to take steps to increase the level of ou tput with the current resources provided the demand for the same exists. Additional labour may be required increasing cost but additional capital expenditure is generally not made in the short run. The firm may also take actions to boost market demand. These may include marketing and promotional activities.  If the marginal revenue of a firm is less than marginal cost, the firm is operating at sub-optimal levels. The firm needs to analyze whether the output produced is actually required. If no, the output levels are decreased.

Design Research Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Design Research Report - Case Study Example In examining different aspects that play a significant role in determining the choice to relocate to a new stadium, or the option to renovate the existing stadium, there are greater possibilities of gaining a fresh understanding of how such decisions can positively affect both the teams in question, performance-wise, and the surrounding community. This research will provide an opportunity to establish the growing consumer interests and the need to make changes within the stadium, so as to continue providing maximum customer experience for the fans and maximum results to the corporate sponsors. The researchers shall relay the information to the executive team so that they may implement issues arising from this report to detriment of the stadium. Tastes and preferences change with time, and developments that occurred ten years ago might become completely and slightly out of taste with current demand. However, Turner Field stadium is still largely considered to be a state of the art for the purpose of baseball, though it constructed ten years ago. Changes in fans tastes coupled with increased and high customer spending prior to match have a necessitated a relook into the stadium so that necessary changes be conducted to capture their changing taste as well as tap into their spending outside the stadium. Further, there are other stakeholders such as corporate sponsors, employees, partners amongst others who are vital to the growth of the outfit, and the varying interests from a diverse range of stakeholders’ needs to be carefully planned for and collected and thereafter an inference drawn. In addition, the report should address the key concerns of the executive team of the Turner Field Stadium which include; whether the stadium and its auxiliary features satisfy its key stakeholders, and the most important features valued by the key stakeholders. This report shall attempt to

System Change Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

System Change Proposal - Assignment Example This paper is a proposal of an advanced version of Magarena that can allow many players to compete in while playing the video clips. Presently, only one player can play the latest version of Magarena 2012. The newest Magarena version is going to be version 2013, with improved functionality. Apart from being able to run on Windows, Mac and Linux, Magarena 2013 will run on Mobile Operating Systems such as Android and IPod (Miguel 49). Magarena 2013 will be a system to aid in the early child hood education. The latest Magenta is release 1.34 which is an improvement from its previous version, release 1.33. The former release had about 11 bugs which the new release managed to fix correctly. In the previous version, only 40 cards could play but in the present version after fixing the bugs, users can use 93 cards. Magarena is an open source game that can easily be downloaded from http://code.google.com/p/magarena/. The Windows version can be placed in any folder and executed by running it as any other executable program. It can run on windows, Linux and Mac (Andersen 39). The prerequisite is that it should have a Java jar file. Most of the download resources are downloaded separately, not as a single large download file. This proposal intends to make sure that Magarena 2013 has a classic Graphical user interface. The conceptual design is going to be ready in a period of two months. So far, the algorithm for the design and coding is ready. Magarena 2013 will be designed to have a cover a wider screen. The appearance will also be impressive with a professional mixture of color and texture (Vorderer 73). We are intending to form a team of professional programmers, in which we will assign each team member a team a specific task. We are committed to the design and development of this game considering that it plants an educative role of triggering cognitive abilities in young learners (Newman 56).

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR - RESTORATIVE JUSTICE VICTIM OFFENDER MEDIATION, Essay

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR - RESTORATIVE JUSTICE VICTIM OFFENDER MEDIATION, POSITIVE IMPACT, CONSIDERATION OF VICTIMS IN CJS, NEGATIVE IMPACT, DOES RESTORATIVE JUSTIC - Essay Example Punishment and penal institutions, which, ideally, should be the answer to this malady, seem to produce an angrier, undesirable convicts more likely to become recidivists. Judicial systems and policy makers are, thus, under public pressure to find alternatives to traditional justice systems. Ruth Morris (1994) explains that a shift to alternative models is practical because, first, it is expensive to maintain prisons and finally, incarceration and punishment is unjust and immoral. â€Å"Our retributive justice system is based on a spirit of revenge which does not satisfy the primary healthy needs of victims, offenders, or society.† (Morris, 1994) One of the emergent alternatives to traditional justice systems is the restorative justice model. Currently, it is being integrated and used in criminal justice systems of some countries like the United Kingdom. Restorative justice, according to Les Davey, Director Real Justice United Kingdom and Ireland (March 2005), are the processes that respond to crime and wrongdoing by involving victims, offenders and their communities of care, that is, their family and friends. â€Å"Restorative Justice centers around hearing what harm a crime has caused, and finding the best way to address that harm.† (Mediation) Paul McCold, et. al. (May, 1998) coined the words â€Å"full restorative† if all the participants are involved in the process, â€Å"mostly restorative† if there are two stakeholders and â€Å"partly restorative† if there is only one party involved. â€Å"Restorative justice sometimes happens in the context of a courtroom, and sometimes within a community or nonprofit organization. In the courtroom, the process might look like this: For petty or first-time offenses, a case may be referred to restorative justice as a pretrial diversion, with charges being dismissed after fulfillment of the restitution agreement. In more

The Impact of Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Impact of Communication - Essay Example (2003) information is transmitted from the source to a receiver through a technology gadget where the sound wave produced by a sender is caused by a diaphragm in the gadget to vibrate in an electric field. The vibrations are converted into electrical impulses, which are then transmitted to a receiver. The electrical impulses at the receiver’s end produce the vibration in the magnetic field to produce the original message (Rogers & Syenning, 2009). Sharma and Patterson (2009) assert that wireless network does not use any form of cable but rather radio waves, for instance, cordless phones or Bluetooth headset (Chidambaram and Jones, 1993). On the other hand wired network have cables to enhance connection between devices. However the use of wired network is lower but it provides a high performance due to the fact that they used together with routers which allow them perform at a higher speed. According to Rogers and Syenning (2009), the choice of a form of a communication depends on the activities of an individual. However, wireless communication has become the choice for all. This adoption coupled with the use of internet and technology at large has made communication easy, reliable and a life full of pleasure (Chidambaram and Jones, 2003). The advancement of communication in the United States has built a strong connection with its activities. Chidambaram, L., & Jones, B. (2003). â€Å"Impact of communication medium and computer support on group perceptions and performance: A comparison of face-to-face and dispersed meetings.† MIS quarterly, 465-491. Sharma, N., & Patterson, P. G. (2009). â€Å"The impact of communication effectiveness and service quality on relationship commitment in consumer, professional services.† Journal of services marketing, 13(2),

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study Research Paper

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group, Ltd. Case Study - Research Paper Example One is to remember that it is difficult to make use of one particular leadership style for different types of contexts. However, the leader may demonstrate the best style or a combination of styles for each exclusive leadership context. From the case study, it has been apparent that Sir Richard Branson is one of the most influential, successful and enduring business leaders. Among numerous leadership styles such as autocratic leadership style, participative leadership style and laissez-faire style as well as in terms of authentic leadership model, expert power and referent power models, it can be analyzed that the leadership style demonstrated by Richard Branson is a laissez-faire leadership style. He has been successful in genuinely serving his employees and customers by means of his leadership. He has been interested in empowering the employees that he leads in order to make a vital difference. Richard Branson has natural leadership gifts and, thus, he makes use of his natural abil ities. It has been apparent from the case study that Richard Branson always believed in building long-term relationships with people. Authentic leaders generally learn from their failures. Richard Branson has focused on preparing himself to have another attempt at any failed activity with the required knowledge that he gained from his previous failure. One of the well known facts regarding authentic leaders is that they draw encouragement from their own lives. Richard Branson seems to be inspired by his mother who taught him not to look back in regret but rather to move on to the next task. An authentic leader is someone who is not frightened to admit his mistakes and, therefore, makes efforts to overcome his limitations. By facing weaknesses and declining to compromise with them, Richard Branson tends to identify ways to beat the weaknesses, which helps him to become a strong leader. Richard Branson also seems to possess expert and referent power. He has been capable of influencing others’ behaviors owing to the recognized competencies, talents and knowledge. He is capable of influencing others because his employees respect, admire and like him as a person. Whenever Richard Branson experiences any kind of setbacks, he chooses to pick himself up and try again. His principles are based on the belief that entrepreneurs will only succeed if they have good people around them and they listen to the superior’s advice. Authentic leaders such as Richard Branson care for themselves as well as the people that they lead, and their compassion is genuine (Harvard Business School, 2012). Richard Branson practices self-discipline by incorporating balance into his personal and professional lives. While most of the executives focus upon serving their customers as well as stockholders, Richard Branson believes that the correct hierarchical system in any organization is to have ‘employee at the first position’, ‘customer next’ and ‘s tockholders at the end’. It is because of the effectiveness of Richard Branson’s leadership style that Virgin Group Limited has been capable of becoming a multibillion-dollar worldwide conglomerate and one of the most recognized brands in the world. It has been identified that most of the US leaders tend to have participative leadership styles. Therefore, it can be stated that although Laissez-Faire leadership style tends to

Television and Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Television and Internet - Essay Example During the 1980's basic computers were bought by mostly techno-savvy individuals across the country. Some of the first home computers were the Timex Sinclair and the Apple IIC. The programs that would run on these computers were very basic. Compuserve was one of the first communications networks open to civilian use. Compuserve's service provided access to bulletin boards that provided a spot to post messages on specific topics and allowed real time communications via keyboarding much like the chat rooms of today. This 'chat' room opportunity drew many to the internet as a resource for real-time communications as well as providing a forum for posting of ideas and questions. Memberships to these bulletin boards were often anonymous and so freedom of expression took hold when users could identify themselves by 'user names'. With the more developed internet of the 1990's electronic mail (email) gradually replaced phone calls as the primary form of communication. Like any language, email developed its own grammar and syntax over time. Email language consists of mostly short sentences or sentence fragments. Feelings are often conveyed using typographical representations such as: : ) for happy, : ( for sad. Many other typographical representations exist. ... There are many other emoticons that are used frequently in email and chat rooms as well as blogs. Other types of language used in emails and chat rooms are also done using typographical representation. The most common one is called shouting and is when something is stated using only capital letters. 'LEAVE ME ALONE!' says a lot more than 'leave me alone'. The use of email and email record keeping has recently been mandated by law and are considered communications. Most notably is the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) rule that requires financial advisors and others in the securities field to maintain copies of emails. Securities firms such as Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch must keep electronic records of emails sent and received by their employees. The White House is currently embroiled in controversy over the loss of emails. "Millions of White House e-mails may be missing, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino acknowledged Friday. I wouldn't rule out that there were a potential 5 million e-mails lost," Perino told reporters.(Henry, 2007) Like Richard Nixon's White House Tapes, those emails are an important record of communications within the White House and are thus subject to monitoring and record keeping rules. 'Blogs' are the newest addition to the internet. Just about anyone can have a blog and experience being published. 'Blogging' is when someone, or organization, uses a web page format to write about specific topics. The blog also offers the opportunity for feedback from readers of these blogs. Blogs also offer an insider's look at current events. Soldiers stationed in Iraq have been publishing blogs about life in the combat zone. The Department of Defense has begun regulating what

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Man must stay true to his own convictions and live his life with a clear conscience. In todays society people are often faced with situations in which they can choose to stand up for their beliefs popular or not. It is strange that in this modern world of open mindedness and acceptance of one other, people are far too afraid to defend what they know to be right. Standing up for what is morally right is seldom easy, but it distinguishes a good man from a great one. Morality is a necessity in this worldthe greatness of mankind depends on it. Atticus Finch a central character in Harper Lees, To Kill a Mockingbird is a strong example of a moral man. When given the case of Mr. Robinson, a local black man accused of rape, he has the courage and strength to stay true to his beliefs at a time when it was looked down upon, even unheard of to defend African Americans. Atticus Finch puts his social reputation, career, and even his familys safety on the line when he decides to defend Mr.  Robinson. Atticus knows it is the moral thing to do, and his defense of the accused is at the core of the justice system he believes in. Atticus is determined to stay true to his values without becoming a moral hypocrite; but before I can live with other folks Ive got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience. (Pg 120) However; not all men can be great, and in modern day real life, self-imposed morality is rare. It is the fear of being judged or ostracized that people are paralyzed to use their moral compasses and sometimes make either bad decisions or even no decisions at all to remain true to their beliefs. On September 22nd, 2010, Tyler Clementi attending Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. He did this after a sexual encounter with a man in his dorm room was video taped and broadcast over the Internet by his roommate without his knowledge. Tyler Clementi had no one to go to when the video was broadcast and no one was brave or moral enough to come to his defense. People were afraid to help a homosexual man through a time of trouble because they believed they themselves would be judged. Perhaps if someone were morally strong enough to stand up for his or her beliefs, like Atticus Fitch did to help Tyler Clementi, he would be alive today. In this world, there will always be the minority or unpopular person or group of people. There will always be individuals who will judge and hate others simply because they are different. In this harsh society there will also be people that will not be morally strong enough to stand up for those who are mistreated for fear of being judged themselves. In order for this society to truly succeed, there needs to be men like Atticus who stand up for what they believe to be right and just even if its not the popular thing to do. Man must stand up for what he believes in; he must defend what he knows is morally right.

The Constitution Theory Essay Example for Free

The Constitution Theory Essay INTRODUCTION: Main purpose of this article is to review the European Union Constitution and to find out how it will allocate power within the EU member states. The present debate about the EU’s constitution is about its balance of power. Under the new expanded market, how the common market is going to be managed. How the government social policy is to be determined? Under common constitution, how the defense and foreign affairs is going to be accomplished? Is integration is necessary and if so, by how much? As regards to EU and member States, where the institutional power is going to be housed? If and when the EU constitution is approved by its Citizens and successive ratification of the respective Member governments, the EU Constitution will simplify and speed up the matters relating to home affairs and justice as these are all going to be dealt with at European level itself but also fostering more democratic accountability and transparency into decision making. EVALUTION OF EUROPEAN UNION CONSTITUTION: The EU constitution is divided into four parts. Part 1 deals with the definition of Union, its institution’s competences. Part II deals with the fundamental rights of the Union. Part III explains EC treaty and TEU with broad details on social, economical, detail on internal market, external action, monetary policy and the activities of the EU institutions. Part IV consists of various declarations and protocols. Under the present EU constitution, how the relationships between Union and its member states are going to be maintained is the main focal point of this essay. The uniqueness of EU like its state –like characteristic and the mandate and independence of its various institutions are evaluated. Further the declared objectives and values of the Union are briefly explained with critical attention to safeguard of human rights. The substantial authority enshrined to EU based on a number of stated or implied principles underlying union action. This analysis also evaluates the five exceptional articles in EU constitution that underscore the Union’s continuing commitment to Member State sovereignty. The constitution stipulates that most of its decisions at EU level will be approved only by the unanimous vote or common accord or consensus. Thus it confers to the State the right to block the decision and veto and this symbolizes a unique reservation of power to the Member states. EU has the autonomy as a governmental entity and it resembles those of modern nation-states and EU is composed of official bodies of national government. But in reality, there exists certain limitation on the Union and its institutions. EU is a distinct authority and its existence is separated by its Member States. It is established as a constitutional authority and posse’s legal personality.   EU is enjoying certain constitutional rights and protection for the execution of its tasks. Since the EU is a juristic person, it has the privileges of owning property and to be a party to legal proceedings. The EU constitution accords EU with symbols like a national anthem, a flag, an annual holiday, a motto and Union common currency ‘Euro’. EU comprises of specific set of institutions and of ‘institutional framework’ and these institutions is authorized to constitute law for the Union and its majority of its regulative activities are to be carried out at the central, EU level. Thus the activities of these institutions are subject to oversee by independent ombudsman of the European Parliament. Thus the EU has been established on permanent basis with its own constitution. There is also room for the further expansion of the EU and is open ‘to all â€Å"European States† willing to promote the Union’s values. Constitution of the EU stipulates that EU has the duty to ‘respect the equality of Members States, to honour their national identities and to recognise their essential state functions. In the eyes of the constitution, the Union and its Member States are alike and each of them is necessitated to follow to ‘the code of sincere cooperation’. The constitution requires the Union and Member States to exhibit mutual respect, help each other in accomplishing tasks which originates from the constitution. The Article 1-60 grants exit power to the Member States and authorizes a State to unilaterally withdraw from the EU. The Member State can grant certain rights to EU under its law like ownership of property. This right underscores the EU constitution the strength of the Member State as well as the legal personality of the EU. Further the EU is subject to the contract law and tort law of individual Member States. The EU constitution will become effective only after the approval of the each Member States at its national level as per its own constitutional requirements and it should be ratified by all States. Any proposed amendment to constitution is required the unanimous consent of the Member States who are awarded with right of veto and can exercise this right even on minor change that may affect them . Further any new accession to EU is to be approved by the existing members of EU through their national procedure. Certain sensitive issues like official use of languages within the institution and location of the institutions are subject to unanimous approval of the Member States. EU constitution stipulates that ‘European framework laws’ will be binding ‘as to the results to be accomplished’ but leaving to the Member States ‘the Choice of form and methods.’ Further certain European regulations may stipulate that the States will select how to apply the desired policy.   Further under certain veiled circumstances, States may be authorised to initiate the EU legislative process. 2.1 FINANCE: EU has the financial independence. It does not depend upon the contribution from its members. EU raises its finances through taxation and also adopts its annual budget .Further EU is expected not to exceed its annual budgets. Thus the financial conduct of the EU is to be approved by the Member States and also unanimous approval by the council. In addition to this, each multi annual financial framework must be unanimously approved by the Council. It is pertinent to note that the lion’s share of EU’s finance is again diverted to as a financial support for agricultural and other programs of the Member States. 2.2 EXTERNAL RELATIONS: EU has to draft its own external relation policy. It’s relation with wider world and to contribute to security ,peace , sustainable development , mutual respect among subjects , poverty eradication, free and fair trade , human rights protection , observance of institutional law and respects for the principles of the United Nations Charter. It is worthwhile to mention that the authority of the EU to act in external affairs matters is cautiously limited. Member states are regarded as the Citizen of the EU. Thus the Member States as citizen of the EU has been granted with wide rights such as ‘right to move and reside freely in any member state ‘the right to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal and European parliament elections, the right to deal with the EU institutions in any official EU language and certain rights to diplomatic and consular assistance from any member state. Further EU has the obligation to serve to the interest of its citizens and to grant them ‘an area of security, freedom, justice without internal borders ‘along with the strong single market. EU has the obligation to treat all of its citizens impartially. The EU commitment to the principles of ‘participatory democracy ‘and ‘representative democracy ‘are of critical in nature and these articles offers citizens the right of representation in the EU parliament, the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union and the right to act through the EU-level political parties. Citizens can raise their voice through public forum, access for their representative association, can have consultation with the officials of EU and right of initiative. Further citizens have further rights like Union institutions should conduct open meetings, right of personal data protection, access to its important documents and respect for the national status of churches. EU offers dual citizenship to its members. Thus right to stand in the election is restricted to municipal and European parliament election.   No mention about the National and provincial election has been made and there is no explanation to what Municipal means. As such, the EU constitution has to be amended to include these provisions which requires the unanimous approval of its Members State This may provide derogation where warranted by problems specific to a Member State. The prerequisite of unanimity and possibilities for derogation exhibits limited power of the EU to delineate the rights of its citizens. One another outstanding aspect is that the tort claims may be initiated by the injured persons against EU ‘in accordance with the general laws of the Member States. Further Part 1 of the constitution of EU deals with the EU’s institutions like European Parliament, European Council, and Court of Justice .Significant activity of the institution is the creation of the EU’s legislation. The national parliaments of States must be informed all proposed EU legislation.   The States may object the any legislative part that violates the principles of its interest. One of the noteworthy is that EU Parliament is denied the right to introduce legislation as this power is vested with the Commission. Currently the decisions are taken by the qualified majority vote (QMV). But from 2009 onwards, QMV will to be approved by at least 55% of the members of the Council consisting of at least fifteen of them and representing member states comprising at least 65% of the population of the Union. Due to this policy, a small group of the largest state can able to prevent a successful vote although the Constitution stipulates at least four states to form a ‘blocking minority’. But under QMV, no single member is having the power to block EU legislation. Even though there exists QMV, the EU contains many provisions requiring the Council to act unanimously. 2.3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION: It acts as chief administrative body and permanent executive of the EU. EU acts as a guardian of the constitution and manager of the EU budget and programs. It has to remain as an independent body. Commission’s decision is taken by the majority of votes. The European Court of Justice (ECJ), European Central Bank (ECB) and Court of Auditors are bodies that are affiliated to EU and independent of other Union institutions. Both ECJ and ECB are vested with power over the Member States. ECJ will deal with the complaints from EU States on one another and will attempt to resolve the same. EU constitution contains the most of the values and objectives of EC Treaty and TEU. The preamble of the EU constitution includes ‘reunited Europe. The EU also wishes to remain as a continent open to learning, culture and social progress. To lead a democratic government, to strive for justice, peace and solidarity. It speaks about the protection of fundamental rights. The members are requested to help the EU to attain its objects and to refrain from any activity that would hamper the attainment of EU’s objectives. The EU constitution authorizes ‘improved cooperation’ among group of Member States an activity that undermines the cohesions of the EU. As per the provisions of the Article I-3, the Union is authorised to protect the well-being of it’s ‘peoples’ rather than its ‘People’. Further EU is authorised to exercise its conferred competences ‘in the community ways’ instead of federal basis as it was mentioned earlier. 2.4 PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. Part II of the constitution describes the Fundamental Rights of the Union into the European Union Law. Some argue that EU must extend its objectives beyond the economic sphere and insertion of human rights charter in the constitution. The preamble concludes as follows: The Union therefore recognises the freedom, rights and principles set out hereafter. Thus the EU constitution structure has established institutions and explains its areas of activity, all are subject to the restriction on the EU and reservation in favour of the Member States. The following five provisions of the constitution deserve attention as it offers powerful statement on the status of the Member States within the Union. Article 1-5. Respect – The Union must respect the territorial integrity of the state thereby safeguarding the national security. These instructions may be intended to prohibit a hegemonic relationship. Article 1.44 – Enhanced Cooperation- Enhanced cooperation is aberrant of a true federal system in which powers are segregated vertically between the States and the central government. Article 1-59- Suspension of Rights: If any of the Member States has committed a ‘serious and persistent breach ‘of EU core values, the council has the power to suspend the membership of such states and despite of such suspension, the State is still bound by its obligations under the Constitution Article 1-60- Amending the constitution-   Any amendment of constitution   requires ratification by all the Member States and in Part III , unanimous voting can be changed to QMV . Further European Council must unanimously approve such amendments and must be referred to national parliaments and disagreement by any parliament may obstruct the amendment. CONCLUSION: The one question that arises is whether the creation of European Union is going to dominate its Creators. One has to remember that EU is a striking force not only in Europe but also in the rest of the world. As such, the Member States need not slide into stupor or inappropriateness. Thus EU Constitution will make the EU as an amalgam system. Most of the central features allocated to the Union under the Constitution will be carryover from the treaties. The EU Constitution has the following striking characteristics. EU citizenship will afford the nationals of EU the freedom to reside, vote, work anywhere in the EU.   The EU levies its own taxes and collects thereby revenues and meets its budget requirement on its own and is not depend on any contribution to from its member states. The EU has its own currency managed by its own central bank. It has its own Parliament, Council of ministers, commissions. The Union legislation is to be adopted by majority voting in the Council and European Parliament. Further EU law is having supremacy over the laws of its all Member States. EU has to act only within the restrictions of the power conferred on it by the Member States. Competences are still remaining with the Member States. Certain policy decisions have to be taken only on unanimous voting by all the Member States. Further without the consensus, the Council can not proceed in certain key decisions. Thus a single member has the ability to block any resolution and has the bargaining power and can demand concessions as the price for its voting. Another striking factor of EU is that foreign policy and defense are untouched and left with the respective Member States. EU constitution stipulates that it has to respect the integrity of the Member State as sovereign nation. EU has the right to suspension of rights of Member States and offers the Member States withdrawal rights from the EU. EU constitution can not be amended with out approval of each Member of the State. Last but not the least, as the world is facing constant shifting winds of international affairs, it is arduous to foresee whether the EU Constitution after its ratification will take the EU to success path? The balance of power as suggested by the EU Constitution is workable or not?   Whether its political concession can be sustained? Is the tremendous power among the Member States to transfer power to Brussels is going to succeed or not? Are some core group of states is going to be unwind for an enhanced co-operation between themselves? Only time has to answer all these questions. EU Constitution is aimed to maintain the Union’ current system of duality of Authority thereby facilitating the members to retain their position as sovereign nation in the EU with significant central features. Thus the EU constitution aims to bring all the Europeans under one umbrella and it provides more effective and simpler legal base for EU activities to promote security, freedom and justice and exactly explaining the responsibilities and aims already provided in successive EU treaties and thus assisting Europeans to be aware of them. REFERENCES: Dale, R. European Union, Properly Construed. Policy Review, (122), 2003 39+. European Union at Crossroads; Referendum on Constitution Set to Begin; French Vote Critical. The Washington Times, p. A08 February 6, 2005. The European Union Constitution on Border Checks, Asylum and Immigration. Population and Development Review, 30(4), 2004. 789+. Muller, K. Problems of European Union Citizenship Rights at the Periphery. The Australian Journal of Politics and History, 45(1), 1999, 35. Sieberson, S. C. How the New European Union Constitution Will Allocate Power between the EU and Its Member States a Textual Analysis. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 37(4), 2004. 993+. Steunenberg, B. (Ed.). Widening the European Union: The Politics of Institutional Change and Reform. New York: Routledge, 2002. Van Gerven, W. The European Union: a Polity of States and Peoples. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 2005. Wallace, H. Wallace, W. (Eds.). Policy-Making in the European Union (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2000.

Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution

Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution Napoleon, the solider, son of the Revolution, or so he called himself, staged a coup dà ©tat like nothing ever seen before. France was in a chaotic and conflict-filled time and was in need for an individual who could guide the French people and the state to stability and order. General Napoleon Bonaparte brought France out of uncertainty and remained close to the ideas of the French Revolution by rejoining France to foundation of laws, agreements, security and much more. He gave the French people both individual and collective rights and freedoms that freed them from ties with the Old Regime. Though there was been much debate on the question of whether Napoleon was the conclusion, extension or betrayal of the French Revolution, a definite answer has yet to surface. Answers vary based on the outlook of France during the time. Outsiders often tend to consider Napoleon as a threat, and therefore think that his authoritative reign betrayed the Revolution. Citizens in France, however, sa w him as a liberator who freed them from the grip of the Old Regime and created a stable order in France  [ii]  . Historians who analyze both the French Revolution and the reign of Bonaparte are at conflict with one another to decide if he belonged to the Revolution and enforced its ideals, or contradicted them through his actions. After close examination of his reign of France and analyzing his actions, implementation of policies, agreements and legal codes, and externally promoting Revolution ideas and concepts, it is seen that Bonaparte did not betray the French Revolution after all. Napoleon Bonaparte was rather the extension of the Revolution during his reign as Emperor of France, as he promoted and implemented ideas such as equality, liberty and fraternity, which lead to a reinforcement of revolutionary concepts that allowed individual and collective freedoms and rights to benefit the French society. Although an absolute answer to answer whether or not Napoleon betrayed the revolution, continued it or concluded it is yet to be affirmed, there is widespread belief that Napoleon was a betrayer of the Revolution, as he had a very authoritative reign. However, an opposing view of the majority belief that Napoleon betrayed the revolution or that his reign concluded it is held by Louis Bergeron, author of France Under Napoleon. He argues that France was facing much instability and uncertainty on the outcome of war and unity of the nation, and therefore, needed a strong man like Napoleon, who in return preserved and continued the ideals of the revolution through his enforcement of civil equalities, the destruction of feudalism, and the ruin of the privileged position of the Catholic Church  [iii]  . Upon close examination of the Napoleonic Code, it is determined that the ideals of the Revolution on the fate of the old nobility are the same rules in the Civil Code, which fixed the co nditions for the exercise of property rights and equality rights  [iv]  . Ideals of the Revolution such as equality and liberty are seen in this primary source, which convey a Napoleon Bonaparte who continued the Revolution. Even through the signing of the Concordat by Pope Pius VII, Napoleon managed to balance the state-church relationship by granting the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church, but still embodied Revolution ideals of equality and liberty by not allowing Catholicism to be the state religion and enforcing a freedom of religion  [v]  . Through the examination of the Concordat, one can see more Revolution ideals being integrated into French society and promoted by Bonaparte. Though this response is against widespread agreement of Bonapartes betrayal of the French Revolution, it does provide facts of certain actions made by him to promote the ideals of the French Revolution. This is a disagreement on popular belief but still proved through examples of prop erty rights, equality rights, and religious freedoms. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson claims that Napoleon Bonaparte was the destroyer of the French Republic and a pariah to him because of his impracticability to establish a republic and his irrational belief that he is able to run a self-government when in reality, he is a man who lets power deprave him  [vi]  . This view is quite popular and widespread for observers outside of France. It was only the people of France who saw Napoleon as a strong leader, while others saw him as a fearful authoritative man who cared less for the ideals of the Revolution and more for his personal gains. This view is quite accurate for an observer, as Thomas Jefferson is writing from the point of view of an American man. This affects his perspective on the topic because a bias exists due to the increasing developments in France and military gains by Napoleon, which perceive him as a threat. The disagreement between the views of Bergeron and Je fferson is more about weighing certain actions of Napoleon to stretch more towards a conclusion, extension or betrayal of the French Revolution. For instance, Bergeron believes that Napoleon extended the Revolution due to his strong participation in enforcing civil liberties and equalities for people, however, Jefferson believes that his role in accepting the title of Emperor goes against the ideals of the Revolution, and he is therefore betraying it. Affirming Napoleons continuation of the French Revolution is Henry Banks, who believes that Bonaparte was the answer to Europes needs and says that the coup dà ©tat of Brumaire saved France  [vii]  . Banks disagrees with popular belief on Napoleons despotic and authoritative ways by disagreeing on the context of which certain events are interpreted. While Jefferson views Napoleon as a despot who is ruling a country through means of authority and rejecting the basis of which the Revolution was founded by crowning himself emperor, B anks interprets his same event in a different context. He says that there was a need to reestablish the monarchy and for Napoleon to crown himself Emperor since French people were not fit for a republican or for a representative government, as well as the fact that if he had not done this, the Bourbons would have got power and would have brought the return of the old clergy and nobility with privileges  [viii]  . Here there is seen a disagreement on the interpretation of Napoleons decision to accept the title of Emperor, one which is in favor of Napoleon representing the ideals of the Revolution, and the other on him rejecting them. By solving conflict between the state and the Church and being in favor of religious toleration, and therefore promoting Revolution ideas and concepts, Napoleon Bonaparte proved to be an extension of the French Revolution. The Concordat of 1805 was an agreement between the Pope and Napoleon, which created a harmonious relationship between the two by granting the Church the title of the majority religion, rather than state religion, in France  [ix]  . By maintaining peace between the two, Bonaparte promoted the idea of religious toleration and freedom domestically in France. He contributed to creating a peaceful social society in France and helped many non-Catholics. Bonaparte used nationalism as a revolutionary force, which was impatient of all traditional practices of Catholics and the Church of Rome and granted Protestants and Jews religious freedom, along with encouraging them to transition into French society and identify themselves as French people  [x]  . This document, therefore, embodies the idea of equality and freedom. Napoleon did not fail to recognize that Catholicism was the majority religion in France, however, he did not disregard others either. He allowed them to practice their religion through religious toleration and even promoted the Protestants and Jews to integrate into French culture in return for equality, uniformity and individual freedoms of religion and culture. Bonaparte, then, extended the French Revolution by making peace with the Pope, solving conflict between the state and the Church through the signing of the Concordat of 1801 and supporting religious freedoms. Napoleon Bonaparte was an extension to the French Revolution, as he domestically promoted Revolution ideas in France. Through the rationalization of the education system in France, he continued to maintain Revolution ideas such as the abolition of privilege and the implementation of jobs and careers based on meritocracy. Under the rule of Napoleon, the education system of France was reformed to meet the standards of a post-revolutionary time period. The Napoleonic reforms of the public education system created institutions, which made the sciences a permanent part of the curriculum  [xi]  . These institutions helped promote education and learning on a wider scale than previous education systems. He also established lycà ©es, or high schools, in every major town for the training to civil servants and army officers, a school in Paris to train teachers in teaching and the curriculum and a national university to be at the top of this whole system  [xii]  . The establishment of t hese institutions reinforced the reforms that were being fought for during the French Revolution, such as the elimination of privilege in order to create a fair and equal society. Similar to the enforcement of merit in the military and government sector, these educational institutions allowed the social ladder to be eliminated and for individuals, regardless of class or wealth, could have positions of authority. There were the types of reforms that were widely recognized in France, seeing Bonaparte as a man who was extending the Revolution through reinforcing the ideas which people scarified their life for in their society. Not only are the institutions set up by Napoleon Bonaparte, embodying the French Revolution ideas and core beliefs, still influential in France, but also the rest of the world. Therefore, Bonaparte was an extension of the French Revolution, and managed this through the domestic reforms he brought to the education system. Bonaparte also extended the French Revolution domestically within France through the implement of the Code Napoleon, which embodied many Revolution ideas and enforced them as a law to which everyone in France is subject to. This is said to be Napoleons most significant contribution of France, as he provided them with a legal code, which was founded on two main principles, uniformity and individualism  [xiii]  . This code promoted various types of rights and freedoms, granting them both for the individual and for the collective, to ensure that everyone is subject to these laws equally. In Book I: Of Persons, of the Civil Code, Napoleon introduced Revolutionary ideas such as freedom of religion and the abolition of feudalism, as well as property rights and other rights and freedoms  [xiv]  . The introduction and establishment of this civil code lead to a more egalitarian society, which is what the French Revolution wanted. A core, fundamental concept of the Revolution is equali ty, and through all the reforms made in the Code, Bonaparte is preserving equality and promoting liberty. Nevertheless, Napoleon did not stop here. He created seven legal codes in total, including a criminal code, which reinforced many revolutionary ideas such as equality before the law and outlawing arbitrary arrest and imprisonment  [xv]  . These constitutional changes were made in the presence of Napoleon himself, who personally supervised the meetings and contributed to the writing of the Code. This affirmed all Revolution ideas, such as liberty, fraternity and equality, and created a structure that continues to be followed today by many European countries, including France. Napoleon Bonaparte was a revolutionary leader who extended the French Revolution through legal reforms and the creation a Civil Code that embodies Revolution concepts such as equality and liberty. Not only did Napoleon Bonaparte domestically extend the ideas of the French Revolution in France, he also continued it externally, on an international scale through promotion and enforcement of the core ideas of the Revolution. In a quest to create a new balance of power in the global sphere, Bonaparte introduced a model for a federation of states, motivated by French Revolution ideals and their extension and implementation internationally. He remodeled the map by creating territorial changes in western and central Europe in order to establish a new balance of power, which included the idea of the federation of states  [xvi]  . Although many people argue otherwise, this design was not for international global governance under Bonaparte. Rather, it focused on preserving peace and collectivity amongst the nation-states of the world. His aim was to see authoritative political systems such as principalities, oligarchies and aristocracies of Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Italy rem oved  [xvii]  . All these political systems enforced strict policies and limited equality and liberty. These concepts, however, are at the core of the French Revolution. Liberty frees individuals from strict imposed authority and grants equalities and freedoms. By removing these strict systems in which there is single-person authoritative rule from an individual who is limiting freedoms and rights, or rule by a group of wealthy citizens who center all the power in their self-interests, Napoleon wanted to see universal liberty and equality. He would do this through his idea of the federation of states. Although this was not implemented, Napoleon did, however, manage to redefine some borders and implement French policies in the countries he conquered. Therefore, through the promotion of the liberty and equality on an international scale by aiming to create a federation of states, Napoleon Bonaparte extended the French Revolution and its ideas externally. As mentioned above, Napoleon managed to implement French policies on an external scale, in foreign countries that he conquered, which quickened the spread ideas of the French Revolution and lead to its extension under Bonaparte. Through Bonapartes various military conquests, aspects of France were seen embodied in the conquered countries, which were then under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte. He not only extended the French Revolution in France, but also took it to a higher level through the creation of the Constitution of the Duchy of Warsaw for the Polish state he conquered. Poles counted on Napoleon to promote the Polish cause and help them gain freedoms and rights by reconstituting the Polish state through his entry into the former territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth  [xviii]  . The plea of the Polish to be granted equalities and to be freed from unfair laws was heard by Napoleon. The new constitution that Napoleon gave the Duchy of Warsaw demanded that donati ons be freed of taxes, property taxes be decreased, abolished serfdom and removed the existing class structure which existed between the nobility and peasants  [xix]  . The abolition of slavery and social classes, as well as tax and property changes, are all ideas which exist in the Code Napoleon which include equality, liberty, and other freedoms and rights. These are the fundamental ideas of the French Revolution that were embedded into the Constitution for the Polish. Therefore, Napoleon Bonaparte externally spread French Revolution ideas that were imposed through the Constitution of the Duchy of the Warsaw and extended the Revolution on an international scale. By resisting conflict and threats from outsiders, Napoleon extended the French Revolution on an international scale. Britain was Frances worst enemy since they had a powerful navy, military, lots of wealth and industry  [xx]  . When Napoleon Bonaparte took the throne and named himself emperor, he enforced many Revolution ideas in France. This was seen as a threat to Britain, as the increasing stability and order Bonaparte was bringing to France was helping him restore their power and grow stronger. Therefore, Britain wanted to restore the Bourbon dynasty, which would have brought back the old clergy and nobility with their privileges  [xxi]  . This was the reason the French Revolution had begun in the first place, therefore, allowing this to happen would have betrayed the Revolution. Bonaparte, therefore, resisted threats from Britain and had great victories, such as the War of the Third Coalition in 1805, in order to maintain the ideas of the French Revolution In a letter fr om to his brother on April 1, 1815, when exiled onto the island of Elba, Napoleon Bonaparte discussed the unsuitability of a forcible dynasty such as the Bourbons one on the French people and since they refused to associate with the national feelings and customs, France was forced to abandon them and accept him as a liberator  [xxii]  . He, himself, acknowledges that his actions were done for the benefit of the French people. If he had not resisted external threats from Great Britain, the ideas embodied and introduced in the French Revolution would have been removed and the Old Regime would be restored by the Bourbon dynasty. However, Bonaparte stopped the replacement of his new government and title as Emperor by managing conflict with Great Britain and withstanding their threat. Through the resisting of conflict, Napoleon Bonaparte extended the French Revolution by preserving its ideas and protecting them being abolished through a restoration of a Bourbon dynasty with the help from Britain. By promoting and implementing ideas like liberty, equality and fraternity in French society, Napoleon Bonaparte extended the French Revolution during his governance as Emperor, which then leads to the reinforcement of concepts that were born during the Revolution such as collective and individual rights and freedoms. Reforms to France on both an external and domestic scale were made by Bonaparte in order to preserve the French Revolution. Through his model of the federation of states and remodeling of the map, integrating French policies and laws in foreign countries on an international scale, and resisting threats from outsides to ensure that there a return to the Bourbon dynasty, Napoleon Bonaparte extended the French Revolution on an international scale. Not only did he extend the Revolution externally, he also made domestic reforms inside France, such as signing the Concordat in order to create peace and good relationships between the state and church and to allow religious toler ance, giving France a civil code known as the Code Napoleon to promote ideas of individual and collective equality and liberty, and the reforms to the education system which abolished privilege and promoted meritocracy. Although there are many ways to argue that Napoleon was a betrayal, conclusion or extension of the Revolution, it is all a matter of weighing the actions and policies enforced under his reign. There were many mistakes made, as there is always in history, but this does not change the fact that there were reforms made during the Napoleonic era, which extended concepts and ideas such as equality, fraternity and liberty of the French Revolution. Napoleon Bonapartes reforms to France such as the set up of educational institutions and the Code Napoleon are still seen to influence the world today and will continue to do so through the years. Actions he did and policies he implemented became a stepping-stone for future generations.

I Enjoy Chemical Engineering :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I Enjoy Chemical Engineering    You can get very frightened when you are stepping into a field which is unfamiliar, especially if that field has a reputation as the most challenging major. To me, switching my major from mechanical engineering to chemical engineering at Clarkson University was a difficult long-thought-out decision. It was a result of 18 months of reflection and discussion with faculty. Now, I so enjoy my chemical engineering courses that I plan to continue my education in this field.    The controversy that pushed me over the edge of fear of changing my major was the air pollution problem caused by our transportation. I have always been in love with cars and motorcycles, so I want to work on the electrical vehicle (EV) to fight this environmental problem.    As you know, the state of California will implement the regulation that requires all car manufacturers to sell Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) by the year 2003. Although manufacturers have decided the EV is a quick practical solution, I believe there are many problems that need further research. The latest prototype EV uses a Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery as a power source. The battery is mechanically simple, yet, it could be a good alternative to an ordinary internal combustion engine. However, the EV requires about a 288-volt battery which weighs about 1170 lbs. This Ni-Cd battery costs well over $30,000! Some EVs even require a 200-volt power source, a specially made battery charger, and may take up to eight hours to recharge. Even in Volvo's breakthrough idea of an EV with a gas turbine which serves as an energy source and recharges simultaneously, the gas turbine is made of Boron, which is extremely expensive. As a graduate student, I hope to work on developing lighter, more effici ent and economical materials that can contribute to solving the problems with electrical vehicles.    I am committed to my major, chemical engineering, because, as a mechanical engineer, I could only get involved with the development of the structure of EV's but not the development of advanced materials that may be used for electrical vehicles.    I seek more specialized education in advanced material development and the advanced chemistry behind a cleaner burning alternative source of energy, such as methanol. With this special knowledge, I will devote all my effort to creating advanced materials that are cheap, light, and can store more energy than the Ni-Cd battery; it would not be a dream to have clean air in the near future.

We Must Put an End to Corporal Punishment Essay -- Corporal Punishment

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe She had so many children she didn't know what to do She gave them some broth, Without any bread Whipped them all soundly, and sent them to bed (Mother Goose). Â   All across American households, adults whip, spank, paddle, and swat children as a form of acceptable punishment and as deterrent to unwanted behaviors. These actions are considered corporal punishment, and can be defined numerous ways. The American Public Health Association defines corporal punishment as "the infliction of bodily pain as a penalty for behavior disapproved by the punisher"(American Public Health Association). Similarly, the American Medical Association describes it as "the use of force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correction or control of the child's behavior"(American Medical Association). No matter how it is defined, spanking is a practice that is so widely accepted in American culture that it is even celebrated in this popular Mother Goose children's rhyme. Although many argue that this type of punishment has been effective ever since the "good old days" where kids learned forcefully how to behave, th ere is a plethora of evidence that shows emphatically that corporal punishment never was, is, or will be an effective means of discipline. In fact, various credible studies and researchers have concluded that corporal punishment causes many undesirable and negative effects on children. Consequently, numerous cases prove that reducing this type of punishment has measurable benefits. Â   Â   Most research concludes that spanking does result in immediate compliance, but according to Jordan Riak, author and founder of the... ...ainst Children: A Challenge for Society. New York: Walter de Gruyter & CO., 1996. Muller, Judy. "No Spanking Zone Proposed." ABCNEWS.com Plutarch. The Education of Children. Vol. 2. Moralia, Ancient Greece. "Policy Resolution on Corporal Punishment." American Public Health Association. November 7, 1979. Riak, Jordan. Plain Talk About Spanking: Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education. Alamo, CA, 1992. Revised in 1999. "Spanking Makes Children Violent, Antisocial." American Medical Association News Update. August 13, 1997. Straus, Murray A. and Paschall, Mallie J. Corporal Punishment by Mothers and Cognitive Development of Children: A Longitudinal Study. http://www.ung.edu?frl?cp51japa.htm UN: Committee on Rights of Child Concludes Eighteenth Session. Geneva, 18 May to 5 June., M2 Press WIRE, 06-09-1998.

Comparing Washington Irvings Sleepy Hollow the Movie to the Book Essay

Comparing Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow the Movie to the Book ?The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? is a short story by Washington Irving. Based on a well-known legend, this story tells the tale of the disappearance of the main character, Ichabod Crane. An effective ghost story, Irving leaves you guessing what the truth is behind the ending. The movie Sleepy Hollow is Hollywood?s portrayal of Irving?s original story. Although the movie is similar to the story in the beginning, the movie takes a twist that leads in another direction that strays far from the original plot. The original story by Washington Irving starts out in a small town of Sleepy Hollow. Irving paints an image of bountiful crops, beautiful scenery, and prosperous landowners. Ichabod Crane was a local pedagogue, who taught at the local schoolhouse. He was known for his strict ways and yet he was very popular amongst the families of his students- especially the ones who had ?pretty sisters.? Ichabod enjoyed spending fall evenings with the old widows as they sat by a fire and told stories of ghosts and demons and other supernatural beings. One story that was always told was one of the legendary Headless Horsemen. The tale tells of a soldier who had his head shot off with a cannon ball. His ghost now roamed Sleepy Hollow on his horse, looking for his lost head. In place of his head, sits a jack-o-lantern, which had a fiery glow. Intertwined with this short story is a love story, or rather a story of pure lust and greed. Ichabod Crane was in ?love? with a girl named Katrina Van Tassel. Katrina was the daughter of the wealthy and prosperous landowner, Heer Van Tassel. Ichabod?s pursuit of Katrina was for purely physical and lustful reasons. His... ... While the original story leaves you wondering what happens to Ichabod, the movie leaves you with the question on whether or not everything can be explained by science. Ichabod tries the entire movie to try and figure out who is the murderer by using all his scientific explanations, yet in the end, there truly was a ghost. Both stories leave you thinking about the possibility of ghosts and demons. When it comes to both stories, they both provide questions that leave us to ponder. While they have their similarities, the majority of ideas differ. The story lines differ in so many ways that they are two different stories with a few similarities that tie them together. Although I enjoyed watching the movie, I still find that I prefer the question that the original story left us wondering. What did happen to Ichabod Crane? Personally? I think he ran away.

Oryx and Crake Summary

In Orgy and Crake Margaret Atwood highlights this ethical issue through the lives of characters directly involved in this business to show that impasses both in the novel and in today's society use poor and desperate people to further their businesses and turn a profit. Tattoo's novel focuses on a community dominated by bio engineering and genetic sciences in a time where restrictions on what companies could do with technology are limited.The main character Jimmy and the important figures in his life (his parents, Crake, Orgy, etc) live in a society where their comfortable lifestyles are only possible through the revenue they make off of the biomedicine developments they make. Atwood uses the desires of people like Jimmy who live in the engineering compounds, and the desperate conditions of the poor inhabitants in the slums, known as the planeloads. At the end of the novel, Atwood creates a catastrophic apocalypse stemming directly from a disease created by a company distributed to t he plebes, who were eager to receive what they thought was a life changing medicine.Atwood uses this to illustrate issues that are prevalent in modern society. In both modern times and in Tattoo's novel the upper-class takes advantage of the lower-class' desperation for a better lifestyle to make a profit and continue to live their ivies comfortably at the expense of others. Atwood uses the way companies in the novel manipulate and take advantage of the lower-class to draw a parallel to today's society. In the novel the first example shown of economic manipulation is through an argument Jimmy's parents have over the ethics of the recent breakthrough in drug advancements.In this excerpt, Jimmy's father comes home celebrating advancements in genetic engineering at his company, but his mother refuses to celebrate as she sees this as â€Å"yet another way to rip off a bunch of desperate people. â€Å"(Atwood 26) As the argument regresses Jimmy's father maintains the argument that the new technology being created gives people hope a. Jimmy's mother relays that it gives hope â€Å"At Nonskid' prices it is. You hype your wares and take all their money and then they run out of cash, and it's no more treatments for them. They can rot as far as you and your pals are concerned†¦ Make] life better for people -? not just people with money' (26). In this passage Atwood uses Jimmy's parents and the false hope companies' products like â€Å"Nonskid† give to represent companies and people, profit and generosity and the struggle between aging money and helping others. This reveals an issue that concerns not only the characters in the novel, but also people today. The way companies rip off â€Å"a bunch of desperate people† is seen today with businesses that take their drugs overseas to take advantage of desperate people in need of a miracle, and instead test their products on them for half the cost and little consequence.In an article called â€Å"Drug Te sting Goes Offshore† in Fortune Magazine, Abraham Illustrate states that â€Å"nearly 40% of all clinical trials are now conducted in poorer countries such as Russia and India, where costs are rower and patients more vulnerable. â€Å"(Fortune) This parallels the disparity shown in the novel where Jimmy's father and the company he works for uses the poorer people in the â€Å"planeloads† to test their products on to do the same principles of low cost and vulnerability.Additionally the article reveals that â€Å"The very business model that summons drug companies to those places also risks exploiting the vulnerability of foreign patients–they are eager to sign up because they lack a viable alternative and tend to have blind faith in medicine,† (Fortune) showing how truly desperate the patients are and easily impasses in both the novel and today's society are able to take advantage of that as a business opportunity rather than a chance to help others.The a rticle also shows how the companies make individual profit by explaining that â€Å"trials investigators in Russia can make ten times his salary by recruiting his patients into studies,† (Fortune) and also tells how â€Å"Patients in SST. Petersburg told stories about bribing doctors, passing on a few dollars to ensure they would get a repeat visit or admission to a clinic† (Fortune). Atwood uses products like â€Å"Nonskid† and the arguments Jimmy's parents make to present the same involvement companies in modern society use the same form of manipulation to make money instead of helping the people they deceive to grow financially.Atwood also shows another side to the company's forms of manipulation through a controversial statement Jimmy's friend Crake makes about how companies are always able to create new drugs for a seemingly increasing amount of new diseases. In this passages Jimmy asks â€Å"But don't they keep discovering new diseases? â€Å"(Atwood 1 2 6) In which Crake replies â€Å"Not discovering, they're creating them†¦ [they insert] a hostile oviform started in he plebe population†¦ [and] it more or less runs itself.Naturally they develop the antidotes at the same time as they're customizing the bugs, but they hold those in reserve, they practice the economics of scarcity, so they're guaranteed high profits† (Atwood 126). This radical business concept mirrors the same tactics of manipulation seen previously with deception of the â€Å"plebes† and the immediate advantage taken in finding a way to make money off of them. But even in the novel this concept seems to manipulative and far- fetched to be believable, or relatable to modern society.However the concept of â€Å"disease mongering' or the creation of diseases to convince people to buy products to cure them is more prevalent in society than expected. In the British Journal of Nursing and article called â€Å"Marketing disease: is osteoporosis an example of ‘disease mongering? ‘ this concept is explored in a disease that is more or less excepted as an accurate condition that people need drugs for. In the article it explains that: â€Å"Osteoporosis is often described as a disease, yet the symptoms are imperceptible and reliable diagnostic criteria have not been formulated†¦ E manufacture of ‘lifestyle' drugs has been costly without significant improvement in mortality or morbidity. The influence of the medical profession and large drug manufacturers is [and] the manufacture of illness is [shows] there may be significant risks attached to treating non-existent diseases† (BBC). This shows that not are there diseases that are believed to be problematic and prevalent, but that companies are in fact making them up and furthermore using them to make money by selling treatments that could even be harmful to the consumer.This was shown as he case with â€Å"hormone replacement therapy, which resulted i n the unnecessary deaths of thousands of women,† (BBC) revealing that as long as there are people desperate enough to seek relief to their ailments, companies will take advantage of that for personal gain whether it leads to hurting people and in this previous case, even death. Here Atwood shows that the evil and deceitful actions taken by the fictional characters in the novel share a striking parallel with the companies in today's drug market.Although it is easy to take away from these examples that there are manipulative people in today's society as well as in Tattoo's novel, Atwood encourages that a further step is taken with this. These examples of disparity in the ethics of drug companies not only reflects the looming threat of big scary companies always out to get people, but reflects how as a population, people are ready to throw themselves at whatever drug comes their way as their miracle.Atwood pushes the realization that people aren't safe just because they're not im poverished or seeking free medical care, but that even the wealthy and the everyday individual in modern society are vulnerable to this manipulation. It is unfortunate that today the dream of living a life with good health and medical protection for families is used to support an already wealthy society that continues to flourish while the poor are left to depravity. Although companies use the lure of low prices and free trials to continue their lives of leisure, the victims pay an even larger price than anticipated.A shown in the novel and the articles, many pay with being worse off than before and even death. The price people pay for these â€Å"miracle pills† and a chance to enjoy a better way of life can't be valued, however companies still make a refit off of the hardships of the destitute and despairing. This lack of empathy and simple decency is the foundation that breeds the inhumane suffering of others and, as Atwood illustrates, can lead to the same catastrophic dow nfall constructed in her novel.

Pyramus and Thisbe Essay

A first-time encounter with the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe would already send your heart fluttering with a hundred different emotions headed primarily of a lover’s longing for his/her partner’s touch and the level of passion the two had shown. Pyramus and Thisbe were childhood lovers that carried with them an ill-fated love story when they were forbidden by their parents to be together. Fortunately, the love between our two lovebirds had been so strong that they discovered a way on how they could communicate day and night. A common crack in their walls allowed this to happen, and being neighbors, they were able to keep in touch with one another and exchange sweet thoughts. Until the day when they can’t bear the silent distance between them anymore came, they finally decided to run away from home and so, they had set up to meet under a mulberry tree near Ninus’ tomb. Come nighttime, Thisbee, who arrived first, spotted a fierce lioness and immediately ran for her life. While on escape, she accidently dropped her cloak which the lioness viciously tore into pieces. Pyramus arrived at the scene with the sight of Thisbe’s cloak and abruptly concluded that his better half had died already. With this thought in mind, he took his own life, thinking that he can’t live with the fact that he had left the love of his life to wait alone in the woods. Thisbe arrived minutes later and upon seeing her lover’s dying state, she decided that she would not let death separate them and she took her own life too. The theme of this love story would probably be unconditional love that was unimaginable given Pyramus and Thisbe’s circumstances. Even death was not powerful enough to separate the two ill-fated lovers. I believe the story only shows how there may be hope for everything. They believed in the love they had and even took the risky choice of leaving everything behind even their own families. This part of the book was really to be well-commended. The love stories were enjoyable to read and Edith Hamilton told the stories in a manner where you can completely visualize scene after scene and really added color to one’s imagination. The narrations were easy to follow and her choice of language was not profane at all, but rather neat and blithe.

Ben-Hur and Messala

Full of surprising actions, difficult compromises, and bitter defeats, Ben-Hur tells the tale of a Jewish prince, Judea Ben-Hur, born around the time of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Judea is childhood friends with a Roman boy named Messala. The deep bond between the two is a point clearly made in the beginning of the movie. The movie swiftly moves ahead over 20 years to a time when Rome has invaded Jerusalem. Ben-Hur is still a prince and regarded still with honor though he no longer rules the land.After years of separation, Ben-Hur and Messala have a joyful reunion and once again begin to reinvigorate the bonds of friendship. Exposition as they walk around fountain with the women discussing their youth lets us know Messala was almost a part of the Ben-Hur family. Everything is sweet with talk of â€Å"old times† yet one still gets the feeling that Messala is a bad guy as he discusses turning Libya to ashes in front of the women and soon after as he tries to get Judea to turn in fellow Jews. Messala is looking to climb the ladder of power and he begs for Ben-Hur’s help in getting rid of Jewish rebels.When Ben-Hur refuses, Messala uses an accident to place Ben-Hur under arrest. He is sent away as a galley slave for use on Roman ships. After saving the life of the Roman Counsel Quintus Arrius, Ben-Hur is freed from slavery and adopted by the high-ranking Roman. Judea Ben-Hur, driven by obtaining revenge on Messala, decides he must leave his new friends and family and return to Jerusalem. The longing to find his sister and mother are as strong as his need for revenge. After leaving Rome, Ben-Hur finds that Messala is now a famed chariot racer in Jerusalem.Fate has Ben-Hur meeting an Arab sheik who owns a chariot but whose rider is inadequate. This Arab offers Ben-Hur the chance to ride in a chariot driven by four of the finest horses he has ever seen in competition against Messala, hoping winning against the evil ex-friend will be revenge enough for Be n-Hur. After politely rejecting the offer, Judea heads back to his Jerusalem home in hope of finding his revenge and his family. But instead, Ben-Hur returns to find his home in disarray and his family still gone.His slaves, however, remain and they have hidden Ben-Hur’s wealth. Esther, the slave daughter he freed years before is still there, almost waiting for him to return. Fate once again steps in, and Judea winds up on the sheik’s chariot in the great chariot race of Jerusalem. Taking up almost twenty minutes of screen time, this ultra-dramatic and occasionally gory scene finds Ben-Hur the victor in the end. Thinking his family dead and his nemesis not only beaten but also mortally wounded, Ben-Hur finally believes the end of his torments may be close at hand.But Messala, despite knowing he is near death, still refuses to concede defeat. He requests a visit from Ben-Hur. It is then that Messala tells Ben-Hur that his family is alive and living as lepers in the vall ey. The obvious fresh pain he brings to his one-time friend seems to please Messala as Ben-Hur is once again filled with agonizing reality. Esther and Ben-Hur soon bring his mother and sister out of the valley and into the city where they are pelted with rocks. Soon though, attention shifts to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.Ben-Hur recognizes Christ. He cannot understand why he is being tortured so and Ben-Hur thrashes through the crowd in order to get closer. He is able to bring Jesus a wooden cup of water and when he sits in front of the wounded Christ to offer the drink, Ben-Hur looks into Christ’s eyes and it is obvious something deep has passes between them. The crucifixion complete, we see Christ’s blood being washed down the hillside where Esther and Ben-Hur’s family have taken shelter in cave. It is this night that finds Ben-Hur finally attaining peace.Ben-Hur has probably been described as a film of â€Å"epic† proportions more times than the su n has risen since its birth. Nevertheless, epic it is. Made on a grand scale, Ben-Hur is a story of good and evil which is often as clear as in children’s fable. For example, for centuries most people associate the color white with good and black with bad. Messala, the enemy of Ben-Hur wears black clothing and has black horses in the great chariot race while Ben-Hur’s are clothes are light and his horses white.Yet, it is also a tale that makes one wonder if good and evil are actually as clearly defined as we have been led to believe. Though it is in the background most often, religion plays a big part of this movie. Just like in the modern world where religious fanatics abound, there were many conflicting beliefs two centuries ago. While the movie, in my opinion, could have made the Romans the evildoers simply for their different beliefs, it never stoops that low. Instead, the movie shows that greed is evil and that acceptance of others unlike oneself is what makes all humans good.Messala disparages Jews to Ben-Hur frequently, but it is not that which makes him evil. It is Messala’s corrupt ways, selfish actions, and unrepentant heart that make him evil. Not only does the movie compare and contrast Messala and Ben-Hur, it also strives to compare Ben-Hur with Jesus. They were born around the same time, they were good men with great things in their futures. But the pain of one found him seeking blood for blood where the other professed people should fight oppression and evil with love and peace. With cunning subtlety, the live of Jesus is intermingled with Ben-Hur’s.We never see Jesus’ face, nor do we ever hear him speak. But, we do get the ideas Jesus professed through other characters such as Balthazar and Esther. We hear of the types of choices Jesus would make and we witness the one Ben-Hur makes. Judea is absolutely powerful as he talks of how freedom will ring so loudly when Rome falls. We know his choice is to fight, vio lently if need be for what he wants. Yet Jesus is powerful too, as we hear his words of peaceful action through others. Compared to Messala, Ben-Hur is the opposite of evil.But, when compared to Jesus, Ben–Hur is also an opposite. This is where the lines of good vs. evil are less clear than say white and black. It is almost as if the movie wanted us to see Messala as the ultimate evil, Jesus as the ultimate good, and Ben-Hur as the fallible human who must live every day between the two. This pull of both is obvious quite often in Ben-Hur’s life. First he must choose between being a loyal friend and a loyal leader, then he must choose between killing those who would have him dead and remaining alive for the future.He makes life-altering choices based on emotion only many times. The ship scene where Ben-Hur is unlocked prior to being rammed turns into him saving as many other slaves as he can, despite risking his own life by remaining in the ships’ hold is not onl y graphic but very emotional. And soon after, he not only kills another to save the life of Quintus Arrius, he saves him again by refusing to allow Quintus Arrius to kill himself by suicide. No expert on this time period, I found this movie to be extremely accurate historically.From the clothing to the architecture of ships and buildings to the desolate desert settings, they all rang fairly true. If occasionally, one could image a particular shot taken on a movie lot, there were hundreds of others that felt perfectly real that could make you forget a second or two of falseness. It seemed that very detailed attention was given to even minor aspects of the film. For instance, Ben-Hur’s hairstyle was decidedly Roman after his months spent in the empire’s capital. The make up of the women was very detailed too, as were the many wounds shown in the war between ships.Also, the instant where the slave must move the Baton of Victory closer to the emperor reach so that the empe ror would save mere inches of movement rang quite true and a tad funny. Every great epic must have a great ending. Ben-Hur certainly does. This is when Judea is finally reunited with his family and he brings them into to Jerusalem where they see Christ being tortured as he carries the cross. â€Å"In his pain a look of peace† Ester mutters softly as Judea struggles to get close to Jesus.Soon after, the blood of Jesus that runs down the hillsides as the rain pours down heals Judea’s family miraculously. Esther was going to leave Ben-Hur as his thirst for vengeance was turning him to â€Å"stone† until a look from Jesus and a few of the crucified preacher’s words rid Judea of the pull toward evil completely. The happily ever after ending can read like a children’s fable and feel a little unrealistic as well. But, one has to consider that with all the torment the main characters in this film had to endure in their lives, a little artistic license is u nderstandable.This version of Ben-Hur was a great success. It remains on many lists as one of the top 100 films of all time and is still discussed frequently among moviegoers and critics alike. The famous chariot race scenes in the later half of the movie are recognizable even to many that have never seen the entire film. No doubt this film can be considered a success when fifty years later it is still being watched, still is recognizable, and it’s actions scenes are still being emulated (Think of the pod-race in Star Wars – The Phantom Menace).Another aspect of measuring its success is that while some of the scenes are obviously shot on a filming lot (Ben-Hur’s home after his return from Rome, close-up shots during the dramatic race are the first scenes to come to mind) the production itself was an amazing undertaking. Made in the days before computers could enhance, fix, and modify any image, the drama accomplished is admirable. Thousands of people at a time i n some shots and the final product came together in a way that ends up looking so smooth, but must have been quite an undertaking to realize.The most recent production of Titanic, a massive success in its own right, had fifty years of technology at is disposal and yet it’s computer generated people aboard the luxurious cruise liner with their stiff movements and bodies and clothing without details cannot hold a candle to the thousands of extras used to fill a Jerusalem arena as they cheer for Ben-Hur, line roman streets for a tribute to the returning Quintus Arrius, fill a hillside from all directions to listen to the words of Jesus Christ, or follow Christ as he takes his last tortured steps through Jerusalem with the heavy wooden cross on his back.Technology has been wonderful to the movie industry, but Ben-Hur stands out even today because it is able to touch the audience intensely without the use of modern tools. The realistic touches, such as the thousands of extras invo lved, the intelligent decision to parallel the live of Jesus while still keeping his character in the background, and the still exciting chariot scenes are only a part of the reason this film is a monumental success still.