Necessary Losses by Judith Viorst - 1285 Words

From a young age most people have gone through many relationships with other people who were not their family. Thus, we often acknowledge these relationships as friendships. But the word friend is too broad, so people categorize their friends to several types. In her book â€Å"Necessary Losses: The Lovers, Illusions, Dependencies and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow†, Judith Viorst divided friendships to six types. Those are convenience friends, special Interest friends, historical friends, crossroad friends, cross-generation friends and close friends. In my life, I have been friend with many people since I was little. Although I have met all six kinds of friend of Viorst, convenience friends and close†¦show more content†¦Before I met Huy, I used to live my life quietly, keep a distance from other people. I was not bad at socialized with other people, but because I did not have a close friend I felt like lazy to talk to others. I often stayed at home and spent more time on my computer. Then thing changed when I met Huy. We hanged out together all the time. We met and invite more friends to our group. Moreover, the time that I spent at home and on my computer lessen. I have changed from a quiet, unapproachable guy to the one who is more friendly and sociable. Furthermore, whenever I am with Huy and other close friends of mine I feel the joy in doing everything. For example, our party would have more fun with everybody there. Together our trip to the mountain or the beach would be more exciting. The fabulous time that we spend on the karaoke night could last forever. This is also one of the contributions of close friend that Viorst noted: â€Å"they also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine tastes richer, the laughter ring louder, because they were there.† (3). However, in one’s life there will be the time when everything go against our prediction. But I’m not worry because close friend will come to us and help us go through our hard times as Viorst wrote: â€Å"Friends furthermore take care [†¦]† (3). During my hard time, Huy always stayed next to me, I told him that

Thankful For What I See - 926 Words

Thankful for what I see. All of my life I have struggled with my weight, even as a pre-teen and teenager I can remember being on diets and trying to eat better so that I could lose weight. I always felt that I could do better, but I just could not find a way to lose weight and stick to it. For years, I did one diet after another trying to lose the weight then I realized that I was an emotional eater who ate when things were good and I ate when things were not so good. After years of this, I had to get serious about my weight because I had hit a critical point where nothing fit, my muscles hurt and even walking was a challenge. I was also preparing for some great things and having excess weight was only going to hinder my process. So, I decided not to diet but to make some necessary changes in my life. One of the first things I did was stop drinking sodas, juices, and drinks every day. The only things I drank daily was water and coffee, but even my coffee got a reboot. I stopped using Splenda, switched to Sugar in the Raw and I took the milk/cream out of my coffee. While those changes may seem simple, what I realized is that the sodas, juices, and drinks were adding unnecessary calories to my diet. I also took a serious look at all that I had heard about Splenda and finally decided that it was not best for my body anymore, but I also knew that white sugar in my coffee was not good for me either because I realized long ago that white sugar gave me a jolt and thenShow MoreRelatedNotes On Nature Keeps Us Alive1356 Words   |  6 Pages11. Nature Nature keeps us alive, so it is something that I am totally thankful for. The trees give us oxygen. The rivers, lakes, and oceans give us water. The beauty of it fills our souls and makes us happy. The sound of it relaxes us. There is so much to be thankful for about nature. I am grateful for every day I got to experience it. 12. My Mind I have a friend who has a brother that has an illness where he can t comprehend things or speak. He has been living physically for over 45 yearsRead MoreThe Theme Of Poverty In Fly Away Home By Eve Bunting841 Words   |  4 Pagesis poverty. Fly away home teaches the younger generation to be thankful for what you have. Fly Away Home theme is about being thankful for you, what have because Andrew doesnt have a place to call home, does labor instead of education, and hopes for a better future even with all of his anger and his misery. Not everyone has a place to call home, where they can feel safe. At the start of the story of Fly Away, Home we just see the how terrible and scary Andrews life is. Andrew is very PessimisticRead MoreReflection Of My Gratitude Diary1055 Words   |  5 Pagesreally got me thinking of many things I am grateful for. I felt good journaling because I usually journal about ideas and plans I want to achieve, but never have written about the stuff I am grateful for in life. I noticed that I was only taking pictures of material possessions rather than looking at other important things like being able to hear. Being able to see. Being able to have feet to walk, and hands to be able to help others. It might have been because I dont like to show a lot of my emotionsRead MoreToo Much Thankfulness674 Words   |  3 Pageslot about this thankfulness thing. I can’t get away from it. It started with Thanksgiving. Before digging in to a big Thanksgiving feast at my daughter’s hou se, we all took turns saying something for which we were thankful. My grandkids loved the idea so much, that they have continued the practice of naming something they are thankful for every night before dinner. They look forward to it. Then one day last week, while driving home during rush hour traffic I heard a story on the radio about aRead MoreWhat Makes A Blessing?1155 Words   |  5 Pagesout one’s own failure to be thankful. Gratitude softens our hearts to where they are more pliable in the hands of a loving God. Hard hearts are generally ungrateful, so asking God to make us brave enough to see where we are lacking gratitude is a worthy endeavor and surely pleases our Father in heaven. Examine your life. Are there any gratitude shortcomings? In my own life, I know that I need to work on giving thanks for even the little things – the things in which I do not even consider being aRead MoreAccommodations And Differentiation : Struggling Students Essay1666 Words   |  7 Pagesare thankful for the things they write. Diversity/Cultural Considerations: Throughout the class talk about how everyone celebrates thanksgiving different and how we need to be considerate of other students celebrations of thanksgiving and what other students are thankful for. It is important that the teacher talks about how everybody celebrates the holidays differently. Extension/Enrichment: More advanced students will be asked to write multiple sentences about what they are thankful for.Read MoreAnalysis Of Psalm 78 And The Bible1234 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter of God. It is very easy to see that mankind very seldom appreciates what God does for them. We ask God for something, and then when He gives it to us, we complain that it was not enough. Let s take a minute to see what happens in this section of the bible. The author says plainly at the beginning of the chapter what his goal is in writing this Psalm. Read what he has to say: I will open my mouth in a parable (in instruction by numerous examples); I will utter dark sayings of old [thatRead MoreMy : My Life Course921 Words   |  4 Pages Looking at my life course as I type behind a screen has made me realized that my life course so far has gave me a positive outlook on life.. Although my parent’s fought and it made me scared to be in a relationship, I could not be more thankful for the family I have. Because of them, I have learned to be thankful, kind, and altruistic. My fathers cancer and the death of my best friend has taught me to live life to the fullest, appreciate the things you have in life, and to stay positive not matterRead MoreWhat Is Gratitude?Gratitude Is The Quality Being Thankful1625 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is gratitude? Gratitude is the quality being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and return of kindness. When I start writing the Gratitude Journal in my psych class. I came realize a lot of good things are happening my life because I was able to list and reflect what I was really thankful for. I wasn’t’ the sad, lonely, and depress person I was back in high school . I had no friends, I was loser, bully, and. I was full of range, loneliness, and depression, writing this Gratitude showRead MoreReflection Paper On Being A Nurse749 Words   |  3 Pagesfinish. When I look back I can’t believe how far we’ve all come in such a short amount of time. I used to struggle with taking blood pressure and now I think I could do it in my sleep. I used to be so afraid that I would screw up and kill my patient because I misheard something (honestly, I still am) but now it’s easier to get out of my head and be confident in my ability. I’m thankful for all the hours that my professors and clinical instructor put in to help me learn the practical skills I need to go

Religion and the History of Violence for Natural or Inherent

Question: Discuss about theReligion and the History of Violence for Natural or Inherent. Answer: Introduction: Before the topic of the essay is discussed in detail in the subsequent paragraphs, it becomes necessary to discuss what the topic of the essay means. The topic questions the fact that whether the humans are naturally violent or no? Humans are the animals who are the most intellectual species present on the earth at this given point in time. Naturally stands for the tendency of something which is there from the present or from the time when a human being is born. It is not inherent or acquired or done by seeing your idol, it is anything which is present inside the human from the day he is born. Violence stands for the activity which won't be considered peaceful; something which reflects aggression and the behaviour of fighting which is generally not verbal but also leading to fighting with fists and weapons. Hence, the whole topic which would be discussed would be whether the tendency in the humans of violence is natural or it is something which can be acquired i.e. that human nature from the start wants to fight and have this instinct or no(Gabbatis, 2017). So the concept of violence actually can be inside the humans by two ways. The violence can be- Natural or inherent Acquired over the time(Parsons, 2017) Natural or inherent violence can be that the person is so from the very beginning and have got that in his genes whereas some people become violent over time. People can become violent over time because of the following reasons- They have seen harsh times and have become so over time. They have been in the company of such people who have the tendency to fight. They have been bullied and have become like that(Hughes, 2015). They want to take revenge from people who have mugged them. So the question arises that are people actually violent naturally or it is just a myth. There stand two theories related to violence and aggression namely the new theory and the old theory. The old theory was given by Konrad Lorenz and it said that the aggression and violence was not a reaction of reflex to the external stimuli and it was something which was built over by time in the people. He said that people do not react violently every time but there is a built up of energies which happen over time and once that saturation point arises because of filling till the brim, that irritation and pressure is released in the form of aggression and violence by the people. Hence, it is the thing which occurs over time and is an internal built up thing(Wright, 2013). Under this the most important and the most popular theory have been the frustration built up theory which says that the people keep on accumulating and building pressure in their minds from things which keep on happening overtim e and once their saturation point is raised and once they have been totally done up with something that frustration is visible and it comes out in front of the people once it is triggered(Johnston, 2016). But this theory then also says that these emotions can be controlled and kept in check if the person has control over his emotions and does not show his violence in front of the people and also it can be avoided once the person has communicated his feelings and what he is upset about to the people and he relaxes his mind from sharing his bit(Gabbitis, 2017). Then there comes the new theory of aggression which says that it is the external stimuli which aggravate in the person the tendency to fight and be aggressive and it is not the emotions which triggers the aggression instinct of the person(Fuentes, 2012). This theory states that there are certain things which are needed by the human body for the survival like the food, water, air, shelter, sex, and other basic things. Anything which hampers the availability of these things in the life of the human it leads to the building up of aggression in the human. A theory also says that if a person is involved in a lot of violent body contact sports like boxing, football and all, he becomes aggressive by nature and he also not able to communicate his feelings with others. Different types of cultures and forbidding the children to do something also can be one of the reasons why children turn out to be violent. Another thing which decides a lot about the behavior related to aggression or violence is how the person is bought up in the house. if the child is bought up ideally (and here ideally stands for that the atmosphere of the house is fine and the parents do not keep fighting and the child is taught all the good and moral values in the house) then there are less chances that the child turns out to be violent and indulge in a lot of fights(Greene, 2014). Whereas, if the parents themselves return frustrated to their home and fight with each other in front of the child and also make him a part of the brawling; if the needs of the child are not fulfilled and he is not able to communicate well with their parents, then it is a very high probability that the child turns out to be violent and starts fighting with all the people around him. Hence, the growing up stage is a very crucial stage and the basic nature of the child is formed in those formative years. Hence, it is the time of make or break and the child is made to learnt there and then whether he would turn out to be an a ggressive person or not(Keltner Marsh, 2010). Except for these issues like abuse from the family members, gangs from the streets and the violent behaviour at school by the fellow students also make the child impulsive and he learns to react in a similar way and hence turns out to be a violent person(Sapolsky, 2017). Bullying and all makes the person violent but it not always that he wants to harm the other person and many times the display of violence and aggression can be because the person is trying to save himself from the other people. The cultural holocausts and the barriers in the religions, ethnic groups etc., are also reasons why people can turn out to be violent, for example, if a particular ethnic group is looked down by the other groups and not give sufficient resources and recognition, the people of that group will turn out to be hostile and start the acts of violence and show their aggression by killing people and looting them and creating issues in the normal lifestyles of the people(Armstrong, 2014). Hence, both the theories propound different reasons for the germination of the aggressive and violent style in the people. There can be different factors and reasons why people inculcate such a behaviour in them and turn out to be an aggressive person who is ready for any sort of violent act. Another of the American survey found out that the chimps are considered to be a very violent creature. They tend to be very violent and generally the males among them are considered to be of the aggressive and violent state. And there is no doubt about the fact that the human beings are the descendants of the chimps who have modified from them to be what they are today. So if the chimps are considered and proven to be the violent breed then with time it is possible that though the looks have been changed and modified, but somewhere the basic nature remained as it is. There is a high chance of probability that the aggressive and violent nature of the chimps would have been carried down to the present human beings and who because how their descendants were turn out to be aggressive too. It is also not a big deal to find out that the men among both the sexes are found to be more violent and aggressive in their attitude rather than the women who are mostly subtle and against violence. So just like the chimps the men can have frustration and aggression which can be related to lack of food and unavailability of satisfactory shelter place; the territorial induced aggression and the aggression related to sex and prey can be the reasons why the men today are also highly aggressive in nature just like the chimps who somewhere too had the same fears. It is also said in science that there are certain hormones in the body of the person which is related to aggression. The complexities and hormones and fluids of the body like serotonin, testosterone and other various neurotransmitters and hormones are there which are associated with aggression. Though there is no fixed quantity or set standard which shows that the person is extremely aggressive but certain reactions from the person which shows irritation, mood- off, not interested in conversation, etc. are the things which reflect the frustration of the person and which leads to the aggressive and violent attitude by the humans. Another major area through which the violence can be seen of the people is the war. Wars are common from the very beginning and there have been wars between almost all the countries. The reasons for wars can be so many but the end line is that they show the aggression of the human beings they have inside them for the other people. The reasons for war are again the insecurities and the greed of man. The people of different countries fight wars because they want to expand their territories (hence the territory infused aggression), they want to rule the other countries (expansion of territory aggression) and also because they are afraid that the other stronger country would declare war on them (hence the fear which induces aggression). War is the ultimate display of violence by the people. The wars are not natural, they are man-made. The man, because of his own fears and greed, has been continuously fighting wars with different countries. And this tendency to fight a war is not natural or inherently there; the aggression and violence related to war are mostly developed with age and is because of the people you are surrounded with and the kind of ideas they put across in your minds. Hence, if the war is seen and the aggression and violence portrayed in it are taken as the basis then it is something which is acquired and built with time and is not something which a person carries from the birth. Somewhere in the year 1986, a scientist deduced that there is no type of evidence which is scientific which shows that the violence and aggression in a man are inborn. It cannot be scientifically proven that the men in our society are violent naturally. Though the history is full of war and bloodshed; it is full of different kinds of killing and issues, but none of it has ever shown that the problem of violence and aggression is in the people from birth. All these cruelties have just shown the different reasons and fears in the humans which have related to the wars in the past. Though there are hormones related to aggression in the people, yet these are aggravated only if the certain external stimulus is made to react with it. People tend to fight only when they are put in that situation where they cannot break free without fighting them and showing certain violent act. Science even has proven that though there are animals from which the humans have been deciphered to be developed an d who have shown the extreme sort of violence and aggression, yet, there is a line between the humans and animals which cannot be skipped. Though certain habits might have been transferred and carried forward, yet the human brain is the most intellectual brain which is said to be in the universe. The brain of a human cannot be compared to that of an animal and hence the reactions to things are also different between both the species. This deduces that the aggressive nature of animals for a certain thing is not a basis to decide whether it would be the reason of violence in human beings too. And hence, this does not give a liberty to deduce that the aggression in human beings is innate. There are two types of aggression which have been deduced. They are the proactive and the reactive and these are associated with the external factors and the response to external stimuli. How this aggression can be tamed turns out to be a different story altogether, but the main point to infer here is that the aggression is always stimulated by external forces and hence this is not natural or innate. Aggression is always something which is acquired by the people over time. Though the history is full of war, there are many instances where people have shown harmony and have settled their disputes without declaring war on each other. Not only this there are many communities and regions in different countries which are peaceful and have never tried too hard any kind of ethnic group or different people. The evolution in humans has shown many social activities and emotions like empathy and altruism which has helped people to look past the violent behaviour of the people. Many constructive things like food shelters, new education system and methods of learning, the development of industries and handicrafts, etc., are the things which show how people can live peacefully and live without the display of any sort of violence. Even though there has been a migration of people between the countries, and many immigration and emigrations, yet people have learnt the art to accept people with open arms and not be violent. It has also been concluded that though there are people who have an inclination towards violence and can become easily aggressive and hence ready to fight; there are also people who are not so violent in nature and they try to think logically before taking any step of violence. Even though there has been data which shows the things like group conflicts in the past and the excavations have shown that there happened large group violence over 12000 years ago, yet people have now become smart enough to realize that many a times cooperation is something that is needed by the people and not violence. Though people may indulge in the bad and large level of issues and violence, yet it can be seen that in the near past the people have developed the quality to cooperate and listen and reach to conclusions before first rather than fighting at the very first place. Conclusion: In the conclusion, it can be said that the people can indulge in a lot of violence and behaviour of certain people can actually make them part of big fights because of excess display of aggression, yet one can rectify it with controlling our emotions and channelizing that aggressive energy in some place useful. Bibliography Armstrong, K. (2014). Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence. London: Pearsons Publications. Fuentes, A. (2012, April 18). Bad to the Bone: Are Humans Naturally Aggressive? Aggression is not our nature, but it is in our potential. Gabbatis, J. (2017, July 12). Is Violence Embedded in Our DNA? Retrieved April 24, 2018, from Sapiens.org: https://www.sapiens.org/evolution/human-violence-evolution/ Gabbitis, J. (2017, July 19). Nasty, Brutish and Short: Are Humans DNA-Wired to Kill? Some research suggests a tendency toward violence has shaped our anatomy throughout evolution. But anthropologists are sharply divided. Greene, J. (2014). Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap Between Us and Them. Hughes, I. (2015, February 26). Why are men more likely to be violent than women? Retrieved April 24, 2018, from the journal.ie: https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/violence-against-women-1959171-Feb2015/ Johnston, I. (2016, September 28). Humans evolved to have an instinct for deadly violence, researchers find. Humans are six times more likely to kill each other than the average mammal, but researchers stress that's no excuse for violence: 'Humans are moral animals and we cannot escape from that. Keltner, D., Marsh, J. (2010). The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness. London: Willey Publications. Parsons, T. (2017, February 28). Why you should always avoid a fist fight. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from Magazine.UK.: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/fist-fight-how-to-avoid Sapolsky, R. (2017). Behave The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. Wright, R. (2013, November 13). Why Can't We All Just Get Along? The Uncertain Biological Basis of Morality. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from www.theatlantic.com: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/why-we-fightand-can-we-stop/309525/

The Most Important Summer Checklist for Every High School Student

It’s June. Summer is finally here. So why would you possibly be thinking about the next school year? If you’re in high school, the college application process is undoubtedly on your mind, and only more so the older you get. Did you know, though, that summer can serve as a great time to buckle down and get ahead before school starts next fall? Whether you’re a rising freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, here are a few things that you can do to get a leg up. Soon-to-be Freshmen: Welcome to high school! Prepare for a lot of changes. People will shift friend groups, classes will get harder, and attitudes will change. Even with those inevitable changes, the summer before freshman year is a great opportunity to plan. Think ahead towards your first quarter or semester, and plan what activities, groups, or sports you might be interested in joining. That way, you can start early on your high school extracurricular activities. The is also the best time to map out an academic plan for high school, says Scott Koebel, a school counselor in Ohio. Whether you sit down with your parent, a counselor, or both, it’s a good time to set up short term and long term goals for your four years before college. Rising Sophomores:Sophomore year is the time to start volunteering and getting involved in community service. While some high schools require a certain number of service hours, it’s still a great way to give back to the community while helping those around you.And while it might be a bit early to get a part-time job due to age restrictions, there’s still potential to work under someone as a shadow or possibly as an intern. Getting a better idea of what you might want to do professionally this early can never hurt. Rising Juniors:Summer is when the college application season starts to take off. If you want to really start early, now’s the time to look into visiting colleges. Whether you have a list of schools yet or you’re looking to get a feel for a real college campus and its size, touring schools is the best way to learn. If you can’t visit schools over the summer, it’s still worthwhile to make a plan to do so during the school year. Rising Seniors:This is the biggest summer when it comes to college applications. Everything should start to be finalized - test scores, list of schools to apply to, and classes for senior year. It’s also time to start thinking about your personal statement topic and how you’ll start to shape your essay.Along with the application details, it’s also a good time to start thinking about your letters of recommendation and who you’ll ask. Giving your recommenders enough time to write is important, so it might be valuable to ask ahead of time before the school year starts. No matter where you are in the application process, making sure you understand the every step and important detail is crucial to success. can help - you can search through thousands of successful application files from students at schools across the country. You can even chat with a mentor for more in depth and personalized information to help you get into school.

The Past is a foreign country Essays

The Past is a foreign country Essays The Past is a foreign country Paper The Past is a foreign country Paper The Past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. Referring to L. P. Hartleys novel The Go-Between and Philip Larkins poetry anthology The Whitsun Weddings, explore the significance of the past. Whats gone and whats past help, should be past grief. L. P. Hartleys novel and Larkins poetry demonstrate the lack of reality in this philosophy, a point that Shakespeare clearly implies with the use of the auxiliary verb should. Although a foreign country our capacity of memory allows us to continue living in that strange land making the events that occurred there very much present grief. The devastating history of The Go-Between epitomises the power that the past has to dictate our lives. That one summer in adolescence can affect the next fifty years of a mans life illustrates the influence that the past has on the present. Similarly, the poetry of Philip Larkin portrays how alive and existing the past is, in memorabilia, in our children, in artifacts and in ourselves. A post mortem of Leo Colstons metaphorical death, the novel The Go-Between, tells the account of how a boy was prematurely forced into adulthood, an adulthood never lived out. The events that occurred at the age of twelve crippled Leo to such an extent that even in his sixties he has not recovered; he is dried up, the husk of a man. One summer in his youth holds more significance for him than any other time, it is the only time in his life that Leo lived but also the time at which he gave up on his existence and died. The Leo Colston of pre-1900 remained at Brandham Hall, where they do things differently, and it is only at the age of sixty-four when he returns in person that he is able and dares to start living once more. After opening Pandoras box, his diary from that eventful year, he decides to confront the past. Despite Leos advance in age he still possesses childhood nostalgia contained in a box, which like him is battered, all these years later. He stored away memorabilia from his early days, evidence that he had not recovered from what happened in the past. In this searching exploration of the nature of memory as termed by Douglas Brooks-Davies, we are shown the ability that the faculty has, as well as memorabilia, to contain the past. Colston was unable to throw away his physical memories just as much as he was unable to rid them from his mind; he did not have closure on the events that took place in Norfolk, it was unfinished business. The prologue of this bildungsroman sees Leo Colston unable to resist the enervating power of his boyhood diary, and so he once again opens the door to his disturbing past. Both the prologue and epilogue of the novel are evidence of the great significance the author places on the past, shown in the pathetic life he has created for green Leo Colston, a now cindery creature, a dull dog. Many factors contributed to the breakdown of the young go-between, not solely the revelation of the sexual act. The twelve-year-old Leo Colston was emotionally immature. He knew nothing of the facts of life and believed that by being a go-between he was a messenger of the gods so high were the Maudsleys in his esteem. Therefore when plunged into water too deep for him, acting as the lynch-pin of the whole business, he was destined to get hurt. After weeks of manipulation by his adored Maid Marian, amounting to psychological child abuse on her part, he was then sadistically forced by a hysterical Mrs. Maudsley to witness the two bodies moving like one. Leos downfall had almost reached its peak. The climax arrived however with the news that Ted Burgess had gone home and shot himself, releasing the metaphorical trigger that was to kill Leo the schoolboy and force him into an unpleasant adult world. The Diary for the year 1900 is a snapshot of naivety, as regards to both Leo and society, echoing the line from Philip Larkins poem MCMXIV: Never such innocence again. Both Leo and England were ignorant of the capabilities of man. Later England was to be disillusioned by the atrocities of two world wars and on a personal scale Leo was to lose his faith in the morality of man. It could be argued that had this novel not been set at the turn of the twentieth century but one hundred years later at the turn of the millennium, Leo Colston would not have suffered a nervous breakdown. Due to advancements in technology there would have been no need for a messenger to aid a secret love affair. The romance between Marian Maudsley, aristocrat and the farmer Ted Burgess would probably not have needed to be a secret at all due to the lack of such a segregated class system in todays society, and also due to the much improved status of women who are now far more liberated as regards sexual relationships and marriage. It is also improbable that an adolescent approaching thirteen in todays society could be as nai ve as Leo concerning the facts of life. The past therefore also has significance in terms of context and as the setting for L. P. Hartleys novel. In The Go-Between L. P. Hartley accurately recaptures the mood of the late Victorian period, through his novel the reader is allowed to witness not only Leos past but also the age in which Leslie Poles Hartley lived. The novel contains many similarities to the authors life and to a certain extent is autobiographical. Lord David Cecil praised Hartleys ability as a historical and social commentator believing him to be One of the most distinguished of modern novelists (And) a sharp-eyed chronicler of the social scene. The Epilogue of the novel shows most effectively the relationship between the past and present. When Leo Colston returns to the village near Norwich where the frightful trouble occurred, it is to a landscape as foreign to him then as when he first arrived there as a pubescent schoolboy. Whilst Leo has lived a monotonous existence for fifty years the most changeful half a century in history has taken place in the world around him. Yet other things remained unaltered. Marian Maudsley still has the power to bewitch Leo, to emotionally blackmail him, to make him carry out a final errand of love. Despite himself Leo is compelled to enter the world of Brandham Hall once more to deliver Marians words to her grandson, Ted Burgess grandson, the character of Edward symbolising the legacy we create in our children. As long as people continue to procreate they will never truly die, but live on through their offspring. Although his farmer friend had taken his own life all those years ago, Leo sees Ted Burgess once more in the face of his grandchild. On seeing the Hall, Leo allows himself to start recollecting fully the time he spent there. As he revisits the foreign country of his past he allows himself to stop being a stranger there and to understand that past land and the events that took place there. Also a foreigner in the world of emotion his entire adult life, Leo Colston will be no longer as he attempts to lay his ghosts to rest. In his anthology The Whitsun Weddings Philip Larkin explores the concept of past and its different aspects. With Afternoons he examines the passing of time; generations growing old without hardly noticing, then looking back at their pasts, their youths, from the hollows of afternoons. Mr. Bleaney was a person of the past and yet his personality lives on through the tales of his landlady and the stamp of bleakness that he left on the hired box. Yet it is in poems such as Love Songs in Age where Larkin truly observes the role that the past plays in our everyday lives, the ability nostalgic souvenirs have to comfort and move us as well as to disappoint. As in The Go-Between a tatty keepsake is the key to unlocking the past, again memories both fond and painful. The tone of the first verse is very matter of fact, simply informing the reader of how a widow accidentally stumbles upon some old, uncared for songbooks. Although unloved she could not face throwing them away as they took so little space. The simplicity of the language used complements the everyday value of the subject matter whilst at the same time informing the reader of the domestic situation of the lady in question. The repetition of One emphasises the lack of importance that the items held for the widow, but almost as though they knew of their own significance they had waited. Now however, in the autumn of her life they awaken nostalgic recollections as she vividly remembers the unfailing sense of being young and in love. The second stanza of the poem creates an optimistic mood, an illusion of sentimental love that makes her feel youthful once more like a spring-woken tree. Yet in the closing stanza Larkins underlying theme of cynicism emerges as the widow realises that the ideal of love portrayed in the song words is merely an illusion. Alliteration emphasises the lack of truth in the promise love makes to solve, satisfy and set unchangeably in order. In confronting this painful reminder from the past the widow also has to face the reality of the present, the two are entwined. The sentimental illusion of romance aimed too high and could not fulfil its promises; It had not done so then, and could not do so now.

Ascertain whether the EU suffers from a democratic deficit Essays

Ascertain whether the EU suffers from a democratic deficit Essays Ascertain whether the EU suffers from a democratic deficit Essay Ascertain whether the EU suffers from a democratic deficit Essay To ascertain whether the EU suffers from a democratic deficit, we should determine the meaning of the word democracy in context. It is Greek in origin1 meaning rule by the people and the very least we should expect in terms of democracy in the EC law making process is that those institutions wielding power should be accountable to the European citizen through their elected representatives. In addition, those same institutions and organisations should also ensure the legislative process is open, accessible and understandable to the public. The Commission is an unelected body consisting of twenty Commissioners that are appointed (or nominated) by their respective governments. Wielding vast legislative powers, they carry out a number of functions according to Art 211 of the Treaty. Most importantly, the Commission initiates all legislative procedures and would describe itself2 as the driving force behind European integration, whether this is an appropriate role for an unelected body remains to be seen. However, it is the Council that is arguably the most important and probably most misunderstood of the EU institutions3. Comprising the members Heads of State plus the President of the Commission, they deliberate in secret. The most important function of the Council is to make decisions on Community legislation, usually on the basis of a Commission proposal. The third (and only directly elected) institution of the EC legislative order is the European Parliament. Performing a vital function for democracy in the EC, Parliament scrutinises Commission proposals for legislation, votes on amendments, and can in theory dismiss the Commission. These MEPs serve a five-year term, although electoral turnout has never been particularly good, many feel the democratic mandate enjoyed by Parliament warrants a greater legislative input. In addition to the three main institutions are the national Parliaments and the Committee of Regions (members include regional, local leaders and councillors). The national Parliaments are given an important role in the implementation of Community law i. e. the enactment of Directives under Art 249. The membership of the Committee of Regions is also determined by the respective national governments, although they have only weak consultative functions. It is the European Parliament that enjoys the most independence; under their rules of procedure voting is on an individual basis. Due to the weakness of the political leadership structure it is difficult to sanction rebel members allowing for truly individual standpoints that should, in theory, represent the desires of their electorate. MEPs should therefore, perhaps provide an effective check against the Council when legislating, prompted by more independent considerations than the sometimes short-term goals of government ministers. The role of the European Parliament has developed from that of a consultative assembly to something more like a traditional legislative body and under the Treaty of Rome, Parliament had a right only to be consulted on certain areas of EEC legislation. Contrasting with the present day, the proportion of policy areas in which the Parliament is involved has increased to 73 per cent as opposed to 18 per cent of the original EEC Treaty. If it can be said that the Commission acts at the executive then they are formally accountable to Parliament, who may actually remove the members of the Commission with a two-thirds majority in a vote of no confidence. In fact, the Commission might have been removed from office in its entirety in 1998. Although this never came to pass, Parliament did establish of a committee to investigate allegations of fraud and mismanagement in the Commission. The threat of such action lead to the resignation of the Commission, the report4 containing the sentence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find anyone [in the Commission] who has even the slightest sense of responsibility. Parliaments controls over the Commission can therefore be regarded as extreme, where only severe circumstances (such as the above) can force the will of the Commission. Other less extreme checks and balances seem less potent as Art 192 only allows Parliament to request the Commission submit an appropriate proposal on matters which it considers the EC should legislate. Here the commission is not legally bound to draw up such a proposal. In addition, when the Commission holds such power as to be able to disregard Parliamentary proposals, the electorate should have some confidence in the selection of said Commissioners. Previously (before TEU) they were appointed by the member states, yet Parliament now has some control over who sits on the commission as they may veto or block candidates. Following the Treaty of Amsterdam Parliament can now veto presidential candidates, the President able to veto member states choices for membership of the Commission. A legitimate Commission is certainly essential with regards to the much-maligned Comitology procedure; the situation where the Commission may itself legislate via powers by the Council of Ministers. This delegated legislation deals with the detailed implementation of Council acts, upheld by the European Court of Justice in early case law such as Koster5. The Council retains an element of control over the Commission in this respect by the use of management committees, consisting of representatives from national governments, usually Civil Servants to whom the Commission must submit drafts of the measures it intends to adopt. The Civil Servants control of measures is divided into three areas advisory committees (merely able to give advice), management committees (may delay the Commissions ability to act) and regulatory committees (which may block the Commissions actions). Variations on these procedures have given rise to over four hundred Committees that further complicate matters, removing any semblance of transparency. Supporters of the Comitology procedure would argue that it helps implement EC legislation and helps the structurally overburdened Commission. However, the procedure has also been criticised for derogating from the Commissions right to exercise powers delegated to it, and thus distorting the institutional structure set up by the Treaty. The European Parliament in particular strongly opposes the procedure for its lack of democratic input. Perhaps, these Committees should indeed be held accountable to the elected body as it currently results in unelected bureaucrats exercising a strong hold over Community legislation through complex procedures, which are not transparent even to experts. Although, the Commission chose to implement the regulatory committee in forty per cent of the cases in which it was used, they are still well placed to determine the agendas through the chairing of meetings. Parliament has even gone as far as (unsuccessfully) challenging the procedure in Court, arguing that decisions here undermined the rights of executive control. At present, there are four forms of law making within the EC which Parliament have varying degrees of control over: consultation, co-operation, co-decision and assent. The consultation procedure demands that the Council consult Parliament before coming to a decision on Community secondary law. Failure to consult can lead to an instrument being struck down6, yet this really gives very little power to Parliament as the Council may still disregard their opinion. The co-operation procedure, introduced by Art 252 establishes a first and second reading in areas largely affecting the internal market. Here Parliament can force the Council to a unanimous vote on a legislative proposal or table amendments that the Council must reconsider. However, this procedure is almost redundant applying exclusively to EMU matters Co-decision is where Parliament can ultimately reject a proposal submitted by the Council. Here Parliament is entitled to propose amendments, which the Council must adopt unanimously if the Commission also has a negative opinion. The veto powers of Parliament can only take effect if the conciliation committee cannot agree on a common position. The procedure being used approximately 20 per cent of the time only. Finally, the assent procedure is required to be followed in six instances, where proposals may not be enacted unless assent is given by Parliament. They may not amend the proposals, simply approve or reject the measures an all or nothing scenario. The real negotiations regarding the co-decision procedure tend not to take place at conciliation meetings, but rather at the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER). This group of Civil Servants, who are attached to the Council, scrutinise and agree on legislation before it reaches the Council proper i. e. unelected technocrats or bureaucrats are given preliminary responsibility for proposing legislation. This may at first seem unreasonable, yet Civil Servants of many nations currently contribute to legislative proposal with regards to Public Law. It is the involvement in the co-decision procedure and the opacity with which they work that may undermine the democratic ideal. This lack of transparency is not confined to COREPER, it appears to be endemic of the EC legal system. Declaration No. 17 annexed to the EC Treaty (by the TEU) stipulates that transparency of the decision-making process is needed to strengthen the democratic nature of the institutions and to restore public confidence in the EU EC. Improvements in this nature are slowly forthcoming and although the Council debates are in secret, they hold a public debate every six months with other debates possible on major issues of Community interests and major legislative proposals, only if there is a unanimous vote by Council. Yet transparency is a crucial instrument in bringing the Community closer to its citizens and in increasing their confidence in its operation, such confidence being a key element in any democracy. 7 The Commissions deliberations also remain secret, although they have embarked on a process of simplifying and streamlining EC legislation to make it more accessible and easier to understand for the EU citizen. The publishing of some legislative proposals in the Official Journal, with details of where those interested can obtain documents and how they can respond to them, will certainly help bring the legislative processes closer to the citizen. Though why this should have taken so long to happen is confusing as Art 1 of the treaty, marks an ever closer union n which decisions are taken as openly as possible to the citizen. This would also suggest means the devolution of authority to the lowest level of government capable of performing duties within the legislative procedures, meaning that power should be delegated to local authorities rather than member states governments. Yet it is this very principle that threatens to undermine the democratic mandate, undermining the position of the MEPs and seemingly underlining the supremacy that some national Parliaments feel they still retain (by simply deferring supremacy through Acts of Parliament). With a low turnout at European elections we hardly need the principle of subsidiarity to be used as a possible basis for challenge to the validity of community legislation. For many the most appropriate was to enhance democracy in the EU is to enhance the role of national Parliaments in EC EU decision-making. The UK Parliament having two select committees: House of Commons Select Committee on European Legislation and House of Lords Select Committee on the EC. These scrutinises draft laws and instructs the government minister in the Council on how to vote, whether there is enough time in an already busy schedule is debateable. Perhaps, an enhanced European Parliament should take sole responsibility for this role as it is they who are the elected representatives of the EU citizen. Interests of national sovereignty must however, be appeased if continued negotiation is to take place at summit level. The question of democracy clearly points to the role of the European Parliament (as the only directly elected body) having only a minor role in the legislative process as opposed to the question of delegation to Committees controlled by the Council. Perhaps the Parliament should be given a greater opportunity not only to propose but also to enact legislation. In order to achieve this there will have to be a greater affinity between the European Community as an institution and its citizens as MEPs can hardly be described as currently acting upon a democratic mandate when electoral turnout is so low. This may be gradually achieved over time or accelerated with a Bill of Rights or Constitution. However, it is worth saying that although a democratic deficit exists within the ECs legal system, it has come a long way in a very short time.

Surveilance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Surveilance - Essay Example ttempts to show how Michel Foucault’s notion of surveillance using the panoptic principle is in fact made manifest by the use of video and still cameras. Further, panopticism has been used as themes of various photo exhibits, no doubt inspired by the creeping feeling of being watched. The practice of placing individuals under ‘observation’ is a natural extension of a justice imbued with disciplinary methods and examination procedures. Is it surprising that the cellular prison, with its regular chronologies, forced labour, its authorities of surveillance and registration, its experts in normality, who continue and multiply the functions of the judge, should have become the modern instrument of penality? Is it surprising that prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals, which all resemble prisons? (p. 228). In this particular passage, Foucault outlines the mechanisms that the prison uses in controlling criminality. On closer examination, what he in fact outlines are the mechanisms that operate within different social institutions. This is a noteworthy point, since the institutions that he mentioned, i.e. factories, schools, barracks, and hospitals, all function in essentially the same way as the modern prison. These all use specific procedures and techniques to discipline subjects. What follows is a discussion of Foucault’s notion of discipline as correct training, with its particular mechanisms and techniques. Foucault’s book was originally titled in French, Surveiller et punir. The translator, Alan Sheridan, explained at the outset the difficulty in translating the title itself for various reasons. Apparently, the French surveiller does not have a directly appropriate English counterpart. The term â€Å"surveillance† proved too limited, and â€Å"supervise† tended to be understood quite differently from what Foucault originally meant. In the end, Foucault himself chose Discipline and Punish, clarifying in the book that the term