The Chrysanthemums Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Chrysanthemums - Essay Example Her working attire is spotless and gives security to her while working. She is extremely specific about her self tidiness just as of her farmhouse and The Chrysanthemums. She pronounces that her planting aptitudes were aftereffect of her mom's mastery in same work. She has quite recently crossed her childhood life and has a hankering for going out and encountering the sort of life others live and to encounter new things. She appreciates a solid and amusing connection with her better half who ensures that he starts or leaves the discussion on a chuckling note. Her better half who possesses a farm keeps her glad and thinks about her prosperity. She is exceptionally watching and curious commonly and keeps beware of her environmental factors and notes minute insights regarding a few things while in any event, taking a shot at her adored Chrysanthemums. Elisa has a face that gets solid while assertings herselfat work and changes to more delicate quality when she converses with her better half. Lean and solid, simultaneously her face is full grown and attractive to be viewed as manly while dealing with moderately gentler stems and parts of the blossoms. She is intensive with her work with coordinating information and talented hands. She cherishes going out and away from the standard tune of homestead work. She gets charmed by accounts of life that others live, and furthermore prefers exploring different avenues regarding things. The second conversation gets towards chrysanthemums, Elisa gets sincerely appended to them and she helps any individual who acknowledges the bloom for its sublime tone. She is an adherent and a talented woman. The spring cart man at first has some off note talk with Elisa however then talks around things so as to get what he really needs, the work that he argued at first to her. The conduct of Elisa towards the messy dressed man was somewhat obvious and emphatical. Also, finally however not least, in parts of story, Elisa is delineated as a t o some degree arousing and extremely wonderful woman who spoils her self as much she works in her bloom garden. Toward the day's end when she prepares to go out with her better half, she spruces up affectionately. Presently we will discuss the character named Henry Allen. He is the proprietor of the farm and Elisa is his better half. He adores Elisa without a doubt and keeps her glad in her exhausting work, around the blossom garden. He has a quality of sentimentalism around him at whatever point he converses with her significant other and has a decent comical inclination with flawless planning. He designs things around entirely well and deals with the farm well too. There is additionally notice of him selling some fordson at a rate which was productive. He and his better half offer a very satisfying connection together and his prodding and clever yet humorous comments revives Elisa rapidly. Ain the finish of the story while riding a roadster, he is exceptionally understanding and minding to her wifes reactions and attempts to fortify her grin back. He cherishes his better half without a doubt and it shows quietly in their typical discussions. At long last we should talk about the character of a spring cart chariot who is an every day bet and isn't wealthy in his garments, clothing and vehicle which has a fairly interesting armada of one pony and one jackass clubbed

QUESTION SET Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

QUESTION SET - Movie Review Example The story would change definitely whenever told by another person other than Martha since they don't comprehend the genuine hardships because of absence of contact with the ladies. This would eclipse the genuine battles of ladies. Things deserted give proof of the day to day environments during a chronicled period (Richard, 1997). They assist us with understanding the encounters through reconnection. A model is Martha’s journal causes us to see her reality and make a film delineating her life and encounters as a maternity specialist. Other remote issues, for example, strict clashes influenced the standard existences of individuals. They diminished connections among network individuals sharing contrasts in this remote elements. Therefore, bigotry turns into an issue and a standard lifestyle making it hard for conventional individuals to relate with those of inverse race. Bigotry is viewed as large issue when moms states she utilizes a similar speed and aptitude to convey white ladies and dark ladies demonstrating race was there however she didn't let it influence her (Richard, 1997). The film encourages us comprehend the battles looked by ladies during the post-progressive period. It assists with revealing insight into clinical practices, strict ill will and sexual jobs in the eighteenth century. These issues despite everything influence us at this moment and, thusly, the film can assist people with perceiving this issues and address them

Learn about SIPA this summer COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Learn about SIPA this summer COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Right now, its prime weather for walking along the waterfront off Riverside Drive to your favorite bistro before heading across town with your friends for an afternoon at one of the dozens of museums in the city.  And the sun warms the sidewalks just enough for your eyes to catch a glimpse of that heat-haze coming off the pavement. Hence, its clearly  summertime in NYC.   At SIPA, that  means the hallways and classrooms at the International Affairs Building are eerily quiet. We prefer it that way because it gives us uninterrupted time to focus our attention on our prospective students (yes, you!). So while classes may not be in session, now is a great time to learn more about SIPA  by attending  a  virtual or in-person information session, which I invite you to do. No,  I  urge  you to attend an information session because its the best opportunity youll have to learn more about the admissions process. (Check out the list below.) During these sessions, you may  ask any question you have about the MIA, MPA and MPA-DP programs. (I promise you that no question is too basic  or too bold, so come prepared to address all of your concerns!) Youre also invited to join us for Summerfest NYC 2015 on July 16, 2015. Its an event where we team up with  alumni, students and staff from five top graduate programs in international affairs so you may  learn  about our graduate programs and network with professionals in  the field. Take a look at our upcoming campus events below, and click on the corresponding event to register today. I look forward to meeting you either online or in person! SIPA MIA, MPA, MPA-DP Information Session Monday, June 22 at 6:00 PM SIPA Admissions Financial Aid Office New York, NY SIPA MIA, MPA, MPA-DP Information SessionFriday, June 26 at 12:00 PMColumbia University School of International and Public Affairs New York, NY SIPA MIA, MPA, MPA-DP Information Session Friday, July 10 at 12:00 PM Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs New York, NY SIPA MIA MPA Virtual Information Session Tuesday, July 14 at 3:00 PM Summerfest NYC 2015 Thursday, July 16 at 5:30 PM Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs New York, NY SIPA MIA, MPA, MPA-DP Information Session Friday, July 24 at 12:00 PM Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs New York, NY SIPA MIA, MPA, MPA-DP Information Session Friday, July 31 at 12:00 PM Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs New York, NY Click here for more on-campus events. And check the blog frequently, because Ill share our recruiting event schedule in the coming weeks.

Historical Thinking And Other Unnatural Acts - 1047 Words

Kent Robertson HIS 6632 – Ritter Wineburg Book Review March 17, 2017 Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts This week’s topic was the book Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts by Sam Wineburg. There is an old quote that states â€Å"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it† (Santanya, 2006). This has long been the worry of educators and policy makers in the United States, how should history be taught and what parts of history are the best to teach? The focus of Wineburg is not which part of history or which version of history should be taught but he asks why teach history at all. As he states the answer is that history has the potential of humanizing us in ways that are offered sparsely in the other†¦show more content†¦Contextual thinking is a way to organize thoughts that relate to the same time period that a document or text was written, thus giving the student a better understanding of the big picture. He also focuses on teaching students to think like a historian. Some of the ways to guide the student in this way of thinking are s ourcing, contextual thinking, close reading, background information, etc. In guiding students to think how a historian thinks and to fully investigate questions that come up teaches them to tolerate complexity, adapt to new situations and to go deeper than the first answer that pops into their head. Using this approach one can teach students to resist the sources telling them what to think but allow them to take in all of the information, ask the appropriate questions and formulate their own opinions. Wineburg’s approach reminds me of the use of scaffolding in education. Scaffolding is the method of using techniques to move students toward stronger understanding and greater independence in the learning process. In my association with the concept of scaffolding I have used prior knowledge to bolster a lesson, study of the issue from a variety of ways, simplifying the lesson and presenting it in multiple parts and used vocabulary introduced prior to the lesson to ensure comprehension. The method that closely resembles Wineburg’s would be using prior knowledge to bridge knowledge gaps in the lesson at hand. As WineburgShow MoreRelatedChapter Of Historical Thinking And Other Unnatural Acts963 Words   |  4 PagesCOLLAPSE In the second chapter of Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts, Sam Wineburg traces the evolution of educational psychology research on how history is learned and best taught. He reviews literature and studies, from the turn of the 20th century to today, concerning the pedagogy and learning of history. He continues his focus on the question: What can learning about history teach us and how can we best come to learn it? Much of the chapter surrounds the difference between â€Å"declarativeRead MoreSummary Of The Ruminant Animal Essay1259 Words   |  6 Pagesafflictions, specifically caused by instances of racial microaggression. She also brings attention to the preconceived ideas regarding race that stem from the unnatural, but historical events from America’s past. The narrator of Citizen encounters several incidents entailing being treated poorly due misjudgment; misjudgments stemming from the historical self. â€Å"Her house has a side gate that leads to a back entrance she uses for patients. You walk down a path bordered on both sides with deergrass and rosemaryRead MoreThe Connection Between Law And Morality1718 Words   |  7 Pagesclassical lines that of the governance of human being by dictates of pleasure and pain. One familiar way to think about the right thing to do is to ask what will produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. 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Hint of homosexuality Faustian Bargain – (decay of living standard) Cultural Values/Context: Values of humanity (fear of losingRead MoreRe Thinking Queer Bodies Through Law1412 Words   |  6 Pages RE-THINKING QUEER BODIES THROUGH LAW The paper is an attempt to examine body and its construction in the colonial period and its post colonial impact. I locate this body in the category of queer subject. The colonial administration created the category of the queer subject as a result of governance, i.e. through the adoption of Indian Penal Code (‘IPC’) in 1860. Section 377 of the IPC criminalized sexual offense against the order of nature (non-procreative sex). The paper historically drawsRead MoreChristianity And Homosexuality : The Way Of Thinking1395 Words   |  6 PagesSimilar to the ancient Greeks’ way of thinking, homosexuality in Christianity was considered taboo because of the way the homosexual acts (specifically sodomy) were considered to degrade one partner to the status of a female. An encyclopedia article in the Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, titled â€Å"Christianity and Homosexuality†, talks about how the way a person interprets the different lessons of the Bible can influence how they view homosexuality. Using the historical-critical way of reading the textRead MoreThe Christianity Of Modern Homosexuality1432 Words   |  6 Pagesthe creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men, and received in their own person the due penalty for their error†¦They were filled with every kind of wickedness† (Pg. 133) These verses from the Bible show whatRead MoreSexual Identity1409 Words   |  6 Pageswas taught that sex before marriage was wrong. However, I did not personally believe this. I was skeptical about what I was taught, and usually examined the actions of others to base my own decisions. I listened to the experiences and opinions of others who had waited to have sex or had sex before marriage. I used critical thinking when making my decisions, but was always cautious about drawing any kind of conclusions on what was right or wrong. I also considered the alternative, not having sex. IRead MoreWhat Is Nature Or What It?1491 Words   |  6 Pagesbasis but also on a person-to-person basis. When many people are confronted with people of different viewpoints or opinions on a particular subject they often have the desire to conform that person’s options to their own. This creates a binary way of thinking. You either agree or disagree. This binary really is not affective however espe cially when discussing the topic of what is nature or what is natural. We all have different connotations attached to the word nature. None of these connotations are wrongRead MoreWhat Is Nature Or What It?1480 Words   |  6 Pagescultural basis but also unique to every person. When many people are confronted with different viewpoints or opinions on a particular subject, they often have the desire to conform that person’s opinions to their own. This creates a binary way of thinking. You either agree or disagree. This binary really is not effective, however, when discussing the topic of what is nature or what is natural because it is not a question that has a clear answer. We all have different connotations attached to the word

The Effects Of Peer Relationships On Behavioral And Social...

The Effects of Peer Relationships on Behavioral and Social Development In the stage of early adolescent development, emotional and behavioral development is affected by a variety of experiences. A major aspect of adolescence is the influence of peer relationships. As a child grows older the effect of peer relationships becomes much greater. Peer relationships can consist of various aspects included being involved in bullying, involvement with problematic friends, and supportive peer relationships. Many researchers have explored this topic in various experiments. In particular, researchers have investigated the relationship of certain qualities of peer relationships with behavioral school engagement and emotional development. This is a very intriguing topic of discussion because of the amount of factors that can affect the relationships of adolescent emotional and behavioral development not just peer relations. This is why there must be many studies to determine if certain peer relations have a substantial effect on these aspects of development of adole scents. A major research question I am highly interested in exploring is the question of whether positive peer relationships can lead to more successful school engagement behavior and emotional development. A research article titled â€Å"Peer Relationships as a context for the development of school engagement during early adolescence† explores the â€Å"link between peer relationships and behavioral and emotional school engagementShow MoreRelatedAdolescent Relationships with Parents and Peers Essay examples1380 Words   |  6 Pagespositive relationship between adolescents and their respective parents. The evidence of the changes in peer and parent-child relationships during early adolescence suggests that early adolescence is a critical period of transformation in childrens relationships. Early adolescents may orient toward peers while distancing themselves from their parents because their peer relationships fit some of their developmental needs better than their relationships with their parents. The waxing of peer orientationRead MoreChildren Relational Aggression : Effect Of Children Aggressive On Peers Interaction And Gender Differences1579 Words   |  7 Pages Children Relational Aggression: †¨The Effect of Children Aggressive on Peers Interaction†¨and the Gender Differences in the expression of aggression Nada El Masri Sacramento State University The Effect of Children Aggression on Peers Interaction And Gender Differences In the expression of aggression Relationships with peers have significant importance in the lives of very young childrenRead MoreThe Main Theory Of This Given Article Is About How Much1318 Words   |  6 Pagesarticle is about how much adolescents and their peer influence occurs on social media. Researchers measured adolescents and their neural and behavioral responses to likes on a social media site, Instagram, a popular photo-sharing application and how their peer influence affects them. Social media is very popular and there have been several questions speculating whether or not social media has effects on interpersonal skills, social skills, development, and interactions between young adults. These certainRead MoreRelationship Between Marital Conflict And Children s Peer Relationships1439 Words   |  6 Pagesan active processor of their environment and marital conflict can predict their emotional and behavioral adjustment. It is important to develop intervention programs and strategies that will help childre n cope and reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes from witnessing interparental conflict. The current study aims to determine if there is a link between marital conflict and children’s peer relationships. The proposed study will be a 12-year longitudinal study. Data will be taken from the participantsRead MoreThe Relationship Between Literacy Achievement And Social Communication Essay1686 Words   |  7 Pages The Relationship Between Literacy Achievement and Social Communication: A Review of the Literature Capstone Research Paper SLP 6070 Research Methods Nova Southeastern University July 24th, 2016 Priya Singh â€Æ' Abstract Schools are social environments in which students learn through collaboration with their teachers and peers (Zins, Bloodworm, Weissberg, Wallberg, 2003). From a preschool to high school, students are forced to collaborate to lead to the sharing of resources and ideasRead MoreThe Effects Of Socialization On Young Girls Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Socialization on Young Girls Many researchers are rejecting the idea that sex (the noun) is relevant to the frequencies and stages of behavioral issues in children. Kate Keenan and Daniel Shaw developed two hypotheses in favor of sex differences effecting problem behavior. The first hypothesis accredits socialization as the reason for girls projecting their issues on irrelevant factors. The second hypothesis states that girls’ early behavioral issues are effected by a higher levelRead MorePeer Victimization And Academic Performance1550 Words   |  7 Pagesperformed on peer victimization and academic performances to improve teacher-student relationships. The proposal provides experiences of peers, teachers, and counselors giving intervention to understand the behaviors of peers and lack of poor academic performances. The proposal demonstrates the modifications, behaviors, and attention among genders to explain the internalized and externalize problems. Peer victimization appears in early ages to adolescences. Early indications state peer victimizationRead MoreAddressing Distress in Teens Essay1210 Words   |  5 Pagesand Human Services released the Healthy People 2020 yearlong goals and objectives. This is comprised of 42 topic areas that the government believes should be priority in enhancing the health of all within society3. Among the health objectives are Social Determinants of Health, Mental Health and Mental Disorders, and Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-being3. Although there has been much information and research on certain mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, little research hasRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1365 Words   |  6 PagesDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Additionally, they could have behavioral hardships such as anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. Lastly, they could have complications in the development of relationships because of emotional probl ems. This issue is important to acknowledge because future generations are suffering from the repercussions of the incarceration process. Overall, parental incarceration has a negative effect on behavioral aspects involving attention and interaction. The first negativeRead MoreResilience1499 Words   |  6 Pagesand identify ways of promoting resilience or positive development. Chronic medical conditions can have significant consequences in various aspects among adolescents. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), chronic conditions are diseases that progress over a slow period of time and remain for a long duration of an individual’s life. Adolescence, as defined by WHO, is the period of life from 10-19 years of age. Major developments occur during this stage including cognitive growth, which

Spectator Violence at Sporting Events Free Essays

â€Å"These people want to hurt you. It†s frightening. You feel like you†re in a cage out there†. We will write a custom essay sample on Spectator Violence at Sporting Events or any similar topic only for you Order Now Reggie Smith, (Berger, 1990). Spectator violence at sporting events has been recorded throughout history. People who have power over the events, often team owners, indirectly influence the amount of spectator violence by encouraging the factors contributing to violence, in order to benefit themselves. Sale of alcohol, encouraging crowd intensity, creating rivalries, and targeting social groups, are factors affecting the degree of spectator violence and can be proven to be influenced by the owner†s actions. Therefore the blame for spectator violence can be attributed to whoever has power over the sport. Many historians suggest that an increase in spectator violence coincides with the commercialization of sports. Anthropologists agree that in societies where games were not for profit, they were enjoyed as celebrations of physical skill without competitiveness or violence between players or spectators (Berger, 1990). However, when people gained power or financially from the sporting events, spectator violence increased (Berger, 1990). Public spectacles and games were part of the Roman Empire. Each emperor had an amphitheater and the size of the crowd reflected the emperor†s wealth or power. The emperor through crowd excitement could influence spectator violence to such an extent that gladiators could be killed or freed depending on the crowd†s effect on the emperor (Robinson, 1998). The emperor encouraged the Roman working class, â€Å"to forget their own suffering, by seeing others suffer,† while the senators, and emperor would benefit financially from gambling profits (Robinson, 1998). With the commercialization of sports, owners† profits increased with alcohol sales. Beer drinking has been an integral part of sports since the late 1870†³s. Chris van der Alie noticed that his saloon did well when St. Louis Brown Stockings were in town. As a result, he decided to sell beer at the games. On February 12, 1880, Alie signed a contract with the Browns allowing him to sell alcohol on their property (Johnson, 1988). During a game on July 6, 1881, the first alcohol related brawl broke out in the crowd, injuring twenty spectators and killing two (Johnson, 1998). The signed contract with the Browns† was a financial bonus for the owner, however permitting alcohol to be sold, might have indirectly contributed to the injuries and deaths. Alcohol sales contribute financial support to teams. â€Å"Without beer companies as sponsors, the teams would have trouble making ends meet. † Bob Whitsitt, president of Seattle Supersonics, (Berger, 1990). The more alcohol consumed, the more revenue for the owners. During the 1987-1988 season the Cincinnati Reds sold 12,610 half-barrels and 35,365 cases of beer. The amount of beer consumed averages out to a pint for every man, woman, and child who attended the 81 games the team played at home (Johnson, 1988). The team†s owner benefited with a financial profit of over 1 million dollars. Sponsorship or ownership of teams by alcohol manufacturers, increases the alcohol sales. The first major partnership of beer and baseball dates from the 1953 purchase of the Cardinals by August A. Busch, Jr. , president of the Anheuser-Busch brewery (Johnson, 1988). In twenty-five years its† sales soared from fewer than 6 million barrels a year to more than 35 million (Johnson, 1988). In addition to direct profit, alcohol also indirectly increases profit through increased attendance. In 1974, when the Cleveland Indians† fan attendance was down, the owner implemented â€Å"Beer Night† where they sold beers for 10 cents at the first game of a three game series against the Texas Rangers (Berger, 1990). Attendance was up by 3500. The night turned out to be the first and last â€Å"Beer Night†. When a brawl occurred during the 5th inning, hundreds of Indian fans charged the field and beat up the Texas Ranger players. Seventy-six people were arrested. All were intoxicated (Berger, 1990). There†s no question that the beer played a great part in the affair† (GM Eddie Robinson). Eddie Robinson did not apologize for the incident, and it took Lee MacPhail, president of American League to intervene and ban the beer nights (Johnson, 1988). The rowdy behavior contributed by alcohol consumption often accompanies the throwing of beverage containers. Cups, bottles, and cans act as stimuli and provide a throwing opportunity. In 1988, Pete Rose of Cincinnati Reds was pelted with full cups of beer and whiskey bottles, when he stormed out of the dugout to dispute a call. It was insane, many of the fans were throwing unopened beer cans† Pete Rose, (Johnson, 1988). To restrain spectator violence, many agree with not selling alcohol at sporting events. â€Å"The selling of alcohol at sporting events should be banned† (Johnson, 1988). Other solutions have been implemented, such as limiting drinking to designated areas, selling low alcohol beer, and making it more difficult to buy. The solution of prohibiting alcohol at games was never implemented (Johnson, 1988) Alcohol sales increase revenue; profits keep the owners satisfied. The owners to increase entertainment and increase attendance often promote other stimulants such as music, hearing obscenities, and aggressive play in the event or in the stands. Since sports are a source of entertainment, loud music and aggressive play in the event pump up the crowds, increasing the fans† enthusiasm. Hearing obscenities can be contagious and escalate into more swearing, name calling and fighting. An obscene cheer starts with two fans, increases to eight and soon a whole section is vibrating to the pulse. If fans take exception to the obscenities individual fights break out building into group fights, as friends come to assist. Owners are often able to control the crowd†s involvement in the game with the type of music they play and how loud they control the volume (Robinson, 1998). An excited, participatory crowd heightens the atmosphere and increases future ticket sales, benefiting the owner. However, the same atmosphere can increase hostility leading to fan violence. Basketball games attract anywhere from twenty to thirty thousand fans, whereas a gymnastic competition may attract a few hundred (Robinson, 1998). This is party due to the loud, exciting atmosphere at a basketball game. Goldstein did a study comparing crowd hostility before and after a basketball game to before and after a gymnastic competition. He proved that the hostility increased considerably for the basketball fans, and also discovered that hostility occurred no matter if the fan was rooting for the winning or the losing team (Robinson, 1998). Large sport events like basketball often use music to increase the crowd†s hostility and competitive awareness of the game. Owners often don†t realize at what point hostility turns to fan violence. This may have been the situation for Dan Goodenow, organizer of the 1988 Martin Luther King Classic basketball tournament where 5 fans were arrested, a man’s face slashed, and a police officer injured during a riot (Atyeo, 1979). Coaches and game officials blamed the rap group Public Enemy, who played before the game shouting obscenities, carrying plastic guns, and working up the crowd to an extent of raucous excitement (Chapman, 1988). Owners or school leaders help create team rivalry by encouraging fans, through city or school patriotism, to support their team. With media support, owners use historical team rivalry, competitive stories, propaganda and team loyalty to promote high-ticket sales and increase profits. Excessive promotion of rivalry changes crowd cheers to jeers that can lead to violence. The most common rivalries are school rivalries. Starting as far back as 1899 the students of Colorado School of Mines and those of Colorado College would celebrate victory by using dynamite to blow up the rival†s goal posts (Taylor, 1992). During one game the presidents of the universities promoted the final game, as â€Å"The top college in Colorado will win† (Taylor, 1992). By game time, most students from both schools were there to cheer their teams on. When Colorado College was down their fans, frustrated by the score and the name-calling, stormed the field at half time where a riot broke out. When rivalry was claimed to be a factor it was no longer promoted, and violence diminished (Taylor, 1992). A similar example of rivalry leading to hostility occurred in the 1999 Red Feather game Banting vs. Westminster. To encourage attendance and raise money for charities both schools had pep rallies to pump up the students by using music, videos and chants. During half time the two schools emerged towards the center of the field taunting each other. The organizers of the rallies intent on boosting ticket sales inadvertently encouraged spectator violence. There is an increase in violence following sporting events promoting rivalry as compared to regular promotion, as seen in professional boxing following a highly talked about match. The promoters in boxing do everything they can to make sure the matches turn out violent to satisfy the crowd. David C. Phillips a sociologist studied the rate of homicides following highly publicized heavyweight championship fights. The survey was done the 3 weeks following each of 18 highly publicized bouts from 1973-1978 compared to those bouts with normal publicity (Davidson, 1983). Phillips found that there were 193 more murders, in the surrounding areas, after the promoted fights as compared to the norms (Davidson, 1983). After the highly promoted Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier fight on October 1, 1975, the murder rate shot up thirty-two percent (Davidson, 1983). Phillips theory is â€Å"people see how violence is prized in the boxing ring and come to believe that violence outside the ring will also be rewarded† (Davidson, 1983). The rewards however, are the financial rewards to the owners, through increased ticket sales and media advertising. Spectator violence may be parallel to violence in the society. For example in a violent society, play will be violent, whereas in a peaceful society play will be more peaceful. The make up of the social group contributes to the possibility of violence. Spectators can be divided into different social classes and the event advertised in areas where a particular social group is targeted for ticket sales. Often working class males are targeted, as their values and attitudes of aggressiveness, fearlessness and toughness are well suited to competitive sports (Bonney Giulianotti, 1994). They are likely to be the fans that are betting on the game or are there for the thrills (Berger, 1990). These fans are more likely to attend contact sporting events such as rugby and to be violent, compared to the upper class fans who analyze the game are more likely to attend a cricket match. In the sport soccer, hooligans who dominate the crowds are mainly males who generally act in rough, noisy behavior (Taylor, 1992). They have lawless fun, fighting spectators, throwing objects and vandalizing property. Most hooligans are from the working class. They have low ambitions, violent behavior and high stress levels (Bonney Giulianotti, 1994). They act out their frustrations, like the Roman working class, by attending sporting events where they loose their individualities. Fans in Glasgow, Scotland, trampled sixty-six persons to death when they tried to return to the stadium they had just left upon hearing that a last-minute goal had been scored. Berger, 1982). â€Å"Hooliganism gives the organization of a team motivation with their traditional cheers and it builds the atmosphere which builds a team† Lesie Davis, management of Peru†s soccer organization (Taylor, 1992). Major soccer teams target this low-income social class because it brings atmosphere to the game and alcohol sales and profits increase (Shumacher, 1975). In marketing ticket sales for most team sports, owners target males nineteen to forty-five. Sixty three percent of males and twenty percent of females in that age range are involved with sports whether they participate in them, or follow them (Oliver, 1971). Team owners often exclusively target males, resulting in an increase of ticket sales and merchandise. However, when males are bonded they often act violently emphasizing their masculinity, machismo, bravery and fighting skills (Tiger, 1970). Many teams in the American Baseball League in the 1970†³s were having problems concerning fan violence, and found the main instigators were males. They changed the games to Sunday, traditionally a family day and encouraged female fans by admitting them free. With women and family present the men were less likely to loose their individuality and act violently as a group. The results for the next 5 years were positive as fan violence decreased by 30 percent (Berger, 1990). By studying the occurrences, degrees, and causes of fan violence over history, owners are able to decrease the incidents of fan violence while maintaining profits and entertainment value of their organization. Slowly but effectively owners, teams, coaches and professional leagues are creating solutions to minimize fan violence. The American Baseball League, National Baseball League and the National Basketball Association participate in TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management), which is a program for training everyone from vendors to ushers in handling people who have had too much to drink (Berger, 1982). Many of the NFL teams have moved their tailgate parties outside the stadium to eliminate the hostility caused by loud rock bands on the premises (Berger. 1990). Security cameras have been installed in many of the soccer stadiums and transportation centers to games, spotting the fans that cause the violence, and acting as deterrents for others. Controlled drinking areas, entrance controlled security checks, and increased visible security personnel are measures, which have helped to reduce fan violence in all sports. Most important, the owners need to be aware that some of their actions to benefit their organization have an indirect influence on the factors for fan violence. Sport is a basic feature of Australian culture. The achievements of Australian athletes have enhanced our image as a nation. Participation in sporting activities contributes to the health of millions of Australians; the teamwork and fair play which Australians learn on the playing field provide the basis for a good society. But Australian sport is not without shortcomings. Whilst sporting violence, on the part of both participants and spectators, is less frequent and less severe in Australia than in many overseas locations, it remains grounds for concern. Violence on the playing field sets a bad example for impressionable young Australians. Unruly crowd behaviour can spoil a pleasant family outing. How to cite Spectator Violence at Sporting Events, Essay examples

Cold War Kids free essay sample

It all started when I leapt out of the yellow taxi cab full of excitement. I was ready to rock out at Summer Fest for the third year in a row. Only to realize moments later that I had left the tickets at my house. I felt my heart drop to my stomach, my day had just turned upside down. Since Tommy and I were unable to enter the gates, we got stuck on the side of Nell In the blazing hot sun. It was the middle of the day, about 80 degrees, and lucky me decided to wear a black shirt.As you can see, a wonderful start to my day, So much for Summer Fest 2013. After a few lost calls and several trips to the ticket booth (that was full of people trying to pull up our tickets online, but in the end were no help at all), Still no progress. We will write a custom essay sample on Cold War Kids or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At this point Tommy was pretty upset with me for leaving the tickets at my house, it was going to make us very late to the festival. Luckily, my favorite band, Cold War Kids, was the last act.The tickets had to get down here in time to see them or I was going to lose After hiking around downtown, and bar hopping for a few hours, it was starting to get late and I was darting to get nervous. Well this resulted in aching feet, sweaty palms, expensive beer, and anxiously lathing for our tickets to arrive. The hot sun was beaming down on me as I saw It starting to set. Eight Oclock comes and finally Bailey arrived with our tickets, Summer Fest 201 3 had Just begun.Entering a music festival Is like entering an airport, It Is an Incredibly diverse culture. Now we have the Brow, the divas, the photographers, the comedians, the police, the advertisers, the dude who had a one too many beer, the groupies, the pesters, the rave dancers, the gays, the couples, the obnoxious kids, the film crew, the staff, the people with crazy hair, and even the type of people your parents would tell you to stay away from, Bailey rambled on a s I politely interrupted. But you know what everyone I look at has in common? They are all enjoying the music in their own way with the biggest smile on their face. Walking into the Lifestyles Community Pavilion, seeing all the free spirits enjoying life around me turned my day right back around. I had finally made It to what I was looking forward to all day, I was about to see Cold War Kids perform live before my eyes. Gazing up at the sky, while lying down on the grassy hill, front and center the stage, all I could see was stars shining bright as ever.I got caught off guard when I saw a bright light that was not coming from the sky, I got the feel that Cold War Kids was about to perform. I sit up to see strobe lights flashing, vibrant yellow, red, blue, and green light up the stage. The screaming of the fans all around me is music to my ears. Suddenly the strobe lights stop, and the spotlight shines right on Matt as he begins to strum the chords of my all time favorite song. Wahoo! I shouted with excitement.This was such a beautiful sight, my favorite band in front of me performing live, stars shining above me, and people all around me enjoying themselves. It was awesome to look around and see all happy faces, it gives you that good, fuzzy feeling Inside. Standing on top of the hill, my best friends next to me, dancing around, waving my arms In the air, listening to my favorite song ever, being reformed live In front of my face,l had no worries In the world.The chorus came up and the tone softened, this is when you could hear the crowd all singing along l even then it sounds so soothing, this will blow over in time, this will all blow over in time at the top of their lungs. As Matt stopped to say, This right here is why Im here today, to see everyone in this whole venue come in sync and sing along the lyrics to our song s with us, that is truly amazing; Then continued to burst out in song. I took a look around, and saw nothing but happiness.Every single person I saw had a smile on their face, and was singing their heart out. People all around me, some dancing, some kissing, some laughing, some Just lying in the grass enjoying the music. Taking it all in, because that is why we were all their, Cold War Kids was able to bring all sorts of different people together for the same reason, music. As Billy Joel would say l think music in itself is healing. Its an explosive expression of humanity. Its something we are all touched by. No matter what culture were from, everyone loves music.

The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby Character Analysis Essay Example For Students

The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby Character Analysis Essay Jay Gatsby was a very decent person despite most of his acquaintances and his occupation. Gatsby was relatively kind to everyone despite how anyone treated him. He was also a very altruistic person in what he did for people. Gatsby also was very determined to accomplish his dream. All Jay wanted was for the people around him to like and befriend him. Gatsby showed a certain amount of kindness to almost everyone he met. The way he hosted his parties showed this trait very well. His parties where open to anyone who wanted to attend no matter what his/her social class was. Gatsbys amiability was shown by the way that he befriended Nick and tried to make friends with other people without caring about their background. No matter how he was treated he did his best to be kind to almost everyone. We will write a custom essay on The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby Character Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Gatsbys parties showed how he would go out of his way in order to make others happy. Jay would throw extravagant parties just to have people come and enjoy themselves. He would also do his best to make Nick feel welcome in whatever setting they were in. Gatsby was living in New York in order to procure his dream. Jay has wanted to rekindle his relationship with Daisy so he moved close to her and did what ever he had to just to be alone with her. Gatsby spent a good portion of his life pursuing what he considered the ideal life, which consisted of Daisy, money, and happiness. Jay Gatsby was one of the best all around people in the novel. Even though he was a bootlegger and all his money was illegally made he still had more personality and class than any other socialite did in the book. Gatsby wanted people happy, and if they were happy he was happy.

Speech on Environmental Issues Today Research Paper Example

Speech on Environmental Issues Today Research Paper Example Speech on Environmental Issues Today Paper Speech on Environmental Issues Today Paper Albert Einstein said Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Our planet is in trouble! Pretty much everywhere you look today you will hear or see something reminding you that our planets health is failing. If our planet where a person it would be about time to buy the burial plot and write out the last will and testament. Just a brief list of the things that is ailing her is pollution, acid rain, climate change, the destruction of rainforests and other wild habitats, the decline and extinction of thousands of pieces of animals and plants. ND so on. Think everyone in here can agree that all Of these issues exist and that humans have caused them. Thankfully many of us are concerned about the future of our planet and unless we can find a way of solving the problems then the environment will suffer. Know this all sounds so depressing but we cant get overwhelmed. Every one of us can do something to help slow down and reverse some of the damage. We cannot leave the problem-solving entirely to the experts we all have a responsibility to our environment. We must learn to live in way that will sustain our world like learn to use our natural resources which include air, freshwater, forests, wildlife, farmland and seas without damaging them. As populations expand and lifestyles change, we have to keep the world in a condition so that future generations will have the same natural resources that we have today. Here I am going to list just a few examples of the threats to our environment as well as some ideas to help you to do something about them. Waste We humans create a lot of trash! Between 1992 and 2008 household waste increased by 16% and we now produce just under half a ton per person each year. Most of this trash is hauled away by the garbage man and buried in a huge landfill or it is burned. Both of these options are harmful in their own way. Is all our trash really trash? If you think about it, a lot of what we throw away could be used again. It makes sense to reuse and recycle our trash instead of just trying to solve the problem of where to put it! Much of our waste is made up of glass, metal, plastic and paper. Our natural resources such as trees, oil, coal and aluminum are used up in enormous amounts to aka these products and the resources will one day be completely used up. So in order to cut down on the energy used lets reuse. What can you do? * Sort out your trash. Organic matter (e. G. Potato peelings, left over food, tea leaves etc. ) can be put in to a compost heap in the garden and used as a good, natural fertilizer for the plants. Aluminum cans, glass bottles and newspapers are often collected from our doorsteps, but other items such as plastic bottles, juice cartons and cardboard may not be, in which case they can be taken to nearby recycling banks. You can find out where they are by just searching on line. * Use recycled paper to help save trees. Chlorine bleach is usually used to make newspapers and this pollutes rivers. Its better to use unbleached, recycled paper whenever you can. * Take your old clothes to charity shops. Some are sold, others are returned to textile mills for recycling. * Try to avoid buying plastic. Its hard to recycle. One way to cut down on plastic is to refuse to use plastic bags offered by supermarkets and use cloth re-useable shopping bags instead, or re-use plastic bags over and over again, until they Wear Out and then recycle them. Pollution The air, water and soil of habitats all over the world have been, and are being polluted in many different ways. This pollution affects the health of living things. Air is damaged by vehicle emissions, and power stations create acid rain which destroys entire forests and lakes. When fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal are burned to provide energy for lighting, cooking etc. They create polluting gases. Oils spills pollute sea water and kill marine life; chemical waste from factories and sewage, and artificial fertilizers from farmland, pollute river water, killing lilied and spreading disease. What can be done? * Dont litter. Use less energy by switching off lights when rooms are not in use, not wasting hot water, not overheating rooms. * Use a bicycle or walk instead of using a car when you can. Or radishes, and use the HOVE lane. * If you spot pollution, such as oil on the beach, report it. If you suspect a stream is polluted, report it to the local EPA office.. * Organic foods are produced without the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, preventing these pollutants from contaminating habitats and entering the food chain. So it may cost a little more but it is better for you and for the environment The Greenhouse Effect Certain gases in the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorocarbons, act like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing sunlight through to heat the Earths surface but trapping some of the heat as it radiates back into space. Without this the Earth would be frozen and lifeless. However, due to the Human Effect ,greenhouse gases are building up in the atmosphere, causing a greater amount of heat to be reflected back to Earth. This results in an increase in average world temperatures and is already causing more droughts, flooding and extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes which we have all seen on the news. Some ways to Help * Dont waste electricity or heat. Electricity and heating are produced by burning coal, oil and gas and this action gives off carbon dioxide. The more We use the more We pollute. * Car fumes produce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide so try to cut down on car trips if possible. Use a bike or walk its good exercise for you too! * Recycle as much of your waste as you can. Methane, the most effective greenhouse gas, is released into the air as the rash in landfill sites rots. Now I realize we cant all live on a farm and grow our own food and all drive smart cars. We Texans normally cant walk or take a bike places because everything is so far away. My dream job has always been one that I could ride a bike to, that sounds funny but every little bit helps. Some other things I did were to change out all of my light bulbs with energy efficient ones, and reinstated my house. This and other things save me money but they also save the environment. Let me leave you with one last thing: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Beggar Thy Neighbour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Beggar Thy Neighbour - Essay Example After the American independence, several merchants made themselves incredibly wealthy from securities trading. People such as William Duer were able to make a lot of money from the stock market and their influence, fame, and resumes grew exponentially. Similarly, Robert Morris made himself exceptionally wealthy by trading securities on leverage from loans. Like Duer, his influence sparked many people to venture into the securities and commodities market. At the time, there were no laws governing securities trading and thus market panics were inevitable. By this point, the government had already understood that its role was to regulate this trade. In the absence of government regulations, the public was unprotected from the possibilities of fraud and loss of their money, which prompted the government to bring out new laws. Lenders were increasingly giving money to speculators and this led to the need for the government to control bank lending as well. Through regulating lending and in vestment, it is evident that government control was protecting the public. However, by governing the interest rates, the government and merchants did not come to agreeable terms, as most of the initial policies were ineffective. Some changes were implemented and this has continued to date making our financial system the current jargon it is today. Q 2: What led to the development of the American Bankruptcy Law?Many influential people participated towards the improvement of the financial industry.

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

International Relations - Essay Example Such research can bring the certain contribution also to the discussion about political "realism". The realistic theory usually is considered as the most consecutive interpretation of the essence and the reasons of political events such as confrontations, military alliances, diplomatic negotiations and international relations as a whole. Realists have managed to create the elegant theory of the international relations, having specified that the conflict of interests between various political communities is internally inherent in the international system, and having shown that uniqueness of the international relations is caused by the nature of the political communities, which are representing themselves as the parties in these relations. From our point of view, problematic part of the realistic theory consists in the way of conceptualisation of these communities, namely the national states. There are different forms of realism, but behind all of them there is one uniting idea: on the stage of the international relations act uniform "characters" named states. Further these states are considered as discrete units, which functioning almost in the same way as individuals in a society. This idea generates the whole complex of representations about the state and its activity on the international scene. ... This discourse considering the state as a uniform and independent rational character creates the general frameworks for reflections on something that is usually described as "the international system". Thereof the realistic theory reduces the international relations to the stage, on which the states pursue their egoistical interests. The end of the Cold War has called into existence a number of trial attempts to define new world order. Meanwhile the only obvious fact is that the world community has entered a grandiose global transformation process, which at least till now has generated more social problems, rather than solutions. The end of rivalry between super-states and an increasing break in wealth and access to resources between states have contemporized with disturbing growth of violence, poverty and unemployment, number of homeless persons, and erosion of ecological stability. The world also became the witness of one of the deepest, since times of Great depression of thirties, global economic recessions. At the same time isolated before nations get more and more close both voluntary and against their will due to growing integration of markets, formation of the new regional political unions, remarkable successes in the field of telecommunications, biotechnology and transport, which have stimulated unprecedented demographic shifts.As a result of such a merger of people and cultures nowadays we may observe the world, characterized by increasing integrity, cultural variety, and supersaturated with intensity, confusion, and conflicts during the adaptation to pluralism. Now let us consider the differences, which exist in the viewpoints of realists and those of liberalists. Liberals after the World War I have formulated the

Advertisements Information Or Manipulation Media Essay

Advertisements Information Or Manipulation Media Essay These are some of the common advertisements that we can see and hear in our everyday life. Advertisement according to oxforddictionaries.com means that a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service, or event or publicizing a job vacancy. Advertisements are everywhere around us. Whether we noticed it or not, it has been long existed. In fact in Egyptian time, they used papyrus to make sales messages and wall posters to attract the consumers. With todays advancement of the media, the numbers of magazines increasing, newspapers, TVs and radio stations, people are bombarded with thousands of advertising daily. Advertising is in fact important because it creates awareness to the consumers about products that are available in the market. With the presence of the advertisement, it helps to increase the demand for a certain products. It also let the consumer to choose from a number of products available in the market. But does all these advertisement really give the information to the consumers or just plain tactics to manipulate us to buy or use the services? A lot of the advertisements nowadays are actually manipulating us rather than giving us the real information. The advertisers are in fact intelligent people. They know that normal advertisements that only contain facts are plain boring and seem dull. Therefore they created fantasies to make the advertisement look more appealing. We can clearly see that most advertisement created used our desire, such as sports, sexy women and superstars so that we become attracted and intend to purchase them. As an example this one commercial about a deodorant, AXE, that being use by this man. After he uses it, he is able to attract hot and sexy women towards him. People are being trick by such advertisement and they started to buy these products. After they put it on, they feel as they are the same as in the commercial. This clearly shows that they are playing with our emotions. Think wisely why they use such act. Does this have connections with the quality of the product they release to the market? We consumers should be more cautious to the method used in order to prevent us from being manipulated by the advertisers. Be alert that the advertisers worldwide are succeeding in making people change their lifestyle. In this case, they know that popular artist can play their role in making people especially their fans to follow their way. For example popular artist from Japan, Gazette. Their appearances: clothes that they are wearing and their hairstyle, are so cool that many fan decided to follow their style. By using such influence, most people dont mind in spending their money just to be same as their idol. Doing this kind of advertisements is in fact quite expensive. However, they are prepared to spend a lot of money in the advertising so that they can sell their products. It has been estimated that the price of a product may go up over to 40% due to advertisement costs. Still, due to the success of manipulating the consumers, the advertisers get a lot of money. As an example, according to Welt-Online, they reported that the US pharmaceutical industry spent almost double the amount on advertising ( 57.7 billion dollars) than it did on research (31.5 billion dollars). Yet few consumers noticed that they are the ones paying for every cent the US pharmaceutical spent for public relations, advertisements, rebates, packaging since they ordinarily get included in the price calculation. In the end the consumers will pay more to them while the advertisers gain more profits. Another interesting fact is that they also know how to attract people according their age group. In one case, they try to persuade a group of age between below 8 years old. According to American Psychological Association, they found out that young children are unable to understand and interpret televised advertising messages wisely and thus are likely to consider commercials as truthful, accurate and unbiased. This can lead to many problems like unhealthy eating habits as evidenced by todays youth obesity epidemic. The young children also being targeted as they can also persuade their parents to buy the things that they are being attracted to like toys, sweets and ice cream. One successful commercial like the car models from Hot Wheels where they had successfully sell thousands of their toys. As the children are unable to think wisely it is more likely easier to manipulate them by putting more of what they desire in the advertisement rather than supplying information. On one research , it is found that advertisers had spent more than $12 billion a year on messages aimed at the youth market. The average child watches more than 40,000 television commercials a year. This clearly shows just how they are willing to spend money in order manipulate the consumers rather than giving them much more useful information. The young ones are also not the only one being targeted by the advertisers. Todays adolescences are also being seduced by them. Most male adolescence love sports especially football. The advertisers take this chance by using the football stars in their commercial to market their product. It is likely of us nowadays to follow our idol way. No wonder some brands become top in their games as they are able to increase their selling products and gain more profit. One example of one popular brand company, Nike, where they hired Lebron James, a professional NBA player to be one of their ambassadors. The female adolescences also being manipulate by the advertisement. Not being biased but the female is most likely easy to be trick by certain advertisement. Just see how many women are willing to spend their money and time just for shopping. Younger women especially in Malaysia nowadays are attracted and had followed the Japanese style which also known as the Harajuku style that have been started by some of the popular artist like Ayumi Hamasaki and Kumi Koda.It is likely of them to answer like this: Well, this is the latest trend for the season. They buy things like clothes that are being considered popular for the season. Rather than What should I wear today? it has become What trend must I wear for today?. Not only just clothing, even other things like hairstyle, shoes and even skin color are being considered. It makes us set our mind that it is more important to look good rather than the real purpose of wearing clothes. This proves that advertisement manipulate rather than giving information. The advertisers also use tactics like the linking of sporting heroes and smoking through sports sponsorship, the use of cigarettes by popular characters in television programs and cigarette promotions. Like what is happening in India, as the actors smoke, the viewer intend to do the same thing as they feel it is macho to smoke. People rarely think deeply on the effect that might be faced by them on long term side as they think only for short time. Same thing goes to other products like alcohol drinks. The consumption of alcohol is being glamorized and shown without consequences in advertisements, music, magazines, television programs and even in movies. With the media overwhelmed by these kind of advertisements, no wonder more people especially the youngster below aged drink, even though the fact that alcohol bring harmful to the human body. Not all advertisement told the truth. Some of it sometimes hides the real information or facts that are supposed to be told to the consumers. In fact they are just sweet talk so that people will be attracted to what they offer. For example advertisement about shampoo that can make the hair smooth and straight. As nowadays people are eager to have such hair, they are easily influence by these kind of commercial and purchase the product without knowing the fact whether it really do make the hair to be as what they desire for or just bluffing. On top of hiding the real information they also send a blurry fact to the consumers. Just like a fog or mist that we encounter in the early morning, we cant see clearly of what we are facing in front of us. We are not sure whether it is safe or danger in front of us. This implies just the same as the blurry advertisement. It may be good for us and it may be the opposite. In summary, advertisement do contain both information and at the same time trying to manipulate the consumers. However based on the points given earlier, it clearly shows that most advertisement are actually manipulating the consumer rather than giving them full information on certain things. To prevent this from happening, the government should regulate on which advertisements are appropriate to be shown in the mass media so that less consumers are being trick by these kind of advertisement. Still, it is up to the consumers to be alert on what is happening so that they would be cheated easily by some advertisements. Work Cited: Advertising, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising [retrieved 7 September] Criticism of Advertising, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_advertising [retrieved 9 September] ADVERTISING: Information or Manipulation? http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/05/advertising-information-or-manipulation/ [retrieved 9 September] Information or Manipulation? Regulators Urged to Further Limit Ads Aimed at Children http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A659-2004Feb23.html [retrieved 12 September] ADVERTISEMENTS:Manipulation of innocent people http://isariamwende.blogspot.com/2005/05/advertisements-manipulation-of.html [retrieved 14 September] Power of advertising http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/4/13/lifefocus/6018920sec=lifefocus [retrieved 14 September]

Is life in prison without parole better than the death penalty? Essay

This is it, this is the last time you will ever see daylight again. The dim light of the outside world seems to be overtaken by shadows. You squeeze your eyes shut, and then everything goes dark. That is the death penalty. What exactly is the death penalty? In the dictionary, it is defined as, â€Å"the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offense.† What the death penalty itself serves is retribution and revenge. Many believe that this is the right way to punish criminals in society, although there are many faults with capital punishment as well. Those faults consist of errors in the system, state costs, and the risks of executions of innocent people. Life in prison without parole is better than the death penalty where the death penalty is the foundation in injustice and it is immoral. People supporting the death penalty often argue that capital punishment is required not only for retributive reasons but rather to prevent the taking of innocent lives. Cass R. Sunstein, Professor of Law at Harvard University Law School, and Adrian Vermeule, another professor at Harvard Law School said â€Å"A leading national study suggests that each execution prevents some eighteen murders on average.† What my question is, how does taking away a criminals life prevent a life of an innocent being taken away? Killing a culprit does not prevent murders from happening, because there are still killers outside of jail. Death row does not prevent homicide happening in the outside world. The death penalty is no more effective in deterring others than life sentences. Life without parole also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, spending the rest of your life locked up, knowing you’ll never be free. Leading up to my next point, life without parole costs less than the de ath penalty. The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole. It requires a long process for capital cases, which is needed in order to make sure that innocent individuals are not executed for crimes they did not commit. If the death penalty was replaced with a sentence of life without parole, which costs millions of dollars less, a lot of money could be saved  for useful necessities. The millions of dollars could be spent on education, roads, programs, and more. Capital punishment is time consuming and expensive than the typical crime cases. Speaking of the innocent, my next point, an innocent person serving life can be released from death row. The system can make tragic mistakes. According to the editorial â€Å"There is No ‘Humane’ Execution†, since 1973, 139 people have been released from death row because they were proven innocent said by the Death Penalty Information Center. We’ll never know for sure how many people have been executed for crimes they didn’t commit. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people. A number of innocent people have had to been put to death, which contradicts with the true meaning of justice. Leading to my final point, that capital punishment is immoral and is foundation of injustice. It is barbaric that people siding with capital punishment consider it moral. If anything, death penalty contradicts the true meaning of justice. In the article â€Å"Is Life in Prison without Parole a Better Option than Death Penalty?† John P. Conrad, former Chief of Center for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation at the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice said â€Å"I hold that the execution of the most contemptible murderer conflicts with the true functions of retributive justice- the repudiation of evil done and the prospective reconciliation of the criminal with the community he has wronged.† Capital punishment is immoral and unfair and discriminatory in practice. No one deserves to die. In civilized society, we reject the principle of literally doing to criminals what they do to their victims. For instance, if the culprit’s crime was rape, his punishment cannot literally be rape. We shouldn’t punish the murderer with death. Capit al punishment shows what an uncivilized and immoral society we are. The sentence of capital punishment is a barbaric action for punishment a criminal. Murder is unacceptable by society, yet people seem to approve killing criminals. Sentencing a criminal to death does not solve the questions and problems left behind, it just creates controversy. Capital punishment is wrongly practiced and immoral and the wrong way to punish  criminals. Life in prison without parole is a much better option, whereas capital punishment is just a way to seek revenge on the individual who would rather have the darkness of a solitary than not to see the dark at all.

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 26

26 TRAVIS'S STORY Augustus Brine sat in one of the big leather chairs in front of his fireplace, drinking red wine from a balloon goblet and puffing away on his meerschaum. He had promised himself that he would have only one glass of wine, just to take the edge off the adrenaline and caffeine jangle he had worked himself into during the kidnapping. Now he was on his third glass and the wine had infused him with a warm, oozy feeling; he let his mind drift in a dreamy vertigo before attacking the task at hand: interrogating the demonkeeper. The fellow looked harmless enough, propped up and tied to the other wing chair. But if Gian Hen Gian was to be believed, this dark young man was the most dangerous human on Earth. Brine considered washing up before waking the demonkeeper. He had caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror – his beard and clothing covered with flour and soot, his skin caked with sweat-streaked goo – and decided that he would make a more intimidating impression in his current condition. He had found the smelling salts in the medicine cabinet and sent Gian Hen Gian to the bathroom to bathe while he rested. Actually he wanted the Djinn out of the room while he questioned the demonkeeper. The Djinn's curses and ravings would only complicate an already difficult task. Brine set his wineglass and his pipe on the end table and picked up a cotton-wrapped smelling-salt capsule. He leaned over to the demonkeeper and snapped the capsule under his nose. For a moment nothing happened, and Brine feared that he had hit him too hard, then the demonkeeper started coughing, looked at Brine, and screamed. â€Å"Calm down – you're all right,† Brine said. â€Å"Catch, help me!† The demonkeeper struggled against his bonds. Brine picked up his pipe and lit it, affecting a bored nonchalance. After a moment the demonkeeper settled down. Brine blew a thin stream of smoke into the air between them. â€Å"Catch isn't here. You're on your own.† Travis seemed to forget that he had been beaten, kidnapped, and tied up. His concentration was focused on Brine's last statement. â€Å"What do you mean, Catch isn't here? You know about Catch?† Brine considered giving him the I'm-asking-the-questions-here line that he had heard so many times in detective movies, but upon reflection, it seemed silly. He wasn't a hardass; why play the role? â€Å"Yes, I know about the demon. I know that he eats people, and I know you are his master.† â€Å"How do you know all that?† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† Brine said. â€Å"I also know that you've lost control of Catch.† â€Å"I have?† Travis seemed genuinely shaken by this. â€Å"Look, I don't know who you are, but you can't keep me here. If Catch is out of control again, I'm the only one that can stop him. I'm really close to ending all this; you can't stop me now.† â€Å"Why should you care?† â€Å"What do you mean, why should I care? You might know about Catch, but you can't imagine what he's like when he's out of control.† â€Å"What I mean,† Brine said, â€Å"is why should you care about the damage he causes? You called him up, didn't you? You send him out to kill, don't you?† Travis shook his head violently. â€Å"You don't understand. I'm not what you think. I never wanted this, and now I have a chance to stop it. Let me go. I can end it.† â€Å"Why should I trust you? You're a murderer.† â€Å"No. Catch is.† â€Å"What's the difference? If I do let you go, it will be because you will have told me what I want to know, and how I can use that information. Now I'll listen and you'll talk.† â€Å"I can't tell you anything. And you don't want to know anyway, I promise you.† â€Å"I want to know where the Seal of Solomon is. And I want to know the incantation that sends Catch back. Until I know, you're not going anywhere.† â€Å"Seal of Solomon? I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Look – what is your name, anyway?† â€Å"Travis.† â€Å"Look, Travis,† Brine said, â€Å"my associate wants to use torture. I don't like the idea, but if you jerk me around, torture might be the only way to go.† â€Å"Don't you have to have two guys to play good cop, bad cop?† â€Å"My associate is taking a bath. I wanted to see if I could reason with you before I let him near you. I really don't know what he's capable of†¦ I'm not even sure what he is. So if we could get on with this, it would be better for the both of us.† â€Å"Where's Jenny?† Travis asked. â€Å"She's fine. She's at work.† â€Å"You won't hurt her?† â€Å"I'm not some kind of terrorist, Travis. I didn't ask to be involved in this, but I am. I don't want to hurt you, and I would never hurt Jenny. She's a friend of mine.† â€Å"So if I tell you what I know, you'll let me go?† â€Å"That's the deal. But I'll have to make sure that what you tell me is true.† Brine relaxed. This young man didn't seem to have any of the qualities of a mass murderer. If anything, he seemed a little naive. â€Å"Okay, I'll tell you everything I know about Catch and the incantations, but I swear to you, I don't know anything about any Seal of Solomon. It's a pretty strange story.† â€Å"I guessed that,† Brine said. â€Å"Shoot.† He poured himself a glass of wine, relit his pipe, and sat back, propping his feet up on the hearth. â€Å"Like I said, it's a pretty strange story.† â€Å"Strange is my middle name,† Brine said. â€Å"That must have been difficult for you as a child,† Travis said. â€Å"Would you get on with it.† â€Å"You asked for it.† Travis took a deep breath. â€Å"I was born in Clarion, Pennsylvania, in the year nineteen hundred.† â€Å"Bullshit,† Brine interrupted. â€Å"You're not a day over twenty-five.† â€Å"This is going to take a lot more time if I have to keep stopping. Just listen – it'll all fall into place.† Brine grumbled and nodded for Travis to continue. â€Å"I was born on a farm. My parents were Irish immigrants, black Irish. I was the oldest of six children, two boys and four girls. My parents were staunch Catholics. My mother wanted me to be a priest. She pushed me to study so I could get into seminary. She was working on the local diocese to recommend me while I was still in the womb. When World War I broke out, she begged the bishop to get me into seminary early. Everybody knew it was just a matter of time before America entered the war. My mother wanted me in seminary before the Army could draft me. Boys from secular colleges were already in Europe, driving ambulances, and some of them had been killed. My mother wasn't going to lose her chance to have a son become a priest to something as insignificant as a world war. You see, my little brother was a bit slow – mentally, I mean. I was my mother's only chance.† â€Å"So you went to seminary,† Brine interjected. He was becoming impatient with the progress of the story. â€Å"I went in at sixteen, which made me at least four years younger than the other boys. My mother packed me some sandwiches, and I packed myself into a threadbare black suit that was three sizes too small for me and I was on the train to Illinois. â€Å"You have to understand, I didn't want any part of this stuff with the demon; I really wanted to be a priest. Of all the people I had known as a child, the priest seemed like the only one who had any control over things. The crops could fail, banks could close, people could get sick and die, but the priest and the church were always there, calm and steadfast. And all that mysticism was pretty nifty, too.† â€Å"What about women?† Brine asked. He had resolved himself to hearing an epic, and it seemed as if Travis needed to tell it. Brine found he liked the strange young man, in spite of himself. â€Å"You don't miss what you've never known. I mean I had these urges, but they were sinful, right? I just had to say, ‘Get thee behind me Satan', and get on with it.† â€Å"That's the most incredible thing you've told me so far,† Brine said. â€Å"When I was sixteen, sex seemed like the only reason to go on living.† â€Å"That's what they thought at seminary, too. Because I was younger than the others, the prefect of discipline, Father Jasper, took me on as his special project. To keep me from impure thoughts, he made me work constantly. In the evenings, when the others were given time for prayer and meditation, I was sent to the chapel to polish the silver. While the others ate, I worked in the kitchen, serving and washing dishes. For two years the only rest I had from dawn until midnight was during classes and mass. When I fell behind in my studies, Father Jasper rode me even harder. â€Å"The Vatican had given the seminary a set of silver candlesticks for the altar. Supposedly they had been commissioned by one of the early popes and were over six hundred years old. The candlesticks were the most prized possession of the seminary and it was my job to polish them. Father Jasper stood over me, evening after evening, chiding me and berating me for being impure in thought. I polished the silver until my hands were black from the compound, and still Father Jasper found fault with me. If I had impure thoughts it was because he kept reminding me to have them. â€Å"I had no friends in seminary. Father Jasper had put his mark on me, and the other students shunned me for fear of invoking the prefect of discipline's wrath. I wrote home when I had a chance, but for some reason my letters were never answered. I began to suspect that Father Jasper was keeping my letters from getting to me. â€Å"One evening, while I was polishing the silver on the altar, Father Jasper came to the chapel and started to lecture me on my evil nature. â€Å"‘You are impure in thought and deed, yet you do not confess,' he said. ‘You are evil, Travis, and it is my duty to drive that evil out!' â€Å"I couldn't take it any longer. ‘Where are my letters?' I blurted out. ‘You are keeping me from my family.' â€Å"Father Jasper was furious. ‘Yes, I keep your letters. You are spawned from a womb of evil. How else could you have come here so young. I waited for eight years to come to Saint Anthony's – waited in the cold of the world while others were taken into the warm bosom of Christ.' â€Å"At last I knew why I had been singled out for punishment. It had nothing to do with my spiritual impurity. It was jealousy. I said, ‘And you, Father Jasper, have you confessed your jealousy and your pride? Have you confessed your cruelty?' â€Å"‘Cruel, am I?' he said. He laughed at me, and for the first time I was really afraid of him. ‘There is no cruelty in the bosom of Christ, only tests of faith. Your faith is wanting, Travis. I will show you.' â€Å"He told me to lie with arms outstretched on the steps before the altar and pray for strength. He left the chapel for a moment, and when he returned I could hear something whistling through the air. I looked up and saw that he was carrying a thin whip cut from a willow branch. â€Å"‘Have you no humility, Travis? Bow your head before our Lord.' â€Å"I could hear him moving behind me, but I could not see him. Why I didn't leave right then I don't know. Perhaps I believed that Father Jasper was actually testing my faith, that he was the cross I had to bear. â€Å"He tore my robe up the back, exposing my bare back and legs. ‘You will not cry out, Travis. After each blow a Hail Mary. Now,' he said. Then I felt the whip across my back and I thought I would scream, but instead I said a Hail Mary. He threw a rosary in front of me and told me to take it. I held it behind my head, feeling the pain come with every bead. â€Å"‘You are a coward, Travis. You don't deserve to serve our Lord. You are here to avoid the war, aren't you, Travis?' â€Å"I didn't answer him and the whip fell again. â€Å"After a while I heard him laughing with each stroke of the whip. I did not look back for fear he might strike me across the eyes. Before I had finished the rosary, I heard him gasp and drop to the floor behind me. I thought – no, I hoped – he had had a heart attack. But when I looked back he was kneeling behind me, gasping for air, exhausted, but smiling. â€Å"‘Face down, sinner!' he screamed. He drew back the whip as if he were going to strike me in the face and I covered my head. â€Å"‘You will tell no one of this,' he said. His voice was low and calm. For some reason that scared me more than his anger. ‘You are to stay the night here, polish the silver, and pray for forgiveness. I will return in the morning with a new robe for you. If you speak of this to anyone, I will see that you are expelled from Saint Anthony's and, if I can manage it, excommunicated.' â€Å"I hadn't ever heard excommunication used as a threat. It was something we studied in class. The popes had used it as an instrument of political control, but the reality of being excluded from salvation by someone else had never really occurred to me. I didn't believe that Father Jasper could really excommunicate me, but I wasn't going to test it. â€Å"While Father Jasper watched, I began to polish the candlesticks, rubbing furiously to take my mind off the pain in my back and legs, and to try to forget that he was watching. Finally, he left the chapel. When I heard the door close, I threw the candlestick I was holding at the door. â€Å"Father Jasper had tested my faith, and I had failed. I cursed the Trinity, the Virgin, and all the saints I could remember. Eventually my anger subsided and I feared Father Jasper would return and see what I had done. â€Å"I retrieved the candlestick and inspected it to see if I had done any damage. Father Jasper would check them in the morning as he always did, and I would be lost. â€Å"There was a deep scratch across the axis of the candlestick. I rubbed at it, harder and harder, but it only seemed to get worse. Soon I realized that it wasn't a scratch at all but a seam that had been concealed by the silversmith. The priceless artifact from the Vatican was a sham. It was supposed to be solid silver, but here was evidence that it was hollow. I grabbed both ends of the candlestick and twisted. As I suspected, it unscrewed. There was a sort of triumph in it. I wanted to be holding the two pieces when Father Jasper returned. I wanted to wave them in his face. ‘Here', I would say, ‘these are as hollow and false as you are. I would expose him, ruin him, and if I was expelled and damned, I didn't care. But I never got the chance to confront him. â€Å"When I pulled the two pieces apart, a tightly rolled piece of parchment fell out.† â€Å"The invocation,† Brine interrupted. â€Å"Yes, but I didn't know what it was. I unrolled it and started to read. There was a passage at the top in Latin, which I didn't have much trouble translating. It said something about calling down help from God to deal with enemies of the Church. It was signed by His Holiness, Pope Leo the Third. â€Å"The second part was written in Greek. As I said, I had fallen behind in my studies, so the Greek was difficult. I started reading it aloud, working on each word as I went. By the time I was through the first passage, it had started to get cold in the chapel. I wasn't sure what I was reading. Some of the words were mysteries to me. I just read over them, trying to glean what I could from the context. Then something seemed to take over my mind. â€Å"I started reading the Greek as if it were my native language, pronouncing the words perfectly, without having the slightest idea of what they meant. â€Å"A wind whipped up inside the chapel, blowing out all the candles. Except for a little moonlight coming through the windows, it was completely dark, but the words on the parchment began to glow and I kept reading. I was locked into the parchment as if I had grabbed an electric wire and couldn't let go. â€Å"When I read the last line, I found I was screaming the words. Lightning flashed down from the roof and struck the candlestick, which was lying on the floor in front of me. The wind stopped and smoke filled the chapel. â€Å"Nothing prepares you for something like that. You can spend your life preparing to be the instrument of God. You can read accounts of possession and exorcism and try to imagine yourself in the situation, but when it actually happens, you just shut down. I did, anyway. I sat there trying to figure out what I had done, but my mind wouldn't work. â€Å"The smoke floated up into the rafters of the chapel and I could make out a huge figure standing at the altar. It was Catch, in his eating form.† â€Å"What's his eating form?† Brine asked. â€Å"I assume from the deal with the flour that you know Catch is visible to others only when he is in his eating form. Most of the time I see him as a three-foot imp covered with scales. When he feeds or goes out of control, he's a giant. I've seen him cut a man in half with one swipe of his claws. I don't know why it works that way. I just know that when I saw him for the first time, I had never been so frightened. â€Å"He looked around the chapel, then at me, then at the chapel. I was praying under my breath, begging God for protection. â€Å"‘Stop it!' he said. ‘I'll take care of everything.' Then he went down the aisle and through the chapel doors, knocking them off their hinges. He turned and looked back at me. He said: ‘You have to open these things, right? I forgot – it's been a while.' â€Å"As soon as he was gone I picked up the candlesticks and ran. I got as far as the front gates before I realized that I was still wearing the torn robe. â€Å"I wanted to get away, hide, forget what I had seen, but I had to go back and get my clothes. I ran back to my quarters. Since I was in my third year at seminary, I been given a small private room, so, thankfully, I didn't have to go through the dormitory ward rooms where the newer students slept. The only clothes I had were the suit I had worn when I came and a pair of overalls I wore when I worked in the seminary fields. I tried to put on the suit, but the pants were just too tight, so I put the overalls on and wore the suit jacket over them to cover my shoulders. I wrapped the candlesticks in a blanket and headed for the gate. â€Å"When I was just outside the gate, I heard a horrible scream from the rectory. There was no mistaking; it was Father Jasper. â€Å"I ran the six miles into town without stopping. The sun was coming up as I reached the train station and a train was pulling away from the platform. I didn't know where it was going, but I ran after it and managed to swing myself on board before I collapsed. â€Å"I'd like to tell you I had some kind of plan, but I didn't. My only thought was to get as far away from St. Anthony's as I could. I don't know why I took the candlesticks. I wasn't interested in their value. I guess I didn't want to leave any evidence of what I'd done. Or maybe it was the influence of the supernatural. â€Å"Anyway, I caught my breath and went into the passenger car to find a seat. The train was nearly full, soldiers and a few civilians here and there. I staggered down the aisle and fell into the first empty seat I could find. It was next to a young woman who was reading a book. â€Å"‘This seat is taken,' she said. â€Å"‘Please, just let me rest here for a minute,' I begged. ‘I'll get up when your companion returns.' â€Å"She looked up from her book and I found myself staring into the biggest, bluest eyes I'd ever seen. I will never forget them. She was young, about my age, and wore her dark hair pinned up under a hat, which was the style in those days. She looked genuinely frightened of me. I guess I was wearing my own fright on my face. â€Å"‘Are you all right? Shall I call the conductor?' she asked. â€Å"I thanked her but told her that I just needed to rest a moment. She was looking at the strange way I was dressed, trying to be polite, but obviously perplexed. I looked up and noticed that everyone in the car was staring at me. Could they know about what I'd done? I wondered. Then I realized why they were staring. There was a war on and I was obviously the right age for the Army, yet I was dressed in civilian clothes. ‘I'm a seminary student,' I blurted out to them, causing a breeze of incredulous whispers. The girl blushed. â€Å"‘I'm sorry,' I said to her. ‘I'll move on.' I started to rise, but she put her hand on my shoulder to push me back into my seat and I winced when she touched my injured shoulder. â€Å"‘No,' she said, ‘I'm traveling alone. I've just been saving this seat to ward off the soldiers. You know how they can be sometimes, Father.' â€Å"‘I'm not a priest yet,' I said. â€Å"‘I don't know what to call you, then,' she said. â€Å"‘Call me Travis,' I said. â€Å"‘I'm Amanda,' she said. She smiled, and for a moment I completely forgot why I was running. She was an attractive girl, but when she smiled, she was absolutely stunning. It was my turn to blush. â€Å"‘I'm going to New York to stay with my fianc's family. He's in Europe,' she said. â€Å"‘So this train is going east?' I asked. â€Å"She was surprised. ‘You don't even know where the train is going?' she asked. â€Å"‘I've had a bad night,' I said. Then I started to laugh – I don't know why. It seemed so unreal. The idea of trying to explain it to her seemed silly. â€Å"She looked away and started digging in her purse. ‘I'm sorry,' I said, ‘I didn't mean to offend you.' ‘You didn't offend me. I need to have my ticket ready for the conductor.' â€Å"I'd completely forgotten about not having a ticket. I looked up and saw the conductor coming down the aisle. I jumped up and a wave of fatigue hit me. I almost fell into her lap. â€Å"‘Is something wrong?' she asked. â€Å"‘Amanda,' I said, ‘you have been very kind, but I should find another seat and let you travel in peace.' â€Å"‘You don't have a ticket, do you?' she said. â€Å"I shook my head. ‘I've been in seminary. I'd forgotten. We don't have any need for money there and†¦' â€Å"‘I have some traveling money,' she said. â€Å"‘I couldn't ask you to do that,' I said. Then I remembered the candlesticks. ‘Look, you can have these. They're worth a lot of money. Hold them and I'll send you the money for the ticket when I get home,' I said. â€Å"I unrolled the blanket and dropped the candlesticks in her lap. â€Å"‘That's not necessary,' she said. â€Å"I'll loan you the money.' â€Å"‘No, I insist you take them,' I said, trying to be gallant. I must have looked ridiculous standing there in my overalls and tattered suit jacket. â€Å"‘If you insist,' she said. ‘I understand. My fianc is a proud man, too.' â€Å"She gave me the money I needed and I bought a ticket all the way to Clarion, which was only about ten miles from my parent's farm. â€Å"The train broke down somewhere in Indiana and we were forced to wait in the station while they changed engines. It was midsummer and terribly hot. Without thinking, I took off my jacket and Amanda gasped when she saw my back. She insisted that I see a doctor, but I refused, knowing that I would only have to borrow more money from her to pay for it. We sat on a bench in the station while she cleaned my back with damp napkins from the dining car. â€Å"In those days the sight of a woman bathing a half-naked man in a train station would have been scandalous, but most of the passengers were soldiers and were much more concerned with being AWOL or with their ultimate destination, Europe, so we were ignored for the most part. â€Å"Amanda disappeared for a while and returned just before our train was ready to leave. ‘I've reserved a berth in the sleeping car for us,' she said. â€Å"I was shocked. I started to protest, but she stopped me. She said, ‘You are going to sleep and I am going to watch over you. You are a priest and I'm engaged, so there is nothing wrong with it. Besides, you are in no shape to spend the night sitting up in a train.' â€Å"I think it was then that I realized that I was in love with her. Not that it mattered. It was just that after living so long with Father Jasper's abuse I wasn't prepared for the kindness she was showing me. It never occurred to me that I might be putting her in danger. â€Å"As we pulled away from the station, I looked out on the platform, and for the first time I saw Catch in his smaller form. Why it happened then and not before I don't know. Maybe I didn't have any strength left, but when I saw him there on the platform, flashing a big razor-toothed grin, I fainted. â€Å"When I came to, I felt like my back was on fire. I was lying in the sleeping berth and Amanda was bathing my back with alcohol. â€Å"‘I told them you'd been wounded in France,' she said. â€Å"The porter helped me get you in here. I think it's about time you told me who did this to you.' â€Å"I told her what Father Jasper had done, leaving out the parts about the demon. I was in tears when I finished, and she was holding me, rocking me back and forth. â€Å"I'm not sure how it happened – the passion of the moment and all that, I guess – but the next thing I knew, we were kissing, and I was undressing her. Just as we were about to make love she stopped me. â€Å"‘I have to take this off,' she said. She was wearing a wooden bracelet with the initials E + A burnt into it. ‘We don't have to do this,' I said. â€Å"Have you, Mr. Brine, ever said something that you know you will always regret? I have. It was: ‘We don't have to do this.' â€Å"She said: ‘Oh, then let's not.' â€Å"She fell asleep holding me while I lay awake, thinking about sex and damnation, which really wasn't any different from what I'd thought about each night in the seminary – a little more immediate, I guess. â€Å"I was just dozing off when I heard a commotion coming from the opposite end of our sleeping car. I peeked through the curtains of the berth to see what was happening. Catch was coming down the aisle, looking into berths as he went. I didn't know at the time that Catch was invisible to other people, and I couldn't understand why they weren't screaming at the sight of him. People were shouting and looking out of their berths, but all they were seeing was empty air. â€Å"I grabbed my overalls and jumped into the aisle, leaving my jacket and the candlesticks in the berth with Amanda. I didn't even thank her. I ran down the aisle toward the back of the car, away from Catch. As I ran, I could hear him yelling, ‘Why are you running? Don't you know the rules?' â€Å"I went through the door between the cars and slid it shut behind me. By now people were screaming, not out of fear of Catch, but because a naked man was running through the sleeping car. â€Å"I looked into the next car and saw the conductor coming down the aisle toward me. Catch was almost to the door behind me. Without thinking, or even looking, I opened the door to the outside and leapt off the train, naked, my overalls still in hand. â€Å"The train was on a trestle at the time and it was a long drop to the ground, fifty or sixty feet. By all rights I should have been killed. When I hit, the wind was knocked out of me and I remember thinking that my back was broken, but in seconds I was up and running through a wooden valley. I didn't realize until later that I had been protected by my pact with the demon, even through he was not under my control at the time. I don't really know the extent of his protection, but I've been in a hundred accidents since then that should have killed me and come out without a scratch. â€Å"I ran through the woods until I came to a dirt road. I had no idea where I was. I just walked until I couldn't walk anymore and then sat down at the side of the road. Just after sunup a rickety wagon pulled up beside me and the farmer asked me if I was all right. In those days it wasn't uncommon to see a barefoot kid in overalls by the side of the road. â€Å"The farmer informed me that I was only about twenty miles from home. I told him that I was a student on holiday, trying to hitchhike home, and he offered to drive me. I fell asleep in the wagon. When the farmer woke me, we were stopped at the gate of my parents' farm. I thanked him and walked up the road toward the house. â€Å"I guess I should have known right away that something was wrong. At that time of the morning everyone should have been out working, but the barnyard was deserted except for a few chickens. I could hear the two dairy cows mooing in the barn when they should have already been milked and put out to pasture. â€Å"I had no idea what I would tell my parents. I hadn't thought about what I would do when I got home, only that I wanted to get there. â€Å"I ran in the back door expecting to find my mother in the kitchen, but she wasn't there. My family rarely left the farm, and they certainly wouldn't have gone anywhere without taking care of the animals first. My first thought was that there had been an accident. Perhaps my father had fallen from the tractor and they had taken him to the hospital in Clarion. I ran to the front of the house. My father's wagon was tied up out front. â€Å"I bolted through the house, shouting into every room, but there was no one home. I found myself standing on the front porch, wondering what to do next, when I heard his voice from behind me. â€Å"‘You can't run from me,' Catch said. â€Å"I turned. He was sitting on the porch swing, dangling his feet in the air. I was afraid, but I was also angry. â€Å"‘Where is my family?!' I screamed. â€Å"He patted his stomach. ‘Gone,' he said. â€Å"‘What have you done with them?' I said. â€Å"‘They're gone forever,' he said. ‘I ate them.' â€Å"I was enraged. I grabbed the porch swing and pushed it with everything I had. The swing banged against the porch rail and Catch went over the edge into the dirt. â€Å"My father kept a chopping block and an ax in front of the house for splitting kindling. I jumped off the porch and snatched up the ax. Catch was just picking himself up when I him in the forehead with it. Sparks flew and the ax blade bounced off his head as if it had hit cast iron. Before I knew it I was on my back and Catch was sitting on my chest grinning like the demon in that Fuselli painting, The Nightmare. He didn't seem at all angry. I flailed under him but could not get up. â€Å"‘Look,' he said, ‘this is silly. You called me up to do a job and I did it, so what's all the commotion about? By the way, you would have loved it. I clipped the priest's hamstrings and watched him crawl around begging for a while. I really like eating priests, they're always convinced that the Creator is testing them.' â€Å"‘You killed my family!' I said. I was still trying to free myself. â€Å"‘Well, that sort of thing happens when you run away. It's all your fault; if you didn't want the responsibility, you shouldn't have called me up. You knew what you were getting into when you renounced the Creator.' â€Å"‘But I didn't,' I protested. Then I remembered my curses in the chapel. I had renounced God. ‘I didn't know,' I said. â€Å"‘Well, if you're going to be a weenie about it, I'll fill you in on the rules,' he said. ‘First, you can't run away from me. You called me up and I am more or less your servant forever. When I say forever, I mean forever. You are not going to age, and you are not going to be sick. The second thing you need to know is that I am immortal. You whack me with axes all you want and all you'll get is a dull ax and a sore back, so just save your energy. Third, I am Catch. They call me the destroyer, and that's what I do. With my help you can rule the world and other really swell stuff. In the past my masters haven't used me to the best advantage, but you might be the exception, although I doubt it. Fourth, when I'm in this form, you are the only one who can see me. When I take on my destroyer form, I am visible to everyone. It's stupid, and why it's that way is a long story, but that's the way it is. In the past they decided to keep me a secret, but there's no rule about i t.' â€Å"He paused and climbed off my chest. I got to my feet and dusted myself off. My head was spinning with what Catch had told me. I had no way of knowing whether he was telling the truth, but I had nothing else to go on. When you encounter the supernatural, your mind searches for an explanation. I'd had the explanation laid in my lap, but I didn't want to believe it. â€Å"I said, ‘So you're from hell?' I know it was a stupid question, but even a seminary education doesn't prepare you for a conversation with a demon. â€Å"‘No,' he said, ‘I'm from Paradise.' â€Å"‘You're lying,' I said. It was the beginning of a string of lies and misdirections that have gone on for seventy years. â€Å"He said, ‘No, really, I'm from Paradise. It's a little town about thirty miles outside of Newark.' Then he started laughing and rolling around in the dirt holding his sides. â€Å"‘How can I get rid of you?' I asked. â€Å"‘Sorry,' he said, ‘I've told you everything that I have to.' â€Å"At the time I didn't know how dangerous Catch was. Somehow I realized that I was in no immediate danger, so I tried to come up with some sort of plan to get rid of him. I didn't want to stay there at the farm, and I didn't have anywhere I could go. â€Å"My first instinct was to turn to the Church. If I could get to a priest, perhaps I could have the demon exorcised. â€Å"I led Catch into town, where I asked the local priest to perform an exorcism. Before I could convince him of Catch's existence, the demon became visible and ate the priest, piece by piece, before my eyes. I realized then that Catch's power was beyond the comprehension of any normal priest, perhaps the entire Church. â€Å"Christians are supposed to believe in evil as an active force. If you deny evil, you deny good and therefore God. But belief in evil is as much an act of faith as belief in God, and here I was faced with evil as a reality, not an abstraction. My faith was gone. It was no longer required. There was indeed evil in the world and that evil was me. It was my responsibility, I reasoned, to not let that evil become manifest to other people and thereby steal their faith. I had to keep Catch's existence a secret. I might not be able to stop him from taking lives, but I could keep him from taking souls. â€Å"I decided to remove him to a safe place where there were no people for him to feed on. We hopped a freight and rode it to Colorado, where I led Catch high into the mountains. There I found a remote cabin where I thought he would be without victims. Weeks passed and I found that I had some control over the demon. I could make him fetch water and wood sometimes, but other times he defied me. I've never understood the inconsistency of his obedience. â€Å"Once I had accepted the fact that I couldn't run away from Catch, I questioned him constantly, looking for some clue that might send him back to hell. He was vague, to say the least, giving me little to go on except that he had been on Earth before and that someone had sent him back. â€Å"After we had been in the mountains for two months, a search party came to the cabin. It seemed that hunters in the area of the cabin, as well as people in villages as far as twenty miles away, had been disappearing. When I was asleep at night, Catch had been ranging for victims. It was obvious that isolation wasn't going to keep the demon from killing. I sent the search party away and set myself on coming up with some kind of plan. I knew we would have to move or people would discover that Catch existed. â€Å"I knew there had to be some sort of logic to his presence on Earth. Then, while we were hiking out of the mountains, it occurred to me that the key to sending Catch back must have been concealed in another candlestick. And I had left them on the train with the girl. Jumping off the train to escape Catch may have cost me the only chance I had to get rid of him. I searched my memory for anything that could lead me to the girl. I had never asked where she was going or what her last name was. In trying to recall details of my time with her I kept coming up with the image of those striking blue eyes. They seemed etched into my memory while everything else faded. Could I go around the eastern United States asking anyone if they had seen a young girl with beautiful blue eyes? â€Å"Something nagged at me. There was something that could lead me to the girl; I just had to remember it. Then it hit me – the wooden bracelet she wore. The initials carved inside the heart were E + A. How hard could it be to search service records for a soldier with the first initial E? His service records would have his next of kin, and she was staying with his family. I had a plan. â€Å"I took Catch back East and began checking local draft boards. I told them I had been in Europe and a man whose first name began with E had saved my life and I wanted to find him. They always asked about divisions and stations and where the battle had taken place. I told them I had taken a shell fragment in the head and could remember nothing but the man's first initial. No one believed me, of course, but they gave me what I asked for – out of pity, I think. â€Å"Meanwhile, Catch kept taking his victims. I tried to point him toward thieves and grifters when I could, reasoning that if he must kill, at least I could protect the innocent. â€Å"I haunted libraries, looking for the oldest books on magic and demonology I could find. Perhaps somewhere I could find an incantation to send the demon back. I performed hundreds of rituals – drawing pentagrams, collecting bizarre talismans, and putting myself through all sorts of physical rigors and diets that were supposed to purify the sorcerer so the magic would work. After repeated failures, I realized that the volumes of magic were nothing more than the work of medieval snake-oil salesmen. They always added the purity of the sorcerer as a condition so they would have an excuse for their customers when the magic did not work. â€Å"During this same time I was still looking for a priest who would perform an exorcism. In Baltimore I finally found one who believed my story. He agreed to perform an exorcism. For his protection, we arranged to have him stand on a balcony while Catch and I remained in the street below. Catch laughed himself silly through the entire ritual, and when it was over, he broke into the building and ate the priest. I knew then that finding the girl was my only hope. â€Å"Catch and I kept moving, never staying in one place longer than two or three days. Fortunately there were no computers in those days that might have tracked the disappearances of Catch's victims. In each town I collected a list of veterans, then ran leads to the ground by knocking on doors and questioning the families. I've been doing that for over seventy years. Yesterday I think I found the man I was looking for. As it turned out, E was his middle initial. His name is J. Effrom Elliot. I thought my luck had finally turned. I mean the fact that the man is still alive is pretty lucky in itself. I thought that I might have to trace the candlesticks through surviving relatives, hoping that someone remembered them, perhaps had kept them as an heirloom. â€Å"I thought it was all over, but now Catch is out of control and you are keeping me from stopping him forever.†