The Political Principles of Thoreau Essay -- Politics Political Essays

The Political Principles of Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was, in many ways, ahead of his time in his political beliefs. During his brief life, he lectured occasionally and struggled to get his writings published. Gaining very little recognition during his lifetime, his death in 1862 went virtually unnoticed, and his true genius as a social philosopher and writer was not fully recognized until the twentieth century. Ironically, "Civil Disobedience," the anti-war, anti-slavery essay for which he is probably best known, has become a manual for social protest by giving support to the passive resistance of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other conscientious objectors (Paul 233). Thoreau’s "Civil Disobedience" was mainly a protest against slavery: "I cannot for an instant recognize the political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also" (854). On a deeper level, the essay was a general protest against any form of political injustice and an affirmation of the obligation of passive resistance, encouraging individuals to disobey any laws they felt were unjust. In 1846 while living at Walden, Thoreau demonstrated the doctrine of passive resistance when he was arrested for not paying poll taxes because of his opposition to Texas entering the Union as a slave state and his opposition to the Mexican War. He was robbed of the chance to test the tax when he was released from jail the next day after a relative paid what was owed. Desiring to make the public aware of the abolitionist cause, Thoreau composed an essay that considered the rights and duties of the individual in relation to government. He noted that man is not bound to a government that legislat... ...bove any unsatisfactory situation in life through the power of intellect. Thoreau’s summation of the role of government is eloquently stated in these lines from "Civil Disobedience." "There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly" (867). Works Cited Meltzer, Milton, ed. Thoreau: People, Principles, and Politics. New York: Hill, 1963. 80-88. Paul, Sherman, ed. Walden and Civil Disobedience. By Henry David Thoreau. Boston: Houghton, 1960. 231-233. Thoreau, Henry David. "Resistance to Civil Government." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Fifth ed. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 1999. 852-867. "Transcendentalism." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1994 ed.

Life of John Milton Essay

Milton continued to write poetry during this period of study: his Arcades and Comus were both commissioned for masques composed for noble patrons, connections of the Egerton family, and performed in 1632 and 1634 respectively. Comus argues for the virtuousness of temperance and chastity. He contributed his pastoral elegy Lycidas to a memorial collection for one of his Cambridge classmates. Drafts of these poems are preserved in Milton’s poetry notebook, known as the Trinity Manuscript because it is now kept at Trinity College, Cambridge. Family Milton and his first wife, Mary Powell (1625–1652) had four children: * Anne (born 7 July 1646) * Mary (born 25 October 1648) * John (16 March 1651 – June 1652) * Deborah (2 May 1652 – ?) Mary Powell died on 5 May 1652 from complications following Deborah’s birth. Milton’s daughters survived to adulthood, but he had always a strained relationship with them. On 12 November 1656, Milton was married again, to Katherine Woodcock. She died on 3 February 1658, less than four months after giving birth to a daughter, Katherine, who also died. Milton married for a third time on 24 February 1662, to Elizabeth Mynshull (1638–1728), the niece of Thomas Mynshull, a wealthy apothecary and philanthropist in Manchester. Despite a 31-year age gap, the marriage seemed happy, according to John Aubrey, and was to last more than 11 years until Milton’s death. (A plaque on the wall of Mynshull’s House in Manchester describes Elizabeth as Milton’s â€Å"3rd and Best wife†.) Two nephews, John Phillips and Edward Phillips, were well known as writers. They were sons of Milton’s sister Anne. John acted as a secretary, and Edward was Milton ’s first biographer. Blindness But in the course of his work for the government, his eyesight had begun to fail, and by 1651 (43) he was completely blind. Death He ended his days in a small house near Bunhill Fields, alone with his wife and a maid. He died in ++1674 (66) without pain or emotion, according to testimony at the time no one in the room noticing his passing. ————————————————- Published poetry Milton is the author of dramas such as Samson Agonistes (1671) as well as lyrical sonnets, of which the finest were in fact inspired the the death of his second wife. Altogether John Milton would write twenty- three sonnets. In a very real sense therefore these can be considered as exceptions. He uses such moments to express his thoughts and feelings on specific events, historical or personal. In his lifetime, moreover, he was mainly known for his political pamphlets. As a poet during the age of Shakespeare, he was born less than a decade after the death of this one. Milton might have been less appealing than such a master of the English language but he was nonetheless destined to become one of the best writers England would ever know. Having sided with the parliamentarians against the monarchists, Milton would begin a political career with responsibilities comparable to that today of an undersecretary of state for foreign affairs. However the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 will mean that he is both fined and imprisoned in the famous still standing today Tower of London. Eventually pardoned, Milton would from then on lead a rather retired life devoted entirely to writing until his death in 1674. Milton’s poetry was slow to see the light of day, at least under his name. His first published poem was On Shakespear (1630), anonymously included in the Second Folio edition of Shakespeare. In the midst of the excitement attending the possibility of establishing a new English government, Milton collected his work in 1645 Poems. The anonymous edition of Comus was published in 1637, and the publication of Lycidas in 1638 in Justa Edouardo King Naufrago was signed J. M. Otherwise the 1645 collection was the only poetry of his to see print, until Paradise Lost appeared in 1667. Paradise Lost Main article: Paradise Lost Milton’s magnum opus, the blank-verse epic poem Paradise Lost, was composed by the blind and impoverished Milton from 1658 to 1664 (first edition) with small but significant revisions published in 1674 (second edition). As a blind poet, Milton dictated his verse to a series of aides in his employ. It reflects his personal despair at the failure of the Revolution, yet affirms an ultimate optimism in human potential. Milton encoded many references to his unyielding support for the â€Å"Good Old Cause†.[31] Milton followed up Paradise Lost with its sequel, Paradise Regained, published alongside the tragedy Samson Agonistes, in 1671. Both these works also resonate with Milton’s post-Restoration political situation. Just before his death in 1674, Milton supervised a second edition of Paradise Lost, accompanied by an explanation of â€Å"why the poem rhymes not† and prefatory verses by Marvell. Milton republished his 1645 Poems in 1673, as well a collection of his letters and the Latin prolusions from his Cambridge days. A 1668 edition of Paradise Lost, reported to have been Milton’s personal copy, is now housed in the archives of theUniversity of Western Ontario. Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674, changed into twelve books (in the manner of the division of Virgil’s Aeneid) with minor revisions throughout and a note on the versification.[1] The poem concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eveby the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton’s purpose, stated in Book I, is to â€Å"justify the ways of God to men†.[2] Paradise Lost is widely considered one of the greatest literary works in the English language.[3] The poem begins strong as follows: Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste brought death into the world, and all our woe (with loss of Eden, till one greater Man restore us, and regain the blissful seat) Some of the famous verses from Paradise Lost include: The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n. The context of this passage is that of Satan not yet really considering revenge. At that point he is instead deciding to make the most of the situation. This is confirmed only a few lines later when he makes the very famous utterance: Better to reign in hell, than serve in heav’n. The following quote is from a point in the work when God is talking with his son and angels about the fact that since angels and man were given free will, it would have been meant changing their nature to have intervened and prevented their sin: The first sort by their own suggestions fell, Self-tempted, self-depraved: man falls deceived By the other first: man therefore shall find grace, The other none Finally, let us consider the following quote where Milton tells us about Eve having been deceived: Greedily she engorged without restraint, And knew not eating death; It interesting to note that even though Paradise Lost was to become considered as a major influential work, it did not meet immediate success when it was first published in 1667. It was not until 1688, a little over ten years after Milton’s death that the poem would start to be widely recognized. Perhaps such late recognition has partly to do with the fact that by the time of his death Milton was not only broke, but he had been alienated out of intellectual life in his own country. In 1670 he would publish his controversial The History of Britain, and in 1671 Paradise Regained, dealing with the temptation of Christ. Milton would die in London on November 8 1674. The same year would appear the second edition of Paradise Lost. ————————————————- Characters Satan Satan is the first major character introduced in the poem. Formerly the most beautiful of all angels in Heaven, he’s a tragic figure who describes himself with the now-famous quote â€Å"Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.† He is introduced to Hell after he leads a failed rebellion to wrestle control of Heaven from God. Satan’s desire to rebel against his creator stems from his unwillingness to be subjugated by God and his Son, claiming that angels are â€Å"self-begot, self-raised†,[4] thereby denying God’s authority over them as their creator. Adam Adam is the first human created by God. Though initially alone, Adam demands a mate from God. Considered God’s prized creation, Adam, along with his wife, rules over all the creatures of the world and reside in the Garden of Eden. He is more intelligent and curious about external ideas than Eve. He is completely infatuated with Eve, which while pure in and of itself, eventually contributes to his reasons for joining Eve in disobedience to God. Eve Eve is the second human created by God, taken from one of Adam’s ribs and shaped into a female form of Adam. In her innocence, she is the model of a good wife, graceful and submissive to Adam. Though happy, she longs for knowledge and, more specifically, self-knowledge. Her first act in existence is to turn away from Adam and look at and ponder her own reflection. Eve is extremely beautiful and thoroughly in love with Adam, though may feel suffocated by his constant presence. One day, she convinces Adam that it would be good for them to split up and work different parts of the Garden. In her solitude, she is tempted by Satan to sin against God. Adam shortly follows along with her. The Son of God The Son of God is the spirit that will become Jesus Christ, though he is never named explicitly, since he has not yet entered human form. The Son of God shares total union with God, and indeed is understood to be a person of the Godhead, along with the Father and the Spirit. He is the ultimate hero of the epic and infinitely powerful, singlehandedly defeating Satan and his followers when they violently rebel against God and driving them into Hell. The Son of God tells Adam and Eve about God’s judgment after their sin. However, he sacrificially volunteers to eventually journey to the World, become a man himself, and redeem the Fall of Man through his own death and resurrection. In the final scene, a vision of Salvation through the Son of God is revealed to Adam by Michael. Still, the name, Jesus of Nazareth, and the details of Jesus’ story are not depicted in the poem.[7] God the Father God the Father is the creator of Heaven, Hell, the World, and of everyone and everything there is. He desires glory and praise from all his creations. He is an all-powerful, all-knowing, infinitely good being who cannot be overthrown by even the great army of angels Satan incites against him. The poem begins with the purpose of justifying the ways of God to men, so God often converses with the Son of God concerning his plans and reveals his motives regarding his actions. The poem portrays God’s process of creation in the way that Milton believed it was done, that God created Heaven, Earth, Hell, and all the creatures that inhabit these separate planes from part of Himself, not out of nothing.[8] Thus, according to Milton, the ultimate authority of God derives from his being the â€Å"author† of creation. Satan tries to justify his rebellion by denying this aspect of God and claiming self-creation, but he admits to himself this is not the case, and that God â€Å"deserv ed no such return/ From me, whom He created what I was.†[9][10] Raphael Raphael is an angel who is sent by God to warn Adam about Satan’s infiltration of Eden and to warn him that Satan is going to try to curse Adam and Eve. He also has a lengthy discussion with the curious Adam regarding creation and events which transpired in Heaven. Michael Michael is a mighty archangel who fought for God in the Angelic War. In the first battle, he wounds Satan terribly with a powerful sword that God designed to even cut through the substance of angels. After Adam and Eve disobey God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, God sends the angel Michael to visit Adam and Eve. His duty is to escort Adam and Eve out of Paradise. But before this happens, Michael shows Adam visions of the future which cover an outline of the Bible, from the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis, up through the story of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Interpretation and criticism The Creation of Man, engraving from the 1688 edition, by John Baptist Medina The writer and critic Samuel Johnson wrote that Paradise Lost shows off â€Å"[Milton’s] peculiar power to astonish† and that â€Å"[Milton] seems to have been well acquainted with his own genius, and to know what it was that Nature had bestowed upon him more bountifully than upon others: the power of displaying the vast, illuminating the splendid, enforcing the awful, darkening the gloomy, and aggravating the dreadful.†

Sex Is While Some Take Sex - 850 Words

Many wonder what sex is while some take sex to an extreme. So let’s start with defining sex. â€Å"people define â€Å"Sex† in different ways. It can include vaginal, oral, and anal sex.† (Source 1) There are many different ideas of about what sex can be such as Vaginal – penis in vagina intercourse, Oral sex – mouth to genital contact, Anal Sex - penis in anus intercourse, fingering or handjob – hand to genital contact, and masturbation. Most people are more fond of Vaginal intercourse than any of the other types. Now everyone knows the simple positions for vaginal intercourse, but what about some of the complex ones. The more complex ones will get you more aroused but the male will go off quicker though. Some examples are: the waterfall, the hot seat, spin cycle, stairway to heaven, and the pretzel. (Source 5) Just like you rely on gestures and surprises in romance, you need to help the excitement alive in bed, too. Just as sex can become predictable so can foreplay. So here are a few ideas to spice things up: try things outside the bedroom, sext each other, learn to kiss more passionately, slow down explore each other’s body, and dirty talk to each other. (source 3) Simple vaginal intercourse is sometimes enough for people but for others not so much. Many people like Rough sex and prefer it over regular sex. Someone may ask well, What is Rough Sex? â€Å"Rough Sex is the type of sex where you involve pain in the sexual act, to increase sexual pleasure!† (Source 2) It is a sexual releaseShow MoreRelatedShould Sex Be Defined As The Act Of Intercourse Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesNot Just Your Urban Dictionary Definition: Sex If you put â€Å"sex† into your google search engine, you may discover a lot more than you were hoping to research. For one thing, sex can be defined as the gender that a person currently identifies themselves as. It is also the Latin stem word meaning â€Å"six.† However, for the purpose of this paper, sex will be defined as the act of intercourse. The word itself contains a multitude of connotations—frightening, disgusting, hilarious, offensive, and pleasurableRead MoreSex Education For A Child s Life Essay1272 Words   |  6 Pages Sex Education in Schools Schools play a major role in a child’s life. Students generally spend more time in school with their teachers and peers than they do at home. They learn about Math, Science, English, Social studies and much more. One of the major things that needs more emphasis is sex education. Society is changing boys and girls are starting puberty earlier than when schools provide them with information about it. â€Å"52% of teens have has sexual intercourse out of that 52% 42% say theyRead MoreCondom Distribution in Public Schools Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesAllowing condoms to be distributed in public schools has had much controversy over the years. Many people learn about safe sex, but there are still many unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases floating around. Some schools across the United States have made it to where students are given condoms in school. On top of other alternatives, such condom distribution programs should be allowed or promoted in public school s to help reduce teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseasesRead MoreShould Sex Education Be Legal?1680 Words   |  7 PagesSex: the elephant in the room no one likes to talk about. It is a natural act humans have done for years but also a taboo to show or acknowledge. Sex, despite being taboo, is omnipresent. It is present in discussions of God, television, dating, and other areas, all of which have played a role into my understanding of sex and sexuality. However, public education has ultimately been the main factor in maintaining my personal safe sex life. 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(Delamater, 2014, p. 483) The Christian belief that abstinence is the only moral way to avoid STIs and pregnancy has led to the incorporation of abstinence-only sex education courses in schools. The myth that abstinence-only sex educationRead MoreDebating Sex and Gender and After Identity1486 Words   |  6 PagesName: Professor: Course: Date: In Debating Sex and Gender and After Identity, Dr. Warnke presents various arguments that demonstrate how sex, gender, and race are all social constructs. Do you agree or disagree with her argument, and why? Concepts of sex, gender and race in English language have undergone uncountable naturalization and universalities, to a point that they are now considered to have always been present. There are numerous arguments that revolve around the three conceptsRead MoreEssay on Sex Education in Schools1677 Words   |  7 Pagesteaching, and publicity. Sex education has been a major debate for children under eighteen, because there are some parents that want it taught in schools and others that do not because of different reasons. There are currently eighteen states and the District of Columbia that require schools to provide sex education and thirty-two that do not require sex education. â€Å"There is no federal law that requires public schools to teach sex education or what should be taught† (Glander). While the parents and schoolsRead MoreThe Sex Industry Has Become A Global Multimillion Dollar Industry1580 Words   |  7 PagesThe sex industry has become a global multimillio n dollar industry that involves international sex trade, child prostitution, and pornography. This social problem has affected many individuals, is it considered a norm violation/deviance behavior. These involve promiscuous behaviors which are viewed as deviance. These behaviors and those who engage in them bring violence to society and it is not considered a social norm. Though some societies believe that the sex industry benefits the economy, othersRead MoreThe Sex Industry Has Become A Global Multimillion Dollar Industry1579 Words   |  7 PagesThe sex industry has become a global multimillion dollar industry that involves international sex trade, child prostitution, and pornography. This social problem has affected many individuals, is it considered a norm violations/deviance behavior. These involve promiscuous behaviors which are viewed as deviance. These behaviors and those who engage in them bring violence to society and it is not considered a social norm. Though some socie ties believe that the sex industry benefits the economy, others

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Essay on Summary of Oedipus The Kings by Sophocles

Summary of Oedipus The Kings by Sophocles Oedipus is in a series of tragic events throughout this play. A couple of days after Oedipus was born, he was left on a mountainside to die. The reason for this is because an oracle predicted that he will grow up to be the murderer of his father the King. Oedipus did not die as he should have, instead Oedipus was found and taken to the nearby city of Corinth. This is where Oedipus was adopted as the son of the King and Queen. Many years later, Oedipus seeks counsel from the same oracle that predicted his fate. The oracle does not tell him the identity of his true parents, instead tells him that he would kill his father and marry his mother. To ovoid this prophecy, he ran away from Corinth back†¦show more content†¦A plague of infertility strikes Thebes; women no longer bear children and crops are not growing. Oedipus, in his pride, says that he will end this deadly disease. Oedipus sends Creon to the oracle in Delphi for guidance. When Creon returns, Oedipus learns that the murderer of King Laius must be found and either be killed or exiled. In search for the Killers identity, Oedipus listens to the advice of Creon and sends for the blind prophet. The prophet warns him not to go searching for the killer of the king. The prophet is then provoked in exposing Oedipus as the killer. A messenger arrives from Corinth with the news the King Polybus has died and the people of Corinth want Oedipus as their king. Oedipus does not want to go because of the fact that his â€Å"mother† is still alive and does not want the prophecy to come true. The messenger then reveals that Oedipus was in fact adopted and is not the son of King and Queen of Corinth. Jocasta finally realizes the true identity of Oedipus and tells him to stop the search for the killer of the King. She then goes into the palace and hangs herself. Oedipus goes and seeks verification of the messenger’s story from the herdsman who was supposed to leave Oedipus for dead. Oedipus learns tha t the adopted son of Polybus and Merope was actually the son of Laius and Jocasta. This is where he remembers that place where the roads met, is where he killed his own father King Laius, with the consequence of marring his ownShow MoreRelatedOedipus Tyrannus, A Tragic Hero. Summary: . Context. Oedipus1391 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus Tyrannus, a Tragic Hero Summary: Context Oedipus Tyrannus is a Greek tragedy that was first performed as a play in 429 BCE. The setting of the play is in Thebes, one of Greece’s city states that is suffering from a tragic plague. King Oedipus’s brother in-law; Creon, reports back from the oracle of Apollo that the plague would only be lifted if the murderer of his predecessor; King Laius, is found and brought to justice. 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He had a son with Nicartrata, who was also a playwright. And he also had a son with Theoris. Wrote 123plays but only 7 survived: Ajar, Antigone, Trachinian women, Oedipus Tyrannoss, Electras, Philocetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. Also increased the number of chorus fromRead MoreHow to Read Literature Like a Professor1408 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 3 - Nice To Eat You: Acts of Vampires Chapter Summary: -Ghosts and vampires are never only about ghosts and vampires. There’s a thin line between the ordinary and the monstrous. -Sex: Evil, lust, seduction, temptation, danger. Evil has been related to sex ever since the serpent tempted Eve. -Exploitation: using other people to get what we want, placing our desires above others. Vampires and other figures are used where someone grows by weakening someone else. Connections: -The ScarletRead MoreTragic Hero In Oedipus The King1502 Words   |  7 Pageson a journey with this hero, witnessing both their triumphs and failures. In addition, this character must be more complex than what is seen on surface or at first glance. The character Oedipus in Sophocles Oedipus the King, meets all of these general parameters provided by Aristotle. The three reasons the Oedipus is a tragic hero is based on character traits of nobility, his hamartia, and lastly his self-pity and suffrage. Information found located on University of Pennsylvania’s education portalRead MoreThe Role Of Fate And Fate In Oedipus1075 Words   |  5 Pagespeaceful fates, but in the case of Oedipus, it was an unruly one, in which he was set on a path to his own demise. The story itself starts at the point in time in which all the Oracle of Delphi had told was true, but everyone was oblivious to it. Oedipus had already killed his father and married his mother, even bore children with her. It is a tragic end to who was once a glorious man, but one must think whether or not these chain of events happened because Oedipus chose to or because the Oracle foretoldRead More Marxist Theory and Oedipus the King Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesMarxist Theory and Oedipus the King      Ã‚  Ã‚   The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles (Marx and Engels 2). This excerpt, taken from Karl Marxs and Friedrich Engels The Communist Manifesto, explains the two primary classes found throughout most of Europe during the era of the Industrial Revolution. These classes were the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The former were known as the exploiters and the latter as the exploited. The wealth, power,Read MoreConfronting Death in Greek Mythology: Allegiance to Family or Empire?1491 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough her family has a scandalous account, she tries to give her family a nobler impression. Investigating the history of Antigone’s family, it has been stated, â€Å"Oedipus kills his father Laius inadvertently, not realizing who he is, and then proceeds to marry his mother, Jocasta, also not realizing her true identity. As a result of Oedipus marriage to Jocasta, he sires four children, who are at once his siblings and his children: Eteocles, Polyneices, Ismene, and Antigone† (GradeSaver). KnowingRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Oedipus Rex943 Words   |  4 Pagesprocess of being solved as the people of Thebes suffer. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, Thebes is being punished by the gods for a crime committed far in the past. The city of Thebes is cursed with a plague until the murderer of Laius is discovered and banished from the land. As Creon and Oedipus work to save Thebes, their different qualities show who is a better fit to be king. Oedipus saved Thebes once from the sphinx; however, Oedipus’ qualities of being arrogant, intense, and stubborn causeRead More Characterization in Oedipus the King Essay2193 Words   |  9 PagesCharacterization in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   The dialogue, action and motivation revolve about the characters in the story (Abrams 32-33). It is the purpose of this essay to demonstrate the types of characters present in Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus Rex, whether static or dynamic, whether flat or round, and whether protrayed through showing or telling.    Werner Jaeger in â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development† pays the dramatist the very highest compliment with regard to

The Threat of Domestic Terrorism free essay sample

In the past 10 years or so, we have all observed many changes in the way domestic terrorism operates. For instance, left-wing terrorism was overtaken by right-wing extremism as the most dangerous terrorist threat to the United States in the 1990’s. In the last few years, special interest extremism has now surfaced as a serious terrorist threat. With that said, it is widely known that extremist groups are largely involved in activity protected by guarantees in the constitution and utilize rights like free speech and assembly to their own benefit. The primary focus of United States policy regarding counterterrorism has been on jihadist terrorism since the attack by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001. However, in the last dozen years or so, domestic terrorists who have committed crimes within our homeland and found motivation in extremist ideologies or movements have executed fellow citizens and destroyed property throughout our country. Although there are many criminals that have not been prosecuted under terrorism statues, I believe that domestic terrorists should be taken just as seriously as any other. We will write a custom essay sample on The Threat of Domestic Terrorism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I’ve found in my recent study on this subject, that domestic terrorist organizations are not officially listed by the Department of Justice or by the Federal Bureau of Investigation but they have defined particular types of terror threats. Included in this are persons who commit transgressions concerning anti-government ideals, black separatism, white supremacy, anarchism, anti-abortion beliefs, environmental rights, and ideologies in support of animal rights to name a few. I feel it is necessary to stress; however, that not all of these opinions are inherently malign but instead can be taken too empirically, consequently leading to a dangerous operation. Understanding extremists and exercising prevention measures against domestic terrorism is, in my opinion, of significant importance for policy makers. These issues are alive and well when you consider the level of terrorism activity as reported by watchdog groups in the last several years. Since 9/11, domestic terrorists have been responsible for coordinating more than two-dozen incidents. It is for this reason that I think Congress should consider a number of things when addressing these concerns. Among these concerns would most likely be the fact that many domestic terrorist groups use nontraditional tactics. For example, a large number have been known to engage in activities such as vandalism, trespassing, and tax fraud, as opposed to airplane hijackings and suicide bombings. Exploiting the internet has proven to be a huge resource for the more internet-savvy extremist in this day and age. When I was a member of the Intelligence Community, I was taught that many international terrorist organizations operated under a predictable cell structure. After doing some personal research, I have found that this is not at all the case for domestic-type terrorist groups known to use the concept of leaderless resistance. Even our prisons have become a haven for terrorist radicalization. Although, the activity of convicts in gangs may be more driven by enterprises such as drug trafficking more so than radical belief. This is not to say that they are not terrorists as they exhibit extreme ideological dimensions and intend to coerce the government to further their social objective. In conclusion, I feel the desire to point out that the unfortunate reality of the matter is that that terrorism of any sort will never cease unless we address the very reason it exists. These organizations have been consistent throughout the past and they will continue to carry on in the future with intent to spread terror and panic for the purpose of furthering their radical objectives. Bias, hatred, and prejudice seems to be what encourages the continued growth of the domestic terrorists. To that end, perhaps our efforts should instead be dedicated to establishing peace, fostering alliances and maintaining a nation free of discrimination.

The Rise Of The Y2k Bug Essays - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL

The Rise Of The Y2k Bug The Y2K problem is the electronic equivalent of the El Ni?o and there will be nasty surprises around the globe.--John Hamre, Dep. Secretary of Defense When I was in the first grade, my elementary school invested in several computers and started Introduction to Computers classes. I remember playing math games and drawing with art programs, in awe of, and slightly intimidated by the beastly piece of technology in front of me. I had little idea of how it worked, and even less of an idea of what was in store. Over the years, the technological world has advanced rapidly, and humans have come to rely on computers for just about every aspect of daily life--from education, to communication, to banking, to electricity, we depend on technology. The Y2K bug seems to be a vicious reminder that our technology is just a tangled connection of imperfect, haphazard systems we have come to let run our lives. The Year 2000, or Y2K problem is caused by a shortcut imbedded into many computers and microchips. In the 1960s, to conserve what was then precious and expensive memory space, computer programmers shortened the four-digit year to use a much more economical two-digit method--for example, 78 would mean 1978. Unfortunately, computers and microchips that still use a two-number year will recognize 00 as the year 1900, not as 2000. When using data involving dates, the problem will cause failures in arithmetic, and can corrupt databases with incorrect information. These types of calculations are necessary in systems involving administrative information, scheduling, and billing. A statement issued by the President's Council on the Year 2000 Conversion states: This [Y2K bug] could cause [computers] to either shut down or generate incorrect data. In our electronic information-dependent society, that could be a big problem. At the time the two-digit year was first used in computer programming, no one addressed or was prepared for a problem when the year 2000 rolled around, because, like today, technology was advancing and changing quickly. Computer programmers assumed that the two-digit year would eventually be changed and become obsolete. This, obviously, did not happen. In many cases, the older applications that use the two-digit method have been built on, and are buried deep into systems that are the basis of large corporations and other industries that run civilization as we know it. Computers are everywhere in government, business, utilities, and our jobs. When one system fails, there is a cascading effect to other systems. Despite a lingering skepticism in some realms, I assure you: The Year 2000 problem is real; its consequences are serious; and the deadline remains unstoppable. said Stephen Horn, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology Scratching beneath the surface frenzy of Will my home PC work? and Will my microwave make the transition? it is not difficult to find an even more threatening danger. The North American Electric Reliability Council sites four critical areas that pose the greatest direct threat to power production and delivery: energy management systems; telecommunications; protection systems; and power production itself. Their Y2K Coordination Plan for the Electricity Production and Delivery Systems of North America states that The threat is most severe in power plants with digital control systems (DSCs). Numerous control and protection systems within these DSCs use time-dependant algorithms that may result in unit trips. Despite extensive plans and endless explanations, the potentially catastrophic nature of this problem cannot be accurately figured. No one knows exactly what will be affected, or how much. While the government and its assorted departments and councils have taken to releasing longwinded, optimistic reports and coordination plans, computer programmers hired to seek out and fix the bug have been learning how to live in a world independent of technology. Bad news lurks in every corner and statistics are depressing. The consulting firm GartnerGroup has estimated that Venezuela and Saudi Arabia (two of the largest exporters of oil to the United States) are 12 to 18 months behind the United States in their Y2K-compliance efforts. Being faced with the threats of loss of electricity, oil, and unfortunately, any hope of technological stability is a serious matter that should not be dismissed quickly. Knowledge and preparation is the key