A Piece of Peace Essay Example for Free

A Piece of Peace Essay The terrorist attacks on September 11th affected more than just the lives of those in people who were the direct victims of the attacks. An entire nation was victimized and the whole nation grieved for those who suffered in New York City. As the attacks occurred I sat in my high school English class and while the teacher taught I day dreamed. It was a typical Tuesday morning and to be truthful I did not ever hear her the first time she explained the tragic events that had taken place just moments ago. I heard the word â€Å"terrorists† and the fragments of statements like â€Å"hundreds died this morning when†. Then, I could only hear my heart beat in my ears. I watched my teacher turn on the TV. She flipped through several stations. I dont remember what I saw but I can remember what I heard. It was the sound of people crying. Over the next few months, as a nation, we followed the story as did the world. I can remember President Bush attempting to comfort the United States and telling us America would be going to war for reasons that werent clear to me then and certainly arent clear to me now. Somewhere between the night of September 10th, when I was plotting how I was going to avoid school the next morning and the night of September 11th, I grew up. When I look back on that time in my life I am left with a single haunting thought It is the pursuit of peace which leads to destruction. Even today, years after the terrorist attacks, people still talk about how that day changed everything. I agree, in some ways. It changed me and I became something new. It changed my family. It changed how American view other Americans and how we view the rest of the world. Americans have since the birth of the nation believed that their way was the best way. Americans were shocked to find out that people hated them enough to want to kill them. September 11th forced Americas to reflect on the military, social, and political actions of America and how they effected people of other countries. Perhaps Americans are not always in the right. For example, President Bush I gave weapons to the Afghan people to win a war against Russia. When the Afghan people defeated the Russian, Afghanistan was completely destroy. American promised them they will help rebuild but they did not. That is why the terrorist were able to come into the country and making a terrorist breeding ground. I dont think that September 11th effects the way Americans conduct their lives daily. People who say it does are feeling the pressure of guilt. Society says we must not forget, and as Americans say we wont. As a nation the citizens learned that there is a fine line between terrorist and freedom fighter- we are just afraid to admit it and seem unamerican. Those men who ran planes into building, killed Americans and killed themselves wanted only one thing peace. They wanted freedom from the western world and choose to die. Just as we wanted independence from England centuries ago. In looking for peace they destroyed lives, families, and shook the protected ground the United States sat on. It made the country stronger but not smarter. I am anxious over the global discord and the cultural ignorance that seems to grow between the United States and the rest of the world. The problems in Iraq foretell and may spark future clashes with a number of civilizations in the future. Just recently I drove home from work and I flipped through different radio stations. I caught the end of Bob Dylans â€Å"The Times They Are A-Changing†. Its funny because that is my moms favorite song and I had forgotten it existed. I still can hear her sing, â€Å"Come gather round people Wherever you roam / And admit that the waters Around you have grown /For the times they are a-changin†, while she tinkered around in the kitchen way before anyone else got up. I dont know that I ever really listened to the words before. Dylan knew and my mom knew things I was just beginning to. Dylan and my mom knew â€Å"theres a battle outside And it is ragin† and September 11th did shake our â€Å"windows† and rattled our â€Å"walls†. As a nation its citizens have no right to â€Å"criticize What we [you] cant understand† and our â€Å" sons and [y]our daughters Are beyond our [your] command† (Dylan). Our soldiers fight a war for reasons no one really knows for America that would rather criticize them then help in country that does not seem to want peace. Dylan sings about the injustice in war and that we should not be afraid to speak our minds: Come writers and critics Who prophesize with your pen And keep your eyes wide The chance wont come again And dont speak too soon For the wheels still in spin And theres no tellin who That its namin. For the loser now Will be later to win For the times they are a-changin. (Dylan) Bush wants peace but for his own reasons and through those reasons American soldiers are dying, and so are the Iraqi people. It is ironic that while those terrorists die nobly but ur soldiers die in such a cruel way. McKay writes in his poem, â€Å"If We Must Die,† that people should not die for nothing or by doing nothing. That death is inevitable, especially in war, but all people must fight for the things we want in this world and hold on to life and liberty as long as we can: O kinsmen we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men well face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! (Claude McKay) In the summer of 2001 I was lying in my hammock and I could see a butterfly in my backyard. I remember as a child learning that caterpillars itch and go into cocoons to find peace from that. Change in a way is a form of destruction. To be able to be someone new people have to give up their old selves and move past who they used to bee. When a child develops into an adult, he must give up his toys, his childhood beliefs like believing in Santa Claus. His childhood fantasies must be destroyed if he is to move on. In the years that followed September 11th I could feel myself â€Å"adapt to my new surroundings† (White Line 2). White, through the use of nature explores the scary nature of change: I have to shed my skin again Adapt to my new surroundings become another version of myself. The change within me does not happen overnight but through the evolution of my life (White) I was filled with Americans sense of patriotism and unity. The new American was like â€Å"the first fish that grew tiny legs† (White Line 8). Christine Whites poem, â€Å"Molting† reminded me that it was not just me that grew up, the United States did too. Whites point of view is that change is not a bad thing and is inevitable. Nearly every person around the country joined together as one united entity to pay tribute and homage to all the fallen heroes. There was a sense of harmony and peace. In way I think America, even those the terrorist attacks were tragic, knew that such an event was needed if we were going to â€Å"shed our [my] skin† (White Line 1) and become a stronger nation. As time goes by and my bad memories fade I remember America in its full glory. Watching the cumulative effect of humanity shining through the fire and smoke. I remember how many people spoke about the importance of peace and understanding. I wonder if there can be peace if Americans are divide both support and protest our soldiers in Iraq. The war over there caused a war here between Americans. It is the protesters protest protesters on both sides of the issues – each wanting peace in their own way. People who do not want our soldiers fighting in Iraq believe that they would be peace if America stopped butting into everyones business. People who are for the war in Iraq believe peace will only come after the destruction of all terrorists. In the end these protesters (on both sides) are destroying the morale and lives of people fighting in the Iraq war and are disgracing the memories of those that died. The price of peace is extremely high especially because Americans do not know if we can ever have it. I do know that â€Å"The line it is drawn The curse it is cast / The slow one now Will later be fast / As the present now Will later be past† (Dylan). I do know that America must hold her ground against the terrorists. Americans will not be tyrannized and forced to live like cowards. Even when we face â€Å"the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! † (McKay Line 14). The American fight for freedom and peace has also managed to destroy our economy. Oil prices increased, the value of the American dollar decreased, and the stock market bottomed out. When Clinton was President the stock market was well over 10,000 after 9/11 it drop well under 8000. President Bush spent the Clinton Surplus on military, and it is just now in 2006 that the stock has become stabilized. I think that our economy will emerge from this disaster and become strong once again like it was before the attacks. In the pursuit of peace and destruction, people in Americans have finally understood their place in society and were back â€Å"in the sun† (White Line 10). Not as a not as a bystanders but an active and willing participants. Americans realize that there needs to be a great deal of change and those changes have started. American citizens encourage our â€Å"senators, congressmen Please heed the call / Dont stand in the doorway Dont block up the hall† (Dylan). And governmental officials are making changes. I think our nation needs to help a new generation of people realize that aftermath of that day when humans lives were lost and Americas unique humanity and independence was demonstrated. This generations hearts were opened and turned around in the wake of airplane crashes. On September 11, 2001 many people lost their lives because men were seeking their own personal peace. Daily our soldiers are destroyed one by one for the goal of peace. The American economy struggles because of the war for peace against terrorism. Americans fight Americans over whether we should be in Iraq or not which tears apart soldiers pride. Before that Tuesday in September, I never thought about life and death. I never considered the consequences of war and the denial of freedoms. Now that I am older, I realize that September 11, 2001 was not just pivotal point for me but America itself. Not since Pearl Harbor had the United States been unexpectedly attacked on its own land. Just as families pulled together so did the United States as a whole. As a nation we cried together and we healed together. To actually witness the attacks was life changing but to be part of the healing process was life affirming.

College Admissions Essay: Community Leadership :: College Admissions Essays

Community Leadership I had no idea what to expect. The name "Leadership Camp" stuck out like a sore thumb and I was intrigued by something that attempted to deal with an aspect of my personality that people had always told me I possessed. Rob Geis, a close friend of the family, and one of the organizers of the camp, suggested that I join, and I'm very glad I did. I'm afraid that giving an adequate explanation of what Leadership Camp offers is virtually impossible because I believe that every one of the 26 students in my group took something different away from it. I really was, and am, tired of the typical "leader" characterization: executives, dictators, presidents of this-that-and-the-other, bosses, etc. I wanted to see if this group thought outside of the box in that way. I also wanted to calm my tendencies to "take over" things. My goals were to learn to communicate more democratically, to concentrate on being an effective leader without alienating anyone, to seem more like a friend than a dictator, and also to relax my edginess when I am faced with lots of responsibility. I am still a bit ambivalent on how to feel about Leadership Camp. Basically, every day we concentrated on a specific area of leadership and had a speaker come in to lecture. Each speaker brought his or her own style and it was quite interesting to see the more human, fun, enthusiastic sides of these teachers - aspects to which students in their classes may not be accustomed. For my Cummunity Leadership Project, I tossed around many ideas. I finally settled on something that grabbed my heart. I read about a Primate Rescue Center (PRC) in a nearby county. Immediately I phoned them and began volunteering, once a week for 3 hours each time. I was introduced to 11 chimpanzees (Cory, Ike, Pasna, Tina, Jenny, Rodney, Donald, Hazel, Victoria, and Zulu) and close to 40 monkeys including macaques, colobus, siamang gibbons, a baboon, and others. Becky Wagner and Rachel Weiss, the caretakes and workers there, told me that the Good Foods Co-op used to donate produce last year, but then somehow there was a breakdown in communication, and that had since ceased.

The Theory of the Canadian Politics

Power and control is what the Canadian government try†s to establish. Government engagement in business is becoming too strong as â€Å"in 1992, 6 of Canada†s 100 largest corporations were operated by, government or government agencies throughout Canada†, (Canadian Democracy pg. 88). The problem with government control in business is that it restricts sole proprietors from investing in certain aspects of business such as Ontario†s liquor industry. In order to restrict government control of business three issues need to be taken into consideration; laws allowing privatization on crown corporations, more government attention establishing social issues that are out of reach to Canadian entrepreneurs for example education and health care. Furthermore incorporated laws need to be developed in order to minimize government control. As Canada moves into the 20th century economic policies are becoming too government controlled and as a result of this Canada is leaning towards a government run bureaucracy. Minimal government control of Canada†s business will contribute significantly to a more prosperous Canadian economy. Which is why it is important for government control to be minimal and allow for privatization of crown corporations. In Ontario liquor sales are down 22% compared to a provinces such as Quebec who have a privatized liquor industry. Since Ontario currently has a greater population than Quebec, obviously liquor sales are higher due to privatization of the industry, which allows more business to be established which makes it more convenient for the consumer to buy because there are many more liquor stores. However the liquor industry is only one of the primary companies that are government controlled. â€Å"Canadians who buy their gas at Petro Canada who watch CDC, TVO or Radio Quebec or who watch other provincial educational T. V networks, who travel Via rail or who pay electricity bills†(Canadian Democracy), are all contributing to government run alliances. To prove privatization has been successful the Quebec liquor industry, as well as the MBA programs at Universities such as Queens and McMaster are both that privatization is a success. Since the government was unable to fund such programs to it†s potential, privatization was an obligation in order to have an efficient program (statistics shown on Queens and McMaster university web pages). Students in the MBA programs at these schools agree that privatization was effective as they now have more advanced resources to work with. Clearly facts have proven that a privatized business/program/industry, is more beneficial not only a Canadian economy but as well as society. Another problem that Canadian†s face is that the government doesn†t focus enough of his attention on social issues concerning Canadians such as; education, health care, environment, welfare, foreign inspections on imports and Income tax. Many of Canada†s collage and university students are moving to the United States because the job opportunities are more abundant and income taxes are much lower. â€Å"Because the bulk of the education is paid for by the government (taxpayers) we are effectively subsidizing US industry by providing skilled labor. Many conservative people argue that this is one reason why students should bear the entire cost of their education. This alternative would close the post-secondary door on many poor people in this country† (www. watleo. ca/~cdsmith/txs/education). An alternative is that the government should turn aside the money that they are currently paying colleges and universities into student loans. Once the student graduates and receives employment this loan could be paid back in the form of income taxes. However if the student decides to work in the US their income tax will no longer compensate for the student loan, as they will have to pay off the loan personally. This method of educational funding would increase the number of students attending post secondary education because finance is a capital reason why some students do not attend collage or university. Another issue facing the Canadian education system is private schools vs. public schools. Canadian statistics prove that students attending private schools are more likely to attend university compared to people enrolled in the public system. The government needs to offer better educational funding in order to provide additional teachers to cut class sizes, as well as more resources. These changes will decrease class size, which will offer more one on one student to teacher attention that will help students prepare for a higher education. Healthcare is another major social issue that the government needs to establish; it is important for Canada to reduce the cost of basic healthcare services. Although Canada†s healthcare administration costs are low compared to the US, the US is associated with higher levels of medical research and development as well as increased amounts of advanced equipment i. e. â€Å"the city of Philadelphia has more MRI machines than all of Canada combined†(www. watleo. uwaterloo. ca/cdsmith. health. html. com). In Canada there are many people who abuse the healthcare system, in order to stop this, government should stop charging a basic fee for medical services and offer a tax refund for those who do not use the medical service provided. This would increase the efficiency of the current universal medical system in Canada and wouldn†t cost the government any money, as the refund would be proportional to the savings, because not as many people would then use the medical system. In addition to social issues in need of government assistance, environmental funding is needed to research issues such as air pollution, water conditions, the ozone and animal habitat which is always an on going environmental issue. On the topic of environment and health, the Toronto Star reported that inspection laws associated with NAFTA need to be stricter as poisonous strawberries imported form Mexico are currently being sold in the Canadian market. The National Post is reporting that 85% of Canadians are upset by the amount of money they pay in tax. StatsCan figures released on April 14th state that Canadians incomes are not keeping pace with economic growth. â€Å"We†re all working harder than ever and we†re not seeing our take home pay rise. It†s got to stop. Governments must take action to cut taxes and increase real take home pay†(Ontario PC Party). The government also needs to flatten income taxes because each province in Canada pays a different income tax rate Quebec than BC being the highest. We could also lower our income taxes if we were to be like the US and impose income tax on inheritance and lottery winnings, which would allow government to reduce personal income tax. A further social government issue that needs to be worked on is welfare. Welfare laws need to be modified because people on welfare have no incentive to look for a job or enroll in training. Welfare fraud is a big issues in some provinces of Canada (fraud and welfare abuse cost Ontario taxpayers an estimated $100 million last year), as well Canada needs to eliminate welfare payments to jail inmates as this is contributing to the millions of dollars wasted each year. It is made clear through the facts and evidence stated why the government needs to focus more upon social issues such as welfare, taxes, education, healthcare and foreign import laws. These government run programs are out of reach to entrepreneurs. Thus Canada needs the government to concentrate and control theses issues, rather than infringing upon Canadian business and economy. Lastly Since research has proven no laws limiting legitimate government control over large companies these laws need to be established and enforced because the government already has to much control over the Canadian economy. Laws need to be created in order to monitor government control and creation of monopolies. Trough extensive research currently there were no laws found that entail government control of business. Government already has a big impact on the pass of laws so this could be why there are no laws limiting their control of business i. e. Ontario liquor, CBC, Via rail, TVO, Petro Canada etc. However the part of business the government must stay in charge of are companies that produce money, the mint, nuclear power plants, army, police forces etc. These are all government run agencies that can not be privatized due to obvious reasons. If anyone could produce money than the Canadian dollar would have no value and the Canadian economy would crash, i. e. the Russian economy. The issue concerning too much government control over business that can be run by entrepreneurs can be resolved by passing â€Å"fair† laws concerning government control over business. This law would limit the amount of control and what the government can control in the Canadian economy. In conclusion as facts have proven above Canadian economic policies are becoming too government controlled, which is resulting in a government run bureaucracy. As government monopolies are becoming to strong it begins to decrease entrepreneurial opportunities for Canadian citizens and is why all business should be privatized. If the government were to allow privatization of some industries it would allow for more job opportunity, profit and a better Canadian economy. As well the government should concentrate more on social issues concerning Canadians such as healthcare, education, taxation etc, these issues could be emphasized on more by privatizing some crown corporations. Lastly law issuing limiting government control is allowed will result in a more prosperous economy. Therefore if all of these issues are handle more efficiently as outlined than Canada†s economy will be booming and it will create more opportunity in the job market for Canadian citizens.

Historical Events that Impacted Contact Improvisation...

Historical Events that Impacted Contact Improvisation Dance has evolved greatly throughout the centuries. It began with ballet and has led up to contact improvisation. This form of dance begun in the early 1970s and was started by a man named Steve Paxton and a group of postmodern dancers from New York City. Contact improvisation is a partnering form of dance and known as the art of moving spontaneously with a group or another person. This form of dance does not require the exact set of traditional skills of other dance form, it doesn’t have a technique that could be studied, and it is practiced in order to accomplish the highest potential. Contact improvisation came at a great time period, which of course was the 70s. The†¦show more content†¦Although the Watergate Scandal was an important event during this time period I don’t think it greatly affected contact improvisation. Another important historical event that occurred during this time period was the end of the Cold War. In 1975, under President Gerald Ford the US joined the USSR and thirty-three other countries to sign the Helsinki Accords that each member of nations vowed to respect human rights and boundaries. I think the whole end of the Cold War greatly affected this dance. I think by using contact improvisation it sort of represented people’s feelings better by being able to interact with each other. So by using contact improvisation I think the dancers were able to get their point across to the audience better. Therefore, the end of the Cold War was probably very important for contact improvisation and expressing yourself. Finally, the Vietnam War was another important historical event going on in the 1970s. When Nixon was president he sent American troop strength in Vietnam. He also set up a program of Vietnamization, which was decreasing the number of U.S. troops, offering only advice and assistance. The U.S. troops eventually returned from Vietnam but the U.S. did not stop with its involvement in Vietnam. Nixon then extended the war into Laos and Cambodia, there is secretly authorized bombing in order toShow MoreRelatedThe History and Evoluition of Dance1221 Words   |  5 Pagesinstitution, recognized as being an important function in civilized life. The following essay will focus on the theory and work of artist Isadora Duncan, while incorporating lecture notes and articles of both authors Sally Bane and Ann Daly to explain the historical situations that culminated in the development of early modern dance. Arising from the 20th century modern dance was a form of cultural collaboration and e xploration, as well as a resistance to colonial repression. Modern dance allowed for the experimentationRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesregimes, novel conceptions of management controls, the impact of globalizing forces on commercial aVairs, shifts in notions of eVective knowledge management, governance, and ethics, and technological advances, including the rise of broadband, have all impacted management accounting endeavours. The Weld is today, as fast-changing as it has ever been. This book captures key facets of current thoughts, concerns, and issues in management accounting. The book consists of eighteen chapters written by distinguishedRead MoreI Love Reading Essay69689 Words   |  279 Pagesaverage annual growth rate in enterprises per year during the period 1998 to 2005 was 4.80% and the average annual growth rate in total employment during over the same period was 2.49%. 6 Dwijendra Tripathy (ed.) ‘Business Communit ies of India: A Historical Perspective’, 1984, page 18. 7 See Tripathy supra note 6 as above, page 18- 19; Timberg supra note 1 as above, page 15 quoting DR Gadgil, ‘Origins of the Modern Indian Business Class’, 1958, page 1-16; see also, R Gopalakrishnan, ‘Prosperity BeyondRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pages48 48 48 . viii Contents Chapter 2 Modernist organization theory: back to the future? Introduction Modernist organization theory in context What is modernism? Modernism and architecture What is modernist organization theory? The historical roots of modernist organization theory Classical theory of organization Modernist organization theory: an overview The modernist ontology: the ordered world of the modernist organization The epistemological level: the scientific approach to organization