Essay on Declaration of Independence of Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth

On Declaration of Independence of Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth Cady Stanton Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions and Stefanie Coontz Too Close for Comfort - Essay Example , was marred by injustices and oppression against different groups who denied equal treatment in matters concerning, taxes, property ownership, and professional development. After Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration of independence, Americans took over their country form the British and set out to govern themselves with a predefined set of democratic principles as established in the declaration and constitution. Nonetheless, several groups, especially women remained disenfranchised of their rights with the constitution guarantees for â€Å"all men†. Like many works written before it and after it, the declaration was written in masculine pronoun and as such assuming that women cannot be party to the contents, possibly since they are considered subordinate to men. As a reaction to the American treatment of women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted her own version of the declaration of independence. She did this deliberately in the format of Jefferson’s declaration with the intention of attracting the attention of the American public. She was cognizant of the fact that, America’s historical situation had paradigmatically changed and several of the assumptions under which the declaration existed in were not applicable or acceptable to latter day women. This paper examines the two declarations by contrasting and comparing, in order to understand Elizabeth Stanton’s motiva tion for writing and the way it highlighted the inequalities that were tolerated in the declaration of independence. In her declaration, Stanton revisits the landmark lines in the declaration of independence â€Å"we hold that all men are equal† and rewrites the words in to â€Å"we hold that all men and women are equal† (1776). As afore mentioned, the declaration of independence was addressed to the British king who had kept America under his dominance for tens of years, however, the declaration of sentiment was directed to the male oppressors and hence the â€Å"He† used therein is in reference to

Critical Thinking Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical Thinking Blog - Essay Example However, they do not indicate the start number of the cancer patients. The high percentage indicating the increase to some extent inflicts fears on people wondering if they are next. Health statistics can sometimes be misleading. So the question bugging everyone at the end of the day is what is the true meaning of the numbers presented in the research? Yes, it may be true that the number of cancer patients is likely to have increased since it was first discovered as would be expected. However, it would be effective if people actually knew how much this 30 percent increase actually is. The minute one hears about cancer, they are bound to associate it with death simply because of the thousands of lives lost over the years to the disease (Blastland, 2008). In conclusion, at the end of the day, as much as the numbers presented in the media and news may be misleading, it should however not be a reason for one to ignore them. The exaggeration may be a way for the media to gain some effect in the public and get people to reconsider their way of living. It is not bound to work on everyone, but the little impact it has is enough difference (Blastland,

The Taming of the Shrew Essay Example for Free

The Taming of the Shrew Essay Michael Billington, theatre critic for the Guardian, asked whether there is any reason to revive a play which seems totally offensive to our age and society (6 May 1978). With particular reference to the final scenes of the play, explore the ways in which a modern audience can respond to Shakespeares presentation of the relationship between Kate and Petruchio  To many desultory observers The Taming of the Shrew may be conjectured as being profoundly misogynistic, an intolerable illustration of female subjugation in 16TH Century England. However in my opinion this is a far too superficial and perfunctory observation. The Taming of the Shrew displays enough ambiguity in its readings to support differing interpretations of its meaning and demonstrates its relevance to modern society. It is clear that ones own evaluation of the plight of Kate is an integral part of whether one finds the play offensive or not. On face value the shrewish Kate is tamed by the cruel, exploitative Petruchio who uses her fathers wealth as his only reason to embark on their marriage; a marriage she despairingly tries and fails to resist. He embarrasses and degrades her, culminating in the final scene where Kate openly relinquishes her independence; grovellingly placing her hand under Petruchios foot and lectures the other women about what should be their traditional servant role within marriage. However such superficial interpretations fail to consider the strong possibility of the presence of dramatic irony in Shakespeares writing, that their marriage is in fact one of partnership. Fiona Shaw, a contemporary Shakespearean actor, offers this interpretation by commenting her vision coincides with his Kate and Petruchio were rebels and would remain rebels forever1. Indeed it has been argued that Kate actually tames Petruchio by seemingly bowing to his requests: Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,  Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee (ACT V SCENE II 145-6) Superficially this may seem a submission, but it is possible to see the irony in Kates words. After all, at the time of writing, the head of state or the sovereign was Elizabeth I, therefore the aforementioned quotation symbolises a direct ironic attack against the patriarchal concept that Kate seems to be urging. Kates final speech could be categorised as a capitulation if its reader was without any idea or contextual knowledge about Kates complex character because much of its content is derived from sources used in the Elizabethan Church such as the Book of Homilies and The Instruction of Christian Women. However, it is certainly conceivable that it could be interpreted as a subversive manifesto. Kates flattering of Petruchio through her references to his brave naval background seems to appease him, yet it is she with the soft and smooth body. Petruchio maybe stronger in the physical sense, but it is he who has had to work harder in life and will work harder in marriage if Kate has her way. H.G. Goddards comment that everyone knows that the woman can lord it over the man as long as she allows him to think hes lording it over her supports this view, even if this comment is as equally facile as Kates taming a tribute to the ambiguity of the play. Textual evidence also configures with the doubt over whether Kates plight parallels with the doctrines of the Renaissance writers who fundamentally endorsed a patriarchal social hierarchy with the female subject to the orders of their husband or father. Lucentios final line Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tamed so emphasises the notion of scepticism over her sudden changed behaviour and that indeed she may have colluded with Petruchio in order to win the wager. The short time-scale of the play casts doubt over whether such a character as strong as Kate could really be tamed so emphatically. Indeed the feminist critic Germaine Greer has argued that the play is not a knockabout farce of wife-battering, but the cunning adaptation of a folk-motif to show the forging of a partnership between equals2, emphasised by Petruchio in the final scene finally acknowledging their alliance -well be to bed we thee are married, but you two are sped. It is Kate who is indeed shrewd enough to realise that she must appease Petruchio if she is to be able to forge a happy marriage with him. This is after Hortensio reminds Kate say as he says, or we shall never go a clue about the possible consequences if she continues her resistance. This is not a submission, but a clever ploy by Kate who realises that if her marriage is to progress from a state of extreme discomfort she must forge a partnership.

Voting Rights of Prisoners

Voting Rights of Prisoners How would you feel if you got your rights taken away from you because you did something bad? Its like saying them boys across the street said a bad word in public and now they cant talk no more. This is how felons feel about getting their voting rights taking away from them. Saying bad words isnt all that bad depending on what word or words him or her would say. Getting him or hers first amendment right taken away is completely uncalled for. Now putting him or her in detention or some kind of punishment for saying a bad word is completely understandable. Using foul language isnt that bad depending on what your using it for and how your using it. For instince say a man was cursing at his truck because it wouldnt start and a police officer over heard him and he got his 1st Amendment right taken away just because of that and he got put in jail because of that and he did his jail time and served what he had to serve for what he did and he never got his rights restored back to him. Restoring the rights of individuals who have served their time and re-entered society is the right thing to do (Virginia governor restoring felons). The situation with the man and his truck is very realatabel to the quote because the man served his times and did everything he had to do and he never got his rights back and the right thing to do is to give it back to him since he served his time. Restoring voting rights lessens ex-prisoners stigma and helps them rejoin their communities and reducing the risk of recidivism(Restore voting rights for felons whove done their time. ) Restoring a ex-convicts voting rights helps them rejoin their communties and not feel like a outsider or a criminal no more. Doing him or hers time for for the crime that they did and getting their voting rights taken away from them is not understandable because they did their time that they had to do so they could get their voting rights back. A 20 year old man was racing his car and he got caught by the cops and he got a ticket for racing and he had to do comuntiy service for a month also and he could not drive his car for one month. After he got done with community service for one month he asked if he could get his car back from the law and the law said no even though he served his time for what he did. In Alabama, Felons Face Difficult Road To Regaining Voting Rights. (For millions of Americans, being convicted of a crime means they can no longer vote. ) The 20 year old man was convicted of a crime and if he is he can no longer Should ex-convicts have the right to vote? Maryland now says yes.(When you cant vote, you dont have a seat at the table, he said. Obviously, theyve made mistakes, but these are our family members, our friends, our neighbors. These folks pay taxes) When the man wants to vote but he can not because of what happened he is going to probably be angry. Even when the man did his community service he was still not allowed to get his car back or vote. Getting your voting rights taken up is bad even when you are really political and when you want to choose who is going to be your leader of your country. When a man or a women is very political they can get into real detail about everything. Even when it comes to rights they can get all into it. Should ex-convicts have the right to vote? Maryland now says yes?(You cant leave 40,000 people out of the conversation on subject matters that directly and indirectly impact them.) Leaving all your community out that has done bad things is bad because it can impact them bad by them looking at everyone and them not being there and making the ones that had their voting rights taken up feeling like outsiders. Should ex- convicts have the right to vote? Maryland now says yes(When you cant vote, you dont have a seat at the table,) Everyone needs their right to vote so they can vote for who they want to vote for. Everyone needs their voting rights in the country they live in so hey can vote who their leadear will be espically if you done what time you served and how did it. Your voting rights are yours and they will remain yours. But if your ex-convict and you served your time you should get your voting rights back because you served what you have done. Therefore the ex-convicts should get there voting rights back because they have served their time for what they did. References Chen, Cathaleen. Should ex-convicts have the right to vote? Maryland now says yes. Christian Science Monitor, 9 Feb. 2016. Research in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=MSICsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA442852435it=rasid=2322ae6c427fa5d5087830d035cba82f. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017. In Alabama, Felons Face Difficult Road To Regaining Voting Rights. All Things Considered, 15 Feb. 2016. Research in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=MSICsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA444342339it=rasid=04f0f656a3bb7eddb47bf0185ac388f3. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017 Restore voting rights for felons whove done their time. USA Today, 9 May 2016, p. 07A. Research in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=MSICsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA451977993it=rasid=959ae03d3dc24734458862593b6277f1. Accessed 3 Feb. 2017 Virginia governor restoring felons voting rights one by one after court rejects order. UPI News Current, 22 Aug. 2016. Research in Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=MSICsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA461270523it=rasid=0ae7f0f1ece9f72c3bdd85807432ab56. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017.

Does Intercollegiate Athletics Equal Knowledge? :: Argumentative Persuasive College sports Essays

Does Intercollegiate Athletics Equal Knowledge? We live in an age where economic gain at the easiest means possible is desired. For many this want of economic status depends heavily on their completion of college. A degree can lead to higher wages and greater job opportunities. But, there is another class that is in a boat all their own: student-athletes, males in particular. Many male athletes leave college in hopes of joining the professional field. But, many times leaving school before graduation can have negative effects. Ironically, many athletes that complete their education do not come out with the knowledge necessary. Thus, we need to ask the question, can collegiate athletes benefit from finishing their education before pursuing professional careers. For college athletes, the opportunity for a university education is as important as playing intercollegiate sports. False. According to Murray Sperver, author of College Sports Inc., â€Å"formal and informal studies indicate that most college athletes in big-time programs hope to play their sport at the professional or Olympic level, and they regard college as their path to the pros or the national team.† Many athletes devote countless hours to their sports, thus resulting in an inability to obtain a serious means for academics. For many high school athletes the academic quality of a university does not hold near as much precedence over the quality of a universities athletic program. Although professional athletes make up only three percent of the entire population, this seems to be irrelevant to those athletes choosing colleges. A dream may have more power than reality. The NCAA stands behind there motto that athletics are also students and that their primary purpose in education is to receive an education, which results in obtaining a degree. Yet, according to College Sports Inc., â€Å"at a third of American colleges and universities with major men’s basketball programs, fewer than one in five players ever graduate.† The NCAA blames these low graduation rates as the result of athletes dropping out of school because of professional contracts. Many institutions, like UNLV have been accused of giving their athletes questionable degrees. In other words, many institutions â€Å"graduate† these athletes before they actually earn their degrees. As stated in The Los Angeles Times, â€Å"UNLV graduation ceremonies showed [men’s basketball coach] Tarkanian with all five of the six seniors from this years team, all in caps and gowns.

Impact of Advertising on American Society Essay -- BTEC Business Marke

Impact of Advertising on American Society American society has changed drastically over the past years and some people say advertisements reflect the society that we live in now. Advertising in our society encourages unhealthy habits, focuses in on our weaknesses and leads us to believe that we are materialistic. Advertisements can also change our vision of reality and makes us believe the impossible. Advertisements use sexual and racial stereotypes to help sell their products. People in our society encourage the commercials that demonstrate these things, like focus in on our weaknesses. A recent commercial I just saw advertising for Pizza Hut uses sex and famous people to promote their product. The ad was introducing their new Four for All pizza. Jessica Simpson, a young popular singer, was eating this new pizza (four separate squares, with four different toppings but considered one pizza) and Kermit the Frog was in the same room with all the Muppets. Jessica Simpson said to Kermit, "Kermmy, there is some for you, your favorite." Kermit then blushed and floating hearts appeared above his head. The next scene was Jessica Simpson sits on the couch next to Kermit, and Miss Piggy walked over to Jessica and pushed her off the couch because she was jealous. Then the slogan came on the screen, "Everyone Gets What They Want." Then, their famous slogan, "Gather ‘Round the Good Stuff." This commercial in a way does reflect our society. The producers put famous people or characters in this commercial, Jessica Simpson and the Muppets, to get more publicity so more people will actually watch it and pay attention to it. Or maybe the producers thought that people would think since Jessica Simpson or Kermit the Frog eat this new pizz... ...d it was very inappropriate for television. The whole point is, that commercial will stick in the head and this will give more publicity for Budweiser, even if it was unacceptable to a lot of people. I never actually saw it, but I read an article about it in the newspaper. So I prove my point, that it will stick in people’s heads since it was so controversial. It did for me at least! People will always remember commercials that were offending and debatable. Producers are only trying to please our society. So overall, I definitely believe advertising is based on our society. We live in a world where everything has to be easier and more convenient for us, that we need to get everything we can, and we strive to be perfect. Advertising does focus in on our weaknesses and does lead us to unhealthy habits. So we are the one’s that make advertisements the way are today.

Do miracles still happen and how do they compare with those of the Acts of the Apostles? Essay

When studying the subject of miracles they must be approached with objective reason and when questioning the existence of miracles we must first fully understand what the word ‘miracle’ means. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a miracle is described as an extraordinary and welcome event attributed to a divine agency, a remarkable and very welcome occurrence or as an outstanding achievement. The word miracle originates from the Latin word miraculum meaning ‘object of wonder.’ A miracle is a supernatural event that consists of divine intervention into the natural order as a demonstration of God’s power and mercy, all of these properties are seen in the Acts of the Apostles as God does intervene in human events and they can be seen as responses and as a reward for faith. The Acts of the Apostles contains many miracles however all of these miracles are not the healing of those with demons but the spread of Christianity through the early church in both Paul and Peter’s missionary journeys. St. Paul can be seen by some as a fake apostle because he was not one of the chosen twelve and therefore had not experienced a close relationship with Jesus, this is turn may have threatened the apostles at first. However St Paul managed to become one of the apostles greatest assets as he went on to teach to not only Jews but to pagans also. â€Å"Because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel.† Acts 9:15. This allowed the Christian church to grow as more believers were joining thus the Christian church’s faith began to grow. Two of the best known definitions of a miracle are that of St. Thomas Aquinas who believed in miracles and that John Stuart Mill who did not. St. Thomas’s definition of a miracle is this: A miracle is something beyond the order of created nature. Therefore since God alone is not a created being, He also is the only One who can work miracles by His own power. In this the word nature can be used in three senses, it may mean â€Å"all that exists†, â€Å"all created things†, or â€Å"all material things†. John Stuart Mill’s definition of a miracle is: A phenomenon not preceded by any antecedent phenomenal conditions sufficient again to reproduce it. This definition implies that there is nothing but the material world in existence. It takes no account of the human will, still less of the will of God. The purpose of miracles in the new testament itself comes in two parts – the first part is that they were used for confirmation as they confirmed who Jesus was and that Jesus and his apostles message was that of God’s, the second part is that they were carried out in order to cause belief in the listeners in Jesus. In the New Testament we see confirmation that Jesus is in fact who he is said to be when we see the miracle in Acts 3:6 where Peter and John are going to the temple and cure the lame man who is sitting as the beautiful gate, Peter says to the lame man ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ, walk! This incident brings us face to face with the question of miracles in apostolic times and shows us that Jesus had the power to perform miracles through his apostles. We also see within the New Testament that the miracles were carried out to cause belief in Jesus as in Acts 8:4-8 were those who escaped one of which was Philip from the arrest of Saul to Samaria proclaiming the Christ. â€Å"The people united in welcoming the message Phillip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves.† Acts 8:6. This helps us understand that miracles or even the stories of miracles help us to believe in Jesus as the son of God. However people who believe that miracles do not happen in today’s society may argue about the existence of miracles that miraculous power was passed on by the laying on of the apostles hands and as no-one today could possibly qualify as an apostle of Jesus then no-one today could possibly have the power to perform miracles. Those who believe this refer to Acts 1:21-22 where it states that the apostles â€Å"must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act as a witness to his resurrection.† These three conditions therefore conflict with any hope of miracles happening today. It is commonly agreed that miracles are the reward and result of faith; however faith in God should not be based on miracles. They should be seen as the work of God rather than the essence of God. Moreover some people believe that if Jesus had not performed these miracles then their faith in him may not be as strong. In order to be able to perform a miracle the person wanting the miracle must have faith in God and those performing the miracle must have a strong relationship with God, in order to have such a good relationship with God a person must pray in order to strengthen their relationship. Many people may say that in society today, there are those who have a strengthened relationship with God such as Priests, Nun’s and Monks. This may mean that they have the power to perform miracles however the person wanting the miracle may not have enough faith in God in order to support the miracle. Another argument that could be used in order to prove that miracles do not occur today is that God confirmed his word through miracles, signs and wonders during Jesus’ life on earth; therefore he does not need to reconfirm his existence to this generation as we have enough proof in biblical readings in order to prove his existence. Although miracles benefited the individual, their true purpose was for confirmation, even though they were often motivated by compassion and belief of those observing. Today some people may believe that miracles still do happen but not in such a magnificent way as they did back in the time of Jesus. People do nevertheless believe that in order to receive a miracle you must have a strengthened relationship with God through prayer and acting on spirit. Some people may argue with the second circumstance in the sense that they cannot strengthen their faith in God because there are no miracles today that allow them to expand their belief. On the other hand some would say that miracles still do happen today through the work that Doctors, surgeons etc. can do which in apostolic times would have been regarded as miracles. A modern miracle story would be that of an atheist couple and their little girl, the couple never told their daughter anything about the Lord. One night when the little girl was 5 years old, the parents fought with each other and the dad shot the Mother, in front of the child. Then, the dad shot himself. The little girl watched it all. She then was sent to a foster home. The foster mother was a Christian and took the child to church. On the first day of Sunday school, the foster mother told the teacher that the girl had never heard of Jesus, and to have patience with her. The teacher held up a picture of Jesus and said, â€Å"Does anyone know who this is?† The little girl said, â€Å"I do, that’s the man who was holding me the night my parents died.† In my eyes this example can be seen as a modern day miracle as it shows Jesus helping a little girl through a time of mourning and grief. A miracle found in Acts that can be seen to contrast to this modern day story would be that of the shipwreck in Acts 28. In this Paul, the centurion and his men all rely on God for strength through his intervention to Paul in Acts 28:24 an angel appeared to Paul and told him â€Å"Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to appear before Caesar, and for this reason God grants you the safety of all who are sailing with you.† This contrasts with the modern day story of the little girl as they both show God giving strength to those in need. Another modern day miracle is this of Rowena Angell. Since 1982 Rowena was only able to walk short distances. By 1986 Rowena was using two walking sticks and to go any distance she had to use a wheelchair. The pain never went away. Life continued in this way until 1991 when Rowena was diagnosed as having Lupus. Just after Christmas in 1998 God told Rowena that she was going to be healed from the awful pain and a few weeks later Pastor Revd. Alan Clarredge told her that when she was baptised she would be healed. Rowena had told no one what God had told her so she knew Alan was confirming what God had already told her. On Sunday the 20th January 2002, she with others went up to the front for prayer. The pastor was directed by God to pray for healing for her. It was tremendous, amazing, the Holy Spirit was so strong! After the meeting ended her Husband Henry went to get the car and as she walked to meet him, a voice said to Rowena â€Å"why are you using your stick†. She thought about that voice all the way home, was it real? Did she imagine it? When she talked it over with Henry, his reaction was to go in faith he said. Rowena went in faith and the pain has gone away for the first time in 27 years, the joy of waking in the morning with no pain. A few months later a test showed that there was no trace of Lupus in Rowena’s body! She was totally healed! She will never forget the pain she had and she will serve God with whatever he leads her to do, with joy in my heart she dedicates her life to Him to do, as He wills. Praise the Lord for He is merciful. These modern day miracles are very different from those at the time of Jesus and shortly after. They can be thought of as a persons calling or saving, this can impact highly on a person’s life especially if they were not brought up with Christianity. In Acts 9:32-35 Peter heals Aeneas at Lydda. This miracle proves to Aeneas and all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon who were watching that Peter had a close relationship with Jesus and also shows how much power he had inherited from the Holy Spirit as instead of Peter saying ‘I cure you’ Peter said to Aeneas ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you get up and fold up your sleeping mat.’ In this such miracle people today may believe that Peter was taking the glory of the work that Jesus Christ has performed through him as he says â€Å"I cure you.† Also in the modern day miracle the shape of Jesus suffering for all of mankind on the cross can be seen to some as the sign that it was Jesus who performed this miracle. On the other hand in the miracle which Peter performed on Tabitha in Acts 9:26-43 the women is not healed in by Peter however it was in the name of Jesus which helps people understand that the miracles that are happening both today and in the time of the New Testament are performed through the power of Jesus. William Barclay argued that miracles can happen apart from â€Å"we think too much of what we can do and too little about what Jesus Christ can do through us.† Miracles altogether play a huge role on the church today as they are an important part of individual’s religion as it gives them something to believe in that only Christ is able to do. I personally believe that these modern day miracles allow peoples faith in God to be strengthened as it allows us to understand that if we need it – even if we do not want it God will be there for us. Both of these miracles found in Acts are important to Christians today as they are a sign of God’s power, they also show that Jesus lives and has power through the Holy Spirit and the invocation of his name. David Hume however is the arch-enemy of miracles who said that â€Å"A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature† he also said that â€Å"It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die suddenly: because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen. But it is a miracle that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country. There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against every miraculous event; otherwise the event would not merit that appellation.† However I do not agree with David’s Hume’s views and myself I believe that a miracle is a God-powered supernatural event. Overall I believe miracles today and miracles in Acts of the Apostles contrast well with each other as they are both God centred and can be directed at both believers and non-believers. Bibliography www.oxfordonline.com http://religion.krishna.org/Articles/ http://www.byfaith.co.uk/paulmiracle William Barclay – the new daily study bible – Acts of the apostles The Jerusalem bible new testament http://www.katapi.org.uk/ChristianFaith/XVIII.htm