Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr. Essay

In â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a response to clergymen defending his actions that placed him in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama. King did not respond to all the criticism that crossed his desk, but this time King felt he was compelled to respond. This obligation King felt was due in part to men with good will and intentions stating that his actions were â€Å"unwise and untimely† (Pg. 835). King’s purpose in writing â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was to defend the strategy of nonviolent direct action in Birmingham and to justify the process and characteristics needed to attain the goals of both nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience in a just manner. One of the main purposes of King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was to defend the strategy of NVDA in Birmingham. King defends this strategy in the beginning of the letter when he states â€Å"It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative† (Pg. 836). It is even more evident that King is backing up the use of NVDA when he states â€Å"Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States† (Pg. 836). King is stating in the two quotes above that the injustice and segregation against African Americans in Birmingham at the time gave him no option but to implement the strategy of NVDA. King then defends his strategy of NVDA by clearly explainingShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†3011 Words   |  13 Pages[Date] Martin Luther king Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Outline 1. Introduction i) Argument about â€Å"Justice and injustice† ii) Religious appeals in King’s latter iii) Paragraph fourteen of King’s latter 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion Introduction The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter in responseRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr : Letter From Birmingham Jail Essay1678 Words   |  7 Pages Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from Birmingham Jail Hao Ran Hu SUNY Broome Hao Ran Hu Global History Professor St.Clair 2016 Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from Birmingham Jail One of the interesting Documents in World History is the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ by Martin Luther King Jr who was born as Michael King in 1929 in Atlanta. His parents were partRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.1259 Words   |  6 PagesLetter from Birmingham Response The Letter from Birmingham jail was written on April 16th, 1963 by Martin Luther King jr. Martin was a prominent leader and protester in the fight against racism. King was put in jail for protesting in the streets without a permit and that is where he read the letter. The letter was written as response to the Letter from the Eight Clergymen. Their letter called for the end of the peaceful protests which were lead by King and his supporters. During the time the letterRead MoreThe Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.990 Words   |  4 PagesThe Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. is written to the injustices of the African Americans by the white man supremacy, and to address the direct actions African Americans were making to change the people’s perspective. The books that have been read in this class reflect the same injustices that Martin Luther King Jr is addressing in his letter. The main point of this letter is to address the direct actio n being taken by the African Americans and how they sacrificing everythingRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesA Letter’s Purpose In â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King Jr. writes specifically to southern clergy men but also expands to anyone who opposes the civil rights movement. He informs his audience about the purpose of the civil rights movement and its importance to black and white people in terms of living as equals in a more peaceful society. King urges the public to understand the purpose of peaceful protests and the civil rights movement. He also wants people to understand the hardshipsRead MoreLetter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr. Essay938 Words   |  4 Pages Is it not ironic that Martin Luther King Jr. s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, which testifies to his struggle for Civil Rights; not only contradicts the time Martin Luther King wrote it in, but also echoes the same sentiments of today’s moral causes and laws? . Dr. King (*) then known as Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter to Birmingham in response to his fellow clergymen’s criticisms of him being locked up for his actions in Birmingham’s Civil Rights protest. The letter’sRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1157 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† is directed towards the clergymen, although America is his audience, King had come to Birmingham to address the segregation problem in the United States. He refuses to stay silent, even though people told him to wait for the change to happen. King is a part of the Southern Christian Leadersh ip Conference that has many organizations across the South. He felt that he has a right to be in Birmingham because his organizations have connections withRead MoreEssay on Letter From Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr.742 Words   |  3 PagesDr. Martin Luther King Jr. one of many great influential speakers wrote a life changing letter after being arrested for peacefully protesting African American rights. While sitting in jail Dr. King received a letter from clergymen questioning his motives and timings for being in Birmingham. In a response Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes a â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† vividly expressing physical and emotional purposes for his presence in Birmingham, AL. First, in the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail1004 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written during 1963, when African Americans were fighting for black and white equality. During the civil rights movement Martin Luther King Jr fought triumphantly for African Americans and their freedom. He was often subjected to imprisonment from those who opposed the purpose of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther king Jr took a lot of time to write and document his thoughts about how his people were being treated. â€Å"Letter to Birmingham†Read MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.1666 Words   |  7 PagesA Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on scraps of paper in response to a public statement of his efforts being seen as extreme issued by eight clergymen, while incarcerated in Birmingham. In response to the statement King makes a claim of Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.† Kings claim of â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.† Is supported throughout the entirety of his letter through the use of rhetoric devices such as Ethos Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr. Essay A Letter’s Purpose In â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King Jr. writes specifically to southern clergy men but also expands to anyone who opposes the civil rights movement. He informs his audience about the purpose of the civil rights movement and its importance to black and white people in terms of living as equals in a more peaceful society. King urges the public to understand the purpose of peaceful protests and the civil rights movement. He also wants people to understand the hardships in which his people face. If these arguments were taken upon, theoretically those who King is referring to would have to forget their previous prejudices which have been engrained in their minds. They must also evaluate the biases they did not realize they had in their daily lives. In a practical sense they must have enough conviction to challenge the social norms of prejudice and racism. They must be able to look at a certain credence and challenge others by proving it wrong like the stereo types which white people create of black people. Luther is addressing those who are against civil rights protests, â€Å"You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham† (page 2), this includes congressmen, religious men, and southern white people. He wants his audience to understand why peaceful protests are happening. The issue that is being faced is specifically how clergy men are condemning the civil rights movement but also includes how white people overall condemn his cause.Show MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†3011 Words   |  13 Pages[Date] Martin Luther king Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Outline 1. Introduction i) Argument about â€Å"Justice and injustice† ii) Religious appeals in King’s latter iii) Paragraph fourteen of King’s latter 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion Introduction The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter in responseRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr : Letter From Birmingham Jail Essay1678 Words   |  7 Pages Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from Birmingham Jail Hao Ran Hu SUNY Broome Hao Ran Hu Global History Professor St.Clair 2016 Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from Birmingham Jail One of the interesting Documents in World History is the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ by Martin Luther King Jr who was born as Michael King in 1929 in Atlanta. His parents were partRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.1259 Words   |  6 PagesLetter from Birmingham Response The Letter from Birmingham jail was written on April 16th, 1963 by Martin Luther King jr. Martin was a prominent leader and protester in the fight against racism. King was put in jail for protesting in the streets without a permit and that is where he read the letter. The letter was written as response to the Letter from the Eight Clergymen. Their letter called for the end of the peaceful protests which were lead by King and his supporters. During the time the letterRead MoreThe Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.990 Words   |  4 PagesThe Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. is written to the injustices of the African Americans by the white man supremacy, and to address the direct actions African Americans were making to change the people’s perspective. The books that have been read in this class reflect the same injustices that Martin Luther King Jr is addressing in his letter. The main point of this letter is to address the direct actio n being taken by the African Americans and how they sacrificing everythingRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1683 Words   |  7 PagesIn â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a response to clergymen defending his actions that placed him in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama. King did not respond to all the criticism that crossed his desk, but this time King felt he was compelled to respond. This obligation King felt was due in part to men with good will and intentions stating that his actions were â€Å"unwise and untimely† (Pg. 835). King’s purpose in writing â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was to defend the strategyRead MoreLetter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr. Essay938 Words   |  4 Pages Is it not ironic that Martin Luther King Jr. s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, which testifies to his struggle for Civil Rights; not only contradicts the time Martin Luther King wrote it in, but also echoes the same sentiments of today’s moral causes and laws? . Dr. King (*) then known as Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter to Birmingham in response to his fellow clergymen’s criticisms of him being locked up for his actions in Birmingham’s Civil Rights protest. The letter’sRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. s Letter From A Birmingham Jail1157 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† is directed towards the clergymen, although America is his audience, King had come to Birmingham to address the segregation problem in the United States. He refuses to stay silent, even though people told him to wait for the change to happen. King is a part of the Southern Christian Leadersh ip Conference that has many organizations across the South. He felt that he has a right to be in Birmingham because his organizations have connections withRead MoreEssay on Letter From Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr.742 Words   |  3 PagesDr. Martin Luther King Jr. one of many great influential speakers wrote a life changing letter after being arrested for peacefully protesting African American rights. While sitting in jail Dr. King received a letter from clergymen questioning his motives and timings for being in Birmingham. In a response Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes a â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† vividly expressing physical and emotional purposes for his presence in Birmingham, AL. First, in the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†Read MoreMartin Luther King Jr s Letter From Birmingham Jail1004 Words   |  5 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written during 1963, when African Americans were fighting for black and white equality. During the civil rights movement Martin Luther King Jr fought triumphantly for African Americans and their freedom. He was often subjected to imprisonment from those who opposed the purpose of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther king Jr took a lot of time to write and document his thoughts about how his people were being treated. â€Å"Letter to Birmingham†Read MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.1666 Words   |  7 PagesA Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on scraps of paper in response to a public statement of his efforts being seen as extreme issued by eight clergymen, while incarcerated in Birmingham. In response to the statement King makes a claim of Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.† Kings claim of â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.† Is supported throughout the entirety of his letter through the use of rhetoric devices such as Ethos

The Failure Of Failing Public Schools - 2454 Words

Introduction As a result of the latest rating of failing public schools in education, United States schools are rated around twenty-ninth in the world. What is a failing school? Researchers may never agree on a single definition of failing schools (Connelly, 1999). OFSTED says that â€Å"A failing school is one in which learners make very little progress in relation to their prior attainment; consequently, the value-added analyses of the school’s test scores are very low when compared with similar schools. This definition may be extended to include some process indicators. There is no doubt that the three most consistent factors found in weak schools are the underachievement of learners, unsatisfactory or poor teaching and ineffective leadership (OFSTED, 1997, p. 4). In the research article by Stein (2012), two questions were addressed for guiding the study. First, how should educators and the public respond to the suggestion that most failing schools either need a complete makeover or aren t worth saving? Second, what message are we sending the students and parents of such schools, and their respective communities in general, if we allow them to believe their schools should be kicked to the curb or used as a research laboratory? Stein also believe that hearing that America s students are becoming less competitive globally with each successive year is depressing enough, but it s worse to hear that we should either reinvent how schools operate or give up on someShow MoreRelatedFailing The Children Of Success1507 Words   |  7 PagesFailing Our Children to Success Imagine a world where doctors are not able to understand medical terminology or lawyers who have difficulty reading laws and being unable to interpret them correctly. Think of a society where mechanics cannot pronounce the name of a part they are replacing and pharmacists that cannot formulate dosages correctly. While this may seem absurd, this is the current trend of students that our educational system is producing in the United States. In the early years of theRead MoreEducation And Freedom Of The Oppressed1242 Words   |  5 Pagesfunding distribution for public schools. Public schools get funded through in large part by property taxes which are essentially determined by the value of the area the school is in. 5. Our debate topics are related to each other in that they are all interdependent on one another and are focused on student success through similar means. Debate topics such as privatization, merit pay, and NCLB are connected more noticeably since they can all serve as solutions to failing schools, another debate topicRead MoreThe Failures Of The Public School System Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesThe Failures of the Public School System All across the United States, there are schools that are struggling financially and culturally due to different socio-economic challenges. Some of these challenges cannot be avoided, although many of them could be avoided. One of these problems that could be avoided is the act of institutionalized separation of rich and poor. If integration was more focused the school systems in certain parts of a city would not be understaffed and underfunded. In the documentaryRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Law1315 Words   |  6 Pages Today the public school system in America is failing to meet the educational standards. The public education is lack of focus to teach their students abilities and skills and is lack of funds, supplies and resources to improve the learning and educational experiences for students. Public schools getting worse and worse according to critics and experts. The United States is being beaten by other nations with higher test scores and the government have being trying to close the achievement gap andRead MoreWaiting For All Across The United States1174 Words   |  5 PagesWaiting for Integration All across the United States there are schools that are struggling financially and culturally due to different socio-economic challenges. Some of these challenges can not be avoided although many of them could be avoided. One of these problems that could be avoided is the act of institutionalized separation of rich and poor. If integration was more focused the school systems in certain parts of a city would not be understaffed and underfunded. In the documentary WaitingRead MoreThe Faults of a One Size Fits All Education System Essay1529 Words   |  7 Pagestheyre taking (US Department of Education). In the No Child Left Behind Act, it states that all schools are required to bring students up to the proficient level, which is formulated and varies among states, which is assessed by formal standardized testing. If a student fails two years in a row, the school policies are assessed in order to correct the issue and the student is offered a choice in public schools if they feel th at the facility they are attending do not meet their specific needs. If a studentRead MoreCharter School Analysis Essay1703 Words   |  7 PagesMike Schmidt Statement of Issue: Since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992 (Minnesota Dept. of Education Website), America has seen charter schools move from a fringe educational alternative to an accepted and useful tool in public education. It is clear that charter schools are continuing to grow in popularity and student population, even with conflicting evidence about their effectiveness. This review will evaluate the necessity for strong educational leadership, a clearRead MoreEssay on America’s Children Deserve Charter Schools1544 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica’s education is failing, and serious reform is needed. The topic of education has been in the forefront over the last few decades. Many, including politicians have attempted to tackle what seemed to be a hopeless situation. With all the corruption and bureaucracy within the system, it is unlikely that this problem will be resolved anytime soon. However, there is hope amidst all this, and that is charter schools. Charter sc hools impact education by having passionate teachers who truly careRead MoreSouth America, France, And Detroit979 Words   |  4 PagesChallenging Regions: South America, France, and Detroit For each successful school system, one could identify multiple systems that have failed or are currently failing. Challenging or underperformed school systems can be found at the continental, country or state level. Additional challenges are found both in developed and underdeveloped regions. Nonetheless, there are a myriad of reasons that contribute to school system failures, regardless of locations. Social, economical, cultural or pragmatic aspectsRead MoreToday s Society Function With Outsiders999 Words   |  4 Pagesteaches us life experiences. The real world never conforms to our wants. In school, everyone comes from different backgrounds, with different back stories and experiences. The only thing we all have in common is that we live in the same community. It is reflected in us, in the school. Just like in our community, public school shows diversity. Depending on where each student grew up, their actions and their attitudes towards school will vary. This also gives an insight to the real world, where diversity

4 Reasons Chinese Companies Ipo in America free essay sample

Reasons Chinese Companies IPO in America Why do so many good Chinese companies go public in foreign markets rather than let domestic investors share in the profits of growth? Chinese investors often complain about why would â€Å"good companies†, like Tencent (0700. HK), Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) and Sina (NASDAQ: SINA), choose to list in the US and Hong Kong instead of on the Chinese A-shares market. There are four main reasons: 1. If a ‘Chinese’ company takes foreign investment using a VIE structure, it can only list abroad 2. Many companies don’t meet the strict financial standards for a Chinese listing 3. China’s listing process takes a long period of time and not very transparent, a torturous examination compared with America’s speedy registration 4. China’s regulatory agencies perpetually overregulate, rather than letting the market decide 1) If a ‘Chinese’ company takes foreign investment using a VIE structure, it can only list abroad The core reason is simple. These companies aren’t at all eligible to listed on the Chinese A-Shares Market, which restrict the overseas-funded enterprises severely. To receive foreign investment, a great number of Chinese companies set up a corporate structure called the  VIE or Sina structure, because some industries such as internet info amp; services and financial services are restricted or even prohibited in foreign-funded investment. This structure is especially common for technology companies that raise financing early and often, frequently from foreign investors. State-owned enterprises aside, most ‘Chinese’ companies in the US are not legally Chinese at all. They’re Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, etc. ompanies that control Chinese entities. Chinese regulators have raised the idea of allowing foreign companies to list on the A-Shares Market, but at present that’s still speculative. A worry for foreign investors is that the entire VIE structure, which largely serves to circumvent Chinese laws barring foreign ownership, has been  called into question  by Chinese regulators  in recent months. 2) Ma ny companies don’t meet the strict financial standards for a Chinese listing In August 2005, when Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) listed in US, Chinese asked this very question. Let us review. Baidu didn’t reach profitability until 2003. When it went public, it had been profitable for just 2 years. The company’s profit was only $300,000 (2. 4 million RMB) in the quarter prior to its IPO. This is far from the minimum IPO criteria for the Chinese Small and Medium Cap A-Shares Market, where â€Å"net profit in the recent 3 fiscal years must be positive and the sum exceeds 30 million RMB; aggregate cash flow from operational activities in the recent 3 fiscal years exceeds 50 million RMB, or aggregate operating revenue in the recent 3 fiscal years exceeds 300 million RMB. Baidu didn’t even live up to the standards for listing on the Chinese Growth Enterprise Market: â€Å"Profitable for the previous 2 years, with aggregate net profits of not less than 10 million RMB and consistent growth† or â€Å"profitable in the previous year, with net profits of no less than 5 million RMB, revenues of no less than 50 million RMB, and a growth rate of revenues n o less than 30% over the last two years. † Nor may capital be less than 20 million in the year prior to the IPO. )  China’s listing process takes a long period of time and not very transparent, a  torturous  examination compared with America’s speedy registration Going public is like going through a round of torture. In the prolonged process of waiting for review, they have not only to be upset by countless uncertainties, but also incur high costs off the balance sheet. 4)  China’s regulatory agencies perpetually overregulate, rather than letting the market decide Chinese regulatory agencies are actually most concerned about investors. They fear that investors will buy low-quality stocks and they therefore spare no efforts to set up strict review processes for IPOs. They are also concerned about investors losing money in the secondary market and therefore set up â€Å"protection measures† like downward limits and upward limits and make adjustments to the â€Å"IPO rhythm† to stabilize the secondary market. But these ‘good intentions’ only end up leading everybody astray from the original  market intention. The quality of companies listed on the A-Shares Market is far from satisfactory, while most of the companies with the best growth potential and highest returns to investors list abroad. Moreover, the A-Shares Market remains one of the capital markets with the largest fluctuations in the world! The conclusion should be fairly simple: regulatory agencies should not and cannot be held responsible for a company’s quality through an IPO review. The operational risk of a company does not move in lock step with static indicators like financial data. Regulatory agencies should not and cannot be responsible for the luctuations in the secondary market. Fluctuations of the market can never be contained by up or downward limits, nor can the regulator effectively set the â€Å"IPO rhythm. † Chinese companies will continue to list abroad, despite sky-high A-Share Market valuations To be fair, under the elaborate care of regulatory agencies, A-Shares do have their own magic, that is, a super financing power. Especially in the fiery Growth Enterprise Market over the last year, PE ratios frequently shoot up to 100x. Every single listed company has been overjoyed to get more funds than planned. With such â€Å"stupid wealthy people† circumstances, will companies still want to list in foreign markets? I believe so. Again, there are many companies that will never meet the standards of the A-Shares Market. For growth companies that really desperately need funds, even the listing threshold of the Growth Companies that list abroad don’t have to worry that investors will criticize them for a broad definition of â€Å"misappropriation. † For them, going public is not just a one-time IPO sale, but also a sustainable financing platform. In Conclusion To sum up, the pre-IPO review and post-IPO trading have made A-Shares Market a different ecosystem from foreign markets. It is hard to say which is better. But companies themselves have preferences. Therefore, I don’t think fewer companies will list in foreign markets despite the high valuations of A-Shares. It’s hard to tell if â€Å"quality Chinese companies† will give A-Share investors a chance to invest. Article by Simon  Fong ( ),  Founder amp; President of Snowball Finance, iChinaStock’s parent company. The original Chinese article was published in the October edition of The Founder.

Students Procrastination Problem

Procrastination is the habit of postponing doing things that needs to be done. It can also be defined as the act of avoiding doing certain things that ought to be done. This is a problem affecting most of my classmates especially when it comes to assignments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Students Procrastination Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More I have observed that most students tend to avoid doing assignments until the last minute and some are not even able to meet the deadline. It is normal to procrastinate (and most people do it) but excessive procrastination often leads to problems. People are left with guilt feelings when they are not able to accomplish a task at the right time. This is not a problem that is only affecting learning institutions; it also affects employees in the work place. It is like an addiction and once you develop it, it becomes very hard to leave. In this paper I will address the problem of excessive procrastination, look at the reasons why students procrastinate and give recommendations. In doing this, I will use books and the internet to gather information about the problem that will help me in making recommendations on solving the problem. I have reviewed different perspectives from different scholars and found that, excessive procrastination causes anxiety because the tasks being avoided must be done. It also results in poor performance because the assignments are done in a hurry when the student does not have ample time to research on the topic. If this problem is not addressed, it can interfere with individual’s school performance as well as their personal success. Burka Lenora (1983) observed that, one reason why students procrastinate is perfectionism. This is a situation where a student feels that, his/her standard of performance for a particular task is too high that it seems impossible to accomplish it. Other students fear to fail and lack confidence in accomplishing some tasks. They lack self confidence and believe that, they cannot be able to complete a given task successfully. I have seen some students who get confused either before starting a task or along the way. They are not sure of what is required and how to go about it. Some tasks are generally difficult for a given group of students and no matter how hard a student works to complete it, he lack the skills needed. Majority of the students in my class lack motivation in various subjects because they consider them too boring or difficult. This makes them lack interest in accomplishing a task in the respective field. Other reasons are poor concentration, unpleasantness, and lack of priorities.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One way to help such students is to involve them in cooperative learning. According to Orlich (a credited author in New York), et al (2 009), Cooperative learning is a teaching approach where students study in groups or small teams made up of students with different levels of propensity. They use different learning activities in order to proceed with their understanding of a precise subject. Each member is responsible for helping team members to learn as he/she learns from the others. Team members normally work on specific assignment until they are satisfied that all members are acquainted with it and are able to complete it. The aim of cooperative learning is to help students gain from others; it helps students to realize that they share a common interest with others. From research, it is clear that, cooperative learning not only boosts student retention in schools; it also supports their academic achievement. It helps students to get better on their oral communication, promotes their self-esteem, and social skills (Vorse 2010). I will encourage my classmates to form cooperative learning teams so that we are all ab le to accomplish our tasks. Excessive procrastination can be controlled through self motivation where a student understands that, there is no one who is perfect and time wasted is never recovered. Tasks should be prioritized in order of urgency and importance and once a task is started, it is always good for one to commit him/her self in its completion (Burka 1983). Rewards are some of the ways that can boost self confidence and motivation. Once a task have been completed successfully, one should reward her/him self for the success. We all have different learning habits; some are able to perform well at the wee hours in the morning while others prefer to work late at night. To avoid procrastination, an individual should work on tasks at the most convenient time. If the task is big, it should be broken down into small tasks that are easy to manage and to complete. Instead of failing to complete a task because it seems hard, it is advisable to seek guidance from the teachers or other classmates. Every student should have a working schedule, set standards, and should work in areas that have little or no interference. The most important thing is to be proactive and to think positively. Once a person has started working on a task, he realizes that it becomes interesting and easy than he initially thought. This gives him the motivation to complete the task and feels satisfied once it is accomplished.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Students Procrastination Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Burka, J. B. Lenora, M. Y (1983). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about it. London: Wesley Publication Co. Orlich, D. C., et al (2009). Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Effective Instruction. New York: Cengage Learning. Vorse, H. M. (2010). Procrastination. Retrieved from https://www.unc.edu/ This essay on Students Procrastination Problem was written and submitted by user L1v1a to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Nightmares

Nightmares Dreams have been studied for a long time now. People have been having dreams for century‘s. People have wondered if dreams have any significant value in are life. If the dreams we have mean anything and why we have them is another question people have. Dreams play a bigger role and mean more in our life then people may think. Nightmares are a common type of dreams people have. Before one can fully understand why people have nightmares they must first know why people dream. Dreams occur during a type of sleep called Rapid Eye Movement â€Å"REM†. While in this type of sleep the eye’s move rapidly under the eye lids, and the large muscles in the body are relaxed. We experience REM almost every one and a half hour three to four times during our sleep phase. The last REM we experience can last up to almost and hour (Common Questions about Dreams). The brain has two parts a conscious and sub-conscious. The conscious part works while we are awake. Sub-conscious is always alert and keeps on working even when we are asleep. A large number of thoughts appear in our conscious mind. The thoughts come and then they go. They go to are sub-conscious part of the brain which disputes them in its own unique way. It then reappears in our dreams (Dreams). Dreams are more then random fragments that appear in are daily life. Understanding the dreams that one may have can help people understand themselves and the way they see the world. Dreams help people deal with problems in their life. Dreams also can help people figure out problems that they may not realize that they have (Dreams are Slippery Things). People have been fascinated by the secret of why people dream. It has been long understood that dreams deal with emotion. However, not all dreams come from emotion but instead emotional arousal unexpressed while awake (Elloitt and Tyrrell). â€Å" So, for example, if you have a screaming row with your partner you are unlikely to drea... Free Essays on Nightmares Free Essays on Nightmares Nightmares Dreams have been studied for a long time now. People have been having dreams for century‘s. People have wondered if dreams have any significant value in are life. If the dreams we have mean anything and why we have them is another question people have. Dreams play a bigger role and mean more in our life then people may think. Nightmares are a common type of dreams people have. Before one can fully understand why people have nightmares they must first know why people dream. Dreams occur during a type of sleep called Rapid Eye Movement â€Å"REM†. While in this type of sleep the eye’s move rapidly under the eye lids, and the large muscles in the body are relaxed. We experience REM almost every one and a half hour three to four times during our sleep phase. The last REM we experience can last up to almost and hour (Common Questions about Dreams). The brain has two parts a conscious and sub-conscious. The conscious part works while we are awake. Sub-conscious is always alert and keeps on working even when we are asleep. A large number of thoughts appear in our conscious mind. The thoughts come and then they go. They go to are sub-conscious part of the brain which disputes them in its own unique way. It then reappears in our dreams (Dreams). Dreams are more then random fragments that appear in are daily life. Understanding the dreams that one may have can help people understand themselves and the way they see the world. Dreams help people deal with problems in their life. Dreams also can help people figure out problems that they may not realize that they have (Dreams are Slippery Things). People have been fascinated by the secret of why people dream. It has been long understood that dreams deal with emotion. However, not all dreams come from emotion but instead emotional arousal unexpressed while awake (Elloitt and Tyrrell). â€Å" So, for example, if you have a screaming row with your partner you are unlikely to drea...

How to Build Your Reputation at Work

How to Build Your Reputation at Work Having a good reputation at work is not only important to get along well with your colleagues, a less than pleasant reputation can follow you to future jobs and hold you back. If you’ve been too gossipy, difficult, testy or unreliable with your coworkers, it isn’t too late to change their perception of you by doing a little damage control. A few tips can get you started on the way to becoming an employee with a good reputation and these tips work for all types of jobs, whether in a health care job, at a desk or outdoors in construction. Keep DeadlinesYour reputation can be injured if you are one of those people who promises faithfully to have your work finished on time but can’t seem to hit that deadline. While you might be the nicest person in the office, bringing in homemade brownies and remembering everyone’s birthday with a card, that won’t count for much if you don’t get your work done on time. Make a serious effort to get your work in o n time, and your reputation as a reliable employee will increase.Make Your Office the No Whining ZoneEvery business environment has an employee who complains and is negative all the time. Instead of complaining and rehashing a complaint to everyone at work, if you have an objection to some issue or way of doing something, just say it and move on. When you do have an objection to something, try and say it tactfully and perhaps offer a suggestion that might be an improvement.Stay Away From GossipAll workplaces seem to have a gossip, and gossiping and spreading tales is a good way to get a damaged reputation. Ignore the office negativity and never spread rumors because it might come back to you in a bad way. If you feel the need to talk to someone, make it a friend outside the office environment. Gossiping at work can create hard feelings among other employees and cause you to lose their trust.Learn to Prioritize and Be PreparedEveryone in a business setting knows at least one individu al who doesn’t carry his or her load and is unprepared. This is a big way you can damage your reputation. It can make you look uninterested, lazy or flighty, even though you have the best of intentions. Use a calendar or planner to organize your work, include notations, deadlines and other information that can help you get the job done. Don’t take on more work than you know you can do. While you might want to be perceived as a super worker in the office, that can backfire if you can’t get the work done on time. Spend a little time to prepare for meetings in advance. Showing up at a meeting appearing as though you are the only one who doesn’t know what is going on can not only be embarrassing, but it can make others wonder why you are there.Offer an ApologyIf you do something wrong or offend someone at work, apologize for it. A sincere apology can do a lot to raise yourself in the eyes of others. If you are late getting your work done or were in a hurry an d brusque with someone, an apology can go a long way toward making amends.How Long It Takes to Change a ReputationThe amount of time it takes to raise a reputation can depend on what the offenses were and how long your reputation has been suffering. Just remember that once you begin to change that pattern, the faster you will reach your goal. People tend to be forgiving, especially when they see that someone is trying to improve themselves.Building a good reputation is important in any work environment because it makes the job more pleasurable. In addition, it may affect your future employment if you decide to check out the classified job ads to move up or just because you want a change. TheJobNetwork can help you by searching job ads for you and sending alerts to your email when those jobs come on the market. All you do is fill out a form with your qualifications and job preferences to start the search. Sign up with TheJobNetwork now to get started.

Heteronormativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Heteronormativity - Essay Example Despite the increased visibility of gay men and lesbian women, there remains no definition of family in the public consciousness that refers to same-sex couples with children. In fact, in the not too distant past, the notions of lesbian mothers/homosexual fathers or lesbian/homosexual families would have been nonexistent. This culture of heteronormativity (Gamson, 2000) dictates that a viable family consist of a heterosexual mother and a father raising children together. Heterosexuality and heterosexual forms of relating are the norm.1 All other forms of relational experience are thus viewed in contrast. For example, the descriptive term "couples" means heterosexual couples, then, there are gay and lesbian couples. Families are nuclear and headed by two heterosexual parents, then, there are gay and lesbian families. Similarly, "woman" means a heterosexual woman, then, there is the lesbian. Heteronormativity supports the dominant norm of heterosexuality by marginalizing any relational structure that defies it.2 A review of the family therapy literature bears this out; until recently the concept of the gay/lesbian family has been virtually unheard of in the family therapy field. This fact was confirmed by two research studies. Allen and Demo3 and Clark and Serovich found that the marriage and family therapy fields generally ignored gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues. For example, Clark and Serovich surveyed 17 journals published from 1975 to 1995. Of the 13,217 articles published, only 77, or 0.006% focused on gay/lesbian issues, used a gay/lesbian sample, or included sexual orientation as a variable.4 Goodrich (2003) cited the availability of only two early texts on working with lesbian couples in family therapy as an indication of the intense homophobia in the field from the 1960s to the 1990s.5 Proceeding from the above stated, heteronormativity has determined that unless the word gay is attached, marriage implies heterosexual marriage. Heterosexuality is the norm. Indeed, as Warner (1993) pointed out, "humanity and heterosexuality are synonymous."6 This notion of heterosexuality goes far beyond the institutions that marginalize and punish any relationship viewed as other. In this vein, heterosexuality is, of itself, a social and political organizing principle.7 Intrinsically linked to the structures of male dominance, heterosexuality can be viewed as a dictatorial patriarchal institution.8 Rich described this culture of compulsory heterosexuality as a powerful cluster of forces within which women have been convinced of the inevitability of both marriage and sexual orientation toward men. Thus, there have been very few attempts to explain how an individual develops a heterosexual orientation.9 Research into the development of heterosexuality is limited by the belief that it is natural and when it focuses upon homosexuality, persistently views it as deviant. Thus, implicit in discussions about sexual orientation is the notion that heterosexuality is both normal and mentally healthy, and that non-heterosexuals are abnormal and psychologically disabled.10 In direct relation to the homosexual/heterosexual categories, Rothblum (2000) pointed out that in a categorical definition of sexual orientation behavior, desire, and identity are assumed to be congruent.11 This is disputed by research.

Strategizing optimum location Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategizing optimum location - Essay Example The first two will strategize manufacturing concerns of the abattoir, whereas the last one is a service roadmap. Analysis and theoretical briefing: The standard design of an abattoir goes somewhat like this: a 60 m2 by 30 m2 rectangular Plan consisting mainly of 1)Production module (Pi): P1 slaughter floor, P2 lairage (store area for animals prior to slaughter), P3 chiller, P4 tripe room, P5 meat cutting and processing. 2)Service module (Si): S1 water supply, S2 effluent disposal, S3 solid waste and blood disposal, S4 hide and skin processing, S5 electric light and power. For our case study, we restrict our discussions on a simplistic level only. Let us examine how standard Operation procedures apply in this case. Using linear programming, we need to mainly determine the quantity and variety (e.g. cattle, pigs, sheep and goat, etc.) of slaughter needed/day based on market demand; in this example the "objective function" is market revenue (Ri) out of beef (x1) and pork (x2), and the constraints are space requirements, and market "demand".

Crimes Essay Example for Free

Crimes Essay Aside from the identified purpose of the Uniform Crime Report (UCR), it is formulated in such a way that it classifies the types of crimes under two categories: Part I and Part II. The facts and data of the UCR under Part I is more extensive in terms of the scope of the information in the report when compared to Part II. The facts and data in Part I include other necessary information such as profile of the criminal. In Part II, the rate of arrests for specific crimes are only present in the UCR. Part I crimes are closely monitored by law enforcement because crimes categorized under Part I are violent crimes and crimes against property. Categorizing crimes under two parts, I and II, determines the gravity or the impact of crimes to the public. Part I crimes are more grave, considering that crimes under Part I include rape, robbery, burglary, larceny, arson, etc. These are potentially serious crimes that law enforcement should prioritize in order to uphold peace and order to society. Part II offenses are less serious including crimes such as vandalism, fraud, drug abuse violations, etc. In some instances, law enforcement implements measures that seem to increase the statistics of crime occurrences. However, when we look deeper into the matter, we realize that the increase in crime statistics contribute to the improvement of society. In such instances, positive results from increased crime statistics are observable in Part II crimes. Increasing crime statistics catch the attention of the public, alarming them to be vigilant about their surroundings in order to prevent criminal offenses from taking place. For instance, reports reveal to the public that there is an increase in the number of reported stolen property crimes in the community. This raises the awareness of the people, and since it is a non-violent crime, they are willing to get involved with crime prevention. People decide to engage in neighborhood watch, community policing, and other law enforcement activities that will assist official law enforcement agencies in preventing crime, affording them enough time and manpower to focus on grave crimes categorized under Part I. Offenses such as prostitution and drug abuse violations motivate people in the community to get involved with discovering or reporting violators to law enforcement agencies. Another advantage of reporting increase in crime rates is to empower people to get involved with crime prevention. Offenses against family and children, for instance, have increased. Law enforcement will interpret the statistic in such a way that it expresses the increase in the number of people who reported criminal offenses, and further continue that the increase in the number of people who report criminal violations to the police helps law enforcement in crime prevention. The police might convince the people to report criminal violations because it is one way for law enforcement agencies to know criminal trends and analyze these trends to come up with plans and resolutions to prevent crime.

Mass Communication :: Communication Essay

Mass communication, by definition, is the process in which professional communication using technological devises share messages over great distances to influence large audiences. The technology of modern mass communication results from the confluence of many types of inventions and discoveries, some of which ( the printing press, for instance) actually preceded the Industrial Revolution. Technological ingenuity of the 19th and 20th centuries has developed the newer means of mass communication, particularly broadcasting, without which the present near- global diffusion of printed words, pictures, and sounds would have been impossible. The steam printing press, radio, motion pictures, television, and sound recordings- as well as systems of mass production and distribution- were necessary before public communication, in its present form, might occur. What I would like to discuss now is the actual process of mass communication and how it works. In mass communication, a professional communicator is the source, someone who shares information, ideas, or attitudes with someone else. The source may be an author, a newspaper reporter, a television reporter, or an announcer. The technological devices are the channels, or the means by which the message was sent. An example of this would be that radio and television messages are transmitted via cable and satellite systems. The message is whatever the source attempts to share with another person. In mass communication, the large audience comprises the receivers, the people who are the attended recipients of the message. Occasionally a receiver of the message will sent feedback to the source, that is, a response that allows the source to determine if the message was correctly understood. In mass communication feedback can be conveyed through a letter to the editor, for instance, or a telephone call to a television station. There are several reasons why it is important to understand the process off mass communication. Probably the most important is that by understanding the process of mass communication we will learn to think critically about the messages the media send us. We will become more thoughtful media consumers.

Explain and assess Haidt’s ‘moral foundations’ theory

Introduction This essay will explain and assess Moral Foundations Theory (MFT), which was originally developed by Haidt, and which he has since worked on with a number of collaborators. The first part of this essay will outline the philosophical background of the theory, especially its relationship to Continental rationalism and British empiricism. This will be followed by an explanation and description of Haidt’s Social Intuitionist Model (SIM), which provides the essential mechanism by which MFT functions. Next will come an unpacking and explanation of the general claims of MFT, and the specific foundations it postulates. Finally, there will be an assessment of some of the various critiques of the theory, during which its strengths and weaknesses will be considered. It will be concluded that MFT is a strong theory on the whole, which builds on firm philosophical and scientific foundations and provides good descriptive representation of moral systems. MFT rejects the rationalist notion th at morality can be accessed by a priori reason. Put simply, there are four main justifications for this: (1) there are two cognitive processes that occur in humans – reasoning and intuition – the former of which has been overemphasized; (2) reasoning is frequently motivated by other concerns; (3) the reasoning process tends to construct post hoc justifications, even though we experience the illusion of objective reasoning; and (4) moral action covaries with moral emotion more frequently than with moral reasoning. This is the heritage of Continental philosophy, whose champions were figures such as Descartes and Kant. The philosophical forerunners to MFT were the British empiricist philosophers, especially Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Hume, and Smith. These men believed, to quote Hume, ‘that Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.’ In philosophy, this position now falls with in the school of intuitionism. This ‘refers to the view that there are moral truths and that when people grasp these truths they do so not by a process of ratiocination and reflection but rather by a process more akin to perception.’ The social element comes in because intuition occurs in relation to other people. As Haidt puts it, ‘when faced with a social demand for a verbal justification, one becomes a lawyer trying to build a case rather than a judge searching for the truth’. Based on this intellectual heritage, Haidt developed the ‘Social Intuitionist Model’ (SIM). It is important to explain this properly because the ‘SIM is the prequel to MFT’, and provides the mechanism by which the latter works. There are a series of links in the SIM that explain how people relate to moral problems. The first is the intuitive judgement link. ‘The model proposes that moral judgments appear in consciousness automatically and effortlessl y as the result of moral intuitions’. The second is post hoc reasoning. This entails moral reasoning (rather than judgement), which is an ‘effortful’ process in which individuals search for support for an existing, intuitive moral judgement. Research has revealed that ‘everyday reasoning is heavily marred by the biased search only for reasons that support one’s already-stated hypothesis.’ The third is the reasoned persuasion link. This is the process by which the individual verbalises their reasoning in an attempt to persuade others of the validity of their already-made position. This reasoning can sometimes affect the views of others, but this rarely happens because moral judgements are not based on logical arguments but on intuition. It has been hypothesised that persuasion, when it occurs, is effective because it elicits new intuitive judgements in the listener. The importance of using affective persuasion to change affectively based attitu des has been demonstrated by Edwards and von Hippel. The fourth is the social persuasion link. Due to the fact that people are so receptive to the development of group norms, ‘the mere fact that friends, allies, and acquaintances have made a moral judgment exerts a direct influence on others, even if no reasoned persuasion is used’. This may indicate only outward conformity on occasion, but researchers have shown that private judgements can often be directly influenced by the views of others. There are two additional links that are hypothesised. One is the ‘reasoned judgment link’ by which people may at times reason their way to a judgment by sheer force of logic, overriding their initial intuition’. This tends to occur, however, when the ‘initial intuition is weak and processing capacity is high’. In other cases, it frequently leads to a kind of dualist way of thinking, where reasoned judgment is revealed verbally but the intuition cont inues to operate. Interestingly, on this point MFT diverges from the moral theory of Hume and the argument from pure intuition. If this link does exists, there is no explanation of how one can reason their way to a set of premises or axioms that can be used to support logic argument – unless, of course, they reason in a circle. The other link is the ‘private reflection link’, through which moral reasoning can have an indirect causal effect on moral judgement by triggering a new intuition. This is said to be why role-taking is so effective in creating new moral judgments. As Haidt puts it, ‘Simply by putting oneself into the shoes of another person, one may instantly feel pain, sympathy, or other vicarious emotional responses.’ MFT makes several broad claims, which will be presented here in no particular order. Firstly, it rejects the assumption of monism that all moral systems are ultimately reducible to a single goal or principle, most commonly gene ralised as forms of ‘justice’, ‘pleasure’ or ‘happiness’. Instead, it is pluralist and contends that there are numerous (but finite) basic values or virtues. As Isaiah Berlin put it, ‘there is a plurality of ideals, as there is a plurality of cultures and of temperaments.’ This is derived from the fact that it is heavily influenced by evolutionary biology, especially the concepts of kin selection and reciprocal altruism. It also builds on more recent work by de Waal (1996), Ridley (1996), among others. As there are a multitude of adaptive challenges faced by human beings, it seems likely that there are also many different mental tools fitted for a variety of purposes. The second claim is intuitionism, which has already been discussed at some length. To reiterate briefly, it is the assertion that ‘moral judgments, like other evaluative judgments, tend to happen quickly’, without any considerable regard for reasoning or drawn out evaluation. This aspect is encapsulated by Haidt’s (2001) SIM. Moral reasoning (as opposed to moral judgment) is generally utilised for strategic purposes in order to ‘to explain, defend and justify our intuitive moral reactions to others’. The third claim is nativism, which is the belief that there is a set of innate predispositions within human beings (‘innate’ in this case means ‘organized in advance of experience’). These are determined by genetic inheritance, but the ‘first draft’ of moral development is malleable and is changed during childhood and to an extent even during adulthood. Graham et al. employ the metaphor of writing a book, distinguishing between nature’s ‘first draft’ and the ‘editing process’ that begins with experience. Morality, therefore, ‘is innate and highly dependent on environmental influences’. The belief that nature has installed a kind of à ¢â‚¬Ëœpreparedness’ in certain species, one of which is humans, is suggested by studies of rhesus monkeys conducted by Mineka and Cook (1988). Graham et al. (2012) ‘think of this innate organization as being implemented by sets of related modules which work together to guide and constrain responses to each particular problem.’ The final claim is that morality is influenced by cultural learning. This takes places through a set of ‘learning modules’, which are innate and can be used to build on one’s genetic inheritance. For example, the tendency to bow in deference or respect is common to many cultures, but this is adapted to locally-specific cultural contexts and by ‘the time a Hindu girl reaches adulthood, she will have developed culturally-specific knowledge that makes her automatically initiate bowing movements when she encounters, say, a respected politician for the first time.’ In an American household, however, this foundati on might be dropped early on. Despite both girls starting off with the ‘same sets of universal learning modules†¦.the universal (and incomplete) first draft of the moral mind gets filled in and revised so that the child can successfully navigate the moral â€Å"matrix† he or she actually experiences.’ Different societies use different foundations to build their moralities, and some use all of them. MFT, therefore, is an intuitionist theory contending that human moral systems are the combination of innate predispositions and cultural learning. Additionally, judgements are made rapidly on the basis of a plurality of in-built mechanisms, which have been ‘hardwired’ into humans over the course of our species’ evolution. The rest of this essay will present, explain, and assess, in no particular order, the specific foundations postulated by MFT. There are supposedly five or six empirically supported ‘foundations’ for moral judgemen ts, but MFT allows for others being discovered in the future. The first is the care/harm foundation. Human offspring ‘are unusually dependent, and for an unusually long time’ and the intuitive reactions of females have been ‘optimized to detect signs of suffering, distress, or neediness’ for the purpose of raising more offspring. ‘The original triggers of the Care/harm foundation are ‘visual and auditory signs of suffering, distress, or neediness expressed by one’s own child’, but they can be activated by other children, baby animals, stuffed toys with childlike qualities, or descriptions of suffering. This foundation leads to the creation of terms such as ‘kind’ and ‘cruel’, which are valued differently by different cultures (e.g., classical Sparta vs. Buddhist societies). The second is the fairness/cheating foundation. Social animals face non-zero-sum games in which it is advantageous to cooperate. Creat ures ‘whose minds are organized in advance of experience to be highly sensitive to evidence of cheating and cooperation, and to react with emotions that compel them to play â€Å"tit for tat†, had an advantage over those who had to figure out their next move using their general intelligence.’ Social partners with reputations for certain types of behaviour are therefore labelled with words such as ‘fair’, ‘just’, and ‘trustworthy’. The third is the loyalty/betrayal foundation. It was advantageous for our ancestors to form cohesive groups when competing for territory and resources. This same behaviour can be seen in troops of chimpanzees. So humans have developed an innate predisposition to form groups. This manifests today in numerous areas, from nationalism to sports and brand loyalty. The fourth is the authority/subversion foundation. Dominance hierarchies are common among many primates, and the ability to recognise and rea ct by forming strategic relationships yielded an evolutionary advantage. Modules of the human mind in this foundation explain why we submit to many useful but constraining societal structures, such as the police force and political leaders. The varied development of this foundation explains why different societies (modern-day China vs. America) or groups (social conservatives vs. liberals) value authority in different ways. The fifth is the sanctity/degradation foundation. Human evolution carried adaptive challenges, such as moving from tree-based to ground-based living, living in larger, denser groups, and eating more meat, some of which was scavenged. This exposed us to a greater number of pathogens and parasites, and we therefore developed a pre-emptory, in-built sensitivity to factors other than the ‘sensory properties of potential foods, friends, and mates.’ ‘Disgust and the behavioral immune system have come to undergird a variety of moral reactions, e.g., t o immigrants and sexual deviants’ There are numerous criticisms of MFT, most of which are directed at one of the four main claims undergirding it: nativism, plurality, cultural learning, and intuitionism. One problem with nativism, for example, is that it is difficult to determine the extent to which the mind is ‘hardwired’. As Graham et al., put it: ‘opinions range widely from minimalist positions, which say that there is hardly any writing on the â€Å"first draft† of the mind, to maximalist positions such as massive modularity’ Indeed, the ambiguity here has led some to criticise MFT, and nativism in general, on the grounds that it lacks empirical neuroscientific evidence for the existence of modules. However, this is not reasonable at present. Given that the field is yet to ‘find a set of genes that, collectively, explains 5% of the variance in how tall people are what chance is there that anyone will find a set of genes that code fo r mental modules (such as loyalty or sanctity) whose expression is far more subject to cultural influence than is height?’ There is also considerable criticism of the emphasis MFT places on intuitionism. For example, some argue ‘that that intuition and reasoning are best seen as partners in a dance, in which either partner can lead and the other will follow.’ However, whatever the prominent role of reason, this seems misleading at the very least. As has been referenced already in this essay, and as Hume showed in his Treatise, it is not clear how reason can establish the first principles from which logical argument follows. Moral axioms cannot be given a logical foundation, and to the extent that they exist in nature and are ‘hardwired’, they cannot be expressed. Therefore, they are beyond realm of reason by their very nature. To say that reasoning can lead when it is necessarily guided by intuitive first principles is therefore unsupportable. Intere sting critiques come from the monists, who disagree with the pluralism hypothesis. Gray et al. believe that the care/harm foundation is the only one that is truly foundational. Graham et al. (2012) call this Procrustean, citing the fact that certain moral judgements, such as disgust, appear not to be accounted for by the care/harm foundation. Their confidence in this matter, however, is arguably misplaced. Disgust over, say, a dirty environment could be seen as a cause of harm. Perhaps those creatures with a predisposition to avoid unclean environments encountered fewer pathogens, for example, or were at less risk of being exposed to small but dangerous creatures such as spiders and snakes. Clearly, emotions, such as disgust, can potentially be explained by the care/harm foundation. The difficulty here arises in attempting to make bold comment about the way our ancestors perceived the links between various phenomena and their effects. While it is possible to argue that matters of di sgust have little to do with harm, perhaps there is link that has not yet been discovered. Some critics suggest that there should also be an oppression/liberty foundation. This is the potential sixth foundation being worked on by Haidt. Others point to the fact that MFT might be missing a waste/inefficiency foundation. These critiques focus on the particular pluralisms chosen for MFT. This is really a matter of fine-tuning, rather than any fundamental. This essay has sought to explain and assess Haidt’s MTF. It has emerged that its central claims are extremely well-founded. The SIM has strong roots that date back to the empirical tradition in Britain and which still have not been successfully overturned. With the developments in psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology, both intuitionism and nativism rest on firm foundations. There are philosophical and other objections that can be targeted at the pluralism element of MFT. This is not to say that it is incorrect but rather that the confidence with which the claim is made is not justified. This essay has not sought to address deontological critiques of the MFT. There are those who would argue that MFT is asking the wrong questions, namely what morality is rather than what it should be. However, given that this problem was so adequately dealt with by Hume in his Treatise, it seems appropriate that scholars building on his legacy should develop a descriptive moral theory instead. Bibliography Berlin, Isaiah, ‘My intellectual path’ in H. Hardy (ed.), The Power of Ideas 1-23, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001 Bruner, Jerome, The process of education, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1960 Davis, Jody L.., & Rusbult, Caryl, E. ‘Attitude alignment in close relationships’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81 (2001), pp. 65-84 Edwards, Kari., & von Hippel, William, ‘Hearts and minds: The priority of affective versus cognitive factors in person perception’, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21 (1995), pp. 996-1011. Graham, Jesse, Haidt, Jonathan, Koleva, Sena., Motyl, Matt., Iyer, Ravi, Wojcik, Sean P. and Ditto, Peter. H, ‘Moral Foundations Theory: The Pragmatic Validity of Moral Pluralism’, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (2012) Gray, Kurt, Young, Liana, and Waytz, Adam, ‘Mind perception is the essence of morality’, Psychological Inquiry, 23, (2012), pp. 101-124 Greenwald, Anthony. G., and Banaji, Mahzarin. R, ‘Implicit social cognition’, Psychological Review, 102, (1995), pp. 4-27 Haidt, Jonathan, The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. New York: Pantheon, 2012 Haidt, Jonathan, ‘The Emotional Dog and Its Rational Tail: A Social Intuitionist Approach to Moral Judgment’, Psychological Review, Vol. 108. No. 4 (2001), pp. 814-834 Joyce, Richard, The Evolution of Morality, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2005 Mineka, Susan, & Cook, M., ‘Social learning and the acquisition of snake fear in monkeys’, in Thomas. R. Zentall & John. B. G. Galef (Eds.), Social learning: Psychological and biological perspectives (pp. 51-74). Hillsdale, N. J.: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1988 Narvaez, Darcia, ‘Moral complexity: The fatal attraction of truthiness and the importance of mature moral functioning’, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5 (2010), pp. 163-181 Perkins, David. N., Farady, Mike., & Bushey, B., ‘Everyday reasoning and the roots of intelligence’ in Voss, James F., Perkins, David N., and J. W. Segal (Eds.), Informal reasoning and education (pp. 83-105). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1991 Skitka, Linda J. ‘The psychological foundations of moral conviction†, in Wright, Jennifer and Sarkissian Ryan H (eds) Advances in Moral Psychology (pp.267-281), Bloomsbury Academic Press, 2010 [Accessed 09/03/2014] http://tigger.uic.edu/~lskitka/Foundations.pdf Suhler, Christopher. L., & Churchland, Patricia, ‘Can innate, modular â€Å"foundations† explain moralityChallenges for Haidt’s moral foundations theory’, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(9) (2011), pp. 2103-2116 Williams, Bernard, ‘Rationalism’ in P. Edwards (Ed.) The encyclopedia of philosophy (Vols. 7-8, pp. 69-75) New York: Macmillan, 1967

Angels Demons Chapter 89-92

89 War had broken out in St. Peter's Square. The piazza had exploded into a frenzy of aggression. Media trucks skidded into place like assault vehicles claiming beachheads. Reporters unfurled high-tech electronics like soldiers arming for battle. All around the perimeter of the square, networks jockeyed for position as they raced to erect the newest weapon in media wars – flat-screen displays. Flat-screen displays were enormous video screens that could be assembled on top of trucks or portable scaffolding. The screens served as a kind of billboard advertisement for the network, broadcasting that network's coverage and corporate logo like a drive-in movie. If a screen were well-situated – in front of the action, for example – a competing network could not shoot the story without including an advertisement for their competitor. The square was quickly becoming not only a multimedia extravaganza, but a frenzied public vigil. Onlookers poured in from all directions. Open space in the usually limitless square was fast becoming a valuable commodity. People clustered around the towering flat-screen displays, listening to live reports in stunned excitement. Only a hundred yards away, inside the thick walls of St. Peter's Basilica, the world was serene. Lieutenant Chartrand and three other guards moved through the darkness. Wearing their infrared goggles, they fanned out across the nave, swinging their detectors before them. The search of Vatican City's public access areas so far had yielded nothing. â€Å"Better remove your goggles up here,† the senior guard said. Chartrand was already doing it. They were nearing the Niche of the Palliums – the sunken area in the center of the basilica. It was lit by ninety-nine oil lamps, and the amplified infrared would have seared their eyes. Chartrand enjoyed being out of the heavy goggles, and he stretched his neck as they descended into the sunken niche to scan the area. The room was beautiful†¦ golden and glowing. He had not been down here yet. It seemed every day since Chartrand had arrived in Vatican City he had learned some new Vatican mystery. These oil lamps were one of them. There were exactly ninety-nine lamps burning at all times. It was tradition. The clergy vigilantly refilled the lamps with sacred oils such that no lamp ever burned out. It was said they would burn until the end of time. Or at least until midnight, Chartrand thought, feeling his mouth go dry again. Chartrand swung his detector over the oil lamps. Nothing hidden in here. He was not surprised; the canister, according to the video feed, was hidden in a dark area. As he moved across the niche, he came to a bulkhead grate covering a hole in the floor. The hole led to a steep and narrow stairway that went straight down. He had heard stories about what lay down there. Thankfully, they would not have to descend. Rocher's orders were clear. Search only the public access areas; ignore the white zones. â€Å"What's that smell?† he asked, turning away from the grate. The niche smelled intoxicatingly sweet. â€Å"Fumes from the lamps,† one of them replied. Chartrand was surprised. â€Å"Smells more like cologne than kerosene.† â€Å"It's not kerosene. These lamps are close to the papal altar, so they take a special, ambiental mixture – ethanol, sugar, butane, and perfume.† â€Å"Butane?† Chartrand eyed the lamps uneasily. The guard nodded. â€Å"Don't spill any. Smells like heaven, but burns like hell.† The guards had completed searching the Niche of the Palliums and were moving across the basilica again when their walkie-talkies went off. It was an update. The guards listened in shock. Apparently there were troubling new developments, which could not be shared on-air, but the camerlegno had decided to break tradition and enter conclave to address the cardinals. Never before in history had this been done. Then again, Chartrand realized, never before in history had the Vatican been sitting on what amounted to some sort of neoteric nuclear warhead. Chartrand felt comforted to know the camerlegno was taking control. The camerlegno was the person inside Vatican City for whom Chartrand held the most respect. Some of the guards thought of the camerlegno as a beato – a religious zealot whose love of God bordered on obsession – but even they agreed†¦ when it came to fighting the enemies of God, the camerlegno was the one man who would stand up and play hardball. The Swiss Guards had seen a lot of the camerlegno this week in preparation for conclave, and everyone had commented that the man seemed a bit rough around the edges, his verdant eyes a bit more intense than usual. Not surprisingly, they had all commented; not only was the camerlegno responsible for planning the sacred conclave, but he had to do it immediately on the heels of the loss of his mentor, the Pope. Chartrand had only been at the Vatican a few months when he heard the story of the bomb that blew up the camerlegno's mother before the kid's very eyes. A bomb in church†¦ and now it's happening all over again. Sadly, the authorities never caught the bastards who planted the bomb†¦ probably some anti-Christian hate group they said, and the case faded away. No wonder the camerlegno despised apathy. A couple months back, on a peaceful afternoon inside Vatican City, Chartrand had bumped into the camerlegno coming across the grounds. The camerlegno had apparently recognized Chartrand as a new guard and invited him to accompany him on a stroll. They had talked about nothing in particular, and the camerlegno made Chartrand feel immediately at home. â€Å"Father,† Chartrand said, â€Å"may I ask you a strange question?† The camerlegno smiled. â€Å"Only if I may give you a strange answer.† Chartrand laughed. â€Å"I have asked every priest I know, and I still don't understand.† â€Å"What troubles you?† The camerlegno led the way in short, quick strides, his frock kicking out in front of him as he walked. His black, crepe-sole shoes seemed befitting, Chartrand thought, like reflections of the man's essence†¦ modern but humble, and showing signs of wear. Chartrand took a deep breath. â€Å"I don't understand this omnipotent-benevolent thing.† The camerlegno smiled. â€Å"You've been reading Scripture.† â€Å"I try.† â€Å"You are confused because the Bible describes God as an omnipotent and benevolent deity.† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Omnipotent-benevolent simply means that God is all-powerful and well-meaning.† â€Å"I understand the concept. It's just†¦ there seems to be a contradiction.† â€Å"Yes. The contradiction is pain. Man's starvation, war, sickness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Exactly!† Chartrand knew the camerlegno would understand. â€Å"Terrible things happen in this world. Human tragedy seems like proof that God could not possibly be both all-powerful and well-meaning. If He loves us and has the power to change our situation, He would prevent our pain, wouldn't He?† The camerlegno frowned. â€Å"Would He?† Chartrand felt uneasy. Had he overstepped his bounds? Was this one of those religious questions you just didn't ask? â€Å"Well†¦ if God loves us, and He can protect us, He would have to. It seems He is either omnipotent and uncaring, or benevolent and powerless to help.† â€Å"Do you have children, Lieutenant?† Chartrand flushed. â€Å"No, signore.† â€Å"Imagine you had an eight-year-old son†¦ would you love him?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Would you do everything in your power to prevent pain in his life?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Would you let him skateboard?† Chartrand did a double take. The camerlegno always seemed oddly â€Å"in touch† for a clergyman. â€Å"Yeah, I guess,† Chartrand said. â€Å"Sure, I'd let him skateboard, but I'd tell him to be careful.† â€Å"So as this child's father, you would give him some basic, good advice and then let him go off and make his own mistakes?† â€Å"I wouldn't run behind him and mollycoddle him if that's what you mean.† â€Å"But what if he fell and skinned his knee?† â€Å"He would learn to be more careful.† The camerlegno smiled. â€Å"So although you have the power to interfere and prevent your child's pain, you would choose to show your love by letting him learn his own lessons?† â€Å"Of course. Pain is part of growing up. It's how we learn.† The camerlegno nodded. â€Å"Exactly.† 90 Langdon and Vittoria observed Piazza Barberini from the shadows of a small alleyway on the western corner. The church was opposite them, a hazy cupola emerging from a faint cluster of buildings across the square. The night had brought with it a welcome cool, and Langdon was surprised to find the square deserted. Above them, through open windows, blaring televisions reminded Langdon where everyone had disappeared to. â€Å"†¦ no comment yet from the Vatican†¦ Illuminati murders of two cardinals†¦ satanic presence in Rome†¦ speculation about further infiltration†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The news had spread like Nero's fire. Rome sat riveted, as did the rest of the world. Langdon wondered if they would really be able to stop this runaway train. As he scanned the piazza and waited, Langdon realized that despite the encroachment of modern buildings, the piazza still looked remarkably elliptical. High above, like some sort of modern shrine to a bygone hero, an enormous neon sign blinked on the roof of a luxurious hotel. Vittoria had already pointed it out to Langdon. The sign seemed eerily befitting. HOTEL BERNINI â€Å"Five of ten,† Vittoria said, cat eyes darting around the square. No sooner had she spoken the words than she grabbed Langdon's arm and pulled him back into the shadows. She motioned into the center of the square. Langdon followed her gaze. When he saw it, he stiffened. Crossing in front of them, beneath a street lamp, two dark figures appeared. Both were cloaked, their heads covered with dark mantles, the traditional black covering of Catholic widows. Langdon would have guessed they were women, but he couldn't be sure in the dark. One looked elderly and moved as if in pain, hunched over. The other, larger and stronger, was helping. â€Å"Give me the gun,† Vittoria said. â€Å"You can't just – â€Å" Fluid as a cat, Vittoria was in and out of his pocket once again. The gun glinted in her hand. Then, in absolute silence, as if her feet never touched the cobblestone, she was circling left in the shadows, arching across the square to approach the couple from the rear. Langdon stood transfixed as Vittoria disappeared. Then, swearing to himself, he hurried after her. The couple was moving slowly, and it was only a matter of half a minute before Langdon and Vittoria were positioned behind them, closing in from the rear. Vittoria concealed the gun beneath casually crossed arms in front of her, out of sight but accessible in a flash. She seemed to float faster and faster as the gap lessened, and Langdon battled to keep up. When his shoes scuffed a stone and sent it skittering, Vittoria shot him a sideways glare. But the couple did not seem to hear. They were talking. At thirty feet, Langdon could start to hear voices. No words. Just faint murmurings. Beside him, Vittoria moved faster with every step. Her arms loosened before her, the gun starting to peek out. Twenty feet. The voices were clearer – one much louder than the other. Angry. Ranting. Langdon sensed it was the voice of an old woman. Gruff. Androgynous. He strained to hear what she was saying, but another voice cut the night. â€Å"Mi scusi!† Vittoria's friendly tone lit the square like a torch. Langdon tensed as the cloaked couple stopped short and began to turn. Vittoria kept striding toward them, even faster now, on a collision course. They would have no time to react. Langdon realized his own feet had stopped moving. From behind, he saw Vittoria's arms loosening, her hand coming free, the gun swinging forward. Then, over her shoulder, he saw a face, lit now in the street lamp. The panic surged to his legs, and he lunged forward. â€Å"Vittoria, no!† Vittoria, however, seemed to exist a split second ahead of him. In a motion as swift as it was casual, Vittoria's arms were raised again, the gun disappearing as she clutched herself like a woman on a chilly night. Langdon stumbled to her side, almost colliding with the cloaked couple before them. â€Å"Buona sera,† Vittoria blurted, her voice startled with retreat. Langdon exhaled in relief. Two elderly women stood before them scowling out from beneath their mantles. One was so old she could barely stand. The other was helping her. Both clutched rosaries. They seemed confused by the sudden interruption. Vittoria smiled, although she looked shaken. â€Å"Dov'e la chiesa Santa Maria della Vittoria? Where is the Church of – â€Å" The two women motioned in unison to a bulky silhouette of a building on an inclined street from the direction they had come. â€Å"e la.† â€Å"Grazie,† Langdon said, putting his hands on Vittoria's shoulders and gently pulling her back. He couldn't believe they'd almost attacked a pair of old ladies. â€Å"Non si puo entrare,† one woman warned. â€Å"e chiusa temprano.† â€Å"Closed early?† Vittoria looked surprised. â€Å"Perche?† Both women explained at once. They sounded irate. Langdon understood only parts of the grumbling Italian. Apparently, the women had been inside the church fifteen minutes ago praying for the Vatican in its time of need, when some man had appeared and told them the church was closing early. â€Å"Hanno conosciuto l'uomo?† Vittoria demanded, sounding tense. â€Å"Did you know the man?† The women shook their heads. The man was a straniero crudo, they explained, and he had forcibly made everyone inside leave, even the young priest and janitor, who said they were calling the police. But the intruder had only laughed, telling them to be sure the police brought cameras. Cameras? Langdon wondered. The women clucked angrily and called the man a bar-rabo. Then, grumbling, they continued on their way. â€Å"Bar-rabo?† Langdon asked Vittoria. â€Å"A barbarian?† Vittoria looked suddenly taut. â€Å"Not quite. Bar-rabo is derogatory wordplay. It means rabo†¦ Arab.† Langdon felt a shiver and turned toward the outline of the church. As he did, his eyes glimpsed something in the church's stained-glass windows. The image shot dread through his body. Unaware, Vittoria removed her cell phone and pressed the auto dial. â€Å"I'm warning Olivetti.† Speechless, Langdon reached out and touched her arm. With a tremulous hand, he pointed to the church. Vittoria let out a gasp. Inside the building, glowing like evil eyes through the stained-glass windows†¦ shone the growing flash of flames. 91 Langdon and Vittoria dashed to the main entrance of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria and found the wooden door locked. Vittoria fired three shots from Olivetti's semi-automatic into the ancient bolt, and it shattered. The church had no anteroom, so the entirety of the sanctuary spread out in one gasping sweep as Langdon and Vittoria threw open the main door. The scene before them was so unexpected, so bizarre, that Langdon had to close his eyes and reopen them before his mind could take it all in. The church was lavish baroque†¦ gilded walls and altars. Dead center of the sanctuary, beneath the main cupola, wooden pews had been stacked high and were now ablaze in some sort of epic funeral pyre. A bonfire shooting high into the dome. As Langdon's eyes followed the inferno upward, the true horror of the scene descended like a bird of prey. High overhead, from the left and right sides of the ceiling, hung two incensor cables – lines used for swinging frankincense vessels above the congregation. These lines, however, carried no incensors now. Nor were they swinging. They had been used for something else†¦ Suspended from the cables was a human being. A naked man. Each wrist had been connected to an opposing cable, and he had been hoisted almost to the point of being torn apart. His arms were outstretched in a spread-eagle as if he were nailed to some sort of invisible crucifix hovering within the house of God. Langdon felt paralyzed as he stared upward. A moment later, he witnessed the final abomination. The old man was alive, and he raised his head. A pair of terrified eyes gazed down in a silent plea for help. On the man's chest was a scorched emblem. He had been branded. Langdon could not see it clearly, but he had little doubt what the marking said. As the flames climbed higher, lapping at the man's feet, the victim let out a cry of pain, his body trembling. As if ignited by some unseen force, Langdon felt his body suddenly in motion, dashing down the main aisle toward the conflagration. His lungs filled with smoke as he closed in. Ten feet from the inferno, at a full sprint, Langdon hit a wall of heat. The skin on his face singed, and he fell back, shielding his eyes and landing hard on the marble floor. Staggering upright, he pressed forward again, hands raised in protection. Instantly he knew. The fire was far too hot. Moving back again, he scanned the chapel walls. A heavy tapestry, he thought. If I can somehow smother the†¦ But he knew a tapestry was not to be found. This is a baroque chapel, Robert, not some damn German castle! Think! He forced his eyes back to the suspended man. High above, smoke and flames swirled in the cupola. The incensor cables stretched outward from the man's wrists, rising to the ceiling where they passed through pulleys, and descended again to metal cleats on either side of the church. Langdon looked over at one of the cleats. It was high on the wall, but he knew if he could get to it and loosen one of the lines, the tension would slacken and the man would swing wide of the fire. A sudden surge of flames crackled higher, and Langdon heard a piercing scream from above. The skin on the man's feet was starting to blister. The cardinal was being roasted alive. Langdon fixed his sights on the cleat and ran for it. In the rear of the church, Vittoria clutched the back of a pew, trying to gather her senses. The image overhead was horrid. She forced her eyes away. Do something! She wondered where Olivetti was. Had he seen the Hassassin? Had he caught him? Where were they now? Vittoria moved forward to help Langdon, but as she did, a sound stopped her. The crackling of the flames was getting louder by the instant, but a second sound also cut the air. A metallic vibration. Nearby. The repetitive pulse seemed to emanate from the end of the pews to her left. It was a stark rattle, like the ringing of a phone, but stony and hard. She clutched the gun firmly and moved down the row of pews. The sound grew louder. On. Off. A recurrent vibration. As she approached the end of the aisle, she sensed the sound was coming from the floor just around the corner at the end of the pews. As she moved forward, gun outstretched in her right hand, she realized she was also holding something in her left hand – her cell phone. In her panic she had forgotten that outside she had used it to dial the commander†¦ setting off his phone's silent vibration feature as a warning. Vittoria raised her phone to her ear. It was still ringing. The commander had never answered. Suddenly, with rising fear, Vittoria sensed she knew what was making the sound. She stepped forward, trembling. The entire church seemed to sink beneath her feet as her eyes met the lifeless form on the floor. No stream of liquid flowed from the body. No signs of violence tattooed the flesh. There was only the fearful geometry of the commander's head†¦ torqued backward, twisted 180 degrees in the wrong direction. Vittoria fought the images of her own father's mangled body. The phone on the commander's belt lay against the floor, vibrating over and over against the cold marble. Vittoria hung up her own phone, and the ringing stopped. In the silence, Vittoria heard a new sound. A breathing in the dark directly behind her. She started to spin, gun raised, but she knew she was too late. A laser beam of heat screamed from the top of her skull to the soles of her feet as the killer's elbow crashed down on the back of her neck. â€Å"Now you are mine,† a voice said. Then, everything went black. Across the sanctuary, on the left lateral wall, Langdon balanced atop a pew and scraped upward on the wall trying to reach the cleat. The cable was still six feet above his head. Cleats like these were common in churches and were placed high to prevent tampering. Langdon knew priests used wooden ladders called piuli to access the cleats. The killer had obviously used the church's ladder to hoist his victim. So where the hell is the ladder now! Langdon looked down, searching the floor around him. He had a faint recollection of seeing a ladder in here somewhere. But where? A moment later his heart sank. He realized where he had seen it. He turned toward the raging fire. Sure enough, the ladder was high atop the blaze, engulfed in flames. Filled now with desperation, Langdon scanned the entire church from his raised platform, looking for anything at all that could help him reach the cleat. As his eyes probed the church, he had a sudden realization. Where the hell is Vittoria? She had disappeared. Did she go for help? Langdon screamed out her name, but there was no response. And where is Olivetti? There was a howl of pain from above, and Langdon sensed he was already too late. As his eyes went skyward again and saw the slowly roasting victim, Langdon had thoughts for only one thing. Water. Lots of it. Put out the fire. At least lower the flames.† I need water, damn it!† he yelled out loud. â€Å"That's next,† a voice growled from the back of the church. Langdon wheeled, almost falling off the pews. Striding up the side aisle directly toward him came a dark monster of a man. Even in the glow of the fire, his eyes burned black. Langdon recognized the gun in his hand as the one from his own jacket pocket†¦ the one Vittoria had been carrying when they came in. The sudden wave of panic that rose in Langdon was a frenzy of disjunct fears. His initial instinct was for Vittoria. What had this animal done to her? Was she hurt? Or worse? In the same instant, Langdon realized the man overhead was screaming louder. The cardinal would die. Helping him now was impossible. Then, as the Hassassin leveled the gun at Langdon's chest, Langdon's panic turned inward, his senses on overload. He reacted on instinct as the shot went off. Launching off the bench, Langdon sailed arms first over the sea of church pews. When he hit the pews, he hit harder than he had imagined, immediately rolling to the floor. The marble cushioned his fall with all the grace of cold steel. Footsteps closed to his right. Langdon turned his body toward the front of the church and began scrambling for his life beneath the pews. High above the chapel floor, Cardinal Guidera endured his last torturous moments of consciousness. As he looked down the length of his naked body, he saw the skin on his legs begin to blister and peel away. I am in hell, he decided. God, why hast thou forsaken me? He knew this must be hell because he was looking at the brand on his chest upside down†¦ and yet, as if by the devil's magic, the word made perfect sense. Angels & Demons 92 Three ballotings. No Pope. Inside the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Mortati had begun praying for a miracle. Send us the candidates! The delay had gone long enough. A single missing candidate, Mortati could understand. But all four? It left no options. Under these conditions, achieving a two-thirds majority would take an act of God Himself. When the bolts on the outer door began to grind open, Mortati and the entire College of Cardinals wheeled in unison toward the entrance. Mortati knew this unsealing could mean only one thing. By law, the chapel door could only be unsealed for two reasons – to remove the very ill, or to admit late cardinals. The preferiti are coming! Mortati's heart soared. Conclave had been saved. But when the door opened, the gasp that echoed through the chapel was not one of joy. Mortati stared in incredulous shock as the man walked in. For the first time in Vatican history, a camerlegno had just crossed the sacred threshold of conclave after sealing the doors. What is he thinking! The camerlegno strode to the altar and turned to address the thunderstruck audience. â€Å"Signori,† he said, â€Å"I have waited as long as I can. There is something you have a right to know.†

Iliad Outline

Iliad Outline Book OneSupplication. Plague. Quarrel. Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book I Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book II Paris Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book III Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book IV Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book V Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book VI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book VII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book VIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book IX Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book X Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XIV Apollo Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XV Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XVI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XVII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XVIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XIX Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XX Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXI Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXIII Summary and Main Characters of the Iliad Book XXIV