THE BERLIN AIRLIFT Essays - Allied Occupation Of Germany

THE BERLIN AIRLIFT THE BERLIN AIRLIFT With the Nazis defeated after World War II, the Western powers finally thought the string of wars was over. On the contrary, the USSR had other plans for the newly conquered Germany. Berlin, Germany's capital, was divided among Great Britain, the United States, France, and Russia. While this division was intended to keep peace, the Russians were formulating plans to take over the other three sections of Berlin. The Berlin Airlift was the first major test of the Free World's will to resist Soviet aggression. It all began in June 1948, when Soviet authorities claimed that "technical difficulties" would halt all traffic by land and water in and out of the western-controlled sections of Berlin. The only passages left into this territory that wouldn't upset the Soviets were three 20-mile wide air corridors. The Western powers (United States, Great Britain, and France) were then faced with two options: abandoning the city, or supplying the 2.5 million people with enough supplies to live by air for the next 11 months. By choosing the latter, the Western powers embarked on one of the greatest aviation feats in history. Operation Vittles, as the airlift was unofficially dubbed, began on June 26th with the USAF's C-47s carrying in 80 of the 4,500 tons of food, coal, and various other materials needed daily to maintain a minimum level of existence. Soon the U.S. Navy and British Royal Airforce cargo planes joined in to augment this force. To increase safety and cooperation between allied countries, a unified command was established called the Combined Airlift Task Force and was under the supervision of Major General William H. Tunner of the USAF. Once again, a common threat has brought together the Western Powers of Great Britain, and the United States of America. The difference in this conflict was that it remained, for the most part, peaceful. The airlift in Berlin was not only aimed at saving the city's occupants. It was also a fight to keep Communism from spreading even further by passive means. To underscore the allied force's determination, three bomb groups were placed in Europe, putting Soviet targets well within B-29 range. In response, the Soviets harassed the allied planes in the form of jamming radio channels, directing searchlights at aircraft taking off at night, the "buzzing" of cargo planes by Russian fighters, and barrage balloons allowed to drift into the air corridors. Throughout the entire operation, tensions rose. While this was intended to be a peaceful mission, more than 65 lives were lost comprising of British, German, and American personnel. At midnight on May 12, 1949, so many months after closing them down, the Soviets reopened land and water routes into Berlin. However, the airlift continued until September 30 to build a backlog of supplies. Although the allies kept the airlift going long enough to keep the city alive, it didn't resolve all the issues. Feelings of resentment were only increased between the United States and the Soviet Union. The leaders of the U.S. military did manage to keep peace, but soon the arms race would begin between these two major world powers. The events of the airlift only escalated the tension of the Cold War, although there wasn't any alternative. The only thing that could possibly have been done differently would be that instead of starting the airlift, Western countries could have tried to negotiate with the Russians resulting in a peaceful outcome. I find this a very unlikely outcome, however, because the Russians were planning for the expansion of communism, while that is the essence of what the allies were fighting against, thus their interests were dramatically opposed. The Western Powers chose the best possible route to solving the issue at hand; they saved the city without creating yet another blood-filled war. Although this defused the crisis temporarily, the issue of a divided Berlin and Germany was not resolved. In the years after the airlift, the Soviet Union and the United States engaged in a multi-decade arms race. West Berlin, being under Western control, enjoyed more liberties than Eastern, communist, Berlin. The Berlin Wall was constructed to keep eastern citizens from escaping to the West, becoming a perfect symbol for the Cold War. Finally, in 1989, the Berlin Wall was destroyed, and East and West Berlin were united. Bibliography 1. "The Berlin Airlift." Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Compton's NewMedia, Inc. Simon Schuster. 1996. 2. "The Cold War." Microsoft Bookshelf Reference Library. Microsoft Corporation. 1998. 3. "Berlin Airlift." United States Air Force Museum Webpage. Online. 6 May 1998.

Geography of Christmas

Geography of Christmas Every December 25, billions of people around the world gather together to celebrate the Christmas holiday. While many dedicate the occasion as the Christian tradition of the birth of Jesus, others commemorate the age-old customs of the pagans, the indigenous peoples of pre-Christian Europe. Still, others might carry on the celebration of Saturnalia, the feast of the Roman god of agriculture. And, the celebration of Saturnalia included the ancient Persian Feast of the Unconquered Sun on December 25th. Whatever the case, one can certainly encounter many different ways of celebrating the occasion. Through the centuries these local and universal traditions have gradually blended together to form our modern tradition of Christmas, arguably the first global holiday. Today, many cultures around the world celebrate Christmas with a wide variety of customs. In the United States, most of our traditions have been borrowed from Victorian England, which were themselves borrowed from other places, notably mainland Europe. In our current culture, many people may be familiar with the Nativity scene or maybe visiting Santa Claus at the local shopping mall, but these common traditions werent always with us. This compels us to ask some questions about the geography of Christmas: where did our holiday traditions come from and how did they come to be? The list of world Christmas traditions and symbols is long and varied. Many books and articles have been written about each one separately. In this article, three of the most common symbols are discussed: Christmas as the birth of Jesus Christ, Sa nta Claus, and the Christmas tree. Origin and Diffusion of Christmas Symbols Christmas was designated as the birth of Jesus in the fourth century CE. During this period, Christianity was just beginning to define itself and Christian feast days were integrated into the popular pagan traditions to ease the adoption of the new religious beliefs. Christianity diffused outward from this region through the work of evangelizers and missionaries and eventually, European colonization brought it to places all over the world. The cultures that adopted Christianity also adopted the celebration of Christmas. The legend of Santa Claus began with a Greek Bishop in fourth-century Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). There in the town of Myra, a young bishop, named Nicholas, gained a reputation for kindness and generosity by distributing his family fortune to the less fortunate. As one story goes, he stopped the sale of three young women into slavery by providing enough gold to make a marriage dowry for each of them. According to the story, he threw the gold through the window and it landed in a stocking drying by the fire. As time passed, the word spread of Bishop Nicholas generosity and children began hanging their stockings by the fire in hopes that the good bishop would pay them a visit. Bishop Nicholas died on December 6th, 343 CE. He was canonized as a saint a short time later and the feast day of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on the anniversary of his death. The Dutch pronunciation of Saint Nicholas is Sinter Klaas. When Dutch settlers came to the United States, the pronunciation became Anglicanized and changed to Santa Claus which remains with us today. Little is known about what Saint Nicholas looked like. Depictions of him often portrayed a tall, thin character in a hooded robe sporting a graying beard. In 1822, an American theological professor, Clement C. Moore, wrote a poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas (more popularly known as The Night Before Christmas). In the poem, he describes Saint Nick as a jolly elf with a round belly and a white beard. In 1881, an American cartoonist, Thomas Nast, drew a picture of Santa Claus using Moores description. His drawing gave us the modern-day image of Santa Claus. The origin of the Christmas tree can be found in Germany. In pre-Christian times, the pagans celebrated the Winter Solstice, often decorated with pine branches because they were always green (hence the term evergreen). The branches were often decorated with fruit, especially apples and nuts. The evolution of the evergreen tree into the modern Christmas tree begins with Saint Boniface, on a mission from a Britain (modern-day England) through the forests of Northern Europe. He was there to evangelize and convert the pagan peoples to Christianity. Accounts of the journey say that he intervened in the sacrifice of a child at the foot of an oak tree (oak trees are associated with the Norse god Thor). After stopping the sacrifice, he encouraged the people to instead gather around the evergreen tree and divert their attention away from bloody sacrifices to acts of giving and kindness. The people did so and the tradition of the Christmas tree was born. For centuries, it remained mostly a Ger man tradition. The widespread diffusion of the Christmas tree to areas outside of Germany didnt happen until Queen Victoria of England married Prince Albert of Germany. Albert moved to England and brought with him his German Christmas traditions. The idea of the Christmas tree became popular in Victorian England after an illustration of the Royal Family around their tree was published in 1848. The tradition then quickly spread to the United States along with many other English traditions. Conclusion Christmas is a historic holiday that blends ancient pagan customs with the more recent universal traditions of Christianity. It is also an interesting trip around the world, a geographic story that originated in many places, especially Persia and Rome. It gives us the account of three wise men from the orient visiting a newborn baby in Palestine, the recollection of good deeds by a Greek bishop living in Turkey, the fervent work of a British missionary traveling through Germany, a childrens poem by an American theologian, and the cartoons of a German-born artist living in the United States. All of this variety contributes to the festive nature of Christmas, which is what makes the holiday such an exciting occasion. Interestingly, when we pause to remember why we have these traditions, we have geography to thank for it.

Michelangelo Buonarroti's Sistine Chapel Research Paper - 1

Michelangelo Buonarroti's Sistine Chapel - Research Paper Example Hence, the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo Buonarroti embraces different episodes of Biblical nature in smooth and quite invisible transitions between each scene. First and foremost, the Sistine Chapel was set for Michelangelo by Pope Julius II and painted on the â€Å"chapel’s ceiling which covered a curved surface of about 5,600 square feet† (Somervill 45). At a glance, it is an enormous representation of High Renaissance which inspires by luminous and quite patterned schemes of different paintings divided into different topic, mainly of genesis and God’s creation of Adam. All in all, the Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Julius II to take place in the large Papal Chapel for the religious purposes of Vatican’s clergymen (Lucid Cafà © 1). It was a remarkable order for the Church at large and for Pope Julius II, in particular. Michelangelo urged for something unusual he could reflect on the surface. Once, he even noted the following idea: â€Å"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free† (Lucid Cafà © 1). Thus, before painting the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo was greatly inspired b y a divine impact from above. The artistic ensemble of the chapel is performed in a fresh renaissance vision of Michelangelo which he nurtured out of his genius. He started working on the chapel in 1508 and finished it in 1512 (Holroyd 35). Thus, Michelangelo followed a sequential flow of ideas which were constantly interrupted by Pope Julius II (Somervill 46). As might be seen, it was madness for the artist, as he could not concentrate more on the art and artistic thought in keeping with the best traditions of High Renaissance. Definitely, he was well influenced by the intangible muse while painting, whereas he was stopped by tangible and insignificant remarks of Pope Julius II. Needless to say, the work of Michelangelo was the fruit of his entire life. Of course, there were other works of art which Michelangelo created. As

Religion and Politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and Politics - Research Paper Example Challenge to separate church from State arise due to immediate and long term causes which includes social, political and religious changes respectively. Americans are trying to divide the neighboring countries in terms of religion and politics. The division or separation of religion and politics rests on the cornerstone that, religious affairs cannot be compared and equated to politics. In this chapter, I will discuss how the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance has brought forth conflicts between religion and politics among American citizens. I will base my argument on the Supreme Court case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. The Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project has done studies on how religious issues cross over to political debates in the United States. The studies also include the examination of how politics spills over to religion. The above named project has also identified different ways in which religion has molded the American citizens’ behaviors and attitudes. These issues and attitudes are targets issues pertaining politics and whether religious institutions should be involved in the same. Ideally, the commitment of the public to religion in the United States has prompted the progression of the debate on whether religion and politics should be separated (Noll & Harlow, 2007). ... Elk Grove Unified School District in California, U.S.A, has a pledge case to defend against in the Supreme Court. Michael Newdow’s daughter attended classes in this school. Newdow argued that the mentioning of the phrase by students during recitation of the pledge violated the establishment clause of America. The case endured different levels before reaching the Supreme Court. First, Newdow sued the school to a federal district court in the city California. However, Newdow was not the first man to raise concerns over the recitation of the pledge by students in public school. The seventh circuit of 1992 supported a law in Illinois that allowed public school students to recite the Pledge. However, in 2003, Ninth Circuit of Appeal ruled that the addition of the phrase â€Å"Under God† in the pledge and the demand by the School District Policy for the recitation of the pledge by students was unconstitutional, and it also violated the establishment clause of the first amendm ent (Andonian, 2003). The Supreme Court dismissed the case in 2004, for lack of provident standing. On the contrary, the court concentrated on the interests of both Newdow and his daughter. Justice Stevens argued that probably, Newdow’s daughter was not willing to affirm the constitutional challenge. On the concurring opinions, the majority ware accused by Justice Rehnquist for avoiding to consider the advantages of the constitutional challenge addressed by Newdow (Goelzhauser, 2011). Justice O’ Connor also argued that, Newdow had grounds to challenge the Elk Grove school policy. He later found out that the school policy opposed difficulties in the establishment clause. However, the dismissal of the case by

Marketing - Marketing Metrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Marketing Metrics - Essay Example The mere thought that the cruise ship market segment will become saturated is illogical. In the cruise ship’s French market segment industry indicates the government had taken the industry on board. Consequently, the United Kingdom government must follow the example of the French government, in terms of prioritizing the cruise ship industry (http://www.cybercruises.com/shiplist.htm). 2. Cruise Market Watch In terms of United States cruise ship travel (http://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/blog1/market/), there are statistical data indicating which sector leads. In terms of age, cruise ship customers belonging to the 40-49 years of age ranks no. 1 & 2 at 26 percent. Cruise ship customers belonging to the 60 and above years of age ranks no. 1& 2 at similar 26 percent. Lastly, the cruise ship customers belonging to the 50-59 years of age ranks no. 3, at 22 percent. The income data indicates a striking cruise ship company impression. First, cruise ship customers belonging to the $100,0 00 to $200,000 annual income ranks no. 1 at 39 percent. Second, cruise ship customers belonging to the $75,000 to $100,000 annual income ranks no. 2 at 19 percent. Third, cruise ship customers belonging to the $60,000 to $75,000 annual income ranks no. 3 at 16 percent. ... Further, the data indicates that there is a significant difference when the race criteria are used. The white gender represents 91 percent of the cruise ship customers. The Americans represent 3 percent of the cruise ship customer pie. Last, the other race profiles represent 6 percent of the cruise ship customer pie. In terms of employment status, there is a significant difference. The graduates comprised 75 percent of the cruise ship customer population. On the other hand, the undergraduates comprised 25 percent of the cruise ship customer population. The graduates include those with doctoral degrees. In terms of employment status, there is also a significant difference. Statistics indicate the full time workers represent 63 percent of the entire cruise ship population. On the other hand, only 20 percent of the entire cruise ship population had retired from work. 3. Drivers of the Cruise ship Business. There are many factors driving the cruise ship business to continue serving the n eeds of the current and prospective cruise ship customers, including customers of Cunard cruise ship lines. Customers. Cunard shipping lines is one of the oldest and finest cruise ship lines in the global, especially United Kingdom, cruise ship industry. The Cunard cruise ship lines offers cruise to major ports of the world. The ports include Mediterranean, Caribbean, Northern European, and other World cruise ship tours (Kotler, 2009). Carnival United Kingdom Chief executive David Dingle emphasized 2010 was the most successful year for the company, in terms of cruise ship financial performance. The company’s acquisition of several cruise ships bolstered its financial performance. The company acquired Caronia, QE2 and the brand new Queen Mary 2. The three cruise ships had different

Role of the First Amendment in Freedom of Speech and Social Media

Role of the First Amendment in Freedom of Speech and Social Media Freedom Speech in The Age of Social Media Summary: This paper discusses the First Amendment and its role and relevance in the Internet and Social Media. It touches base on violation of First Amendment Rights through censorship, and libel cases that were not protected by the First Amendment on Social Media. The First Amendment of the Constitution can be found in the First section, which is called the Bill of Rights, which are known to be the most significant part of the US Constitution. The First Amendment entitles US citizens the vital freedoms of speech, religion and expression. Not all countries give these rights to their citizens and this is why US citizens are so fortunate because they have the freedom to express themselves and to stand up for what they believe in or what they don’t. The Founding Fathers ‘Framers’ of the US Constitution had a vision for the United States and for its citizens to have these vital freedoms, the problem is that these amendments were written centuries ago, and with time and new technologies come many changes and the interpretation of these rights has changes because of these technologies, especially now in the age of Social Media. Most of modern interaction and conversation is now done on Social Media platforms with the help of the Internet and a problem with this is that there are very few laws that regulate what happens online. Thanks to the internet and the new technologies, most people have access to social media platforms, therefore people have access to information and opinions in the palm of their hands. The internet has proven that speech is easy on these Social Media Platforms, because most people can access the internet and basically write or speak their minds through videos or blogs. An amazing example of this can be sites like Yelp, where people are able to give restaurants and hotels ratings and they can say whatever they want and it is not considered libel. Many people take it online to rant about things that happen to them, other like to speak their mind, but recently many Social Media platforms have been banning certain words that might be offensive to others and deleting this that might affect others, this is a violation of freedom a speech. Pages such as Facebook will not let you type in certain words that other’s might find offensive, or they will directly delete a comment or photograph that is inappropriate or that might hurt somebody else. Although these censorships help save people’s lives from cyberbullying or prevent people from using strong words, it is censorship nonetheless. Social Media and the Internet has altered the way that people communicate and as new technologies emerge people have to learn to adapt to them. Thanks to the usage of chat forms, instant messaging, picture & video sharing, social networking, blogs, image collecting boards among many other things, people are adapting more than ever. Throughout out the last 20 years, the Internet has quickly expanded and matured as new technologies are being developed. With the invention of social media platforms, the way that people network and communicate has completely changed, even the way that they read and consumer the news. Social media platforms have given individuals a freedom that they never thought was possible, they feel free to access whatever they want and to express however they want to express themselves, they even have the protection of speaking and posting anomalously, and many people hide behind their computers.   The majority of US citizens take the privilege of living in the United States, and what that the country allows them for granted. They have the privilege to go online and rant about their jobs and horrible bosses, give opinions about political candidates, and read what other people have to say about things. The reality is that the Internet allows people to express themselves, whether it is on a blog, social media platforms, or even their work email and people are constantly expressing themselves freely. This is a privilege that people in other countries do not necessarily have, countries like China, where it is prohibited to access any type of social media platform (Ferguson), or where speaking their minds could land them in jail. Although the Internet is moderately new, it has long become a part of people’s daily lives, especially those people living in the United States. The Internet has alleviated all the communication tensions people had, since it allows people to communication easily with one another and also mass communication like articles, videos, and blogs. One of the reason why the internet has become such a powerful communication tools is because it integrates several types of communication like Articles, podcasts, broadcasts, videos, letter communication among many other things (Ferguson).   Now a day most places have Wi-Fi and internet has become such an inexpensive thing to access, people can even connect to the internet in airplanes and during bus rides, mainly because â€Å"the Internet has the potential to be a tremendous force for development by providing quick and inexpensive information† (Sorensen). One problem with the Internet is that it has no country boundaries so measuring and enforcing US laws is very hard to do, since the US cannot control what other countries do or say, consequently the Internet cannot be virtually controlled by one country. What many countries do to have control over the internet is implementing thing such as filters on a server, which in the end limit people’s freedom of expression and is nonetheless censorship. Because the Internet is really a mass medium, because it can reach virtually anybody, it possesses a big threat to many governments, because anybody with internet can communicate to the mass audience. Censorship of information is in direct violation of the first amendment because it takes away people’s right to express themselves freely. There are many types of censorship over the internet, sometimes people do not even realize that content is being censored when infact it is. Many governments believe that censorship helps avoid unsafe or threatening information from spreading and that it keeps children safe from retrieving inappropriate content.   Some of these materials can be for example web-sites that promote eating disorders such as anorexia, or websites that tell people how to commit suicides or how to build home-made bombs and such things. Although many of these things are extremely controversial and may be offensive to some, in the end they are violating First Amendment, and these sites should be shielded by the freedom of speech. Some of the reasons why filter on servers are imposed make a lot a sense when it is for protection of minors, since most children know how to use a computer more than most adults, but when adult’s information is being filtered this is denying people a right they are entitled to. The United States has unsuccessfully made efforts at censoring offensive and/or inappropriate information and content on the internet. Firstly, was the Communication Decency Act (CDA), this act forbid people from using material online that was offensive to minors (Sorensen). The CDA directly violated the First Amendment and this why the Supreme Court overruled the act.   Their second attempt was the Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) which stated the pornography, whether a video or an image on the internet of a child/minor acting in an explicit or sexual behavior. Again, the CPPA was also directly violating the First Amendment, and it was overruled by the Supreme Court. Then came the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), which is theoretically obligates Web-Site owners and publishers to guarantee that minors will not access material and content that is harmful to them on their designated websites (Sorensen). Copa was also in violation of First Amendment rights, therefore overrul ed.   As of today, there are no Internet Censorship Laws in the US in action, but nevertheless censorships still happen. Just as there are people who think censoring the internet is the correct thing to do, many people oppose it because they are firm believers of the vitality of First Amendment rights of free speech and expression. It is the first amendment that permits people to openly and freely discuss ideas and thoughts to other people and to society itself. It is unethical and unconstitutional for the government to take this vital right away from people, as they should feel free to express themselves in any way that they please. Along with the Internet come new ways of communication such a Social Media Platforms, which have rapidly landed in the hands of millions world-wide, these new evolutions in technology drastically change the definition of free speech, for example before nobody would knock on anybody’s door to tell them their opinions, now it is on all of people’s devices from their smart phones to their computers. People are being constantly hit by others opinions and beliefs, for example that person who always share their political affiliation and beliefs on their Facebook status, it is starting to become unavoidable. One of the first cases regarding freedom of speech was in July of 1995, Stratton Oakmont vs. Prodigy. Prodigy was a type of social media platform that had a board with a chat forum, one of the users left a chat/comment saying that the CEO of Stratton Oakmont committed fraudulent acts. As a result, Stratton Oakmont sued Prodigy for online libel, the case was ruled in favor of Prodigy since it was protected by the First Amendment and the comment was left by an anonymous internet user not Prodigy itself. These things are very hard to control, because for example that anonymous person who commented might be in another country and therefore they do not fall under US jurisdiction, this is why it is so hard to control the internet as a whole. After some of these chat forums began to pop up across the web, this was the birth of social media platforms. Rapidly many websites started to launch and their focus was the public, they wanted individuals to have their profiles and for them to express themselves and engage in communication with other members. Facebook and Twitter have been the long lasting two as they both have been around for over a decade (Somerson), and they revolve around people who express themselves freely. Four months after the launch of Facebook, the company integrated a new feature in their social media platform and this was called a ‘status’. Facebook was asking its users ‘what was on their mind’ and allowed people to speak their minds in a maximum of 356 characters, which is now unlimited on Facebook. Twitter quickly incorporated the same feature and allowed its users to speak their minds in 140 characters, which will probably soon increase. Many people engage in ranting on socia l media, and once something goes up on the internet it is there forever, even if deleted, with ranting many people can take it as defamation or libel, but in the end, it is people exercising their free speech. In 2009, there was a town re-election for Sheriff BJ Roberts in Hampton, Virginia and six deputies were not reinstated after it. These deputies stated that they were wrongfully terminated because they supported Jim Adams that was Sheriffs Roberts’ rival.   They had stated that they had shown support for Jim Adams by ‘liking’ his Facebook campaign and sharing his page on their profiles. As a result, Sheriff Roberts threatened the deputies and consequently did not reinstate them. Consequently, the deputies filed a lawsuit against Roberts, claiming that they were wrongfully terminated because of their behavior on social media. In an appeals court, it was agreed that the deputies should have been terminated because they should not partake on law-enforcement politics and siding with candidates and this is violation of First Amendment rights. When this case was taken to the Fourth Circuit, it was recognized that Sheriff Roberts was entitled immunity and that he had th e right to not reinstate them (Vogel). The First Amendment does not protect all speech and expression and this was a perfect example were people were not protected by their First Amendment Rights. Another famous case that was not protected under the first amendment is Elonis vs. Unites States. In 2010 Anthony Elonis was abandoned by his wife and he quickly took the matter to Facebook and started ranting through rap lyrics, most of these sounded like threats, with everything he posted he gave a disclaimer saying that they were just lyrics and nothing real (Liptak). Elonis rapped about things like having his ex’s head paraded like Marie Antoinette, among other horrible things. Ms. Elonis was afraid of all of his commentaries and lyrics and quickly took information to authorities. This was an extremely difficult case because Elonis argued that they were just lyrics and nothing more, that it was just a form of art and expression and that he did not intent to do anything that he rapped about. The Supreme Court stated that the First Amendment did not protect all speech and did not protect threats whether real or not, they were still treats (Liptak).   Elonis was found guilt y of violating the Anti-Threat stature and was convicted for 44 months in prison and three years of supervised release (Liptak). Many of these chat forums online like Twitter and Facebook are allowing people virtually everywhere to speak their minds and for them to express themselves in ways that they see fit. The problem is that many people are not aware of all of the consequences that their online ranting can have on their lives. Most people follow their favorite celebrities and athletes on Social Media, since this is how the engage with their fans, even President Trump engages in Social Media by his infamous ‘tweets’ on Twitter. Many brands and companies take advantage of the presence that celebrities have on social media platforms and they begin to endorse them so that the public sees them wearing their products or talking about their brands on the ‘tweets’ or ‘status’. In 2010 Rashard Mendenhall an NFL player of the Pittsburgh Steelers who was endorsed by brands like Champion made a series of tweets after Osama Bin Ladin’s death that tarnished his online prese nce and reputation. Mendenhall tweeted that â€Å"what kind of person celebrates death? Its amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. Weve only heard one side(Mendenhall). He then continued by saying â€Å"well never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style†. Mendenhall was consequently dropped as a Champion Celebrity and he lost his endorsement deal, Mendenhall quickly deleted his tweets and said that he was just expressing his thoughts and that they were just mere opinions. Although he was protected by First Amendment and he was in all of his right to share his opinions and many conspiracy theorist do, he lost many fans in the process. Lawsuits that come from social media are most commonly those of claims of libel or defamation. Libel is a written or published untruthful statement that directly hurts the individual’s reputation (MacHenry). Because many people have dedicated themselves to ranting on social media, there are typically libel. In 2015, came another quite interesting libel case in social media, known as Desert Palm Surgical Group v. Petta. Sherry Petta underwent cosmetic surgery, a rhinoplasty to be exact at the Desert Palm Surgical Group. To give Petta a little background she was a big fan of cosmetic procedures and surgeries and had underwent several in the past. After her rhinoplasty Petta claimed that she was not healing properly and that the nose did not look as the doctors told her it would, she then took all of this ranting online on Myspace and created a website just to rant about her experience. On her site and her social media page Petta ranted that â€Å"the surgeons intentionally shor tened and curved her nose upward against her wishes† (MacHenry) and she uploaded images of her rhinoplasty. Consequently, Desert Palm Surgical Group started to lose a lot of business and sued Petta for libel and defamation along with 11 million dollars in damages caused by her pages. Petta pleaded that she was protected by the First Amendment right and that she was only speaking the truth about her experience with her surgery. The only thing that could have saved her from this defamation case was if what she said had been true, and it wasn’t most of the complications she had was because she did not take care of herself after her surgery and most things she had underwent in the past cosmetic surgeries and procedures. Petta was not protected under the First Amendment and consequently had to take down all of her post and her website and had to pay 12 million to the Desert Palm Surgical Group for all of the damages (MacHenry). Many of these libel cases that involve the use of social media as the source are repeatedly occurring and becoming extremely common and popular. The problem is that freedom of speech is not protected if there is a false statement involved, and it is no longer an opinion or a type of expression, it is a lie. Opinion in the end is not fully protected by First Amendment rights if there is a false or an untruthful statement involved, because it can have adverse effects on an individual’s image and reputation and it can even cost somebody money. Social media is a type of mass communications and people can easily reach mases of people, therefore when they decide to rant or to post their opinions there may be consequences since they have such a big audience. Many companies know that it is very hard to regulate was is being posted online, many companies are even going as far as creating departments to monitor their online presence (Liptak), the intent of this is for these departments to take care of things like that before they get out of hand. Many of these cases should be more known to the public, this way they can prevent something like this happening to them, being media literate and educated about how social media works and the laws of the country can prevent them from falling into trouble. In conclusion, new technologies such as the Internet and Social Media has integrated into individual’s daily lives. People cannot live a day without checking their social media platforms or reading the news online, people are communicating now more than ever, and many people have become reliant on it because it is so accessible. The problem is that Social Media and the Internet are still undiscovered territory when it comes to developing laws to regulate content, and a new definition for the First Amendment in regards to these new technologies should be made. The First Amendment is a grey area, because there is no right answer when it comes to how to define it, but it is very important to protect speech. Sources Chander, A., & Là ª, U.,P. (2015). Free speech.  Iowa Law Review,  100(2), 501-549.   Hardenbrook, J. A. (2013). First amendment rights: An encyclopedia: V.1: Traditional issues on the first amendment; v.2: Contemporary challenges to the first amendment.  Choice,  50(9), 1606-1606,1608. Holden, J. (2017).  Steelers react to Mendenhalls bin Laden tweets.  ESPN.com.   Liptak, A. (2017).  On the Next Docket: How the First Amendment Applies to Social Media.  Nytimes.com.   MacHenry, K. (2015).  The Top 10 Arizona verdicts.  Docplayer.net.   McChesney, R. W. (1998). The new theology of the first amendment: Class privilege over democracy.  Monthly Review,  49(10), 17-34. Sorensen, K. (1996), Human Rights Watch, â€Å"Silencing the Net: The Threat to Freedom of Expression On-Line,†. Electronic Privacy Information Center Vogel, P. (2017).  Using Facebook like is Free Speech | Internet, Information Technology & e-Discovery Blog.  Internet, Information Technology & e-Discovery Blog.

The Use of Alcohol in Society Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout history, society has engaged in taking substances such as alcohol, that alter our physical being or our psychological state of mind. There are many experiences and pressures that force people to feel like they have to drink in order to cope with life, but for many alcohol is a part of everyday life, just like any other beverage. Alcohol is introduced to us in many ways, through our family, television, movies, and friends’. These â€Å"sociocultural variants are at least as important as physiological and psychological variants when we are trying to understand the interrelations of alcohol and human behavior†#. How we perceive drinking and continue drinking can be determined by the drinking habits we see, either by who we drink with, or the attitudes about drinking we learn over the years. The chances of people drinking in ways that can harm others and ultimately themselves can be seen by the correlation of educational lessons, cultural beliefs and the usage o f alcohol. Looking at all the possibilities, the complex question we must ask is why do people drink? Is it through their defiance of law, the accessibility of alcohol, teachings of others or the values set in place in their society? Every society has its own views on how the consumption of alcohol should be handled and regulated. Their differences create a trickle effect of how it is used, and is distinctive to that culture or society. Many cultures drinking habits go hand in hand with religion, and social customs. Drinking alcohol is in many cases a part of extensive learned tradition, where people pride themselves with their ability to hold their liquor. In countries where alcohol is part of the â€Å"norm†, the outcomes of drinking habits or the effects of alcohol are much different, â€Å"A population that drinks daily may have a high rate of cirrhosis and other medical problems but few accidents, fights, homicides, or other violent alcohol-associated conflicts; a population with predominantly binge drinking shows the opposite complex of drinking problems†#. It has been observed that cultures with rich traditions and acceptance of alcohol use tend to deal less with the typical alcohol related p roblems, compared to the cultures who treat alcohol as an escape or something that will make them better in the eyes of others. In these societies, like the U.S. alcohol hasn’t always been present and grown to be... ... 429 3.Varley, C. (1994). Life Issues-Alcoholism. New York: Marshal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cavendish. 4.Rorabaugh, W.J. (1979). The Alcoholic Republic: An American   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press: 26 5.Levine, H.G. (1995).â€Å"The Good Creature of God and the Demon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rum,† International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Westport, CT: Greenwood Press: 115 6.Heath, 121 7.Heath, 436. Bibliography Claypool, J. (1981). Alcohol and You. New York: Franklin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Watts- An Impact Book. Dolmetsch, P, and Mauricette, G. (Ed). (1987). Teens Talk   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alcohol and Alcoholism. New York: Dolphin Book. Heath, D.B. (1982).â€Å"Sociocultural Variants in Alcoholism,†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encyclopedic Handbook of Alcoholism. New York: Gardner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Press. Hornik, E.L. (1974). You and your Alcoholic Parent. New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Association Press. Levine, H.G. (1995).â€Å"The Good Creature of God and the Demon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rum,† International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Rorabaugh, W.J. (1979). The Alcoholic Republic: An American   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tradition. New York: Oxford University Press. Varley, C. (1994). Life Issues-Alcoholism. New York: Marshal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cavendish.

Plato and the Concept of Knowledge Essay

Plato’s Theaetetus is a dialogue that discusses and attempts to find a definition of knowledge. The two characters, Socrates and Theaetetus, approach the argument with the initial idea that knowledge is the addition of a true judgment and an account. However, Socrates raises some concerns regarding the fundamental aspects that make the definition true. Ultimately, the two characters find that their original definition of knowledge is not as accurate, nor as simple as they once believed. The article opens with Theaetetus recalling a definition of knowledge he once heard, which stated â€Å"true judgment with an account is knowledge [and is therefore knowable], and the kind without an account falls outside the sphere of knowledge [and is therefore unknowable]† (126). Socrates begins to question one’s ability to determine whether something is or is not knowable, and he demonstrates the concept using the relationship between elements and complexes. In doing so, he explains a recent dream of his, which, in turn, is actually an explanation of Dream Theory. Dream Theory states that â€Å"the primary elements, of which we and everything else are composed, have no account. Each of them itself, by itself, can only be named† (126). In other words, as elements cannot be broken down further, elements cannot have an account because that would require the determining of whether or not the said elements exist. The addition of that information onto the original element itself results in something that is no longer in its simplest form. Therefore, no elements can have accounts, nor can they be knowable; elements can only be perceived. Consequently, this poses the question as to whether or not complexes are knowable given that their elements are not. When complexes are viewed as the sum of all their elements, it is safe to conclude that the complexes are unknowable, as their elements are unknowable. This idea allowed Socrates to then consider whether complexes were mere sums or if they should instead be viewed as wholes that cannot be dissected into parts. However, the problem with this idea is that, when viewed as a whole that cannot be separated, the complex is then no different than an element, and therefore cannot have an account. After failing to determine what does and does not have an account, Socrates decides to turn his attention to determining what constitutes an account. First, he defines it as stating one’s judgment through speech. Immediately, this manifests flaws in the sense that any true statement could then be considered an account. If this were the case, there would be no differentiation between an account and a true judgment. Next, he defines an account as listing the elements of the things known. Again, this must be incorrect because the possibility exists that one could simply memorize the elements without actually understanding them. Without understanding, one cannot have knowledge. Finally, he defines an account as differentiating the known thing from everything else. This would require knowledge of the differences, and ultimately would again be a reiteration of the true judgment. Additionally, one would be defining knowledge as true judgment plus knowledge, which would be considered a fallacy. This marks the final turning point in Socrates’s and Theaetetus’s overall definition of knowledge, where the two characters decide that their initial definition could not be considered correct. Through their attempts to dissect the supposed explanation of knowledge, Socrates and Theaetetus finally reach the conclusion that knowledge is â€Å"neither perception, nor true judgment, nor an account added to true judgment† (133).

Free Essays on Third Party Mediation Cyprus

Third Party Mediation In The Cyprus Problem â€Å"let us suggest an alternative. There is nothing to gain by stretching the conflict for another generation†¦We will have to bury our dead, they will have to bury their dead and we will end up with the same topography, the same demography, the same problems on the table and it will open a way towards Kosovo-Belfast type situation which we don’t need† What exactly is meant by mediation? â€Å"A process which is aimed attaining a settlement with the help of mediators† The European Union The European Union in not considered a direct or active mediator in the attempts to reach a settlement regarding Cyprus, but has become a major player in the negotiations due to the desire of Cyprus (Greek-Cyprus) to become a member of the European Union. Cyprus has enjoyed close relations with the EU economically, politically, and socially. An EU report on Cyprus in 2000 stated the relationship in due to an â€Å"Association Agreement of 1973 and also a newer Accession partnership which is financially possible by EC council regulation no 555/2000 dated march 13 2000. The European Union only recognizes the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate government of the republic of Cyprus. When â€Å"Cyprus† applied for membership into the European Union, the Greek Cypriot government applied on behalf of the both sides. The Helsinki summit in Dec 1999 has linked the Cyprus issue to the inclusion of Turkey as a member of the EU. The Helsinki declaration says that Turkey must support the UN secretary General in efforts to resolve the Cyprus conflict. This concealed pressure was the reasoning behind Rauf Denktas inviting Greek Cypriot Clerdes to direct talks in December of 2001, interestingly enough after Denktas was on record in November of 2000 as saying there was â€Å"no point to stay on the negotiation table† after the â€Å"non-paper proposal† by The UN Secretary General. Turkey pr... Free Essays on Third Party Mediation Cyprus Free Essays on Third Party Mediation Cyprus Third Party Mediation In The Cyprus Problem â€Å"let us suggest an alternative. There is nothing to gain by stretching the conflict for another generation†¦We will have to bury our dead, they will have to bury their dead and we will end up with the same topography, the same demography, the same problems on the table and it will open a way towards Kosovo-Belfast type situation which we don’t need† What exactly is meant by mediation? â€Å"A process which is aimed attaining a settlement with the help of mediators† The European Union The European Union in not considered a direct or active mediator in the attempts to reach a settlement regarding Cyprus, but has become a major player in the negotiations due to the desire of Cyprus (Greek-Cyprus) to become a member of the European Union. Cyprus has enjoyed close relations with the EU economically, politically, and socially. An EU report on Cyprus in 2000 stated the relationship in due to an â€Å"Association Agreement of 1973 and also a newer Accession partnership which is financially possible by EC council regulation no 555/2000 dated march 13 2000. The European Union only recognizes the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate government of the republic of Cyprus. When â€Å"Cyprus† applied for membership into the European Union, the Greek Cypriot government applied on behalf of the both sides. The Helsinki summit in Dec 1999 has linked the Cyprus issue to the inclusion of Turkey as a member of the EU. The Helsinki declaration says that Turkey must support the UN secretary General in efforts to resolve the Cyprus conflict. This concealed pressure was the reasoning behind Rauf Denktas inviting Greek Cypriot Clerdes to direct talks in December of 2001, interestingly enough after Denktas was on record in November of 2000 as saying there was â€Å"no point to stay on the negotiation table† after the â€Å"non-paper proposal† by The UN Secretary General. Turkey pr...

Piscilla, Queen of the Desert musical response essays

Piscilla, Queen of the Desert musical response essays This film represents freedom and inner growth through hitting the road and bonding with peers. For these three queens, the road offers a temporary, yet easy, way out of their everyday lives. Older and wiser Bernadette, middle-aged Mitzi, and young Felicia, ignorant to society outside the city life. Music director, Anthony Walker, did a nice job. Several of the songs reinforced the feelings of freedom as well as a journey into a new sense of life that runs throughout the film. The music is whats most memorable, perhaps second only to the costumes. The film has been criticized for being called a musical, as the queens are lip-synching to non-original songs, but it uses song and dance through its entirety. References are made to, "Les Girls," the 1957 film about three showgirls reminiscing upon their traveling days. It was a musical comedy directed by George Cukor, himself gay, and one of the actors name is Mitzi Gaynor, Hugo Weavings stage name in Priscilla. Some of the musical numbers and costumes have definitely inspired scenes in "Priscilla" and even some of the plot points are familiar. Terrence Stamp's character references it when he appeared to have been in the stage version of "Les Girls" during his youth. In both films, music is the method the three ladies, or drag queens, earn a living and enjoy life. Interestingly enough, Les Girls, was also criticized for being considered a musical due to the music being all staged and seen through flashbacks of the performers. In the Village Peoples Go West, the lyrics start the trios voyage with a sense of both togetherness and adventure. The chorus talks about starting a new life, finding oneself, together with friends. Its the perfect song to start a road trip with. In Charlenes Ive never Been To Me, the statement repeatedly made throughout the song is, I ran out of places and frien...

Culture studys neo-nazi music culture Assignment

Culture studys neo-nazi music culture - Assignment Example The emergence of the neo-Nazi music in England took place in the year 1970s with the concert which was titled as ‘Rock against Racism’. Followed by this concert, the array of racists who were involved with the neo-Nazi skinheads was identified to be ‘Rock against Communism’ (RAC). The musical concert was intimately involved with the encouragement of the nationalist neo-Nazis, racists and socially unrest themes with the intention to continue succession and thus imbibe such beliefs within the young generation (Jewish Virtual Library, 2012). The concepts of the music culture which intentionally generated as a moral panic had been considered with the obligation of the neo-Nazi culture that is currently being pursued by the young population. This moral panic involved with its categorisation of races, social groups and communities by the feeling of anxiety and emotional energy concerning the perceived values and beliefs that was typically focused during the music concert (Shayovitz, 2011). Hence, as the prime focus on the neo-Nazi music culture has been observed to imbibe the beliefs amid the young generation, it becomes quite apparent that the cultural movement is likely to have a strong impact on the young population. It also because of the increasing preferences for modern music amid the young generation, that neo-Nazi music culture can have a long lasting impression over this population. The formulation of the Neo-Nazi music culture took place with the consideration of the Jewish holocaust, as one of the utmost crimes during the Second World War era which was carried out by Adolf Hitler with the commitment to set up the Nazi despotism. The catastrophe of the Jewish holocaust is considered as one of the foremost reasons for the occurrence of such ascension of neo-Nazis in Germany in the Second World War. There

The Nurse And The Old Mans Hospital Room Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Nurse And The Old Mans Hospital Room - Essay Example The nurse was exemplary because she illustrated the characteristics of an excellent nurse- sympathetic, tolerant, and intelligent. While the nurse was outstanding, the hospital room was ordinary, but the gifts and contents that surrounded my Uncle made it look like a part of our home. The room was plain in colors and design. It had white walls with crumbling paint, some cracks in the walls, and simple layout of a bed and a table, which was common for public hospitals. It was white and clean. It was similar to every other hospital I had been too. Though the room was a familiar sight, everything else from our family and friends brought it to life. Uncle’s wife brought another table and some chairs. The table had two transparent cabinets, and one could see the packs of biscuits, chips, and candies inside, for the visitors. Another layer had dried fruits and sachets of coffee and chocolate drinks. At the side of the table were bags of home-cooked food, such as stewed fish and vege tables, rice, and tilapia in coconut milk. There were also baskets of fruits of every color- watermelon, bananas, apples, and oranges. I could smell the food fighting away the scents of alcohol, medicine, and antiseptics. Apart from food, pots, and bouquets of flowers were everywhere. My favorite was a bouquet of yellow flowers with pink edges. They looked brightly colorful and smelled wonderful. My Aunt put this in a vase and placed it on the table. Then, some vivid blue and green balloons were nearby too, as well as piles of cards and letters.